Wiping off the Dust

Earth to Emily! 

Surprise!  It's me, Emily, and I'm still here!  It has been over a year since I have written a single word in a blog post.  About time, right?  Let's face it, being a teacher is time consuming, especially when you are a "yes person" like me and agree to take on a multitude of other responsibilities outside of your everyday teaching.  You're probably rolling your eyes thinking about it.  Yes, I am still a young teacher wanting to help out in every way that I can.  But I've also become realistic, and have finally decided to slow down... a little.

Beyond the lesson planning, grading, reflecting, club advising, technology coaching, and daily mothering that I do at school, I decided to take the plunge and go back to school to earn my masters in educational technology.  I'm still asking myself, "Are you NUTS?!".  However, there are several great reasons that led me to make the decision.  For one, I am lucky enough to be in a district that has implemented a positive teacher compensation model that will pay off in the long run.  Secondly, I have the minimal yet rewarding responsibility for caring for my sole child - a cute and cuddly cat - so I have the ability to pick and manage my time in a way that only affects me.  Finally, I value education and bettering myself as an educator, no matter how time consuming, painful, or *expensive* it might be.  My degree will be in educational technology, and what's more relevant in today's 21st century than a degree in that field?  

So, what's new?

1. I am still teaching middle school science and enjoying every whacky, outrageous moment.  I'm moving towards adopting the Next Generation Science Standards and am learning along the way.  Also, I'm still posting away to my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  (Hint hint - check it out!)

 

2. I have taken a new approach to this school year and am embracing the chaos.  I'm letting go of the things I cannot control and learning to embrace the tweeny, hormonal chaos with more clarity and calmness. As my dad would say, "it is what it is," just go with it. 

3. I am now the proud mom of 150 students this year.  Wow.  That's a record for me.  I have a colorful combination of tweens who frustrate, excite, annoy, inspire, disappoint, thrill, shock, and surprise me every single day.  And... I wouldn't change that for the world.  

What's next?

It is my hope that I can ease myself back into blogging more often, and with a purpose.  I am a lot of things - silly, loyal, work-obsessed, sassy - but one of my favorite things to be is inspired.  To me, there is nothing more inspiring than a classroom.  So with that, I will pick up a dust mop and wipe off the dust of this blog and return it to it's original glory.

It feels good to be back.  Thanks for sticking around,

Emily :)

Weather is Everywhere!

The science geek in me loves the topic of weather.  I think it's vastly interesting and it's something that applies to everyone, no matter how old you are or where you live - weather is everywhere!  However, I can't say the feeling is mutual for students, especially middle schoolers.  The weather unit that I teach is large; there are many topics to cover and instead of focusing on two or three in depth, I cover several topics on a surface level because they haven't been exposed to weather before they reach my class.

So, the question that I found myself asking a lot was, "How can I make weather exciting and interesting to them?" or "How can I teach them about weather in a way that they will find valuable to them?". One of my favorite tricks is to take something typical (or in the eyes of a complaint-loving student, "boring") and turn it in to something unusual and *gasp* possibly even fun.  

As we all know, each classroom is filled with a multitude of learners.  There are the writers, the drawers, the composers, the doodlers, the researchers, the makers, etc.  When I have the ability to be creative with an assignment, I like to try to reach as many of those different kinds of learners as I can.  

Here are two assignments I've used when teaching weather, and my students have really enjoyed them.  

(1) Severe Weather Warning! Report

One of the most exciting topics to teach with weather is the different kinds of severe weather including tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and blizzards.  It is set up as a graphic organizer and asks students to explain, draw, research, and think outside the box.  I allowed my students to choose how they wanted to complete the assignment - either on their devices (we use iPads) or as a paper copy.  Surprisingly, many of my students chose paper copies and turned in every colorful, eye-catching reports.  I loved them!  You've gotta love seeing your students ENJOY learning....

Here is a preview of the graphic organizer:

(2) Daily Weather Report

Another aspect of teaching about weather is helping students about all of those common, everyday weather terms that they've probably heard a hundred times on the news, but don't know what it means and how it affects them.  This graphic organizer, which also allows creativity for those students who like to draw, color, doodle, or write bubble-letter words, includes several vital aspects of daily weather reporting, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and a five-day forecast.  Students also need to identify an appropriate weather icon for that day's report, and draw the weather on a radar map.  This graphic organizer includes half of the state of Wisconsin, but you can easily delete that image and add your own, or leave it blank and ask students to draw the entire image themselves.  

Here is a preview:

By the time I finish my weather unit, I'm sure not all of my students will be weather-loving, cloud-identifying, super science dorks like me, but I'll bet they enjoyed learning about weather and completing out-of-the-ordinary assignments (even if they don't admit it!). 

If you'd like to download either of these assignments, check out by Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking this link.

Enjoy the weather.... Emily :)

To My Past-Self

Long time, no see!

It has been several months since I took my much needed hiatus from blogging (and most of the other aspects of my life that didn't involve teaching!).  With my first full-year of teaching in my current district under my belt, it's safe to say I've learned A LOT about education, management, and most importantly - myself.  Bringing my first year full-circle, I decided to write a letter to myself that I wish I had on the first day of school.  Whether you're just beginning this journey, are in the middle of all the action, or are nearing retirement, maybe you can take away a lesson from my experiences.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear first-year Emily,

You did it!  You've landed your first real big-kid job, you've spent all summer organizing and developing a positive classroom environment, and your curriculum is starting to take it's shape.  I'm sure your eyes are wide, your smile is huge, your heart is pumping, and you're already lacking sleep from the adrenaline of your impending adventure.  Well, your future self has two words for you:  slow down!!!  Here are a few things you should consider before leaping head-first into the chaos.

1. You don't always have to say "yes!"

You're new to your school district and building.  As the new kid around, you want to make a good impression and build a reputation of being a great co-worker, motivated employee, and reliable colleague.  Guess what?  That doesn't mean you have to agree to everything and anything you're asked, or take every single opportunity that presents itself to you.  Of course, it's important that you participate in school events and immerse yourself in your school community, but you also have to maintain a normal sense of sanity.  You are only human and unfortunately, you (most likely) don't have super powers either.  It's OKAY to say no, whether it be to heading up a committee, volunteering your time for a school dance, or telling a co-worker that you aren't able to pilot a program they are interested in using.  If you over-book yourself your first year, which is already stressful enough with day-to-day events, you won't make it far in your career.  Have you heard of (and heaven forbid witnessed) a burnt-out teacher?  I'd safely bet on it that they've said "yes" one too many times.  Don't let that be you!  Get in the game, but be practical.  You're not a machine!

2. Write things down!

This first year is going to go by quickly.  When you've got a minute (or realistically, a few seconds), write down important things that happen, funny stories, changes you'd like to make, or just your thoughts.  Keep a notebook on your desk in a safe but accessible location.  Add tabs for important things you'd like to write down such as (1) funny stories, (2) wish list [improvements you'd like to make in the future], (3) changes for next year, (4) pros/cons [explain things that really work and what doesn't work], and (5) self-reminders [things to remind your future self].  It might seem tedious and time-consuming now, but your future self will definitely be grateful.  You would much rather take time to write it down as it happens than try and remember it on a Friday afternoon when your brain is only focusing on crashing on your couch with a pizza and a Netflix marathon that you'll fall asleep to before the clock hits 7:00pm.  (Oh yes, disclaimer - Friday nights will most likely be devoted to sleeping, not socializing.  Trust me, it will be glorious!).

3. Teach deeper, not wider

By now, you've probably sat down with a colleague or two to talk about curriculum.  How exciting, fun, and stressful at the same time!  You've covered it all: what topics you'd like to cover, what standards you need to cover, and what activities you want to incorporate.  Education is not what it used to be, and there's a lot of pressure for you to teach multiple years worth of content in one year.  To be successful as a teacher and to be an effective teacher, I strongly suggest that you teach DEEPER, not WIDER.  What I mean by that is, take a step back from your curriculum and decide what is a necessity to teach, and what isn't.  If you spend the year sprinting through various units and just scratching the surface of a multitude of topics, did you effectively educate your students?  Or, did you just expose them to a million topics they've probably forgotten by Monday morning?  Whenever you can, strip down your curriculum and focus on what's most important, and teach those topics deeply.  Spend more time on the important stuff and less time on the non-vital topics.  I'd much rather spend an afternoon reading one good book slowly, soaking up each page, than skimming ten books at once only to realize I didn't really grasp the story lines at all.  Remember, deeper, not wider.

4. Socialize

It's honorable that you love your job more than anything in the world, and you'd rather spend an evening in your classroom (after an already stressful 8-hour day of school) than go to dinner with your best friend whom you haven't seen in a month, or attend your nephew's softball game.  But guess what... your job will always be waiting for you.  That activity you want to do next week can wait until tomorrow, and your desk will get cleaned eventually (or when you get really swift, you get a student to do it!).  Life is always moving forward, and what gets you through the good times and the bad are the PEOPLE in your life, not the to-do's on your list.  Of course I'm not suggesting that you leave at the end of the day with no tangible plans ready for tomorrow, but I am suggesting that you take some time for yourself every week and go spend time with the people who matter to you.  Your students will probably think you live in your classroom - don't let that silly idea become a reality.  Set a time for yourself to go home every night, and stick to it.  If you have to bring some work home, it happens.  But don't become obsessed.  Spend time with your family, stay out a little too late every once and a while, see that movie you've been anticipating, or do a little retail therapy.  You need to be happy and have fulfilling relationships if you want even the slightest chance at being a successful teacher.  

5. Go big or go home

You've made it this far already.  It's not time to start slacking!  As they say, "go big, or go home."  Most teachers I've met are not impulsive, impractical adrenaline junkies.  I'd say teachers are pretty thoughtful, methodical, play-it-safe type of people.  Take chances and try new things!  Some of the most rewarding experiences in your career will be when you chose to do things you never thought you would do.  Join a teacher bowling league, agree to help with the school play, organize a spirit day to your principal, say yes to that offer to represent your school at a conference, set up a fundraiser for a local charity, anything!  Of course, don't over do-it and agree to too much, but enough playing it safe.  This is your career, and you should live it to the fullest!  You might be surprised at what you're capable of and the amazing memories that come from those experiences.

At the end of the day, no matter what, your first year is going to be one for the history books.  It will be stressful, it will be memorable, but most of all, it will be rewarding.   Sure, you'll probably work way more than your contractually paid to work, you'll sleep less and when you do sleep, you'll have dreams related to school, but this is the big league and you're doing what you've always wanted to do.  This is your career, and you've got to make all of those years in school (not to mention the debt you've racked up) worth it.  Being a first-year teacher is a lot like being a ring master of a circus in the sense that you're juggling an endless amount of tasks at once, many of which involve wild animals or an unnatural amount of glitter, but you'll make it work.  Rely on those around you, ask for help when you need it, and take time for yourself so you don't become lost.  You didn't make it this far on luck, so go out there and own it.  You're shaping the lives of kids and making a difference every single day.  What can be better than that?

With love and support, 

Your future-self Emily  :)

Bulletin Boards on a Mega-Scale!

You know you're a teacher when...

...you get excited about decorating a bulletin board.

Yes, decorating and filling bulletin boards can be fun.  Especially when you've got useful information you want posted in your room.  With my new classroom, I was giddy about having a blank slate with my boards....

Until I saw them.  I failed to realize that some bulletin boards can be of monstrous size, becoming more of a pain in the you-know-what than a fun way to spend an afternoon.  They say good things come in threes.  However, when they are giant, 8 foot bulletin boards, maybe not so much.

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful I've got such a spacious room that can hold bulletin boards of these size, but it's hard to keep them filled and not over-stimulating at the same time.  

My solution was this: put things on the bulletin boards that are useful, clear, and long-term.  I wanted to decrease the necessity to re-do them all the time.

Here's what they looked like at the beginning of the year.  They are now entirely filled with information they have learned since the year began.

I have a content-related bulletin board, a class expectation board, and my favorite - an inspiration board.  I rarely find a poster that has just the right amount of information on them, so I spent a lot of time this summer making my own.  Every....single....one.....  I never said I had much of a life outside of school! :) 

I'm a firm believer in positive messages and the power they can have in your classroom.  I filled the inspiration board with some of my favorite quotes that cover a multitude of feelings that my middle schoolers might have.  Most of them are by famous figures that my students would recognize - Katniss Everdeen, Roald Dahl, Albert Einstein, Peter Pan, Albus Dumbledore, etc.  I love it!

Although my complaining was unnecessary and exaggerated, I truthfully did enjoy creating the boards this summer.  The great thing about these boards are that I CAN change them IF I need to.  

Be inspired, people!

Emily :)

Freshen Up a Little!

Looking to freshen up your room?  Here is a SIMPLE trick!  If you've got bulletin boards or picture frames that are dull and boring, add a trimmer to them!

I have a large, plain  bulletin board hanging near my desk and it stuck out like a sore thumb.  Here is what I started with:

All I did was dig out some black trimmers (also called bulletin boarders) and used some double-stick tape to adhere them to the bulletin board.  You could also paint them, but the trimmers were much more time efficient and totally mess-free.

Just like that, it looks a thousand times better!  Here is the result:

Has a better vibe and makes it appear as though it belonged there.  All that was left to do was to fill the board.  Right now I'm using it as a quick-reference spot for schedules, notes, and reminders.  In addition, it's also a motivation wall where I've put up my favorite quotes, photos, and objects.

Happy trimming!

Emily :)

Classroom Reveal!!!

Drum-roll please.........!

Finally I am posting my classroom reveal to you!  After spending all summer cleaning, organizing, painting, and crafting, my room is un-officially finished.  It's my hope that I can freshen up the typical middle-school classroom and make it more fun without stepping back into an elementary classroom.

Here is a sweep of the room:

North Wall:

East Wall:

South Wall:

West Wall:

Bulletin Boards...

Reading nook...

My work space...

 Behavior management system..."Potato Head Madness"

Whiteboard...

Utility Cart (Sign In binder, hall passes, extra credit, lost&found)...

Student counter (absent drawers/binder, turn-in basket)...

Curriculum file cabinet...

Front counter... (I LOVE having this extra prep space!)

Hope you enjoyed this first glimpse into my room!  For the next few weeks, I will be writing blog posts that explains what some of the stations/posters/objects mean and linking them to this post.

Happy first week of fall!

Emily  :)

Makeover Part 1

I know, I know.  It's been well over a MONTH since I've posted!  Shame on me.  But in my own defense, I've been exhaustively busy.  However, what little free-time I've had outside of work has been devoted to something very worth while and necessary.  Since my last post, I've scrubbed my classroom clean, organized, painted, and organized some more.  In addition, I've also moved into my new home which brings a whole new slew of tasks that need to be done.

Finally, I'm back on track with my classroom.  Before I show you everything I've got going on, I wanted to give you a bit of a sneak peek and show you what I'm using as my foundation for my classroom - a focus wall!

Here is what the focal point of my classroom looked like on the last day of school, before the previous teacher had everything moved out.  This is the first wall you see upon entering the room.

Just your average middle school classroom.  However, it's very large and has ample amount of storage cupboards - four for my own use, and a giant sliding shelf unit for curriculum tools.  I also have two large waist-high counters with cupboards but I'm still working out what needs to go where.

At first, I was a bit overwhelmed.  Where do you begin?  Then I etched out a plan.  I wanted everything in the room to be very "matchy-matchy" since it is such a large room.  I don't want it to over-stimulate my students but still want it to feel comfortable and homey.  So, I started with a color scheme.  There are a million varieties to choose from, and none that I saw on other blogs really sparked my imagination.  Our main school color is red, so I thought I would incorporate it into my color scheme.  The last thing I want to do is paint a giant wall red (a color known to cause anger or excitement - NOT good for middle schoolers :] ).  

Calm and relaxing.  Yes, your light bulbs are probably going off - blue!  I decided to go with a teal/aqua and red color scheme.  Very popular in the crafting world as of late.  I ended up choosing the exact hue by looking for bulletin board trimmers.  I found a pretty teal blue trimmer and a red to match.  It was as easy as bringing a sample of the bulletin board trimmer to the local hardware shop and having the color matched.

But I didn't stop there.  I wanted my blue wall to pop.  It needed some excitement and a focal point.  Instead of explaining it, I'll just show you!

Ta-daaa!  A lovely hue of blue and a large silhouette of a peaceful tree.  It fills up the space nicely and prevents me from having to concoct some sort of wall-art to hang (which would most likely violate a fire code with everything else on the walls).  I drew the tree on the wall first, and then painted it solid black.  I love it!  It was simple enough and didn't cost much - just a night of painting.  

Although this was my first major task (of many), it was a great start to my classroom makeover adventure and I already felt I was on to something from the get-go.  I've been working hard ever since and have much to share with you!  

Keep checking back for updates!  The school year will be here before we know it.  Whether we're ready or not, here it comes!

:)  Emily