Ms. Kerry's Class

 

14/365: Importance

My Classroom.

In my classroom I have a caterpillar rug. On each circle of the caterpillar is one letter of the alphabet. If only, when I unrolled this carpet more than a year ago, I had known what emotions this carpet would illicit. Constant are the fights over who stands on what letter. And lawd-have-mercy if your name begins with "K." It just so happens to be the most popular 1st letter for my students. I beat them all to it this time! --Ignore the fact that they were at lunch.

15/365: Perspective 

My Classroom.

I could probably count on one hand how many times I have sat on this carpet. Yet, my students do it daily. You are looking at the all important teacher chair. The chair I spent more than $120,000 on (thank you DePaul) to call my own.

Sitting on the floor, looking at my chair from this angle makes me think from another point of view (I know. I'm being way too literal here). So often I hear other teachers get frustrated with what their students can't or "won't" do. I try hard not to be that teacher, but we all have our bad days. One of my favorite comedians has a hilariously inappropriate skit about why you can't get mad at children because they simply don't know any better. Sometimes you really have to pull yourself from the moment, sit on the carpet, and stare at the teacher chair to remind yourself of this. Is it obvious that I had one of those "Ms. Kerry can't hear everyone at once, that tiny mark doesn't need a band-aide, you can use a pencil, please don't touch his bottom, keep your shoes on" sort of days?