Upon the time that comes when it's perfectly ok to admit you were wrong~

     One of the things that I've said over and over, especially to my students in our fourth grade classroom at Olathe Elementary is that teachers simply don't know everything.  Hey kids, believe it or not!  It's kinda a shocker to them all, especially to those who look upon their daily mentors as someone who sits high upon the classroom pedestal, but it's so very true.  Teachers don't know everything and THIS teacher has found out in short order all of the things that there are to know in teaching fourth graders all day long.
     This might be my 36th year of being an educator, but as far as I'm concerned it's really like year number one all over again.  I've taught fourth graders, off and on, throughout my teaching experience.  Yet this is the first time I've ever found myself in the same room with them, behind closed doors, for the entire school day.  I'm responsible for the guiding of them along life's way and the big journey up the hallway a little bit to the fifth grade classroom by the beginning of the next school year.  The task is daunting at times and a little overwhelming about ALL of the time.  I go home at the end of the day and wonder, "Geesch, did they learn what they needed to this day?  Did they understand what I tried to teach them?"  What I am saying makes sense to every teacher I would suppose and I know this much will strike a chord with educators everywhere~From 8:05 until 3:10 each and every day, WE ARE BUSY!  There is a never a down time, rarely is there more than 60 seconds between the transition of one subject to the next.  Time is of the essence always and the gravity of how important it is to pack as much as we are able to into each school day always looms overhead.  Sometimes the odds against getting it all done seem about as astronomical as they come.  Yet we continue to try and try and try.  When all is said and done, there is still nothing else I would have wished to do with my life for I know that being a teacher is as about as honourable a profession as it gets.  I thank God for the blessing.
     This is one year that I've learned right alongside the kids and it is humbling to admit it but I say it without hesitation.  I don't know everything there is to know about teaching them.  Right now our science unit is on the solar system and holy cow, has that ever been an eye opener.  I would have to acknowledge the fact that as a 58-year old woman I've kinda stopped wondering about the universe on a daily basis.  I love the constellations in the sky on a dark Colorado night, always glad that sun shines out there upon the Earth from 93,000,000 miles away, and just thankful that the good Lord made this planet for me and a couple gazillion other people to live on.  But yesterday while we learned about the inner/outer planets I had to stop and think.  What the heck were they talking about "inner" and "outer" planets?  Dr. Lester Schrag, our great science teacher from when I was a 7th-8th grader back at Haven Grade School had never told us about that.  Or had he?  The other day as we were speaking about the solar system in class, one of my students said, "Mrs. Renfro, what about that asteroid belt thing?"  I was speechless yet after a moment I said, "Well that sounds like a great thing to read about together!"  And so we did and the transplanted flatlander that I am now went through a refresher course and relearned right alongside some very excited 10-year olds about life in this great big universe of ours.
     Oh yeah, and one more thing before I go.  I'm having a heck of an issue with talking to the kids about the fact that poor Pluto, long thought of as the 9th planet of the solar system is really not one of the "big guys".  In 2006 scientists determined that really in all actuality for the 76 years prior we had been wrong all along about there being a grand total of 9 planets out there rotating around the Sun.  I remember  how I felt when I heard the news (totally aggravated at the scientists' ruling) and gotta tell you I still feel aggravated about it today.  For heaven's sakes, a Kansas farm boy named Clyde Tombaugh discovered its being in 1930 and in my opinion they should have let the proverbial "well enough alone".  But they did not.  Our classroom science text, published before 2006, still lists dear Pluto as one of the "guys" out there.  And hey, when you stop to think of it how on earth (:) are you going to remember the order of the planets if you leave out the poor ninth guy?  Somehow, M (My) V (Very) E (Educated) M (Mother) J (Just) S (Sent) U (Us)  N (Nine) is not near as catchy or memorable without P (Pizzas).  I rest my case and in my heart, mind, soul and spirit, dear Pluto will always be out there as the ninth planet, in its dwarf state or not.  Done with my sermon now, AMEN.
     It's getting nigh onto time to head out now.  For the record, I brushed up on this day's lesson in science last night.  My goal in life is to always stay at least a step or two ahead of the kids and for those days when I cannot, then I will gladly and humbly admit that this is their day to see their teacher learn with them.  Mistakes, especially those we learn from, are the best kind of education that most of us can get.  Sure seems like that kind of knowledge sticks with us a whole lot longer!  Have a great day everyone out there.  Thinking of you all~

The wonderful kids of the 8th grade class at Haven Grade School, 1968-1969.  Don't even bother looking for me on the front row because this was the one and only year that I snuck up on the back row and didn't get called down to the front with all of the other short people :)  I'm on the left hand side right next to "Old Glory".  Wish I would have paid a little more attention to Dr. Schrag when he taught us science back then.  But one thing I am is a heck of a fast learner when the need arises.

Although it seems like it at times, learning about life and all that goes with it is not quite as insurmountable as it might appear.  I'm planning to be a life-long learner.  How about you guys?