According to my students...2018

You may recall my post from this time last year when I shared some of my students' replies from the "All About Mrs. King" paper I ask them to fill out. I really do take their words to heart and I love going back and reading what students wrote about me long after they are no longer in my class!

Here are the responses to the same five questions I shared last year…not only did I have fewer students this year (three classes versus the four I taught last year), but there were many more duplicated answers this year! (Case in point, at least half of them chose "unicorn" as the animal I would be…not that I'm complaining!)

What are my strengths?

• Everything – nothing can stop her
• Math
• Being kind
• Loving dogs
• She is funny
• She has a good personality
• She finds creative ways to teach
• Being tough when she needs to
• Being fair
• Her power to be strict and not strict
• Making math fun
• Being patient and kind
• Encouraging her students
• She has dog powers
• Making us feel happy
• Decorating
• Knowing lots of Disney stuff
• Helping students when they don't get it
• Hockey knowledge
• She gives good pep talks
• Being a teacher and liking pens
• Making us laugh

What is your favorite thing about me?

• She likes Star Wars and Harry Potter
• Her love of Disney
• She likes hockey and math
• How she decorates her classroom
• She loves math
• She doesn't give up on her students
• She loves unicorns and rainbows
• How she decorates her classroom with the things she loves
• She has a good sense of humor
• She is funny
• She is cool
• She takes interest in the things I like
• She is always kind
• She loves all animals, but especially dogs
• She is always calm
• How she can act like a kid in a good way
• She is so smart
• She is always very patient
• She can keep everyone from being crazy
• Putting Disney music on while we work
• She makes us laugh
• She's only serious when she has to be

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

• Tinker Bell because she is magical and lifts people's spirits
• Bolt because she loves adventure
• Judy Hopps because she is always willing to help you
• Belle because she loves books and would do anything to save someone from a curse
• Moana because she likes adventures and fun
• Merida because she is strong
• Harry Potter because she loves magic
• Bing Bong because of music and rainbows
• Joy from Inside Out because you're always happy
• Mulan because she fights for what she believes in and is adventurous
• Joy because she is nice and bubbly and controls the pack just like Mrs. King controls the class
• Hermione because she is smart
• Rapunzel because she wants to see the world
• Mufasa because you are a leader
• Belle because you are brave and you don't care what people think
• Mary Poppins, she is smart and encouraging
• Fairy God Mother because she makes dreams come true
• Merida because she is never scared to do anything
• Billy Coleman because she loves her dogs just like he does
• Professor McGonagall because she is tough but fair

What things do I love?

• Reading
• Math
• Books
• Having a good time
• Her family
• Dachshunds
• Unicorns
• Dogs
• Animals
• Disney movies
• Up
• Colors
• Magic
• Numbers
• Music
• Canada
• Maddy and Ginny
• Being a teacher
• Hockey
• Coffee
• Traveling
• Royal things
• Rainbows
• Harry Potter
• Her husband
• Disneyland
• Disney World
• Students that pay attention
• The other fifth grade teachers
• Star Wars
• Summer
• Winter
• Teaching
• Her students
• Sparkly things
• Sad movies
• Crowns
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• Tinker Bell
• Watching hockey
• Not grading papers
• Disney songs

What am I famous for saying?

• Yet! You just don't get it YET!
• Sit down and do your work!
• Stop talking!
• Hand me the clipboard!
• Is this your best work?
• Get out your folder!
• Can we get ourselves together?
• Don't quote me!
• That's nonsense!
• Don't give up!
• You can do it!
• Do your best!
• I literally JUST said that!
• When you're done, play a math game!
• What made you think that was a good idea?
• Get your work done!
• What is happening?
• Get it together, friends!
• I believe in you!
• What on earth?!?
• I'm proud of you!
• I'm not surprised because I knew you could do it!
• Make yourself proud!
• Put that pencil away because we are checking and this is for a grade!

There is something special about teaching fifth graders. I've taught fourth grade and I've taught sixth grade, and fifth grade just seems to be the sweet spot! These kids have made me smile with the sweet, funny, and honest things they wrote. (I'm still laughing over the answer "What made you think that was a good idea!")

I will miss this group and I hope they come back to visit often!

Happy Tails to you!

Lovely Lyrics: Have It All

Although I know I'm not supposed to share my birthday wish if I want to come true, this song really does perfectly sum up what I wish for all of my family and friends. I am deeply grateful for having such amazingly kind people in my life and for another trip around the sun! xoxo

Have It All

Jason Mraz

May you have auspiciousness and causes of success

May you have the confidence to always do your best

May you take no effort in your being generous

Sharing what you can, nothing more, nothing less

May you know the meaning of the word happiness

May you always lead from the beating in your chest

May you be treated like an esteemed guest

May you get to rest, may you catch your breath

And may the best of your todays

be the worst of your tomorrows

And may the road less paved be the road that you follow

Well, here's to the hearts that you're gonna break

Here's to the lives that you're gonna change

Here's to the infinite possible ways to love you

I want you to have it

Here's to the good times we're gonna have

You don’t need money, you got a free pass

Here's to the fact that I'll be sad without you

I want you to have it all

Oh! I want you to have it all

I want you to have it

I want you to have it all

May you be as fascinating as a slap bracelet

May you keep the chaos and the clutter off your desk

May you have unquestionable health and less stress

Having no possessions though immeasurable wealth

May you get a gold star on your next test

May your educated guesses always be correct

And may you win prizes, shining like diamonds

May you really own it each moment to the next

And may the best of your todays

be the worst of your tomorrows

And may the road less paved be the road that you follow

Well, here's to the hearts that you're gonna break

Here's to the lives that you're gonna change

Here's to the infinite possible ways to love you

I want you to have it

Here's to the good times we're gonna have

You don’t need money, you got a free pass

Here's to the fact that I'll be sad without you

I want you to have it all

Oh! I want you to have it all

I want you to have it

I want you to have it all

Oh, I want you to have it all

All you can imagine

All, no matter what your path is

If you believe it, then anything can happen

Go, go, go raise your glasses

Go, go, go you can have it all

I toast you

Here's to the hearts that you're gonna break

Here's to the lives that you're gonna change

Here's to the infinite possible ways to love you

I want you to have it

Here's to the good times we're gonna have

You don’t need money, you got a free pass

Here's to the fact that I'll be sad without you

I want you to have it all

Oh! I want you to have it all

I want you to have it

I want you to have it all

Here's to the good times we're gonna have

Here's to you always making me laugh

Here's to the fact that I'll be sad without you

I want you to have it all

This is unquestionably my song of the summer!

Happy Tails to you!

Spring Break 2018: Day 9

Our last day in Barcelona mostly involved sleeping in, then wandering around and eating, which was a pretty great way to finish up our trip! All told, we walked almost 60 miles over the course of the trip!

We spent some time at the beach, and there is just something about sitting at a beach, staring off toward the vast blue horizon that makes me think very reflectively, and I was really overcome with emotion about how much I love Barcelona. In fact, the one and only souvenir I brought back - yes, we only bought one thing over the course of the entire trip! - was the Barcelona version of the "You Are Here" mugs from Starbucks. We've really tried to not bring a bunch of knickknacks home each time we travel, and we did not buy anything until our very last day. We do collect these mugs from the places we visit, but in our desire to pare down the clutter, we have slowed on our purchasing of these mugs because we do visit a lot of places and if we bought every available mug from every place we visited, they would quickly over take our entire kitchen! However, I ended up loving Barcelona so much that I decided to get the mug!

We took a cab to the airport around 4:00 pm, and without providing boring details, we had a couple of weird exchanges in terms of the security procedures with two different people - at the check-in counter and at the gate. Both times, we were asked a variety of bizarre questions (example - asking me to describe my job, then not understanding what a teacher was) and the language barrier did not help matters. So strange compared all other previous experiences! The flight ended up leaving more than an hour late, so we didn't get to Newark until 11:00 pm, and after waiting for our luggage and catching the shuttle to the long-term parking, we weren't on the road until about 12:30 am. It would have taken much longer if not for Global Entry! C kindly drove home so I could sleep in the car because I had to work today. We had two very happy dogs when we got home a little after 4:00 am! As always, a million thank yous to my mom for taking care of of Maddy & Ginny for us!

Since I started this series of posts with a selfie at the airport, I thought I would end the series in the same way - here we are waiting in Barcelona to board the plane for our flight home!

I can't wait for our next adventure!

Read about the other days of our trip:

Spring Break 2018: Day 1

Spring Break 2018: Day 2

Spring Break 2018: Day 3

Spring Break 2018: Day 4

Spring Break 2018: Day 5

Spring Break 2018: Day 6

Spring Break 2018: Day 7

Spring Break 2018: Day 8

Happy Tails to you!