The Miracle of Life

From the moment that test said "positive" (actually the fourth test said positive, because I didn't believe the first three), I was over the moon excited. Getting to share the news with Rob that we would soon have the titles of "mom" and "dad" was one of my favorite moments to date. But I don't think it fully sunk it. Morning sickness. Extra doctor appointments. Crazy hormones. It was all happening, but I still I hadn't totally wrapped my head around the idea that inside me was a baby. Our baby. The one we would hug, and cuddle and love for the rest of our lives. The one who would change our lives. 

That was until Wednesday

In the past few weeks I have been feeling flutters that have turned to harder "whacks" inside my belly. The reality that a little baby was in there became more real with each feeling of movement. 

But Wednesday... Our 20 week ultrasound... Seeing our child. That was a feeling that can never be described. I am certain that the joys of parenthood will continue to be topped over and over again as we experience many more firsts with baby Remark, but for now it may have been the very best thing I have ever laid my eyes upon. 

Baby found its thumb. 

We are already so in love.

Our Environment.

Kids spend the majority of the first 18 years of their lives inside the 4 walls of a classroom. A great deal of who they are, what they like, where they are going, who they will become is formed inside those walls. I am a small part of it. The P.E. teacher, the music teacher, their coaches, their friends, the principal, the art teacher... We are all a small part of it. I think about this every morning when I walk into my classroom. How does it feel to walk through that door. Welcoming? Warm? Inviting? Organized? Ready? Cozy? I hope every single one of those are a resounding "YES". I know that for me, walking into a warm, welcoming, organized environment just makes me feel more at ease, and I would assume the same is true for many of my littles who step foot inside my classroom each day.

For that reason I want the learning environment I create to be one that is all of those things. I want the room to feel more like a living room where we gather together for family meetings and reading stories together. I want it to feel like home. A place of solace, comfort, ease. A place where we can grow, laugh and learn together.

There are many things that make a classroom feel like home. The physical setting, the emotional climate, the people whom we share it with... Each of these factors make a huge contribution to the feeling we get when we enter a room. All of these pieces are major factors on how a student will succeed in school.

Enter the physical learning environment. It would be easy to say that students are not affected by what surrounds them physically, day in and day out, but to say that would be inaccurate. Children thrive on learning environments that are efficient, predictable, and comfortable.

I introduce you to Mrs. Remark's learning environment. One I hope is warm, safe, cozy and comfortable. One I hope students will look back at with fond memories of a home away from home- if only for one year of their lives.