just do it

"Smiling is infectious, you can catch it like the flu. Someone smiled at me today, And I started smiling too." -Unknown

transition(not the band,even though i like that one song of theirs...)

(my co-teacher Schimere, me(duh), and our support teacher Suzanne around Christmastime)


It's official. As of last week,every single kid that was in my class when i started teaching preschool has transitioned to PreK. To my credit, i only ALMOST cried when one of them left. It's easy to say "They're just moving across the hall,you'll still see them every day." But it's really not the same. That once or twice a day where you see them just long enough to give them a big hug and tell them how much you miss them does not compare to watching their faces as you read them their favorite story, or the feeling of pride when they finally count to 20 without skipping 6 and 11, or even just knowing that when it's free time, that little Johnny is gonna want to dance along to music in group area while Jenny is going to want to color. When I started as a preschool teacher, i figured i would bond with a kid or two...i never imagined i would bond with a whole class. I truly loved every single one of those kids in different ways, and no matter how much they weren't listening or being quiet when i needed them to be, i could still see the good side of them (usually...everyone has their days,haha).

My class was especially interesting because they had been through so many teachers before me and Schimere became their official teachers. For small children, that can be very hard because every teacher has different ideas and different styles on how to handle the class. So basically,whenever a new teacher would come in the kids had to learn a new set of rules and adjust to different teaching styles as well. Needless to say,by the time me and Schimere got them,they were a MESS. The first 3 or 4 months of us being in that classroom was focusing on class management and "training" the kids to do what it was we needed/wanted them to do when we wanted/needed them to do it. I'd say we were pretty successful at it. By the time the first few kids started transitioning out earlier this summer we had a generally well behaved class (there was a straggler or two,but in a class of 20,i think that's pretty typical). Our leadership team was always telling us at how far our class has come since one year ago when we,both being brand new preschool teachers who have no previous preschool teaching experience, had entered the classroom.

Now I have 20 brand new kids and as much as i'm going to miss my first class of preschoolers, I'm really excited about teaching these ones. These kids are our OWN. We are and will be(hopefully) the only preschool teachers they have, so if we somehow never get the class managed,or none of them are ready for when it's time for them to head to PreK, it's our fault,and our fault alone. But at the same time, when they leave knowing the information they need to know in order to be successful in PreK,that is our doing as well. I really lucked out by having such a great co-teacher who has taught me a lot and i can also consider a friend. That,I'm sure is a HUGE factor in how successful our classroom is/will be. This new class of kids brings along new challenges that we didn't experience with the last class, further helping us grow as teachers and child care providers. That's the main thing i LOVE about my job. I can and will always continue to grow and learn things. If that ever stops,then i know it will be time to move on to another profession. I'm crossing my fingers that never happens because i am really enjoying where i am now and am hoping that never changes.

well this is scary...

About a month ago, during a staff meeting, the Director of our center informed us that there is a dam in King County(where my center is located)that is about to burst. It's severely damaged and whoever is in charge of taking care of the dam had issued a warning that at some point,they may have to release some of the water from the dam.The flood waters could go far down south as Tacoma( really far away). She wasn't sure how it would affect our center,but would let us know as soon as she did.

Well, now we know...

Here's a news article from King 5 about the flood:

KING5.com
After holding back a record amount of water in December 2008, engineers found depressions in the abutment at the Howard Hanson Dam. Further tests have found significant seepage. The Army Corps of Engineers says it could take 3 to 5 years to fix. In the meantime, the Army Corps says it will not be able to hold back as much water as in years past without risk of losing the dam entirely.


Engineers say the Green River Valley, which includes parts of the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila, could receive up to ten feet of flood water this coming season in the event of a major storm. Residents and businesses are being urged to purchase flood insurance and have an evacuation plan ready.

KING5.com will continue to update this page with our coverage of the Howard Hanson Dam.(There are also several more articles at KING5.com explaining more detail about what's going on)

We have also been informed that,should they decide to release water from the dam, we will have a 3 hr advance warning. That's good to know,I guess. But at the same time,this dam could break at any time. We haven't been trained or given any information so far as to what to do,should this happen. I know some of our employees have been going around the center checking first aid kits to make sure they are stocked,but we have not been given any kind of evacuation plan yet. We do have a staff meeting next week,so I'm sure they'll say something about it then.

I don't know if it was the way this information was presented to me at work,or if it's just my own sometimes overactive imagination...but I'm kind of freaked out and feel a certain sense of urgency about this situation. There are SO many little lives,as well as grown up lives at stake...it's a lot of pressure. Should a flood happen, we would have to evacuate our building and transport every single child from our center to our safe area(where that is,I have no clue). Our wing alone at any one time could have as many as 80 kids in it. Apparently,when/if the flood does come our center WILL be flooded with 8-10 feet of water and we will have to use a different building to work at until the one we have now is repaired. It just feels like a lot of information to take in and have to handle all at once. I have no doubt that everyone will do their best and get each and every person out of that building safe and sound, it's pretty much the anticipation of WHEN that's making me uncomfortable...