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

Go big or go home

You know the phrase, "Go Big or Go Home" ???

Apparently, my students definitely do.  Typically, the end of the school year brings restless students who can only think of one thing - sweet, sweet freedom.  Boredom, lack of interest, and irresponsibility can be expected.  Sometimes, behavioral issues may increase, but nothing out of the ordinary.

This year, it was much different.

The end of the 2012-2013 school year was in the form of a five-day week.  Yikes.  From what I've experienced, the last week of school is usually a half-week.  I had prepared myself the weekend before the last week to battle restlessness all week and get some real work accomplished.

BIG mistake.

Here are some phrases that I caught myself saying,

"Are you trying to burn all of your bridges before you leave?"

"What made you think that what you did was a fantastic idea?"

"Please stop writing on your arms!"

"No, you may not stand on your desk!"

"Why are you hiding under the bean bags again?"

"Please keep your fingers out of the fan."

"Who took all of the caps off my markers?"

"Did you think before you acted?"

Any sound familiar?  It's as if all rules, expectations, and social skills flew out the window.  A culmination of many chaotic behaviors was this:

Two students showed up to class with their arms taped together.  They (apparently) used an entire roll of masking tape.  I should just stop asking "Why?" at this point.

On Tuesday, I decided to throw in the towel for the last day of actual class.  I wasn't going to fight this losing battle anymore.  Instead, like most times in my life, I agreed to just roll with the punches.  Sugary snacks?  Sure!  Movies?  Why not!  Obnoxious games?  Of course!  Needless to say that last day of class went much better...

I've accepted the oddities and quirks that middle schoolers have. I love that about them.  And next year I'll just prepare myself for the worst and hope for the best for the last week of school.  

I love middle school.  I love the day-to-day insanity of the unexpected.  People will say what they want to say about a teacher's yearly schedule and having the summer off.  But we all know that without those summers, we wouldn't be able to handle the school year with an unexpected sense of calmness.

Cheers to summer to all of you teachers, students, and parents alike!

Emily :)

Goodbye Goodies

As the end of the school year draws near, many teachers are thinking about fun (and inexpensive) ways to say "Goodbye!" to students.  If you are a Pinterest fanatic like me, finding ideas isn't too difficult.  There are loads of great ideas and inspiration you can find there and tweak to make your own creation.

That's exactly what I did.  In order to stay within the means of my minuscule *recent-college-grade-with-student-loans-and-earning-a-sad-teacher-salary* budget, I opted for a crafty gift for some of my small group students that required few purchases and more of my time.  (I also made goody bags for the whole class that I will post later).  In the end, I realized that going the crafty route was much more personal and fun.  

Here's the end result:

I love all of the catchy sayings that go a long with candy or fun toys.  "You are the SWEDISH student", or "I hope you have a KOOL summer," or maybe even "You were a BURST of fun in my class."  

You get the idea.  

So, I took three of my favorite play on words and put them into a message.  (Seen below)

It reads, "(Name), you are such a SMARTIE and it was FUN being your teacher.  Have a BALL the rest of the year!"   This was given to students at the end of Term 2 (thus the "rest of the year") but you could easily replace that with summer.  I was able to buy a pack of Fun Dip for less than $4, an entire bag of Smarties for less than $2, and a bunch of small bouncy balls for less than $3.  I was able to give about 15 students these goody bags for under $10.  They only took about an hour to create and assemble, and they loved them!

I've learned that sometimes, the simple things mean the most to kiddos.  If you put a personal touch into an end-of-the-year gift, it helps keep attitudes positive about school so that students just might want to return again in September!

Emily :)

Your answer is what??

The last month of school.  Teachers are exhausted.  Kids are restless.  Who can blame either?  

Sometimes, however, students are getting a little... spacey.  I spent two weeks with my students studying the 1920s - a perfect fit after researching World War I.  We learned about gangsters, prohibition, women's rights, inventions, etc.  It was a pretty fun unit.  There are a lot of entertainment related topics we covered as well, including slang vocabulary, jazz music, silent films, and dancing.  

This past Friday, I gave my students a quiz on the Roaring Twenties to wrap up our unit.  Here's what a chunk of it looked like:

Take a closer look at number 11:

Do you know it?  Drum-roll please............. "The Charleston" !  I showed all of my students several clips of people dancing the Charleston.  A few of my classes were even able to try a "How-to" video where they tried to learn how to dance themselves.  It was quite comical.

Anyways.  Back to it being the end of the year.  I've noticed that with middle schoolers, especially eighth graders, they tend to "check out" of school a little early.  They were mortified with the fact that I actually DO have things planned for us the last seven days of class time we have left.  As if I would even THINK about teaching them something!  :)

Well, question #11 proved to be quite a tricky one, I guess.  Considering we watched a video and some actually tried to do the dance, it shouldn't have been.  But looking back on the final grades, I have no D's or F's, and most students ended up with an A.  I'll count my losses and instead, show you what I found so funny.......  Brace yourself.....

I'd also like to add that these colorful answers came from ONE class of thirty students.  One class!!!  My other five had the right answer 90% of the time.  It's almost as if this class tried to pull a fast one on me.  Like I said, I'm going to count that one question as a loss - considering it's not an essential learning outcome to this unit, and laugh at these answers instead of cry.  It was a great way to wrap up my week and sure did make me giggle.  

Just wait until we have a little chat about this next week......

Emily  :)

Growing up is for adults

At this point in my life, I consider myself to be an adult.  Legally, you are considered an adult after the age of 18 and I always thought I was the day after my 16th birthday.  Not so much.  I could ramble on about the tough "real-world" experiences I've already had at my young age and how I've always appeared as a 40-year-old in a 20-something's-body.  But the one idea I've come to love and truly accept at my age is that I never want to "grow up".  Who says you can't be a kid for the rest of your life?  Sure, you need to be responsible and respectful and make wise decisions, but there's no fun in being a serious, straight-faced, no-nonsense type of person for the rest of your life.

Plus, I'm pretty sure it's impossible for me to be that way.  Sassy is my middle-name.

Something I've learned about middle-schoolers is that no matter how hard they try to be grown-ups and act like they are adults, they aren't.  Whether they show that to you through UBER-dramatic tirades, a complete lack of responsibility, or their day-to-day resistance of doing the important things (homework, research, etc), they are all still kids.  I started looking at my students like young adults who should know how to do simple tasks on their own.  It only increased my frustration with them to the point where I would think "Are you kidding?  You don't know how to do that?".  Not healthy at all.  They are still KIDS!  Most don't want to be any more, but they are.  I've decided to cultivate that inner child in all of them and make my classroom a fun learning environment where they get to be kids.  Sometimes I can be one, too.  

There is a healthy balance of letting your students be kids and also helping them grow into young adults (as they will be in a few years).  But I always have to keep in the back of my mind that these students need to enjoy the simplicity of life as long as they can.  I'd like to think at this point that my students understand the fine line between having fun and getting down to business.  We laugh, we play, we joke, but we get things done.  That's what middle school is all about.

At this point in my short career as a young teacher, I've noticed three major components to my classroom that helps me keep a healthy balance between my not-yet-an-adult-but-not-still-a-child group of middle schoolers.  

1) Laugh a little each day

I am a sarcastic person.  My boss at my first full-time job in retail used to call me Sassy.  I'm pretty sure she didn't even know my real name.  But you've got to have a great sense of humor if you're a teacher.  Especially in middle school.  But even more-so,  you've got to allow time to laugh.  You can't be serious all the time, and you know that at least once a week a student will say or do something totally ridiculous that you just can't help but chuckle at.

This past week I had my windows open in my classroom with my door shut.  Through some weird law of science, the plaster ceiling tiles would raise off of the grid and float in the air.  It was hilarious.  And the best part about this phenomenon, was that I noticed it before any of my students.  At a natural break in my lecture, I pointed it out.  Together we were able to share in a group laugh that provided much relief and a perfect break in the lesson.  We didn't lose class time, in fact, students were able to loosen up a bit and re-group.  You can't always control what happens, so when silly things come up, let them be silly and laugh.

2) Play-time isn't just for Kindergartners

When I worked with fourth graders, I participated in a school-wide reward system where students who turned in all of their work for the week could have "Friday Fun."  It was a simple yet effective tool that allowed students to strive to hand in all papers, assignments, and projects each week for some unstructured play-time.  But that was with elementary kiddos.  If you teach elementary school, Friday Fun can turn out to be your best friend.

When I transitioned to teaching middle school, I researched different ways I could motivate my students with a reward that seemed age-appropriate.  Unbeknownst to me, Friday Fun is still cool in middle school.  Middle school students still enjoy a good ol' game of Duck-Duck-Goose or Heads Up 7 Up.  Who would have thought?  When I started, I thought that surely some lame game would embarrass them.  Boy was I wrong.  Although there isn't enough time in a week to designate some Friday Fun each week, I do give students an opportunity to have a whole/half class period of fun at the end of each unit.  Typically I'll try and connect what they've learned to that fun activity, but it's not always possible.  Last week I told my students that if they finished their in-class assignment and missing work before the end of class, they could play a class game (of their choice).  Magically, all but two students were finished with their in-class work AND missing work.  Although they all have iPads, they opted to play an intense game of Heads Up 7 Up.  Amazing.

3) Candy is still cool

I'm a sugar-holic.  That's no secret.  I've always got a small jar of Skittles or Gobstoppers or some small candy on my desk for times when I need a sugary pick-me-up.  My students always joke about it and look forward to seeing what I put in my jar once it's all gone.  With elementary students, candy seems to be some magical bribery that works like a charm EVERY. TIME.  "Show me your finished Venn Diagram and pick a chocolate from the basket".  "If you get an A on your spelling test you will get a Jolly Rancher."  "Anyone who finishes their homework before the bell can pick out a Skittle."  It's as if they've been deprived of candy their whole lives and their existence depends on getting that piece of candy.

Guess what?  Middle schoolers are closet sugar-holics, too.  Yes, it's true!  I've got a noisy group of kiddos in  my advisory and sometimes taking them to assemblies is a head ache.  Last week I told my kiddos if they promised to sit next to each other in the assembly and stay quiet, I would give them candy afterwards.  Magically, it worked and I had the most well-behaved class in the school.  It's like crack for kids.  Like I said, even middle-schoolers are still kids at heart.

These tricks won't work for everyone.  Some middle schoolers really might be TOO COOL for you, but in general, if you remember that your students are still just kids at heart (and most teachers, too), it will make your life, and theirs, a lot easier.  The more I loosen up and have fun, the more we get done as a class and the better their grades look.

"You can be child-like without being childish.  A child always wants to have fun.  Ask yourself, am I having fun?" CM

Emily :)

I appreciate YOU!

Hey you, teacher!  Guess what?  I appreciate you A LOT!

This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week, as you know.  Even though I hope that teachers are appreciated more than once a week, I think it is great to designate a few days to do a little something extra to say, "I appreciate you!"

I also like to take the opportunity to go an extra mile out of the way to thank my co-workers.  My fellow teaching friends.  It's one thing for a parent, child, principal, community member, etc, to thank a teacher.  But, there are so many reasons why I'm thankful for my co-workers.  They teach me new things, mentor me, serve as counselors after a long week, help with anger management, show me new techniques, and typically end up being good friends outside of school, too.  

Schools don't work if teachers don't work as a team - a family.  Education is all about teaching others and being taught yourself.  A "life-long learner" they call it.  So whether we work together or not, teachers, I appreciate you for everything you do!

Emily :)

Blogging about a blog

Alright, it's been forever since I've posted anything on TeachersPayTeachers.com.  I'll admit I've been slacking.  To be honest, the items that I've sold on there are doing really well!  I may have gotten a little greedy.  But it's not about what you earn, it's about what you share with others!  There are so many files that I've gotten from TPT that I just love and have used several times in my classroom.  The site is such a fantastic community that I have to remember the reason why I am a part of it - to support and learn from my fellow teacher.

I've had the privilege of teaching in a range of districts.  Some who are very advanced technologically (one iPad per student) to a district that can barely accommodate a working computer lab for 30 students.  It's amazing how much you learn by having to teach in schools with such different ranges of access to technology.  Whether you have access to a computer lab or not, students still need exposure to technology.  This world that our students are growing up in is NOT what we grew up with.  In my generation, my school got a computer lab full of gigantic MAC computers that took giant floppy disks and could do barely more than word processing (and didn't have the ability to print, either).  By early middle school we had keyboarding classes and were using the smaller floppy disks.  This is a technology-dependent world and in order to be successful, students should know how to navigate a computer (and arguably, a cell phone).

Here is a tool I used with a group of fourth graders.  We didn't have access to computers and I didn't have a SmartBoard or tablet, either.  Just a whiteboard and the worksheets I created.  So, I decided to integrate technology without actually having it in our classroom.

Create-Your-Own Blog graphic organizer:

You can find this on my TeachersPayTeachers account right here.

I created a graphic organizer that resembled a blog.  Before I handed it out and allowed my students to let loose, we had a mini-lesson about blogs - what are they, how are they used, why they are important, etc.  It was a great discussion and a perfect introduction into the activity.  Surprisingly, some students knew a lot about the topic.  The handout has a front and back (and can be extended to several blog entries).  It has room for a blog title and three entries - each need a title, a written entry, and an illustration.  This can be used cross-categorical with a range of topics.  It can also be multimedia if you give students the option of choosing their own method of creating an illustration (newspapers, magazines, crayon, pencil, photographs, etc).  I had my students create their rough drafts before I gave them a final copy to make using a pen.  We went over what a good blog would look like (I had examples for them that I printed off in color so they could see, and you could easily bring up several blogs if you have access to a computer), and wrote a list of what students should put on their 'paper blog' as they called it.

Reminders included: use a lot of color, write neatly, create a clever title, provide useful information, and make sure your image relates to your topic.

I had a lot of fun using this graphic organizer and making 'paper blogs'.  The students thought it was pretty neat that they were making a blog in fourth grade and enjoyed hanging them up in the classroom for everyone to see.

Technology is great!  Even if you don't have a significant amount of it at your disposal, you can still prepare students for the "real world" using tools such as this.  I hope you find it as helpful as I did!

Emily :)

Memory Books

Throughout college and the multitude of classroom placements I had, I was given a lot of advice from veteran teachers or my cooperating teachers.  A lot of the advice given included something about how they had wished that they had done something when they first started teaching many years ago.

Now being a new teacher myself, I don't want to have those types of regrets (so-to-say) of little projects that I wish I had done.  Now is the time, so I better get going!

The first project I started months ago is keeping a journal of funny things that students say.  One of my favorite shows growing up was "Kids Say the Darndest Things" with Bill Cosby (and originally Art Linkletter).  You truly never know what will come out of a kid's mouth.  They are brutally honest and totally hilarious.  When I did my student teaching internship, I decided to start a notebook where I would write down the kiddo's name and what they said.  Sometimes I'd have to explain the context in which they  used it or the conversation it was with.  It's great to read through a few years from now and get a good chuckle or to look through when you're having a hard day.

The second project I just recently started is a class archive in the form of a memory book.  All you need are some pictures and a photo book. 

Here's what mine looks like:

I made a simple cover for the photo book I had laying around.  Cost me nothing and hardly took any time.  Then, I needed to go through and find the photos I had collected over time of my students.  I had my photos printed at my local drug store for less than $2.50.  Super inexpensive!

Here is what my pages generally look like:

I know the photograph looks funny, and that's because I with-held some personal information for privacy reasons.  You get it.  Each page has two 4x6 inserts and a middle section for captions.  The top has the name of the school (since I've moved a bit and I'm sure I will within the next 50 years), the grade level, any special information (special education class, multiage group, etc), and the school year - it looks funny in the photo since I blocked it out.  In the middle section, I put the names of the students as you would see it in a year book (in rows with their complete name).  That of course is blocked out in the photo as well.  Then on the bottom, I put our class photo.  Sometimes I put both a serious and a silly photo, depending on the students.

I've got a nice little collection and I cherish it already.  Getting advice from veteran teachers shouldn't be taken lightly!  I know in a few decades I will have a memory book chock full of great memories that I can really cherish.  If you haven't done this already, get started!  It is such an inexpensive and easy project, especially if you keep up with it each year!

:)  Emily