Make A Teacher's Day! Random Acts of Kindness For Your Favorite Teacher

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.


Do you ever have a bad day? A bad week? I sure do! It seems that it has been one thing after another for the last couple of weeks! 

We started back to school and our building was undergoing a re-model. Most of the school is staying the same, but we are adding on and the addition is connected to my classroom. This meant cutting a small portion of my classroom to make a hallway for the new classroom. As with any re-model, things have not gone exactly as I had hoped, and the workers, trying to work around my teaching schedule, have had to come in after class hours. Often times (sometimes more than once or twice in a single day, almost every day, for the last few weeks) that has meant moving part of my classroom so the workers could have access. It has entailed dust, noise, distraction and many other annoyances. Can you spell S-T-R-E-S-S????? As I am trying to get my classroom ready for the new school year bulletin boards have come down and been moved. My areas for learning centers have had to be flexible because the electrical outlets are not all working while the electric has been worked on for the new room. 

It's been tricky getting a new group of kids on board with our routines and putting things in their places when things have been changing on a daily basis. BUT, I'm a teacher ---I can be flexible! (Or I try to do a good job of faking it, anyway!) I try to see things with a glass half-full perspective. It is a GOOD thing that our other Pre-K class will be getting a much larger room, the same size as the one I've been blessed with these last few years. It is a GOOD thing that we will have another class for our one year olds and we will be able to accommodate many of our families. My kids are loving, kind and excited about learning and they keep my bucket full. 

We've been looking forward to this past Friday as having most of the work done and we were scheduled to have a half day as a scheduled teacher workday. Yayyyyy! We were finally going to get our room in order. But wait. Not. So. Fast. It turns out that we were getting new (and much needed) carpet for our center. The workers would be coming in over the long weekend to put it down. Translation: instead of putting the room in order, we would pack the ENTIRE room up and move it up and out so the carpet could be laid. Then, Tropical Storm Hermine showed up on the scene. The Emergency Preparedness folks in our area suggested that we cancel school for students due to a threat of high wind. The upside is that we would have the full day as a teacher workday to pack the room up. (I was trying to keep a happy face on it but honestly, my bucket was beginning to leak.) 

Last month I was working on a post I thought was going to be pretty great. While doing that, I was making several "freebies" to go with the post. Just before the post was scheduled, I came across some really great things that I decided to share instead. I thought that I would add more great "freebies" and share them this month. I have been working on these all month and have been very excited to share them here with you. I was planning to add the finishing touches this weekend and schedule the post for today. Sounds great, right?

When I got home Friday evening, my computer started having one of those no-good-very-bad-days of its own. It went bonkers! I had my technician work on it all weekend. When I got it back Monday evening, I was told it was a good news, bad news situation. The good news was that the computer had been saved. It was restored to the condition I bought it in. The bad news is that it was in the condition I bought it in. Every file, picture, document, etc, that was on it was gone. Microsoft Office was gone. All the major applications that I use regularly---GONE.  (All those delicious "freebies" that I have worked on for the last month? Well, those are gone, gone, gone, too.)  

So I got up Tuesday morning and put on my "big girl pants" and went to school VERY early so I could put my room back together. I walked in and the carpet was BEAUTIFUL! My lights in the classroom had been switched out and I had bright, beautiful light in my room! I went to work putting the room in order again. (For the umpteenth time, but who's counting? ;) And then, someone did something nice for me. A small something. It wasn't much, but it made me feel better. It made me smile. I came home and this meme was the first thing I saw when I turned on my computer. 

from the No-Exceptions.org facebook page

Is all that other stuff what is important? It's stressful, yes. But in the grand scheme of things, is it REALLY important? And I realized that it doesn't take much to make someone's day. Someone can be having a REALLY "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and one small something can turn it around for them. It is IMPORTANT to do good deeds for others. It makes them feel great and it can also do a world of good for the person doing the good deed.

The start of the school year, holidays and Teacher Appreciation Week are when many people think about doing something nice for teachers but random kindness is a GREAT way to show you care. Whether you are a parent and you'd like to show appreciation for your child's teacher or you are a teacher who wants to show a little love for a fellow teacher, here are a few simple things that don't take much to really brighten that teacher's day:

• A smile and a few kind words in the morning are a GREAT way to make a teacher's day!
• Offer to help in the classroom. You can read a story, cut things out, put up a bulletin board or even help with small group work or projects. Whatever your talents are, I'm sure your teacher will appreciate it!
• Send in school supplies. You always hear about how much money teachers spend for their classroom. Here's a secret: Every teacher LOVES Sharpies and colorful Post It notes! Or, take note of what items your teacher seems to use a lot. Does she tend to use a certain type of pen? Pick one up next time you are in the store. Or make a little "bouquet" with a few Post-Its, some pens, crayons and pencils!

• Candy! It doesn't have to be a big box of fancy chocolates! A candy bar with a sweet note attached can start a day off on a positive note and give the teacher something to look forward to later when she/he needs a little pick-me-up. I've had students bring me a single Hershey's kiss and that simple gesture went a long way in making my day brighter.
• A cup of coffee or a cool drink on a hot day. One parent brought us Sonic slushies on a really hot afternoon. It came up in my "Facebook Memories" last week. It has been several years, but when I saw the post, I smiled all over again. 

• A little snack. I once had a parent bring a HOT Krispy Kreme doughnut to me in the middle of the day. She said she was driving by and the "HOT" sign came on in the window and she couldn't resist driving through and picking one up for me and my assistant. Wowsers! 
• Bring in lunch! Something delicious is always a treat, especially when a) you don't have to cook it yourself and b) it's not cafeteria food!
• Flowers! A surprise bouquet is always a treat, but a quick snip of a flower from your garden will certainly brighten her day, too!

• Fruit baskets and Edible arrangements are nice, too! This one made my day and I still remember how yummy it was even though it has been a few years!

• A cute cup to carry drinks from home.

• A picture of the class with handwritten names on the matte. I have gotten several over the years and I love each one!

• Ask your child and their class mates what they love about the teacher. Make a video, card or poster with the responses. This will be a keepsake more precious than the most expensive gift money could buy!
• Spread the kindness! Encourage others to shower the teacher with little acts of kindness to make a truly special surprise!

These last 3 are BIG!!!    REALLY, REALLY BIG!!! And here's the thing....they are free. Completely free. BUT, they are sure to be some of the BEST ways you can show your appreciation and share a bit of kindness. Are you ready?

• Write a letter to teacher letting her know how much you appreciate her. Write from the heart and you will make her heart swoon. The "warm fuzzies" will last for days. Seriously. FOR. DAYS.!!!
• Write a letter to her administrator or principal. Let them know how much you appreciate her. Often times the administrators mostly hear from parents with complaints. Now you've made TWO people's day! (Don't forget to send the teacher a copy of the letter, too!)
• The Golden Apple. If you REALLY think the world of your child's teacher, nominate her for an award. Most towns have some sort of local award to recognize great teachers. The one in my area is called The Golden Apple Award. Teachers are nominated by families and recognized for their hard work and dedication. At the end of the year, there is an awards ceremony and a black tie banquet. It is truly a special recognition. Even if you have the GREATEST teacher in town and you think surely someone must have nominated them before, send a letter of nomination. I have a friend who got a Golden Apple Award after many years of dedicated service and teaching hundreds of students. It was well known that she was "the" teacher everyone always requested. It turns out that several families over the years thought of nominating her but didn't because they assumed she was so fabulous that someone else must have nominated her before. Finally someone did! It really made her year and has been an honor that lasts a lifetime!

I encourage you to make a teacher's day! Go big, go little, but show you care. We have way too many good teachers who are leaving our profession and we need to keep the great ones around! Remember, this is the person who loves and cares for your child for most of the day while they are away from you. Your Random Act Of Kindness can make a HUGE difference and in the end, you'll feel pretty good, too! 

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!

Make A Teacher's Day! Random Acts of Kindness For Your Favorite Teacher

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.


Do you ever have a bad day? A bad week? I sure do! It seems that it has been one thing after another for the last couple of weeks! 

We started back to school and our building was undergoing a re-model. Most of the school is staying the same, but we are adding on and the addition is connected to my classroom. This meant cutting a small portion of my classroom to make a hallway for the new classroom. As with any re-model, things have not gone exactly as I had hoped, and the workers, trying to work around my teaching schedule, have had to come in after class hours. Often times (sometimes more than once or twice in a single day, almost every day, for the last few weeks) that has meant moving part of my classroom so the workers could have access. It has entailed dust, noise, distraction and many other annoyances. Can you spell S-T-R-E-S-S????? As I am trying to get my classroom ready for the new school year bulletin boards have come down and been moved. My areas for learning centers have had to be flexible because the electrical outlets are not all working while the electric has been worked on for the new room. 

It's been tricky getting a new group of kids on board with our routines and putting things in their places when things have been changing on a daily basis. BUT, I'm a teacher ---I can be flexible! (Or I try to do a good job of faking it, anyway!) I try to see things with a glass half-full perspective. It is a GOOD thing that our other Pre-K class will be getting a much larger room, the same size as the one I've been blessed with these last few years. It is a GOOD thing that we will have another class for our one year olds and we will be able to accommodate many of our families. My kids are loving, kind and excited about learning and they keep my bucket full. 

We've been looking forward to this past Friday as having most of the work done and we were scheduled to have a half day as a scheduled teacher workday. Yayyyyy! We were finally going to get our room in order. But wait. Not. So. Fast. It turns out that we were getting new (and much needed) carpet for our center. The workers would be coming in over the long weekend to put it down. Translation: instead of putting the room in order, we would pack the ENTIRE room up and move it up and out so the carpet could be laid. Then, Tropical Storm Hermine showed up on the scene. The Emergency Preparedness folks in our area suggested that we cancel school for students due to a threat of high wind. The upside is that we would have the full day as a teacher workday to pack the room up. (I was trying to keep a happy face on it but honestly, my bucket was beginning to leak.) 

Last month I was working on a post I thought was going to be pretty great. While doing that, I was making several "freebies" to go with the post. Just before the post was scheduled, I came across some really great things that I decided to share instead. I thought that I would add more great "freebies" and share them this month. I have been working on these all month and have been very excited to share them here with you. I was planning to add the finishing touches this weekend and schedule the post for today. Sounds great, right?

When I got home Friday evening, my computer started having one of those no-good-very-bad-days of its own. It went bonkers! I had my technician work on it all weekend. When I got it back Monday evening, I was told it was a good news, bad news situation. The good news was that the computer had been saved. It was restored to the condition I bought it in. The bad news is that it was in the condition I bought it in. Every file, picture, document, etc, that was on it was gone. Microsoft Office was gone. All the major applications that I use regularly---GONE.  (All those delicious "freebies" that I have worked on for the last month? Well, those are gone, gone, gone, too.)  

So I got up Tuesday morning and put on my "big girl pants" and went to school VERY early so I could put my room back together. I walked in and the carpet was BEAUTIFUL! My lights in the classroom had been switched out and I had bright, beautiful light in my room! I went to work putting the room in order again. (For the umpteenth time, but who's counting? ;) And then, someone did something nice for me. A small something. It wasn't much, but it made me feel better. It made me smile. I came home and this meme was the first thing I saw when I turned on my computer. 

from the No-Exceptions.org facebook page

Is all that other stuff what is important? It's stressful, yes. But in the grand scheme of things, is it REALLY important? And I realized that it doesn't take much to make someone's day. Someone can be having a REALLY "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and one small something can turn it around for them. It is IMPORTANT to do good deeds for others. It makes them feel great and it can also do a world of good for the person doing the good deed.

The start of the school year, holidays and Teacher Appreciation Week are when many people think about doing something nice for teachers but random kindness is a GREAT way to show you care. Whether you are a parent and you'd like to show appreciation for your child's teacher or you are a teacher who wants to show a little love for a fellow teacher, here are a few simple things that don't take much to really brighten that teacher's day:

• A smile and a few kind words in the morning are a GREAT way to make a teacher's day!
• Offer to help in the classroom. You can read a story, cut things out, put up a bulletin board or even help with small group work or projects. Whatever your talents are, I'm sure your teacher will appreciate it!
• Send in school supplies. You always hear about how much money teachers spend for their classroom. Here's a secret: Every teacher LOVES Sharpies and colorful Post It notes! Or, take note of what items your teacher seems to use a lot. Does she tend to use a certain type of pen? Pick one up next time you are in the store. Or make a little "bouquet" with a few Post-Its, some pens, crayons and pencils!

• Candy! It doesn't have to be a big box of fancy chocolates! A candy bar with a sweet note attached can start a day off on a positive note and give the teacher something to look forward to later when she/he needs a little pick-me-up. I've had students bring me a single Hershey's kiss and that simple gesture went a long way in making my day brighter.
• A cup of coffee or a cool drink on a hot day. One parent brought us Sonic slushies on a really hot afternoon. It came up in my "Facebook Memories" last week. It has been several years, but when I saw the post, I smiled all over again. 

• A little snack. I once had a parent bring a HOT Krispy Kreme doughnut to me in the middle of the day. She said she was driving by and the "HOT" sign came on in the window and she couldn't resist driving through and picking one up for me and my assistant. Wowsers! 
• Bring in lunch! Something delicious is always a treat, especially when a) you don't have to cook it yourself and b) it's not cafeteria food!
• Flowers! A surprise bouquet is always a treat, but a quick snip of a flower from your garden will certainly brighten her day, too!

• Fruit baskets and Edible arrangements are nice, too! This one made my day and I still remember how yummy it was even though it has been a few years!

• A cute cup to carry drinks from home.

• A picture of the class with handwritten names on the matte. I have gotten several over the years and I love each one!

• Ask your child and their class mates what they love about the teacher. Make a video, card or poster with the responses. This will be a keepsake more precious than the most expensive gift money could buy!
• Spread the kindness! Encourage others to shower the teacher with little acts of kindness to make a truly special surprise!

These last 3 are BIG!!!    REALLY, REALLY BIG!!! And here's the thing....they are free. Completely free. BUT, they are sure to be some of the BEST ways you can show your appreciation and share a bit of kindness. Are you ready?

• Write a letter to teacher letting her know how much you appreciate her. Write from the heart and you will make her heart swoon. The "warm fuzzies" will last for days. Seriously. FOR. DAYS.!!!
• Write a letter to her administrator or principal. Let them know how much you appreciate her. Often times the administrators mostly hear from parents with complaints. Now you've made TWO people's day! (Don't forget to send the teacher a copy of the letter, too!)
• The Golden Apple. If you REALLY think the world of your child's teacher, nominate her for an award. Most towns have some sort of local award to recognize great teachers. The one in my area is called The Golden Apple Award. Teachers are nominated by families and recognized for their hard work and dedication. At the end of the year, there is an awards ceremony and a black tie banquet. It is truly a special recognition. Even if you have the GREATEST teacher in town and you think surely someone must have nominated them before, send a letter of nomination. I have a friend who got a Golden Apple Award after many years of dedicated service and teaching hundreds of students. It was well known that she was "the" teacher everyone always requested. It turns out that several families over the years thought of nominating her but didn't because they assumed she was so fabulous that someone else must have nominated her before. Finally someone did! It really made her year and has been an honor that lasts a lifetime!

I encourage you to make a teacher's day! Go big, go little, but show you care. We have way too many good teachers who are leaving our profession and we need to keep the great ones around! Remember, this is the person who loves and cares for your child for most of the day while they are away from you. Your Random Act Of Kindness can make a HUGE difference and in the end, you'll feel pretty good, too! 

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!

Do You Accept These Gifts as a Teacher, or Reject Them?

On parent night at my child’s school, I overheard someone compliment a teacher on the way her classroom was decorated. The teacher's response to the compliment was a remark that it was nothing special and that she had used the theme once before.

Have you ever given someone a compliment, only to have the other person tell you that she got it off the clearance rack at a local clothing store? How did her reply make you feel in that moment? Did you feel energized to provide more or did you feel a sudden let down that your compliment was a waste of time and not accepted?

Use your teacher skills to speak at conferences.

As a teacher, how often do you compliment your paraprofessional or your director? What about your own children or your significant other? Sometimes it seems like we give more compliments to others than we do to our own family. And what about you; what do you say when someone compliments you, something you did to your classroom, or your outfit? Have you noticed that you too provide a response that minimizes the gift you just received?

I think we do this because something in our subconscious takes over to reduce the attention we are suddenly getting, or it may even reveal how we really feel about our outfit or our classroom at the moment. But I ask you to consider what the other person may be feeling, the person who just gave you a gift.

What about when someone gives you an idea for your classroom? Do you immediately think of the stress it will cause, the work it will take, what won't get done if you take this on, the money it will take to do it, the time it will take away from other things, and on and on and on? Do you then tell the idea-giver why it won’t work or why you can’t take another thing on? Are you an idea-generator and find yourself thinking up and offering ideas to others? How does it make you feel when the idea you've given the other person is rejected?  

The manual that should come with every teenager.

I don't blame those who reject compliments or ideas, as I use to feel the same things when others gave them to me. But I learned to adapt to the fact that when someone gives me a compliment, they are taking the time to give me a gift. And if it’s an idea, they are just giving me information that I can choose on my own to take action on or ignore. It’s all up to me; it’s just information.

When someone gives you a gift, you might immediately think about the fact that you really don't like it. But I ask you to consider being gracious and say thank you and look like we are thankful. I do my best to do the same thing with ideas; see them as gifts. I've learned to remain quiet, listen, and then say “Isn't that interesting, thanks for the idea.” I often times write down these ideas because I may think differently about them at a later time.

Remember, whether someone gives you a compliment, an idea or feedback, it’s all just information that you are free to do anything you want with. But smile and say “Thank You” for the gift you just received.

Bill Corbett has a degree in clinical psychology and is the author of the award winning book “Love, Limits, & Lessons: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Cooperative Kids,” in English and in Spanish.  He is happily married with three grown children, two grandchildren, three step children, and lives in Connecticut.  You can visit his Web site www.CooperativeKids.com for further information and parenting advice.

On The First Day of Pre-K....

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations. 

**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.**

Yesterday was our first day of Pre-K. I know, I know, we go back EARLY!!!! Our new little batch of friends heads into our classroom for the first time. Some of the friends have been in our school since birth, some have come from other childcare settings and others are leaving their parents for the very first time. Where ever they are coming from, they are coming to me and my classroom for the first time. It's a new setting for everyone. My classroom is humongous! It is about the size of 3 regular classrooms. And, it is filled with centers and materials. There is just so much to do that it can be overwhelming. During the first few days, the main goal is to get to know each other, the environment and our expectations of each other. 

Because the room is so big I take a few baskets of materials in each center and leave them out and cover the rest. We learn how to take things out and put them away and add a little more daily until the room is fully revealed and all materials are accessible. 

At parent orientation (usually a night or two before the first day) I give the parents and children each a little gift. I wish I knew the source---it was shared with me many years ago from another teacher and can now be found all over the internet. My thanks and appreciation to whomever it is!

In the parent gift sack, I have a cottonball, a tissue and a teabag with the following poem:

Dearest Pre K Parents,
Here is a little "gift" for you as you leave your precious one with us on the first day of school. As you hold this cotton ball in your hand, the softness will help you to remember the gentle spirit of your child. After you've gone home and dried your tears, make yourself a hot cup of tea. Put up your feet and relax. Remember that we will work together to help your child to be the best they can be.
Thank you for entrusting your child to us for the coming school year. We will do our very best every day to be your child's guide in learning and exploring this bright, new world they've just stepped into.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ayn 

And for the children, I fill a gift sack with the following poem and the items listed.

Dear New Pre-K Friend:

These are some things you may need for our classroom this year. Each of the items in this bag has a special meaning:
* The cotton ball is to remind you that this room is full of kind words and warm feelings.
* The Hersey’s Hug is to comfort you when you are feeling sad and to remind you that friendship holds our hearts together.
* The bandage is to heal hurt feelings in your friends and in yourself.

* The tissue is to remind you to help dry someone's tears.
* The sticker is to remind you that we all stick together and help each other.
* The star is to remind you to shine and always try your best.
* The pencil is to help you “use your words”.

* The eraser is to remind you that we all make mistakes and that is okay.
* The penny is to remind you that you are valuable and special

*The puzzle piece is to remind you that without you our class wouldn’t be complete!

Love,

Mrs. Ayn 

On the first morning, I set out paper and crayons for children to use as they arrive. They can draw whatever they like, I label it with their dictation and I save it for the scrapbook I give them at the end of the year. This also gives them something to do as we help settle new parents and students as they arrive. 

Many of the kids have been in our school forever, and know that the Pre-K class takes field trips on the bus. It is one of the things they've been looking forward to as they've moved up from the youger classes that do not take trips. Several of them asked immediately upon arrival about taking field trips. "Mrs. Ayn, do we get to ride on the bus today?" "When are we going on our first field trip?" "Do we get to take a trip on the bus today?"I felt like such a Grinch telling them that we would go on a trip soon, but not today! 

After the parents have left, we headed over to the rug for a story before breakfast. I usually read Kevin Henke's "Wemberly Worried", but the stars aligned perfectly and our plan was changed. One of the kids saw "First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg on our bookshelf and asked if we could read it that morning. I had planned on reading it at some point during the day, anyway. Just after that, our cook came in and said that one of the other teachers had planned on making "Jitter Juice", but there had been a mix up with getting the ingredients. Our sweet cook offered to whip up a special "Jitter Juice" of her own recipe for the other teacher and offered to make us some, as well! We read the story and finished just in time for our morning snack of muffins and "Jitter Juice". (And we still had time to read "Wemberly Worried" later in the day!)

After breakfast, we take a tour of the school and get to know our surroundings (kitchen, director's offices, other classrooms, etc.) and a tour of our classroom. After touring the learning centers they are pretty eager to play. It's time to explore centers! 

(The red is the part of the center that we will reveal later.)

While the children are busily exploring, I call them over for individual "First Day of Pre-K" pictures. These will be used in projects, name cards, as well as becoming a special memento in our end of the year scrapbook and slideshow. By the end of the year, it is always really surprising to see how much they've grown!

At some point during the first day or two, we set the expectations for the classroom behavior. And by "we", I mean the class, not me. The children suggest rules that they think are important to keep our classroom a safe and happy place to be. Later, I type up the list and post it at eye level.

Over the next several days, we will be introducing small groups, new materials and how to care for them, classroom jobs and many other things that will eventually become part of our school family life. And soon we'll take our first of many fun and exciting field trips. We'll take things slow and let the children guide us on how fast or slow we progress.

Here are some of my favorite "First Day of School" books. 




If you'd like to read more about getting ready for Pre-K, you might be interested in reading some of my other back to school posts on PreK+K Sharing : "Going To Preschool: Tips For An Almost Tearless Transition" and "The First Few Days of School: Getting To Know Each Other"  or "Signing In And Out in Preschool" on little illuminations.  

 

Do you have a favorite "First Day of School" memory? Or "First Day of School" book? I'd love for you to share it in the comments! 

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!