Dublin & Cork

Looks familiar! Sort of...

Enjoying real Irish Coffee

Cute little B&B in Cork

They feed us well here!

Ready to hit the town

Trinity College in Dublin

Jameson Distillery

A good day for Guinness!

I am not a fan of Guinness beer, but Guinness in a muffin....to die for!

Seriously fantastic!

Ireland, Here We Come!

Last night when hubs got home from work he surprised me by saying he was taking today off! He worked all day on Saturday and Sunday last week, so he was able to have a "flex day" today. We slept in, watched some shows, and just enjoyed being with each other. I always tease him that his "vacation self" is so much more fun, but that's because vacations are just so enjoyable and not as stressful as the daily grind.

I did a ton of laundry today and finally packed my bag for our trip to Ireland. I am not a light packer, but I was really proud of myself because I actually put thought into packing outfits and things that go together rather than just throwing in random stuff. I know it will be rainy and not super warm while we are there, so I packed a lot of layered outfits so that I will be warm enough. We are only taking my husband's computer, so I don't know if I will post anything while I am there. If I do, it will most likely be to my other blog, but I will try to post some pics/stories here as well. I am going to feel so naked without my own computer! Our flight leaves tomorrow at 6:30 am, but we are about to go out (it's 9:00 right now) because we were invited to a going away party for someone from my husband's office. We fly from to Zurich then from Zurich to Dublin.

I can't remember if I posted a picture of my second quilt block type, but I made the second one yesterday.

It is so hard for me to picture what this will turn out like once the different quilt blocks are all put together. The fabrics all go together so well, so I am hoping the final product is super cute. The other fabric I picked out (which is the cutest one) will be another block type. That fabric has animals on it and there won't be any design, just squares of that fabric because it is already really cute. I can't wait until I am finished. I enjoy working on the quilt, but I just want to see the outcome so badly that I feel like I will enjoy having the end product and being able to look at it more than I enjoy working on getting it finished!

Now I am off to enjoy spring break!

Spring Break

Since I don't work on Fridays, I am officially on Spring Break for the next two weeks! Tomorrow I need to do some cleaning, lots of laundry, and pack because we leave early on Saturday morning for Ireland.

It is gorgeous outside right now and I enjoyed a nice run after work in the sunshine. I also went over to Lucinda's and worked on another block for my quilt. I wish I could hang out outside a bit more, but I have German class in a little bit. My husband has a business dinner tonight so I am flying solo with the German lesson. Not really happy about that, but I know I need to continue learning and practicing the language. I just prefer to relax in the evenings...it's not my most motivated time especially when class goes until 9:00 or later! Ugh! Our teacher does not seem to take the hint when we want to just wrap it up! Tonight, since it's just me, my teacher is coming earlier, so hopefully I will be done in time to watch Germany's Next Top Model at my friend's place.

Hope everyone had a great day! 

Do you differentiate?

Yesterday we had middle and high school parent teacher conferences. All of the teachers had stations in the gym and parents were able to come in and meet with whichever teachers they wanted/needed to speak with. At certain times, parents had to actually wait in line to see a teacher, but overall the system seemed to work pretty well. My station was not too busy though. I only work with 7 MS/HS students, so there were not a lot of parents who needed to speak with me. Each teacher on my team had a separate station and since we often share students, some parents didn't come talk to me at all. I was supposed to be there from 8:30-5, but luckily, I got to go home at 3 because all of my families had been there at that point.

Since I knew I would be sitting for a long time, I brought along a few books to occupy my time. The one I really got into was called Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom.

I am the first to admit that my skills at differentiating are not where I'd like them to be.  I have learned a lot about how to differentiate and what good differentiated instruction looks like because I have been able to see many different teachers this year while I support students in their classrooms, but I know it is lacking in my own practice.  Reading this book really helped me to get a better 'big picture' of how to make differentiation work.

I am going to try and summarize the main concepts as a set of steps that I am hoping to use in the future in order to better differentiate instruction and learning tasks in my classroom.

1. Make a curriculum map: This includes Subject, Unit/Theme, Essential Questions, Unit Questions, Curriculum Standards, Content/Topics, Skills, and Projects/Products. There is a nice organizer in the book that lays this all out nicely so that everything can be organized at the beginning of the unit.

2. Complete a Matrix Plan: Another great organizing tool which requires using the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy to create a project menu to ensure that projects/assignments touch on various levels of thinking from concrete to more abstract.
(Levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, synthesis)

3. Create an Integration Matrix: A third organizer that crosses Bloom's Taxonomy with Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. The idea is to ensure that the types of assignments/projects/activities incorporate different learning styles at different levels for children who have various strengths and learning preferences.

Multiple Intelligences: 
verbal/linguistic (say it)
logical/mathematical (count it)
visual spatial (picture it)
bodily/kinesthetic (move it)
musical (hum it)
interpersonal (lead it)
intrapersonal (reflect on it)
naturalist (investigate it)


These three steps can be done prior to the start of a unit to ensure that there are clear learning objectives and that students are able to demonstrate learning and thinking in a variety of ways. I have never before sat down and thought about categorizing the nature of my activities to ensure I am doing enough activities that cater to the various learning styles. I know I incorporate a lot of visuals (maybe because I am such a visual learner and I know visual input is great for ELL students) but I need to make sure I have enough for the musical learners, the tactile learners, and the naturalists or 'discovery' learners. How would I feel if I went to a class and there was no visual input? I would not learn as much! I need to be more cautious of this in the future!

The book also talked about project menus that allow incorporate activities or projects that touch on different learning styles. This incorporates the element of choice which is a great way to motivate students and have them engaged in and excited about their learning. Sometimes it is good to let students choose, but there can also be times when the teacher assigns projects to have students working on skills they need to develop more. Finally, the book discussed tiered assignments which differ based on challenge level, complexity, resources, outcome, process, or product to ensure that students who need to practice basic skills have enough time to do so, but students who can move farther ahead have opportunities to be more challenged.

I am really looking forward to incorporating these ideas into my lesson planning next year. I really want to improve my differentiation skills and I know it creates a work environment much more conducive to learning growth for all students.

How do you differentiate in your classroom?

What kind of learner are you?

I am visual (color coding!!), verbal, and intrapersonal.

I need to see it, talk about it, and reflect on it.

Which kinds of learners do your lessons cater to the most? The least?

The Blame Game

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal discussed how there are many school districts that are switching to a 4-day-week schedule in order to combat some of the budget constraints. Despite research that longer school days, more school days, and fewer breaks result in greater student learning gains, many districts are desperately trying to find solutions to stay afloat in the midst of the education crisis that is hitting our country (and when I say 'our' country, I mean the US even though I live in Germany).

The article references some scary statistics like American youngsters spend 7.5 hours per day 'using entertainment media' which totals 53 hours a week. They indicate that this calculates to be more time than students actually spend in school. Although I agree that activities such as video games and television should be limited, I question where this data comes from. My old school ended at 2:30 which meant most children did not even arrive home until 3:00. In order to get in that much 'entertainment media' time, students would have to engage in those types of activities from the moment they walked through the door until the moment they went to bed (unless they are waking up early to get in some gaming time before school or staying up past a reasonable time for young students to hit the sack). The sad thing is, this probably is occurring for some children, but I don't think that it is happening at such an epidemic level that it seriously contributes to the achievement gap. Maybe I am wrong, I am still mulling it over.

Teachers have been criticized a lot recently in the media and have been accused of joining the profession to have long summer vacations and to have a workday that ends at 3 or 4 o'clock. It's not as though I am begging to stay longer and work harder at the end of a full day, yet it's not as though it is directly under our control to dictate the school hours where we teach. I agree that the school day is too short. We struggle to get all of our lessons accomplished. We struggle with the fact that we have to focus so intensely on math and reading at the expense of other disciplines like science and social studies and enrichment like art. We frequently lament that we just need more TIME.The article seems to lack a clear understanding of how teachers are being forced to use our classroom time. It seems as though the author is under the impression that we spend a lot of time doing things that we have actually had to cut/remove from our classroom routines.

"Our deeper problem is the enormous amount of time that typical American schools spend on gym, recess, lunch, assembly, changing classes, homeroom, lining up to go to the art room, looking at movies, writing down homework assignments, quieting the classroom, celebrating this or that holiday, and other pursuits. It's not all wasted time but neither are these minutes spent in ways that boost test scores, enhance college-readiness or deepen pupils' understanding of literature, geography or algebra."

This bugs me! This snippet kind of makes me want to rip my hair out! My first graders were allotted about 20 minutes to eat lunch which included the time it was required to stand in the long line. Lots of students purchase lunch because lots of low income families were eligible for free and reduced meals at school which means many students had less than 15 minutes to eat their lunch. That is not healthy. That is stressful. Can you learn if you are hungry or stressed? Maslow says NO when he talks about the hierarchy of needs! Have you ever eaten a meal with a 6 year old? It takes them some time to open packages, stick straws in juice boxes, and chew. The children were constantly shushed at lunch because there was such a rush to eat and talking was barely allowed! When was the last time a group of adults sat around a large table and ate in silence? We are asking forcing students to do things we would never do ourselves. We have been made to cut down the allotted time to do things that kids need to do in order to rejuvenate themselves for further learning!

After a rushed lunch, students have about 20 minutes to play, during which they need to also take a break to use the bathroom because we don't want them using up precious class time on the toilet. The article says that we spend too much time celebrating holidays which is a complete farce because those celebrations have been removed from many schools to make more room for math and reading. We barely delved into holidays like Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents' Day, Groundhog's Day, and Columbus Day because we simply don't have the time. On the contrary to what the article states, we are not wasting time on these lessons, we are simply leaving them out, or spending such a short amount of time on them that we end up perpetuating stereotypical notions because we can't afford to delve deeply into the history and social justice issues that are part of these holidays.

Also, the idea that too much time is used up writing down homework assignments and walking in the hallway seems to come from someone who doesn't know what it's like to teach young children! Everything takes time. Yes, teachers with great classroom management skills can reduce the amount of time spent on these kinds of tasks, but they still take time. The author acknowledges that this is not all wasted time but proclaims that all of these minutes are not helping us boost test scores and prepare students for college. And that my friends, is what teaching has come to. Preparing students for tests and college, whether they are 15 or 5! Against our will We are teaching to the test and narrowing the curriculum in order to spend the maximum amount of time possible focusing on 'the core content areas' yet we are then being criticized for the results of a way of teaching we did not sign up for!

I agree that education could benefit from a makeover. I acknowledge that there is an achievement gap. I know that our mutual goal is to have an educational system that works for kids, but I think we really need to re-evaluate the direction in which education is going and stop attacking teachers for doing things that essentially we are made to do. If teachers could simply close the door and teach, really teach, using their instincts, their 'with-it-ness,' innate skills, and intelligence perhaps our children would make greater gains. Most of us enter the profession because we love children, we have a passion for education and teaching, and we want to make a difference. We are creative, inspired, engaging, imaginative, and talented, but we are not able to show it.

Maybe we do need to make our school days longer. Maybe we could get more accomplished and broaden our curriculum if we had more minutes every day. There are a lot of  factors that could change the outcomes of student performance, but  I  am tired of the blame game. Teachers keep getting blamed and criticized and are being driven from the profession both because of budget cuts and dissatisfaction with what has become of our profession. I do not think moving towards a 4 day week is a great thing for students, yet I think decisions are being made out of desperation at this point in an effort to save money and that makes me sad.

I think this post has gone is a lot of different directions but I guess I just want to wrap it up by saying, keep up the good work teachers! Even if it doesn't seem like it, you are impacting lives and making a difference. Chin up!

What do you think about schools that change to a 4 day week?

Do you feel like too much time is wasted on non-important activities during the school day?

Any other thoughts?

Great Article

"And while reading and math crowd out the rest of the curriculum-- as schools eliminate science and social studies and the arts and physical education to make way for more focused/rigorous/aligned instruction in basic skills (aka "test prep")-- something big goes missing:
Creative thinking, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, application, play, self-discovery. Joy. Learning.
...the skills our kids need to compete for jobs. For economic growth. For America. For global survival."

Click here to read the rest

What do you think?

I posted twice today, so don't forget to read the post below too!

Getting Your Application On

I decided that I should go ahead and make myself a profile/resume on EdZapp. I would gladly teach Kinder and after giving it a lot of thought, I do really think I would enjoy it. On the other hand, I also think if  a position opened up at my old school and I was not prepared to properly apply for it, I would be really disappointed. I spoke yesterday about wanting new opportunities and challenges in order to continue improving my teaching skills and I am not going back on that, however, my old school is like my second home and the staff is like extended family. Since my husband and I will be apart next year, I think it would be great to be able to go back to a working environment and to a staff that I already know. I would be excited to get to meet a new staff, but I would be even more excited to return to the staff I already know and love. It's not as if I am only wanting to go back and teach First Grade again, perhaps another grade level will open up at that school which would be the best of both worlds!

The process of putting my info on EdZapp was not as difficult as I thought. Basically you input your general information like address and contact information and then you complete a resume section including education, educational work experience, other work experience, references, skills, hobbies/awards, and job preferences. You can also choose particular districts which then directs you towards that district's particular application requirements which often includes some longer "essay question" type business. Because (I think) I am technically already an employee of the district (just on leave) I don't think I have to answer the essay questions. The rest of the work was just a matter of inputting all of my experiences etc.

Getting back in the application groove made me realize the importance of keeping good records of pertinent materials and being organized (especially when relocating). Since I graduated, I have maintained my a portfolio of all of the important documents needed for application processes. I have relied heavily on this portfolio in applying to teaching positions as well as applying to university programs for both my masters and doctoral programs.

The portfolio has clear plastic sleeves, so I can easily protect documents without punching holes in them. Inside I have:

• Teaching licenses (including additional papers outlining steps for renewal)
• Letter indicating I am a highly qualified teacher
• Documents stating that I do not have a criminal history and that my background has been checked
• Fingerprint clearance letter
• All of my Praxis examination score sheets
• State teacher examination score sheet (ORELA in OR)
• Copies of my unofficial transcripts (printed off the web)
• Copies of my official transcripts in sealed envelopes from all of the universities I have attended (both undergrad and grad)
• Letters of recommendation in chronological order from when I student taught up until now)
• Certificates of membership in various academic honors societies
• Other professional certificates or professional development vouchers
• Observation reports from various supervisors
• Memorable letters & cards from parents/students
• Yearly class photos of my students

When I applied for my doctoral program, I actually did so on quite short notice.  If I had not already had copies of my official transcripts and such, I would not have been able to get the necessary materials together in time. Also, with the current scarcity of teaching jobs, it is really important for teacher candidates to have all of these materials in proper order so that they can proceed with an application as soon as a job is posted. When I was putting my info on EdZapp, I referred to information in this portfolio several times and it was great to know that it is all in once place. Since we move quite a bit (PA to OR, twice within OR, then to Germany), keeping my materials in one place was very important because I always know where that portfolio is!

If you are currently student teaching or are seeking out jobs for next school year, I highly recommend putting together a portfolio because being organized will be extremely helping in the application process! My biggest recommendation is to keep everything, keep it organized and keep it in one place!

Have a great Sunday!

If Arnold can do it, so can I!

If you saw the post I wrote last night, then you know I just found out I got assigned to teach Kindergarten next year. At first I really didn't know how I felt about it because I have always kind of felt like the little Kindys were not for me. The more I think about it, the more I get used to the idea and the excitement is building.

When I inquired with the district representative about how I could apply for other openings that pop up, she indicated that I would have to go through the official application process which involves EdZapp. I have been helping my good friend get her application ready for next year and the process is tedious to say the least. Rather than submitting a cover letter and resume (like I did when I first applied in this district) you know have to input all your personal information, resume, etc on this database online. There are also 5 essay questions. Even though I am already a district employee, that is now the process to apply for a position. It seems like a lot of work considering I already have a placement that is perfectly fine. I would love to go back and teach first grade again, but I also want to gain new learning experiences and have different opportunities to make me a well rounded and well versed teacher. Kindergarten is a lot different than first, but different can be good.

I learned that when I moved to Germany...

I also realized that the school I will be working at is very close to a Trader Joes. Score! That will be awesome. Also, if I get on campus housing, the commute will only be about 15 minutes or so. Another bonus. Of course it will be a big adjustment getting used to another staff, but that means more opportunities to meet great people. Can you tell I am trying to find the positives about this? For some reason I have a really philisophical feeling about it and I feel like maybe this is just meant to be. I really am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, so I don't necessarily want to mess around with what has been assigned to me. 

Besides I already know some great Kindergarten teachers through blogging that I know will help me out! 

So, I am at peace with being a Kindergarten teacher. I need to be pushed to spend more time with the little guys to get my parenting skills in order so when I come back to Germany, we can start our own little family. 

***

In a little bit, I am heading out for a run with my friend then we may take a walk into town for some Starbucks. Hubs is working today and tomorrow (all day both days) so I am on my own enjoying some ME time! :0)

Even though I am okay with teaching Kinder, should I get my EdZapp account all set up just in case something becomes available at my old school?

 

Special K

Two posts in one day...this must be special...

I just got an email from my district in Portland informing me that I have been placed in...wait for it....


Kindergarten

This was the first position that became available, so I have been officially placed, but I can still apply for other openings if anything else becomes available.

I was hoping for an older grade level, so at this point, I am maintaining the viewpoint that this is still up for negotiation because the placement is not at the school where I previously worked and I would love more than anything to get a job there again.

Kinder is half day in the district which means two different classes during the day and probably 50 students. I am pondering.... I was originally told I would teacher Kinder when I was first hired, then I was moved to First  Grade because another teacher requested the Kindergarten spot.

I sure would get those hugs I have been craving...

Thoughts? 

Can I get a woot! woot! from Kelly!?

My School's Got Talent!

Move over America's Got Talent because Germany's got it too!

This morning I went in to school to see the elementary variety show. It was awesome. I was smiling so hard my face hurt. It was so fun to see the huge smiles and to witness the pure joy that emanated from the performers during and after their numbers.

There was singing, dancing, joke telling, musical instrument playing, gymnastics, and more!

One particular favorite of mine was a little guy getting his groove on to a Michael Jackson song. He did it up in a big way complete with matching sparkly silver belt and glove. He got cheers before his music even started. He was fantastic!

Another great act was a kiddo dressed like a lion dancing to The Lion Sleeps Tonight. This kid was good! He was so comedic in his routine and was very entertaining. Even when his lion mane fell to the floor because of all his shaking and bopping, he kept the show going!

The audience really got into the clapping.

You know the slow clap that gradually erupts into a rhythmic beat to encourage a great performance? Well the kids did it when a few girls danced to Katy Perry's Hot and Cold (edited, child appropriate version, I might add that sounded somewhat like the Chipettes) which seemed totally appropriate, but then every performance got "the clap." The clap started during ballet, instrument solos, and pretty much every performance. Kids are so funny! At least the clapping was less distracting that some other blunders....

During the most precious ballet routine to Talyor Swift's Love Story where two little girls were dressed in matching pink sparkly Hello Kitto Tutu outfits.....a call phone went off.

Seriously?!? Parents turn off your cell phones please!

Then, another cell phone went off during a instrumental performance. If the ringing was not bad enough, the parent answered the phone!

At least she whispered!

It reminded me of the time that a parent answered her cell phone five (yes, FIVE) times during a parent teacher conference that was scheduled to last about 20 minutes. I was floored, but since it was my first year of teaching I just let it ride because I didn't even know how to address this parent who could not focus on her child and the conference for 20 straight minutes without taking calls. She must be really important!

Anywho, the talent show was great. The last performance was a little girl doing an Indian dance routine and she wore the most beautiful outfit. The song was fantastic and it made me want to get up and dance along! It was cool to see students bring their cultures to the show, wear great costumes, and sing in different languages. I also enjoyed the two girls who sang Avril Lavigne songs too. There was such a variety of talent and the energy in the room was great.


Now, I have the rest of the day off with no homework and nothing but time. I already cleaned yesterday, so today will be about hitting the gym hard (if I can muster the motivation), getting some groceries for the weekend, returning my empty water bottles, and planning some of our activities for Ireland. Tonight I am going out to dinner with my girlfriends for some Thai food!

P.S. Last night I watched Germany's Next Top Model at my friend's house. I didn't understand a word of it, but Heidi Klum is the host and she rocks. After four pregnancies she still rocks an awesome body and she is really beautiful. I figure watching a show in German could be a great way to learn more of the language and it was fun to guess what they were talking about. I still prefer the crew of Tyra and Mr. and Ms. Jay because they are a hoot, but I may have found a new show to watch.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Do you have any special talents?

Has your cell phone ever gone off at a really embarrassing time?

gadgetorial seduction

My good friend shared an article with me yesterday on controlling impulses. I spend a good amount of time in her classroom with a few students who are working on some behavior issues. The article was interesting and had some really funny terms such as "gadgetorial seduction" which refers to students who are unable to resist tempting objects.

If you are a teacher, I would be willing to bet that you are now picturing a student you know who succumbs to gadgetorial seduction. A student who is constantly playing with pencils, erasers, small toys etc. and someone who might even occasionally fall victim to being gadgetorially seduced by all of the interesting things that teachers keep on their desks like Post Its, stickers, and colorful markers. I once found a collection of my dry erase markers in a student's desk last year and somehow during a math game day, the dry erase markers that were included in a particular game ended up in his coat pocket. At the time I spoke seriously with this student about stealing, yet I should have known that he was just seduced by the gadgets...

All kidding aside (I just can't help but kid with a term like gadgetorial seduction in the mix) the article gave me some ideas about how to help students that have difficulty controlling impulses. The article also recommends a few books that can be used to help teach students about controlling themselves.  I think books are always a great way to help kids understand concepts that might be a little abstract to them. These books relate behaviors to animals which is a good strategy to help kids understand without making them feel like something is wrong with them or that they should feel bad about themselves. 

In searching for the picture books, I also came across another book about how to teach self control, which I immediately asked my department head to order and she did! I am excited to read it because what teacher doesn't want to gain better control of the classroom? I know I have improved at classroom management a lot since I first began teaching, but I would say it is the area that I struggle with the most. I am not bad at it, but the green eyed monster always rears its ugly head when I walk into a classroom and the kids are all on task and working quietly. I don't have the magic that makes that happen yet! My room always tends to be a bit more rambunctious. Not at all out of control and I always have the ability to get the kids re-focused and quiet, but at any average moment, working time is not usually super quiet.  Luckily, the same friend who shared the article with me is very skilled at classroom management, so I have learned a lot from spending time in her classroom this year.

I am excited to learn more about helping kids control their behaviors and impulses and I will definitely share any good ideas that I come across! I am in the process of creating a behavior plan for one student, which can be difficult because I always found it was hard (as a classroom teacher) to keep up with and be consistent with behavior plans. As a team, we don't really want to tie the plan to rewards because we feel that the student needs to learn how to behave appropriately simply because that is the expectation. I want to come up with something that is easy to use but truly helps this kiddo differentiate between behaviors that are acceptable at school/in the classroom and those that are not.

***

On another subject...I was really excited for today because Winter Term is officially over. I submitted the last of my assignments yesterday and now I am free from homework and projects until we return from Ireland on Easter Sunday! Despite my happy day attitude, today has been kind of crappy. 

Something at work made me really frustrated and I don't know whether I was at fault or not. I guess what it comes down to is that I am a perfectionist, a people pleaser, and very sensitive. Sometimes that combination can be dangerous. I like to do a good job at what I do and I don't ever like to disappoint anyone. Although I might get hurt feelings if someone confronted me about something, I would rather have people be open with me so that I can continue to improve my skills and how I work and communicate with other professionals for my job. Sometimes communication can be  real barrier to positive working relationships and I was left feeling like maybe I had messed up, but I wasn't even really sure. I don't like feeling unsure about how I handle myself at work, so I came home today really upset. Since then I have been in a bla mood.

The apartment was a disaster area, so I did a lot of cleaning, ate some chocolate, caught up on some shows and tried to bask in the gloriousness of the sunny day and not having to do homework or write any more papers. In the midst of cleaning, I dropped a frying pan on my foot and now it is killing me. I just can't shake the feeling of being annoyed by the day. I am supposed to go get a quilting lesson this afternoon to learn how to make the second star pattern on my quilt. Maybe that will cheer me up.

At least I still have "gadgetorial seduction" to make me chuckle.

How do you cure yourself of a foul mood?

Is it important to you what other people think of you?

Do you take criticism personally or do you let it roll off your back?

Precious

Have you heard about Nella?

Check her out....

(photo by Kelle Hampton)

Is she not the cutest little thing?

Seriously precious!!

Her beautiful and talented mama, Kelle Hampton, writes a blog called Enjoying The Small Things. 

If you haven't seen it yet, you need to check it out asap!

Not only is her writing fabulous, but she takes the most amazing pictures that will completely warm your heart and make you want to go out and take a photography class so you can capture little moments of your life with as much vibrancy and richness as she does!

Nella's parents found out the day she was born that she has Down syndrome, and her mama's blog is a very honest and real account of her abrupt introduction into the world of being the mama of a child that has a disability.

 

Nella's family is going to be interviewed on CNN today to share their story. 

Check out her birth story here.

Even though I don't know this little baby, she tugs at my heartstrings.

Probably because she reminds of a very special friend of mine...

Reading about little Nella has brought a smile to my face, so I just wanted to share the joy today.

Go meet Nella and her family on Enjoying the Small Things!

Do you have a favorite blog?

What makes a blog worth following?

Smiles

Do you want to know what made me really happy today?

This...

  especially this...

I know one of my goals is to give it up, but this is the REAL deal people! My co-worker has access to the US Army base where she can buy American products and today she blessed me with a stash!

That big 'ol heart on the can is how I feel about my bag of loot! :0)

Now hubby will finally get those pancakes he has been asking for because I have a bottle of Log Cabin.

I am also super thrilled because I just emailed by 25 pager off to my prof and my power point presentation is dunzo. Yesterday I was super annoyed at my voice overs and thought they were awful, but when I came back to it today, they actually weren't that bad. I am no longer hating on technology and think it's pretty cool that I can "present" to people in Oregon. I will be slumbering away while they are in class hearing my voice and seeing my little video. Now I just need to figure out how to send the darn thing because currently the file is too large. But I bet when I wave some Tostitos around, hubs will be very willing to help me out with that.

I have a skype appt. with my prof at 8, so I am off to get in a workout before he calls. I feel like it's lame to greet him with wet/post shower/post workout hair, but I can't wait until 9 to hit the gym. Time to go pump some iron!

What are you happy about today?

The Joys of Technology

I like to talk.

In all of the time I have spent taking graduate courses, I have never minded having to give presentations. I am so used to being in front of people and teaching, that giving a presentation is no big deal. I am usually surprised to find out that there are teachers that actually have issues with speaking in front of others, but I guess there is a difference between kids and adults. I usually reason that grownups are just big kids so my presentations are typically accompanied by a little bit of chocolate!

Today I am working on my presentation for my Comparative International Education class. I wrote a 23 page paper, which should be the hard part, but I have having a really tough time getting my presentation together! I created a power point and now I have to add in voice overs since I won't actually be present for the class session to give my presentation in person. I could do it over skype except the class takes place at 6:00 pm in Portland which is 2:00 am in Germany. No thanks! So I am attempting to record my voice and make comments that go along with my slides.

You would think that this would be easier than actually getting up in front of a real audience, but it's tough! Yes, I am just a voice, which means I can do this in my pj's without makeup because they are only hearing my voice and not actually seeing me, yet I keep on getting totally tripped up when I start recording. Since I am able to go back and listen to what I said and how it sounds, I am getting annoyed at every little um, pause, and mispronunciation, so I keep deleting the sound bites. This should be easier! I need to have a 15 minute presentation which means a little more than 1 minute per slide, which is not a lot at all. I can definitely talk about all my research more than that, so it's hard to just be concise and word everything just right so it's informative yet short.

I do not want to sound like a total dork, so this process is taking a lot longer than I thought it would! At least the slides are done! It really is cool that I can record my voice with the presentation and send it off to the class in the U.S., but I kind feel like I would prefer to just get up and speak in front of them rather than all this techie stuff! Then at least there would not be the option to go back and try again! Maybe I am too much of a pefectionist, but it seems like this might take all day!

How do you feel about speaking in front of a group?

Should I just get this done and not worry if it's perfect or keep trying until I am really happy with the way it sounds?

Splendid

Last night I went out with some of my girlfriends to celebrate my friend Christina's birthday. We enjoyed a long dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then went to an Irish Pub afterwards. I got home really late, so I was really looking forward to sleeping in today.

My husband and I had a super relaxing morning and it was SO nice. We woke up around 10:30 and stayed in bed watching a few of our shows until about 1. Lazy day! Then we went grocery shopping together, which I love doing because it's always more fun to do errands together than just going alone. He definitely earned major points today because he gave me a little love note and told me my butt got tighter. What woman doesn't love to hear that!? Today was one of those days where I looked in his eyes and thought how lucky I am to be his wife. He is such an incredibly supportive and sweet husband and I love the life that we have built together.

He had a tennis match tonight, so I went to the gym for a workout then had my friend Jill over for dinner. We made the wagon wheel soup that I made last week and a nice salad, then watched Love Happens. I love girls' nights :0)

I didn't really get much done today, but it was a great day nonetheless. I finished my long paper for Comparative International Education the other day which makes me really happy and now I have to do a power point presentation or record a 15 minute presentation with my flip to send to the other people taking the class. Hopefully I can get that done tomorrow. I am really looking forward to having a break from school work for awhile!

What did you do today!?

10 Years!

I just found out that some people from my high school class are putting together a 10 year reunion. Although I don't get home to CT that much, I am going for a week this summer and possibly at Thanksgiving to see my new niece or nephew who will be born in early September. Coincidentally, Thanksgiving time and summer are the two options for when this party will take place.

I am torn.

I honestly don't know if I would really want to go.

I feel like I keep in touch with the people I cared about the most and the glory of facebook allows me to be nosy see pictures and information about what everyone is up to. My personal opinion is that facebook makes a reunion somewhat obsolete because I kind of already know what people do for a living, what they look like, whether they are married and have kids etc. People post so much online that I don't even know if there is anything left for them to reveal in the world of small talk.

Have you seen the movie Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion? So funny! I am not wanting to convince people that I really am cool nor am I trying win back an unrequited high school love. Definitely not.

My husband would not be able to come for either time because he will be with me only shortly in CT this summer and even if I go back for Thanksgiving, I will be coming from Portland and he would not come because he will be in Germany and will not have time off from work for that holiday. I would definitely want him to be there because getting married is one of the exciting things that has happened to be between graduating and now. Would I just bring his picture on a popsicle stick and introduce everyone to his photo?

I doubt that the date of the event will coincide with my summer trip because most likely it will take place on a weekend and we are attending a wedding on the only weekend I will be there which also happens to be 4th of July weekend. If it worked out that I was in town, I would go, but I kind of feel weird about it.

I am really happy with everything I have done since high school.

I graduated college. Moved to Oregon. Got married. Became a teacher. Got my master's. Became an Aunt! Moved to Germany. Started working towards my doctorate. No kiddos yet, but life has provided me with lots of happiness and great opportunities in the past ten years. I just don't really know how much I like reunions. The five year was okay, but I felt like I had the same conversation over and over.

What do think?

Have you gone to any high school reunions yet? If so, how was it?

Should I make sure I am there or skip it and see the pics on facebook?

Who would you most want to reconnect with from your past (or does facebook take care of that?)

Southern Gentleman

My school just got four new student teachers from Virgina. They are all really nice, but I was a bit taken aback when one of the male teachers addressed me as ma'am.

Ma'am?!

Who me!?

Exactly when does one crossover from Miss to Ma'am?

Does being married do it? When I got married did I officially become a ma'am?

Is there a certain age that does it?

At 27, I hardly feel like a ma'am!

I appreciate the level of respect that this person is showing--really, I do!

But being called ma'am makes me feel old! Especially since this guy is probably only five years younger than me.

****

I am about to pull out the egg timer and commence intense cleaning and laundering up in this place. I need a good solid 20-30 minutes of cleaning before I can attempt to complete my paper that is due next Tuesday. After I finish the paper, I have to make a 15 minute power point presentation to email off to my professor for the rest of the group to view. 

I kind of want to just crawl back in bed!

Do you remember the first time you were called ma'am?

Is it just me, or is anyone else really excited that tomorrow is Friday??

Alphabet Soup: Teaching

Accomplishments
Books
Creativity
Dreams
Expectations
Future
Goals
HUGS!
Inspiration
Justice
Kids
Learning
Magical ah-ha moments
Nurturing
Organization
Post Its
Quiet time
Reading
Stories
Touching lives
Understanding
Victories
Wonder (and wiggles!)
Xtra special friends
Youth
Zippity doo-dah zippity-ay My oh my it's a wonderful day!

Today was better than yesterday.

A Real Teacher

I feel like I should apologize for being boring lately. I don't know...I feel like I haven't had much of anything super interesting or inspiring to say about teaching. I know (from the little poll that I did) that you enjoy reading about everyday life at least as much as teaching, but for some reason I don't feel that posts about my day are as purposeful as those about teaching. I somehow feel like I am betraying the original purpose of my blog if I go on too much about regular old life. I want to talk about teaching. I want to sit down after work and type furiously about the great lesson I did or the fantastic answer a student gave. I just don't have those things to share as much right now.

Maybe it is the fact that I am not really feeling challenged by my job.

Or that I am not doing daily/weekly lesson plans that inspire me to think and be creative.

Or that I am not working as much with little friends who are constantly funny and engaging and full of interesting comments and observations.

But, I just feel boring!

So, I apologize.


There are some aspects of my job that I am not completely excited about right now, but I don't feel comfortable using my blog as a platform to complain about it. Mostly because I don't know everyone in my audience and I don't feel that I want to put certain things out there for anyone to read. I love my job, yet there are some things that I know are not right. I know I belong in the classroom.

With a sweet group of wiggly kiddos sitting at my feet

With more responsibilities

With more challenges

With opportunities to teach and compliment and revel in the learning that takes place

I miss the hugs.

I miss the sweet drawings and notes.

I miss the stories at the end of the day.

I miss the huge smiles that accompany lost teeth.

I miss the weekly lesson planning sessions with my team (which sometimes were accompanied by bags of Cheetos!)

I miss my planner and the satisfaction of having everything prepared and in order for the following day or week.

I even miss the grading!

I miss it.

I guess maybe it's getting me down.

I take so many classes and work so hard to learn everything about teaching that I can. I always have my nose in a book reading about how to be a more effective reading teacher or how to inspire students to be great writers. I learn how create an environment where differences are honored and kids from all cultures know they are accepted and feel comfortable to share who they are. I have all this "stuff" in my head, but I don't feel like I am putting it to use!

I can't wait go back!

I want to be a real teacher again.



Do you feel like you are the best version of yourself in your life right now?

Research & Homophones

You may remember this post about my super geekalicious organizational strategy for researching that I used earlier in the year for my paper on multicultural education. Today, I worked with my fourth grade friend and her teacher was implementing a similar system (more kid friendly of course!) that I thought was great!

The teacher provided her students with envelopes (small manilla) and had them label each envelope with a research category. My student is researching the Mayan civilization and her categories are farming and clothing. On the back of the envelope she wrote specific questions she is looking to answer such as "What kinds of crops did they grow" and "Where did they get water from?" The students were also provided index cards and are being taught to take notes in order to write down the most important words and information on their cards. As they read and research, they write notes on index cards and put them in their envelopes for safe keeping. The teacher also said she is going to teach them about plagiarizing and how to write down the source where they found information on the back of each card. My student wrote the question on the top of her card and then wrote down some details that pertained to that particular question in the rest of the space. Now, when she needs to write a paragraph about how the Mayans farmed, she will have all the information she has collected in one nice, neat envelope.

I think this is a great system to teach kids at a young age because research skills will become very important and learning how to organize and keep track of information can be tough for kids. I wish I had some pictures, but I think that the system is easy enough to imagine since I didn't have my camera with me during this lesson.

I also made this document of common homophones today, so I thought I would share it. These are great visuals for students who may confuse certain words and how to spell them. It could also made into a fun matching game like memory. Please feel free print and/or make copies of this document! If you click on scroll on the bottom, you will be able to view all of the pages before printing.
Homophones


The weather was finally getting sunnier and warmer and then we were hit with a lot more snow over the weekend! I am freezing my fanny off and wishing spring would just come already! I am starting to feel like I have put on some winter "padding" if you know what I mean, and I really want to start getting fit for spring/summer. Only three weeks left until my two-week spring break and our trip to Ireland! Woo hoo!

Any tips or motivational speeches for getting back into summer dress/bathing suit/shorts shape?
Any advice or recommendations for traveling to Ireland?
Anyone else sick of snow!?

Post It Notes and Sheets

Sometimes it truly is the small things in life that can make us happy.

Inconsequential little things that just help to brighten our days.

For me, two of those things are Post It Notes and funky sheets.

Let me explain.

I have told you before about my obsession with To Do lists. For me, a To Do list just looks so much more appealing on brightly colored (and lined) Post It notes. The plain pale yellow is just not for me.

I have quite a collection...

 

  

The smaller lined ones are what I use for daily To Do lists, but sometimes if I have a whopper of a day, I will use the larger (longer) lined ones for my daily list. The lines are totally necessary.

I also used the larger ones for making notes when I did my weekly lesson planning back when I was a real teacher. The big lined sticky notes were treasured among my teaching team. Mostly because they are so expensive, which made them exotic and extra special! I actually looked on amazon.de this morning to see if they carry sticky notes (because I heart my next day delivery Amazon Prime privileges) and a package of small lined stickies was 14 Euros! Even though surely the presence of lines makes them more pricey, I will reiterate, the lines are totally necessary.

I understand that 14 Euros for paper that serves the same purpose as scrap paper is a bit ludicrous, but I still secretly want to order them because I am about to run out of that size. 

I am also a huge fan of the Post It flags because they come in handy when I am reading and I want to mark a certain page that contains information I want to include in a paper or something like that.

If someone gave me an assortment of Post It notes for my birthday, I would consider that to be one of my top ten all time favorite gifts. 

Yes, the obsession runs deep.

Is it a teacher thing? One of my favorite teacher bloggers Mrs. Mimi shares my love for Post It notes. 

Anyone else??

The other little thing that has my heart palpitating with excitement is the fact that when I move back to Portland next year, I get to pick out whatever kind of sheets strike my fancy. 

Don't get me wrong. I love my husband and living apart from him is going to suck.

Especially at night time when I am sleeping alone.

Especially since I will most likely be sleeping in a twin size bed. 

In a dorm room.

But, when you are part of a couple, sometimes you need to sacrifice your own personal tastes in order to meet in the middle when it comes to decorating and bedroom accessories so that the overall look is not super girly. The bed needs to be "man appropriate" which for us means solid, neutral colors. I absolutely love our bed, but if I was given the choice of any sheets in the world, I wouldn't pick the ones we have.

I love bright colors.

Animal prints!

Polka dots.

Stripes.

Polkda dots AND stripes!

If my sheets coordinated with my Post Its, I would be a happy girl.

The upside to living alone next year is that I can "decorate" my little room in any way that I want. 

My bed is going to be fantastic.  A haven of comfortable bliss designed by me and me only!

 

  

  

  

  

Ok so maybe you are thinking that my bed just might look like it belongs to an 8 year old instead of a very professional doctoral student, but....

I don't care.

I am excited about polka dots.

Can you imagine hubs sleeping in these sheets? Neither can I!

But I sure can imagine myself snuggling in after a long day's work being a real teacher. 

So for some reason, today I am celebrating Post It notes and super fun, girl power sheets. 

What small things make you smile?

What color/design are your sheets?

What were the craziest/coolest sheets you had as a child?

Recipe

One of my goals this month is to try out two new recipes. I used to get Health magazine and often receive emails from Health with links to workout tips, recipes, etc. The other day I received an email with a link to 8 Hearty Beef Stews. Sounded pretty enticing, so I checked it out.

Here is the link so you can check it out too and get the recipe I made if you are interested!

The soup I made was called Wagon Wheel Beef Soup

Picture from the article

My Version

 

Looks a bit different because  I didn't use wagon wheels in my wagon wheel soup... 

The soup pictured also looks a bit "heartier" than mine, but I was really happy with how mine came out even though it didn't look the same.

I  used the whole wheat bow ties I had already purchased.

Can you see the steam coming off of it?

I was photographing some hot stuff!

Although I though the recipe sounded great, it didn't include any vegetables, so I added some corn and zucchini. I know corn is not the most nutritious vegetable, but the hubs loves it. 

I think I would have preferred this to be thicker and more like a stew, but I am sure that could be fixed by adding less broth to it. Or more sauce. I still have a hard time converting my recipes to the metric system, so sometimes the amounts I put in might be off by a bit.

The recipe does not specify how many servings it makes, but with 6 ounces of pasta, I figured it would only be a couple. The amount of soup I got is definitely more than a couple of servings worth. If you make this, invite some friends over to share it with. I think I know what we will be having for dinner tomorrow night too! The great thing about soups/stews is that the leftovers are always just as good!

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I am super excited for our German lesson tonight...not really....

but I am hoping to get in a quick pilates session before hubs gets home from work.