Trials in preparing a new class....

Since school finished about 2 1/2 weeks ago, I've been moving my things to a new building and setting things up.  There have been lots of organizing, too.  I went for the third time today to work in my room, and like I'm sure may teachers working in their room experience, you don't get much done.  I did get a lot accomplished, but I'm also getting to know my new colleagues.  So far they've all been so helpful, informative, and welcoming. 

Here are some pictures of my new classroom, as a clean slate.  Right now a lot is set up, but I'm in the "making a mess" stage, just trying to get things organized.

Here's the wall with new windows that overlook the playground.

Turning toward the left, this will be a larger whiteboard area...

Again going to the left, where my kiddos will hang up their jackets and bookbags, the entrance from the hall, and a closet.

Last, but not least, the back wall with two display areas, a sink, plenty of storage, and....a bathroom!  I've never had one in my room before.  Hope I don't regret it.

I've worked a lot in my room, in fact, I've been told by many that it looks like I'm ready to begin class tomorrow.  They wouldn't say that after today, though, I have lots of unfinished projects going on.

Some of the recent conversations taking place, during my breaks, have been about using the Developmental Spelling method, like I wrote about in my last posting, and apparently we have a guru in the building.  I'll definitely be picking her brain before school begins in the fall.

Other teaching strategies that I've been looking into this past week is student-centered classrooms, and flipped classrooms.  I had thought that they were the same thing, but through the research I've done this week, there are some similarities and differences.  I found that although the learning for both is student driven, a flipped classroom is when a teacher provides the lesson through a video that the students watch at home for homework, then they're ready to learn in class.   As for student-centered, I understand that to mean that students have choices as to what topic they want to focus on and create their own projects showing their new knowledge, which I think may also be similar to flipped classrooms.  I'm still learning....

I came across a great video of a 4th grade teacher in action.   http://youtu.be/c2zTz8eOfuI

Her name is Ms. Kelly, and I was intrigued by how well her reading class went, especially the strategies she used.  What excited me most was that there were some times that my classroom looked like that last year, at least in regards to the collaboration that took place.  This video not only gave me great ideas, but also gave me confirmation that I have done some things right last year.

If anyone has any advice regarding student-centered classrooms or flipped classrooms, I'm willing to learn more.

Until next time!

Traditional Spelling vs. Developmental Spelling

All my childhood career, until I reached high school, I had to learn a list of words and spell them correctly.  Sometimes my teacher would have me and my classmates write sentences using the spelling words, too.

As a middle school teacher, I struggled with my students learning how to spell specific words.  I was more concerned about them learning the meanings, and using them properly, than knowing how to spell them.  However, I was encouraged to have them know how to spell them, too.  This is where my students failed most, and I felt it was so unfair to them.  Mainly because at this point in the game, I felt that my students were passed the point of needing to learn how to spell the words, and that it was more important for them to learn their meanings instead.

Last year, as a first time 3rd grade teacher, I followed what most of my colleagues were doing, which was having students study 25 words and spit them out after a week of studying.  I was comfortable with this because this is how I had learned my spelling words.  

Last week, while talking to my new colleagues in my new building, I was introduced to the concept of Developmental Spelling.  I looked it up, and learned that it's basically learning how to spell using phonics.  Now I'm looking at the Whole Language vs. Phonics issue.  In all honesty, I didn't realize that there was still a debate.  However, as much as I love having the choice to take the approach I feel is necessary to meet my student's needs, I do feel that I should at least take a closer look at what Developmental Spelling is and how to approach it with my 4th graders.

This leads me to my question.  If anyone has any advice or suggestion as to how this works, I would love to hear from you.  I will be meeting with my colleagues soon about it, but would like to have more insight on the topic, and at least sound like I know what I'm talking about.

Endings and Beginnings

Yesterday was a milestone day.  It was a day of endings and beginnings.  I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this, but I'm changing classrooms again.  In fact, I'm changing buildings, too.  New building, new grade, new building principal, new colleagues, new room....new EVERYTHING!  I was very glad to have been a part of the last workshop day in my new building, too, because we made decisions and preparations that afternoon that will affect me.  It felt so nice to be included in the decisions.  I already felt like I was part of the building already.  It was wonderful!  I  was already all packed at my old building, and with my oldest stepson's help, everything is already moved to my new building.  I felt so welcomed by everyone.  I see a great new school year coming!

Successful year and more changes....

So, I have survived my first year of teaching 3rd grade.  There were times that I wondered if I was where I was supposed to be, but my belief that there is a plan for me, I just need to say yes and follow, and that kept me going.  I can confidently say that I was a good teacher.  Not a fantastic teacher like I wanted to be, but a good one.  I did a lot of reflecting and learned more than I had ever expected to learn this year. I'm a much better person and teacher because of this year.

School will be finished with the kiddos on Tuesday, and I will be finished at that school as well.  My position got cut, again.....However, this time I am NOT at the bottom of the totem-pole this time, so I'm only getting relocated to another building in the district to teach 4th grade.  I'm really looking forward to the change.  I'm already 90% packed!  As soon as I get the okay from my new principal in the new school building I'll be moving to, my stuff is heading their way.

On a sad note, however, I'm really going to miss the friendships I've gained this year.  Some I will still see, because they tend to move around the district throughout the week, but there are a few that don't.  I'll miss our daily, morning chitchats.  I will also miss my kiddos.  I had a couple of kiddos who came a went, but I have 13 students as of right now, and they have all made a mark on my heart that will never go away.  Those 8 and 9-year-olds, even the ones who challenge me behavioral-wise throughout the year, have had a part in my own education and evolution from being a middle school language arts teacher to a 3rd grade teacher, and I'll be forever grateful for their patience with me and love for me.

The big kiddos  in the back are mine, the smaller ones in the front were part
of a Pre-K class that joined us for Fun Day.

I've also learned the value of supportive parents.  I've communicated with parents before, but it was usually because they weren't happy with their son or daughter's score or final grade.  Other than that, I hardly saw them or heard from them.  This past school year I have had the overwhelming support from my children's parents.  They've been open with me on their concerns, and have supported me with mine.  There was never a question as to whether the lines of communication were open or not.  They always new they could contact me if necessary.

My new building that I'll be working with has been praised highly by my colleagues.  I've also worked with my new principal in my old district.  He was my mentor teacher back when I started teaching middle school. In fact, because of what I've heard and who I'll be working with, I'm excited.  I'm really looking forward to using my new-found skills, abilities, and knowledge to be an even better teacher next year.  I have some new tools in my new toolbox I can use, and some old tricks up my sleeve that I wasn't able to use with 3rd grade.  It's a pretty exciting time!  It's as if this past year was a stepping stone, only meant to prepare me for next year and beyond.

To leave you with something to think about, I found this saying on Facebook today...thought it was important for me to remember when I feel overwhelmed.

Not my babies!!

Tomorrow will be a first for me. I'm leaving my kiddos to a sub. Don't get me wrong, I've been a full-time substitute before and I know there are a lot of wonderful subs out there. It's not leaving my little gals and guys to a sub that's concerning me, but it's my first time this school year not being in the classroom with them....and I'm sad.

I guess part of me is also concerned because I want to make sure they have plenty of quality work to do that's meaningful. I don't want to leave them with busy work, so they're working on projects that they've already been working on and I have some stations (or centers if you will) for them to also work on if there's time left.

Another part of my fear is cutting the apron strings, if you will, and that their behavior will be a testament to how well I manage my classroom. I do have confidence that my little guys and gals will behave well, but still...there's always that fear lingering in the back of my mind that will probably rob some of my sleep tonight and distract me during my day tomorrow.

I'm definitely going to miss those smiles and chatty voices. The talkative little girls excited to tell me their latest news, and the shy boys with their baseball caps on their heads and their hands in their pockets. I've become so attached to them and will miss them tomorrow. Perhaps I'll "forget" something in my room and have to go back to get it....you know, something that just can't wait for when they're gone to recess. That's okay, I'll get through the day and have them to myself on Friday.

I feel better now.

Testing, testing, testing....

I float around the Facebook and Pinterest worlds probably too frequently.  One is to socialize with family, friends, former and current colleagues, and former students and the other is to get new ideas for practically everything under the sun.  Frequently I'll come across cartoon or ecards making fun of standardized tests.  Like this one...

...and these ecards that we see everywhere...

Right now my state, and I'm sure many of the states, are in the midst of standardized testing.  If not now, then  they will be later on in the spring.  I can't help but think the rigorous scheduling and the strict regulations imposed on our students can be stressful in itself, never mind the content. How on earth does one expect 8 and 9-year-olds to sit still for 45 to 90 minutes without walking around?  I  can't even stay in one spot that long.  I must add, however, that our guidance department has done a fantastic job of scheduling the test sessions in a realistic manner, but just the same.  Let's just say it's a good thing our kiddos get a recess.  I'm just hoping the weather stays nice, at least until the test sessions are finished so they can continue to go outside to play.

One thing that I've tried to do before and after the testing time is do some stress-relieving breathing exercises and stretches.  After the second day they actually started looking forward to it.  They were so cute, because they thought I was forgetting and asked to do the stretches. I've also tried to give them activities, related to the content they're learning, of course, that was more on the creative side that gave them a mental break, at least for the rest of the morning.  One of the activities they worked on this week had to do with their social studies unit on communities.

I found this cute idea on Pinterest where they focused on 5 specific communities: their house, their city/town, their country, their continent, and their planet.  I gave them card stock with 5 circles.  Two of the circles they had to draw, such as their house and their town.  For their country, continent, and planet, I provided them with a copy already printed out that they just had to color.  Here's a picture of what we did:

This isn't the best picture, but you see how the end result looked.  I hung them on pushpins on the edge of our windows to display them.  Like I said, it was an easy project that meant something, but gave them a chance to relax a bit.

Another activity they did was to color and put together their scarecrows.  They came out cute and are now hung in our hallway outside of our classroom....

Below the scarecrows is the pumpkin I put together with sheets of orange card stock that I taped together in the back, drew the pumpkin, then laminated it after I cut it out.  The leaves have the Haikus that my students wrote about fall.  I showed them a nice autumn picture of a path in the woods, and they drew from their experiences to focus on what they might have seen, heard, smelled, tasted (like hot chocolate), or felt while they were in the woods.  I also have pumpkins that they will write short writing pieces on about other autumn experiences.  

Everyone else was doing trees with leaves, so I decided to take a different approach.  I don't always like following the crowd.  I've always been the type of person to go my own direction, after having been inspired by others, of course.

I'm really enjoying being a 3rd grade teacher.  Not that I didn't at first, but I'm beginning to feel more comfortable and have been thinking more like a third grade teacher than in the beginning.  I'm still a work in progress, but I think I'll always be one.

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!