Lessons Learned from the Bunny Teacher: January 2019

Thursday, January 31, 2019

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." Henry Adams

I attended the North Allegheny Distinguished Alumni Gala in January 28, 2019. For those who are not familiar with North Allegheny School District, it is located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA, and referred by many as "The University of North Allegheny." The District is rated at the top of many polls for academics and athletics, and NA boasts scientists, doctors, lawyers, college presidents, astronauts, film makers, musicians, Broadway stars, professional athletes, and even a former Congresswoman as graduates. School standards and teacher expectations are high, and the rigorous course work provides great preparation for both college and life.

The evening was one to remember. Last year's honorees introduced the winners for this year, and threads of humor, grace, and appreciation for North Allegheny intertwined through the comments and presentations. Each honoree spoke about the "lift in life" received from North Allegheny and the the District's fine programs and teachers. Many singled out a teacher or coach who made a difference in their particular life, and many discussed their respect for both the staff and the District. For so many, the relationship they had with just one teacher propelled them to move toward greatness.

Several of my former students were honored, so I was so happy to attend. In my opinion, teachers never see a "finished product" the way other professions do; builders, lawyers, carpenters, doctors, plumbers can all point to a finished product. For me, seeing this group's individual and overall achievements was humbling and uplifting, and also, their acceptance speeches provided a "finished product" for all to see. The audience had the rare chance to see how the seeds of education sown so many years ago have blossomed and flowered, spreading more seeds throughout the world. As a former teacher, I was filled with pride for each awardee, and I was also filled with gratitude that I was so fortunate to be a teacher at North Allegheny for 35 years. The entire evening was so inspiring that I found myself wishing that all of my retired colleagues could be in that room to bask in the success of these outstanding individuals.

Please click on this link to see the many accomplishments of the evening's awardees, and you will see why I was so thrilled to be a part of this Gala! "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." Henry Adams

https://triblive.com/local/northhills/14467950-74/na-announces-2019-distinguished-alumni

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school. if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom. www.Fieldtripzoom.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired!

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom. Check them out! http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl

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Thursday, January 24, 2019

"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood." Andy Goldsworthy

For almost a week, the television stations in Pittsburgh hyped a giant storm that would be sweeping across the country and dumping 3-12 inches of snow on Pittsburgh, depending on the track of the storm. The air of electric with anticipation and dread, depending on the age of the person. Saturday drew near, the day the storm was to arrive, and Facebook was filled with posts about wearing jammies all day, cooking large pots of soup, making a snowman, curling up in front of the fire with a book, and having time with family.

The snow did not arrive when forecast. In fact, it never arrived, and we had an all day rain instead. The disappointment was real. I saw more than on post that said something like, "How can I enjoy all this cooking when the snow is not falling?" Plainly, people were disappointed, and I started to think about why. This is what I decided.

People of all ages need an occasional snow day. Snow days remind us of our school days, when life was more carefree, and a snow day was a day to goof off with our friends and get out of school. A snow day provided a respite from the daily grind of school and homework, as well as an extra few hours of deep and refreshing sleep. A snow day was a gift of a "slow day" in our busy lives. When we fast forward to our lives as adults, a snow day is an even bigger gift. Meetings are cancelled, schedules are adjusted, and it feels good to be able to stay inside and relax. During my 37 years as a teacher, our faculty used to pray for snow days, or at least a 2 hour delay! We needed that snow day/slow down day to provide balance in our busy and stressful lives. Everyone returned to school refreshed and renewed. from a snow day.

Here's to more snow days in our lives. We all need to slow down and enjoy the silence of the snow.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

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Thursday, January 17, 2019

"Teaching - The professions that creates all other professions."

This week, thousands of Los Angeles teachers went on strike. Reasons include large class size (45 in secondary schools), lack of support staff like counselors, nurses, and school psychologists, too much testing with too little curriculum, and low student spending, when the district has a stash of money. These teachers, just like teachers everywhere, want more for their students. Teachers did not t choose teaching for the huge bonuses and assortment of perks; they chose to teach in order to make a difference.

When I was a teacher for 37 years, we all wanted more for our students. School is the foundation for everything a person will become! Districts should see that they are holding the future of the country and the world in their hands, but sadly, they do not. Why? The people in charge of schools - the school board- are not educators.

I rarely offer a political opinion, but this issue has bothered me my entire life. In other professions, the administrators of the business have been associated with and understand the profession. For example, the managing partner of a law firm is a lawyer who has practiced law for years and understands the process. School board members rarely or never have had any experience in the classroom, nor have they studied the methodology for teaching students, handling discipline, creating and implementing a viable curriculum, working toward inclusion, differentiating instruction, planning appropriate and interesting lessons, working with parents, and all the other things teachers must deal with every single day. Board members have no idea that the average teacher makes 5000 decisions per day, and that teachers are trying so hard to extract the best from each student. They have no idea that being with so many needy human beings all day is so exhausting, that come Friday night, bed beckons at 6 p.m.

I am happy that teachers are standing up for themselves and their students, rather than allowing know-nothing school board members to dictate their ideas and dole out their money, one painful dollar at a time. Teachers in today's must wear many hats : teacher, counselor, parent, advisor, psychologist, friend, confidante, and more. Students and teachers deserve more! School is the beginning and the end of our country's future, and I don't think we are doing a very good job of preparing. Schools and students need more resources, and they need them now. If resources do not improve, schools are not doing a very good job of preparing all the other professions.

Here is the link to an article by an LA teacher: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-caputo-pearl-teachers-strike-20190106-story.html

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school. if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom. www.Fieldtripzoom.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

"Either you run the day or the day runs you." Jim Rohn

For those 37 years I was in the classroom, not only did I teach three subjects, I also coached golf for 33 year and directed musicals and shows for 20 years, plus I served on many committees. I learned very quickly that I had to become a good time manager to be able to fulfill all the requirements of my school jobs, plus my real life as a wife. I am willing to share a few ideas with you that worked for me.

First, I kept a giant desk calendar with everything I needed to know about my life and my jobs at just a glance. You can read more about the calendar in a previous blog.
http://bunnyteacher.blogspot.com/2018/12/this-is-new-year-new-beginning-and.html

Next, I kept separate briefcases for each of my jobs. I had a briefcase for my classes, as well as one for my job as golf coach, and another for when I directed the musical, and yet another for directing the talent shows. I can't tell you how much time it saved me - no more looking through papers in one overstuffed and unorganized briefcase! I left a few papers in there from year to year (in a manila folder marked with the year), and when I needed an idea or to make a checklist of tasks to complete, I did not have to reinvent the wheel.

The school day is packed and teachers seldom have much time, but when a few minutes appeared, I did not waste them talking to friends or looking at my phone. If I had just 10 minutes until a class, I used that time to call the parent who left a message earlier. I explained that I had only 10 minutes, which meant the conversation did not drone on and on. We cut to the chase and resolved the issue. If I found another 5 minutes, I used it to input grades. When you add up all the tiny increments of time in a week, a teacher can get quite a bit done, using that time wisely. Ten minutes is plenty of time to answer a parent email or complete a form for a student.

Teachers should set realistic goals. Don't make a list of things to do that is so long you are defeated before you begin. Also, what can you delegate? I always had great ideas for bulletin boards, but little time to implement them. My 10th graders were happy to come in during their study halls and create a beautiful and meaningful bulletin board, following my ideas , and adding their own. Students enjoyed being involved and adding beauty and meaning to our classroom. I liked the idea that students shared ownership of the classroom.

Another suggestion - use your commute time to and from school as planning time. In the mornings, I would plan what I needed to do and who I needed to see that day. On the drive home, I reflected on accomplishments, and thought about what I needed to do for the next day. This really worked for me.

I hope some of these tips can help you to get work done more quickly, so that you have more time for yourself and your family. Work and school are important, but your family should come first. Good luck!

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school. if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom. www.Fieldtripzoom.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

"You will never get a second chance to make a first impression." Will Rogers

A new year and a new semester are here, and for many Education majors, student teaching will begin in a few days or a few weeks. I loved teaching for 37 years, and if my late husband had not been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, I would have stayed in the classroom for 40 years. I loved school and teaching so much, I even wrote a book for student teachers. One of the major lessons I always tried to impart to my student teachers was the lesson about first impressions - and that only one chance is given to make a great first impression. Students, just like other people, will judge the new student teacher, at least partially, on appearance. So, what should new student teachers do to succeed with the first impression - and beyond?

First, be neat and clean, all the way down to the fingernails. Make sure hair is not in the face, as facial expressions play a major part in the communication process when teaching. Be careful in your clothing selections - nothing too tight or revealing, and nothing that is a distraction. Kids will look at your shoes, so spend a little time polishing your shoes. They will also notice every single thing you wear - rings, watches, etc., so be sure that your choices are all appropriate. If you have lots of tattoos or piercings, ask your mentor teacher about whether they can be perceived as a distraction, and adjust your wardrobe accordingly.

One of the most difficult things for student teachers to realize is their power over students, and knowing that the student teacher is constantly being monitored. Student teachers, just like mentor teachers, are role models, not just in the classroom, but everywhere in the community Over and over, each time the student teacher meets a new student, a parent, a new teacher - they are having to make a good first impression again. Keeping that information in mind, the student teacher should always put his/her best foot forward, knowing that all of the first impressions of the semester just might add up to a job offer. Make you you wear a smile and crown yourself with kindness and empathy, all essential elements of a first impression.

Teaching is the best job there is - it is the profession that teaches all other professions. Teaching also carries great responsibility to be one's best at all times. After all, a student teacher never knows when another first impression will come along! And as Will Rogers said, "You will never get a second chance to make a first impression."

Dede's book for student teachers is available from the author (personally signed) at www.dederittman.com or unsigned on Amazon. The book has won 8 awards, and packs must-know info into of one hundred easy to read, thoughtful, and humorous pages

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school. if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom. www.Fieldtripzoom.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.