Important Ingredients

So far, my New Year’s Resolutions are going well… I am starting to find a balance… both mentally and physically!  This past week, I left work before 6pm every night, I made time to watch my favorite tv shows (Grey’s and Private Practice), I cooked every night (not the healthiest of meals every time, but it’s a start!), and I started reading a real book (Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden – love it!). 

Tomorrow, on my extra day off, I am going to conform and buy a gym membership.  I used to consider myself a gym rat all throughout college – I even worked at the campus rec center as a group fitness instructor!  Once I got my first teaching job, however, this all changed.  Instead of working out my normal 6 times per week, it trickled down to a maybe 1 time per week for the first couple months, and then 0 times per week for the remainder of the year.  Now, I’m going to get back to some old (but good) habits and join all my other New Year’s Resolution friends at the gym!  J

School was quite refreshing this week.  It was good to be back and see the kids!  I came to school sporting my new hairstyle (this wasn’t one of the 10+ hairstyles that I tried before winter break, but one that I tried during break and found that I actually liked!) and surprisingly, almost all of my students took notice!  Here are some of the comments I received:

“Wow!  You look beautiful today!”

“I like your style!” 

“I like your new hair… it brings out your beautiful side!”

Too funny!  That’s one way to boost your confidence!  J

Speaking of funny comments, here are some more that definitely put a smile on my face.  My Smile of the Week Awards go to… 

3^rd Place –What a Ride!

Student: “You’re going to be really jealous of me and what I got to do over break!”

Me: “Why is that?”

Student: “Because I know how much you love dolphins… “

Me:  “Oh ya!?!  What did you get to do?”

Student: “When we were on break, I got to go to Hawaii for a day with my mom and I got to ride a dolphin!” 

(If only I could travel to Hawaii for just a day *and* ride a dolphin! Haha.) 

2^nd Place - Catching Up

(This conversation took place during my cafeteria duty.  It was between me and a second grade student)    

Student: “Will you please bring me some ketchup?” 

Me: “Sure, but I think (the other teacher) is coming that way with the ketchup bottle right now.” 

Student: “Well I only want ketchup from my best teacher!”  So he waited until I was able to come down his row with the ketchup bottle. 

Since he was so patient, I decided to give him ketchup in the shape of a star on his hamburger. 

His response, “You gave me a star on my burger because I am a star student!  You really are the best teacher!”  J 

As he was leaving the cafeteria, I still had a ketchup bottle in my hands.  He shouted, “I hope you have a good ketchup (catch-up) day!  Get it – because it’s the first day back!”  Haha… so creative! 

1^st Place – Special Ingredients

Have you ever had one of those days where your class just gets the giggles… and everything you say or do just elicits more laughter?  Well, this was one of those times…

My first graders were reading a story about two kangaroos gathering ingredients to make a meal.  On the last page of the story, the kangaroos decide to enjoy their creation.  As we were reading the end of the story, one of my students claimed, “Boy, this story is making me really hungry!”

Another chimed right in, “Some pizza sounds really good right now!  Pizza is my favorite food!”  No more than two seconds after making this statement, he pointed to me and said, “If you were a piece of pizza, I’d eat you all up!” Then he started pointing to random students in the class, telling them that if they were a chocolate donut or a cupcake he would eat them all up too!  This continued until every single student in the class was assigned one of his favorite foods. 

At this point, the whole class was laughing uncontrollably… I had students literally rolling on the floor!  It was hysterical to watch!  Right as I started regaining control of the class, the office buzzed through, calling this student down to the office to leave for the day.  I told him to run and grab his coat and backpack from his classroom and then make his way quickly to the office.  He jumped up excitedly, ran towards the door and hollered, “see-ya!”  Right as he walked through the doorway, he raised his hand high up in the air, waved a silly little wave, and shouted in a deep voice, “Peace!”  I let a few more giggles happen for the next 15 seconds, then it was time to knuckle down and get back to business! 

Approximately 2 minutes later, the student that left to go home burst through the door and shouted in desperation, “I couldn’t leave without giving you guys hugs!!!!”  That was the breaking point - the class about lost it!  I sent the student on his way, made a desperate attempt to recover, but there was no getting back to where we started.  I guess this just goes to show that you have to have a little humor in your day everyday! J  

Of all the things that I’ve discovered about finding a balance in life, this is one that I believe to be among the most important: laughter.  Laughter is good for the soul.  It warms you up from the outside, in.  Laughter always makes any situation brighter, any experience more enjoyable, and every day worth living.  It is a key ingredient to a happy life!

Have you laughed today?  J 

~Chelsea