Tag: education

Almost back-to-school time!

July 29, 2025

Do you have a friend or family member who is a teacher? This is the time of year when some are reporting for preplanning week or are getting a head start on prepping their classrooms for the upcoming year. If you have some extra time, ask if you can help move furniture, decorate or set-up learning activities/stations. Show them some love by picking up extra school supplies, tissues and disinfecting wipes on your next shopping trip. Unscented hand lotion, baby wipes, cotton swabs, individually wrapped peppermints and a big tub of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) would also be greatly appreciated for the classroom. Gift cards to the teacher’s favorite coffee shop, bookstore, Amazon, Wal-Mart or Target will be also be put to good use.

If you sew, offer to make classroom curtains, the black roll-up curtain (if required) to cover windows by the door, floor pillows for the reading nook, bookmarks, pocket tissue holders, fabric bins, tote bags, seat sacks or even a jelly roll rug. If your teacher friend teaches primary grades (PK-2), how about a set or two of alphabet letters? A pack and a half of charm squares, some batting and a set of 4″ bulletin board letters, plus your sewing machine, will make a fun, tactile learning tool for primary grade learners. Pinking shears, optional!

Personal items for the teacher to sew would be zipper pouches, padded tablet/ipad storage pouch, notebook/journal cover, personalized tote bag, coffee cup sleeves, covers for their “teacher” chair, etc.

Teachers in my local school district reported for teacher preplanning this morning. Traffic was heavier than usual this morning and it took me a minute to remember why. Can you believe school starts next Monday? Hard to believe my last official pre-planning week was in 2021. That seems like another lifetime ago.

I still buy school supplies every year – for use in quilting/sewing activities and for prizes to give out as part of the R.E.A.D. program. It’s the perfect time to stock up on glue sticks, school glue, Sharpie markers, composition notebooks, plus all the small items like stickers, bookmarks, erasers, fancy pencils and cute sharpeners the kids love. For three semesters, I taught storybook arts & crafts at a local homeschool consortium. (I definitely spent some money on school supplies!) Last spring, I stepped away from it to pursue more therapy dog opportunities with Sadie and to teach sewing classes at the SQTM. It was definitely the right move for us.

I spent about $25.00 on school supplies this weekend. Nowhere near the several hundred dollars I used to spend at the beginning of the school year when I was still working full-time! It’s enough to supply prizes for my public library and school based READ programs through fall break.

Has it really been three years since I left teaching?

May 22, 2025

A picture of me from the 2022 EOY school faculty celebration popped up in my FB feed yesterday. Has it really been three years since I walked out the schoolhouse doors into early retirement?

I remember being equally scared and excited that day. Past ready to leave the day job, but wondering what the future would hold. We stuck to our financial plan and things worked out – despite everything that came our way. It was certainly an adventure as my husband and I tried all sorts of activities to see which ones we liked best. Volunteering and travel are still at the top of the list.

Three years later, I am now officially retired with the state teacher retirement system (I wasn’t old enough to collect retirement benefits when I left my job). Sadie and I have our weekly school based read-to-a-dog program and a number of really cool opportunities for therapy dog visits each month. I am an instructor at the Southeast Quilt & Textile Museum. I am also actively involved with the East Cobb Quilt Guild and sew with friends regularly. I found my tribe. My mind is engaged, I’m learning new things, plus giving back to the community. Life is good.

Teaching seems like another lifetime ago.

My laptop, keys and badge ready to be turned in on my last day as a public school teacher.

The “hard” therapy dog visits

September 18, 2024

The bulk of our visits are the feel-good type where everyone is smiling and happy. Then, there are those that are a bit uncomfortable at first, but end up being so worthwhile.

GEMA requested our therapy dog group deploy therapy dog teams to Winder to provide services after the shooting at Apalachee High School. The students, families and other community support organizations in Winder were so appreciative that the therapy dogs were there. We were stationed at the community resource center, schools and the courthouse.

The Georgia State Conference on Family Violence invited CAREing Paws teams to help attendees destress after some very involved conference sessions on difficult topics. At the conference, I learned of other organizations that would welcome our visits and connected with community representatives from my own part of the state.

Another type of hard visit is the one you worked to make happen that didn’t get off the ground. The invitation to visit was rescinded last minute. This happened multiple times in my former school district over the past year. No reason was ever given, of course. We thought the one school district was just a fluke. Then, it happened with a different district this week. Guess what? The two local school districts share the same outside law firm for legal work.

If we’re asked by GEMA to come provide therapeutic support after a school shooting and you invite us to attend your big reading event every year, please explain to me what the issue is with us coming into one of your elementary schools each week to have kids read to the dogs? The kids and staff will benefit. But never mind. You’ve had your chance (multiple, actually). I will not be doing any visits to my former school district or the small city school district. Period.end.of.story.

I’ll go where we’re wanted and appreciated.