ThE MOst DisJoiNteD bLoG pOSt EvEr! (and some affixes!)

This really is probably going to be the most disjointed blog post ever! There were a few different education and non-education topics swirling around in my head, and I'm just going to lump them all into one post.

I haven't blogged in a bit for no good reason than it is summer, and I'm being a bit lazy.  

Every morning, this is the plan:

                                        

But, then I get distracted.  One of my biggest distractions this summer has been this little app:

Yes, that devilish little Kindle app on my iPhone!  It has been so nice to have time to read fluff.  I am still in the middle of two different professional books, but I just lost interest for a bit.  I might need to delete this app for a couple of weeks so I can get something done! Like blogging and working on my TpT stuff.

Figuring out this whole Tpt thing was is one of my goals this summer.  I have some things I want to get done, but the time-suck that is my Kindle app has been getting the best of me.  It was so fun seeing all the pics of bloggers who attended the Tpt gathering (convention?) in Vegas last week.  It looked like so much fun.  I've been reading lots of blog posts on it, and I have yet to hear of anyone that didn't have a great time, meet some amazing bloggers, and learn lots of helpful tips.

In fact, I posted this pic on my Instagram account during the festivities.  More on Instagram later!  My goal is that by next year my Tpt store will be up and running and I will attend the next gathering  

One thing I am getting done is summer school.  I have the best group of kids this year!  I truly love them to pieces.  They are so sweet, just really nice children who are willing to learn.  No attitudes!  They really make heading to work on nice, sunny, beach days not so bad. And, there are only 7 of them which has let me get so much done.

  My summer friends will be entering 4th grade in September but have reading levels 1-2 years below that.  One thing I learned right away is that they are unfamiliar with the most basic of affixes.  I know they were taught them in 3rd grade, but the recall is not there at all.  So, when deciding what to do with them for word study this summer, affixes it is!  I wanted to get the most bang for my buck.  They certainly need help with spelling patterns, but as soon-to-be-4th-graders I feel mastering some basic affixes will help them more with decoding the grade level words they will encounter.

For visuals with my lessons, I've been using this beach themed packet of 31 different prefixes and suffixes by Rachael Parlett that I found on Teachers Pay Teachers.  It is awesome. And, free! She actually has this same pack available in different themes (pirates, jungle, Hollywood, and more) along with other for sale resources that compliment them.  We've been doing one a day.

 I write the affix down, and then I give the kids a basic word that has that affix.  I then let them try to figure out what it means.  Once they do, we write the definition on the chart we've glued in our notebook.  We then work together to brainstorm a list of words.  After that, they select a word and use it in a sentence that shows they know the meaning of the word.  Finally, they sketch a quick picture showing their sentence.  This form is another freebie I also found on Teachers Pay Teachers created by Gaily Girl.  It's a pack of various materials, including this chart/organizer.  I will say that I did tweak it a bit, but it is essentially the same.  I just changed the font, made one line dotted, and changed the center box to put in the particular affixes we are using.  The form is editable, so it was easy to do.

 I only have my friends for five short weeks this summer, so we are spending two weeks on prefixes, two on suffixes (there they are below, ready to go!) and on our last week we will be combining the two.  The best part of it all is that I can really see this clicking for the kids.  They are using the new words they learned in our conversation and have stopped me during our read aloud more than once to point out that I said a word that had a prefix we learned.  Score!!!

After summer school today, I went to my school to grab some materials from our supply room.  If you are not a teacher and wonder what schools look like during the summer, here it is!

I really feel for our custodians in the summer.  Our school is not air conditioned, and it is hot as blazes in that building.  They are busy clearing out the classrooms, stripping and freshly waxing floors, cleaning the rooms, making repairs, and actually working to retile some classrooms this year.  It is hot and sweaty work! They have to empty every room, do all that work, and then put it all back again.   But, it all very much appreciated when we come back to shiny, clean classrooms in September!

                                             

So, frozen peas.  Yup, that's me driving home from school last week with a bag of frozen peas on my knee.  At dismissal last Thursday, I tripped on some uneven sidewalk and did a full-on face plant (really more of a knee injury) in front of all the summer school staff, students, and parents.  It was so bad, I literally couldn't get up for a minute.  I was going to post a picture of my knee today, but it is so ugly I didn't want to subject you to it!  It is blue, green, purple, black, red, yellow, and every other color you can imagine.  I honestly can't believe how bad the bruise is.  It is still really sore, but I'm just glad I didn't break anything.  And to prove how sweet my kids are this summer, I can't begin to tell you how upset they got when I fell.  I was so busy reassuring them that I was fine that it wasn't until after they were all gone that I realized how bad it was.  

To keep on with this disjointed post. . .  I might be mildly obsessed with getting some Jamberry nails.  I'm seeing them all over the web.  When I first heard of them, I thought I could just pick them up in the store.  But, I think it is some kind of home party sales thing.  I do see though that I can order some on their website.  They aren't cheap, but I think it would be a fun treat. Have to look in to this some more!  Do any of you do Jamberry nails?  How do you like them?  Where do you get them?

My other mild obsession this summer has been banana frozen yogurt.  I tell you this for no reason other than I feel more people need to know about banana frozen yogurt.  (You know I'm an elementary school teacher because I can't even type the word banana without thinking of Minions and laughing!)  I posted this picture of some on Instagram a few days ago.  It was a bit disappointing due to the lack of toppings. Notice there aren't really any?  I wanted some fresh fruit, and there was none!  When is the last time you went to a fro yo shop that had no fresh fruit?!!  

Speaking of Instagram, I have just started using my blog Instagram.  I find I am much more of an Instagram person than a Facebook person.  I use FB in my personal life for friends and family, but I find it really difficult to switch back and forth between my blog FB page and my personal FB page.  As a result, I sort of don't pay any attention to my blog FB page which isn't good.  Some of you have been so nice to follow me on it which means you are probably on it more than I am!  However, I find it much easier to blend my personal and blog Instagram in one.  I think I'm more of a visual person and just find Instagram more appealing.  I need to add an Instagram link to my buttons up top, but you can find me HERE. I've only posted a few pics, but I think IG is one social media I will keep up with.

So, that's my disjointed post. Which seems about right for summer blogging! :-)

Missed It!

First time since I've started it that I missed Weekend Words. Sorry about that!  That picture pretty much sums up the craziness of my life this past week. 

With school ending this week, it has been a mad dash to not just pack up my classroom, but to totally organize it from the inside out. My goal is to hit the ground running in September with very little room prep. I have no plans to go in before our first official workshop days!

Add to that, lots of crazy but fun home stuff going on at the same time, and I have just run out of days! I feel like I have been running non-stop at school all day only to come home and do the same until I crash into bed at night! I could have totally used that eighth day for blogging!

But, I do have some posts coming this week! In the process of cleaning up an old computer I found pics of a bulletin board reading project I don't think I've shared. I also attended a workshop by Douglas Fisher I want to tell you about. (No links as I'm blogging from my phone right now!) and there are a few other posts in the works!

This morning. I am off to school for our last Monday!! Woo Hoo!!!! Just four more days!! Summer vacation is so close!!!

8 Random Thoughts

Long time, no blogging!  I seem to hit these hiccups where life gets in the way of blogging as evidenced this past month.  So, in a random segue, here are some random thoughts on random things.

1.  Convention Anyone? I've been toying with the idea of going to the International Reading Convention in New Orleans.  First of all, New Orleans?  Yes!  I've never been but have always wanted to visit.  Second, I've also always wanted to go to an IRA convention.  There are some amazing workshops that I would love to attend.  Even better, there is a long list of AMAZING speakers such as;  Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Debbie Diller, Richard Allington, Gail Bushey, Joan Moser, Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilky, and more.  I also want to be around professionals that know literacy.  I want to learn more and bring it all back to my classroom.

So, what's the hesitation?  Well, the expense makes for a definite pause.  I figure it will cost me about 3 grand in all to do this between registration, air fare, hotel, meals, and more.  It is a lot of money for a working vacation.  And, it certainly isn't something my district will pay for.  While I can afford to do it, there is a big part of me that is a cheapskate and hesitates.  The other thing that makes me hesitate is that I would be going alone.  I don't have any colleagues that would take this trip and I would feel bad dragging a friend or family member when I would be leaving them alone all day long. I don't mind traveling alone, but I'm not sure what I would do with myself each night when I don't know anyone there. I guess I have until April 14, when the early bird registration ends, to decide what to do.  What would you do?  Any advice?

2.  I have a CRAZY teaching schedule.  We have 8 period days making a 40 period week.  Five periods are lunch, six periods are prep, and the other twenty-nine are teaching period.  Here is the breakdown of my twenty-nine teaching periods:

• 6 periods are teaching Scholastic's Read 180 intervention reading program.  
• 2 periods of small group, pull out remedial literacy
• 17 periods of push-in basic skills guided reading groups in five different classrooms
• 4 periods of small group, pull out enrichment literacy

In all, I have to keep track of sixteen different groups of children.  And, my schedule is not consistent across the week.  Every day follows a different schedule, often with days between seeing the same group again. As you may imagine, planning is everything!  You should see the hard copy of my lesson plans.  There are notes all over it!  If I don't annotate what we completed each period I would be lost.  I'm used to it now, but it took a while.  I do like seeing so many different children at different grade levels.  Still, CRAZY teaching schedule! :-)

3.  I'm reading some great books with my friends!  Between some of my classes, we are currently reading Stone Fox, The Sign of the Beaver, No Talking, and  Heroes for All Times.  All really great books!  I was very happily surprised by Heroes for All Times.  My friends reading it are loving it.  What got them hooked is that the first chapter is all about Florence Nightingale and talks all about her work in hospitals during the Crimean War of 1854.  Some of them immediately connected it to what is currently happening in Crimea, and I heard from a couple of parents that they were impressed with how the book connected to current events.  Totally not planned!  The book was in the plans for a while, but I have not control over when and where countries invade! My friends were also blown away at the lack of knowledge at the time regarding germs, hospitals, and sanitary procedures.  Easy way to hook a nine year old into a nonfiction book?  Start out with something a bit gross!

4.  Loving Read 180!  I posted a while back that mid-year my district implemented this new intervention program.  Three months in the kids love it, and I am seeing some real progress!  I actually hope my district will expand the program and offer it to more kids next year.  

5.  Looking forward to the new blog design!  I am next on the list to be done by A Bird in the Hand Designs.  I'm excited to see what Megan comes up with.  I love what I see her doing with other blogs.  Part of getting the new blog design involved some homework.  I had to complete a survey of likes, wants, and more.  It was much harder than I thought it would be.  I had to really put some thought into what I wanted.  Overall, I'm looking for a more modern-ish design. I think I might throw up a picture of myself, too.  I know I always like when I can see the blogger that writes the blog I'm reading.  I'm sorry to report I was really late in turning in my homework to Megan.  Sorry, Megan!!! If you need to push me back a bit because of that, I totally understand! Honestly, here I am a teacher turning in homework late!  Sheesh!

6.  I just completed my second observation.  We get three twenty minute observations each year, two unannounced and one announced.  This second one was my announced.  It went well, but I have to say this new observation model we use (the Danielson Framework) is soooo involved!  There is a ton of pre-observation questioning and uploading of documents to be done and then more of the same after the observation.  Not sure I agree with all components of the evaluation as in some areas it seem to be impossible to achieve their highest rating when you work with particular populations.  However, my observation went well so no complaints! But seriously, if you don't know anything about the Danielson Framework, click on the link and take a look.  You will see just how involved it is, for better or worse.

7.  Common Core Gaps?  I have noticed lately that in doing my lesson plans, I see some gaps in the common core standards.  There are things I need to teach that are not addressed in the CCS for the particular grade level.  I then look across grade levels but don't see it anywhere else.  It then becomes a stretch to say, "Well, this could fit this standard. . . "  Nothing terrible, just wondering if anyone else has noticed some gaps in the CCS as you have been teaching.

8. Enough with Winter!  Spring starts tomorrow!  I could happy dance all over the place!!  I am so tired of winter.  We used five snow days this year, had a few delayed openings, and one early dismissal.  Thankfully, we had four snow days built into our schedule, so there was only one day to make up.  They took back the Monday after Easter.  I'm good with that as Easter is an early day holiday in my family.  Plenty of time to regroup and get ready for the work week.  I saw that some schools are having their staff come in on Saturdays to make up the missed days.  I would so not be happy with that!  At this point, I'm just really looking forward to Spring Break. We will have the whole week before Easter off.  Yipeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Were these thoughts random enough for you? :-)

Any thoughts or suggestions on the convention?  

Should I stay or should I go? 

Because, this indecision bugging me!

A Snowy State of the Blog Address

Before getting into the blog stuff, let's talk snow.  I don't know where you are, but where I am it has been snow, snow, snow, and how about a nice freezing hail-rain combo to top it all off. We had four snow days built in to our school calendar.  We have used those four snow days.  If we take anymore, they will start to make-up the days by taking back other days off, like Spring Break.  Not looking forward to that.  In addition to the snow days, we've had a few delayed openings and an early dismissal all due to weather. Thankfully, those days still count as a full school day so we don't have to make them up.  Here are some snowy, icy scenes from the past week or so:

my ride to school

ice encrusted cars

snow covered playgrounds



which mean indoor recess. . .

 

Is there anything more chaotic and loud than indoor recess?  I feel for the kids because they really do need to let out that pent up kid energy.  In our school, indoor recess happens in the gym and in our classrooms.  The kids alternate locations because the PE teachers also still need to use the gym.  Thankfully, teachers don't have to monitor indoor recess as it during our duty-free lunch period.  Instead, the lunch aides come to supervise the kids.  But, with all the snow and freezing temperatures we've had lately I'm beginning to think these poor kids will never get outside! Let's all think summer!



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So, onto the blog. I am a month in to my blog goals.  Some are going well, others not so much.
Let's check in with a little State of the Blog Address!

1.  Finish Blog Redesign - This one is going well!  I finally booked a blog designer to help me out.  I decided to go with A Bird in Hand Designs by Megan. She's pretty busy, so I couldn't get a start date with her until March 31st.  Not a problem because it seems I have some blog homework to do.  I feel like I'm building a house and have to decide on floors, counter tops, paint colors and such. :-) All fun, but still work.  But, I am excited to see what comes! I can happily promise that come April things will look a lot different around here.

2. Make at Least 6 Literacy Based Resources/Projects - Well, this can go either way.  I grabbed a bunch of Dr. Seuss books with the intent of creating a couple of upper elementary level activities in honor of Read Across America.  Then, I realized how quickly it would soon be here. March 2nd is right around the corner.  I am going to give it a shot, but no promises!  By the way, that link for Read Across America will take you to the NEA's page that has some printable resources for the day.

If the Seuss projects don't pan out, I think I will still be working on this goal anyway because of some upcoming school projects.  I'm still working on the hero unit for my enrichment class.  One of the books I plan to read with them is the 2014 Newbery Medal winner Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo.  There doesn't seem to be a ton of resources out there, so I am going to have to make some myself.  However, the book title link will take you to a page with some teacher resources if you are interested.  The site also has "book resources" that are teacher friendly.

3. Blog at least Twice a Week - Ummmm, this one might not be going so well.  I think it boils down to a comment I saw on another blog.  I wish I could remember whose blog it was.  The blogger said their goal was not to post x number of posts a week, but to post more quality content.  I think that is a much better goal than my twice a week goal.  It just makes more sense.  Not saying every post will be a gem at all, but I like the idea of posting when I really feel I have something to say or want to share instead of because I have to meet a goal of two posts a week.

4. Step Up the Social Media Portion of the Blog - I think with the new blog design in progress this will kind of take care of itself.  At least for the first steps.  As part of the blog design I am going to be adding social media buttons and updating/creating certain social media sites.  After that, I just have to remember to post on the sites.  I don't see this really happening until after the blog design is done.

5.  Organize the Labels on Previous Posts - Yeah, they are still a hot mess.  I just need to sit in Starbucks one afternoon on a weekend and plow through them.  I have been looking at other blogs to see how they organize their posts, and it seems like everyone is all over the place.  Some bloggers have tons of different labels while others have just a few broad, generic labels.  I think I need to fall somewhere in the middle.  I do know I would like to have this done by March. 

6.  Connect with Other Bloggers - I'm still slacking on commenting at other blogs, but I have been trying to read more.  It all comes down to time.  It seems like there is always just so much to do.  But, I feel this is important so I need to make it more of a priority.

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In my last post, I mentioned not being thrilled about having to use a specific computer program for lesson plans.  Something my district is requiring next year.  It was one little thing I mentioned in a post of many topics.  In light of that, I thought it was interesting that all the post comments focused on lesson plans.  They are just so personal to each teacher! I wonder if admins ever realize how individual every teacher's lesson plans are.  They are definitely not a one size fits all document! Oh well, somehow I will have to make it work.  Isn't that what we teachers always do, though?  We make it work!

Day 8 - Kids

It's Day 8 of the December Photo A Day Challenge!

Day 8 - Kids

What follows is just my opinion!

Today's topic is kids.  Today's picture is a quote that I wish more teachers would take to heart.  

". . . when in doubt, choose the kids.  there will be plenty of time later to choose work. . . "

I should mention at the start of this post that I don't have any children.  However, most of the teachers I work with do.  Most have more than one child.  And, I see most all of them struggle to find the balance between school and work.  I think we all do, even people like me without children. But, I believe having children makes finding this balance a particularly difficult struggle. 

The field of education is always evolving, however it has undergone some significant changes in the past few years that has resulted in teachers being asked to do more and more in the school day. With the common core and new evaluation models, we are asked to revamp what we teach and how we teach it.  This doesn't just magically happen.  It takes hours and hours of time to revise instruction and create new activities, lesson plans, and materials.  We then are asked to find time to reflect on what we teach, correlate data, and revise instruction again.  I'm not making any statements that this is good or bad.  I am simply saying it is tremendously time consuming.  Time well spent? Usually, yes it is.  But, it is often time teachers are hard pressed to find.

For the most part, prep periods haven't gotten any longer.  Also, we tend to do this thing with the rest of our day called interacting with children and teaching which makes it impossible to do all that revising, planning, and creating.  Oh, and then on that prep period we still need to grade the work the children are doing, return parent emails and phone calls, handle discipline issues, counsel that child you know is bothered by something but not talking, and try to get in all the miscellaneous paperwork required in general.  

How do we try to keep our heads above water as the demands continue to increase?  We take work home.  We take lots of work home. We spend weeknights grading papers and Sundays writing lesson plans.  But here's the thing.  We've always done that.  It's nothing new. Any new teacher coming into the profession learns during their student teaching that it's just part of the job. But, as the demands increase, when do we cry uncle?

Our students are important.  The work we do is important.  How we do it is important and deserves all the attention and effort we can give it.  But, sometimes you just have to take a step back and realize you can only do what you can do.  Teachers have families, too. Their families are important, too.  I see teachers who regularly work through their lunch every day so that they can try to keep up and maybe take one less assignment home that night.  I have seen teachers bleary-eyed because they stayed up until 1:00 in the morning to get grading done as they couldn't start until their own kids finished dance/sports practice, had dinner, took baths, went to bed, and lunches were made for the next day. I see teachers who arrive at school almost two hours early so they can get some work done and others who stay so late the parking lot is pitch black when they leave. 

Still we can't get it all done. And, that I believe is something we teachers need to accept.  We just can't do it all.  Don't get me wrong.  I love teaching.  I love working with my students.  I love creating new projects and lessons that will capture their interest, motivate them to work, and teach them what they need to learn.  And many a nights I have worked on lessons to do just that.  But, many nights I have thought that if I had children this would just have to wait.  I am in awe of the teachers I work with that try to get it all done and raise small children.  But, I also see them frustrated and upset that they must continually struggle to find time to get all the school work done. I have to say my advice to them would be. . . 

". . . when in doubt, choose the kids.  

there will be plenty of time later to choose work. . . "

It would be so much easier if we made those infamous widgets.  We could put it on a shelf and get back to it the next day.  You can't put students on a shelf.  We know that the new day brings new demands, and we have to be prepared.  But, sometimes you just need to choose your family.  I'm certainly not advocating any dereliction of your teaching responsibilities, but we need to realize it just may not be the end of the world to put your family first at times. Leave no child behind applies to your children, too!  And quite honestly, no matter what your profession, sometimes you just need to put your family first.  Hmmm, kind of feeling like Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol right now!  God bless us, everyone!  :-)

School Prep? Nope!

Getting ready for the new school year?

Uh, nope.  Not yet.

This is how I spent my day!

 

 

And, I'm planning to do it all over again tomorrow!

Thursday it's into the city (NY) for a taping of

the new Bethenny Frankel show.

Squeezing all the juice I can out of this summer

because. . .

room prep begins on Monday.



Random Thoughts on a Random Day

Lots of random thoughts today on lots of random topics. . .


I went on an "I-am-bored-so-let's-go-to-Target-and-spend-money-on-random-things-I-don't-really-need" shopping trip.  You know those dollar bins they have in the front of the store?  Well, I found these gems on the right.  Orange, yellow, pink, and red striped magazine files.  Too cute!  They don't exactly match the cute striped ones below that I got at Ikea for my friends to use as book bins, but I love 'em anyway!  The best part is that all black dot items were 50% off, so I scored those babies for just fifty cents each!
  


I'm  making maracas!   On that unnecessary Target shopping trip, I also picked up two bags of plastic Easter eggs for 50% off.  These two big bags were just a dollar each. Last year, I wrote a post called Some EGGcellent Ideas that gives a bunch of ideas on what to do with all those leftover plastic eggs. In looking back at the post, I was surprised to see that I never included the maraca idea.  If you want more info on how to make them, visit the blog Dana Made It.  She has a perfect tutorial with step by step directions.

My plan is to make them for Cinco de Mayo.  Well, actually we will be making them on Tres de Mayo as the fifth falls on a Sunday. :-)

Above is my lame attempt to give it a trial run.  Lesson learned - Get better masking tape!  Mine wasn't so sticky so it didn't wrap around the egg too well.  I'm thinking of also getting some wider tape so that I can just have my friends wrap it once.



My latest library book sale haul!  If you read my blog, you may know that I love buying books on the cheap from my local library book sale.  Below are the books I was lucky enough to find on my last visit.  It was a good day!  Too many books to fit in one picture!

Buying books from library sales is a perfect way to stock your classroom library for what can literally be pocket change.  Since my teaching position changed this year, I found my library required a serious overhaul.  I needed a lot more books at lower levels.  Luckily, I've been able to find many good books over the course of the year.

SMARTIES for smarties!  Yes, I still give my friends Smarties on occasion.   The name alone makes them a school food!  Okay, I kid about it being a school food.  But, sometimes we all need a little sweetness in our day!


Which leads me to my next random thought. . .


My favorite "new" app is Color Splash.  I put new in quotes because this app has been around a long time.  I'm just late to the party.  But, what a party it is!  Essentially, this app lets you take any picture, convert it to black and white, and then color any part of the picture you want.  Above, you can see that I used the app on the Smarties picture.  I also used it on the pictures of the books and the trial run maraca, but since the backgrounds were originally on the gray side it doesn't show as well as it does in the Smarties picture.
I also used the app in my post about two picture books for writing lessons when I took this picture at Barnes and Noble.  Since I still can't find my camera and am using my iPhone for pictures at the moment, this app has made it all a little more fun.  It is well worth the $0.99!

And, finally my most random thought of all. . . 

I can't get enough of this stuff! :-)

So, what random thoughts are floating around with you today?

Refrigerator Papers

In my last post on personalized sticky notes for reading, I mentioned that I had purchased something fun and motivating from Vistaprint.  Here is the little item I ordered.  Again, the picture is a bit fuzzy because it is from a screen shot of my order.

It's a self-inking stamp for refrigerator papers!

What's a refrigerator paper?  It's a goofy thing I came up with many years ago that has been so well-received by my friends and their parents. 

Very simply, a refrigerator paper is a paper that shows me a friend's best effort.  It doesn't have to be an A paper, it doesn't even have to be a paper that was graded.  It is simply some assignment on which I noticed my friend had really done their best.  It could be that a student showed some real improvement or showed some great thinking.  It could be anything that I feel deserves a little recognition.

When I explain it to my friends, I tell them a refrigerator paper is work that is so good it deserves a spot right on the refrigerator for all to see.  I tell them it is so good, they need to make a long distance call to their great great grandma in Kalamazoo and tell her they got a  refrigerator paper.  It's a paper so good, they need to bring the dog over to the refrigerator and show the dog how great it is!  It's a paper so good, they need to get a flashlight and set up a spotlight on that refrigerator paper!  It's so good that if your family orders a pizza you might want to tell the delivery man about it! And, if their parents want to take out an ad in the local paper congratulating them on a refrigerator paper, that would be just fine!

Obviously I get really silly and over the top with my explanation, but that just builds the fun of getting the paper.  When I find a paper like this, I would simply write in big letters across the top, "REFRIGERATOR PAPER!!!" Honestly, when they get a refrigerator paper they get so excited.  I have had parents comment on how much they like it many times.  Their kids can't wait to tell them when they get one.  It's especially nice for the older crowd that thinks they are too cool to have a school paper on the refrigerator.  If I simply write the words refrigerator paper on the top, the cool factor goes right out the window.  They can't wait to put that thing on the fridge and take pride in their work.

From a teacher's point of view, I like refrigerator papers for many reasons.  Everyone, even your most needy student, can get a refrigerator paper.  If the paper is graded and they have done well, obviously I am going to make it a refrigerator paper.  But, it is not really about the grade. It's about the effort. For my friends who tend to struggle and not get very many high grades, it is a nice way to compliment something done well on an ungraded assignment.  Those parents especially like it because they don't often get to make a fuss over great work. 

It also allows me to compliment every student a few times throughout the year in an easy way.  I keep a class list in the back of my grade book.  When I give someone a refrigerator paper, I put a check next to their name.  I can see at a glance who might need a turn at getting one, so I then keep my eyes out for it.

Now, not every assignment will have refrigerator papers.  If you start doing this, I promise every time you return papers your friends will ask you if there were any refrigerator papers.  Lots of times I say, "There's lots of great work here, but I didn't look for refrigerator papers this time."  You want it to be something special, so if you do it too often the magic is lost. When I do it, I try to limit it to just 3 or 4 papers.  I also don't give it to every paper that gets 100.  In fact, I've had friends complain that they got a 100 just like Sally, but Sally got a refrigerator paper and they didn't.  I simply reiterate that it's not all about the grade.  In the same assignment I can have a variety of grades be refrigerator papers.

The other thing I like is that this is a no cost motivator.  Well, it was until I decided to order the stamp. :-)  But, it has worked for me for years by just writing it across the top of the paper using the same old pen I graded the paper with.  Nothing fancy needed.

So, that's my weird and fun little motivator. I am sure some of you out there are rolling your eyes and think it is ridiculous, but it works for me!  I've been doing it for years.  It's simple, takes no time to do, and gets great results.

So, what do you think?  Could this work for you?

What oddball things do you do to motivate your students?

Dr. Seuss Door - Quick & Easy!

So, next week is the big Seuss Week.  My school is celebrating in a big way with many activities planned for every day.  One of the activities we are doing again this year is the door decorating contest.  If you've been around, you might remember the My Many Colored Days door decoration and activity that my friends did last year.  It involved a poem activity and was a lot of fun.

This year, I don't have a homeroom to decorate a door.  My room is pretty much my office, but I still wanted to decorate my door.  This is why I called the post "Dr. Seuss Door - Quick & Easy." This was going to be quick.  I actually did it all in one day, start to finish!

Since I didn't have students to complete an activity, I decided to Google a Dr. Seuss poem.  Here's the final creation.

 

Now, you should know there's not an original thought going on here!  I totally copied this from an image I found on Google.  And, I would love to give credit to someone for it but there doesn't seem to be anyone to be found.  This is the original image that gave me the idea for the door.

 

 

Cute, right?  However, in looking for the original site or creator to give credit I ran into a dead end.  Here's the link for the Google search.  And, here's a link to it on Pinterest.  However, nothing seems to link to anything else.  So, if you are the hat maker. . . Thanks for the idea!  And, leave a comment so I can happily credit you.

 

UPDATE:  I knew someone would know where this came from!  Thanks to Mrs. Parker from the blog Learning with Mrs. Parker for knowing the source.  Before I get to that, check out Mrs. Parker's blog.  The link will take you to a great linky party she did for Read Across America.  Tons of great ideas!   The hat poem is from Mrs. Krull's blog Of Primary Importance.  She is using it for a shared reading lesson.  Here's the best part.  She has the entire poem available for download on her site!  The link for her blog will take you to that post.  So, thanks to both Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Krull!

 

To make the door hat, I just taped a bunch of red and white construction paper together and used an overhead projector to project the poem.  I copied it with some black Sharpies and was done.  The various book characters you see around it are just more image searches that I printed out.  A quick and easy Seuss door!  You can't go wrong with anything that encourages reading, reading, and more reading!

 

I was going to do a post with lots of fun links related to Dr. Seuss, but honestly there is just so much out there a quick Google search will give you plenty.  The one thing I did think I would share is where you can download a "Dr. Seuss" type font.  It would be great to have for creating signs or activities for you classroom that look Seuss-y, if that's even a word!

 

The font is called DOCTOR SOOS and can be found at Dafont.com.  That link will take you directly to the Doctor Soos font.  It is free for personal use, so download and create!  Here's a quick screen shot from the site to show you what the font looks like.

 

Hope your Dr. Seuss activities and celebrations are amazing this week!

 

I'll be back later today to post the winner of the give away.

 

Have a great Sunday!

 

 

Life Events Inspire Your Teaching!

I just registered for The Color Run here in New Jersey! 

 I am really just so excited to do this!

One of my goals this year was to make fitness fun.  

If this doesn't do that, I don't know what will!

So, why am I posting about a 5K on my ed blog?  

Because as I was registering I kept thinking,

 "This will be a GREAT writing topic 

to share with my friends!"  

Just the pictures alone are great prompts for creative writing tasks, grammar lessons on adjectives, and so much more.  The pictures above are from The Color Run's website.  I can't wait for this event. Tell me I won't be able to write an awesome personal narrative on this!!  I suggest visiting their site and seeing if there is one near you!

What life events have 

inspired you in the classroom?

Death of a Classroom

Okay, I will admit my post title is overly dramatic, but it fits my mood these days.  As you might now, I posted about being moved from my classroom into a basic skills position.  This move means I will be pushing into several other teachers' classrooms to work with specific children during their literacy period.  It means no homeroom for me. There's no classroom to set up, a wonky schedule, and much more.  I really, really tried to see the positive in this move.  And, there are positives to it.

However, this week I had to pack up my classroom.  I was told to pack it up as if I were moving.  That means everything gets packed up, and that is how it shall stay. And, that is when it really hit me.  As I packed my room into box after box, I was surprised at how sad I became.  What was once a thriving classroom, a place I worked hard to make welcoming to my friends, a place where learning happened, where silly moments were enjoyed. . . well, it became this.

Books on shelves that will not be dusted off and passed out in September.

An amazing class library that is now in boxes where it will stay next year.

Empty desks that won't be used by new friends, filled with books, or need name tags.

Book crates that held the books my friends chose to read all year, now disassembled and boxed.

An empty meeting table that will not hold any meetings next year.

I think really hit me as I was packing up because every time I would pack something away, I would think about what project I would do with it or how it was used in my classroom.  Then, I started to realize that wouldn't be happening next year.  Also, there were moments where I suddenly realized things like I wouldn't be placing any Scholastic book orders anymore.  No more points to buy books.  :-(

So, if there hasn't been a lot of posting these past couple of weeks, it's because I just couldn't find much to say.  I've been in a funk. I've allowed myself to wallow in my sadness.   However, I am not a "live in the funk" kind of person.  I do know there will be positives in this move.  So, now that the room is packed up and summer has officially started (Friday was my last day!)  it is time to move on. 

I start summer school in a week.  It's only four days a week, three hours a day, for five weeks.  I will be working with some challenging kids who don't want to be there.  So, I have challenged myself to make this a FUN learning experience for them.  I have a lot of freedom within the curriculum, so it will give me lots of opportunity to be creative.  I will be sure to post about what we are up to this summer.

After summer school, I've decided to take a fun vacation at the end of August. I've never been able to take a vacation at the end of August since I've always gone in to school that last week or so to set up my room.  Since I don't have to do that this year, I am going to take advantage of the time.   I'm not sure where I want to go yet, but I want it to be FUN!!  Living by the Jersey shore, I'm at the beach all the time so I'm not looking for an island-beachy vacation.  I want to do something different, but still stay within the US. 

Any suggestions? 

I'm not exactly sure what the next school year will bring, but for now. . .

No Time to Take Time!

Hi!  Sorry posting has been a bit light lately, but it's the end of the year!  Similar to the end of the world, but I might manage to survive this one!  :-)  Maybe!

I know I am preaching to the choir for the most part, but CHEESY COW!!! I am swamped with work!  As are my little friends.  Take a look at this calendar.

Every year I put up a countdown calendar on our whiteboard.  This year it came out a bit crooked, so I drew the skinny guy holding up one end.  As you can see, we have been very busy with all things 5th grade.  I really put this calendar up, not so much as a countdown, but because I needed to see at a glance what was happening when.  I kid you not when I say this calendar is not even complete.  These are just the "extra" events we have going on.  What it doesn't show are all the end-of-year assessments my friends are being overwhelmed with, all the final writing unit projects we are scrambling to get done, and the other crazy things like promotion practices, chorus/band practices, and middle school orientation. 

On the teacher end, I am giving up a life this week to get all those things graded.  Plus, my  marking period grades (which aren't averaged because I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO GRADE!) have to be in by the 13th, my placement forms for the middle school also still need to be done among many other things.  While I am willing to give up my evenings for the next two weeks to get all this done, there are those pesky things that won't let me like an evening music concert my friends are all singing in, a couple of retirement parties for much loved colleagues, an author's celebration at a local bookstore that my friends will be reading at, and all the before and after school meetings, meetings, and more meetings that are cropping up almost every day!  It's just a crazy time of year!!  The only saving grace is that the weather has been cool, so my room is not 900 degrees this week!

I haven't even really begun to pack up my room yet, either.  It is a hot mess in there!  I'm hesitant to even pack yet because we keep hearing there is going to be a lot of movement in our building.  I don't think most people realize that we don't work for a school, but for a district and can be moved anywhere.  In my district, there are four elementary schools.  If the rumors of lots of movement this year are true, I don't feel too bad about not packing up anything in my room yet.  Packing to stay in your room is very different from packing to leave for another building! 

On a totally different note, I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a fantastic idea.

It's from the blog MargeD Teaching Posters.  It is a great blog with lots of pictures and fantastic ideas like this one.  THIS LINK will take you to the page where she explains how to use an old CD binder to hold your die-cut letters.  I happen to have on lying around, so I might just try this.  However, I was also thinking that my MacGyver like storage solution might work just as well.  You could make a binder full of baggies with your letters in each bag.  I do think the CD binder would be better if you really wanted to sort your letters more, such as by upper and lower case or actual words/sayings that you use on certain bulletin boards.  Go visit Marge D's blog.  It has a bunch of great ideas!  I know I really liked this one!  And, on that note. . .

9 SCHOOL DAYS AND COUNTING! 

Who am I kidding? 

I'm teaching summer school  for five weeks this summer. 

Really just trading an old group of friends for a new group of friends for a few weeks! 

But, it's still fun to think. . .

9 SCHOOL DAYS AND COUNTING!

Staples, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

I hadn't planned to post until this weekend, but an email has me so annoyed I had to share.

Remember when Staples was my new BFF?
It's been a great relationship.
I would like to say we even went beyond being BFFs this year and gotten as close as an office supply store and an elementary teacher can get.

When I needed 25 notebooks, Staples was there for me.
When I needed four new staplers because my friends pounded our old ones into oblivion, Staples was there for me.
When the power went out, my Promethean board died, and I had to kick it old school with chart paper and Mr. Sketch markers?  Staples was there for me.

So, I have to ask my BFF Staples. . .

Why have you forsaken me?

It was with a heavy heart that I opened my email to find a Dear John letter from my former BFF.  It seems that they have changed their Teacher Rewards program. It used to be that when they had Extreme Deals during July and August for the back to school season, you could buy an additional 25 of any extreme deal product at the same price.  In fact, last July I did an entire post about this deal.  I got index cards, highlighters, and pencils for just ten cents each! 

Remember these reading response notebooks?

Yup, purchased at Staples for just ten cents each!

So, what is the new program?  It seems you can buy the limited quantities of the Extreme Deal, which is usually about two, at the super inexpensive price.  Now, any extras you buy will be the regular price.  I KNOW!!!!  Here's how they think they are being a good guy, they will give you the full price of the other purchases on your teacher rewards to be used later.  Ahhhh, thanks Staples but really?  Not much of a perk!

Here's the email I received:

For questions, call the Staples Rewards® contact center at 1-800-793-3320. Email us > Find a store near you Request a catalog > Get the Staples Mobile app.

*Get 100% back in Staples Rewards when you buy any Extreme Deals during Back to School (July/August) 2012. Valid for Teacher Rewards members only. In store only. While supplies last. Maximum quantity eligible for Rewards is 25 including items purchased as part of the Extreme Deal. Items purchased over Extreme Deal limit will be charged at reg. retail price. Price eligible for Rewards is the amount paid at checkout after application of all promotions, coupons, instant savings, and Rewards redemptions. Purchaser is responsible for paying applicable sales tax. No cash/credit back. Limit one Staples Rewards account per person or at any mailing address. Staples Rewards are issued online monthly when the value of the Reward is at least $10. Rewards expire no less than 60 days after issuance. Monthly balances of less than $10 will roll over each month until the minimum is met for that calendar quarter. If the $10 minimum for the quarter has not been met, the balance will expire at the end of the quarter. For full program details, visit staplesrewards.com. This email is intended to communicate important program information to Rewards members. The receipt of this email will not change your promotional email preferences. Make sure this email doesn't end up in your junk folder. Add staples@e.staples.com to your address book. Update your email preferences here. Privacy Policy. Staples Contract & Commercial, Inc., 500 Staples Drive, Framingham, MA 01702.

So, let me tell you why this makes me so sad:

• I spend a lot of money purchasing supplies for my friends whose families simply do not have the means to buy them.
• I don't get paid in the summer!  Being able to buy these items at extreme deal prices makes it affordable for me.  It's not so helpful to get the money back in rewards after school starts.
• Being able to make sure  my friends have what they need to learn allows them to LEARN! Learning is the priority, not worrying that they don't have pencils or notebooks.

I understand that Staples is a business and like any business their goal is to make money.  However, I have to wonder.  Were teachers across the United States on the verge of putting them out of business with their crazy notebook buying every August?  What prompted this change of policy?  It just makes me so irritated.  I feel as teachers, our job is hard enough.  When you find something like the old Staples Rewards program that actually helps you do your job, you totally appreciate it.

I honestly used to think of Staples as a teacher friendly store, and it really did make me loyal to their company all throughout the year.  However, no more.  I simply don't have the funds to purchase 25 notebooks at regular price for my friends.  I can't afford to buy the extra supplies that I don't want to burden parents with.  And, if they aren't going to be so teacher friendly, I don't feel the need to be either when buying printer ink, paper, folders, and the multitude of other supplies I purchase at regular prices for school and home all year long.

It's time to end the love affair. 
Staples and I are no longer BFFs. 
As with any traumatic break-up, I'm off to drown my sorrows in pint of Hagen Daz now.

What's your take on this?

For No Reason Whatsoever!

I had a few little things I wanted to post about, but none of it went together.  None of it was terribly important, but I still wanted to blab about them.  So, here you go!  Two oddball items and four Pinterest fun finds.  For no reason whatsoever!

2 Oddball Items!

Clip Art  It has been a very nice weekend so far thanks to state testing.  Not having to plan instruction for the week allowed me to get ahead on my plan book.  I didn't have to bring it home this weekend!  That is a rarity.  I don't know how people get their plan books done during the week.  I always end up doing mine on the weekend.  Perhaps one of the things that slows me down is my penchant for sticking silly clip art in my plans whenever I can.  Take a look below.  These are snapshots of my plans for the coming week. 

Chock full of clip art!  We have the PTO plant sale this week, it's National School Nurse Day, and we have chorus so of course I need some silly singing faces.  Best of all, we have a class trip to Medieval Times on Thursday.  Yeah, I could just type in "Medieval Times Trip," but a jousting knight is just so much more fun! :-D

Here's a poster that hangs in my room. I have my friends come to the board quite a lot during the course of the day.  As they leave, I will always have the class tell them "good job."  A couple of years ago, I realized we needed to change it up a bit.  In looking around my room, I noticed that I had my own little United Nations.  Problem solved!  I sent a note home asking parents to help out.  If another language was spoken at home, or if they knew how to say good job in the language of their culture, I asked them to please send in the spelling and phonetic spelling.  We then add it to this chart.  Now, whenever a friend does a good job, we pick a language of the day to praise them in.    What's nice is that it also honors the various cultures in our classroom and we all learn a little something new. 

4 Fun Pinterest Finds

I've done this before, but it's so much fun I thought I would do it again!  My love of Pinterest has led me to pin a ton of different ideas that I can't wait to try.  I thought I would share some with you.  These are more fun things, not so much teaching/curriculum related.  All the pictures I used are from the original blogs I linked to, not the Pinterest pins.  I figure you have to give credit where credit is due, so I'm sending you right to the sources.  Here are four of my favorites lately.

Love these gummy skewers!  Found these over at Hostess with the Mostess Daily Blog.  The picture is directly from their post.  I think they are just so cute!  In June, my friends go to a local pool club for the day as an end-of-year class trip.  These would be a perfect treat for when we return.  They make so many different gummy shapes, you could probably find some to fit any theme.

Glitter!  This one is just too good, especially if you teach the preschool crowd.  It's not just glitter, it's EDIBLE glitter!  It's table sugar mixed with some food coloring, and then baked in the oven for ten minutes.  Now, I haven't tried it but I sure plan to. The picture looks promising!  Glitter is expensive, so in addition to this being a non-toxic alternative, it's budget friendly!  I found this on the website Planet Pals.  The link will take you to a page that is full of recipes for non-toxic art mediums like puffy paint, paste, etc.

The Countdown  I saw this on Pinterest and pinned it.  When I went back to find the original site, I couldn't.  It just links to Pinterest.  So, with a little more searching, I finally found the original post.  It is from the blog Alpha Mom.  She does a great tutorial on how to repurpose leftover Halloween candy.  I'm thinking I could use this in a different way for my friends.   We have two weeks of school in June, ten days.  This would be cute to put a slip of paper in each cup that has a reward or treat written on it.  Each morning, my friends could just punch out a cup and they get the "prize."  I'm thinking the slips in each cup could have simple things like everyone sits where they want today, 30 minutes extra recess, and things to that effect.  For the full tutorial on how to make this, go visit Alpha Mom!

Maracas!  I so wish I had found this one when I did my post on how to use up all those plastic Easter eggs.  I also wish I had remembered that I pinned this one in time to do it before Cinco de Mayo.  Oh well!  But, I'm going to share it anyway because I think it's really a clever idea.  The blog Made gives a tutorial on how to make maracas using two plastic spoons, a plastic egg, some popcorn kernels, and a little masking tape.  Then, your friends can use markers to decorate them.  Instant maracas!  You don't need to wait until Cindo de Mayo for these. It would be fun to have a basket of these in the classroom for when you sing Happy Birthday.  They would be good for challenges where they shake their maraca when they know the answer.  I think they are just too fun!

 

So, there's my list of unrelated items for no reason whatsoever!