Leil’s 3rd grade teacher was totally awesome this year. One of those teachers you hope your child is fortunate enough to experience once or twice in their school life. Alice has her own groove going. An eclectic mix of local environmental issues, cultural studies, volunteer work and a good sprinkling of Eleanor Roosevelt quotes. Less and less common in the world of public schools and state mandated testing metrics.
Alice also believes parents are an integral part of their child’s learning experience. To that end I participated as a literature group leader every Wednesday for one hour this past year. Today marked the final session. My 4 students and I read aloud the final chapter of our last book, A Single Shard (wonderful story!), ate homemade popcorn, ripe apricots and Hershey’s chocolate bars, and exchanged handmade cards with each other. It took me all year to realize I’d formed a caring relationship with 3 kids that I had not birthed. Kleenex box please.
To commemorate our year together, I made these quick and easy bookmarks for each child. More details here.
Yes, please pass the Kleenex! What a wonderful experience to form a bond with other children. I used to volunteer as a “book buddy” at a local elementary school and miss it so much.
The bookmarks are so creative!
What a great experience for you and for the kids. And the bookmarks are great!
One of the reasons I became a teacher, for the four years before my kids, anyways. :0) And my 3rd grade teacher was fabulous, also. She helped give me confidence, realized that despite test scores from the previous year, I could read at a high school level, etc. Love teachers like that.
Oh these are great, I love geckos! Thanks for the instructions — it’s always a bit funny because I don’t know all the interfacings, but usually I figure out what I can substitute.
A good teacher is such a gift. I’m glad Leil was so lucky this year — fingers crossed for next!
I never could have any children but have been lucky to have great relationships with my husband’s four grandchildren – ages 1 to 17. Kids never fail to inspire and amaze me with their ideas and understanding of the world.
Those are so great! What a wonderful mom you are.
I know those kids think you are the coolest — love this post.
The bookmarks are great and they are EXACTLY the kind of thing I would have gone ape over at that age. Because they’re COOL, and someone made it just for them. It has their name right there on it, and that means you made it for them.
I’m just catching up and I have to say, it’s so funny that you like the Socks that Rock better knitted up. I always fall for yarn like that in the skein and then I never like it as well when it’s all knitted up. Though I like what stripes do to a variegated yarn like that, and that’s what I might have to do with mine.
Oh the children must have been delighted with their bookmarks ! How great thet you go into read with them.
That is so wonderful. I sooo wish I could be a SAHM so I could do things like this. My daughter just finished Pre-K today, and though I only saw the children in her class a couple of times and know some of them outside of school, I will miss them and the stories this summer.
Love the bookmarks – what a wonderful idea. I plan to read Thimble Summer to Emma this summer. A page or two over the course of the summer.
Kudos to you.. you are a great mom!!
Chloe and I love that book too. The bookmarks are a really great idea and guess what, I’ve got all the supplies necessary right here. I’m just now going through my huge scrap drawer and organizing it. I can see how this would be a fabulous use of scraps. Thanks so much for the idea!
A great teacher makes such a huge difference. It’s great that parents get so involved with the education not only of their own children, but of the other students in class too – it’s fun for parents, plus I’m sure the kids love it too! And now the girls have lovingly made mementos to commemorate your time together.
By the way, I’ve tagged you for a meme on how you came up with your girls’ names, in case you’re interested in playing: http://shisomama.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/say-my-name-say-my-name/
I’m tearing up over here. She sounds like a marvelous teacher — I also have young kids and what a different it makes when the teacher inspires the best in our kids rather than just following all the “should dos”. And what a lovely gift for the kids. You are tempting me with sewing (which I do not presently do!)
THose are wonderful bookmarks! What a treasure to have a wonderful teachers that you and your children love. She sounds wonderful. So sad that we have to worry about getting one that we don’t like so much.