Saturday School

I spent the entire day today helping a fellow teacher rearrange her room. There is something about organizing other people's things that brings me joy. I realized something about myself today. It occurred to me that teachers are natural collaborators. We work better when we have someone who understands our teacher language, our need for organization, and that our world revolves around our students. I am a tech, organization,reading/writing and data geek and today I found my people.

Kids at Work

At my new school we were told that we need to have a separate spot for each child's work. Each time we change work we just unclip the old and clip the new. I love the idea. I made labels for each 12x12 background page that say "work in progress" to fit the Kids at Work/Learning Zone theme so that the space will never be blank. Especially when I take the old off and get distracted before putting the new up.

The Weeks Before School Starts

I always love popping into school about 2 weeks before it starts, looking around and thinking "Is the school going to be ready in time?" The hallways are littered with furniture and custodial tools. The floors have random papers and scraps scattered about. Then on opening day somehow it all gets done. Do custodial fairies fly in the night before and complete the work that seemed like a small army couldn't handle? No it is completed by possibly the most hard working, unrecognized staff members in the building. They stay behind the scenes and take little credit but appear in a moments notice for anything you may need. They are the first you see in the morning and the last before you leave. They clean up paper, boxes, glitter, crayons, blood, vomit, urine, and the mystery sticky green stuff on the cafeteria tables. They paint, catch drips from a leaking ceiling, fix broken glass, retrieve lost tennis balls from the roof, move furniture, stay late and come in early to help set up and clean up for activities. Although I have made a point to meet and thank the custodians at my new school I miss my custodians Rick, Moises and Larry from my last school and hope they know how much I appreciate them and everything they do to make the school a better place. So the next time you come in to a clean classroom and a beautiful looking building on the first day of school, don't forget to say, "Thank you" to your knights in shining armor.

Two Great Books

Ask a teacher for a good book about reading and writing and I guarantee the will spout off a list with the usual names: Fountas, Pinnel, Fletcher, Caulkins, Graves, Allington and so on. This past year I was introduced to a new name that I keep reading ever and over. Aimee Buckner, writes Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook and Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's notebook.. Ive read the readers/writers worksop bibles by the authors who most teachers list but these two books are my go to books. If you want to find out what readers/writers workshop is and want some theory then read from the list but if you want practical advice on how to apply the principals set forth by the gurus then read Aimee Buckner. I suggest reading Notebook Know-how first. You'll want to run to your classroom and try the activities out. Then read Notebook Connections to learn to guide your students towards having deeper responses to their reading and connect their reading to writing. I promise I am not being paid by Aimee but just believe in her work. Both books are short reads but be aware that if you don't sit down to read them with some sort of page markers and a highlighter you WILL get up to get them during your reading. Enjoy!!

First Impressions

Every year in the first days back at school, when teachers get their class lists, reminds me of a snapshot of the NY stock exchange. Teachers in previous grades are offering advice on students. You often hear, "You have a great/ tough class this year." or "He needs to sit right next to you." the stories start being told and the lists are marked up with suggestions for seat placement or tricks. Then every year the kids come in and things begin to change. They all seem perfect at first. You think the other teachers misrepresented them. Then the honeymoon period ends. Some of them begin to show their true colors. I say "some" because I honestly believe that most students are not given a fair shake from previous teachers. Often the student/ teacher relationship is so different each year. In my past few years I've tried to a avoid the "stock market" gathering so I could formulate my own opinions and only seek out previous teachers when I needed validation. This year, on my new adventure, I have chosen to do this with teachers as well. I've been meeting new people everyday and I'm choosing to bypass the unsolicited opinions on other teachers and judge for myself. Stay tuned for how this turns out.

Classroom Before and After

I can't believe it's almost been a year. So much has happened. I've moved to Oklahoma with my two kids (my husband will join us when he sells the house back in Massachusetts). I have accepted a job as a third grade teacher and am excited and nervous. I've never taught 3rd grade or in another state for that matter. On July 5th we packed up an ABF trailer( that's a whole other post) with all my school stuff. 4 days later we unloaded it and put it all in the new classroom. I left a lot behind for a new teacher. I can't believe how many "essentials" I had and anyone who knows me well knows that I am constantly cleaning out my stuff. Well here are pics of the before and after of my classroom. If you notice there are no windows because my new room is also the tornado shelter for our pod.