There is No One Alive Who is Youer Than You!



Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

I am on the Read Across America committee at my school. My job is to help my principal and fellow teachers on the committee come up with neat ways to celebrate reading in our school. This event is celebrated in schools throughout the United States on March 2 and also celebrates the birthday of noted children's author, Dr. Seuss.  

Every year I do it up big in my class. We read Dr. Seuss all week and during the day’s festivities you can bet my kinders are eating green eggs and ham or Truffula tree cupcakes and most are dressed as their favorite book characters. I have been pinning lots of ideas in anticipation of the event. 

The World According to Seuss

This year, I discovered more than just cute art projects during my pinning. Dr. Seuss wasn’t just a ground breaking children’s author but someone whose books are multilayered with messages for living. Could we learn a thing or two from the wise rhyming doctor?

Consider the quote above. Imagine a world where we embraced our own uniqueness and tried to be our very best. Gone would be the unattainable goal of being as rich, as beautiful, and as smart as our neighbor or the person staring back at us from the pages of a magazine. We would never have to beat ourselves up for failing to be something we are not and could not hope to be--someone else.

Get a New Yard Stick

Does this mean we shouldn't dream the "impossible dream?" What celebrity hasn't said they were inspired by someone great or famous? Do we the "little people" not deserve to dream so big? Should we not reach that high? Of course, I don't mean that. However, we should not use other people as a yard stick to measure our success or value in life.  "There is no one alive who is youer than you." You are uniquely qualified to be the best you that you can be. No one does you like you.

That I happened upon this particular quote of Dr. Seuss' now seems a bit serendipitous. I began my little blog eight months ago enthusiastically but found I had a huge hurdle to overcome: comparing myself to other bloggers. I enjoy writing and blogging but I write posts I never publish. They don't stink but they just don't fit the mold made by those successful teacher bloggers I so admire.  

Though Dr. Seuss has enlightened me, I don't for one minute think I will completely stop comparing myself to those other bloggers. I can't change a lifetime habit overnight. I can however, acknowledge that no one is as uniquely qualified to write my blog as I am.

Confessions of a Teacher Blog Groupie/Stalker

This morning I walked into my kitchen and upon seeing a sink full of dishes, told my husband, "Baby we're gonna have to fire that maid! She's not doing her job!" He chuckled and said, "Yup."

Now before you judge me too harshly or feel overly sorry for my out of work, former maid let me put your mind at ease. We don't have a maid. With hubby off to work each day and me at home for the summer, that's kind of my job and I must confess I've been slacking off. Before you think me a slob let me clarify, I can't stand a sink full of dishes. I'm just sure the germs are accumulating and mutating every second they sit there. So why would I leave a sink full of dishes--overnight, no less?! Because every evening for the past three weeks I have indulged in my latest obsession.

                                                

The moment I have any free time I grab my iPad and...oh my I am so ashamed...blog stalk. It's true. Every evening I have to check out my Bloglovin feed and see if any of my favorite teacher bloggers have posted anything new. Then if they haven't, I go and check out their old stuff and before you know it I am mired in blogs. Each of my favorites has a blog roll (like my right column) with a load of other teacher blog links. Quite innocently, I will click on one of these links and time seems to speed up and I find I've blogged for thirty minutes or more (usually the latter).

The other day I had to interrupt my blog stalking to parent my son, Seth. I was so worried I would not remember where I had seen all these potentially awesome teacher blog links on a website I was stalking (tragic!). To ensure this did not happen, I took a screen shot of the site with my iPad. Sounds pretty desperate, huh?

If you look at the top  of this picture you can see the tabs of all the sites I was at previously. All teacher blogs. 

But that is not all. I've become a teacher blog groupie. I don't just read the blogs, I have to comment--a lot. My status as a groupie occurred to me as I was about to press publish on a comment I had made on the blog Smedley's Smorgasbord of Kindergarten. I had just read his latest post about CNN asking him for an interview (obviously they are Smedley groupies too). I, being the consummate groupie, was about to write a cutsie "Yay for you!" when I realized I had commented on his posts every day this week. Kinda creepy, huh? 

Now though this obsession with blogging and blogs worries me, I don’t have any immediate plans to stop. For now, it seems harmless (except for the mutating germs on the dirty dishes). Besides, I figure school will start in August and it will get better. Our school has a lovely filter system on the computer network that keeps kids from visiting anything unsavory. It also keeps the teachers from seeing anything even mildly entertaining. Yes, I have a feeling that filter will put a stop to any blog groupie/stalking activity while at school. But have no fear Smedley my dear (and all my other favorites--Mrs. Jump and A Teeny Tiny Teacher, just to name a few). In the evening (after the dishes are washed), I will be checking on you—and probably commenting. 

Top Ten Things to Know About Me

I am not a methodical person who plans everything down to the last detail and then acts. With most things, I get an idea and then--Blast off! I'm zooming! Blogging was no different. Below I have illustrated my initial blogging experience. (BTW: I've discovered Power Point so expect lots of little slides like this throughout my blog in the future. They are so fun to make!).

Now since that first blog post two weeks ago, I have done considerable research about blogging. I may be the "leap before you think" type of girl but once I commit, I joyfully immerse myself in research. In this case, research is also known as blog stalking. I heard that term on one of my stalking excursions on another teacher's site. It accurately describes it. After much enjoyable stalking of my favorite teacher blogs, I have discovered that most teacher bloggers begin their blogs with "Hey I'm blogging. Super excited to share my class and ideas with you."  Not me. Not my style. Wish it was. So, if you wish, pretend this is my first blog and I want "us" to get to know each other. To do that I have decided to share--wait for it--

Top Ten Things to Know About Me: 

1. I HAVE TAUGHT KINDERGARTEN FOR 15 YEARS
I teach and have only ever taught at a small--but fabulous--school, Big Pasture Elementary in Randlett, Oklahoma. I have only ever wanted to teach kindergarten. It's where the magic happens.

2. I HAVE ADHD
You may have realized this already. It usually only takes a few minutes in my presence or on my blog to realize that. Let me emphasize this: I'm VERY ADHD! I am lucky to work at a place where they love me in spite of it. I think having ADHD is what attracted me to kindergarten. Kinders are naturally attention deficit. We get each other. I am especially lucky to have a husband and family who help me a great deal.

3. I AM A LATE BLOOMER 
Probably due to #2 above. I didn't get serious about college until I was in my thirties. Didn't get married until I was 36 and had my first child when I was 43. Better late than never...or good things come to those who wait?

4. I GRADUATED WITH A MASTERS DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WITH A 4.0 GPA.  
It sounds like I'm bragging but I had to put that in there. You see, when you are ADHD, people have a tendency to think you are ditzy and stupid. Ditzy I am, stupid I am not! Although in "their" defense, I'm very ditzy.

5. I AM A TEN YEAR BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR 
I was diagnosed shortly after my 40th birthday on June 2, 2003. I have been cancer free since May 26, 2004. It was a scary and awesome year but one I wouldn't change for anything. It was proof that even bad things can empower me and enrich my life.

Me, my kinders and my bald head! They loved me anyway!

6. I'M ADDICTED TO MY iPAD 
My husband gave me my first iPad for my birthday three years ago and I think he would now agree it was the worst gift he ever gave me. He gets a little miffed at how attached I am to it. However, I will say this, we are a three iPad family so he kind of contributed and shares in my addiction. He is an iPad enabler. We are iPad codependent? Whatever, I've got it bad. Somebody organize an intervention.

7. I LOVE TO READ  
And not just books. I love to read everything. On a road trip, it drives my husband, Kevin nuts because I read and don't talk to him. We have learned to compromise: I read aloud to him. My favorite book: Harry Potter. I've read all seven of them at least twice and have been to several Harry Potter book parties with my sister, Linda and Niece, Jen who are both Potter fans. Confession time: I still have all my complimentary Harry Potter glasses. Yes, I am a shameless nerd!

8. I HUM TO MYSELF CONSTANTLY AND PUT EVERYTHING TO MUSIC
For as long as I can remember, I have hummed and often I'm not even aware of it. When Seth was younger, I put everything we did to music. We could be doing the most mundane things-eating, changing diapers, bathing and I would belt out a song-but with my own creative lyrics. One day, I picked Seth up out the tub and wrapped him in a towel. I was on the way to the changing table when all of a sudden I sang, "Wrap him up, I'll take him!" This song and tune were borrowed from the Fabulous Thunderbird song, "Wrap it up." This became a nightly ritual when I got him out of the tub. I would sing and dance my way to the changing table. He loved it. I loved it. Shortly after he turned six, he asked me to stop singing everything we do. Saddens me but it's not as much fun when we don't both enjoy it.

9. I'M A MILITARY BRAT 
Furthermore, almost everyone in my family has been in the military, even my sister. I must like the military life. My husband, Kevin is a retired sergeant who served 21 years in the military and served in Iraq. I'm very proud of him as well as the rest of my family.

10. THIS ISN'T MY FIRST BLOG
Nope. Not my first rodeo. A couple of years ago I got the notion in my head to start a blog but after my first post I just lost the urge. This time feels different. I hope it is. I think I have a clearer idea of what I want to do with my blog. I am also super inspired by all the great kindergarten teachers blogging out there. I like to think I am the new kid on an awesome block.

So there you have it. That's me and I hope this is the first, um, third of many posts by me. Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment (be kind).