According to my students...

At the end of every school year, I give my students a 17-item questionnaire about me – what they liked, what they didn't like, what they'll remember, and so on.  It is always enlightening for me to read their responses and I take their comments to heart!  I keep these each year, so I have a huge folder of them from all of my years of teaching, and when I'm feeling down and questioning why I continue to choose to do this exhausting, emotionally draining, uphill battle job called teaching, I read these over and I realize that what I do really matters every single day, sometimes in big ways and sometimes in small ways.

I thought I would share some of my favorite responses to some of the questions from my students this year.  Some made me laugh, some brought tears to my eyes, and some made me see a particular student in an entirely new way.  These are from my favorite questions, and the responses are in no particular order.  Some of the responses are comical while others demonstrate pretty deep thinking for fifth graders!  I cherish these questionnaires because their thoughts and words are priceless and it is always fun to learn how they see me and reflect on what I can do better as a teacher for my future students (this year's suggestions are that I should assign less homework, not be so strict, and let students turn work in late…ohhh, fifth graders!).

I am going to miss these kids!

What are my strengths?

• making people happy
• being there for her students
• being a great dog mom
• math teaching
• mental math
• you're always willing to help me when I'm confused
• being extraordinary
• making people smile
• playing 24
• explaining something that you don’t understand
• loving animals
• knowing about Disney
• pep-talking
• she never gives up
• kindness
• having tons of imagination
• Harry Potter knowledge
• she has magic in her DNA
• your happiness because you are happy almost all the time except when we don't do our work
• Disney trivia
• she makes her students believe in themselves

What is your favorite thing about me?

• her kind and caring heart
• she believes in us
• that she rescues Dachshunds
• she encourages us
• her personality
• sense of humor
• how she loves dogs
• how much she loves Disney
• she forgives us if we mess up
• how she makes math fun
• that she likes hockey
• she loves unicorns
• her imagination
• she lets us listen to music
• her organization
• she motivates us to never give up
• she is humble
• she never has a messy desk
• she is really good at math
• her classroom is happy
• the way she decorates her classroom
• she loves rainbows

What book/TV/movie character am I similar to and why?

• Mary Poppins because she is practically perfect
• Judy Hopps because she follows her dreams, encourages others, and is always trying to help people
• Joy from Inside Out because she is always smiling
• Belle because she loves to read
• Fairy Godmother because she always helps us the same way the Fairy Godmother did for Cinderella and tries to makes our dreams come true
• Riley from Inside Out because she likes hockey and rainbows
• Tinker Bell because she is enthusiastic and leaves pixie dust wherever she goes
• Dumbledore because she helps kids figure out their problems
• Bing Bong because she is very magical
• Harry Potter she always knows what to do in any situation
• Hermione Granger because she is always prepared
• Sulley from Monsters, Inc. because she's really nice, but scary when she's mad

What things do I love?

• Disney
• Magic
• Magical Animals
• Math
• Unicorns
• Her students
• Dogs
• Animals
• Rainbows
• Dachshunds
• Disney World
• Disneyland
• Pixar
• Books
• Harry Potter
• Reading
• Traveling
• Colors
• Tinker Bell
• Fridge Magnets
• L.A. Kings
• Teaching
• Starbucks
• Her family
• Having a neat classroom
• Hockey
• The other three fifth grade teachers
• Her husband
• Adventure
• Playing math games
• Sleep
• Her last name (possibly the best answer to this question of all time!)
• Inside Out
• Maddy and Ginny
• Winnie the Pooh
• Happiness
• Dumbo
• Popcorn
• Converse
• Being organized

What am I famous for saying?

• Why are there are a ton of missing assignments?
• Don’t shout out the answer to the riddle!
• Umm, are you doing something productive?
• Don’t be lazy!
• Oh my word!
• Trust me.
• It’s a good exercise for your brain!
• Are you listening?
• Get your work done!
• Don’t say you can't, because I know you can!
• Good grief!
• You're ahead of the game!
• What is happening over there?
• Show your work!
• Never give up!
• Friends, can we get a move on?
• Take your time.
• Nice job!
• Get it together, friends!
• Did you bring your A Game?
• I believe in you!

I'm only including one response to this last question because it is the most entertaining answer I've ever received!  Usually I get things like owls (they’re wise), dolphins (they're smart), unicorns (they're magical), toucans (they're colorful), elephants (they have a good memory), dragons (you don't want to mess with them), and dodo birds (they're unique) – all of these plus countless others have been actual answers over the years!  And of course, a wide range of Disney animals are usually mentioned as well.  Some have made me smile, while others have left me questioning whether the student knows me at all, but this literally made me laugh out loud.  For a very long time!

What animal am I most similar to and why?

• A panther because she catches cheaters like they're her prey.

Hahahahaha!  I just can't with this answer!  Weeks later and I still find it hilarious!

Happy Tails to you!

Lantern Fest

I have a little bit of a love for Tangled.  Of the Disney movies made in the past 20 or so years, it is hands down my favorite.  I've written shamelessly about it on several occasions and I think the best part of that film is the lantern scene.

Well, sometime last year I came across some photos on Instagram of the night sky filled with glowing lanterns and I immediately had two questions:

What was this?!?

Where could I see this for myself in person?!?

I made it my mission to locate such an event and more importantly, attend such an event.  The closest one I could find was in southeast Pennsylvania and it was scheduled for June 10.  I kept checking on the ticket availability and then one day the event page read, "Sold Out."  I was kicking myself for not buying the tickets when I'd had the chance before noticing a second date – June 11.  Whether that date was added or had been there all along without me noticing it, I cannot say, but I bought tickets for us immediately.

Thee only negative thing was that June 11 was a Sunday and the event was about a 3.5-hour drive from our house, and we both had to work the next morning.  However, if you've ever read some of our trip reports, you will know that this is far from the craziest thing we've ever done.

We left our house around 1:30 pm, which gave us plenty of time to drive there and include a stop at Earl of Sandwich for lunch.  If you have an Earl of Sandwich near you, that might not seem noteworthy, but the closest one to us is several hours away, so whenever we are headed in that direction, we make a point of stopping there for lunch!

We arrived at the festival around 5:30 and staked out a spot on the field.  We each received a box that contained a lantern, a lighter, a permanent marker, a Hershey's chocolate bar, marshmallows, and graham crackers, as well as a very long stick for roasting the marshmallows.  There was live music and a wide variety of food trucks, and the atmosphere was one of excitement as people settled down to decorate their lanterns and wait for the sun to set.

The DJ announced that we would be launching the lanterns at about 9:30 when the sky would be completely dark.  It was a beautiful evening with not a cloud in the sky and the anticipation could be felt throughout the crowd.  I overheard one of the staff members say that 9,000 tickets had been sold for the event, meaning 9,000 lanterns would be launched!

While we waited, I took a few Tangled-related photos and we decorated one of our two lanterns with the names of our five furry gals who have passed away.

When the time came, and people started launching their lanterns, I was mesmerized.  I cannot overstate that.  It was absolutely the most magical thing I have ever experienced.  Ever.  Not a single thing I've ever witnessed at any Disney park even comes close.  Silent tears were streaming down my face as I watched the sky fill with glowing lights.  It was nothing short of amazing.

I cannot recommend this experience strongly enough...if you ever have a chance to attend, do it!

We were back in the car and headed home at about 10:00, and as if the night wasn't already fabulous, we listened to last part of the third period of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals on the radio, so we heard the Penguins win the Stanley Cup!  What a great night!  While my team is definitely the Maple Leafs, I love Sidney Crosby something fierce and him winning his third Stanley Cup was not something I believed would happen this season, given all of the injuries Pittsburgh had to deal with.  While it would have been more exciting to watch it than to just listen to it, I have no complaints!  A great ending to a perfect night!

Happy Tails to you!