Unloving Ways

I recently came across this quote on pintrest and I really took it to heart. "The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways."

We have all experienced "that kid" once or twice, or a bit more in our teaching career. The one kid who can get under your skin more moments than not. The one kid who purposely does the opposite of EVERYTHING you ask. The one kid who you pray will be absent today. The one kid who can make you rethink your whole teaching career.

Amongst your frustration it's incredibly difficult to step aside to think, "Why are they, they way they are?" I have taught in an urban district for the majority of my career. I have had kids that only eat when they are at school, lost a parent, don't have a bed, or have parents that are never around. Sadly, the list goes on and on of the obstacles kids must overcome. These are the kids who need the most love.

I am as guilty as the next teacher giving up too easily or making excuses for my students behavior. Year after year I become a stronger more reflective teacher, because that is what my students deserve.

There are reasons for kid's behavior and giving them LOVE is exactly what they need. Now I know you are wondering what can I do to give them the love they need? Unfortunately there is no magic solution and things don't happen over night. Here is what I find helps us make steps in the right direction:

Get to know the child From one on one time during lunch or a shared journal try to find out all you can about them. Kids are individuals and the more you know them, the better you will understand their needs.

Be Patient Everything takes time! You might make progress and then have a rough day or two and that's OK! Know when to revisit a situation when you and your student are in a calmer state. Kids can smell frustration.

Learn to forgive Every day is a new day. Do not hold grudges on kids from a previous day or days before. Give kids a chance to have great moments.

Know that you do not have all the answers No one has all the answers, seek help when you need it. If you are not having luck with one source, find another. Counselors, administrators or other teachers can often give you great insight.

Don't give up Keep asking. Keep searching. Every child is unique and your persistence will help give the child all they need.

So when you have a child asking for love in the most unloving ways please take a step back and remember that they are a child. They may not have all the skills we as adults have. They may have had more trauma in their short life then we could ever imagine. Find the strength to give them they love they need and deserve.

Pintrest Pick 3 August

It is August, which means the count down is on for Back to School. I am one of the luck ones and our kids don't start until after Labor Day! Today I am bringing you 3 of my most favorite Pins to inspire you this school year! I am linking up with Inspired Owl's Corner and Pawsitively Teaching for August's Pick 3 Pintrest Party. So here you go...

As a mom of boys and a teacher of Primary grades this pin caught my eye immediately! How can you not love anything Lego related? I am always looking for Work Work ideas early in the year for those babies who still need help with their letter recognition. Young learners will be instantly engaged with this center.

If you look closely there are two spoons on top of each other. The white spoon has the uppercase letter and the clear spoon has they lowercase letter. What a cute and low cost idea to add to your classroom!
This pin really got my creative juices flowing and I thought of tons of other possibilities: numbers and dots, opposites, color and color word.... the list goes on and on!

I saw this pin forever ago and LOVED the creativity! How cute would this DIY bubble gum machine be on your desk? You can fill it with tiny erasers or a yummy treat for you kiddos!

I hope these pins inspired you and got you in the "Back to School" mode! If you are looking for more inspiration click the images below to see some amazing pins picked out by some great teachers!

An InLinkz Link-up

Viva Las Vegas

Well, I just got back from the TPT convention in Las Vegas and my head is swimming with everything I learned! I had the most AMAZING time and an enjoyed every moment!

We got there a few days early so we could enjoy the sights. Everything was beautiful, if I had to pick my favorite resort I would have to go with the Mirage. The grounds are just beautiful - and when you have dolphins and tigers in your backyard how can you go wrong?

As if the sights weren't  enough the food was delicious too. Our favorite was a place called Hash House a Go Go! They have a few locations so if you get the chance to be near one, GO!

Wednesday night there was a Blogger Meet Up hosted by the Authors of Blog Hoppin. Over a 1,000 bloggers showed up to the meet up and they gave away some awesome prizes!

On Thursday I attended three sessions. My first session was called the Super Powers of Power Point with Michelle Oakes, Hope King and Rachelle Smith. Those Ladies taught me the ins and outs of power point and helped even the most seasoned TPT authors learn a new trick or two.

My Second Session was a Starting Sellers Panel where many seasoned sellers shared tons of knowledge on how to get your feet wet in the TPT world.

My Last session was another panel for Beginining Bloggers. Some wonderful bloggers shared how they are successful in the blogging world!

Friday was a very busy day and I had 4 sessions, that left me with more information then I could fit in my notebook! I started with Unlock the Code- Secrets of Sellers Success with Chris Kesler. Chris not only had us all laughing but was very informative as well.

Up Next was Rachel Lynette with Do this, Not That. Now, how could you not learn oodles from one of the most successful TPT authors out there. She gave tons of advice and really opened my eyes on how to use different forms of social media.

After lunch Jennifer White presented on How to Do It All, And Feel Good. Bad news is, you really cant do it all! BUT Jennifer was sooooo motivating and gave the best tips on how to organize your life so you can have time for almost everything! I absolutely adore Jennifer and if possible she is sweeter in person.

I wrapped up the conference with Advanced Pintrest with Mel D! After that session I couldn't wait to get on my pintrest boards and take all her ideas to spruce everything up!

I really learned an enormous amount and cant wait to put all my new knowledge into action!

Happy 1st post to me!

Happy 1st post to me! So I decided to get this blog up and running for the new school year (as if I had nothing else to do).  For the past few years I have had many co-workers ask me to start a blog and after many excuses here I am. So as I sit here with my new reading curriculum next to me and Pinterest up of my other window I thought "Why not now, Breanna."  If there are any tips out there from my fellow -more experienced bloggers send them my way. I'll be sure to update things as the week goes on but for now check out my Pinterest page!
Hugs & Smiles,
Breanna
Breanna's PINTEREST