Quick Unloved Pics

This is a brief summary of our Valentine/poetry unit! I am always looking for a way to look at tasks from a different perspective, and when I saw this book, I knew what I wanted to do! The book, Vulture Verses, is a nod to all those animals that may not be feeling the love. So I researched the top unlovable animals and then typed them up for the students to pick. Some were super tough (like a tapeworm!) we then researched the animals and came up with positive attributes, which were then turned into a verse or two of rhyme. The resulting poem was then typed into a website which shaped it into a heart. The kids emailed me their finished product, then illustrated. So... Here are a few pics to help you see the hall display!

A Day in the Life... If you Dare

     For quite awhile, I have thought about doing this blog...chronicalling a day in my classroom. A typical day, nothing special. There are so many things asked of teachers, especially in the classroom. Don't get me wrong, I love my classroom, and I love doing my job. But the responsibilities have become more and more every year, and the overwhelming message I hear seems to be..."And I need this too..." As I reflect on this day, the only "Thank you" I heard was from a sweet kid whom I gave a notebook yesterday. I don't work for verbal praise or credit, but I just don't know that anyone knows the day of a classroom teacher... So here's the day in review...

 Arrive and startup computers...put up morning work (created the previous day)

Discuss troubleshooting of technological problem with co worker

Walk to office and check mailbox

Students arrive... Get a note from parent that needs to be dealt with 

Receive a screen cover that will reduce the refresh rate for a photo sensitive student

Struggle with the screen and take 15 minutes wrestling it back into box, while carrying conversations with students

Listen to who will be out, who was out, and who is out today-adjust and create make-up work

Take up field trip money

Receipt field trip money

Take up snack orders, fill out order, receipt money

Take up notes from parents

Remind students to turn in library books

Send library books

Take attendance, enter it into the computerized program

Write homework in planner for 5 students to help them with organization

Remind students to put up lunch choice

Tally lunch choice

Put lunch order form in hall

Reply to request from coworker concerning an ADHD checklist

All this is interspersed with student questions and redirection...

And now it is 8:30 and instruction can begin

Correct and check Daily Language Review... Discuss mistakes and why they need to be corrected

Explain small group assignments for differentiated instruction

Check for understanding then dismiss groups to begin work

Send one group out for computerized reading program, remind myself to print reports and review so I can adjust in the classroom

Send another group to work on same program with different teacher

Monitor other two groups in my room as they read, redirect, ask questions, show app that relates

Remember to separate a student ... Monitor all groups

Upon complete ion, send students back to seats to work on individual skills on iPads (I assigned these during my weekend) 

Fix iPads with no ConnectEd link on home screen

Monitor student usage

While monitoring, rehang anchor charts (for third time) in effort to make reading more visual because that was a personal goal this year

Check through make-up work assignments, remind a student to stay during speciality to complete test from last Friday

Students return from other classrooms, line everyone up, walk to library

Remind about hallway expectations

Hold the hand of a student (his choice) :)

Leave students, check in office

Get to classroom for my planning 9:15

Check emails

Reply to emails

Compose email about student absence

Remember to remind about fundraiser for school

Remember to remind about cancer fundraiser

Remember to remind about dance fundraiser (remember to get 80's dance stuff for my kid)

Make copies of answer key from yesterday's foldables... I made 6 for kids that were out

Search ideas on Pinterest for Greek and Latin roots anchor charts

Realize Pinterest images are no longer loading

Try on iPad

Reboot computer

Try Pinterest again

Email tech friend about Pinterest

Need to send in service request... Tomorrow

Get on phone, turn off wifi, research and find applicable charts 

Think about how much faster a kid would've figured out the system

Make anchor chart

Prepare phonics lesson

Load web based practice activity

Forget to go to bathroom, will have to wait until 12:30...

Remember to print reading goal progress...tomorrow

9:55 planning over...

Go get kids from library

Walk to classroom, remind they can use restroom, get water, and get morning snack

Teach phonics lesson, get feedback and input from kids

Google image for megaphone to be sure there is a frame of reference

Work with students in guided practice of applying root words to extract meaning

Transition to City of Ember small group read

Pass out guide for reading

Monitor and answer questions as students work on Chapter 4

Take pictures of students working, remember to upload files to school share drive for yearbook...tomorrow

 

10:45ish Social Studies

Sing review songs about the Civil War

Review prior lessons from Virginia Studies 7

Stop and put on jackets

Fire Drill...remember to take bag

Back in, refocus on Social Studies

Complete review on Civil War, Virginians roles, major battles, important leaders...and try to help student make connections for easier recall

Have students record answers (provided support from previously created files)

Repeat, assist, answer questions I am able to, encourage students to write questions for research in their new inquiry notebooks

Put away Social Studies binders

Stamp planners

Line up for switch, walk around room to straighten

Walk students to math/science, monitor hallway behavior

Receive second class-note absences to create make up work - it takes me between 15-30 minutes to create makeup work. I often have to send it with another student so I have to go find and hand off to them...other times parents will ask for assignments to be left in office. Sometimes they pick it up, sometimes not... And I always jump for joy when a student or parent asks if their child missed anything when they were out...

Begin while group instruction again...

DLR

Phonics

City of Ember

Fix iPads

Search for info on new student

Find book for new student

Fix pencil sharpener

Lunchtime... Line up students according to what they ordered...

Head to lunch 

Get kids situated in line

Tell coworker I am going to heat my lunch

Microwave soup and use the restroom for first time of the day... 

2:00 later take lunch to cafeteria to eat and monitor student behavior

Discover school cafeteria mascot, mentioned in email earlier

Discuss practicality of a mascot for the cafeteria and the effect on student behavior

Remember this also coincides with full moon...

Wonder how much the mascot job pays

Wonder how much the study that suggested a mascot for cafeteria food would increase food purchases cost

Shake my head

Talk with very upset student...he told someone they gave him a sore throat, they didn't care, they got angry...

Remember two students have silent lunch from prior day

Learn of issue of student with another teacher... Teacher was accused of mistreatment of kid by a kid who heard it (because they were in another classroom)

Ponder what would happen if teachers sued for slander

Ponder what is professional about enduring witch hunts...

Try to recall more pleasant conversations...like what is up with Bruce Jenner...

Allow an assortment of kids to go to restroom...remembering who's already gone and if there will be issues... Trying to remember is the student looked sick, or complained of feeling unwell...in case I need to recall for the nurse or parents

Settle another issue with student unhappy about another student's treatment of him

Lunch time is over!

Remind students to clean up around areas

Line up to go to room

Remind about hallway behavior

 

Afternoon class - Small groups - same lessons and practice as morning group

Readjust three students...groups are supposed to be flexible

Fix iPad

Reassign student

Social Studies...songs, review, remind, connections etc...

Allow time for research of inquiry questions... Robert E. Lee - the E stands for Edward, Ulysses S. Grant - S stands for Simpson... We're still researching cause of death for Stonewall Jackson  and a visual of his hand injury from the Battle of Bull Run

Stamp planners

Line up

Switch...remind about hallway behavior

Somewhere in there I....

Ask reading coach and principal about information on new student

Try to read info, but just don't have time and can't take it from office for long

Discuss behavior issue with principal

Receive feedback on situation with student

Agree to take a student with my daughter home then out to church (my husband did this) 

Take kids out for recess...

Remind those behind in reading goals to take a book to library

Walk with coteacher and coworker

Avoid molezilla's holes on field

Watch students

Discuss legislative session

Wonder what education will look like in another year

Discuss families while walking... We have a wellness plan where we try to keep active

Deal with behavior issue... Three kids with same name...frustrations boil over on kickball field...assign consequences, promote apologies, promote forgiveness

Come in 

Pack up

Pass out snack

Send back snack box

Told by a student she was supposed to be parent pickup

Miss call from secretary about bus note

Get reminded that I didn't send kid for bus note...

Get bag from office

Get bus notes, pass out

Straighten room

Line up kids for release

Release...monitor student behavior and time

Fix smart board files for tomorrow

Clear air with coworker

Go to wellness meeting

Commiserate about lack of snow with coworkers

Remind each other we've completed 110 days

Think about May

Think about weight :(

Think about how tired I am

Finish meeting

Gather stuff...including kids

Head home...and remember to go to the restroom once I get there

So there it all is... A normal day...

I don't write it to be a martyr or to suggest I work any harder than anyone else. I just want people to be aware of what it looks like when the rubber hits the road. Where lofty curricular ideas intersect with reality of hungry kids, struggling readers, and youthful exuberance. I feel like I am in a constant crossfire and expectations are unrealistic. I keep hearing new things that are being added to the overwhelming workload and how present performance is not good enough... This is not the message from a specific person, but the entity of the educational system of which I have chosen to be a part. Now I have to go remember what I forgot and look into studies for mascot teachers... And remind myself once again, I love my kids so I will stay the course and pray for wisdom, discernment, patience, and joy... And the ability to see what actually will matter in a year.

Pics as Promised!

Just a quick post with our City of Ember mural! Kids chose what job they'd like to have on "Assignment Day," and wrote a brief reason as to why. All the red jackets are messengers. I have a lot of active workers!

Lucy who???

    Yes... I am attempting another blog update. I am not nearly as frequent with these as I would like, but it's more of a later priority when so much is going on at school. 

     We are now into the second semester. I teeter between emotions....only half a year left with the kids I love so much, only a few months til summer, and only a few months until testing! 

    I sat down at the monthly grade level meeting this week to review data collected from fall and mid year. The scores were ok, but I still feel so frustrated. I hate seeing any kid fail, especially as deemed by standardized scores. My kids are so much more than a number. Yet that is what everything is truly reduced to... How we decide if they need help, how we decide what type of help we can give, 

how we decide if they need assistance with meals, how effective a teacher is... Numbers. Don't get me wrong, I am a data lover. I strive to see concrete proof of understanding, but sometimes the number is just too broad to be accurate.

     I recently was trying to get help for a struggling student and came to the conclusion that nothing I do will bring the child to grade level in the time I am allotted. I can help make gains, but in reality, it will only help this student "fail better." I have a state mandated curriculum I am bound by contact to teach, but it often conflicts with performing best teacher practices. A student may not understand  a concept from a previous year, but I can only go back and teach once this year's standards are taught, and to fill in the gaps for and or challenge one child is time consuming, for all 40, it pushes me to settle for doing my best and leaves many frustrated. Yes differentiation is necessary, but composing the plan and having the time, resources, and support to make it a reality is often woefully difficult.

     My fitbit measures I walk about 5,000 steps in my school day - between 8:00 and 3:00? I just can't find any time I can squeeze more quality into. Every minute seems to be pushed and I am constantly rescheduling in my mind because I spent five more minutes on a lesson than planned. And I have sometimes stressed my kids by transitioning from one thing to another while he or she is still trying to get materials ready. :( I don't want to do it, and if I see it happen, I try to help with the next transition or slow down. But it just seems to be the culture now. Push, push, push. 

    I have to be recertified this year, which involves collecting evidence of my efforts to better myself professionally. A part of the process is to survey my students, which I accomplished yesterday. I deeply value my students opinions on how they feel I perform. I want to be 100% in everything, but have tried to accept with grace that isn't going to happen because I am a human dealing with humans (who I wouldn't change for a thing)! Surprisingly to me, the area of greatest concern that students share is respecting each other within the classroom. I was pleased that 95% of my kids said I helped them all the time (5% said some of the time), and 91% said I was respectful to the all the time (8% said sometimes). But the majority said that students were disrespectful to each other some of the time. I try to really address this at every opportunity (which is regularly 3-5 times a day), but even after researching I am at a loss as to how to improve this. I sway between "kids are kids...learning socialization is part of this" and "I want the safe, loving, nurturing classroom that is a sanctuary!" All advice appreciated!

     Despite the aggrevations, we still are striving to master all expected of us and do it in an as engaging way as possible. We have fallen in love with the book, The City of Ember, and have tried to do several projects to bring it to life, including a mural. I will try to post a picture of it later. We are working on analyzing and dissecting questions to make sure we understand what is asked and how we can be confident in our answers. Questions posed to these students are so multilayered.... Asking about idioms, authors' point of view, Latin and Greek roots (then give a synonym), and using text evidence to answer the how and what if questions. I work the classes so hard, but there is a feeling of guilt if I don't... I want confident and prepared fifth graders when I am finished. We are also studying the Civil War, so parents will be enjoying the songs, Our Nation Divided and The Civil War Came Marching On, for another week or so! 

     My students remain the focus and source of greatest joy at school! Today we had an awards program and one student in particular who received an award had the best reaction! He ran to the front pumping his arms up and down, yelling, "Yes!" When he got to the front the celebrating continued by hugging others and giving high fives... For that moment, he was a rock star! So I snapped a mental picture to which I will return when I feel overwhelmed and frustrated. I can't forget my first love, my students. I am so thankful for the reminders God gives me to help wash away the things that probably won't matter in a few years, and gives me the desire to create experiences that leave an impact. 

      That's the state of Room 124! Thanks for reading and God Bless America! :)

          

Week 7... Time is Flying....

A month since my last blog. I meant to make more frequent posts, but life seems to get ahead of me! Fall is one of the busiest times of the year for everyone, and teachers are no exception. My major undertakings this past month have involved SAT, parent conferences, PTSO, Reading, and our spring Jamestown trip. 

SAT stands for student assistance team. Anytime I see something that concerns me I make contact with parents to try and get input and insight into what might be cause the issue and how to resolve them. I have always held to the philosophy that the parent is the expert on the child. No matter what. This allows me to put parents at ease and in control of any interventions, as well as show them we are truly on the same team! I have had meetings galore this week - only one 40 minute planning - but I think the playoffs are and will continue to be of great benefit to my students. 

Much of the past few weeks have been spent trying to plan a dazzling Fall Festival. There was significant decline in attendance and revenue last year and we are trying to get parents to help. We've sent home letters for volunteering and had a fantastic response. I have a special affinity for the spook room, so I have lots of ideas I have been planning and building! As an incentive, students whose parents volunteer to donate time or resources have been added to a list for our first annual MegaParty, which will take place about a week after the festival. Really praying all this comes together. I know people say be positive, but without action, effort, and sacrifice words are hollow....

Reading is improving from my point of view. I abandoned the digital test to use the paper format. The kids requested it and seem to really do about 25% better with the paper, on which they can highlight and make notes. I truly think test scores would improve dramatically if we were to go back to paper format. We are working hard on genre, summarization, main idea, details, inferring, affixes, syntax, and text structure. An awful lot is expected of these 9-10 year olds, but the amaze me with their progress. Report cards go out Tuesday...one sixth of the year is over...

On top of all the regular school stuff, we are working to raise funds for Jamestown. We will be taking the kids April 9-10 and run a gauntlet of activities and tours. I love this trip and have been so blessed to go several years as a help, but teaching Virginia Studies this year adds such a rich dimension. I get to see it through Ainsley's eyes and as an added bonus, 12 of my kiddos are getting to study in depth two books that bring the adventures to life, Blood on the River and A Lion to Guard Us. I am so appreciative to Shanda Sinnett for helping enrich these minds! We are currently selling Little Caesars pizza kits and will have a Longerberger basket bingo in November. Our kids just got done selling cookie dough as a school fundraiser and I know Girl Scouts are selling nuts and candy while Boy Scouts are selling popcorn. Asking others to purchase items is something I absolutely loathe, but honestly we would be very limited in the experiences we are able to offer without these sales. I would love to have some fresh ideas, especially ones giving people their money's worth. 

There have been some tears and trials this year (both from kids and teachers)! But I can honestly step back and say I absolutely adore my kids. They are such a blessing and we have made great strides in our educational endeavors thus far. I went to a football game today and saw so many students - past and current - and am so very proud to hear the call out my name and wave or hug me. I truly want to be the very best I can for the sake of each and every life I touch. So I press on!

I am ending with some pictures from our literature circles on Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Please take a little time to read and view these! :) 

Welcome September!

     Trying to get my blog updated...it seems like there is just not enough time for all I need to do!!! Probably the story of everyone's life, but it has been a rat race...and the rats are winning!

     Each morning, I have prepared morning work and directions for the kids to complete upon arrival. In my little mind, this seems like it would make the morning start in a predictable and organized way. But those words just don't apply to an elementary classroom! This morning I had to count and receipt fundraiser money - which I am thankful we receive- but it takes time...additionally I had to record attendance, take up snack money and tally orders, write homework in for several of my students, answer questions from a dozen different sources, implement a new schedule with Americorps, send out students to complete a reading assessment, answer several calls, conference with my principal as she observed, and have a crash course in creating reports from the computer program we are using to build reading skills. All between 8:00 to 8:45ish.... I also had to gather homework for several student going out of town next week, catch up some students who had missed work and respond to notes from a few parents... I keep telling myself to be graceful and things will get better - smoother - more efficient each and every day... 

     We also had a fire drill, a reading lesson focusing on rereading, characteristics of expository texts, multiple meaning word within context, and comparing and contrasting using a Venn diagram... That was before we had a quiz on Virginia's water features and preparing a study guide for a map test on Virginia and it's location, regions, and physical characteristics... And that was the first half of my day! I almost forgot the many requests to go to the restroom, nurse, or for a bandaid. My kiddos always need something, but I hope they always know I want to help, protect, and care for them.

     I don't write this to complain, but to hopefully bring perspective as to how much we (the students and teachers) are able to accomplish in a relatively short amount of time. If you don't have ADHD when you begin teaching, you will develop it quickly! 

     I love my kids and am thankful everyday for their ability to be flexible and hard workers. I am also thankful for the times we can laugh and joke or help each other through trials... This is the life of a fourth grade teacher, and though I am very tired, I cherish each student and wouldn't trade any of them for the world!

The Blog is Back Baby!

8:00 and I just got home.... Need to eat supper and study with Ainsley, so I'll keep it short! Technology has not been a very good friend of mine lately... Had to reset all the class iPads and have a crash course in pushing apps to the kids. I still haven't gotten it down. Trying to teach how to use digital books and reinstalling apps was very time consuming. I am also trying to learn the digital and media components of the "Wonders" reading program. Aptly named because I wonder a lot while trying to teach it. Had a meeting yesterday trying to get a grip on a web based reading program called I ready. I also stayed after today until about 5:00 helping a colleague learn some iPad basics. Honestly ready to unplug for awhile! My kids are still wonderful...very patient and graceful toward me when I take 30 minutes to accomplish something I planned to spend 10 minutes to do. Signing off... Tomorrow is another day!

First Full Week: In the Books!

     I didn't get home until late last night, so here is the latest from room 124! 

 

        Here is the beginning of a thinking map! Kids were stressing about spelling, but I assured them right now we get ideas recorded and we will proofread later!

     My kids' response to "How do you like literature circles?"

     He was so proud! He asked me to take a pic with his map...sorry it is so blurry!

     Illustration of Fudge scaring Mrs. Yarby with his brother's gorilla mask!

     Love the quality of these questions!

     Learning the language! Word wizards did an awesome job finding tricky words and making them something we could understand!

     It has been a great week. I think a lot of procedures were established and rapport was built! Going to try to get some planning done so I am not behind next week! I need to figure out how to assign digital content and task lists specific to each student's level of instruction and figure out how to show the kids the process of accessing digital books from two programs our school librarian has purchased! In the beginning phases of collaborating with a local artist to use inking to create the Virginia landscape as our Native American ancestors saw it before arrival of Europeans.... Lots of meetings next week... Installing a new program to insure what apps can be downloaded on class iPads, learning to use a individualized reading program, and helping a colleague learn to use the iPad she has with her speech clients.... Maybe I need a nap!!!

Teaching on my Toes!

     A great day! Still haven't taken the first stamp yet! The kids also worked on lunch manners and got the fifth and final card for extra recess! It's amazing to watch them self modulate. They are a very caring group and everyone seems to watch out for each other. Who could ask for more?

     We began a superpower writing prompt today and used the app "SimpleMind+" to map out the framework. Success all around! This is a great, free app that one of the computer gurus in the county shared. 

     We also finished up the group literature circles and I was very impressed with the finished products. I will post a picture tomorrow. We will continue doing the circles for every two chapters we read in our book. The next time, kids will get different jobs! 

     Social Studies is growing on me! We are using interactive notes (adapted a bit). Kids are marking the text, then we illustrated each paragraph. They really are able to recall well when we use acrostic type memory helps. I am really staying about 3 seconds in front of them and despite lots of prep work, I feel like I am learning as I teach! 

     So blessed to having such an enjoyable group of students. So grateful!

Welcome to our World!

An awesome day!!! My kids are such a blessing! We tried literature circles today! Everyone had a job and then like job people got together to work on accomplishing tasks. We had  question creator, illustrator, word wizard, and connection maker in each group. We are using it with the book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I will post pics of work tomorrow, but I was just so excited to see them so excited and hear the conversations going on around our room! Tonight was busy... Had praise team practice and then came home to four dead ducks. :( Mark and I researched and think it sounds like botulism. I have two more sick that we are trying to rehabilitate... A reminder to me that students and teachers are whole people even though we only work together in an educational capacity. You never know what is going on outside the walls of your classroom, but I pray some of the lessons learned in my classroom can be extended and applied to make every part of a child's life better!

Hmmmmm...

     Today's adventure was a test of patience, and not with the kids!

     Technology aaaaaaccckkk!!!!

     I taught the students the sol on Virginia and the surrounding states. I had created, scheduled, and made accessible an Interactive Achievement quiz to assess it. In a perfect world, the kids would log on the app and take the quiz. Period. But in both groups the passwords were not working for half the students. A quiz that should've taken 15 minutes ended up taking 45! I have tried to have plan B,C, and D in place and went through those today. It is frustrating, but it tried to stay calm and troubleshoot (probably drove Amy Hash and Jude Raffeiner crazy). We made it, but it was less than optimal.

     My blog dream - a great pic of students using technology will just have to be a goal for tomorrow. I hate planning and having to abandon or adjust what I had planned, but it is a necessity - in my classroom at least! And tomorrow is another day!

Have I mentioned my kids are awesome??? 

     So first, here is the background info.... I am teaching fourth this year. I told my students after 10 years in third, I finally passed! I had a 59% pass rate in 2013-14 in math. Yes....ouch.... Although I believe there are multiple reasons several of my kids struggled...and I cannot stress enough how proud I am of this score...I watched the kids take an incredibly high level, tough, and looooooong (4 hours) test. But numbers being what they are, my administrator proposed a move. So now I teach language arts and social studies for fourth graders.... A change for my twentieth year in the classroom.

    When starting a new curriculum (New SOLs) it is a pretty massive undertaking. The year is spent trying to not only teach, but stay enough ahead of the instruction that you are actually instructing! There are a million things you need to make, organize, and master. So my kids have been wonderfully patient as I undertake this! 

     Confession....I do not enjoy Social Studies..... I am trying to love it, but so far we are just covering pretty dry geographical info. I was directed by a colleague to use interactive notes and foldables. Maybe these will be a catalyst to my teaching passion! I feel like a newborn colt trying to stand...wobbly! I always use these types of experiences to empathize with my kids...so many of them feel this way much of the time...

     In reading, we are actually ahead of my original plans, and these students are really keeping me hopping! We started a new reading series, Wonders, this year. It is always a challenge to learn a new program as a teacher...last week one lesson was an epic bore...I apologized to the kids...they agreed it was "lame-o." I do however like some of the basic procedures...especially collaborative conversation. The students have actual rules for sharing, listening, and adding ideas. I was amazed to see how well they followed directions. 

     My classroom is blessed to have 1:1 iPads for students! Today we got them out and used the dictionary.com app to find definitions and synonyms. We also used a gradient colored SMARTBOARD to chart shades of meaning. Advanced material...but the kids were successful! We tried out some apps McGraw-Hill created for use with their program. Kids loved it! I also used the iPads for individual white boards using Screen Chomp. These are valuable tools and my kids do so well with them.

     With so much going on, behavior hasn't even been on the radar...everyone is too busy to test limits! I am sure the honeymoon will end, but I appreciate the cooperation right now!

     Ok...enough blabbering.... Please feel free to post comments, suggestions, or advice!!! I deeply appreciate all the insight and suggestions I am given! :)

Captains log...Day 3!

Sweet! Huge thanks to Melina Easter! I tried blogging last year, in fact it was one of my professional goals. I ended up with no readers...which was ok...so I quit. Trying my hand at it again! I love the idea of sharing, networking, and synergy to become the best educator I can...defined by student success and growth...with the tiniest emphasis on scores and the main one on facilitating the development of independent, productive learners!