For Mothers with Toddlers: Sit Still and Be Quiet, Please!

Note:  I did not write this, but I wholeheartedly agree with everything in it, and it does have implications for teachers as well.   It may be shared freely.

                                            Sit Still and Be Quiet, Please!

   As a young mother reading Little House on the Prairie series to my children, I marveled at the expectations placed on the young characters to sit quietly for hours. In our modern times, even adults wouldn’t have the ability to be so attentive. What was the difference? What have we gained, or lost, in our present-day society by doing everything faster? While these questions are beyond the scope of this article, I believe that training our children to sit quietly and listen for an extended period of time is a virtue that will benefit them throughout life. Below are a few thoughts and practices that I have gleaned over the years.

• It begins early. Train your child to be quiet as soon as they start making noises with meaning for example: mama or no no. Meal time prayers and family devotions are a great place to start. By the time your child is talking, they should be able to stay quiet in church services.
• Expect to have to train them. While this sounds like a no-brainer, it’s easy to think that a child should just behave because they know better, but most children will need a parent to remind them. Again and again.
• It begins in the home. It is not the Sunday school teacher or the grade school teacher’s job to see that your child sits quietly. The child should gain this discipline before then.
• Dads need to be involved. Small children generally sit more quietly for their fathers. 
• Keep the electronics away. Don’t use it as a babysitter or even as an educational toy for young ones. Your children will have plenty of screen time in their lives without it.
• Teach by example. A young child wants to be “big.” Point out to them that Daddy, Sister, Brother etc. are sitting quietly also. 
• Skip the toys and food for church services. Feed your child a good breakfast and keep the diaper bag for diapers. More stuff does not make a child quieter, in fact, it usually has the opposite effect.
• Make staying in the church auditorium more pleasant than being elsewhere. While this may seem contradictory to the above point, make every effort to stay sitting in church by having a special toy or book to play with. Also, if a child knows that they will be disciplined when taken out, they will likely think twice before making a fuss.
• Do not relax on the rules. If you do need to take your child out, because they are being noisy, keep them sitting in your lap just like you would in the pew. 
• Teach them how to sit properly. Don’t allow them to stand up on the bench or on the floor, if they are too big to stand on your lap. 
• Expect them to be involved. By the time your child can read, they should help sing and follow along in their Bibles with everyone else at church.

Finally, God has vested parents with the authority to teach and train our children. He will supply the wisdom and patience needed to complete the task. 

- a mother of eight 

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I absolutely loved having almost two weeks in a row off for Christmas break.  I love school, and I was happy to return, but I desperately needed some extended time off.  Besides catching up on various items that had been on my "to do" list forever (sew dresses, paint the upstairs bathroom, organize the basement, decorate the porch, . . . ), I got to do some fun stuff.  Like playing with shells.  (That's what my family calls it anyway.). 

In November, we took a long-delayed and rare anniversary trip to Florida, where I collected lots of shells.  Why leave them in a box in the basement waiting for the ocean chapter in the science book?  I found frames at thrift stores, took out the glass, and got to work.  

We've been collecting fossilized sharks' teeth for years.  

Most of these I collected in Delaware.  

At least I started my gallery wall.  I ordered more Command strips when I ran out.  

I would love to do one of these at school with my students' art.  

Quilt for the latest grandson -- finished!

Every year around the holidays, I surprise the first graders by 

painting the inside cover of their very first reading books.  

And seventeen years ago, when my youngest child was in first grade (he's married now), 

I made all of the large reading charts for the aforementioned books--except for three.  So, seventeen years later, we are still using the same curriculum, (why change something that works great?) and I finished those last three charts.  

More shells.  Just.  For.  Fun.  I love breaks!  

Related Post:  Shells, Students, and the Sea

Yay! It's Fall!

     The past two weeks we've been blessed with lovely fall flowers, neat science finds (most provided by students; a few provided by my cat), and a fun art project from Cassie Stevens.  

     I'm still adjusting my schedule and getting into a new routine; but am thoroughly enjoying the classes, the students, and fall.  Happy autumn!  

How Much Commitment Does It Take to Be a Teacher?

 

This article was originally written for and published at The Dock for Learning. 

How Much Commitment Does It Take to Be a Teacher?  

Two former students of mine asked me to fill out a survey for papers they are writing about becoming teachers in the future.  The questions were thought-provoking, and I thought the answers might resonate with others and hopefully be encouraging, so here they are.  

How much time do you spend on school-related activities each week? 

I try not to track it, but it's around 45-50 hours a week. 

  

How does your job affect your mental health and social life? 

Teaching is usually a very uplifting and exciting thing to do, and one that I enjoy greatly, so in that aspect, most of the results of teaching on my personal life are highly positive.  It does take a lot of time, so I have to work at prioritizing my family--trying to come home fairly early (hopefully after all my papers are graded), and only working on school stuff at home if everyone is out of the house or napping.  At times, it can be stressful, like when a parent or administrator has "concerns."  This would negatively affect my mental health, but these incidents are usually very rare and short-lived.  

How much commitment will it take to be a teacher? 

To do it well, I would say it takes a lot of commitment.  That doesn't necessarily mean a lot of time though, if you've got your ducks in a row.  Each year it gets easier as you've often taught the same material before, and you've got more experience in how to handle various situations.  

The commitment, I believe, comes in the form of classroom management and knowing the content well.  If teachers haven't previously studied fairly extensively in their content area, they are going to have to be committed to putting some time into studying, or they won't be nearly as effective in the classroom.  The classroom management aspect is probably the most trying for a teacher.  To do that well, one has to be committed to have a classroom management plan and  to stick to it. 

What are the ministry opportunities?  What place does your faith take in the workplace? 

Great question!  Since I have a degree in my field, I could go down the street to any public school and make about four times the amount of money that I'm making now.  But, I believe in Christian education.  I am a firm believer in Anabaptist doctrine, and in an Anabaptist school, we get to discuss this every day in Bible class or whenever else it comes up.  

I also believe in giving back to the community of which I am a part, and in which my family and I have been so richly blessed.  

In addition, I  believe that eight-year-olds are not missionaries.  I do not believe in sending young children out to be "salt and light" when they don't completely understand doctrine, or a whole lot else for that matter.  For this reason, I believe that they need to be nurtured, instructed, and taught in a doctrine-rich setting such as that provided by Anabaptist schools.  Then, when they are older and more mature in their faith, they can go out and be missionaries.  Someone needs to teach them while they are young.  I feel that this is my mission field for now, although I realize that God uses different people’s talents in different ways.  This is just where I feel led to be right now.  

What are the two biggest life lessons teaching has taught you? 

I've learned a lot and am still figuring some things out, but the two most impacting aspects have been the following: 

1. to be kind to everyone as much as possible, and

2. to love my content matter, the process of teaching, and my students.  

Will your teaching job be replaced by technology? 

NEVER.  Having a real teacher in the same room with the students cannot compare to any other option in my opinion.  Although it can work (hello, Covid!) long-distance learning is an out-distanced second place to in-person learning in my opinion.  

Would you recommend this job? 

Absolutely—if it's a good fit for someone.   He or she should have a love for learning and a love for students. It is hard work preparing lessons, teaching, managing the classroom, and grading papers.  But it's also one of the most rewarding jobs anyone could ever have.   

Not only is teaching rewarding, exciting, and fulfilling, but because teaching involves imparting knowledge, encouraging, and working with humans, I believe it is one of the most worthwhile ways a person could invest his time.  

When I look back on my past work, I don't have a grand structure I built, a large bank account, or a well-managed store or business.  But, I do get to look back on the lives of students whom I have taught and have hopefully had a positive impact upon.  That's gold--way more important than buildings, money, or a well-managed, successful business.  

What natural abilities or interests are needed for this career? 

A teacher needs to have the ability to learn well and study hard.  Mastery of content area is muy importante.  A teacher should also love learning and humans, and be able to diagram sentences or work complex algebra problems on the board while observing that note being passed or those two girls talking in the back.  

What is the wage for this job? 

The average teacher salary in the state of Pennsylvania is $67,000.  I've made anywhere from $12,000 to $37,000 a year, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, plus two additional years spent in college becoming certified to teach secondary English, and have sixteen years experience in the classroom. That's pretty pathetic pay for Christian schools. But I still believe in what I'm doing, even if I'm not making a lot of money.  (See answer to the ministry opportunity question :-).  

I do desperately wish that things were different, and that teachers were valued monetarily as much as mini barn builders and construction workers.  We are certainly responsible for more important material (little humans!)

 I will add that this is the biggest downside to the job, as well as the most important reason that gifted teachers, especially qualified men, are not more interested in spending their time in the classroom.  That is a shame.  

Are there a lot of job opportunities for teachers?

Absolutely.  Because it's hard work and involves juggling content area, students, parents, administration, paper work, and more, there are not a lot of qualified teachers, nor enough of us willing to take on such an important task.  It's also difficult because one has to prepare lessons beforehand, teach all day, and then grade papers after school.  Most people just do their work and go home.  Teachers have way more to do. But the rewards we reap are greater and have eternal value.  That makes it worth it from my perspective anyway.  

Blessings as you prepare and study to become a teacher, 

  

Mrs. Swanson. 

Christmas Break 2023: Roofing, Relaxing, and Rigatonies

     I had grand plans for my first of twelve days off in a row.  (Teachers have demanding jobs with lots of responsibilities, but one of the perks is the holiday breaks.) I was going to sleep in a bit, do some baking, some writing . . . .  And then our son called and told us that he had taken the day off and was going to come over to finish the porch roof that has been leaking for eight years.  Jeff and Mary had to work, and I couldn't just let him work alone, so I donned my flannel pajama pants under my cape dress, grabbed my gloves, and learned how to do some roofing.  I also carried several packages of heavy shingles up the flight of stairs.  At least I'm getting some exercise. 

     My family is in its fourth generation of having traditional hand-stuffed rigatonies for Christmas Eve dinner.  These are delicious, but a lot of work.  So that's what I did the second or third day.  I also cooked a turkey, stuffing, and all the yummy side dishes for the next day.  My goal was to have enough leftovers so that I didn't have to cook for a few days.  It worked.  

      The most wonderful part about having several days off of school is just having time to be with family and relax.  We enjoyed several meals with family and friends near the beginning of break, and have just been enjoying the time being at home with family.  I try to bake fresh muffins at least once a week, so we enjoyed these blueberry ones on fancy thrifted dishes.  I also made a point to have a candlelit Christmas Eve dinner, so I made a resolution to light candles for every meal as often as possible.  

     Our family loves to play games and work on puzzles during our breaks, so we have done that too.  Our goal has been to do both every evening, and we've done pretty well thus far. 

      And my daughter and I enjoy visiting thrift stores and finding good teacher stuff.  This antique desk caught our eyes, and Jeff gave the approval, so we brought it home.  It even had gum stuck underneath.  Now to find a place for it . . . . 

      It is always exciting for me to find practical and useful stuff for school.  I love these large flash cards, learning about fractions with chocolate is a great idea, and there are always a few books and brain games my students can enjoy once their work is done.  

   And, I've found two chamber pots.  A few years ago, I was teaching and something came up in one of our literature stories about chamber pots.  My students had no idea what people did before indoor plumbing had been invented, especially if it was in the middle of the night when it was snowing outside. I was determined to find one to show to them.  It took months before I could find an affordable one, and when I did, it was in the kitchen section!  Ever since then, I've kept my eye out for them, and if they are affordable, they leap into my cart.  Now I have seven.  You never know when they might come in handy.  

Related Posts: 

Brain Games and More 

Great Finds at Thrift Stores and Garage Sales 

Curriculum, Planning, and Thrift Stores 

My Hunt for a Chamber Pot or Two 

My Hunt for Stuff That Is Not Chamber Pot Related 

Summer with the Swansons

Our very first post over 11 years ago was about what teachers can do in the summer (link below).  While our lives were a little different back then, not too much has changed, and we are still using our time both to learn more and to invest in the lives of others.  Here is what our crazy summer looked like this year.  

June:  The Shenandoah Christian Music Camp, Virginia Campus (above) 

                                   

        The Shenandoah Christian Music Camp, Ohio Campus (below) 

     July:   After a five year hiatus, Jeff spent another season with the Oasis Chorale, and I got to assist with some of the choreography.  Our son Levi and daughter Mary were also singing with Oasis this year, so that made three Swansons on the roster.  

     While they were on tour, I took another one of our sons to Texas to visit family.   Upon returning, I presented a session on art education at an arts conference.  

     We celebrated our 32nd anniversary at the beach doing one of my favorite relaxation activities, beachcombing.  Although I did my research, the beachcombing wasn't actually that great--it was the 4th of July weekend and the beaches were crowded, I only got half of my order of crabcakes, we couldn't get the air conditioning in our Air Bnb to work, and I was attacked by a dog on the beach.  It was still wonderful to be together and we laughed about all the mishaps, but I think we may go to a few museums for our 33rd anniversary next summer.  

      We traveled to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia with the Weavertown Amish Mennonite Church youth choir.  It was quite the experience and we had a fabulous time.  These pictures were taken at Stone Mountain in Georgia.  

     August:  Teachers Week is always an encouraging place to be.  The conversations are interesting, the energy level is high, I get new ideas, and it just helps me get mentally ready to be back in my classroom.  

     Five days later we were on the road again heading to Ohio.  The 2023 Anabaptist Orchestra was an incredible amount of fun.  It's worth all the time we put into planning and practicing to enjoy three and a half fabulous days playing our instruments together.  

     We usually stay as late as we can talking and visiting with friends the last night of an event.  The next morning we grab coffee and enjoy the drive home.  The place we stopped in Holmes County gave me a yummy latte in this cup, and it made me smile.   I hope you had a fabulous summer too.  

 First post:  What Should Teachers Do in the Summer?  Part I :  

https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-should-teacher-do-in-summer-1.html

What Teachers Should Do in the Summer, Part III 

https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-teachers-should-do-in-summer-part.html

Dear Mr. Wood

 This article was originally published in the fall issue of LightLines, a publication of Christian Light, Harrisonburg, VA. For a free subscription, email subscribe.lightLines@christianlight.org.

Dear Mr. Wood,    

You may not remember me.  My maiden name was Deana Forester, and I was in your junior English class during the 1979-1980 school year.  I was pretty quiet and sat in the back of the room.  Ours was a small class with mostly guys who enjoyed playing sports.  The reason I am writing this to you is to say thank you, because that class, and even more specifically you as a teacher, changed my life in a very positive way. 

I had not ever thought of myself as a writer until I was in your class.  Do you remember all those journal writing assignments you gave us?  At first I was a bit intimidated by them, but I grew to love them and eventually filled up several notebooks that year because of your class.  It was that year that I began to love writing, and I thank you for all those journal assignments, and for giving us the freedom to write about whatever we wanted to. 

I was also impressed by your calmness and responses to some of the things that happened during class.  I remember you asking us the first day to call you "Mr. Wood" and not "Mr. Woods", because, as you explained, there was only one of you.  You always answered the students politely, even when some of the boys repeatedly called you "Mr. Woods" on purpose.  Do you remember the time that one of the boys dropped a desk from out of your second story classroom window?  You just looked out the window and kept on teaching, not giving him the response he wanted.  

One of the changing points in my life came the next year, my senior year, when I was placed in the advanced honors English class.  At first I protested and went to the school counselor to ask to be put into a regular English class.  When I asked the school counselor why I was put into the honors class, she told me that it was because you had recommended that I be put there.  I decided that if you thought that much of me, then I would try it.  You helped to boost my confidence and morale at a time when I really needed it, and I began to sincerely enjoy academics for the first time because someone – you – thought I was good at it.  That made a huge difference in my life. 

I went on to write articles in the school newspaper my senior year, and later studied English so that I could be a teacher.  I have now been  teaching for fourteen years and have plans to teach for many more. And, one of my favorite activities is writing - something I began to love that year I was in your class.  I’m not sure if any of this would have happened had I not had the privilege of having you as my teacher.  

So, I want to sincerely thank you.  Thank you for teaching English to a challenging group of students.  Thanks for making us write.  Thanks for your calm, steady example.  And thanks for recommending that I be placed in that honors English class.  It changed my life. 

Sincerely,

Deana 

Author's note:  After I had written the basis of this letter, I was trying to find Mr. Wood’s address and instead found his obituary.  He died six years ago in 2017 at the age of 80.  I regret that I hadn’t written this sooner so that he could have read it.  

Teachers, which students in your classes need encouragement, a tough assignment or two, and a good example?

Perhaps this would make a good assignment for all of us teachers as well as our students.  Who has inspired us, and how could we thank them?