after care

Every Tuesday after school my cooperating teacher and I watch a few of the littles until their parents can come and pick them up. So today I tell them to all find something to play with and about two minutes after they start they ask, "Miss Reed, can we practice our math with the fraction circles?" Music. To. My. Ears. "Yes!!! Of course you can, loves!" So now I'm can't stop laughing because they're taking turns pretending to be me teaching them math.

Here is the how I talk during math according to my second graders:
"I love how Jenny is sitting so quietly."
"I know your birthday party is tomorrow, Sam. Yes, I'm coming to the park for cake!"
"Who can  help me with this fraction?"
"I love how you're sitting."
"Go move your name down, Liam."
"Maybe you can try the fraction this way."
"I like the way Ben is sitting."
"Here is your prize for doing fraction circles and listening."
"Go put your name up to 'Outstanding' because I love the way you're acting today!"
"You can go out to recess now!"
"Wait! It's present time! Here is one for you, and you, and you..."
"I love the way Carly is sitting."
"Yes, you can have a hug."



And my favorite "Miss Reed" quote:
"I brought pizza for the whole class!!!"

You learn a lot when kids play teacher!!


*All names have been changed.

the castle guards gossip

Today I know what the castle guards are gossiping about....me! Why? Because I ran around the castle complex like I owned the place for about an hour in bright pink shoes. The castle is about a 30 minute run from my house here. So I stopped along the way to take some quick pictures on my phone because the views were stunning...

Then I decided that since the castle was open I would take a run around the complex. And it was magical! Who else can say that they went running around a castle? A princess that's who. Plus there was barely anyone around so I got some amazing shots of the castle...

I honestly don't know how I'm ever going to be able to run on a treadmill or through a development again. The views in Prague are breathtaking and keep me running for hours to see more! I am getting the best workouts here because I run for hours up and down the hills of this beautiful city!

But I know that I caused a few giggles from the castle guards because I was wearing my American bright pink running shoes and jumping off of steps and running up, down and all around. Oh well...everyone needs something or someone to talk about on their breaks, and today it's all about these pink sneakers!

*click on any pictures to see zoom in and see them bigger!

the prague diet

Living in overseas means eating like the natives.
So what does the Prague diet entail?
A lot of walking and fresh fruits and veggies.

Czechs go grocery shopping almost every single day
because they don't have cars to load everything in
so they carry all their groceries home. And no one
wants to carry too many things home so they don't.

This means that everything is very fresh to eat!
They have less preservatives here and plenty of
places near by to get fresh fruits and veggies from.
I mean Spanish strawberries...to die for!!

So one aspect of the Prague diet: fresh fruits
and veggies daily - basically every meal!
But add in that they eat less...small portions.

Lastly, walk, walk, walk, run, run, run.
Lots of walking everywhere around the
city to get things and go to work, and
then running for a great workout!

So basically....
1. eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies
2. eat smaller portions of food
3. walk everywhere and then go work out


And that my friends is the Prague diet!
I love it. Working out twice a day plus
all the walking, fresh meals and smaller
portions is looking pretty good on me!

sweet and silly

There is a little in my class who is always saying the sweetest and silliest things. These are his top 5 very funny, adorable, and a-sharing-must quotes from last week.

                                  FIVE.
(While holding his nose) "Miss Reed, can we please move back to our seats? I kinda tooted and it smells pretty gross over here in my spot...."
What do you say to that?! Yes.

                                  FOUR.
(Before standardized testing and after being told to use scrap paper to doodle when they're done) "Miss Reed, I'm gonna draw you a picture of my house so when you come over you know what it looks like. Oh and can you come over and okay at my house?! My mom will make us good and I have so many fun toys... At least for boys!"
He picture included his balcony and a clear distinction in the different paint colors on the steps and walls.

                                  THREE.
(Randomly during the day) "Miss Reed, I'm gonna miss you when I go to America but I can come visit you because we'll both be in America! But I don't know how far Utah is from Pennsylvania so here is a map to find me in case I can't find you!"
I think he's giving me a great excuse to travel out West!!

                                  TWO.

(After a Bible lesson) "Miss Reed, can you come over to my house so I can read you Bible stories from my Bible??"
YES!! YES!!!! YESSSSS!!!!

                                  ONE.

(After getting hurt and sitting on my lap to until he felt better) "Miss Reed, I prayed to Jesus and asked him to make my back feel better and it worked! But can you pray for me too?"
Every single day I do, bud. Every. Single. Day.

a walk in the park

Today I took my littles on a walk outside because they worked so hard all week, and our week was not exactly a walk in the park. But today our walk was wonderful and very educational! We were on a mission to look for what rocks make in our world. So off we went to the park! And my littles were shocked to find rocks all around them. We even saw cement being made which uses gravel! There are learning experiences all around us :)

Then I let them play in the park (which they did have to earn with good behavior and discussions). It was so much fun to chase them around and take some pictures of them giggling and having fun!! I love these littles and had the best time with them today :) They manage to make me melt every single day. I'm so blessed and honored to be teaching them!

My favorite moment was holding their hands while we walked; I would give their hand a little squeeze and they would squeeze back and smile!

For those of you who loved the quote "every storm runs of rain," here's the song by Gary Allen.

hide-and-go-seek

Today one of my precious littles was sitting all alone at recess. He didn't want to play in the sandbox because he hated sand in his shoes; he wanted to play football (soccer) but the balls were all taken; so he sat all alone in a little house. Heart breaking. So I sat with him and we talked about his new house and how he was wearing all blue and what other games we could play together. Then another little came up to me and said he was bored too... perfect!!!

So we started to play hide-and-go-seek.

At first it was just me and the two boys. But by the time I counted to 20 about ten more littles had joined in! I had the entire group of littles, first through fifth grade, playing a huge game of hide-and-go-seek with me by the end of recess. We ran around and hid in bushes; we giggled and laughed until someone found us; we ran to the base to win the round. But the best part was all the memories and smiles we shared! :)

So even thoughI have a bad day every now and then, these are the days that remind me why I love what I do and why I continue to travel the world to teach littles. I just love my littles and all the joy they bring my life! I think I could be a little at heart forever :)


And as if my day couldn't get any better... today was Poem in My Pocket Day! So my littles have been working on their own poems all week, and today they read them for the Elementary School students and parents. They wrote wonderful poems and used their big voices! I was so so proud of all of them and clapped my hands off for each of them! Heart melting.

bad days

We all have bad days.
Littles do. Teachers do.
But the thing about bad days
is that we need to think about
how to make tomorrow an
awesome day! So we reflect.

We talk about the truth and
how today was not a good day.
Then we talk about the specifics:
unkind words, not listening and
other things that made the day bad.

Reflecting helps us to realize
what actions and attitudes
need to be changed tomorrow.

So how do I handle bad days?
I put on my very bright pink
running shoes and I hit the
pavement for a solid hour.
And I pray that God will
help me show love, patience
and kindness with my littles.

And then I wake up and
tell myself to make it a better
day for me and the littles.
I pray for wisdom and
each of my littles in the am.

And the next day is
always much brighter
and I get smothered in
hugs and laughs all day!

Because... every storm 
runs out of rain! -Gary Allen

that day in april

So there is a special day to celebrate in April that is for someone very special to me... the boy's birthday! This year we're not sitting at the Phillies ballpark like we normally are because I'm across the pond. So I'm wishing him a very happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, my love!

I love you more every single day :)

A little sunshine

We haven't seen much of the sun around here until this week. So it was the first weekend that was nice and warm and I took full advantage of it! I enjoyed wandering around Prague, checking out local farmers markets, running through gorgeous streets with a view of the Prague Castle, and even watching the sunset in the shadows of a beautiful church that sits on a backwoods hill.

Mr. Prague... you have captivated and humbled me.

My eyes hurt from your truly breathtaking beauty.

politeness

AMEN.

see here for details.

"i forgot..."

top 3 things my precious littles forgot today...

1. to keep their shoes on
2. to try before asking for help
3. that I don't speak Russian


it was a funny day with them :)

their precious hearts

All nine of my littles warm my heart every single day.

I love seeing them waddle like penguins down the hallway to stay quiet.

I love it when they ask to hold my hand and give it a squeeze while we walk.

I love how they bring in rocks to show their friends because we're studying rocks.

I love hearing them giggle and smile ear to ear about something funny.

I love watching them swing their feet on a chair because they can't touch the floor.

I love how "nicely" they remind me to say or do something I forgot.
I love when they hand over all the items in their pockets with just one look.
I love playing outside with them (I even get out on the field and play soccer)!

I love when they tell me they want to read because Miss Reed likes to read! ;)

I love their minds and how they try to express their feelings and thoughts.

And as if it couldn't get any cuter than that...

I love how sweetly they sing songs to Jesus and dance all over the room.
I love when they tell me Bible stories and ask thoughtful questions about God.

I love how they fold their hands and talk to God so innocently during prayer time.

I love their little hearts and how much they love each other every day.

These things make the bad days a little brighter and the good days wonderful

because these nine littles know the way right to my heart. <3


And just to make you laugh this was a conversation between me and 2 students:
Student: "How old are you Miss Reed?"
Me: "Old enough to be your teacher."
Student: "Wow! So you're ten?!"
Me: "No... I'm older than your sister." (Who is ten)
Student: "Oh so like 20?"
Me: [thinking... now what?!] "No. I'm old enough that I'm almost done college."
Student: "Okay. I don't know how old you are in college though."
Student #2: "She's like 40!!!"
Me: [in horror] "Um no. I'm not 40 bud."
Student #2: "Okay... so 50?!"
Me: "I am NOT 50 years old! But I'm older than you." (changed subject)


My littles have no concept of age so I won't hold it against them that they said I was 50 years old! And it definitely made me laugh :)

the details

I'm half way through my time in Prague and it's been incredible! I've done my best to quickly adapt to the culture and lifestyle here but there are little things that remind me every day I'm not at home. These are my top 5 details I've found while living here:

1. There are no top sheets. I noticed this my first night at a house I was staying in but thought maybe they didn't have any clean ones. Then when I was traveling over Spring Break in Austria and other parts of the Czech Republic I noticed it again. They have duvets and that is the top sheet and the comforter.

2. The toilets have full and half flushes. You can figure out which one is used for which...

3.. The doors always open in. Fire hazard?! Uh yes. And not a day goes by that I forget this and pull on push doors and walk away because I think the place is closed. So if there is a fire in any of these buildings...let's hope everyone is calm and collected and not pushing to get out of the building.

 4.We wear "indoor shoes" at school. I didn't really understand why this was a part of their culture until I got here and experienced the snow and rain. But now I get why everyone has shoes to change into once they get to school to keep the wet messy shoes out of the classroom.

5. People love their dogs here. The dogs are rarely leashed and often accompany their owners in restaurants and on public transportation while sporting some sort of doggy clothing.

Okay one more...this is more random and personal though...

I have massive bruises from being thrown around on the buses and trams like a rag doll. I've learned how to stand and where to be but there is always that one bus driver who slams on the breaks and sends me and all the other Czechs flying into a railing. So I've started a bruise collection on my left side (every time I tossed into a railing it's the same side and same place...figures). It's rather impressive if you ask me.

Here are some of my favorite pictures so far...

The town of Cesky Krumlov. Storybook perfect!

Hidden treasures: Easter markets and beautiful doors!

Beauty in the details: vines growing on a house and walking along the water at night.

The view on my run Monday night...a town in a valley with a church on a hill.

Check out some more amazing pictures over here on my Instagram!!

welcoming number nine

Today we welcome number nine into the mix of littles. The boys are beyond thrilled (and the girls are too). I'm excited to watch him integrate into our class and see the littles show him kindness today. And he loves rocks so I know we're gonna have fun!

Now I have nine little minds and hearts to teach. Answering God's call to teach them is such a blessing but it's also a huge responsibility. I hope I can make a difference in their lives no matter how small it might be.

the calm before the storm.

the background

Prague

an old city.

neutral colors.

quiet individuals.

trams, taxis, metros.

never stand out; blend in.

hundreds of years of history.

cobble stones and ancient architecture.

cold and snowing then warm sunshine weather.

Apparently I'm pretty observant and I've been picking up quite a lot about culture here in Prague. Things are kind of different than I expected and very different from what I'm used to. Here are some basic things about Prague and the people that make up their wonderful culture! 

Prague is one of the oldest cities in Europe because it was preserved behind the iron curtain and has little damage from wars. The town hall was burned down by Hitler (above picture shows the last piece of the hall and nothing has been rebuilt in its place) so that they knew not to mess with him, but he did spare the city as a whole because he thought it was so beautiful and wanted to save it for himself! The city has been well preserved and restored over the years. The streets are filled with cobble stones and modern day shops can be found inside buildings built in 1500s. The Prague castle is also the largest castle complex in Europe and it is stunning (picture below) There is so much history here and the city is a hidden gem!

One thing that I'm currently feeling the affects of was when the US was unable to save Prague from going under Communist rule in the late 1940s. The current day older generations felt the affects firsthand and hated that their freedom was taken away while America stood by and did nothing.

So how am I feeling this? The older generations are very opinionated towards Americans and refuse to speak English. My first day in a food store I had an older teller and she refused to speak English to me even though I kept saying I didn't understand and was clearly confused. That is just part of life here. Most people will speak English but anyone over the age of 30 might be a little more resistant if they don't have to use English.

The people of Prague are very quiet. The tram rides are so quiet you could here a pin drop. I think the loudest people can be found in the tourist areas because they're foreigners! Everyone is focused on being independent from an early age. Kids are taught at a young age to take public transportation, trams, buses, metros, to and from school alone. Which also means that the city is a fairly safe city. (Silly foreigners who go to the wrong places late a night are the ones to be concerned about - not me!) However, no one really want to stand out in a crowd. People are individuals but never wants to draw attention to themselves. They go about life and just do what they have to do.

I found out the people are very independent because of the country's history with communism and not being able to trust anyone. So people don't have friends and tend to head into 'nature' (the woods and campgrounds) on the weekends to be together with people they can trust or to be alone and just get out of the city.

The history of this country is so deep, rich, painful, and wonderful. I'm learning more and more each day and personally think that this country has been involved in more aspects of history than any other.

six hours

There is a six hour difference between the Philadelphia and Prague.

So that means...

When I wake up you are heading into dream land.

When I start teaching you are still sweetly snoozing away.

When I eat lunch you are about to hit your snooze button again.

When I am done teaching you are right in the middle of your morning.

When I am taking the Metro (subway) and bus home you are eating lunch.

When I am eating dinner you are drinking your afternoon pick-me-up cup of coffee.

When I am writing lesson plans you are finishing up your really long day of work or school.

When I am crawling into bed you are thinking about dinner plans on your way home from work.

That is what our days, mine and yours, most likely look like thanks to
Miss Six Hours.

PS. Last week I had to redo daylight savings. I have gone through 3 times
changes in only 4 weeks. My internal clock is nonexistent right now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And while most of you in my hometown are enjoying weather in the 50s and 60s,
I'm still stuck in the 30s with an occasional 40 degree day. So I was very happy
when I saw these little gems at the store because hopefully spring will come quicker!

just keep swimming

"They say" (and no one really knows who they are) that a teacher is a "jack-of-all-trades!" And after today, I would have to agree. I didn't know what to expect with today's plans but it turned out to be a great yet interesting morning.

Today the littles went for their monthly swim at a public pool. It is about a fifteen minute walk from the school. The whole way there I'm thinking to myself that my great hair day won't be ruined because I'm just going to put it up for an hour and if it gets a little wet that's fine plus the kids have an instructor in the pool teaching them so I'm basically just on kid watch and an extra set of hands when needed.

You know where this is going...

Well...I successfully looked like a drowned rat when the hour was up. Every inch of my head was soaked because the instructor didn't actually get in the pool with them - that was our job! So there I am using every minute of my private swimming lessons from over 13 years ago and all my knowledge of swimming to teach these cuties how to swim on their backs and float with their chins up not tucked down (you sink that way) and I had so much fun! The instructor gave them fun things to play with and tips to improve their swimming but another teacher and I were the ones getting splashed and kicked in the face! Nonetheless, I'm glad that I was able to swim and laugh and race these kids up and down our one lane in the pool with only a few minor collisions along the way. And even though I now have a mop of a head of hair... I had the best morning teaching my kids to swim today!!

The joy of our bonding moment came to a screeching halt when we got into the locker room and I had to wrangle together all the girls to get them showered, dried, changed, packed up and hair dried before heading back to school while I still looked like a drowned rat with wet clothes that were only getting wetter by the minute thanks to my soaking wet hair and body.

But then I sat there drying their hair and braiding it nicely and having little conversations about how well they did swimming and all the fun things we learned about rocks yesterday...and all the chaos of wet hair and clothes flying around the room became meaningless.


"Just keep swimming," I whispered to my self with a smile.

where did you go?

So asking my students how their ten day Spring Break was turned into one of the most interesting questions. Here are a few responses from my first and second graders:

"I went to Italy! Rome was fancy."
"I went to Turkey! I got American lollipops."
"My friend came to visit from France!"
"I went to see my family in Poland!"

And my response... "I went to Vienna, Cesky Krumlov and explored a lot of Prague!"

Well dang!! I've never heard of going to so many countries over a break but 'tis the lives of international kids living in Europe. And I've never had a more exciting Spring Break either!

I guess it's like going to Florida or California for Spring Break... only a bit more fancy :)