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December 31, 2017

HAPPY 2018!


Nothing like a new year to sit back and revisit the things you accomplished or still need to accomplish.  I like flipping through my journal and reading the moments that I captured on paper.  The entries make me laugh out loud as well as reach for my box of tissues.  Going back and reflecting on the past year gives me hope for things to come.   I know research says that most resolutions won’t be maintained for any length of time, but that doesn’t stop me from trying! 

As I look back at my list of resolutions or goals for the year, I actually accomplished quite a few.   Everything was something that I needed to maintain every New Year.  I think it’s more about creating habits or replacing bad habits until it’s a way of life.  Creating a mindset should be the main goal then everything else falls under that. 
So let’s see…I completed the Daniel Fast.  I’m actually going to do that again this year.  I believe it’s a wonderful jump start to detoxing the body and tuning in to the Lord’s voice. 
I didn’t read a book a month.  I think the original challenge was a book a week.  That was totally unrealistic for me but I couldn’t pull off one a month either.  The majority of my leisure reading was during the summer.  I did read a total of four books this year.  

I did take on a new attitude that I’m happy to say has become a way of thinking.  I count it all joy!  Even when things look dark and dreary, I’m learning that there is a lesson to be learned.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel sad or disappointed but my response is that I realize that there is a bigger picture and like always, this too shall pass. 

I fell short of the goal of pampering myself this year.  That’s definitely going back on the list! I would like to take advantage of the time off and travel more.  I did, however, invest in myself.  Some would argue that investing in one’s self is more important.  I think we need balance in all we do.   I went to a teacher conference.  I also took some self-paced courses online, read blogs and watched videos on how to edit and create digital products.  I created a budget and increased my savings while paying off debt.  I have already made plans to attend more conferences this spring and summer. 

I did write down the things that I accomplished each day.  I would make a To-Do list but then found myself doing things that were not originally on the list.  It felt good to write it in and then check it off!  I know that sounds silly, but it brought me joy!
All in all, I did pretty well with my “resolutions”.  At least that’s what I’m telling myself.  I have a brand new journal ready to capture the moments and ideas of 2018. 

What resolutions did you keep throughout the year? 




July 10, 2017

5 Books for Educators

5 Books for Summer Reading
This post contains affiliate links
I absolutely love reading books!  My summers are scheduled with books that I have been collecting all school year!  I never have time to really devour a book during the school year.  I may read a book each night for a few minutes before I pass out, but it’s not like during the uninterrupted time of June and July when  I can finish a book in a couple of hours. 
There aren’t many genres that I care to read.  If someone shares a book and it’s fiction I tend to shy away from it.  It’s just not my favorite genre.  I really enjoy non-fiction, especially if it deals with history or social issues.  I save my fiction for movie watching! 
Here is a list of books that I think are very helpful for educators no matter what stage of your career you’re in. 

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in School by Monique W. Morris 
Pushout

This book will have you walking away in disbelief if you have never heard of the cases Ms. Morris describes in the book.  It explains the school to prison pipeline for black girls via zero tolerance policies that have been put in place.   Black girls are being criminalized in the place where they should be receiving an education as well as help to underlying issues.  The author talks about the struggle of  African Americans female to receive an education while dismissing stereotypes that society holds.  It’s a very enlightening read because so much focus has been put on black males that we tend to forget the impact of incarceration as it relates to black girls. 

The Essential 55 by Ron Clark

Essential 55
I loved this book so much that I used its tenets to create a product for my classroom morning work.  Mr. Clark is the founder of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.  There was a TV movie made about his life as an educator.  The book talks about the 55 guidelines or rules for interacting with others.  This book made my list because I am a believer in teaching character education to students along with geometry, reading, and learning about matter.  The book discusses things like having self-respect and how we treat others.  These are things that many students do not receive at home.  You many not need to go through all 55 lessons but it’s a great starting point. 

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
The New Jim Crow

This book is non-fiction but it had me in tears throughout until I came to the end.  The premise of the book is that there is now a new caste system which replaces the Jim Crow laws of old.  The author goes through the history of America and its racism towards people who aren’t of European decent.  She also compares mass incarceration to Jim Crow.  The United States’ incarceration rate is the highest in the world.  Alexander also discusses how the War on Drugs is a complete charade.  When you read this book through the lens of an educator, you have a new understanding of why it is so important to make sure that children of color have an excellent academic foundation.    

Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess
Get Your Pirate On!

This book is very inspirational and had me ready to stand on chairs and shout once I finished reading it.  It was all about student engagement.  I think this was the book that renewed my spirit for teaching.    Burgess offers practical techniques and innovative ideas that helped transform me as an educator. I think this is a great read for new teachers but a must read for us seasoned teachers that may have lost our way. 


Unshakeable: 20 Ways to Enjoy Teaching EverydayNo Matter What by Angela Watson
Check it out!

I found out about this book after researching Angela Watson who is the owner of the 40 Hour Teacher Work Week Club.  I had heard so many great things about the club I started researching Watson and fell in love with her ideas and techniques.  I submitted a video and was awarded a scholarship to take part in the club.  I’m all about working smarter and not harder and enjoying my workday because it will help alleviate stress.  If that’s you, this book should be your next read.  I’m such a book nerd that I have to take notes while reading.  I’ve almost written my own book with all the notes I have taken from this book.  It’s full of practical ideas and advice that can be implemented right away to get your passion back for teaching and make your day more efficient. 

Whatever you read during your summer break should be something that grows you as an educator but will also relieve the pressures that we go through as teachers. 

Enjoy your time off, it’s well deserved!!

May 27, 2017

First Grade Memories



The end of the year is a happy, yet sad time.  My students have become a family.  It’s amazing when I look back and see how they have grown academically as well as socially.  You learn their personalities, likes and dislikes, and anything else that makes them tick.


I wanted to start our memory books earlier but we just didn't have the time.  I wanted to do something different this year.  I usually have the students complete a paper memory book, but I don’t think they last very long.  To be honest, they really don't hold any memories.  I think the students need to see pictures to truly remember our first grade moments.  We do have yearbooks but many of my students don’t purchase yearbooks.  Even with the yearbook, there are only two pages dedicated to showcasing our class for an entire year! 


I take LOTS of pictures during the 180 days I have my kiddos.  I print at least four pictures out each month that shows a certain activity that we worked on.  I display them on a closet door. 

I also take pics of the students when they master a sight word list. 


I have an area in my room where the sight words pictures are displayed. I also like to send that picture through ClassDojo to parents.  

This year I let the students pick between 8-10 pictures to include in their memory book.  They shopped for pictures first. 




I would put more pictures out as each desk became empty.  I had almost 400 pictures available for the students to choose from!  I didn’t print these all at once.  I would print some each month and keep them in a file.  Thank goodness for the HP Instantink program.  Printing in color is now inexpensive because I don’t have to worry about running out of ink and the cost of the cartridge!

After my students picked out their pictures they taped them onto paper, using washi tape. 




I had a ton of washi tape that I ordered from Naeir.   The washi tape was easy for them to rip.  



We completed these in one day.  I would laminate the book as each student finished.  It took some time but I was able to complete all the laminating and hole punching in one day.  I used the smaller laminating sheets which I also purchased from Naeir.  The smaller sheets are thicker which made for a sturdy book. It was a great activity for the last few days of school when you want to keep as much structure as possible. The final project looked great!

I put the memory books inside their end of the year gift bag.  


My students were so proud of their memory books.  They really took their time in picking out the pictures and creating the books! 

Did you notice the ribbons?   I LOVED how they turned out!  My friend had ribbons from a dog show and she shared a set with me.  I ripped off the front and hot glued the cute classroom awards printout from Allyson Sutton Going Strong in Second Grade They fit perfectly after shrinking the awards a little. 

My students got a kick out of the awards! 
What type of memory books do you have your students make at the end of the year?


May 26, 2017

Camp-Out in First Grade


Well, we made it!  Or should I say my class made it!  They earned 5,000 ClassDojo points and the reward was a Classroom Camp-Out!  We were all excited and eager to participate.  It’s amazing how well classroom behavior will improve when there is a class goal set in place.  This was truly an example of cooperation.  Friends would remind each other about how many points we had and not to lose any.  Everyone worked hard to earn extra points throughout the day.  It was a miracle, especially since we were in the month of May.  Any teacher knows what happens to the class in May.


We started off the day making our fishing hats using a glyph my co-worker found.  



We made our binoculars a few days before the Camp-Out.  We used two toilet paper rolls and wrapped them in tape.  We tried green duct tape first and that was a fail.  The washi and masking tape were much easier for the students to manipulate. 

I incorporated fun activities that also assessed different learning targets.  The kids just thought everything was a game!  
They played Math Jenga using wooden towers I purchased from The Dollar Tree. 
I even had the students paint the ends of the blocks.  They had to answer questions before moving the block.  If they wanted to move a red block, they had to answer a red question.  I copied the problem sheets front to back to give them different choices.  



You could really use any subject for this.  Have your class play Math Jenga and let me know if they like it.  I’m hoping to make a large Jenga this summer to use in the classroom!

I set up an area where my students had to go fishing.  I printed a reading passage and questions on the fish.  The passages came straight from Readworks.org.  



I put magnets on the fish in the ‘pond’ and made rods out of paint sticks.  I stapled fishing line to the paint stick and tied a washer around the other end. 



Thanks to Chelsea’s Creations for the creative pond!



They really enjoyed this activity.  
Their recording sheet was located in their Camp-Out packet

Crack the Egg was an activity that covered correct capitalization and end punctuation marks.  I don’t have the electronic copy of this activity and can’t remember who it is from.  Students had to clip on the correct capital letter and/or ending punctuation mark before writing the sentence correctly in their Camp-Out Journal.                                          
                                                                          
The computers were placed around the campfire.  Yes, we had computers during our Camp Out! 


I also put an interactive math game on the Promethean board courtesy of OCD in Elementary Shanon Juneau. The games were on money and ten more/ten less. If they picked the wrong answer, the PPT would direct them to try again.  The kids loved working as a team to figure out the answers.  I must admit that I was a little surprised that they worked so well together! 




Toothy also made an appearance at the Camp-Out thanks to Lucky Little Learners.  If you’re not familiar with Toothy, check out Angie Olsen’s blog to learn more.   



There was a craft area setup for students to make their own butterfly using watercolor paint.  I didn't paint that much this year with my class so this was extra special!


My favorite game was HeadBandz!  It was fun to listen to the students try to explain the concept that was on the card.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear the vocabulary that they used.  I used concept words from every subject we talked about during the school year.  Some students asked why we had not played the game before.  I will definitely bring it out earlier in the year!


Headbandz FREEBIE

 It could be used as an Exit Ticket/Ticket Out The Door resource. I bought the handbands to use for the game but the students didn't really use them.  They just held the card up to their heads!  You have to play if you have never played before.  Check it out and let me know if your students like it.  

The tent area was set up solely for reading.  It’s a three person tent but I was able to have four students fit comfortably.  I also placed two stadium chairs outside the tent for kids who wanted to read. 








We had a few sweet treats for the day as well!  
Labels from Lucky Little Learners Camp-Out TPT product 

Smores Cake!
All in all it was a good day!  

Well, actually we extended the Camp-Out another day.  Every student did not get a chance to rotate throughout because of other activities that were scheduled outside the classroom.  


We ALL had a great time!