The Giving Tree, a delightful book by Shel Silverstein, is one of my favorite books, as are all of his poetry books. When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike to the public library to check out Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. I almost always had to pay a fine because I returned them late! Shel had a way of appealing to children and adults alike. As a child, I spent hours at a time engrossed in the poems and weird pictures, especially admiring Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, who wouldn't take the garbage out. Now, as I read the poems aloud to my first graders, I realize how much of his message I never got as a child, but as an adult, I see and hear it loud and clear.
I get teary every time I read The Giving Tree aloud to my class, mostly because I want to instill a sense of giving and generosity toward others. I believe if we all gave more, there would be fewer takers in the world. Sometimes you're the giver and sometimes you're the receiver. If I didn't believe in this, I'd go nuts.
If we give to others we will not become destitute, wither, suffer, or die so long as we give only what we can. Unfortunately, I've fallen victim to scams in the past, as have many others. I think twice about giving money to people who ask in parking lots or red lights, mostly because I don't trust that my very hard-earned money will be used the way I want it to be used, even though that is not in keeping with the true spirit of giving. They look like they truly need help, though, so sometimes I help if I can. Once, in a parking lot, I gave a family who made their teenage daughter approach people for food money my bunch of bananas that I had just purchased. I didn't have any cash. I was given a dirty look in return. I want to help those in need, homeless pets, pet shelters, the USO, the Red Cross, cancer and other disease fundraisers, and other charity organizations, especially when a natural disaster has just hit. Sometimes we all need a little help. Maybe I believe in Karma. What if someday I'm the victim and nobody helps? I like to think that my donation made someone's day.
Teachers often spend their own money on much needed items for the classroom. I frequently stop by the dollar bin at Target for stickers, candy (gasp!), and trinkets. I buy food items for cooking lessons, graham crackers for kids who never have a snack, books, hand sanitizer, and other non-essential items to make the day go better, make kids happy, and/or make my life a little easier during the day. What's a few dollars here and there throughout the year, right?
I rationalize and justify it just like everyone else in this country. It happens in every classroom, in every county, city, and state. Who else in any other profession spends his/her own money on office supplies and other items related to the job? The true cost of education is unknown because much of it is paid for by teachers. I justify my spending by telling myself that my classroom is my charity. If only public schools were non-profit organizations, I could get a tax deduction.
In my district in California, teachers have not gotten a cost of living adjustment in 6 years. Inflation applies to everything except our salaries. This upcoming school year, we could face furlough days and the students could get deprived of 5 school days. Fewer people are expected to do more for the same or less pay, and possibly, with less time. To recap, schools are expected to not only educate all students in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art, music, p.e., technology and character education according to the very stringent state standards, but also to have students master the standards in all these categories. All (and that means every demographic) students must be "Proficient" in reading by 2014 (on the state standardized test) or else the school goes into "School Improvement" and is labeled as failing. We are set up to fail. And yet, here we are, still plugging along...teachers really must be the self-preserving, self-serving, every-man-for-himself kind of people some politicians make them out to be (sarcasm). Don't even get me started on the anti-union issues arising all over this country.
Let's keep it simple. Fund public education, (a bullet train? really?). There are fantastic things going on in classrooms every day, in every town, in every single state in this country, in spite of cuts and negative publicity. From my side of the fence, in my own classroom, my circle of influence, I do what I can to make this country a better place. And I'm happy with that for now.
So, thank you, Shel Silverstein, for getting that and helping me laugh a little along the way!
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| photo credit unknown |
I get teary every time I read The Giving Tree aloud to my class, mostly because I want to instill a sense of giving and generosity toward others. I believe if we all gave more, there would be fewer takers in the world. Sometimes you're the giver and sometimes you're the receiver. If I didn't believe in this, I'd go nuts.
If we give to others we will not become destitute, wither, suffer, or die so long as we give only what we can. Unfortunately, I've fallen victim to scams in the past, as have many others. I think twice about giving money to people who ask in parking lots or red lights, mostly because I don't trust that my very hard-earned money will be used the way I want it to be used, even though that is not in keeping with the true spirit of giving. They look like they truly need help, though, so sometimes I help if I can. Once, in a parking lot, I gave a family who made their teenage daughter approach people for food money my bunch of bananas that I had just purchased. I didn't have any cash. I was given a dirty look in return. I want to help those in need, homeless pets, pet shelters, the USO, the Red Cross, cancer and other disease fundraisers, and other charity organizations, especially when a natural disaster has just hit. Sometimes we all need a little help. Maybe I believe in Karma. What if someday I'm the victim and nobody helps? I like to think that my donation made someone's day.
Teachers often spend their own money on much needed items for the classroom. I frequently stop by the dollar bin at Target for stickers, candy (gasp!), and trinkets. I buy food items for cooking lessons, graham crackers for kids who never have a snack, books, hand sanitizer, and other non-essential items to make the day go better, make kids happy, and/or make my life a little easier during the day. What's a few dollars here and there throughout the year, right?
I rationalize and justify it just like everyone else in this country. It happens in every classroom, in every county, city, and state. Who else in any other profession spends his/her own money on office supplies and other items related to the job? The true cost of education is unknown because much of it is paid for by teachers. I justify my spending by telling myself that my classroom is my charity. If only public schools were non-profit organizations, I could get a tax deduction.
 |
| photo credit unknown |
In my district in California, teachers have not gotten a cost of living adjustment in 6 years. Inflation applies to everything except our salaries. This upcoming school year, we could face furlough days and the students could get deprived of 5 school days. Fewer people are expected to do more for the same or less pay, and possibly, with less time. To recap, schools are expected to not only educate all students in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art, music, p.e., technology and character education according to the very stringent state standards, but also to have students master the standards in all these categories. All (and that means every demographic) students must be "Proficient" in reading by 2014 (on the state standardized test) or else the school goes into "School Improvement" and is labeled as failing. We are set up to fail. And yet, here we are, still plugging along...teachers really must be the self-preserving, self-serving, every-man-for-himself kind of people some politicians make them out to be (sarcasm). Don't even get me started on the anti-union issues arising all over this country.
Let's keep it simple. Fund public education, (a bullet train? really?). There are fantastic things going on in classrooms every day, in every town, in every single state in this country, in spite of cuts and negative publicity. From my side of the fence, in my own classroom, my circle of influence, I do what I can to make this country a better place. And I'm happy with that for now.
So, thank you, Shel Silverstein, for getting that and helping me laugh a little along the way!
 |
| photo credit unknown |
The rug I want, and which was funded through DonorsChoose.org, has been shipped, thanks to the generous donations of family, friends, and Starbucks of California.
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| photo from Lakeshore Learning |
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