Holy cats! I haven't updated anything is ages and you are partly to blame!! :) You, my readers and the people I blog-stalk! You introduced me to Pinterest and I haven't been the same since. I am completely addicted and I have gotten some friends/coworkers addicted too! I just keep searching for things and get a gazillion pins to look through... it's awesome.
I really think Pinterest has changed my teaching habits, and for the better. I truly believe I am a good teacher. I believe my students understand the things I teach and enjoy learning about them too. However, there are posters/charts I have not thought of making even though I teach it! I mean, I print out the flipcharts I make for the Promethean and put it all in a binder (which I am currently updating/making adorable) for the kids to look through, but they aren't the same as a chart in the room. The only drawback is my limited space.
I've also gotten more ideas for manipulatives from the site too!
Every Friday after my teaching partner and I plan for the next week, I go into my room and look things up on Pinterest. I look to see if there is a neat/new take on a strategy we are teaching and I make it my own. I tweak ideas to the way I teach and I have never been happier.
When I started teaching people always said, "Why reinvent the wheel?" and Pinterest is the perfect resource for proving that I don't need to.
So thank you for introducing me to Pinterest!
Wednesday, December 7
Wednesday, August 24
Where It All Goes Down Wednesday... Kinda
Today is 'Where It All Goes Down Wednesday' at Blog Hoppin. Well, I don't have pictures of my finished room. I will post those at a later date. What I do have are pictures of things I've Pinned and my own projects. They will help set the tone for Where It All Goes Down!
Check for Understanding: Pinned Image from 4th Grade Frolics
Check for Understanding: My Project
I made mine in MS Excel and I love how they turned out! I printed them out onto colored cardstock, then laminated them. I am going to put one in each book container and then I'll have the students use another one as their bookmark in their 'Just for Fun' book.
Book Luggage Tag: Pinned Image from Beg, Borrow, Steal and 4th Grade Frolics has some too!
Book Luggage Tag: My Project
Again, I took the idea and made it my own. I knew Archiver's had a die cut of a tag. I took some paper I had laying around and punched a bunch out! Then I had the laminated so I could - hopefully - reuse them next year. Now, I haven't finished them completely yet. I am going to put a number on the back along with a label on the front with the corresponding name. I think it will look delightful!
That's all for now!
Tuesday, August 23
Teacher Talk Tuesday
Today is all about giving advice to new teachers at I'm Blog Hoppin'. Sometimes I feel like a new teacher, so this is going to be tough for me.
Take care of yourself.
Whether this is your first time spending all day every day with kids, or you've worked at a daycare in the past. You will get sick because there is NOTHING like having 25+ kids in your room sniffling. Ish! Take your vitamins, get a good nights' sleep and relax a bit on weekends!
Be flexible.
When I graduated from college, I didn't really want to be a kindergarten teacher. I had gotten a taste of 3rd grade and LOVED it. I secretly wanted to hold out for a 3rd grade position. However, that wasn't in the cards for me. I was offered a 4-Year-Old position and took it because it got my foot in the door. You have to start somewhere and why not accumulate seniority/tenure as soon as you can? I think you should also stay flexible because it's your first year... you learn the most once you're in the thick of things! Also, things don't always go as planned, so taking a lesson in a new direction on the spot is needed sometimes.
Rituals and Routines are KEY!
Establish those rituals and routines the first day and model a lot throughout the year. Things will become second nature for the kids and your days will run smoothly!
Communicate!
You need to communicate early and often with parents. Building a positive, honest relationship with them will be beneficial. You want parents to trust you! You also want to make sure that you communicate clearly with your students. Be explicit and tell them exactly what you want and what things are supposed to look like.
Collaborate
Not only do you learn while you actually teach, you learn a lot from those around you. Create things with your grade level team, share things, and don't be afraid to ask for things!
Remember the Golden Rule
Stay positive and polite. Making friends with many people, if not everyone, at your school will be beneficial. You never know when you might need help.
Have fun!!
Monday, August 22
Meet The Teacher Monday
I'm Blog Hoppin' is hosting Teacher Week 2011! I am really excited to get to know those who are inspiring me, and hope you will learn a bit a about me too!
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Teresa and am married to a wonderful man named Brian. We have a beautiful and curious little girl, Adelle, who is a year and a half. I sing, play the Wii, read, and watch movies too. I love to scrap, make cards, cook (and eat :) as well as getting outside to discover the world with my family. Everything looks brand new when you experience it through the eyes of a child.
You might not know...
When I was little, I wanted to follow in my Dad's footprints and be a barber. I wanted to own my Dad's barber shop. I wanted to go to work with him every day until it was time for him to retire with my Mom. Seeing how he made kids feel every time they stepped into his shop was awesome and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be the next Children's Barber. Unfortunately, my Dad had to retire long before I was able to help him at the shop. He is one of the reasons I became a teacher though!!
What are you looking forward to this school year?
Besides meeting my students... everything! I've been reading about the Daily 5 and am excited to implement it into my routine. I have also been busy working on projects this summer; I am excited to use them as well! I have a student teacher this fall, my first one ever, and I am excited to just get back into the curriculum! Besides, I love the smell of new, sharp, pencils! :)
What do you need to improve?
While I welcome constructive criticism, I take it to heart. I would like to work on letting more things slide off my back. I am a great teacher, I don't need to be as critical of myself as I am!
Another thing I would like to improve, is documenting! I feel as though I assess students a lot. I don't always write things down like I should, this can become a problem when it comes time to report for RTI and PLCs! I have thought of a few strategies (in case one doesn't work)... we'll see how it goes!
What supplies can you *NOT* live without?
There are so many things I love...
My Elmo: Showing kids EXACTLY what you want or EXACTLY what something looks like is key. I love it!
Sharpies & Flairs: I use Sharpies and Flairs for everything! Charts, labels, notes, assessing... everything!
Sticky Notes: I use these for every subject. My students use them, I use them, we all love them!
My iPod: I have a bunch of music on my iPod specifically for my students. We listen to music throughout the day and I find the students are more attentive when it's on.
This is not a supply, but I can't live without my teaching partner! She is an amazing teacher and person. I have learned so much from her in the past few years and we work really well together. We do a lot together and I am looking forward to another year with her across the hall!!
Now it's YOUR turn! Answer the questions and link up!!
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Teresa and am married to a wonderful man named Brian. We have a beautiful and curious little girl, Adelle, who is a year and a half. I sing, play the Wii, read, and watch movies too. I love to scrap, make cards, cook (and eat :) as well as getting outside to discover the world with my family. Everything looks brand new when you experience it through the eyes of a child.
You might not know...
When I was little, I wanted to follow in my Dad's footprints and be a barber. I wanted to own my Dad's barber shop. I wanted to go to work with him every day until it was time for him to retire with my Mom. Seeing how he made kids feel every time they stepped into his shop was awesome and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be the next Children's Barber. Unfortunately, my Dad had to retire long before I was able to help him at the shop. He is one of the reasons I became a teacher though!!
What are you looking forward to this school year?
Besides meeting my students... everything! I've been reading about the Daily 5 and am excited to implement it into my routine. I have also been busy working on projects this summer; I am excited to use them as well! I have a student teacher this fall, my first one ever, and I am excited to just get back into the curriculum! Besides, I love the smell of new, sharp, pencils! :)
What do you need to improve?
While I welcome constructive criticism, I take it to heart. I would like to work on letting more things slide off my back. I am a great teacher, I don't need to be as critical of myself as I am!
Another thing I would like to improve, is documenting! I feel as though I assess students a lot. I don't always write things down like I should, this can become a problem when it comes time to report for RTI and PLCs! I have thought of a few strategies (in case one doesn't work)... we'll see how it goes!
What supplies can you *NOT* live without?
There are so many things I love...
My Elmo: Showing kids EXACTLY what you want or EXACTLY what something looks like is key. I love it!
Sharpies & Flairs: I use Sharpies and Flairs for everything! Charts, labels, notes, assessing... everything!
Sticky Notes: I use these for every subject. My students use them, I use them, we all love them!
My iPod: I have a bunch of music on my iPod specifically for my students. We listen to music throughout the day and I find the students are more attentive when it's on.
This is not a supply, but I can't live without my teaching partner! She is an amazing teacher and person. I have learned so much from her in the past few years and we work really well together. We do a lot together and I am looking forward to another year with her across the hall!!
Now it's YOUR turn! Answer the questions and link up!!
Friday, August 19
Vista Print & My Room
I ordered some things from Vista Print and they arrived yesterday!! I AM SO EXCITED TO USE THEM!! I have never used these items before, but I think it's a great idea. I got inspiration from Mrs. E at The Sweet Life of Third Grade and Tara at 4th Grade Frolics. Thanks Ladies!!
I was able to get into the building today. I wasn't, however, able to get a whole lot done. I had my little girl with me who was running around opening cabinets because none of the toys we brought were exciting enough for her. I also wasn't able to get a whole lot done because the room was disgusting! I had to wipe things down that were covered with a plastic table cloth too! I still haven't finished wiping things down, so I didn't take any after shots because they would look the same. I am really excited to get things put together!
#1. This is the view from my door looking to the right. You're looking at my desk in the back. The red bulletin board is the ONLY thing I was able to redo today (this is a before shot)!
#2. This is the view from my door looking straight into the room. I have 4 shades on windows that look out into a courtyard. Most rooms have 6 shades, but due to an addition they took those windows out. SO I use that space for my ginormous word wall!
#3. This is the view from my door to the left. Those cabinets were installed last year. I am SO very lucky! Oh, that is my beautiful daughter too!
#4. A view from the "back" of the room looking at the whiteboard directly in front, and the Promethean Board to the right.
#5. This is a picture from the "front" of the room, standing at the whiteboard, looking to the cabinets. The door is on the left along with a sink on the back wall to the left.
#6. My redone bulletin board. It's so small, I am going to use it this year for the calendar and birthday chart. I have brown fabric on the board as well as my stitches border.
I was able to get into the building today. I wasn't, however, able to get a whole lot done. I had my little girl with me who was running around opening cabinets because none of the toys we brought were exciting enough for her. I also wasn't able to get a whole lot done because the room was disgusting! I had to wipe things down that were covered with a plastic table cloth too! I still haven't finished wiping things down, so I didn't take any after shots because they would look the same. I am really excited to get things put together!
#1. This is the view from my door looking to the right. You're looking at my desk in the back. The red bulletin board is the ONLY thing I was able to redo today (this is a before shot)!
#2. This is the view from my door looking straight into the room. I have 4 shades on windows that look out into a courtyard. Most rooms have 6 shades, but due to an addition they took those windows out. SO I use that space for my ginormous word wall!
#3. This is the view from my door to the left. Those cabinets were installed last year. I am SO very lucky! Oh, that is my beautiful daughter too!
#4. A view from the "back" of the room looking at the whiteboard directly in front, and the Promethean Board to the right.
#5. This is a picture from the "front" of the room, standing at the whiteboard, looking to the cabinets. The door is on the left along with a sink on the back wall to the left.
#6. My redone bulletin board. It's so small, I am going to use it this year for the calendar and birthday chart. I have brown fabric on the board as well as my stitches border.
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