Kids STILL Say The Darnedest Things!

Hi, Everybody!

I believe it was the late Art Linkletter who reminded us that kids say the darnedest things. Well, after what I experienced today during Dave Five of my internship at Carter Elementary, I can say in great faith that Mr. Linkletter’s statement still rings true today.

So, it was lunchtime, and I was sitting by myself, watching the little ones play jump rope, hopscotch, kickball—the things that I used to do when I was a little one… hahahaha! Anyway, my mind drifted to my peeps back at Rust, and I began to smile. I had just bitten into my sandwich when this one little fella came over and sat right next to me.

“Hi, Miss Natasha,” he said with a great big smile. “I’m gonna sit right next to you, because I don’t want you to be sad.”

I chuckled a little bit, then I said, “Well, don’t worry, little buddy—I am not sad. If anything, I’m just thinking about my friends back in Mississippi. I’m kinda wondering what they’re doing right now.”

“Well, I bet you anything that they’re thinking about you too, Miss Natasha,” he said. “And they probably miss you, too. I mean, what’s not to like about you? You’re nice, you’re fun, and you’re cute!”

This little guy really touched my heart.

“Awwwwwwwww—thank you,” I said with a smile.

The little fella smiled back, and then he gave me an innocent little kiss on the cheek.

At that moment, I got tickled in my spirit, because I could clearly see my girl Ruby’s facial expressions crossed my mind. I t was then that I started thinking about what she would say: “Ooooh, Girl—you got the fellas goin’ crazy over you!” And then my other girl Azalea would be like: “Girl, you might wanna watch that little fella—he’s already startin’ off as a heartbreaker!”

In all seriousness, though, it was very sweet of the little guy to cheer me up like he did… well, all things considered, anyway. Again, I was merely thinking about my peeps back at Rust, and apparently this little guy could tell that something was wrong, otherwise he wouldn’t have sat down and had lunch with me.

Then again, maybe his modus operandi was to give me a kiss on the cheek.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Day #4 of My Internship

Good Friday Evening, Everybody!

Well, I completed Day #4 of my internship at Carter Elementary, and I can safely say without any fear of contradiction that it was a day of surprises, and at the same time, this day taught me so much about myself. Allow me to explain what happened:

As soon as the opening bell rang, the little kiddies sat down with their hands folded and their eyes on me. We were all awaiting Mrs. Martin to walk in at any given moment, but she was running a little late, so I led the children in our opening prayer and our good morning greetings and salutations. Afterwards, we all sat quietly and awaited Mrs. Martin to step inside the classroom—she still hadn’t shown up yet.

Well, I figured that I would at least go ahead and take attendance, so I did… and I was glad to see that all thirty-five students were present and accounted for. By this time, a whole half hour had passed, and there was still no sign of Mrs. Martin.

I ain’t gonna lie to y’all—I almost thought the worst, but I didn’t want to alarm the little ones, nor did I want to go into panic mode. Thinking quickly on my feet, I told the little ones that I would be their interim teacher until Mrs. Martin arrived… yes, I actually said “interim,” so y’all already know that the children had asked me what that word meant. Well, like any good teacher would, I wrote the word down on the board and said, “Here is an example of interim: When you’re not at home with your mommy and daddy, you’re here with Mrs. Martin, and she is your interim mom.”

“Oh!” one child exclaimed. “So, you’re saying that Mrs. Martin is our schoolmom until we go home to our real mom.”

“Very good!” I cheered.

Imagine that—some of the little ones got it right on the spot, and they were so proud to know that they guessed correctly. Of course, that opened up the floodgates; some of the kiddies asked me if I knew of “any other ‘grown-up’ words,” and I immediately holla’d, only because of the way they asked me that question. Obviously, my mind had traveled elsewhere when I heard that question—and yes, I admit that I was thinking of some other grown-up words… hahahahaha! However, after I composed myself, I managed to keep the conversation clean and I taught the kiddies my favorite word—clandestine. Surprisingly, I gave a very simple definition; I explained to the kiddies that, in order to keep something clandestine, it is to be treated like a secret. At the same time, I let the kiddies know that there are certain situations where they cannot keep things clandestine, particularly those things where someone may be in danger.

About an hour and a half later, I was really into the groove of my teaching, and just like that, Mrs. Martin walked into the classroom. Come to find out, she was in the principal’s office the whole time, listening to me over the intercom. She asked the little ones to give me a hand for doing—as she so put it—“such a grandtabulous job,” and I simply smiled and curtsied. Just then, the recess bell rang, and as the kiddies went outside to play, Mrs. Martin made it perfectly clear that I was gonna be “one helluva damn good teacher.” I thanked Mrs. Martin the onliest way I knew how—with a great big hug of gratitude.

As y’all can see, I received yet more validation, affirmation, and confirmation that teaching is truly my calling, and the validation came from someone whom I admire and respect.

Now, mind y’all—this was only the first week of my internship, and Heaven help me if this whole week didn’t just fly by. However, if this is any indication of what the next thirteen weeks will be like, then I say: BRING IT ON—I’M READY!!!

Until next time, y’all take care, and I may holla at y’all tomorrow.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Day #3 of my Internship

Hi, Everybody!

Well, I just completed Day #3 of my internship at Carter Elementary, and learned so much from kindergarteners today.

As y’all know, it was Show & Tell today, and all thirty-five kiddies were pumped up and ready to display their one particular item to the class. To begin the festivities, Mrs. Martin showed the class a letter that I had written her during my freshman year at Rust. She explained to the little ones that she keep my letter in her purse on account of it shows that she truly made a difference in my life… and with that said, Mrs. Martin showed me off, further explaining that I was part of her show and tell.

Now, I didn’t expect to be shown off like that, nor did I expect the little kiddies to applaud like they did, but then again, this is Mrs. Martin that we’re talking about. Suffice it to say, I was very flattered.

And with that said, it was my turn.

I began by admitting to Mrs. Martin and the kiddies that I had a hard time trying to choose just one item, but fortunately for me, I remembered my mom’s photo album and I brought it with me. I explained to the little kiddies that my mom’s photo album is very special to me because it contains pictures of my family and friends. As I was speaking, I was a little surprised to see that all of the kindergarteners were so attentive. I was also surprised that some of the kiddies had questions for me. One child asked me if I had “a real favorite picture,” and I explained that I couldn’t really choose one on account of all of the pictures were special to me.

And then it was on to the kiddies’ presentations.

I could tell that they enjoyed this assignment, and that they put some real thought behind what to bring. I’m almost convinced that they too had a little trouble narrowing down just one thing to bring. Among the items brought were: action figures, baseball mitts, and dolls, but one little fella really thought outside the box—ironically enough, he was the last one called upon. His name is Jonathan, and he brought an autographed photo of retired OSW wrestler Dave Hawkins. There was a bright gleam of joy in Jonathan’s face when he explained how he and his dad just so happened to sit right next to Dave Hawkins in the food court at the mall, and how this wrestling legend volunteered to take a picture with him.

“It was so cool to meet him!” Jonathan shouted joyfully. “It was the bestest day in my whole entire life!”

And personally, I share in Jonathan’s sentiments, because today was the bestest day of my whole entire life… and mind you, this is only Day #3!

Well, y’all, I reckon I’ll close up today’s blog post—I’ve gotta get ready for this mystery assignment that Mrs. Martin has planned out. I’ll let y’all know what it is when I get home tomorrow, but in the meantime, y’all take care and be good.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Let The Internship Begin!

Hi, Everybody!

Well, here it is—Tuesday, September 1, 2015, and I had one helluva great day today!

Let me just cut right to the chase: My first day as an intern at Carter Elementary did not disappoint me one iota. First of all, as soon as I stepped on the grounds of my old elementary school, I was instantly hit with all kinds of nostalgia. Truth be told—so many moments of my days as a kindergartener swept over me like a flood, so much so, that I actually shed a couple of tears. I mean, let’s face it—it was only fifteen years ago that I graduated from Mrs. Martin’s kindergarten class, but here we are—some fifteen years later—and I have learned once again that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

So, upon arriving at Carter Elementary this morning, I checked in with the front office, where Mrs. Martin was right there waiting for me. We shared a big hug, and then Mrs. Martin let me know once again just how excited she was to have me as her assistant. I simply smiled and told Mrs. Martin that I would not let her down.

Well, when we walked into her classroom, I got to chat with some of the parents and the new crop of kindergarteners… and incidentally, I think I have yet another admirer. There’s this one little boy—his name is Henry—he took one look at me, then he gave me a big hug and told his mom that I was “a really pretty girl.” I smiled and thanked the little fella for his compliment, to which Mrs. Martin approached me and said: “That little guy’s found an added incentive to come to school everyday, and you’re it!”

I couldn’t help but laugh, but then again, Mrs. Martin may have a point.

In any event, Mrs. Martin gave her greetings and salutations, welcomed the new students to Carter Elementary, and then she introduced me as one of her “brightest students to ever grace the school.” Seeing as how that was my cue to break the ice, I let the parents and the kiddies know that I sat in those very chairs once upon a time, and I also let them know that Mrs. Martin was the greatest kindergarten teacher that I ever had. I remember saying: “You’ve got a great teacher in Mrs. Martin—she’s kind, loving, and she trustworthy. I think I should give y’all a heads-up, though: Mrs. Martin wants to make sure that each and every last one of you in here succeed, but you’ve got to prove to her that you want it.”

Suffice it to say, I had a great first day of school, and I’m really looking forward to sharing this particular journey with you all, especially considering that this internship counts toward my grade.

By the way, Mrs. Martin gave out her first homework assignment for the 2015-16 school year—each little one has to write one full page on how they spent their summer vacation. Now, check this out: As Mrs. Martin’s assistant, I’m gonna join in on this assignment… hahahahaha! Hey, if I’m gonna be the best damn kindergarten teacher in the world, then I gotta play along. Besides, if the kiddies see that I am having fun with the homework assignments, then they will want to join in as well.

With that said, let me go ahead and get started on my homework. I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

My Meeting with Mrs. Martin

Hi, Everybody!

So, as you can tell by the title of today’s blog post, I spent the entire day up at my old elementary school… and yes, I want to state for the record that I was lookin’ my absolute bestest! I had on a smart violet dress suit with a pastel purple blouse, and just for the hell of it, I wore my fashion faux eyeglasses… hahaha! I asked my mom to take a picture of me, so I could send it to Ruby ‘nim, and of course, my mom hits me with an oldie but a goodie; she looks at me and says, “Tasha, there really ain’t no conceit in our family, because you got it all!”

I just laughed and winked, and then my dad dropped me off to get my internship paperwork situated.

Well, I am happy to announce that the paperwork for my internship is all in order. Seeing as how the first day of school starts on September 1, that’s when I will begin my internship. Now, according to the rules that Rust set, I am to complete a total of fourteen weeks. I just looked at the rest of this calendar year, and I see that my last day is somewhere around the Thanksgiving vacation. No matter—I’ll still have a great learning experience, and I’ll be working side-by-side with Mrs. Martin.

Speaking of Mrs. Martin, y’all already know that she showed me off to her kindergarteners; she even had me introduce myself to the little ones. I guess my Fundamentals of Speech class really paid off, because I talked for a good ten or fifteen minutes, and those little ones hung on to my every word. And of course, every last one of them were shocked when I told them that I sat in those very seats just a little over fifteen years ago. I got a little tickled, though, when this one little girl said that I was old, and then this one little boy looked at her and said: “Shut up, Joycelyn! She’s not old—she’s beautiful!”

I told Mrs. Martin that the little fella was growing up to be quite the heartbreaker… hahaha!

Overall, I had a great visit with Mrs. Martin and my old elementary school. I promised Mrs. Martin that I would be in touch with her in the weeks leading up to my internship. She also told me to keep in contact with Principal Burkes, just as a precaution.

Well, that’s gonna do it for today—I’ll holla at y’all later.

 

 

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Reunion with Mrs. Martin

Hi, Everybody!

I’m too excited to give a proper introduction—let’s just get into today’s blog post, shall we?

 

You all can probably guess that I had a great visit today with my former kindergarten teacher Mrs. Ingrid Martin, and I gotta say that I was quite surprised to see that I am at least a quarter of an inch taller than her… hahaha! For the record, she actually pointed that out to me. She gave me a big hug, then she said, “Natasha Stewart, you’ve surpassed me by at least a quarter of an inch.”

 

It’s nice to know that I’m finally taller than someone… hahaha!

Well, in my visit with Mrs. Martin, I got a chance to sit in her classroom throughout the entire day… oh, and incidentally, the staff is all new. My old elementary school has a new principal and a new secretary, so it was questionable if I would even get a chance to so much as speak to Mrs. Martin. Well, imagine my surprise when I stepped on the school grounds, and Mrs. Martin walked right up to me and said, “Little Natasha Stewart—you sure haven’t changed!”

Oh, and I also need to point out that Mrs. Martin is the only original faculty member left. She was entering her twenty-fifth year of teaching when I was in her class, and she is two years shy of her fortieth anniversary. And even more so than that, Mrs. Martin she celebrated her 72^nd Birthday two months ago. I’ll post our picture at a later time, but Mrs. Martin doesn’t look a day over sixty.

I know that I’m all over the place with this blog post, and I do apologize. I guess it’s the nostalgia of meeting Mrs. Martin all over again, not to mention the fact that she remembered me after all this time. Matter of fact, she even introduced me to her class; she said that I was a “very special surprise guest,” and then she had me introduce myself. Perhaps remembering my Fundamentals of Speech class in my freshman year at Rust, I introduced myself to Mrs. Martin’s class, and I let them know that I sat in the very seats in which they were sitting. I also told them that it was because of Mrs. Martin that I am aspiring to be a kindergarten teacher. And then,the cutest thing: A little boy raised his hand, and like any teacher would, I acknowledged him. He stood up and said, “Miss Natasha, will you come see us at our graduation?”

I looked at Mrs. Martin and smiled, then I said: “Young Man, if it’s in The Lord’s plans, then I will do what I can to be at your graduation.”

Incidentally, Mrs. Martin’s class graduates next Friday. I’ll have to see if I can get someone to give me a ride to my old elementary school, because I kinda do want to see them graduate.

I tell y’all—I am thrilled to pieces that I finally got to meet the inspiration behind my decision to teach… oh, and before I forget, I did tell Mrs. Martin that I would be graduating in two years. Just like old times, Mrs. Martin squeezed my cheeks and said, “Little Natasha, I am honored that you would invite me… yes, I read your mind.”

All I’ve got to say is: Wow!


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

A Real Passion For Teaching, Tho!

Hi, Everyone!

Today’s blog is a real simple one, but I’m sure y’all figured that out by reading the title.

I just got a call this morning from the Sunday School superintendent at my church, and she says that she put in a good word for me with Pastor Clark. I’m gonna just cut right to the chase: From now until I return to Rust next month, I’m gonna teach the Cradle Roll class at church. This is just the type of training that I need if I am to ever become a kindergarten teacher. I gladly welcome this responsibility, but I am curious as to what happened to Sister Helmsley—I mean, she is an excellent teacher; she’s been teaching the Cradle Roll class since… I just thought about it: I was in her class when I was a little Cradle Roller. I wonder if she mentioned my name or something. Oh, well—the bottom line is that I have a chance to show off my skills as a teacher, and what better way to start than at Sunday School. That means I gotta get a lesson plan together, as well as a syllabus, and some goodies and treats for when my students show that they’ve learned something!

Oh, yes—the wheel are indeed a-turnin’ in my head, y’all! I’m very excited about this news!

And then too, I am reminded about a conversation I had earlier this year with Ruby and Theo about being tough enough. You know, there’s an old saying that has been modified six ways from Sunday, but it goes: “Actions speak a helluva lot louder than words.” Nowadays, this generation says: “There are those who talk about it, and there are those who be about it.” Well, I stand firmly in great faith to let the world know that I, Natasha Renee Stewart, truly beez about it! It’s one thing to dream it, but now I’ve got to prove that I’ve got what it takes. I’ve wanted to be a kindergarten teacher ever since I was in kindergarten. Granted, my Grampa Clark was the inspiration behind my decision, but lately I’ve noticed that children have more or less flocked to me. I could be at church, in the grocery store, at the mall, or on a date with Ray—some child is gonna approach me some kinda way, and my inner teacher/nurturer will start activating.

Now, that right there is passion—I don’t think it can get any more passionate than that. Then again, I’ve just been told that I’m gonna be the Cradle Roll teacher for the next six Sundays, and I’m already talking about a lesson plan and some goodies for the little ones. If that don’t show that I’m ready, then I don’t know what will!

Well, speaking of my passion, I had best get to working on my lesson plan right now. I do not want to be caught slippin’. After all, Jesus did tell us to be ye also ready! Yes, I am aware that the scripture speaks more than what I see, but I’m just merely expressing that I’d rather be overly prepared than not prepared at all. So, with that said, y’all take care, and I shall holla at y’all tomorrow.


Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha

Why Is Physical Education Important for Children?

Hi, Everyone!

So, here we are on a beautiful Monday, May 20, 2013. Y’all know what that means: We are officially twelve days away until I make my grand return to the sunshine, the beaches, the Hollywood sign—my hometown of Los Angeles, California.

So, I just got out of my Physical Education for Children class, and check this out: My instructor informed the class that our final exam is to type up a five-page paper on the importance of Physical Education for children. Of course, I’ve got to cite references and make a cover page and stuff (which is all good), but I think my instructor wants to know if I will really make for a great kindergarten teacher. I’ve already boasted (for lack of a better term) that I have the heart, the drive, and the desire to be as great a kindergarten teacher as my Grampa Clark, and now is my opportunity to back up my talk with my walk.

Seeing as how I’m in the library and awaiting my 10:30am class, I’m taking advantage of this time right now and researching some websites which will help me write another A+ paper. I just found one website, that has a cute photo of some children engaging in various physical activities, and it lists seven reasons why physical education is important for children. One reason why P.E. is important is because it promotes a physically active lifestyle. I’m sure that no child wants to be sedentary, because that will cause serious health problems…

Wow! This is some good stuff! I think I’d better print these few pages while they’re fresh on my mind. Matter of fact, I better get started typing on my final exam paper for this class. Whatever I get done today will be an early advantage because I’ll be way ahead of the game.

I sure hate to cut this short, but y’all oughta know me by now—a sista’s gotta strike while the iron is hot! With that said, I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha

Finally, Friday Has Come Back!

Hi, Everyone!

I tell y’all—Friday couldn’t get here any quicker. Let me stress that I had a great week, but it kinda dragged around Wednesday, and it felt like it purposely slowed up on yesterday, but now that Friday is here, I can do like a certain wrestler/actor who recently celebrated a birthday and say: FINALLY!!!

So, classes are over, and I am so ready for the weekend. Right now, though, I’m in the library working on my paper for my Principles of Early Childhood Education class. I have to write a three-page paper about one teacher who had a positive influence on me. Now, check this out: The first teacher who popped into my mind was Mr. James Robinson. He was truly an excellent and influential teacher, but he was also my high school English teacher. I had already written two and a half pages on Mr. Robinson, and then I received a rather rude awakening. I plumb forgot that I am studying Elementary Education, so I had to change my paper altogether and think about an elementary school teacher who made a positively huge impact on my life.

And that’s when Mrs. Ingrid Martin, my kindergarten teacher, came to mind. My Grampa Clark aside, Mrs. Martin is part of the reason why I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. She was more than just a teacher—she was a mother of three, and coincidentally, she was her children’s kindergarten teacher; her youngest daughter was in my class… and now that I’m remembering all of this stuff, I have just completed my three-page pager. I’m looking over it now, and I see that I have gone the distance and typed an extra page and a half, just to be safe.

Thank God that He brought those things to my remembrance. Come on, now, y’all—it makes perfect sense to write about my kindergarten teacher, given the perfectly obvious signs that are right in front of my face. Well, on a second glance, I do have a habit of overthinking and overanalyzing things; it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do that. Overall, though, it’s good to know that I had all this knowledge about Mrs. Martin’s characteristics and teaching background… and now that I think about it, I’m gonna call her when I return to L.A. in a couple of weeks.

Well, y’all—I don’t wanna see another computer, until tomorrow, anyway… hahahaha! Y’all know I gotta post a Saturday blog—it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t. In any event, I’m gonna head to my dorm and just chill out for a minute, but I’ll holla at y’all tomorrow. Take care.

Hugs & Kisses,

Natasha