This year was a rough year and there were moments when I felt pretty low on inspiration when it came to the classroom. But I got to share in a little moment of success with my students when they had a "book release" party and got to share some books they had written with the rest of the kids in the school.  This was part of a year long process. We spent weeks learning about how to become authors.  We learned what the component of a story were, proper illustrations, sequencing events.  It went on and on.  They  put everything they had into creating these books and the pride they had in them was tangible.  They were willing to go slow, think about it and enjoyed the process.  I loved this moment and loved helping them create this success.  Authoring a book is something I have always wished I had the talent and drive for.  I transferred a little of that onto them I think and even if I'll never have the joy of my own "book release" event, sharing theirs was enough.

Lesson Learned

Today I learned that one of my students can read much better than I thought he could.  He brought a book from home that he had read first with his Dad.  That simple act of reading it before hand with his father had given him enough self-confidence to read with fluency that shocked me literally speechless. The lesson here: Parents- read read read with your children. Teachers- never underestimate the power of self-confidence as an impactor on success. 

The Official Lunch Box Pet Peeves List

All kinds of families pack all kinds of lunches for their kids. Some kids come with a lunch so wholesome and tasty that it tempts me to try and trade MY lunch for a 5 year old's. Other's I simply don't understand why? Some just downright annoy me.  At times it's clearly just poor nutrition being passed down the family line, other times it's so odd I have to wonder if there really was a superb reason to the insanity packed in that Hello Kitty or Go Diego lunch box.  Either way I can't help but feel a little irritated as I watch the lunch boxes pop open.  Here are a few lunch room pet peeves I have-

Anything that comes in a Cambell's can with the pop off lid.  Yes I wore a white blouse today and yes you sent your kid with a can of Spagetti-O's he can't open. And when I grab that tab and pull that lid, red sauce is going to splatter all over my shirt.  Thanks a lot.

Something that needs to be microwaved....EVERY SINGLE DAY! Do you know how long it takes to microwave an entire classroom of lunches? PB&J people, PB&J!

Soup. Come on, they are 5! Seriously? Soup? And by the way, when you put the soup in the thermos at 6:00 a.m. this morning, the steam caused the lid to vacuum seal as it cooled. So yea, when I finally get it open (permanently damaging my wrist in the process), it's COLD. And a metal thermos can't be microwaved. But did you think to include a bowl? Or a spoon for that matter? Of course not.  

Juice bags. They always poke the straw through the other side, then squeeze sticky juice all over themselves. (Albeit preferable to the juice box missing the straw off the back. How pray tell are they supposed to consume the juice?)

Sugar overload.  The cinnamon bread with the 1/2 inch of nutella along with a side of oreos and a fruit roll up (NOT actually considered a fruit by the way) plus the sugary juice IN A BAG.  Exactly what kind of a day are they wishing on us?

Sending the same thing EVERY DAY.  I'm sick of seeing it, smelling it, and heating it up- so I'm sure the kid is sick of eating it. If they aren't they should be. For the entire school year, pizza bagels was the only thing you could think to purchase from the freezer section? Corn dogs, frozen burritos, tiquitos, hot pockets, chicken nuggets, lean cuisine, frozen PB&J sandwiches, pizza bites, pizza sticks, personal pizzas, pizza pockets, fish sticks, frozen mac & cheese? None of that seemed like an equally reasonable choice to throw into rotation?

And then there is the other extreme...nine billion different little packages of goodies. Oh the selection, the variety, the possibilities, a smorgas board of choices! FYI, it is physically impossible for a five year old to focus on eating if they know existing in their possession is an un-open bag of chips. By the time they finish struggling with all 5 billion types of packaging? Lunch is over.

And holding the top spot on my Lunch Box Pet Peeves list! (drum roooooolllllll) YOGURT IN A TUBE! It's yogurt. In a tube. Enough said.