Monday, December 26, 2016

Planning for an international field trip during Spring Break

The house is quiet. One kid is at a friend's house checking out each other's Christmas gifts. Another is out grabbing groceries with dad. I'm cuddled up on the coach, listening to the audiobook version of The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. *

The book is one of several recommended to the students and teachers traveling to Ireland, Wales, England and Paris during Spring Break 2017. A few weeks ago, after months of procrastinating, I completed A Tale of Two Cities. *  Next on my list is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. *

One of my goals in life has been to travel. In recent years, despite my strong desire to do so, I simply haven't gotten out much. As a Spanish teacher, this is far from ideal. My dream is to visit a different Spanish-speaking culture each year, bringing back stories, pictures and momentos to share with my students. A big piece of this dream is being able to bring my daughters with me. Over the years, I've observed that my students who have traveled out of the country have a tremendous academic edge over those who haven't. They think more critically, articulate their understanding of cultural differences more clearly, and appear, overall, to be more open-minded.

But the reality for this NerdyTeacherMom is that much of my cultural learning has happened here in the States. And outside of a road trip to Toronto two summers ago, my children have never left the country.

But that's about to change.

When more than 50 students at my high school signed up for a Spring Break trip to Europe, my colleagues asked me to be a chaperone.  Despite the fact that the trip does not include a Spanish-speaking country, I was flattered and thrilled to say "yes." Chaperones pretty much travel for free (we pay for insurance and tips). Not to mention, I didn't see any foreign travel on the horizon for me.

So the idea of this trip was not a complete novelty for me. In 2014, I tackled a huge fear of leaving my family and chaperoned a trip to Barcelona. southern France, and Italy. I had "gotten the travel bug," but hadn't been able to get another trip going. But what makes this trip so special is that my daughter, a 9th grader, is traveling with me. My dream of exposing my children to other parts of the world is finally coming to fruition.

Selling the idea to my husband was not easy. (In fact, I still don't think he's actually "sold.") With a tween and a teen and the overall expenses of life, dropping a couple grand for a trip to Europe is not easy to do. (The rate for my daughter is the same as for other students.) But, I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Will other travel abroad opportunities present themselves to her? Probably. But will we have another chance to make this particular trip together? Probably not. I feel blessed to be have this opportunity.

I honestly do not know if my daughter understands how significant this trip will be, how blessed she is to be going, or how much of a financial sacrifice it is to make it happen. My hope is that it comes together and "clicks" for her.

* affiliate links

Monday, September 5, 2016

Longest week of the year

The first week of school has to be the longest week of the year!

I had planned to blog each day -- to give true insight into the first week of a NerdyTeacherMom. But, as you can see, it's Labor Day, and this is my first post since school started.

The week leading up to teachers' returning was met with denial. Remember all of that "I'm going to work several hours each day in August" talk? Well, that didn't quite happen. I did, however, watch some good Spanish programming on Netflix (I could argue that was work-related) and reached new heights in Candy Crush.

After a few hot hours in the school building on the Saturday before students started (the air conditioning was not on), I managed to be ready for three classes of Spanish 1, two classes of Spanish 2 Honors, and a new weekly homeroom class called Bear Time.

Monday was grueling. Despite a large mug of dark roast, I felt like I never really woke up. Dang those summer mornings sleeping until 10 a.m.! After school, my mind told me I needed to work out -- it tells me that all the time -- but as usual, I didn't listen. I took a long nap instead. And I enjoyed it!

Tuesday was kind of a blurr. I felt like I was coming down with a cold, so I did nothing after school and went to bed before my kids.

Wednesday happened, too.

And then there was the longest day of the week: Thursday. It was a relatively normal school day followed by Back-to-School Night. As a 9th grade teacher, I ate pizza with our team at 5:15 p.m. and attended Eat, Meet, and Greet with the parents of freshman at 6. An hour later, the program for all parents started. By 7:40, parents were passing to their children's first-period class, where we teachers explained what they can expect this year. By 9:15, I had keys in hand and was dipping into the parking lot to beat the rush. I'd enjoyed meeting new parents and greeting familiar ones, but I was pooped. All told, I'd spend about 11 hours in the building that day.

On Friday morning, our awesome principal greeted us with coffee, donuts and bagels. I snatched the last maple-frosted donut, feeling like I might actually be able to make it. I did, and I even conjured up enough energy to take tickets at the football game that evening.

Saturday was my day. Thank God my family could read the "leave-me-the-heck-alone" signals I flashed. I spent most of the day on the deck, reading magazines, caring for my four lame-looking plants, and crushing candy.

Needless to say, I am planning to give up a good portion of my Labor Day to prepare for Week 2. But I'm actually okay with that.


Saturday, August 6, 2016

"Children are a blessing to be enjoyed"


When dealing with kids, sometimes you have to encourage yourself.

After threatening to "slap the black off you," "knock you into the middle of next week," or "slap the taste out of your mouth," my mom would simply pray out loud: "Jesus, keep me near the cross!"

My sister and brother and I would then know she was on edge, and we were usually smart enough to back off.

These days, my go-to line is more of an affirmation: "Children are a blessing to be enjoyed."

It's one of the many sayings I've learned from listening to Joel Osteen on satellite radio. Taken from Psalm 127:3, it reminds me that no matter how far my girls have gone, how much they are weighing on my last nerve, I need to be thankful for them. Saying it aloud helps me remember to not get worked up over little things.

Hearing it aloud alerts my children that they are "skating on thin ice." Hearing me chant it multiple times further drives the point home.

I found myself saying it at school a few times last year, usually with my eyes closed in a mock yoga pose. While the students chuckled, I seized the moment to remind myself that all children are blessings to be enjoyed -- even other people's kids.

Friday, August 5, 2016

My plan to NOT lose sleep

NerdyTeacherMom has only 17 more days of summer.

I envision my colleagues enjoying themselves, stress-free. I see them reclined at the pool or at their beach houses. I picture them in their home theaters with their feet up surfing the Netflix menu. I assume many on on their decks sipping out of wine glasses and chatting with their friends.

Why such imagines? Everybody at school seems to talk about spending weeks on the Eastern Shore or Delaware beaches. I, on the other hand, run around my house telling kids to stop bickering and wondering how Chic-Fil-A and Costco manage to pop up so frequently on my account statement.

And I'm already losing sleep over the school year that hasn't started. Of late, the routine is to wake up around 2:30 a.m., go to the bathroom, get back in bed, think about all the things I have to do.

After losing good sleep on three nights this week alone, I've developed an action plan. I've decided to devote 2-3 hours each day until school starts getting myself ready for school. This is a lot easier said than done, but that's the goal. During this designated time, I will do the following:


  • Plan out time table for the entire year for Spanish 1 and Spanish 2. After all, college courses spell out the semester with a syllabus. It can't be that hard. Yet, after 11 years of teaching, I have yet to do this. Will this year be different? Yes! Of course it will. 
  • Plan out Spanish Club activities for the entire year.
  • Organize my units and resources for both courses on Canvas, the instructional management software our school district is using. (And pray that after doing all of that, the district won't switch to a different system and waste all of my time.)
  • Read up on classroom management and assessment strategies.
  • Come up with more games to play in class this year.


Of course, that's just the stuff related to school. I have another whole to-do list for home-related tasks that I need to complete before returning to work. That's on paper, and it's about two lined-pages full. But I need to add one more thing: Get some ZzzQuil. (Just in case!)

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Ugh! July's almost over!

The end of July conjures up a bit of anxiety for this NerdyTeacherMom. I know, I know ... the Bible says "be anxious for nothing." I'm working on that.

This is right about when I start to lose sleep about the upcoming school year. The 3 a.m. worries are typically things like
  • how can I do a better job teacher question words this year, or
  • I should find someone now to talk to my classes about why speaking Spanish is so important, or 
  • maybe I'll try planning a field trip this year.

On top of the usual worries, this year I've added a biggie: I am pursuing my National Board Teacher Certification. Becoming a Board Certified Teacher will be validation that I am an "accomplished teacher." It will help me improve my teaching and make my school look good. Plus, it will add a few extra bucks to my paycheck.

Despite recommendations to spread this process over two years, I have committed myself to submitting all of the required components in only one. Why? I hate dragging things out. Plus, the other world language teachers in the group are doing it in one year, and we've promised to support each other.  

Why am I worried about this now? Because I know this process is going to steal time from my family and personal life. Every year, I say I'm going to spend summer vacation time planning lessons so I'll feel less stressed and harried during the school year. I never do. But I know if I don't get started on mapping out my lessons this year, things could get ugly. I love sleep too much to be up 'til midnight every night! (It's bad enough I'll be up late Sunday nights watching Power and Survivor's Remorse.)

My plan ... I've prayed. I've claimed success.I'm shutting down most of my other activities. (Bye, Candy Crush!) I have forbidden myself to speak doubt or negativity about the process or the school year. 

I can do this! ¡Sí se puede!


Monday, July 11, 2016

Give Them Choices

When given an opportunity to select topics for projects, my children know that they are free to choose their own. There's only one catch: the topic needs to be Black.

Okay, maybe they aren't free to choose. 

Why limit them? Because they need to know our history. Their history. Period. And I'm not going to leave it to others to make sure they are self-aware.

Over the years, the girls have submitted projects on Bessie Coleman, Wilma Rudolph, Barack Obama and Gabby Douglas. They've researched places like Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Then there was this year's 5th grade bottle project. The assignment was to use a 2-liter bottle to create an image and write a one-page report telling why the selected person is a leader.

When Morgan came home with this assignment, my mind immediately went to work with suggestions: Madame C.J. Walker, Langston Hughes, Malcolm X ...

But she had another idea. "I know you want me to do somebody Black, but I really want to do ... Donald Trump," she said.

Okaaaaay. What do I say? I'm a teacher. We teachers are all about letting students choose. I firmly believe that students are more vested in their learning when they are studying something they are interested in, something they care about. But Donald Trump? Really?

"Go for it, sweetie!"
"But he's not Black. Is that okay?"
"Of course it is," I said, already wondering how I was going to break this news to my husband.

Let me pause here and note that I am not the most political person. I've always been rather non-confrontational, so I pretty much avoid situations that will get me all worked about about politics. When these discussions come up at gatherings, I'm usually the one mixing up drinks or observing from the kitchen. My husband and I both are registered independents (or at least he was last time I checked). So my daughters aren't growing up in a politically fanatical household. We simply like to "keep it real" when it comes to issues that concern African Americans.

Dad's initial reaction was this: "Why?" Then he went on to drill me about whether I had questioned her sufficiently about her intentions. "If she's going to choose him, she needs to be able to explain why."

Her reasoning was simple: "He's funny."

So maybe this will be a learning opportunity. Perhaps she'll discover that a candidate needs to be more than "funny" to run a country. In the days that followed, she did ask about "the wall" and seemed more in tune to what was going on in the primaries.

We spend a few bucks in Michael's (I get a teacher discount there!) purchasing materials for the bottle person: fabric for Trump's suit and yellow yarn for his hair. In a craft box in the basement, we found adhesive eyes, clay for Trump's nose and lips, buttons for his suit, and pipe cleaners for his arms. I reminded Morgan that this project was "all on her." Armed with a glue gun, she went to work, transforming a bottle of Dr. Pepper into The Donald.

I was impressed with the end result. But what surprised me was the response at school. On the night of the Enrichment Fair, where projects were displayed, Donald Trump was the second most popular project. (The first was a candy machine built by a fourth grader.) There was an actual line to see him.

I stood back and watched for a few minutes and heard kids saying, "Mom, you have to see Donald Trump!" One Latina classmate said to her mom, "This is Morgan's project. It's Donald Trump. But she's not a racist." Too funny!

Leaving the building that evening, a teacher asked if she could borrow the project. "We're planning to make an end-of-year video for the staff," she explained. The principal, standing nearby, chimed in saying, "Yes. And I would love to show it to my children."

I offered to let them keep Trump, but they returned the project on the last day of school.

I learned a big lesson from this project. I need to remember to step out of the way and give my kids choices. They will learn. And so will I.





Friday, April 22, 2016

Paparazzi Teens



Photo credit: NEA Today
My typical reaction to surprising things is to stare in amazement. Only later do I think, “Dang! That would have made a great photo.” Or “I wish somebody had caught that on video.”


Today’s teens and tweens react differently. As quickly as my mouth drops, their phones are capturing the moments. 


My 14-year-old is no different. Last week, her little sis and I were trying to harmonize the chorus of Lukas Graham’s “7 Years.” (I don’t particularly love the song, but if a kid wants to sing with her mama, who am I to turn down the opportunity?) After nailing the notes, we high-fived each other. Seconds later, we heard our voices replayed on a cell phone. My reaction: “You were taping that!?!” (Yes, I still use words like “taping” instead of “recording.”) My second reaction: “Was it video or audio?” Looking raggedy in my ‘round-the-house gear – even if I do sound like Whitney (ahem) -- is not the look I want going viral. 


I’m sure today’s kids think I’m paranoid about being recorded. Perhaps it’s my public relations background that drives me want to protect my image like a brand. Or maybe it’s the pressure I put on myself as a kid. As a teenager, I had a great fear of embarrassment. Don’t get me wrong: I was not perfect. I just worked really hard to cover it up. I cared that my behavior might feed people’s negative stereotypes about all preachers’ daughters, Christian children, Black kids, people from Chester …


I often wonder why today’s kids don’t seem to care as much. Perhaps the ease and pervasiveness of social media has numbed them. My adult mind can’t understand why people would post and repost images and thoughts that don’t make them look good to a broad audience. If I posted a fight on Facebook, for example, my close friends would probably call me to see if I’m having some sort of breakdown. The rest would probably think, “I thought she was classier than that.” I am convinced that one such post would undo years of trying to look good. 


In my Spanish 2 Honors class yesterday, we were learning a corny hip-hop song to help memorize the vocabulary. Because I use these songs often, I know that singing along is usually beneath some of the cool or shy kids. So when my threat to play the song over and over until it got stuck in their heads didn’t get them singing, I pulled out an old trick that usually works: I tell them I’ll dance in front of anyone who’s not singing. In this large class of 32, I felt like an Ellen DeGeneres wannabe, working my way through rows of desks doing the wop, the whip, the running man, and a bunch of other moves that should remain in the 80s. It worked. The students I danced in front of were so embarrassed (probably for me, not by me) that they at least pretended to lip sync. We laughed, class went on, and that was that. 


So I thought. 


Two class periods later …

“Mrs. Carter-Lane, are you gonna dance for us?”
“Huh? What?”
“We saw you dancing on Snapchat.”
“Really?”

Call me naive, but I truly thought that silly moment that was over and done with. I didn’t even see anybody recording me. How could someone have whipped out a phone, recorded me, and put it away so quickly? I hate to say it, but dang, I was impressed! It would have taken me 30 seconds or so to get the camera app open on my phone. (And I consider myself to be technologically proficient.) And to be honest, I would have spent those moments laughing so hard at my dorky teacher, that I would have thought about recording 10 minutes too late.


I was offended. I’ll admit it. When I asked to see the clip, the kids who told me about the video said it was gone. They said It was a “regular” Snapchat post, not part of a “story.”  I didn’t believe them. I assumed they were protecting the rogue videographer. After all, phones are forbidden in class. And photographing others is also against the school rules. The students tried to assure me that the video didn’t make me look bad. “It was cute,” one said. Yeah, right.


When I got to 3rd period today, I addressed the incident. I told the class that I was offended that I had been videotaped without my knowledge. I expected dumb stares and dead silence. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when a 9th-grader spoke up. “I recorded you. I didn’t mean to offend you. I thought it was fun. You were adorable.”


Call me a sucker, but my disappointment was diffused. Heck, it’s not every day that a student calls me “adorable.” I thanked her for being honest and taking responsibility. I then told the class to think about how it might feel to be recorded and not know it, and then find out that recording was shared with others. I also advised that if (okay, “when”) they do record others, they should at least give the subjects an opportunity to say they’re okay with the video.  


Reflecting, I believe my real issue with quick-on-the-draw cell phone videographers is that they have power. And power in the hands of teenagers is scary. Especially for someone who has to turn her back on dozens of them in order to write on a chalkboard. A few years ago, a student told me that a video of a colleague’s butt bouncing while she was writing on the chalkboard had been spread around the school. (I can only imagine what my fat a** looks like some days!)


Even scarier are the long-lasting consequences that come from posting and the fact that many kids have no clue about what’s inappropriate to post or forward.

I want to control messages about me. I want to be the one who determines whether people see me as intelligent, competent, caring, and all of those gazillion other positive attributes I want associated with my name. I’m not ready to give up that control. Especially to a kid.

Friday, April 1, 2016

What do you want me to write about? Seriously. Tell me.

It's happening: writer's block. This is why I hesitated to start a blog. I worried that I might actually write something that people would actually want to read, then lose my credibility because I only posted once in a blue moon.

It's not that nothing's been going on my life. In fact, I have plenty of legitimate reasons for not writing.

Do I set aside [fill in the blank from the list below] to tap out a few paragraphs?

  • grading papers
  • planning lessons
  • clipping coupons
  • reading
  • tweeting
  • checking Facebook
  • napping
  • doing hair
  • Candy Crush
  • getting organized
  • (you get the gist)


And once blogging has been prioritized, what the heck do I write about? My kids are at the age where EVERYTHING is embarrassing. So I have to tread lightly when using them as writing material. I have personal issues (don't we all?), but do I really want to put all of that out there? People who do that come across as super self-centered, especially if their business does nothing to help or encourage others. I get plenty of ideas from my students, but it would be unprofessional to reveal too much.

So I'm putting the call out to you, faithful readers of my scant blog posts. What do you want to know from the perspective of an African-American, Christian, married mother of two daughters who teaches high school Spanish in the suburbs?

(Dang, is that really me in one sentence?)

Seriously. Tell me the topics that would make you look forward to reading my blog. Post them in the comments or email them to me at nerdyteachermom@gmail.com.

I promise to be candid and honest.

And I promise to write.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Finding the right college -- in 5th grade?

My 5th grader has been getting mail about colleges. Her reactions are so cute that I can't bear to tell them she's only 11 years old.

Back in November, she received a letter from Mount St. Mary's University that's still on her bulletin board. When she opened it, she squealed and jumped around a bit, thinking she'd already been accepted into a college. My explaining that the purpose of the letter was simply to get her interested in the university did little to squash her excitement.

She read the letter aloud, then grabbed a yellow highlighter and read it again. She highlighted the sentences with affirmations:

  •  "A student with your talents deserves the opportunities you'll find at the right college ..."
  • "Because I believe you are the kind of student who could thrive in our community ..."
  • "Outstanding students like you shine when they find the college that fits ..."

She underlined in red a sentence that made both her and the college look good:

  • "We're proud to be #19 in U.S. News & World Report's best universities in the Northern Region, so a talented student like you should feel right at home on our campus."

The letter gave us an opportunity to talk about the thousands of different colleges and universities in the United States and how they, too, compete to attract smart students. I also got to share a bit about my previous career in public relations, when I wrote similar material and worked to drum up publicity for colleges and universities.

Growing up, not going to college was never an option for my siblings and me. When we would talk about wanting to be a trash collector or shoe salesman, my parents' response was always the same: "You can whatever you want after you graduate from college."

I am proud to carry on that expectation with my girls. And I'm grateful that my daughter's landing on a list she doesn't belong provides opportunities to both confirm those expectations and build her confidence.


Sunday, January 31, 2016

What to do (and NOT to do) if you bump into your child's teacher in public

NerdyTeacherMom broke a self-imposed rule at Target yesterday. I bumped into my 8th grader's English teacher and chatted away for nearly five minutes. That was four minutes beyond the time I allow myself to chat with my kids' teachers in public places.

No, I didn't ask anything about my daughter or her class. It was more teacher-to-teacher talk, like how awesome my principal is and will we finally have school on Monday after so many snow days. Even though she seemed to be enjoying the conversation, I felt so ashamed of myself! 

My school is less than a mile away from my house. While it makes for a amazingly awesome commute, this proximity often doubles the length of errands intended to be quick. Let's look at a trip to the grocery store, for example.

Before we get to Harris Teeter, let me interject that I am rather social. My husband says I go out of my way to speak to people. It's part of my make-up, I guess. I'm a preacher's kid. I was a cheerleader and class president in high school. I majored in journalism and Spanish. I spent a dozen years working in public relations. 

When I go to the neighborhood grocery store, I always see somebody I know: my kids' friends' parents, other soccer moms, Girl Scout moms, people from church ... And, undoubtedly, I see somebody from my school: students working the registers or shopping, coworkers grabbing a coffee, and students' parents shopping.

Most parents, I must say, are respectful of my time and location. But, there's always the occasional one who just doesn't get it. And you never quite know when you're going to bump into him (okay, typically "her"). Usually, the encounter is after I've already spent time yapping it up with someone else I know and my kids are calling asking when I'm going to come home with food 'cause they're starving and I really, really have to go the bathroom but am trying to hold it 'til I get home.

One parent kept me hemmed up in the soap aisle for nearly 15 minutes -- and I had taught her child two years prior. She talked about how her son was doing at community college and how real life had kicked in. Now, to be fair, I did engage in the conversation. I even showed genuine enthusiasm. I honestly do appreciate opportunities to talk with parents and especially hear about how well former students are doing. I also know that some people just need to vent (or brag). I'm totally understanding of that. In this case, though, it was afterwards that I realized that the conversation had gone way too long.

I've come up with a few strategies to help me avoid those parents.
1. Wear ear buds and, if necessary, pretend I'm talking to someone.
2. Avoid eye contact. (Okay, this is extremely difficult for me and rarely works.)
3. When I really need to concentrate on saving money (on couponing trips, for example), I drive a few miles to a different grocery store.

Uh, yeah. That's pretty much all I've got. (Teachers, feel free to comment with your strategies.)

Parents, don't avoid me. I mean it. And don't feel like you have to be overly apologetic. Do speak to me and your kids' other teachers when you see us in public. (Just don't ask about your child's grades or behavior.) Watch our body language. If we're backing away or our eyes wander past yours in search of the organic 2% milk, then we're probably trying to keep it moving.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Snow day task: Write a letter

My all-time favorite snow day assignment to my children is to write a letter to an older family member. I typically recommend ideas to include. However, the more they do this, the better they seem to get at coming up with things to say.  It’s so important to me that they not only learn how to write a personal letter, but also connect with family members they don’t see often.

I'll be truthful. There's usually a bit of groaning about this. But I think that's because they simply don't want to be told what to do. Both girls typically tackle the letter early (to "get it out of the way"). I don't quibble with them about when they do it, the paper they use or any of the small things. I don't edit, either. I just look at it to make sure it's written neatly and represents the family well.

In Spanish 2, I teach a unit on running errands (which includes vocabulary words like “mail” (el correo), “letter” (la carta), and “mailbox” (el buzón). I always conduct an informal survey asking how many students have actually handwritten a letter. The responses are typical. In my honors classes, about 70% of the students say they’ve written a letter. In my non-honors classes, about three students raise their hands. I then go on a mini-rant about the benefits of writing a letter every now and then:
  • You’ll look smart and more mature.
  • You’ll improve your writing skills.

And the most compelling to the high schoolers, (at least I think) …
  • You’ll become that favorite niece, nephew or grandkid to an older person who feels left behind by fast-moving technology. They’ll write you back (you’ll get some mail), and they might even sneak a few bucks in their reply letter.

At home, this task doubles as a lesson on how to properly address an envelope. That may sound ridiculous to my generation and older. But it’s not. Trust me.

I’ve seen first hand that many high school students are clueless about what to do with an envelope. Each year, as a member of a faculty committee, I review applications for the National Honor Society. In the application, students must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope that will be used to return their decision letter. Believe me when I tell you … some of the envelopes look crazy, to say the least: stamps in wrong places, no return addresses, commas after the spelled-out state name …

This week I had an opportunity to explain to my little one the reason for postage stamps (another fact I’d assumed kids just simply absorbed): nothing is free; mailing a letter costs money.


Today is snow day #4. We’ve written and mailed one letter each so far this break.  Time to pick another relative.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Urban News Report

NerdyTeacherMom found yet another way to trick her kid into reading and sneak in a quick lesson about journalism.

In our house we have a "no-electronics-at-the-table" rule. Well, really, it’s a “no-electronics-at-the-table-when-other-people-are-there” rule. Since I was the first one downstairs today, I set up the iPad to see what was going on with Snowzilla. Before I could even pick a news site, my 11-year-old had joined me.

“Let’s see what’s going on with this snowstorm,” I said, navigating to my folder of news apps. Before I knew it, she’d clicked on CNN. “You can’t find local news on CNN,” I chided. “Let’s check out the AP.”

“AP? What’s that stand for? That sounds boring,” she said.

“It’s the ‘Associated Press.’ They have the best news. They report it, and all of the newspapers, radio stations and TV stations get their news from them,” I explained.

I started reading aloud. By the second paragraph, she asked, “Why are you reading like that?”

“It’s my newscaster voice. I used to want to be a TV newscaster, you know.”

“Well, it’s okay if you sound normal,” she said.

With that, I shifted into my non-standard-English voice – the one I’m most comfortable with having grown up Black in one of the poorest cities in America. “Maryland” sounded more like Murlin. “Thundersnow” came out like thunduh-snow. My added definition of “intrepid people” came out as “people who wusn't scurred [scared].

My little one, quite gifted with impersonations (if I may say so myself), was ready to take her turn. She went through a couple paragraphs so impressively that I wondered how she learned to talk like that growing up in the suburbs. We even started some ad lib, passing the “mic” -- a wooden bridge turned centerpiece that she’s made out of colored popcicle sticks -- and commenting on what we were reading.


When she correctly pronounced “treacherous,” albeit with a twang, I told her I didn’t know she knew that word. “I just sounded it out,” she said. I suppressed my proud-mama happiness. I didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Apparently our laughter was louder than we thought, as big sis had stumbled down out of her 13-year-old slumber (or texting session?). She, too, was laughing.

When I got up to clean my cereal bowl, my little one pointed out that we hadn’t finished.

“We read the important stuff,” I said. I explained to both of them that in journalistic writing, the important information is always written first. I explained that back in the day, when newspaper articles were typed, then cut and pasted into the newspaper, the bottom of the article would often get chopped off if there wasn’t enough space.

Their expressions were telling me they were surprised I knew all of that, so I reminded them that both mommy and daddy were journalism majors in college. “That’s what we learned in college,” I added.


I grinned, but not too much. I didn’t want them to know how excited I was that they were actually listening or how proud I was to have created a teachable moment that was hilarious.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Snow Day Reading - Rich Dad, Poor Dad & "The Road Not Taken"

My 5th grader walked into the room with a copy of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad * and asked if it would help her become rich. I encouraged her to read the first chapter and to persevere if it got boring. When she started to complain, I urged her to read the tough parts aloud.

I’m proud to say that she made it through the first chapter. I had promised her a “quiz,” so I asked her a few questions to see if she actually understood:
  • ·         Why is the book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad?
  • ·         What were the differences in each dad’s thoughts about money?
  • ·         What did Kiyosaki say was more powerful than money?
Being the NerdyTeacherMom that I am, I felt a rush when I saw that Kiyosaki had included the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost at the end of the chapter. I know, I know … my English teacher colleagues tell me that the poem is so overused that they’re nearly sickened by it. But perhaps it’s the nostalgic part of me that loves the poem. I’d memorized it in 7th grade, the same year my mom and I would read literature together, when works by Edgar Allan Poe’s and other had kicked my butt. She’d even read aloud to me. And even though I was in middle school, I secretly enjoyed every moment. When the opportunity presented itself today, I seized the moment, hoping to make a few memories for my own daughter.

My little one didn’t really get the poem at first, but she was patient enough to go through it line by line with me until she did. Then, I re-read it aloud with inflection and feeling. When I opened my eyes (okay, I still remember the last few lines) and realized she was still in the room, I figured I’d take things a bit further.

“Can you think of a time when you took the road less traveled by?” I asked.

“Can you give me an example?” she countered.

“Like a time when you may have done something that might not have seemed cool.”

“Oh.  Yeah. Like in the cafeteria one day,” she said.

She went on to explain how one day at lunch in the cafeteria, despite her friends’ inviting her to their table, she went over and sat with a girl who was alone and had few friends.  We talked about how that action was taking the road less traveled and how it could have made all the difference.

She’d gotten it. And I was thrilled. Will she read the rest of Kiyosaki’s book? I don’t know.  But I’ll make sure we check out a few children’s financial literacy books from the library. 

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