Reflecting on my first 6 weeks...

What a busy first 6 weeks!  I've actually been on break for two weeks for our harvest, and we're going back tomorrow.  I've had to go through a metamorphosis of my own kind just to transition from a middle school teacher to a 3rd grade teacher, and at times I didn't handle it well.  I did at school, but didn't at home.  I became a stressed-out "B", losing my patience and even allowing myself to get into arguments with people other than my husband.  That's unlike me.  Needless to say that this two week break did me wonders.

It took me a few days to clear the cobwebs from my head, and when my thoughts were clear the creativity came out.  Since I discovered Pinterest this spring, I have been addicted to it.  At first I was pinning any food items that I might possibly attempt, but still haven't, then I started looking at the craft items, then when I found out that I'll be teaching 3rd grade, then I've been pinning anything that I thought I could use.

Some of the items I've pinned have had to do with centers, or stations.  How to organize the different activities and how to manage it.  Before school began, I had no idea what I could utilize centers in my class, then I talked with other teachers and learned about some of their strategies.  When our break began and I started to relax, then I began knowing exactly what I was looking for.  I found one center idea based on the Daily 5.  I'll admit, I haven't read up on it so I don't know exactly how it's supposed to be used.  But, I did love the anchor charts that I found and copied them.  I then began working on my activities.

I picked up a couple of stiff poster boards that fold in 3rds; the ones usually used for science fair projects, and decided to make them my help boards.  I probably don't have the terminology quite right, but my intention is for them to be helpful for my students.  One was set up for math and the other for language arts.

This one is my math help board.  The box in front of it has activities for them to do.  This will be for math practice and enrichment when they're finished working early, and during math Title 1 pull-out time.

This one is my language arts help board and in front if it are activities, which are also for practice and enrichment when they're finished working early or during language arts Title 1 pull-out.

I used to have the math one on a bulletin board in the front of the classroom, but felt I needed that one for other purposes, so using their portable bulletin boards allows me to place it where I need it most, when I need it.  Even though they're in one spot right now, I can move them to the front if I need to refer to them during a lesson.

One thing that I've been busy doing is writing projects to submit to Donorschoose.org.  I've already received a document camera and over break received a projector and some books, all that were funded by donors.  I haven't opened the boxes for the projector or books yet, because I want my students to enjoy that pleasure with me, but below is what my document camera looks like opened up and folded.  It's the coolest thing!!

This is the camera opened.  I can place anything under the lens and it will project on the screen without needing transparencies!

And here it is all closed up.  I can put it in my laptop case and use it to do a presentation elsewhere if needed.  Did I mention that I think it's the coolest thing ever?

One of my favorite activities that it's been used was when my students and I were examining an egg.  We were learning the parts of the egg and what their purposes were for.  I was able to place the cracked egg in a cup under the camera and it projected on the whiteboard.  We then labeled the egg right on the board before they continued with their experiment.  It was such a useful tool!

The picture isn't that clear, but you can see how the egg is displayed on the whiteboard and see how we labeled the parts.

I now have 2 new projects on Donorschoose.org that I'm looking to have funded.  One is for math centers, which are all aligned to the Common Core Standards, and another is for stability ball chairs for my students to sit on instead of the uncomfortable chairs they have right now. 

This is the link to my math centers: http://www.donorschoose.org/project/creating-independent-learners-in-math/858946/

This is the link to my stability ball chairs: http://www.donorschoose.org/project/stability-balls-to-help-us-stay-focused/887271/

There's so much more that I could write about, but there's plenty of time for me to bring those topics up in another blog post.  Have to go make some lunch!  Until next time!

Reinvention...

Hey everyone!

Let me introduce myself.  I'm a 42 year old wife, step-mom, and teacher who has reinvented herself several times over.  I've been married once before, which I like to refer to my other life, and have worked at various jobs, including an 11-year stint as a legal secretary.  After my divorce from my ex, I decided to take advantage of my new-found independence and follow my dream of becoming a teacher.  I had been graduated for 10 years and hadn't had any college experiences at all, so the whole idea was very new to me.  But nevertheless, I tested the waters and proved to myself that it was the right move for me and jumped in with both feet.  Fortunately it was more like a well-planned Olympic dive than the belly-flop that I feared it would be.

During my first marriage I was made to feel that I couldn't accomplish what I started, that going back to school would be a bad idea because I wouldn't be able to handle it and wasn't smart enough to finish.  Wasn't I proud each semester when my name would be posted in the local paper having made the Dean's list each time.  Then when I received a Presidential Award from my university for academic excellence, I couldn't have been more proud of myself.  A good part of me also felt like I was flipping the bird at those who used to tell me that I couldn't do it, and that I wasn't smart enough.  Just wait when they find out next spring that I've acquired my master's degree! HA!

Well, for the past 10 years I've paid my dues and eventually became a middle school language arts teacher, until this past year when my district decided to make cuts.  Yeah, I knew it was coming, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt.  Fortunately I had the foresight to do what I had to do and started filling out applications and reconstructing my portfolio with proof of my ability to teach, use technology, and have some kind of knowledge of pedagogy.  Apparently I was convincing enough because I was hired in another district, the one I had worked in before as a full-time sub and had done my student teaching in.  In fact, I'll be working with the same two teachers I had worked with before while doing my student teaching.  The best thing is, I live between my old district and my new one so that means that my traveling won't change much, just the direction I'll be going.  Wonder how many times I'll turn toward my old district first before I finally turn the right way automatically? Anyhow, needless to say, I'm quite excited with my new position (grade 3), which starts in 3 weeks!

As for my family, I have a wonderfully supportive husband, who also decided to go back to school a few years ago and now works as a forester in the great outdoors.  I have two awesome stepsons, one who is a soccer player and has just received his learner's permit, and the other one who has just discovered that football is the sport for him.  I'll get into things more about them later.

I'm fortunate to have my parents, who have moved back to live in the house my mom was raised in, and I also have a beautiful sister who is nearly 12 years younger than me.  Yup...I was the built-in babysitter.  As much as I wanted to change that fact back when I was a teen, I look back now and wouldn't have had it any other way.

My hubby and I are doing the hobby farming thing.  We've done the chickens and cows before, but this year we've invested in more beef, chickens again, and this year we've added pigs.  So we, mostly my husband, keep busy with taking care of them all.  The chickens are my thing, but they won't be around for long.  My plan is for them to move from my back yard to my freezer this week.  It's not a pretty task, but it's one that I'll enjoy the rewards from all winter long.

So far I've reinvented myself by leaving an unhappy marriage, going back to school and making the grade, marrying my best friend and gaining 2 stepsons, changing from relying on others to provide my food for me to providing our own, changing careers a few times, and changing my view of myself as a couch-potato to an athlete, to a couch potato again, but that's a different story. To find out more, you'll have to stay tuned.  Until next time.....