Hello lovelies,
This weekend mia famiglia went to visit my brother at school
in Virginia. Such a fun time! More on that post later. Long car rides and I have a rocky
relationship with each other. On the one
hand I love the quiet alone time with just the radio, a good magazine, family
chats, and laughs. On the other hand I
can’t stand being contained in an SUV for 6 hours. I do get some really good soul searcher done
on these car rides though. I don’t know
if that is for better or for worse.
Sometimes you need to stop analyzing your life and just live it. Don’t think too much is one of my 2014 New
Year’s Resolutions. Inevitably Deb and I
will get in a discussion about education and how to be a better teacher. I love these convos because my mom is such a
well of knowledge. She’s been a speech
pathologist for over 30 years and is fantastic!
I admire her and her work ethic.
While we were talking I got the idea about things that Educator’s Kids
Get. Here is my list:
1) As a youngster you were checked to make sure you
were hitting your developmental milestones on that exact month marker.
2) Everyone wanted to play school at your house
because you had actual old teacher’s manuals, an actual attendance book, and an
actual seating chart.
3) On the 15th and 30th of
every month you were living large!!
Those were pay days and you knew that your educator parent was coming
home telling you, you guys “were going out to dinner”!
4) You were at those teacher contract negotiation
rallies wearing your I Support Public Education t-shirt and carrying your
Settle Now signs while proudly marching with the other union members.
5) When other people bash unions, you come up with
20 good reasons and benefits of unions.
6) You’ve gone to political marches at your state
capital.
7) You ate pasta every night for the last ½ of
August waiting for that September 1st pay day. (Not really, but you know that you’re not
“going out to dinner”.
8) Your parent was a celebrity in your area because
every time you went to Target or the grocery store your parent was recognized
and bombarded with hugs and love.
9) You saw that and wanted your future students to
feel that strongly about you. Seriously
when we see my mom’s students it’s so beautiful because they love her!
10) You know teachers don’t get summers off. Nor are they home at 3:30…more like 7.
11) When/if a teacher called your house, emailed
your parents, or wrote a note home, you knew YOU were in trouble. There was never a discussion of if you were
wrongly accused or not. No, you were the
one at fault.
12) Barnes & Noble was your treat when you
finished your behavior chart.
13) You have a cabinet full of mugs that your parent
has received from past students. You
know that your parent would never dare throw away these mugs because they
remind them of that “special student”.
(You also know that you will never buy your child’s teacher a mug or
candle because you yourself have seen the volume of mugs and candles teacher’s
receive J)
14) If you were bad you didn’t get to go the library
on Sasturday for new books.
15) You participated in every Summer Reading Program
at your local library. (usually you also
won them because reading was a scheduled part of your daily routine)
16) You went to preschool and loved it!
17) You were happy when school functions and plays
were at night so that your educator parent could come.
18) You knew that on Back To School Night and Open
House Night, you were getting PIZZA FOR DINNER!!! Yay!!! P.S. this still happens even when you’re 22.
19) You really were forced to do your daily 30
minutes of homework a night in elementary school.
20) You got tummy time as a baby.
21) You had a picture schedule growing up that was
clearly posted in your bedroom.
22) You never
saw your educator parent during IEP season.
IEP season always stunk because that meant my dad would cook. This lasted about 3 days (and 3 overcooked
tortellini soup dinners) before we got take out.
23) You
yourself are probably a teacher or future teacher. Because what
other job is as rewarding or important?
Answer? Nothing.
24) You never
had a problem scheduling observations during your own Teacher Candidate
Training.
25) You waited and counted down the days to Bring
Your Child To Work Day because you got to pass out the paper and be your
parent’s special helper. No one passed
out paper quite like me! Rocked that!
26) Children’s books were where you sought out
guidance. Your educator parent probably
talked out the issue with you thoroughly and then handed you a perfectly chosen
and aligned piece of literature with a character for you to emulate.
27) You still refer to children’s book’s characters
for guidance and moral support.
28) You wrote to authors as a child.
29) Your teachers were your lifelong idols.
30) Your play room was set up in centers.
31) You had gender neutral toys to support fine and
gross motor skills, social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
32) You entered school knowing how to read.
33) You know that educators are the hardest working
people in the biz.
34) You parent had a behavior chart that you adhered
to religiously.
35) You went to Disney over NJEA teacher’s
convention.
36) You were the first person to bring back your
field trip parent chaperone form because you knew your educator parent had to
apply and be approved for their personal days.
37) You never went to summer camp.
38) You couldn’t imagine (and wouldn’t want to) being
raised by anyone other than an educator.
This is just a short tongue in cheek look at the life of a "teacher kid" and I really could go on and on about the perks of being raised by an educator.
Have a fabulous night,
Erin
