Flexible Seating

This past year I had a class full of energetic, unique students each with an endearing special quality about them. They had to constantly be moving, talking, playing, always something new! My classroom was too small and too formal to be a successful learning environment for my students. Together (me using suggestive, leading ideas) came up with a plan to transform our classroom into a flexible seating paradise!

The students took a multiple intelligence test and researched about what helped them learn best. They then brainstormed options of seating, prices, and a realistic set up for our classroom. It was amazing the ownership the students developed over their ideas and ambitions to create a learning environment which fitted their needs. It was an unique bonding experience that I did not have with a class before, they flourished with the knowledge that I trusted them with these decisions.

Throughout the year our classroom went through MANY changes and reorganizing as we figured out how things work. It was a learning experience for all of us! Below are pictures of the various set ups we found.

I made the crate seats out of ply wood, stuffing, and fabric stapled around the wood. The link to the other seating options are below! Check out my other post about how I managed students picking their seats and organizing their materials.




As someone who like things neat, organized, and controlled this was a big leap for me to try this. It was SO worth it! The change I saw in my students focus was incredible. My students were so proud of their one of a kind room and were willing to do their best to keep this privilege.

Read Alouds Can Change Lives

Am I the only one who takes choosing a new read aloud VERY seriously? Last summer prepping for my first year in 5th grade I had no idea what books would work for that age group. I kept googling "5th grade read alouds" and was overwhelmed with wonderful recommendations but had no idea how to pick! I repeatedly saw Wonder by R. J. Palacio pop up and happened to notice it on the bookshelf of the family I was nannying for, so I decided to read it myself!

WOW! If you have not yet read this book, GO GO buy it now and wait for the reading journey of a lifetime!
                                                         

"August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. " - Amazon.com 

I was swept away in this book. The characters are so real, authentic, and instill such an amazing message in the reader. I felt a very strong emotional connection with the characters and was amazed at R.J. Palacio's ability to make such a sensitive topic in classrooms something that any child could relate to. I decided that I would start the year with this book as my read aloud although I was unsure of how 5th graders would react to the deeper meaning and characters in this book.

Although I am in a very early stage in my teaching career, I know that one moment from my first day reading this book has forever changed me. After reading the first chapter and talking about what the book is about I had the students write a journal entry in a comfy spot in the room. I told them to write about a time that they felt different and that no one would ever read this, it was a personal reflection.

I had a student, I will call him Kyle, who brought up his notebook and handed it to me. I told him that I did not need to read it but he insisted that he wanted me to. It said something like, "I am different everywhere. Other kids stare at me like I am a monster. I look different so they look at me like I am not human. It makes me wonder if I am. Who am I? Why don't other kids talk to me like I am one of them. What is wrong with me?" It literally broke my heart and as a first year teacher on my FIRST DAY, I almost started to cry and just wanted to hug him. However, I thanked him for sharing with me and told him he will talk about it at the end of the day (when the rest of the class couldn't hear us). Kyle felt such a strong connection to this book, everyday that we read his face would light up with hope that one day he would be accepted. 

This really inspired me to do class bonding activities and creating a family in which every person was appreciated for what made them unique. It was so heartwarming how they rose to this expectation. Towards the end of the school year my mom came in to visit my classroom, we had each student share something about themselves with her. Kyle told her that this year he has made the best friends he has ever had in his life. YAY!!! SUCCESS!

It was clear that Wonder inspired my classroom to view acceptance in a very different light and really be kind to everyone. One moral/ tagline from this book is CHOOSE KIND. This has become a personal tagline for my life inside and outside of the classroom. You never know how children are feeling and what books can address a topic in which they really need support. This book NEEDS to be part of your read aloud list.

We finished this book in October after days of my class begging for my to read more and clapping/ crying through the ups and downs. However, we referred back to this story for point of view, theme, summary, compare and contrast, EVERYTHING! All year I referenced this book. Go buy your copy today and be ready to change lives!


Happy Reading!
Becky

My Distraction

A big reason for my slow pace at completing my summer project to- do list and also a big reason for the HAPPINESS in my life is the newest member of our family. Meet Akeley, our bundle of joy!

This is when we first went to the breeders to pick our new baby and he was only 4 weeks old! How could we resist that face!!! 

The day our little family grew! :) 

Literally two days before we moved from Minnesota to Maryland we got a beautiful, sweet, loving 8 week old German Short-haired Pointer puppy. As crazy new parents who thought it would be easy to move across the puppy with a puppy we had a stressful few days but made it to Maryland! Now it is my summer job to house-break and train this adorable, cuddle bug. It was been FABULOUS but also very time consuming.

I am happy to announce that Akeley rings a bell when he has to go to the bathroom so I can catch up on blogging rather than following him around the room! YAY! Parent progress! If you have ever been weary of getting a big dog (like I was forever until 2 months ago), they are just more to love. Akeley is the sweetest, calmest, most cuddly dog I have ever met and I am not just biased! I am a very proud mama who will be sharing many pictures of our adventures with this little guy who has DOUBLED in size size we got him! 13 pounds to 30 and still growing!

Despite the webbed feet, he was NOT a fan of the pool! ha 

Enjoy the rest of your summer with the ones you love! <3

I sure am! :) 

Secrets of a Substitute- Teacher Notes

In this post I want to focus on the note to the teacher that you leave at the end of the day after substituting. Now having been on both sides of writing sub notes and leaving sub notes, I have some ideas on do's and don'ts!

Note to the Teacher Don'ts

• don't write a novel of a note, they were just out of work they have things that they need to do- keep it short 
• don't tell minor disruptions (if you would consider it tattling for a kid to tell you, don't tell the teacher), only report problems that they NEED to know about
• don't just say everything went great- give details!
• don't not leave a note! A LOT can happen in a day, the teacher needs to know how it went! 

Note to the Teacher Do's

• tell the teacher if a lesson or activity did not get finished
• if a student of the class overall did not understand something you taught 
• **tell about wonderfully behaved students** - brings a huge smile to teacher's faces to get positive notes about children!
• if papers from the office were given to you and sent home 
• where you put finished stacks of papers or activities if not in plain sight 
• information about specific students shows you took personal individual care/ attention to their students
• write in an easy to follow format, not too many arrows or notes all over something- write on a separate paper from the lesson plans to leave clear feedback
• if you are leaving a report that students were misbehaving, be specific don't just leave their names as bad or the teacher will not know how to follow up with discipline the next day 

Many times the teacher has never met you and their only impression of you is the note that you leave and the condition that you leave their desk/ classroom. It is REALLY appreciated to leave the classroom in the same condition that you found it. Be respectful of entering someone else's second home :) 

Becky 

Ice Breakers to Spark Friendships!

It is getting to be that time! Everyone is slowly starting to think about that first week of school and how to get a room full of students to bond. As an extremely shy child myself, I wanted to think of some get to know you games that do not involve having to speak in front of the class, low risk activities.

Inspired by the wonderful Creative Clips graphics I created some fun board games!  These have so many possibilities and will be different EVERY time the child plays with a new potential friend.

A little peek into this game pack...

Get to Know You Questionary 

This game sets up an environment for the students to ask each other questions to learn more about one another. The various color correspond to category cards with questions. This can be played with two players up to a small group of 3 or 4, depending on your class size. 

Learn About Each Other Conversationary

This game opens us a forum of various conversation about not as traditional first day meeting questions. The question cards included with this game will spark silly, memorable conversations between classmates allowing them to talk without any pressure. This is a very fun ice breaker and older kids might even want to create their own game cards after playing a few times! 

Grab this game set with even more ideas of how to use these games to start your year off with sparks of friendships! Head on over to my store now to purchase this fabulous pack! :) Purchase here!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Get-to-Know-You-Board-Games-1970476 

Please leave comments or feedback, I appreciate hearing your thoughts! Happy first week planning! 

Becky 

Secrets of a Substitute- Week 2 & 3

Ahhhhh, where did July go?! I am officially turning off my summer brain and getting myself back on a schedule! I will do a couple of make up posts for the two Wednesdays that I missed and then I will post a new edition this Wednesday also.

Week 2- Steps to Having a Successful Day

There are a few key things that I did at the beginning of each day subbing no matter what school or grade I was in to start the day off right! 

•     The first thing that you say/do to the class sets the tone for the entire day. The kids are trying to figure out your personality, the type of teacher you are, and the kind of day they are about to have the second they walk in the door. Where you position yourself in the classroom as they walk in and what you say really matters. I always stood close to the door but was sure to not have my back to the classroom. I greeted the students each with a smile and good morning. Don't be over at the teacher's desk reading you lesson plans, that is meant to be done before the students arrive. 
• Make sure they know your name! It is just as important for the class to know your name as it is for you to know theirs. You are a teacher not just an adult standing there for the day, the class calling you by name and learning your name shows respect. However, there are many difficult to pronounce last names in the world! Make sure to clearly say your name and have them say it back. Most students really respond to the because they will not feel uncomfortable about asking you questions throughout the day because they know your name. This is a simple task that goes a long way! 
• Explain the schedule. Even if the schedule is the same as their normal schedule, go through it with them stating the expectations. They may have been shocked walking in the door and not seeing their regular teacher, knowing what is expected of them and what is coming throughout the day will ease that transition of a new teacher in the room. Answer any questions they might have about the day. 
• Find out classroom management systems! If the teacher did not leave specifics for management systems take initiative and find out yourself! This may look different in varying grade levels. In older classrooms, if the teacher has left names of reliable students use that to help you! Ask those students to explain the management systems in their classroom. There have been many times that I have gone through a difficult day and at the end someone mentions a management system I could have been using the entire time, UGH. So just ask them! Most kids do not think to just share that, some do though. In younger grades, they might not be aware of the management system so it is best look around the classroom to try to conclude what it could be or ask a neighboring grade level teacher if they can offer any insight. 
• Introduce yourself to grade level partners. Speaking of asking neighboring teachers, don't wait to introduce yourself until you need help from them. When you arrive in the morning just go in and say hello! Most teachers are happy to meet you and to offer any help that you might need. Also, they might like you and request you to sub for their classroom- you never know! 
• Establish clear expectations! This is a MUST. Whether there are classroom rules posted/ shared or not you need to explain how you run your classroom. If there is a quiet sign that you like to use, make sure that the class knows it and is comfortable with that. It is an unfortunate known event that kids like to push subs to see what they can get away with, stop that at the source and tell them what you expect and what the direct consequences will be. Be firm! 

I hope that these tidbits that I learned along the way can help you start off your day in any new classroom successfully! 

                     

Week 3- READ as Much as You Can!

Every time that you walk into a classroom it is a special opportunity to learn about the curriculum/ way of teaching. This is especially helpful if you are newly graduated from college and subbing while you wait for that amazing moment that you get your very on classroom!! 

My whole life there has been something special about balancing a huge spiral teacher's manual on my hip, it just feels right! 

It is inspiring that in the world of education there are so many methods to teach and engage students. Read the teacher's manuals, bulletin boards, supplemental reading materials, anything! It is really good to start to understand each school's grade level information and how to reach various learning styles. First day in 3rd grade? Maybe look at what math skills they are working on so you can better understand the lesson your are teaching. 

This might also be a good time to read up on some social studies information you may not have thought about too recently! I also found that Scholastic News and Time for Kids- interesting stuff in there!! 

Use your experience in the classroom to enhance your knowledge, teachers should always be learning like we expect our students to be doing! :) 

I hope that this wasn't information overload! Check back this Wednesday (I PROMISE!) for what to leave in your note to the teacher about how the day went. 

Enjoy the summer sunshine! :) 

Becky 

Secrets from a Substitute- Week 1 Names

       After graduating from Penn State in May 2013 (WE ARE!), I was a substitute for a year. I was a daily substitute for K-6 and had an app in which jobs would pop up for certain dates at all different schools and I could accept them. During that time, I longed for and dreamt of the day when I would have my own classroom. I couldn't imagine the greatness of walking into the same group of kids everyday!

      However, I took every single day as a learning experience. I was fortunate enough to be in so many different grade level classrooms, with varying student dynamics, numerous management styles, and such a wide array of teaching styles. I started to take notes in a journal of what I was learning, thinking of maybe someday I will start a blog! My mom recently found the journal in my bedroom at my parents' house and asked if I had taken notes from teaching books in it. I thought she was kidding but she thought the ideas were great, so I figured maybe it would be something to share on here!

  Every Wednesday I will be sharing the lessons that I learned during my year of substitute teaching. Looking back at what I wrote a year later after being a full time classroom teacher made me realize these ideas really apply to any teacher walking into a new group of kids! So anyone in the teaching profession should tune in each Wednesday for...

Learning Names

    One of the most humbling moments as a teacher was at the end of the day after substituting for a wonderful 3rd grade class, they thanked me for making it a great day. They told me that so many subs come in and do not bother to learn their names but spend the day pointing at them instead. I was told that by learning their names I showed how much I cared and that I actually wanted to teach them something rather than just "watching" them for the day. The class explained that they behavior better for teachers when they treat them with the same respect they are expected to show the teacher. 

WOW! Such a little thing that I never really thought about from the student perspective! How many of you are guilty of learning the names of challenging student much quicker? They notice that, so go the extra step to ensure you learn the name of EVERY child you encounter. 

Yes, I realize this is different with a new class everyday in a substitute situation. Luckily, I wrote down some things that worked for me! 

Some tricks: 

• walk around while you are teaching so you can see name tags and call on students 
• play a name game in the beginning of the day, they will appreciate your effort even if you can't learn them that fast!
• draw a seating chart for yourself and keep it nearby throughout the day
• make an activity out of making stand up names tags, they know that your are human and need help learning their names
• TALK TO THEM, learning something interesting about each student and getting to know their personality helps you to remember the person not just the name

*If a teacher leaves certain students' names on your lesson plans, find them first! They left those names for a reason so make that your first mission of the day as the class is coming in! 

Substituting is an AMAZING experience because it gives you the opportunity to talk to so many different children in so many types of environments. I am in this profession for the kids. Show them how much you care about their education by showing you care about them as a person- learn their names! 

Please comment if you have any questions  or any stories you want to share. Come back next Wednesday for more! Our next topic will be keys to having a smooth, successful day subbing!