Wake Up!

You know your body is in a routine when you wake up at 5:30 am even on your days off.

Darn you early school days!

Recess Entertainment

This is what happens when you let your kids bring toys to recess...

He brought his marshmallow gun.
My one stipulation was that he had to let me eat some of the marshmallows!

Christmas Time as a Teacher

Christmas is a great time to be a teacher! Not only do I have the next two weeks off, but I got all kinds of gifts!

I remember kids taking presents to my teachers in elementary school but I don't remember them getting as many presents as I did. Here is what I got:

• TONS of Bath and Body Works stuff
• a jewelry set
• two bracelets
• a notepad set
• two candles
• fuzzy socks
• a $20 gift card
• lots and lots of yummy treats
• 3 ornaments
• chocolate
• a cool Clemson tile

And I only have 12 kids...

One thing I definitely learned this season-don't plan anything academic on the day before Christmas break. I had already planned for the afternoon to be a Christmas party but was going to do a couple of lessons that morning. That didn't happen. I quickly realized that anything I tried to teach my kids would go in one ear and out the other. Next year I will plan for a day long party!

Don’t Take It For Granted

For all of you Clemson students taking First Aid and CPR right now, pay attention. Don’t goof off in that class and don’t only study so you can pass. You WILL need the knowledge you gain in that class.

On Tuesday, we finished Spelling and started reviewing for Language Arts. I’m asking questions and walking around the room to keep students on their toes when I look over at one of my boys.

His mouth is open,

his face is red,

and he starts waving his hands back and forth.

He’s choking.

It wasn’t the kind of choking where you are coughing and your eyes are watering. It was the kind of choking where you can’t breathe at all.

I run over to him, get him on his feet, bend him over, and beat on his back. Nothing is coming up so I get behind him and do the Heimlich. After about three squeezes he coughs up a piece of candy and can finally breathe again.

Needless to say, my boy was scared out of his mind. His throat was hurting him pretty bad and he was sweating a lot. I let him calm down for the rest of Language Arts and had him try to eat his lunch. He couldn’t so I called his parents and had them come get him.

In the moment, I wasn’t scared and knew exactly what to do. Afterwards, however, my adrenaline was gone and I started thinking about it. What if I hadn’t been able to get it out? What if I hadn’t known what to do? Where would my student be now? That’s when I got scared.

My student is fine now thanks to all that I learned in my class at Clemson.

PAY ATTENTION in your first aid classes. You may have to do the same thing I did one day.

Favorite Quote of the Day

As he is looking at his book: "Hey! The library's phone number is on here ! I should call them and have a good conversation about the book I'm reading."