Meet Me for the First Time

Well I decided to link up with this friendly idea and see if I can meet a few new folks.  Thanks to The Teaching Tribune for the link-up!

I teach kindergarten in Michigan, and I teach teachers whenever I can. I have been teaching teachers since I started teaching little kidpeople, and can't imagine not being in front of adults at least sometimes. I learn from teaching the short people and the tall ones, too. Teaching at many levels keeps me on my toes and current with what is going on with education.

I have just this week to go and I'll be out! I almost always have to go back in on Saturday to finish packing up the room, but this year I'm aiming to be out by Friday evening. I am quite ready this year for the change of scene and change of pace that summer brings.

I watch the fish in my pond whenever I can. I pestered my husband for years before we finally put it in three years ago and it is one of the best things we ever did. I love the tranquility of the water and the sound of the little waterfall. The wildlife is terrific, too, whether it's the fish, the frogs and tadpoles, the snails, the variety of bugs, or the birds, cats, and raccoons that come to visit– for good and bad :) I love to sit each morning, feed the fish, and contemplate life in some stolen quiet moments. It hasn't been hard to maintain. We leave the pump going all winter– even last winter, the mother of all winters, with several feet of snow covering the pond for weeks on end, that pump kept going, the waterfall kept flowing, and we didn't lose one fish. I was truly amazed. Here it is.

My backyard pond

We live in an old house, about 120 years old.  We have done two major additions, umpteen smaller renovations, and endless projects. The old hot radiator heat is not conducive to central air, so we stay comfortable with a couple window units and a large attic fan. We have the windows and deck doors open as much as we can and I love being aware of the great outdoors and what the neighborhood is up to. This evening is a particularly pleasant one.

I am an avid reader, but there was a period in life when I sort of forgot that because I just get so busy during the school year. I rediscovered the joys of regular reading as a cure to insomnia (after trying just about everything else.) If I wake in the night now, I grab the book I'm in, and before my mind can get working on the latest school project (or anxiety), I am far away in some other place and time. It usually only takes a few minutes before I'm back to sleep again. So for you fellow insomniacs out there, stay in a book and keep it at your bedside.

I'm a professional storyteller.  It brings me great joy to have kids and grown-ups deep in a belly laugh or on the edge of their seats in suspense. I am a founding member of our local storytellers' guild. We put on Tellabration each year and use the funds to bring in nationally known storytellers for our schools. I enjoy attending and giving workshops and am continually honing the craft. The school year finds me pretty busy so I'm lucky to fit in one public gig, but my own classroom audience of kidpeople enjoy all sorts of stories. This summer I'll be telling for preschoolers a couple of times, and hosting a book club... more on that book in another post.

And here's a bonus "I do" that I have to get used to saying– I DO write for a children's magazine! It is launching in a couple months. It is called Lilybell and is for elementary aged girls. If you are a writer with a middle grade bent and would like submission guidelines, just email me and I'll give you the scoop. It's gonna be grand, though challenging, and will keep me busy all summer.  Yippee! Something new to do!

All for now. Would love it if you'd leave me a comment. I'll be checking out some of the other bloggers at The Teaching Tribune and you should, too.  You can go to the site by clicking on the image below.

Hope you'll leave a word. Would love to get to know you!

The post Meet Me for the First Time first appeared on kidpeoplelassroom.com