Reflections From A Former Elementary School Teacher

It’s three weeks into this school year, and I’m settling into this new role as an elementary school parent. I have to say, being on this side of the classroom door has been a tremendous eye-opener. This time of year typically elicits nostalgic feelings for my days in the classroom, but now that I’m in the school environment on a daily basis, I am constantly reflecting on my time as a teacher.

image credit: MS Office Clip Art

Lego Friends Misses the Mark on Friendships

I hold my memories of working at Gray Elementary School very close to my heart. It was (and still is) a fabulous Chicago Public School, with passionate and innovative teachers and supportive and forward-thinking administrators. While the learning happening inside the school was quite progressive, the school structure itself dated back to 1911. Remodeling and updating took place over the years, but certain elements of the original facade were preserved – namely, the separate boys’ and girls’ entrances.

Set on opposite ends of the building with words etched in stone above, these doors had long since brought boys and girls into school separately. And the sight of this historical signage never elicited any type of negative feelings from me. In fact, I appreciated the history it represented. If anything, it was a reminder of how far we’ve come (in education and as a culture), and an incentive for continuing to push for change and improvement. Separate entrances for boys and girls – a thing of the past, ancient history, olden times, distant memories….  It’s 2012 now for goodness sakes. It’s a time of inclusion, progressive thinking, and ingenuity.

So could someone please explain to me why an industry that has the resources to be all of this and more has created the likes of Legos Friends?

Why I Started My New Year’s Resolution on December 19th

While we’re only a few days into 2012, I already have a couple of weeks worth of resolution under my belt. This year, my New Year’s Resolution is to not yell at my kids.

I realized that something had to give when I barely made it through day #1 of Winter Vacation. What started out as a great plan quickly turned into a morning full of screaming:

You Should Be So Clever

Molly played hooky on Tuesday. We went with our cousins to the Children’s Museum, so I’m not talking about a devious day off of preschool or anything. Now I know I’ve proclaimed my love for several different places, spaces, and people on this blog in the past, so I hope that doesn’t take away from the following declaration because I really mean it – I LOVE the Children’s Museum of Phoenix (and I’m not getting paid to say nice things about them on the internet, although I would not turn down a free pass if anyone out there is wondering….).

Simply put, it is one of the most well thought-out, clever places I have ever taken my kids.

Classroom Environment (Solutions 5 and 6)

We’ve hit the halfway mark on the top-ten list! When I started thinking about writing-up this next solution, it made some sense to me to combine it with another. Both have to do with the classroom and the classroom environment. I know many of you aren’t teachers, but as parents involved in your child’s school, I think much of the following may be of interest. So today’s post is a two for one…..Solution 5: Adjust Physical Environment & Solution 6: Creating a Sense of Community.

Cooperate and Collaborate (Solution 3)

Woohoo – day 3! I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t stressing me out, but I’m hoping that sharing this top ten solutions list in ten days will prove useful and interesting. Just as a quick recap, day 1 was dedicated to intentionally bringing boys and girls together, and day 2 focused on fun. Today’s solution adds a third layer onto this mission of bringing boys and girls together in ways that will enhance relationships…..Solution 3: Cooperate and Collaborate.

Have Fun (Solution 2)

Day 2 of 10! Are you back? Just joining me? Well, I’m happy you’re here, and incidentally, being “happy” has everything to do with today’s post…Solution 2: Have Fun!

Increase Contact (Solution 1)

Welcome to day 1 on my mission to post a daily solution for bringing boys and girls together.  I probably should have written all of these posts before declaring to do so, but where is the fun in that? So the pressure is on, and without further ado….Solution 1: Increase Contact!

Every Problem Has A Solution (Or Maybe 10)

I’m kind of obsessed with this new website my kids’ school just implemented. It’s not the easiest thing to access (there’s logging-in, passwords etc…), but it’s totally worth it because I get to be a fly on the wall, regularly viewing pictures and videos.

Top Ten Things That Make Me Cringe

Last week I read a great blog post entitled Boy or Girl? on Mom-101 about the questionable practice of assigning gender to McDonald’s Happy Meals. The uncomfortable conversation this author was forced to have with her daughters, explaining that the cool, fun toy was not just for boys, was reminiscent of an exchange I had with my own kids this summer. As a parent, there are often things my kids hear or see that make me cringe, and more often than not, these things have something to do with gender. I was inspired by this McDonald’s gaffe to create a list of my top cringe-inducing offenses: