Day 37: Bloopers, First Edition

During my first couple years of teaching, I carpooled with a woman who lived in apartments near me in Issaquah, and also taught at SES.  We had similar tastes in music and books. We fed each others cats, debriefed after school, and all the other things that close colleagues might do. But for all the similarities, we were quite different people.  Susan was measured, even, and calm, and I’m, well….you know, me!  This was really highlighted for me one day when I covered her class for her for about 1/2 hour. I don’t remember the circumstances, but it was a meeting of some sort. I came down when my kids were at PE, and she introduced me to her 2nd graders and reiterated the instructions. She was quiet, and spoke very slowly. I was petrified! I was certain that I would ruin all of the zen if I even opened my mouth, so I vowed not to speak the whole time. 😂 Me? I’m loud, in voice and laughter, I make gobs of mistakes, am completely self amused, and wholly myself in my classroom. 5th grade is the right place for me! 

This online teaching “gig” is hard, because I’m talking to my computer!  For prerecorded lessons, I found it hard to figure out how to record and watch myself without completely focusing on the imperfections in the video, the lesson, and in myself. I saw real early that I could spend hours trying to make it right. First of all, I don’t have that kind of time, and second, that’s not how my classroom really is. If anyone can tell you about the imperfections in my day, it’s my 5th graders! I decided, unless there are extenuating circumstances, to go with take one. It’s the most realistic, and probably what my students are expecting. I’ve only re-recorded twice. Once when school was first canceled and I couldn’t get through a sentence without sobbing, and last week when my math facts were less than accurate. ;)

So I’m saying these are bloopers, but these are short clips that already went out to students as part of longer lessons. Please feel free to LOL. This is me. ❤️