"How to Be a Good Teacher" by a Second Grader

Hey friends!

Long time no see. I decided to write a quick post for you all to get something up on this blog. Since spring quarter is winding down (kind of), I hope to post about where I've been, what I've been up to, and about some exciting updates. This post will be a quick one but stay tuned for more updates coming soon!

This year I have been in a 2nd grade classroom for my practicum with an amazing CT (cooperating teacher). She has given me so much freedom in the classroom, helpful feedback, and keeps challenging me, which I love. Last quarter for my necessary observed lessons, I chose to teach the skill of letter writing. This was a 2-part lesson that I may turn into 3-4 separate lessons next year. It started with an introductory lesson all about the 5 parts of a friendly letter. We used the book, The Day the Crayons Quit as a mentor text to show the students the letters. We came up with movements and students labeled these letters to show me their knowledge after the first lesson.

In the 2nd lesson, I wrote a letter to the class asking for feedback as a future teacher. Based on their prior knowledge of the parts of a friendly letter, they wrote me letters giving me advice for my future classroom. I thought these were sweet, fun, and very comical, and I thought you might get a kick out of them too. I decided to share a few of my favorites here. I'll always keep these to remember this class and especially their sweet ideas. Students' names are marked out for obvious reasons. If you can't read the handwriting from the photos, I've included a typed rendition. The conventions remain the same as on their handwritten letters. I think their best-guess spelling is adorable!

 "Dear miss wisniew
do you need my help? I thing you should talk it out if they do something rong, and don't be serieos and do alot of projects. also you should greet them."

"Dear Mrs. Wisniew to be a good techer you must greet evry one with Joy. Tip 2 make Learning fun for your students. Tip 3 in evry birthday let them make a birthday paper to make a book...flip page for more (see second page below). give a surprise for evry star student. Tip 4 look ut the art work and give them a star! hand some frendly posters and put emojis with your student names. Make them write 3-6 sentences. Example of classroom."

This student then draws me 3 pictures of the ideal classroom, including the emojis he mentions ;)

 "Dear Miss Wisnew Hey Miss Wissnew (I love how she spelled my name twice to make sure it was right - but both ways are wrong). Do you need advice? I can give you some! I'll give you 6 tips of how to be a good teacher. First you need books for kinds to love reading. Second on the computer download RAZ kids on the computer so they get read to instead of reading by yourself. third Have a lot of goNoodles and mabye print the things its up to you. Fourth, Do fun art projects like on St. Particks Day. fifth, Let the kids have free time (if they earn it)" (YES she used parenthesis!) "and keep the kids happy (of course)" (there she goes again! "Sixth, always be a very very funny teacher."

 "Dear Ms. W (always safe if you can't spell my name ;)) A good teacher is kind to its kids. And teach them a lot of knollig."

 "Dear miss Wissniew, Are you looking for some advice on being a awesome teacher? I have some tips for you! First, on you're favrit dat of the week make it a speicel day for the kids. Like give them ten minutes of free time. Also, let them play games. Like "Just Dance 2019" on the big screen. Lastly, you need to be you're self. What I mean is just be you. Those are some of my tips for you." This student's is double sided, continued in the picture down below.

I only shared with you some of my favorites (er, I mean . . . the most creative?), letters, but I enjoy them all. All the students mentioned a few similar things. 

All in all, I learned that to be a good teacher, I must do these things: 

1. Be kind and nice (one student mentions the use of a nice tone). 
2. Give students free time (if they earned it). 
3. Use GoNoodle (be a fun teacher). 
4. Teach reading, writing, and math (don't abandon the Common Core). 
5. Do projects (art, preferably). 
6. Be funny (apparently I need to learn jokes). 
7. Make your kids happy (but still teach Common Core). 

This post is meant to be funny and I hope it humored you as much as it humored me. I love the uniqueness each student has, these 2nd graders are so fun and I've been having a blast with them all year!

20 Thoughts for my 20th

Hey friends, welcome back.

I turned 20 on November 11th. My mom and sister surprised me with a hotel room for the night, and a visit from my best friend Olivia. The theme was "Treat Yo Self" On Us. We ate at my favorite Mexican restaurant, sat in the hot tub for hours, danced, laughed, watched TV and put on face masks, worked out, and had such a blast. I am so thankful for this day.

Anyway, here are 20 random thoughts I've had over this past month, this past year, and things that I want to keep in mind throughout my 20th year.

1. Even though 18 is considered a legal adult, you're also technically a teenager, so basically 20 is the first year you're TRULY an adult.

2. It's really weird to now be considered "in my early twenties".



3. Nothing I had planned to happen by the time I turned 20 has happened.

4. I'm learning to be ok with the above statement, and make new plans as I go.

5. I have time for the things I care about. I might have to shift things around, but if I care enough, I will schedule it in.

6. I'm so thankful that I have never had to pull an all-nighter for school.

7. I have so much fun working out and working on myself.

8. I love my family so fiercely.

9. Lose the expectations. They will almost always fail you.

10. I am a 1 on the enneagram. This perfectly describes me as a person (perfectionist, my own harshest critic, not a people pleaser but still must do everything right for myself).

11. Boundaries do not make you mean, if you use them wisely.

12. I love my friends at school. We were all brought to the same program, in the same year, to learn from each other, and to teach each other. I am so thankful for the cohort I have.

13. Why does Christmas need to be so expensive. Some children don't get anything. Some children have no presents, or a tree to put presents under. Some kids don't have traditions. Focus more on who you love and what you appreciate rather than the buying and receiving.

14. Everything happens for a reason. You just might not see the reason yet.

15. God's plan for my life is so much better than I can imagine. It might not look like anything I have planned.

16. I feel happiest when I'm in a bookstore, or playing games with my siblings.

17. No, I'm STILL not in a relationship. I know, *gasp*. I'm doing just fine, thank you. My "other half" is not out there somewhere. There is not one person on the planet that will complete me. I am my own person without a man. Someday, Lord willing, 2 whole people will choose to commit their lives to each other and become one brand new whole. But we weren't halves before we married. People are not fractions. (my cohort mates will get this joke haha).

18. Life's so short and yet I was a totally different person 10 years ago. What do the next 10 years have in store?

19. I don't have the power to screw up God's plan for my life.

20. I still have so much to learn about myself. I am realizing things (Kylie Jenner gif, anyone?!), about myself that I haven't thought of before and it's so cool.

It was hard to come up with 20 when I first began, then it was hard to narrow it down. I can't believe I'm 20! I know I'll be saying the same thing when I'm 21.

Thanks for reading friends,

Holly

Introducing Holly Lynn . . . MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

I have a personal YouTube Channel!!!!

I've been wanting to start a personal channel since the beginning of 2018. There are 4 days left in the year, so I decided it's as good of a time as any!

I've had a rabbit YouTube channel for several years and I love the world of YouTube. I love expressing my creativity through the editing process, and I have so much fun filming. I'm super super excited to have one that is about everything else I love in life.

I did some filming in California so I could remember the time and create a vlog when I got back. It's not edited or up yet, but I did film several videos today . . . and the intro is up NOW!

My channel is called Holly Lynn, my first and middle names. I'm so excited to share it with you all. I hope you enjoy. The link is down below. Check it out!!

Holly Lynn Introduction 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to use the thumbnail I had already made, so I'll put it here.

Happy Thanksgiving 2018

This holiday season, I'm really dwelling on how much I have to be thankful for. I guess we all think this way around Thanksgiving - it's in the name, after all. But, I'm going to be honest - thankfulness hasn't come easily to me this season. I'm not doing the job I want to do for the rest of my life, school sucks sometimes, and I have no time for fun. Expectations weigh me down, and most of them are my own, on myself.

But amidst all those precursors to an unhappy holiday, I choose to dwell on the reason for the season.

I am thankful for family. Even if we have our drama, at least I have a family to call my own. Even if we cry over silly misunderstandings and hurtful words, our laughter is the loudest.

I am thankful for my home. Even though I share a room with my sister and the house is too small (or my brothers are too big), and we're running out of space, at least I have a roof over my head, and a warm place to sleep.

I am thankful for my job. Even though it's the hardest work I've ever done, it's also the most rewarding and fulfilling (sometimes). My colleagues are amazing, understanding, and so supportive. We're a great team.

I am thankful for my school. Even if I have to study every night, don't enjoy every class, and don't get all As, I have incredible professors, an amazing university, and great friends. And someday, these several years of school will be so worth it.

I am thankful for my friends. Even though I don't see them often enough, I know we care about each other and love each other no matter what.

I am thankful for my anxieties. They keep me grounded, humbled, and surround the things I love most - and at least I don't have the worries of my next meal, where I will sleep, or how I'll stay safe.

I am thankful for Jesus, and his awesome love for me and my mostly ungrateful heart. I'm thankful that even when I fail, he doesn't let me fall.

I'm thankful that I am not battling deep anxiety or depression on a regular basis. I am thankful for good sleep. I'm thankful for coffee and pie. I'm thankful for conversations and board games. If you're reading this, I'm thankful for you, too.

Have a wonderful night, and guess what - it's Christmas now. I'm super thankful for that.

With love,

Holly

Where I've Been

Well hey there. . . welcome back . . . to say it's been a while would be an understatement.

These past few months have been busy, busy, busy. I have several blog drafts that I've started and never finished and now they're a little irrelevant . . . does it make sense in November or December to post a blog all about how my summer was? Yes? . . . No? Well, I didn't think so either. Maybe one of these days I'll post something about what I've been up to more specifically since I was regularly posting, including the summer.


I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Day. Immediately after I post this one, there will be another post about what I'm thankful for. But, this 4-day weekend is some of the only time I've had all quarter to actually write some posts. I'm hoping to write quite a few today, or at least over the weekend.

School has been busy, work has been busier . . . life has been stressful. My days are long and often exhausting. I keep telling myself it's almost finished, because Christmas break is right around the corner. And for me, which I'll discuss further later on, I have a whole month away from school and work! But enough of what's going to happen in the future . . . where exactly have I been?!

In September, I started working again at L Elementary school 4 days a week. On Fridays, I am at S Elementary school (using initials for privacy), doing my practicum work. As a practicum student, I teach lessons, observe the teacher, and work with small groups of kids. I get to know the students, and love them more and with each new interaction. This quarter has been especially affirming to my desire to be a teacher. I love these kids. I love this work. But as a life skills para at L, I often feel distraught and anxious that I'm doing the wrong thing, that I'll be unhappy in my work forever, and that my schoolwork is pointless. But then on Fridays, I get to forget about all of that and be a little bit closer to who I really want to be - a teacher with MY OWN CLASSROOM with MY OWN STUDENTS!! I really can't wait, you guys.

And I only have a year and a half left.

October went by very quickly with lots of projects to do and tough days at work. My mom and sister and I spent a weekend at Lakeside Bible Camp, learning more about Jesus, each other, and ourselves. That was such a blissful weekend, and quite a blessing in the mix of a tough month.

November has also come and gone so quickly. I turned 20 - which will be another post on it's own. What a birthday that was!

This week has been pretty insane at work. I joined a gym, which I think I'll really enjoy. We had no classes all week, which is a huge blessing. I've been catching up on homework and actually reading for fun. I LOVE reading. I don't know if I've mentioned it here before - but it's my obsession. I have books EVERYWHERE and I still don't have enough.
This past quarter I've been reading lots of Bible-based books that I've enjoyed, such as Everybody Always by Bob Goff. I'm currently reading plenty of Jesus books as well - Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, The Ministry of Ordinary Places by Shannon Martin, and Good and Angry, by David Powlison.

Not exactly faith-related, but the author comes from a Biblical perspective, I've also been listening to Girl, Wash your Face by Rachel Hollis, which is AMAZING (don't worry, reviews on all these books to come). It's such a breath of fresh air in this overly indulgent and media-crazed world. I got Girl, Wash your Face on audio CD because there were 22+ holds on it at our library. I love listening to it though, since it's her voice reading, she knows the best way to read it. It's so amazing.

I also read lots of fiction novels last weekend - they are middle school level but I was so intrigued by them. The Boy in Striped Pajamas, Out of my Mind, and Because of Mr. Terupt were inhaled by me this past weekend.

That's just some of what I've been up to. But I hope you've enjoyed a little piece of my heart in this post, and I'll see you all soon.

Thanks for reading,

Holly