I have a Voice...

My family walked in our first Buddy Walk, promoting acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.  Throughout the walk around Crew Stadium, this gallery was played on the big screen.  We all have a voice...Celebrating Down syndrome Awareness Month!!!

I'm Just Sayin'

Changed Lives

Last year at this time I was volunteering at my church's Vacation Bible School, and wrote about a friend J, who needed teachers to recognize his special gifts.  Because my friend Debbie and I stopped to see how J was unique, he had a fantastic week.  I realized then that by serving and giving of my time, I made a difference in that one child.  It was my way of paying it forward.

It's that time of year again, and I had another one of those "special moments!"this morning at VBS.  A young man, much taller than I (who isn't?!) was picking up his sister, when he smiled and said Hi.  Smiling back, I heard him say to his sister, "Is that Mrs. Archer?"  So, I stopped and said, Yes!  I recognized him, but his name was on the tip of my tongue, but couldn't find it.  My first year in Dublin, I had this young man in my class and now he is in college, running track, and made the Nationals this year.  Amazing, on two levels:  1) He still recognizes me or I haven't changed since then! 2) He has come full circle and taken advantage of all life has and is making a difference in the athletic field.  His twin brother, from another class then, is playing football at another university.

What a great moment when he hugged me, introduced me to his sister, and shared with me his life celebrations.   Teachers, we are changing lives! We may not see the fruits of our labor immediately, but we are changing lives every day.  Remember that during those frustrating, overwhelming moments in September and recognize we are making a difference.
To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected.

My Latest Project

The end of May, I was trying to find a summer project.  I always need a challenge and embrace learning something new. (I'm definitely not one to sit idle for the summer!!)  I went online to look at Ashland's summer courses, knowing the class would need to be independent, a weekend, or online.  My goal was not to take too much time away from my family, yet satisfy my constant desire to learn something new.  Ashland had an online, self-paced class for sign language, which I decided was for me. 

Becoming more proficient in sign language has been on my "bucket list" for sometime.  When my children were little, I taught them basic signs, plus we bought the Signing Time videos to view and learn.  By watching these 30 minute videos off and on, my children began using some signs in their day-to-day happenings. 

Talking With Your Hands and Listening with Your Eyes is a must have for anyone learning sign language and wanting to incorporate signing in their classroom.  It was the required text, but when it came in the mail, my son recognized it from his own classroom at school.  It's a complete photographic guide to learning the language.  The chapters are organized by usage, and not alphabetical.  For example:   conversing; pronouns, people, and relationships; actions, home & clothing, etc... Even chapters on school, geography, math, communities, and science.

I want to incorporate signing in my morning and closing meetings, learning new content vocabulary, and non-verbal community signals.  Seeing, hearing, and moving to new concepts and words can help students understand better, so I'm hoping this may be one strategy to help my students.  As I work on my new vocabulary this summer, why this summer did I choose to learn the language?   Is there a child who I may reach by using this skill?  Is this a tool that I can make a difference in the life of just one?  Will someone come into my life who I may reach?  I can't answer these questions.  All I know is I've been given this time to learn the language.

The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.  ~Leo Rosten

How Full Is Your Bucket?

Attending Meet The Teacher and Curriculum Nights as a parent last year, I noticed every teacher had these books displayed at the school my children attend.  The premise is that everyone carries an invisible bucket around and when random acts of kindness happen "buckets" are filled.  A bucket dipper is someone who tears down another person and so they are "dipping" in a bucket.  This Bucket-Fillers initiative was bought in by everyone on their staff, from the top down.  The teachers, parapros, cafeteria workers, custodians, and most of all the administration emphasized being bucket fillers daily.  Throughout the year, the conversations were constant, even with fourth and fifth graders.  What I noticed was a community that worked together making a difference.

At home, my children began talking about bucket fillers.  It became talking points at dinner about how they filled someone's bucket at school.  Filling a bucket can be small and not noticeable, but you are looking out for someone.  As a family, our conversations  about making a difference have meshed with the Bucket Filler philosophy.  The other day, we rode to the school park and took grocery bags to spend time picking up trash.  As they noticed how much trash there was, Austin said, "Mama, we are filling Wyandot Run's bucket by picking up trash!"  He got it!

Thinking about the beginning of the year, I'm going to use this idea for my classroom, as part of my building a learning community work in September.  Filling up buckets with kindness, small or big,  
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

The Power of One: Part 2

Our discussions have led us to writing about what we could do to make a difference. After viewing the video, my treasures began focusing on what we have termed "power words."  Teamwork, Effort, Perseverance, Believe, Unstoppable, Unique, Can:  they each chose their power word and began webbing ideas.  As Lisa and I conferenced while they were writing, a pattern emerged.  While they understood the meaning of the word, they needed to work on specifics.  What can they do more than encourage with quotes?

Lisa, who is the ying to my yang, spoke on passion.  She shared that my treasure, G, has a passion for reading.  He reads at latchkey.  He's the last one to leave for related arts because he is so caught up in his book.  How could G use his passion to make a difference in his part of the world?  Another treasure, L, has a passion for sports.  He is one of my promising readers, but has read every book on sports and loved them.  What could L do to use his passion of sports to make a difference?  That gave my treasures some thoughts to think about over the weekend as we prepare for the video-making process.

In the midst of a project that I love, my mind whirls with possiblities.  During our discussion on power words, I thought of my new love for painting in the classroom.  How could I use this?  In thinking about a clip in the movie, Chrissa Stands Strong, my treasures are going to paint their power words to create a class quilt of making a difference.  I'm excited about the impact it could have on those around us.