Natalie Thinks

I always seem to get so many more hugs and cuddles from my kids during the holidays. Hugs are the family equivalent of ‘stopping to smell the roses’, and holidays give us just such an opportunity.   I’m particularly blessed to have long stretches of these with my job as a teacher. The mornings are the best time of all. Just this morning my three-year old son woke next to me at about 7am (he had crawled in during the early hours of the morning) and said sleepily, “What are you doing here, Mommy?”  Next he wanted to know, “Where is Daddy?” “At the office.” Pause. “Mommy, does Mr. Frumble have a house?” (Richard Scarry character) Once I had answered this to his satisfaction, he wanted to know, “Can owls talk?” What a precious conversation this was to me!  Next followed the game with has become our holiday ritual these two weeks. I am addressed as ‘Mommy Chicken” and must hug and nurture my baby chicken.  He will crawl into a ball and then prompt me, “Momm...

Are kids more whiny (whinier?) today?  I’ve been teaching for four years now and this group takes the cake.  And honestly it wears me down.  Each lesson begins with my pet peeve, someone walks in and asks, “What are we doing, Natalie?” “Wait, I’ll tell you all when everyone is in and seated.” Then if I introduce anything that requires a modicum of effort (anything other than reading our setwork) I’m met with, “Aahhh! Do we have to?”  Talk about a downer!   Over the past few years I’ve been told by various children on various occasions that my lessons are varied and that we get more done in my lesson than in other subjects.  So presumably my lessons are fairly interesting and time is well-used.  Heavens, some children have even enjoyed my lessons!  But this class regularly threatens to dent my confidence in my teaching abilities.  The lesson is an exercise in motivation; I feel like a running coach running alongside exhausted runners...