Sunday, October 26, 2014
All All Those Lutheran School Teachers Out There...
For all of my Lutheran teacher friends who read this blog, this post is just for you! This video/song always makes me laugh, and my kids love to watch it each year! This would be the week (Friday in particular) to show it in your classroom!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Well, it is that time of year again. The school year is well under-way. First quarter is over, and it is time for parent/teacher conferences. Every teacher LOVES conferences, right? While I do enjoy the opportunity to meet with parents I don't see very often, I would be lying if I said I enjoyed (or even liked) conferences. I can't have a real discussion with parents about their child in only 15 minutes. Of course, I can't really go over because then I will back up everyone else behind me. (Plus, I already have to be at school for more than 12 hours. I really don't want to extend that any longer.)
I have to use the limited time I have the best I can. I came up with a planning sheet that I use to make sure I cover no more than 3 important points with parents. I don't want my parents to get overwhelmed. It is so easy to list problem after problem, but, without opportunity for lots of dialogue during conferences, it winds up sounding like all I want to do is complain about their child, which doesn't help anyone. The sheet I use also helps me make sure that I focus on one important area for change or development. One idea is manageable for parents to work on with you. And, so parents know that I really do enjoy teaching their child, I make sure to include praise. So many parents come into conferences fearful of what the teacher will say. I want to make sure they know I am on their side and like their child (even if it is that one student that drives me nuts every day).
You can get a free copy of my conference planning sheet here. (It's a Google Doc.)
I have to use the limited time I have the best I can. I came up with a planning sheet that I use to make sure I cover no more than 3 important points with parents. I don't want my parents to get overwhelmed. It is so easy to list problem after problem, but, without opportunity for lots of dialogue during conferences, it winds up sounding like all I want to do is complain about their child, which doesn't help anyone. The sheet I use also helps me make sure that I focus on one important area for change or development. One idea is manageable for parents to work on with you. And, so parents know that I really do enjoy teaching their child, I make sure to include praise. So many parents come into conferences fearful of what the teacher will say. I want to make sure they know I am on their side and like their child (even if it is that one student that drives me nuts every day).
You can get a free copy of my conference planning sheet here. (It's a Google Doc.)
I also think that every teacher who has had to deal with parent/teacher conferences should get a reward. So, through Thursday, every item in my Teachers Pay Teachers store is 20% off! Click below to check out my store!
How do you manage conferences? Let me know in the comments!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Teachers Conference
I spent Thursday and Friday at a teachers conference for Lutheran school teachers in central and southern Illinois. I LOVE conferences. This is the point in the school year where the year is no longer new and exciting. Besides the fact that it gives me a short break from my kiddos, I love learning new things and always come back to school with great ideas and the motivation to keep going. I thought that I would use this blog post to share some of the exciting things I learned with you!
One really helpful sectional was about vision problems and how to recognize them. (When I say vision, I don't mean eyesight. While related, they are not the same.) I also learned the majority of indicators for vision problems and AD/HD are the same. This blew my mind. While the optometrist that led the sectional is local, her website does have some good information: http://www.visionforlifeworks.com/addadhd.html.
Another sectional was led by a senior educator at the St. Louis Science Center about teaching chemical inquiry (even for lower elementary) in the classroom! We did a really fun investigation with ice melt, cabbage juice, vinegar, and baking powder that I know my kids will love and learn from! (Any time you get to change colors, temperature, or make something explode, my kids will love it.) They have great resources here: http://mysteryofmatteroutreach.org.
I also attended fantastic sectionals about developing phonemic awareness (something I work with my first graders on quite frequently) and using number talks in the classroom. While they were great, I don't have any great resources to share with you at the moment. Those were more "you needed to be there" sectionals.
I hope that some of the information I learned has been helpful to you! It has certainly inspired me to get back to my students on Tuesday!
One really helpful sectional was about vision problems and how to recognize them. (When I say vision, I don't mean eyesight. While related, they are not the same.) I also learned the majority of indicators for vision problems and AD/HD are the same. This blew my mind. While the optometrist that led the sectional is local, her website does have some good information: http://www.visionforlifeworks.com/addadhd.html.
Another sectional was led by a senior educator at the St. Louis Science Center about teaching chemical inquiry (even for lower elementary) in the classroom! We did a really fun investigation with ice melt, cabbage juice, vinegar, and baking powder that I know my kids will love and learn from! (Any time you get to change colors, temperature, or make something explode, my kids will love it.) They have great resources here: http://mysteryofmatteroutreach.org.
I also attended fantastic sectionals about developing phonemic awareness (something I work with my first graders on quite frequently) and using number talks in the classroom. While they were great, I don't have any great resources to share with you at the moment. Those were more "you needed to be there" sectionals.
I hope that some of the information I learned has been helpful to you! It has certainly inspired me to get back to my students on Tuesday!
Friday, October 3, 2014
Tricks and Treats Blog Hop
Today I am joining up with Jessica Plemons over at Mrs. Plemon's Kindergarten for a Tricks and Treats blog hop! THe idea is that you can learn classroom "tricks" from myself and many other teachers, as well as get great "treats" from our Teachers Pay Teachers stores.
Let me start off with my trick. Like many teachers, I always have issues with my students moving their desks around all over the place. I often have students that get squashed like sardines. (Because my room is also used for morning devotions and other all-school events, I have to have my desks in rows most of the time.) This summer, I bought some floor tape. It is the same kind of tape that can be put temporarily on a gym floor. It sticks well but comes off easily at the end of the year (or so I've been told). I put down lines on the floor for each row. That way, my students know how far up their desk is supposed to go and I don't get squished at the front of the room!
Okay, here is my treat. For this weekend only, my Sentence Scrambles are on sale! These are great for helping students put together complete sentences and work on parts of speech. You can get these for only $2 here:
Let me start off with my trick. Like many teachers, I always have issues with my students moving their desks around all over the place. I often have students that get squashed like sardines. (Because my room is also used for morning devotions and other all-school events, I have to have my desks in rows most of the time.) This summer, I bought some floor tape. It is the same kind of tape that can be put temporarily on a gym floor. It sticks well but comes off easily at the end of the year (or so I've been told). I put down lines on the floor for each row. That way, my students know how far up their desk is supposed to go and I don't get squished at the front of the room!
Okay, here is my treat. For this weekend only, my Sentence Scrambles are on sale! These are great for helping students put together complete sentences and work on parts of speech. You can get these for only $2 here:
Monday, September 29, 2014
Picture Day
Tomorrow is picture day. It is one of my least favorite days of the year. Yes, my students look adorable. However, pictures disrupt a good deal of my instructional time. When individual pictures are done, I can't take them out to recess because they will get dirty before the whole school picture. There isn't enough time to really get anything else done. Recess gets pushed back, which means I have less time for my reading groups. Some kids bring clothes to change into after pictures, and that takes time. Some don't, however, and always manage to get their nice clothing really dirty. (I won't help the situation tomorrow. We are doing a science project that involves lots of glue.) Plus, it takes extra time for me to get ready in the morning. I have to look cute, too!
Fortunately, picture day only happens once a year. Oh, wait. I forgot about spring pictures...
Thursday, September 18, 2014
I'm Back!
Hey, everyone! I know I haven't posted in awhile, and I am sorry about that. My life got absolutely crazy. School started, of course, but there have been a few other obstacles as well. My husband accepted a new job an hour away for which we have to relocate. (For anyone who is wondering, I will be finishing this school year with my kiddos. Next year, however, I will need a new teaching job. Let the job hunt begin!) This also means that we have had to work to get our house on the market. It is officially listed! All of this has meant that I have not really had time for blogging, but, now that the house is listed, I hope to be a little more frequent.
Now, back to school topics. I teach at a very small school. In general, the teacher know every parent. I only have a couple of students this year that I have not either had before or had siblings in my class. Because of this, my school doesn't do a traditional open house. Instead, we have a cook-out for our first PTL meeting of the year. The Kindergarten class prepares a skit (which gets the Kindergarten families there!). This year we really had a cook-out. We set out a fire pit and let kids and parents roast their own hot dogs and marshmallows. Then we let the kids loose on the playground while we have a short meeting. The teachers introduce themselves and briefly tell any important information and the PTL spends some money. (I am also very fortunate that at my small school, our PTL has a large budget, so we get to spend money on great things!)
I have done a traditional open house, but I like this way better. It brings the whole family to the school. There is a lot of informal time to talk to parents and it gives parents a chance to connect with each other. If your school is looking to revamp their open house, I highly recommend our approach! (I am hoping I can find such a great school to work at next year!)
Now, back to school topics. I teach at a very small school. In general, the teacher know every parent. I only have a couple of students this year that I have not either had before or had siblings in my class. Because of this, my school doesn't do a traditional open house. Instead, we have a cook-out for our first PTL meeting of the year. The Kindergarten class prepares a skit (which gets the Kindergarten families there!). This year we really had a cook-out. We set out a fire pit and let kids and parents roast their own hot dogs and marshmallows. Then we let the kids loose on the playground while we have a short meeting. The teachers introduce themselves and briefly tell any important information and the PTL spends some money. (I am also very fortunate that at my small school, our PTL has a large budget, so we get to spend money on great things!)
I have done a traditional open house, but I like this way better. It brings the whole family to the school. There is a lot of informal time to talk to parents and it gives parents a chance to connect with each other. If your school is looking to revamp their open house, I highly recommend our approach! (I am hoping I can find such a great school to work at next year!)
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Helpful Websites
Many teachers have a collection of their favorite websites that they use in their classroom. I am no exception to the rule! I admit, I love examining websites that other teachers have successfully used in their classrooms. They have helped me come up with some great ideas! So, here is a list of some of my favorites. I hope they will be helpful to you as well.
Starfall - This website focuses on phonics and early reading skills and is perfect for the Kindergarten or first grade class. While students can use it on their own, much of the website is actually very conducive to the interactive whiteboard, which is how I use it most frequently. It is also a great website to use if you have an extra 5 minutes to spare and need something to fill the time!
Spelling City - This website focuses on spelling and vocabulary skills. My school has a premium account, so each of my students have a user name and their data is recorded. While the premium account is great, even the free features are very good. After you enter your spelling list, students can play games to practice their spelling words. They can even take a spelling test, although, without a premium account, their results will not be saved. This is how my students take their spelling tests every week. I don't have to worry about trying to read their handwriting and figuring out if the letter is supposed to be an o or a u.
Moby Max - This is another website that has both free and paid versions. I use the free version with my students. The website has exercises in several different areas. If students don't do well enough on a section, Moby Max reteaches the information. In other words, they don't move on unless they have performed at an acceptable level. This is a great website to use for intervention.
ABCya - This website is great for Kindergarten through fifth grade and has learning games. My students don't get a chance to use this website too often (as I actually try to minimize computer time in my classroom), but, when they do, they love it! It has lots of math, language arts, and typing games.
Math Fact Cafe - This website if more for you than your students. If you need extra math fact practice worksheets or want to create some that cover specific facts for your students, this is a great place to go. It makes it easy to create custom fact practice sheets. (It also has worksheets for time and money, which my students really need!)
Easy CBM - This is a website to help you collect and manage progress monitoring data. Many schools subscribe to their own progress monitoring program, but, if yours (like mine) does not, this is a great free way. It has been helpful when I have had to work with the public school for student evaluation.
What websites to you use all the time in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
Starfall - This website focuses on phonics and early reading skills and is perfect for the Kindergarten or first grade class. While students can use it on their own, much of the website is actually very conducive to the interactive whiteboard, which is how I use it most frequently. It is also a great website to use if you have an extra 5 minutes to spare and need something to fill the time!
Spelling City - This website focuses on spelling and vocabulary skills. My school has a premium account, so each of my students have a user name and their data is recorded. While the premium account is great, even the free features are very good. After you enter your spelling list, students can play games to practice their spelling words. They can even take a spelling test, although, without a premium account, their results will not be saved. This is how my students take their spelling tests every week. I don't have to worry about trying to read their handwriting and figuring out if the letter is supposed to be an o or a u.
Moby Max - This is another website that has both free and paid versions. I use the free version with my students. The website has exercises in several different areas. If students don't do well enough on a section, Moby Max reteaches the information. In other words, they don't move on unless they have performed at an acceptable level. This is a great website to use for intervention.
ABCya - This website is great for Kindergarten through fifth grade and has learning games. My students don't get a chance to use this website too often (as I actually try to minimize computer time in my classroom), but, when they do, they love it! It has lots of math, language arts, and typing games.
Math Fact Cafe - This website if more for you than your students. If you need extra math fact practice worksheets or want to create some that cover specific facts for your students, this is a great place to go. It makes it easy to create custom fact practice sheets. (It also has worksheets for time and money, which my students really need!)
Easy CBM - This is a website to help you collect and manage progress monitoring data. Many schools subscribe to their own progress monitoring program, but, if yours (like mine) does not, this is a great free way. It has been helpful when I have had to work with the public school for student evaluation.
What websites to you use all the time in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
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