Don’t you hate that very first head cold of they year. You know, kids have been sneezing all over you for 20 days now and finally, you have a full blown cold. UGHHHHHhh. Yep, that was pretty much how I started my day. It literally felt like my head was gonna explode.
But of course, I didn’t even consider NOT going to school. I plugged away, getting Daily 5(or 6 in my class) rotations going and we were right in the thick of it too, when my teacher neighbor Kerri walked by and notified me that there was a ‘character building assembly’ at 10am. What? Why didn’t I know about it? It wasn’t in my email at 7:30 this morning. So we dropped everything right where is was, lined up and headed down to the gym.
Long story short . . . I was ambushed! Little did I know that one of my parents had nominated me for the ‘A Day Made Better’ award from OfficeMax. At 10am yesterday, myself and 999 other teachers across the US received a monster box full of goodies including a new leather chair ( which I have never in my life had an office chair. I might have to actually sit down once in a while now), a video camera, laminator, stapler, antivirus package, USB and SB cards . . . and more and more and more goodies.
Me and My OfficeMax Angels
But here is the BEST part. In addition to the goodies that I received, my building teaching staff will share another $2500 worth of teaching supplies and office goods. Literally there were boxes and boxes and boxes of items to be given away to the staff. YEAH…
These are all the boxes full of loot for my schools’ teaching staff!!!!!!
Of course I got some awesome goodies myself . . .
That big ol’ box holds ALOT of stuff let me tell you.
My own sons (2 out of 3) were there for the assembly as was my husband and mom –sneaky little buggers– which made it all the more special. My class was spinning for the rest of the day. One little guy said “Mrs. McGuire, I can’t believe you won $500,000.” I told him if I had won $500,00 I might have actually taken the rest of the day off. But then again, maybe not. For all the trials and tribulations, I chose to teach because it’s what I love and what I believe I have been called to do. I hate missing a day.
It was so amazing to have others and a huge a company recognize that teachers spend endless amounts of our own time and resources on our students and classroom simply because we care and love what we do. I am loving everyone at OfficeMax and can’t thank them for my ‘day made better.’
With nearly 20 years of experience as a full-time kindergarten teacher, I’m committed to creating a classroom where learning is joyful, engaging, challenging, and fun. Each day, I work to ensure that my students feel successful through instruction that considers their unique interests, learning profiles, and readiness levels. I believe that students should be excited to come to class and enjoy a myriad of hands-on activities that encourage exploration and discovery.
While I continue to teach full-time, I find so much joy in connecting and building friendships with teachers worldwide. It’s why I started this blog back in 2012. My hope has become a reality as I have been able to forge relationships with teachers, sharing ideas and building friendships beyond my little neck of the woods through professional development sessions and this blog.
So by all means, take some time to look around and explore A Differentiated Kindergarten. Gather some new ideas, fun tips, and most importantly, don’t forget to reach out and say, ‘Hi!’
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