Fab Sunday

Today has been a fantastic day so far. I slept in, then went to the gym and had a great run on the treadmill. I decided to take it slower today so I could run for a longer amount of time. I started at about 10.5 km/hour and eventually worked by way up to 14 km/hour for a short sprint. When I reached a distance 5 km, I had been running for about 27 minutes which is a pace I am happy with. I remember running a 5K race in Portland and finishing at over 30 minutes, so I have knocked some time off of that. It is easier to keep a good pace on the treadmill, so that helps cut the time a bit. I was on the treadmill for about 45 minutes which included a walking break for 5 minutes.

While I was doing some crunches after my run, I got a text from my friend Jill asking if I wanted to take a walk with her to Starbucks. (Yes, we just got a Starbucks in our town in Germany!). I quickly walked home from the gym, showered up, and got ready. My husband came home from playing tennis and he wanted to come too, so the three of us walked into town for some nice Starbucks drinks and snacks. We took our stuff to go and continued walking around downtown. It is warm out today and it was really nice to be outside. Since we got home the wind has really picked up though! Tonight we are going over to my friend Christy's house to watch U.S. play Canada in Olympic hockey. In our group of 4 we have two Americans and two Canadians, so it will be fun to have a little rivalry going on during the game!

I have not done any school work today, but I am enjoying that fact! I worked on my post test for the class where I work with a partner yesterday, so all of the assignments I am responsible for are completed and posted online. We still have a 12 page case study report to turn in for the final project, but my partner is in charge of writing most of that since she was the teacher who actually worked with the student. Instead of reading for class, I decided to give the book Three Cups of Tea another try. I started it last year or maybe even the year before and never finished. I found that I would go through spurts of really loving it and then not wanting anything to do with it. This time, I am trying harder to really appreciate the writing and pay more attention to the details about Korphe and Pakistan where Greg Mortenson built schools. I have heard both sides when it comes to this book--some people LOVE and ogle over it and others say they couldn't get through it. I want to at least give it one more shot.

I am really trying to figure out something good and healthy to make for dinner tonight. We have recently discovered an obsession with quinoa, so I have been using it a lot lately with different things mixed in. Last night we had chili over quinoa and vegetables, but I am stuck and can't think of what to make tonight! Better get on that soon because hubs need something to eat before he heads off to soccer. Tennis and soccer and walking all in the same day! Busy boy! I am looking forward to cozying up on the couch and reading while he is gone.

I realized that I rarely ever include pictures in my posts, so here is a silly shot just for fun!

 

  

and a picture of one of the cookies that I baked on Friday.

Oatmeal with cranberries, white chocolate, & hazelnuts.

So good!

February Goal Recap & March Goals

For the month of February I listed 6 goals that I wanted to work on. I tried to make them more measurable and specific so I could have a good idea of how I did. The goals were:


1. No soda/coffee: 
I will admit, I completely and utterly failed at this goal. I did cut down on drinking coffee at work, which is great, but I need to continue working on the soda thing.... still trying!


2. Eat at least one completely unprocessed food with each meal: 
I wrote down my food intake (on most days) this month and have definitely added more raw and cooked vegetables into my daily eating although my documentation was not complete enough to really know if I was successful at each and every meal.  I am, however, making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of processed foods and I would say this goal was successful. I want to keep it up and continue improving my meals. 


3. Read at least one book for pleasure: 
I read In Defense of Food, Food Rules, Attention Deficit Disorder, & Driven to Distraction. (Yes, two of those are work/school related reads, but I did read them for pleasure just for my own interest, so I counted them)
 
4. Leave no more than one item unfinished on daily To Do lists:
I have data for this one! I was successful on 15 out of 22 To Do lists. When I was on my weekend trip, I did not make lists, so that is why there were only 22. I have one for this weekend, but I decided to write this post today, so that accounts for the other 2 days in February. Bottom line, I got a lot accomplished this month!


5. Write 4 pages per week on my Comparative International Edudcation paper: 
I have 16 pages written and there were 4 weeks in February. Success!


6. Work out 5 times per week: 

Week 1: 5 workouts

Week 2: 5 workouts

Week 3: 4 written down, but I think I did 5

Week 4: I have done 2 workouts so far, but since it is Saturday it looks like this week's total will be 4

I would say I was pretty successful with that goal!


I think some of these will carry over into my goals for March, but I would also like to include some different goals as well....


Health/Wellness Goals

• Do pilates video 3 times per week: I used to do pilates a lot and really saw benefits from this type of workout. I want to try and incorporate more into my workout routine.  I have a very short (20 min.) buns and thighs video and I am thinking of getting up 15 minutes earlier and just getting it done before school. If I spent a little less time reading blogs in the am, I could definitely make this happen!
• Strength training 3 times per week: I am going back to letting cardio overtake my entire workout schedule. I made a plan to do more weight lifting and started out doing well, but then I crept back into my old ways of cardio cardio cardio. 
• Continue with cleaner eating and also cut down on soda, coffee, sugar intake, and chocolate (this one is less measurable, but with keeping track of what I eat, I will be able to see how I am doing).

Personal Goals

• I am still loving the To Do lists, so I am going to continue with that. Let's see if I can do better than 68% success this time.
• Plan/Organize for our trip to Ireland. I would like to create a written itinerary (which I have already started) so that we are really organized when we travel.  
• Try two new healthy recipes.

What would you like to accomplish this month? 
What helps you follow through with your goals? Writing them down? Posting a visual? Writing in a journal?

gifts

Today I woke up to a messy apartment and decided I could not spend my day off in a cluttery mess. I decided to set my egg timer for 15 minutes to see how much I could accomplish in that short amount of time.

Surprisingly it was a lot! I made the bed, put random clothes away, picked up the living room, did the dishes, picked up my office and got my of the kitchen cleaned before the buzz went off. Since I was being so productive, I just kept cleaning for another 15 minutes or so and now the whole place looks much better!

My level of enjoyment as I watched The Desperate Housewives of Orange County was entirely intensified by my clean, organized surroundings. For all those times that I hesitate to get things done because it seems like it will take SO long, I just completely proved to myself that it doesn't take long at all. I would still like to vacuum today and maybe get some laundry done, but the apartment looks so much better and I just know I will be productive all day because of that motivated cleaning frenzy of a morning I had.

This morning I also decided to be extra sweet to my husband and I made him his favorite breakfast (egg in the whole) because he came home last night bearing gifts! He brought me a super soft and cozy fleece from a company called Bench that I had never heard of, a cute little pink watch that is made of a stretch material and really durable, so I can wear it when I workout (he knows me so well), and this adorable little flower thingy for hanging my razor in the shower.

 

  

 

What a sweetheart!

He told me to think of something fun to do tonight, so I am brainstorming what we can do. There are some good movies at the English movie theater so that might be fun...

1. What is your idea of a good date with your significant other?

2. What is the most thoughtful gift you ever got from your honey?

3. If you could press a magic button that would either clean your whole house and do your laundry OR fastforward through your day at work until it was time to go home, which would you pick?

Sun!

It is a gorgeous day in Germany! It is 54 degrees out, the sky is Robin's Egg blue, and the sun is shining! I just went for a run outside and I had forgotten how nice it is to exercise in the fresh air. I don't run that often because running on the treadmill at the gym is so boring. Even with good music, it seems like every minute is an eternity and I typically choose another form of cardio over running. When I am outside though, it is so interesting to look at all the scenery, pass by other people, and just be in the sun soaking in the rays.

The one thing that makes running outside less appealing is that I really have a hard time determining what my pace is. I run between 11 and 11.5 km/hour (6.8-7.1 miles per hour) on the treadmill and I like to know how fast I am going. It feels like I run a lot slower outside since I don't have the belt to keep me at a steady pace. Usually I just pick an amount of time I want to run for and try my best to keep a steady run without walking, even if my pace feels slower.

I noticed the past few times I have run that when I get home there is blood on two of my toes. For some reason they are squishing each other/rubbing funny when I run and it makes them bleed. With ridiculously expensive custom orthodics, I am not sure why this is happening! It doesn't really hurt as I am running, but when I am done there is blood. I make sure to keep my nails trimmed because I thought maybe the nail was digging in or something, but that's not it. Boo!

In just a bit I am off to work on another block of my quilt. Today's will make a grand total of 4. Then I will have 5 more to make of this same pattern before I move onto the next star pattern. I am enjoying learning how to sew, but it is not as leisurely as I would like considering I have to schedule times to go over to Lucinda's to work on it. On a beautiful day like today, I would rather be outside than inside sewing, but we already set up the time for me to go over and work. Maybe some day I will have my own sewing machine so I can just sew whenever the mood strikes.

It is only 2:15 and my To Do list for the day is almost complete. I need to read for my class and maybe work on my paper a little bit more, but then I plan on getting my relaxation on this evening and catching up on some shows!

Now it's your turn:
1. Do you prefer the treadmill or the pavement?
 Most often the pavement (but that is weather dependent)

2. What outside activity do you miss the most when it's all wintery and snowy out?
I enjoy walking/running outside and just being outdoors when it's sunny and warm, but in the winter I always just want to cozy up inside and hibernate! I am glad the sun made an appearance today :0)

3. Are you currently reading anything interesting that you could recommend?
I am reading a few books for class, but I want something just for fun.

Highlights

Today a few things made me really happy. One of my fifth grade classes is reading Number the Stars and their teacher gave them an assignment which required them to write a persuasive piece about their opinion of lying. In the story, several of the characters tell lies to protect a Jewish girl from the German soldiers, so the idea of whether or not it is okay to lie sometimes becomes an interesting topic of debate. Her assignment got me thinking about the Anticipation Guide that my friend did with her 7th graders before they started reading Tuck Everlasting.

The idea is that you create a series of statements based on the major themes that you will be teaching about. The students respond to the statements by placing a check mark next to the statements that they believe to be true or that they agree with. You can do a group discussion about their ideas and opinions, then revisit the same guide once the unit has been completed or the book has been read. I thought it would be really interesting to incorporate an anticipation guide for Number the Stars with the same concept the fifth grade teacher was using for her persuasive piece.  The interesting part about the Anticipation Guide is that students respond to the statements before they connect with the book and their ideas may change as a result of getting to know certain characters and their motives. I would guess that many students would not check the statement, "It is okay to tell lies," yet after reading Number the Stars and becoming familiar with the idea that people lied to protect others from being killed they may have some different ideas and justifications for checking it.

When I was sharing my idea with the fifth grade teacher, I asked her if maybe I could create an Anticipation Guide for the other group of fifth graders who will read this book next month. She was really excited about the idea and welcomed me to teach a lesson to her students! I am really pumped because I think it will be a great activity and I am always thrilled to get back into "real teacher" mode. I love it when the teachers whose classrooms I push into are welcoming and really value my presence. I  always worked with instructional assistants as a classroom teacher and now that I have had time in that role, I have a better understanding of how to make them feel more valued in my classroom. It is always fun to have the chance to collaborate with other teachers and share ideas.

Another thing that made me really happy today was my high school friend wanting to work on his Spanish homework during our 1:1 time. Typically he has Physics or History homework (two of my most favorite subjects...NOT), but today it was Spanish. I was so happy to have the chance to speak a little bit of Spanish and to remember what it feels like to actually understand the foreign language being used! It was a nice little refresher and and a nice end to a long day.

Also, being able to change into comfy pants after work made me super happy because my pants felt too tight all day. Tomorrow is a new day and I need to end the week eating better than I have for the past few days. 

Last, My girlfriends came over and watched The Women Tell All episode of The Bachelor after work and we enjoyed a nice little tray of snacks that I put together. We are all so excited for the finale next week and we actually discussed the possibility of getting together at 5 am (our time), which is when the live finale airs on the West Coast (which is the timezone our Slingbox accesses). Ultimately we decided to wait until after school, but it is going to take a lot of restraint and facebook avoidance to remain in the dark about the results until after work. I am still convinced something is going on with Ali....

A couple of questions for you! I shared my thoughts and I want to hear from you as well!

1. What is your opinion on lying? Is it ever okay to lie? 
That's a toughie, but I think that under certain circumstances, if it involves your life or your family at risk...you do what you have to do.

2. Who do you think Jake is going to choose? Are you Team Tenley or Team Vienna?  or maybe....
    Team Ali?
    Team Stay Single?
    Team Marry ME Jake?
I could be wrong, but I just have this feeling we haven't seen the last of Ali. I don't think Jake will propose to either of the finalists and I think he sends them both home. Whether or not he goes after Ali, I am not sure, but I have a feeling there is a surprise in store and there will be some major shock value!

3. What is your opinion about people who post the results of reality shows on facebook? 
Since I never watch shows on time, I am always really bummed when someone reveals the results because I hate finding out the ending before I actually watch the show!

Chemistry Teacher Say What?!

The most recent class that has been added to my schedule is a high school Chemistry class. I consider myself a pretty on top of it and smart person, but I can't seem to understand anything the teacher is talking about. It's not that he is not a good teacher, but I come in 45 minutes after the class has started (because they have a double block and I only cover the second half) and I immediately feel disoriented because he is in the middle of teaching and the students are seated and in the middle of working/learning. I am the type of learner who always gets to class early and take furious color coded notes (I know, again with the color coding...) and doesn't like to miss a beat, so not knowing what is going on really is not  my cup of tea...

When I got to class today, I went and checked in with the student that I support and felt relieved he wasn't seeking too much help because I felt like I needed a support team to come in and help me understand! Jeesh. I am such a nerdy overachiever type, I really can't stand feeling entirely lost, but it's not like I can raise my hand and ask a question. That would just make me look unprepared and if I let on that I really had no clue what was going on I feel like I would lose my professional smart teacher credibility with my student. Thank goodness I also see him for Algebra and I kick Algebra's butt! That provides me a small feeling of redemption that prevents me from wanting to crawl under the desk and tear the Periodic Table to shreds.

It's pretty fortunate that this particular student who has to bear the burden of my Chemistry induced stupidity is very polite and pretty shy, so he would never draw attention to the fact that I am not actually helping him. Maybe he doesn't notice!?

I guess this is why I love teaching the little ones...the small kiddos that think I am super smart just because I can tie my own shoes, push the straws in Capri Suns without help, and read hard books like Junie B. Jones. In their world I am a super smarty pants and I like that. Any student that will never ask me to explain redox equations gets a gold sticker!

What was your hardest subject in school?

If you don't know the answer to a question that a student asks, do you own up to it or fake your way through to save face?

Inspiration

Today was one of those mornings where I looked around at all the clutter in my office and kitchen and just had to tidy up when I really needed to be getting ready for work. I was brushing my teeth (well really just walking around with my toothbrush clenched in my mouth) while I made the bed and put away the clothes that were lying on our guest bed. The same mess had been there all weekend, yet it wasn't until I was really in a time crunch that I felt the need to get rid of it. I guess timing is everything...I needed a little bit of extra motivation to get that tidying done and luckily I still made it to work on time!

I got to sub for my friend today in math because she was home sick. Ahhh...the joy of being in charge and actually teaching the group! We worked on the difference between equations, numeric expressions, and inequalities and I really got to do my thing since she was too sick to write a thorough plan. She knew I would be covering so she pretty much left the worksheets and said to do some examples with them knowing that I could handle it. I loved the chance to put on my "real teacher" hat again!!

Today inspiration is on my mind because after talking with my partner in OR on the phone yesterday, I felt completely inspired by her. For the online course I am taking, I have to collaborate with another teacher in order to create and implement reading intervention lessons for a student. I create the lessons and she teaches them to one of her students, then she provides me with feedback so I can create the next lesson. Usually we chat on the phone on the weekend to go over our assignments, how the previous lesson went, and what we want to do next. I don't know much about her school or the student we are working with because the information needs to be kept confidential. She did reveal that she works at  an alternative school that services students who have been removed from their homes. Some students have come from environments where drugs were used and some students have police records.  They have it rough and tough and she is their teacher. She works her butt off sometimes spending more than 12 hours at school in an effort to get everything done. She is supposed to be retired, yet this is how she spends her days. Helping kids who quite possibly feel like they have nothing and no hope. She helps them realize that they can have a future and gently guides them to continue their education and alter the path of their lives.

As we spoke, I was in awe of her commitment and her capacity to handle the situations she described. She shared some information about the student she selected for us to work with for our assignments and I was near tears to hear about the drastic changes that have taken place in his persona since she first met him. She tried to share this credit with me, explaining that the lessons I have created have helped him to grow as a learner, yet I feel so insignificant compared to the powerful impact she is having in this student's life. I picture her as a more mature Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds or Hillary Swank in Freedom Writers yet with a greater longevity of wisdom from years in the classroom. At one point before the course started, I considered dropping it because I was a little nervous about having to work with a partner. I tend to be a perfectionist and don't really like to rely on other people when it comes to my grades. I am so glad I decided to stick it out because I have had the pleasure of working with this terrific lady. She is so sweet and so complimentary of me as if my skills even compare to her years of experience. We agreed that when I go back to OR, we will meet for coffee and I am looking forward to it! I am thankful that I am able to work with this person and she has left an impression on me with regards to what kind of teacher I strive to be!

Who or what inspires you ?

Which movie did you find more inspiring? Freedom Writers or Dangerous Minds? Or do you have another favorite?

The Dance

I think the Middle School Valentine's Dance that I attended on Friday should have been named the "Middle School Nighttime Recess with disco ball and snacks." I chose to monitor the food and drink tables because that gave me something to do as opposed to just standing in the gym area watching the kids. I was able to help pour drinks, keep the table areas clean, and keep the drinks well stocked for the kiddos. At certain points, I did wander into the "dance" area because the music was pretty loud and other teachers just wanted some reprieve from that. When I did go into the gym, I didn't really see much dancing going on. It was the typical scene of boys on one side and girls on the other, but even the same gender groups were not doing all that much dancing. They enjoyed the Macarena and there was definitely some very comical impersonations of Michael Jackson during Billy Jean, but on the whole, the overall impression I got was just chaos. There was a lot of running around, cartwheels, drama, and trips to the snack/beverage tables, and I was surprised to not see any boy/girl pairs dancing together.

The kids were in charge of bringing some drinks and snacks so we had one table with bottles of different sodas, juices, and water and another table with bags of chips, popcorn, and gummy bears. We never had snacks at our dances growing up, so the entire time I was waiting for someone to throw up. The same kids returned over and over, ingesting cup after cup of soda and handful after handful of snacks in between running around the gym and to and fro between the gym and bathroom areas. I was also surprised that middle schoolers were not above lots of spillage when attempting to pour soda from a liter sized bottle into a cup.

All the kids seemed to have a great time and that is the point, so I guess the idea of a "dance" is just go give them a place to gather and have fun outside of school. The girls wore makeup and dressed up and the boys styled their hair. It was cute. They definitely acted a lot different than they do in the classroom which reminded me of why I used to steer clear of middle schoolers. When it comes to their social issues and interactions with members of the opposite sex, I am just at a loss. I felt like I was watching reality tv and I could have grabbed one of those bowls of popcorn and just pulled up a chair and been entertained for that entire 3 hours!

Friday

Don't ask me why this week seemed long since I only technically worked 1.5 days (I know...but keep in mind I would love to be working full time and try not to hate me too much). I have gone to bed early every night since I got back from my weekend away with my friends because I have felt completely drained. I am looking forward to sleeping about 12 hours tonight!

This morning I had a meeting at school, so even though I don't work on Fridays, I had to be at school at 8:15. Although it would be nice to sleep in, I actually like having to get up because it just helps get the day started in a productive way. You know me and Fridays...the list comes out and I force myself to be productive because a day off should not be a wasted day! My meeting lasted until about 10 and after sending a few emails, I headed home.

I picked up my husband's jacket which I had to take to the dry cleaners because it needs to be refreshed a bit after experiencing carnival in Cologne where evidently a lot of people were smoking. We are not smokers and I cannot stand the smell, so the jacket has been hanging outside since he came back. I was surprised to find that it will only cost 3.90 to have it cleaned. I was expecting it to be a lot more spendy than that.

After dropping the jacket off, I ran (literally) downtown to the doctor's office that I visited yesterday because I needed to show them my health insurance card. When I got there yesterday for the appointment, I realized the card was not in my wallet, so I had to bring it today to show them so I would not be billed for the appointment as if it was not covered. I worked up a good sweat on the way there and felt a little embarrassed to be red in the face and sweaty when I entered the office. It seems that doing errands in workout clothes is not really accepted around here, but I like to use my time efficiently. The office is about 2 km away, so it made more sense to combine getting there and my exercise for the day. I ran home as well and enjoyed a little bit of rain during the last part of the run. There is something really exhilarating about running in the rain.

When I got home, I threw in some laundry, tidied up the apartment, made the bed, and cleaned up the kitchen. Then I made some lunch and watched Project Runway and Real Housewives of the OC. That show drives me nuts. All the women are so catty and I seriously think Lynn is on something. The way she speaks does not sound normal and she sounds like she is under the influence of something.... I guess, though, if someone were video taping my friends and me, we wouldn't always come off as sweet angels. Not to mention the show is most likely scripted anyway. Like the Bachelor...don't even get me started on how they have introduced practically the identical plot with Ali that occurred last season with Ed....the least they could do is try something new! For anyone who watches, my prediction is that at the final rose ceremony, Jake is going to reject both Vienna and Tenley and go get Ali. At least that would be an ending they have never done before. But I would be cool with him choosing Tenley as well. What do you think? Who do you think Jake should pick? Did he make a mistake not letting Ali come back?

Now that I have relaxed a bit, I am ready to get some pages written for my paper. My goal is to write 4 pages each week, so that by mid-March I have about 24 pages completed. Sometimes I get a really good flow and I can write for hours and other times I feel completely stuck. I much prefer writing when I can just reflect on my own thoughts (why I love blogging!) rather than having to find sources to report from. I am good with getting info from scholarly articles, but since my paper is on education in Germany, I am using the internet more and internet sources can be somewhat iffy. I already wrote about a page and a third this week, so I have 2 and two-thirds pages left to write between today and this weekend. I would prefer to get it all done today though. I am going to put on some nice classical music and my writing groove on. Do you listen to music when you are trying to concentrate and if so what kind? Or do you need it to be really quiet? Sometimes I like quiet music, but sometimes I can also get really motivated by something loud and fast.

Tonight I am hitting up the middle school Valentine's Dance to help out and ensure the hormonal kiddos behave appropriately. The last dance I went to was pretty fun, but the music is super loud. Maybe I should be really dorky and wear earplugs!

This post was just full of randomness, but according to my little poll that I have going on, posts about everyday life are appreciated! :0)

Happy Friday!

Pizza

Over the weekend during our spa trip, my friends and I ordered pizza on Valentine's Day. Since we were doing a girls night in, which included watching The Bachelor and the movie Up in bed at the hotel, we figured take out pizza was a good solution for dinner.

We called up a local place after much discussion about what kind of pizza to get, what extra toppings we should add, and whether it was more economical to get individual pizzas or a family size. Eventually we decided that we wanted a Margharita pizza (sauce and cheese) with spinach, artichokes, and mushrooms added to it (family size).

We waited a long time to get our meal, so when it finally arrived (probably sometime after 9), we were ravenous. A full day of spa-ing and relaxing really works up the appetite! Much to our disappointment, we received a funghi pizza (mushrooms only) instead of the vegetable medly that we had intended. Boo! In Germany, customer service is definitely not the same as in the U.S.

They don't really care if you are not satisfied.

(I once sent back a drink because I had asked for something with vodka (which I am not allergic to) and they brought over something with rum (which I am allergic to). I had one sip and immediately broke out in the crazy splotchy hot rash that I get when I ingest alcohol I am allergic to. Since it was clearly not what I ordered, I didn't want to drink it, nor did I want to pay for it. The waitress took it back to the bar, where all of the bartenders took a sip, then she brought it back to our table insisting that it was what I had ordered and that it would be included in our bill (as if I would ever even think about letting my lips go near the glass that three bartenders just sipped from!). They were not apologetic over the fact that I was then holding a cold glass full of ice to my face because it was burning up. Nope. They could have cared less and they did not want to give me a free drink.)

Anyway, back to the pizza. We pretty much decided it would not serve any purpose to complain, so we just ate our funghi pizza (isn't that a horrible name!?)


So you may be wondering why I am going on and on about pizza, German customer service, and screwed up drinks....

Well, tonight I made my own pizza so that I could get it just the way I like it.

cheese

red onions

garlic

red pepper

orange pepper

broccoli

some salami stuff on hubby's half

MMMMMMMM!

I sauteed the veges on the stove until they were a bit cooked and then loaded them on the crust for cooking in the oven. The cooking time required for the dough is only 10-12 minutes which does not get the veges soft enough for my liking.

 

 

This is what was leftover after we devoured the rest. I am saving it for dinner tomorrow night because I will need a little somethin' something' before I head over to school to help at the middle school Valentine's dance. My homemade pizza got the official hubs seal of approval, which is good because his standards are very high! I am already looking forward to the leftovers :0)

Connections

For one of the courses I am taking this term, I am collaborating with a partner who is a teacher in Portland. My job is to create materials (pre-test, 3 intervention lessons, and post-test) and then she implements them with a student she selected that struggles with content area comprehension. Although this may sound a bit dorky, I have thoroughly enjoyed preparing these lessons because I don't do all that much lesson planning for my current position due to the nature of my job.

The most recent intervention lesson I created was to help our student improve his skills in connecting to his background knowledge. He is learning about soil types and soil formation, so the goal was to see how he could make sense of this information given the schema he already has. It is hard for teachers to know enough about all of their students (especially when students are from different countries or unique cultural backgrounds) to help each and every student forge connections between each topic and their own personal lives.

In order to help our student think about what he already knows, I created this graphic organizer which I call the "Who I Am" sheet to help him create some visual images/words pertaining to what he already knows. I think it is an easy way for students to brainstorm and capture things, people, activities, places, hobbies, and interests that are important to them. Having a visual to look at when trying to make connections will hopefully help our student become more successful at seeing how his content topics relate to his life and experiences.

Here is the blank template.
My Life My Likes My Learning-Template

And of course I had to make an example based on my own life so he would understand what was being asked of him.
My Life, My Likes, My Learning


The student we are working with is in high school, but I could see this being adapted to much younger students so they could get ideas for writing. I would love to have had my first graders use a similar template (with bigger boxes) to create a brainstorming sheet for journal writing ideas.

I also think this would help me get to know my students better and learn interesting things about them and their families.

Information from the sheet could also be incorporated into math word problems because students definitely get more excited when their names and interests are mentioned in class!

Can you think of any other ways to use something like this?

Spa Pics

As promised, here are some pics from the spa weekend I went on with my friends. The first three are actually postcard photos because I didn't bring my camera into the spa/pool area. These are obviously not taken in the winter, so what we saw looked a little different, but you can get the picture....
These images convince me that we have to go back when the weather is warmer and the sun is shining!

 

  

  

  

Check out the view! 

 

Now it's time to get back to reality...

Ahhhhhhh!

A medley of words to describe this weekend...

road trip, roses, chocolate, relaxing, saunas, mimosas, free mini bar, Indian food, cake, amazing venison goulash, banana split with the best ever vanilla ice cream, steam, massages, toasts, sleep masks, shopping, deep breathing, conversation, wine, exposure, learning to love what you've got, The Bachelor, movie in bed, photo ops, pools, ladies in fur, funky hats, warm baths, cold splashes, cocooning in warm blankets, tiny parking spaces, latte macchiatos with caramel, sleep, calm, stress relief, but best of all friendship.

I realize now how on-the-go and tense I usually am because I have never in my life felt so completely and utterly relaxed as I do now. We have enjoyed ourselves to the max with good food and great company. I took some pictures of the cute town, but I can't post them until I get back because I didn't bring my camera cord. We are driving back tomorrow and I am really excited to see my husband because I have missed him!!

Girls' Weekend

Today I am heading out to Baden-Baden with three of my friends for a relaxing spa weekend. It is still snowing, and since I am driving (thanks to my new German driver's license), I am hoping that the roads are okay! I am usually not the one that volunteers to drive for something like this, but the train tickets were a lot of money and so was renting a car. I guess it's kind of fun to do road trip driving though. I am so excited to indulge in a relaxing, quiet weekend of unwinding! We are hoping to get in some massages, good food, and lots of rest.

I woke up this morning eager to hit the gym, and I am really proud that I got in a good 45 minute session on the bike before I have to leave. Now I  just need to finish packing! My husband is spending the weekend in Cologne with a friend of his celebrating Carnival. I left him a homemade Valentine on his bedside table and some other little gifts for him to discover when he gets back. It's not super convenient that our long weekend from school for Fasching (Carnival) coincides with Valentine's Day, but I am very much a believer that Valentine's Day should not be so much about just a DAY, but really about the relationships that you have and celebrating your love. My husband is my best friend and the most supportive, loving person I know, so I am okay if we are not together on Sunday because all the other days in the year count too!

I will be returning on Tuesday, so there probably won't be any posting going on until then. Happy Valentine's Day! XOXO

Classroom Organization

One of the things about teaching (being a classroom teacher) that always got me feeling great was the satisfaction of getting things organized. I absolutely love this weekly organizer from Lakeshore that allows you to separate your materials by days of the week on which you will need them. These bright plastic buckets are perfect for storing lesson plans, handouts, homework, books, and more! Even though I seriously heart this organizational helper, at 49.95, I think it's a bit spendy. When I had my own classroom, I made my own similar alternative, which actually worked out really well.

I bought a set of these plastic drawers from Staples or a similar office supply store (although mine had 6 same sized drawers instead of a big one at the bottom) for only about 30 dollars (maybe even less). I made colored labels with the days of the week printed on them (in a cute font of course) and stuck them to the front of the drawers. When I did my weekly lesson planning, I would put all the materials I needed for the following week in the appropriate drawers and I was all set. When I was extra organized, I would even set aside my read aloud books and include them in the drawers as well. I found that this system kept me very organized and was also great for any time I need to call in a sub. It is so easy to say, just look in the drawer with the yellow "Tuesday" label.

I really like the idea of using colors in the classroom to color code for days of the week or even subjects. Heck, I even color coded my kids' groups when we went on field trips. Color coding just works for me! Anyone else?!

Another organizational lifesaver I used was color coded plastic trays for different subjects.
 

For example, I would designate green for science and keep all the kids' science work in that bin so that whenever it was time for science, I could set my bin down in front of me and have easy access to their unfinished work and activities for that day etc.  I used the drawers for weekly planning, then I would sort by subject each day, so that materials could be found in their own bins throughout the day. The nice thing about these is that they stack, even when there are papers inside. When I was done with science, to the bottom of the stack the green bin went.... fantastic! These are also great to use for turning in homework. If you give homework in multiple subject areas and like to keep the different assignments separate, color coding by subject can be helpful to the kids. 

Basically, color coding rocks. You should try it!

 

I also really loved using this beauty when I had lots of books/work to bring to and from school. This crate folds down into a small briefcase size and opens up to a wheely cart perfect for toting all of one's teacher belongings because the wheels make it oh so much easier than having a gazillion things in your hands and trying to juggle your coffee and scan the door with your badge all at the same time....

This is also perfect for trips to the library when you are borrowing lots of books. It's just like having your very own multipurpose teaching shopping cart (because it seems like teachers are just those kind of people that go everywhere with lots of "accessories.") Am I the only one who brings a huge purse/bag with me to PD days or workshops because of the necessity to bring sticky notes, pens, highlighters, paper, notepads, a book to read in case there is downtime, and definitely lots of snacks!?

I guess that is my pre-parental version of a diaper bag...teacher style. 

Feeling organized is wonderful and I am always on the lookout for new ideas and ways to stay/get more organized. 

What do you do to stay organized in the classroom?

Tidbits

• I ran a 5K on the treadmill at the gym last night in 26:23
• One of my students ROCKED IT OUT on his math quiz and got a 97%
• I think we are skipping German class tonight and going out for a delicious sushi dinner to celebrate passing the driving test and Valentine's Day since we won't be together on Sunday)
• I subbed for the library teacher today during one period and had to do a read aloud. It has been too long since I have done a read aloud!
• I was supposed to have a meeting tomorrow at 8:15, but it was canceled, so I don't have to go into work at all tomorrow :0)
• It's still snowing....
• I am still obsessed with my daily To Do lists and I think they are doing an amazing job of helping me get things accomplished. Today I did 2 loads of laundry, took out the trash and recycling, read a chapter in my book, vacuumed the apartment, and now I am about to start working on my second intervention lesson for my online class. 

What is the best thing that happened to you in the past 24 hours?

Calling all Homeschoolers!

I know that at least a few of my readers are homeschooling mamas and I need some help from those lovely ladies.  I am writing a paper about education in Germany for one of my courses and part of the paper will discuss the ban on homeschooling in this country. Since I have to compare education in the U.S to education in Germany, I am really interested in the perspectives of some homeschoolers from the U.S.to generate ideas about reasons why German parents might want to home school as well.

Would you share your top 3 reasons for educating your children at home?

Also, if you don't mind, can you tell me what state you live in and what legal regulations you have to be aware of/abide by in order to have permission to home school your children?

If you prefer to email me instead of leaving a comment you can contact me at kwright626@yahoo.com

I know you are busy, but I would love to hear from you!!! (Even if you can refer me to your own blog as I know a lot of homeschooling moms have blogs that discuss what their reasons are).

Thanks a bundle!

Team Players

When I worked in OR, I was on a teaching team with three outstanding women. It was because of their support and help that I made it through my first year of teaching and they taught me the fundamentals of how to make what I learned in college actually work in a classroom. Everything that we taught was a combination of our efforts and I loved the experience of working on a team. I think one of the best things about teaching is the opportunities to share with and learn from other teachers. Working in an environment where a team effort is valued is my kind of place.

Right now, I am feeling a little frustrated by some of the circumstances at school that involve cooperating with other teachers. Working with other teachers is the nature of my job. Being a team player is absolutely essential.  I pride myself in being someone that is positive to work with and I try my best to show other educators that I am very invested in the students and am willing to work hard to provide them with what they need. This week, I  got assigned to a new class. Since it is not content that I am well versed in, I emailed the teacher requesting information on what topic they were currently working on and whether or not there was a text being used.

I didn't get a response.

I emailed another second teacher who might have been able to help provide me with this information asking the same questions.

I didn't get a response.

I did get my hands on a copy of the textbook that is being used, but not until 30 minutes before the class and I didn't know what topic to look at, so basically I went to the classroom completely unprepared.

I am not comfortable being unprepared.

My job is to help students, but I cannot do that to the best of my ability if I am not well versed in the material. When I am responsible for the instruction, I  never begin a lesson without being fully prepared. I feel like I am at the mercy of other teachers and can only do my job well if I have their cooperation in telling me what to expect when I enter the classroom for that particular period so I can get ready. I felt awful when a very nice student looked to me for help today and I was fumbling around in the book trying to find answers because I had no way of getting ready and previewing the material.

I felt like I was thrown into the fire and I was so frustrated during this period. I felt like a failure myself and worse than that, I feel like I failed the student who looked to me for support and help with his work. I simply cannot understand why a teacher would completely disregard the email I sent. I understand that teachers are busy, but I didn't send a last minute email. I gave an entire week's notice that I would be joining the class and was hoping for some guidance regarding the lesson content for today.

Collaborating professionally is a very important. In my master's program, we had two courses specifically about collaborating with colleagues. Throughout these courses, I recognized the importance of collaboration, but due to the strong team I was working on, I never felt like it was difficult to work with other teachers. Now, I see why so much time was dedicated to providing us with strategies to cooperate meaningfully with colleagues.  Perhaps the cultural differences contribute to misunderstandings and different expectations, but I am starting to feel affected by the lack of relationships with some colleagues. I want to have positive working relationships with other teachers and I have established great working relationships with most of the teachers that I connect with during my day, but the ones that aren't so great are getting me down. I don't feel like it is bad enough to merit actually sitting down with these people to confront the situation, but at the same time, I am left wondering if I did something wrong. I know I am way too sensitive and I can make something small into something bigger in my mind, but I like to do things well and be successful.

I have never had this problem before because in the past all of my cooperative working relationships have been very successful. I guess I come from the "can't we all just get along" mentality, but I just want to feel like I am at least  being acknowledged when I ask questions or seek help from others.

If you felt like you were up against a colleague who, for whatever reason, was not really responding to attempts to work together, what would you do??

Revisiting ADD

Last week (or maybe the week before) I posted about ADD/ADHD. Little did I know it would bring on my first not-so-nice comment! Especially after considering what the anonymous poster said about the negative effects that children with ADD or ADHD have on their classmates, I decided I really wanted to become more well versed on this particular "disorder." I put the word disorder in quotes because the book I read over the weekend puts ADD in a new light. Although I disagreed with this person's opinion that students with ADD or ADHD should be medicated in order to preserve the rights of the other learners in the classroom, I felt I wanted to dig deeper into the topic because I felt like I was in a debate and I needed to be more prepared with information.

Over the weekend I read Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perspective by Thom Hartmann and I am currently reading Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D.

These books have helped me to better understand the condition called ADD and have introduced a new perspective with regards to students that I may teach who display some of the traits that are associated with ADD.

Rather than seeing a forgetful, day dreamy, disorganized, or spontaneous and overactive student in a completely negative light,  Hartmann poses the analogy of individuals with ADD or ADHD as being hunters in a farming world. He goes back in time to recall traits that were necessary for those individuals who needed to hunt for their food. Constantly scanning the environment, being quick to react, full of energy and ready to conquer their prey were all skills necessary for survival and sustenance. With the introduction of farming, a new set of skills became useful such as attention to detail, patience, focus, and duration of attention because without these skills, crops would fail, which again strikes to the farmer's core ability to survive. When agriculture and farming were introduced, these new skills were necessary and have remained the more "appropriate" skill set with reference to the schooling environment. Students are expected to pay attention for long periods of time, focus on details, have patience, tune out environmental distractions, and persevere at all costs. For individuals who gravitate towards the hunter personality type, which may actually be a transgression of specific "hunter genetics," the school environment is not accepting towards their less focused, more "aware" states of behavior.

The author points out that individuals with this "hunter" personality/genetic makeup actually have many positive traits--their strengths are simply not typically recognized as strengths in the classroom setting and are often viewed as disruptive.

• They're flexible, capable of changing strategy on a moment's notice.
• They can throw an incredible burst of energy into an activity.
• They think visually.
• They love action and thrive in active/hands on situations.
• They are very aware of their surroundings
• .They are risk takers.

As educators, we commonly recognize that there are different types of learners. Although it is difficult to cater to every single learner personality, with the increasing prevalence of ADD and ADHD, I think it is time to make some adjustments to my teaching style to reflect the distinct needs of more active learners. I will wholeheartedly admit that my first graders spent a lot of time on the carpet during instruction. That is hard for them, yet I never really took into account their need to move as often as they probably needed to move. In addition to intermittent songs and opportunities to get the wiggles out, the learning itself also needs to be more active and student centered. This is probably the number one aspect of my teaching that I would like to work to improve next year! I cannot criticize a student for zoning out if their biological nature urges them to move around, be active, and change activities/focus more frequently that my lessons are permitting.

The hunter/farmer idea really got me thinking about the fact that ADD which is labeled as a "disorder" is really no such thing. Students have been criticized and punished for something that is not within their control. If a child who is blind cannot help their lack of vision, a child with ADD cannot help the particular way in which his/her brain functions. The behaviors that accompany ADD are not intentional and there are definitely strategies teachers and parents can employ to help students who experience them.

In a section called How to Turn a Disorder Back into a Skill, the author recommends a few ways for hunters to be a bit more successful in our farming world:

• Organize your time around tasks
• Train your attention span
• Break your work responsibilities into specific "goal units"
• Create "distraction-free" zones
• Exercise Daily

As a teacher, I may not be able to alter a child's brain activity, but I can certainly help to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. I can allow students opportunities to take breaks from work in order to move around rather than constantly staying seated. I can incorporate more movement into lessons so that students are not always expected to be sitting and behaving. I can be a better teacher for students who need something a little different from me.

I still feel as though medication is not the answer. Sometimes it might be, but there are other avenues of treatment to explore as well. This book truly supports the idea that nothing is "wrong" with students that have ADD, they are simply wired differently. I strive to be a very open minded person and teacher, therefore, to me, differences are always welcome.

Weekend Recap

This weekend I set out to get a lot accomplished and I am really happy with my success. My To Do list has a lot of black cross outs!

With regards to catching up on school work, I talked with my Portland partner for an hour and fifteen minutes this afternoon about our joint project, read a long chapter for Comparative International Education on teacher professionalism in Japan and the U.S., finished 4 pages on my paper about education in Germany, and will hopefully be able to read a few pages in my book about the history of education in New York before I crash tonight.

As if those tasks were not enough, I also read Food Rules (really easy read, but fantastic tips about eating) and a book called Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perspective (which I will definitely post about tomorrow or sometime this week!).

We booked our hotels for Dublin and Cork and chose hotels for the Dingle Peninsula and Galway and I am really excited to plan some of the activities for our trip.

We also went on a great hike yesterday and tromped through quite a bit of snow. Luckily we took lots of snack breaks and Claudia made a yummy rum cake for us!

 

  

  

  

 

Claudia is a teacher at a German Hauptschule/Realschule, so I chatted with her about what it's like to teach for a German school. Why not gather some info for my paper while hiking?? It was really interesting to learn more about the different schools at the secondary level and get an insider's perspective.

I can't believe it is 12:02 am as I type this because I really should be in bed. I don't think I relaxed at all today, but I did sleep 12 hours last night, so I guess I started the day pretty well rested. I got in a great run on the treadmill at the gym and I feel like it was a really productive weekend!

Tune in tomorrow for some more on the book about ADD that I read!

Tell Me!

I feel like the blogging world goes through trends just like the regular world. I have noticed lately that many of the blogs I read have been polling their readers to find out what kinds of topics they like best. My blog is primarily about teaching, however I throw in a lot of other topics because I am a person and not just a teacher. There are other things happening in my life that I like to write about as well. Everytime I am introduced to a new blog feature I want to try it out. Maybe I am being a copycat, but I feel like imitation is the best form of flattery.

Sometimes I write posts about teaching that I think will get lots of comments and then.... ::insert cricket chirping:: there is not a lot of chatter about them. Other times, when I write about random stuff, like making bagels, comments are coming out the wazoo. I don't write just to get comments, but I do love comments! What blogger doesn't?? I especially love to get comments regarding teaching topics, yet sometimes I feel like those posts are the ones that get the least comments. I know that many of my readers are teachers, so I sssume they come interested to read about teaching related topics, but maybe not.

 I am really interested to "know my audience." What brings you to Sneaker Teacher? What makes you return? Do you enjoy the posts, but don't comment?  I would love to know more! Please leave a comment and let me know!

If you are a reader, but don't often comment, take a look at the poll at the top of the page.
Do you like to read about?

Teacher Talk-Classroom Scenarios
Teacher Talk-Issues in Education
Teacher Talk-Lesson Ideas/Teaching Materials
Living in Germany
Daily Life
Fitness/Working Out
Goals
Eating Well
My Doctoral Program/Being in School

(You can select more than one!)

Thanks!

Weekend

This weekend I will...

Catch up on some school work. Chapters to read and 3 more pages to make my weekly paper quota.

Read Food Rules by Michael Pollan. Just got it today and what I love so far: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Go on an 11 km hike my husband and some friends in the Fränkische Schweiz. Looks amazing, hoping it doesn't snow.

Eat fruits or veges with every meal. Red bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli are my favorites.

Enjoy sleeping in. This week I have been exhausted!

Read Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception by Thom Hartmann. Borrowed this sucker from my a colleague so I can read up on ADD.

Snuggle with my husband. I love spending the entire weekend together.

Plan some activities for our trip to Ireland. ¡Vamos a Irlanda en marzo! (I wish I could say that in German, but....no).

Next weekend is the big girls getaway to the baths of Baden-Baden, so I feel like I need to get a lot done this weekend! The To Do lists will be a plenty. :0)

To Homework or Not To Homework

At our staff meeting this week, we had a presentation and discussion about homework. One of our faculty members had done some reading about the homework and reported that there is evidence that statistically speaking, there is no benefit to homework. Alphie Kohn's book "The Homework Myth" was discussed and basically, he is of the opinion that kids should not be given homework because it has been proven that it does not positively affect their achievement and that they should be able to play more/use time after school for more enjoyable activities. As a staff, we did not read this book, but the discussion and presentation got me curious to know more about what it says.

I believe that sometimes kids need more practice in certain skills than what there is time for at school. I definitely believe that reading should be a part of children's everyday lives, whether they are listening to stories being read to them, reading out loud to someone else, or reading quietly to themselves and that should take place both in school and at home. I always gave homework to my first graders because at their young age, they were just beginning to develop their reading skills and I wanted them to practice and improve. We were always of the mindset that homework for young students helps them to form good habits, so even if they come back with incorrect answers, they are still learning to bring something home, work on it, and return it the following day.

On the other hand, I do see why parents get frustrated by having to do homework in addition to other "fun" activities. Sometimes it is hard to balance extra curricular activities with  school responsibilities, especially for students enter middle and high school when homework can take hours. Our school day goes from 8:35-3:40 for elementary students. That is a LONG day for little kids. Some of our staff members who are also parents of students in the school reported that by the time their kids get home from school, they are exhausted. Having to do homework with an overtired kiddo is not fun. They expressed concerns about not being able to allow their children to sign up for the activities they were interested in because they do not have enough time for both activities and homework.

Another thing that was noted is that some parents complain that there is too much homework, yet other parents come to teachers requesting more homework and additional assignments which could possibly stem from different cultural expectations for schooling and achievement. These mixed messages from parents make it hard to create a homework policy that works for everyone, including the teacher!

Classroom teachers were asked to do some experimenting by changing their homework habits.They were told to try not giving homework for a week or a month to see if it affects the kids' achievement. They were told to talk to the kids about what they would rather be doing instead of homework. We are supposed to report back on our findings in a few months and discuss the issue of homework further.

What do you think? Does homework have value?  Should kids not have responsibilities that stretch beyond the school day so they can enjoy free time? Is this type of experiment okay?

February Goals

Kelly over at She Wears and Red Sox Cap (and her newest blog She Teaches), has inspired me to once again think about goals. Kelly creates monthly goals for herself which I think is a great idea because they are more easy to manage (and to be successful at) than yearly goals. When I read her post checking in with how she did on her January goals, it definitely motivated me to check in with my own New Year's Resolutions and to create some goals specifically for the month of February.

In an earlier post, I listed 5 goals that I have for myself in the year 2010. You can read about them here, but here is the short version recap:

• get in shape & eat better
• go with the flow a bit more
• make a quilt
• think more about others than myself
• read at least one book for pleasure each month

I have been incorporating more weight lifting into my workout routine which I am happy about and I have been trying to eat well. For me, eating well goes in phases and as I mentioned in a recent post, I tend to eat poorly when I am stressed, which has been the case this past week. I am currently reading In Defense of Food which is really helping me to get in touch with what I should be eating.

I think going with the flow is going successfully as well. Along the same lines, I am really trying to think of others and consider how other people might be perceiving a situation rather than just how I perceive it.

I started my quilt and have completed three blocks so far, so that goal is up and running!

Finally, in the month of January I read, The Secret Life of Bees, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Lovely Bones, and at least half of In Defense of Food. I would say I did pretty good with that goal!

So far my progress with these goals has been good, however some of very vague and that makes it hard to know whether or not I am really accomplishing them.  I should know how to write better goals considering I know how to write IEP goals which are about as specific as they get. The main thing is that goals should be measurable....I can count the number of books I read, I can count the number of quilt blocks I made, but the other goals are too vague. For the month of February, I am going to try and be more specific....


Health/Wellness Goals

• No Soda/Coffee- I know I have said it before, but I am still fighting the urge to have diet soda and once I have a little then I tend to fall back into my old habits. My goal is to not have ANY this month. Literally none. When I say it's okay to have it when I go out to dinner or on the weekends, I start having it more and more frequently and things get ugly. I would also like to stop having coffee at work. Usually work is the only place I ever drink it, so I would like to completely cut coffee out as well. The soda habit is more important to kick though because I don't crave coffee as much, I just have it because it's there and I'm cold! I will keep a tally of all the days during the month that I don't have any. I might slide, because I am only human, but I am looking for an overall high percentage of days without!

• Eat fewer processed foods- How to make this measurable? I am going to start by making sure that I eat at least one food with each meal that is completely untouched and not at all processed (so basically fruits and veges with every meal). I am starting to realize the extent of processing in almost everything I eat even if it seems healthy, so I am really trying to be more aware and think where changes can be made.

• Gym-Workout 5 times a week.

Personal Goals

• Read at least one book for pleasure in addition to the one I am currently reading. 
• Leave no more than 1 item undone on daily To Do list. ( I have become obsessed with To Do lists lately and really rely on them as a source of motivation to get things accomplished around the house as well as homework assignments etc. Sometimes multiple things don't get crossed off and I would like to get to the point where everything/almost everything is completed each day.)

School Goal

• Complete 4 pages of Comparative Internation Ed. paper each week. The final paper needs to be between 22 and 30 pages and is due at the end of March (or maybe in the middle of March). I figure I have at least 6 weeks to work on it, so if I complete 4 pages each week (less than a page per day), I will have 24 pages in 6 six weeks.

That is a lot of goals! I think I need to also take into account that success with goals also means not overdoing it, but I am giving this a shot. My intent is to post at the end of the month with how I did.

Multiplication Facts

Today I had some trouble with one of my third grade friends. He is a very smart boy, but has some behavioral issues that interfere with his learning. He is extremely creative and is constantly using his imagination and drawing. These are fabulous traits that I absolutely do not want to stifle, yet when he is focusing so much on the intricate drawings on his notes, he doesn't take in the lesson at all.

Right now, his class is working on multiplication and division. They went through weeks of drawing the arrays and learning about the concept and now they are solving word problems that involve these operations. They also do a 1 minute timed practice a few times a week to see how they are progressing with their facts.

The bottom line with multiplication is that they have to memorize their facts. Yes, they should have a conceptual understanding, especially for solving the word problems, but they also need to put those good 'ol memorization skills to work and know their facts cold.

My friend does not know his facts.

He is very smart, but does not apply himself to school as all. He doesn't seem to like school and prefers to be at home. His organizational skills are lacking, so he frequently does not finish work and/or does not hand it in/put it in the right place.

If something comes easy to him, then all is well. If something is not easy, it is very difficult to get him interested. He gets very frustrated when he plays games with others and they beat him because he doesn't know his facts, but that doesn't motivate him to go home and practice them.

Today the students had to complete some problem sets as a review for their test which will take place tomorrow. While other kids in the class whizzed through Sets A-E, my friend did not even complete set A. Multiplication can be a very quick process, yet if the student does not have the memorization piece in place, it is very hard to move quickly through the exercises.

I started searching for some fun games to play that might help the memorization along a little bit. Remembering comes with continued and repeated practice, so I figure if I can at least get him engaged and interested in playing a game that involves facts, that the learning might move along.

I found a fun site called multiplication.com that has a lot of fun games to play. Typically you can either choose a level (easy, medium, or hard) or you can select a particular times table to practice. There were games that would appeal to many different interests and both boys and girls. Although I would love to use these games with my friend, I don't really have access to a computer during his class, so I think we need to stick to non-computer games.

Here are some other cool sites for computer games:
Academic Skill Builders
Math is Fun Millionaire Game
Gamequarium

I also came across this site, which I seriously heart!
IXL Math

This site allows you to click on your state and grade level and activities are aligned with the state standards. How cool is that? The only issue is that it seems as though you can get a free trial, but if you want to continue use you must pay a monthly or yearly fee. Free resources are definitely better, however, as a teacher, I would definitely find a "game/practice" site that aligned with my particular state's standards very useful! The cost is $199 per classroom for the year or $80 a year for a parent to purchase. I always hesitate to let my students play computer games, even if they are math related, but if I knew every activity correlated to our standards, I would definitely incorporate more "math game station time."

There are also some games that can be played without a computer which can be more condusive to the classroom environment and having many kids playing in pairs or teams. Some of my favorites are:

Multiplication war (played like war only each player tries to be the first to correctly find the product of the two cards in order to add the cards to his/her pile)

Multiplication dice game: each player rolls one dice and again, tries to be the first to find the product in order to gain a point.

Flashcard games: Students can use flashcards instead of a regular deck of cards to play war or to quiz each other. The benefit of using flashcards specific for multiplication or handmade flashcards is that the students can get a better variety of practice or can really hone in on a particular times table that needs practicing.

I am really hoping that introducing some of these games will help my friend learn his facts so he is not so frustrated in class. I am also to find some other strategies that work for helping out this kiddo because he is a complete puzzle. I really look at him and really wonder what is going on in that brain of his. Not in a bad way, I am absolutely fascinated by his creativity and his ability to get totally lost in what he is thinking about.