More Kid Writing

Earlier in the school year, I posted some writing samples that were written by a few of my first graders. I am amazed at the difference in the quality of their writing and I am in love with the this piece, written by Enzo. 

We just finished a unit on American symbols and thanks to the great set of non-fiction books I got through my donors choose request, my students were very interested. Ever since watching the presidential inauguration, they have shown a lot of interest in Obama and the life of a president so it was a great time to teach them a little bit more about our country. I never thought I would be pulling down a map and talking to first graders about the Revolutionary War and the original 13 colonies, but they loved it!

We concluded the unit by talking about President's Day and why we honor all of the presidents, with particular emphasis on Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Incidentally, we also just started our unit on coins, so the kids were very excited to find Lincoln on the penny and Washington on the quarter. It was really cool to show them what pictures are on the backs of coins and have them recognize them from our study on American Symbols. Isn't is great when it all comes together.

Their final assignment was to write 3 or more sentences telling what they learned about President's Day, Abraham Lincoln, and or George Washington. I had written some of the vocabulary on the board such as Revolutionary War, assassination, and the names of the presidents, but Enzo's work is still impressive in that he correctly uses the words and accurately describes facts that he learned. Enzo is a non-fiction fiend and LOVES to write about animals and invent imaginary face-offs between animals from different habitats after which he shows me and says something like, "Hippo or Bison....VOTE!" His enthusiasm for writing is enchanting, especially when I recall how he started out the year.

It took Enzo quite some time work spaces into his writing. He would write pages, but his pieces were essentially one long flow of letters, without any spaces, and everything was spelled totally phonetically. It is perfectly reasonable to first graders to spell phonetically, but even simple words like of, were written exactly as they sound (uv). Each day when I checked his work, I would compliment Enzo on his creativity and word choice, and kindly remind him to think about adding some spaces. This went on for quite some time.

Until one day, the spaces just appeared..... and his writing has continued to improve ever since!

Enzo is a classic example of a student who has excellent content and is so focused on what he is writing about that he does not worry too much about capital letters and punctuation. I love that about his writing. Although it would be great if he added in some more periods and uppercase letters, his writing outshines that of many other students because it is rich and interesting and shows his personality and interests. 

The funniest thing about Enzo is that he still says he can't read. (He totally can!). He can sound out words and read sentences, yet he is convinced he can't read. Go figure. Someday I think I will find a book in a bookstore written by my friend Enzo. :0)

Baby Showers Galore!

My school currently has FOUR pregnant teachers. Everyone was banking on the group of recently married teachers to get pregnant this year, but so far it is four women who have been married for several years. Two are having their first babies (both boys) and two are having their second babies (genders not yet known).

I absolutely love parties of any kind; wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays...you name it! I also enjoy baking a lot, so I have been combining two of my loves and making decorated sugar cookies for the showers. 

So far, I have gotten excellent feedback. 

For the last baby shower I used a cookie cutter shaped like a baby onesie and decorated the cookies in baby blue and white with polka dots. I did not want to do the exact same design for the next shower, which is tomorrow, so instead I used three different dinosaur cookie cutters and frosted them in pastel colors with round pastel candies on top for decoration. I think they came out great.

My inclination is to say, yes, my cookies are from a cherished family recipe and I make them from scratch, but alas, the mix comes in a bag that can be found in the baking aisle at your local grocery store. I think they taste just as good as homemade and truly it is the decorating and love that goes into them that make them extra special!

I made the same kind of cookies for my sister-in-law's baby shower in December with the onesie cutter and pink and white cookies (It's a girl!). Since those cookies were the shower favor, I individually wrapped them in plastic bags and tied them with pale pink curling ribbon.

Although time consuming, these cookies are not difficult to make. It is helpful to have a free standing mixer because the Royal Icing requires about 10 straight minutes of mixing before it forms stiff peaks. A decorating bag and tip are also required as well as colored gel to tint the icing to your desired color. All of these items (except the mixer) can be found at a store like Michael's or probably even JoAnn Fabrics. The colored gel for tinting is extremely concentrated therefore you only need to use the tiniest amount to get pastel colors like I used.

My next batch is going to be some Margarita shaped cookies with pink and green icing for a friend's birthday. Many websites sell very cute and original cookie cutters, but there are also plastic sets available that include numbers and letters in addition to many holiday themed cutter in which you get about 100 for around 10-15 dollars. 

The Cookie Cutter Shop website has a great variety with many different themes and designs for customizing cookies for your loved ones. 

Dealing with holiday stress

Holiday time is here and along with that comes increased stress for many teachers. Why you ask? Being with 24 children who are excited about Christmas, presents, the possibility of snow, and time off from school does not bode well for TEACHING.

Coincidently, this is the time of year when almost everyday someone comes to school with a plate of homemade cookies, candy, sweets or treats. Everyone wants to acknowledge how much they appreciate teachers and they do so with SUGAR. If you are brainstorming a way to thank a teacher I will put in my two cents. A homemade card or handwritten note goes a long way.

1. I will be able to save it and read it years from now and smile.

2. I will be a happier teacher because I won't be grumpy about my tummy shaking like a bowl full of jelly!

I realize I may sound like a hypocrite because my thank you gift to parents is cookies in a jar, however my excuses are as follows:

1. at least they can choose to make the cookies when they feel like it

2. they have a pretty package all ready if they want to re-gift it

3. baking cookies is a fun holiday experience to have with kids...I am not just giving them sweets...I am giving them an experience.

There are numerous holiday parties and functions where there are plenty of snacks to enjoy, but we seem to indulge now and regret later.

My strategy this year is to say NO to sugar. I appreciate all the sweets I get, but I make sure to share with my fellow co-workers. I feel appreciated, yet am free from the guilt. 

I am also making sure to exercise daily. This is a great way to reduce stress and make me more serious about my no sugar rule.  My minutes of exercise are wasted if I eat cookies everyday. 

At the beginning of December I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred on exercise tv on demand. Jillian is a very hardcore, tough trainer from The Biggest Loser. I believe I read she trained 4 of the 5 winners. Her video routines can be completed in no more than 20 minutes a day, yet they are effective and difficult. There are three levels which increase in difficulty and her routines are based on her 3, 2, 1 method (3 minutes strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs). I consider myself someone who is in good shape and I am challenged by level 1.

I have done these routines in conjunction with Jackie Warner's workout series called One-on-one Workout with Jackie.  Jackie's video has three segments (lower body, core, and upper body) which are each about 20 minutes long. I have done both the core and lower body and can honestly say they are AWESOME. If you are one to get bored with the same routine, you may not be a fan of either video, but if you want results and don't have a lot of time to commit to exercise, you might want to give these videos a try. Both are available on amazon.com for cheaper than the prices on exercise tv. 

 

No matter how much holiday shopping, wrapping, card writing, partying, cooking, or decorating I have to do--I never regret taking the time (only 20 minutes!) to workout. As we learned from Elle Woods in Legally Blonde-exercising produces endorphins which makes us happy people. 

Some more tips for staying healthy with good habits during the holiday (from exercisetv.com)

1. Pack it up — lunch, that is. Avoid the no-time-in-the-morning excuse by preparing a lunch that’s on your diet plan the night before. Whether you’re on a low-carb, low-calorie, and/or low-sodium program, staying on your diet will be much easier if you have a “green light” lunch ready to eat at noon. Bonus: You’ll save money (let’s face it: all those restaurant meals can add up to extra bucks as well as excess calories!) and save time.

2. Make room for exercise during the day! For example, if you invest in a pedometer (using those dollars you saved by eating a lunch brought from home) and eat lunch at work, you’ll have time to go for a walk or to the park to exercise. Enlist your co-workers and friends on your daytime-exercise rounds.

“Researchers have discovered that exercising with friends and colleagues is one of the best ways to stay motivated yourself. And the bonus is: You’re helping others to get fit and be healthier!” According to James P. Sargen, CEO of outdoor fitness equipment company TriActive America.

3. Feeling stressed? The bad news about stress: it can make you crave carbs, especially the sweet, crunchy kind. You bite into a sugary, munch-happy candy bar and feel (temporarily) calmed, pleasantly distracted from the cause of your stress, whether it’s your boss’s anger about a missed deadline or a colleague’s temper tantrum over his lost client. Quick, take a hike (literally). Go for a walk outside if you can, or think up a reason to walk to a different area of the office. Just standing up and moving can improve your spirits (and burn calories). Breathe deeply, swing your arms and focus on something to look forward to after work (NOT food-related).

4. Snack smart. Don’t play games with yourself by trying to “save” calories and/or carbs, thinking that you can bank them and then enjoy a big dinner. What is most likely to happen: You’ll be so hungry when you get home that all your good intentions will vanish — and you’ll find yourself in Temptation City, with a carton of almost-emptied ice cream in your hot little hand.

Instead, plan your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack times the night before, so you can take them with you in the morning. If you’re counting calories, you might want to take a mini-bag of carrots and a piece of fat-free cheese for a morning break, and half an apple spread with a tablespoon of peanut butter for an afternoon break. Counting carbs? A piece of string cheese for the morning break and a low-carb energy bar in the mid-afternoon will keep you satisfied through your work day.

Fun Holiday Crafts

All of the ideas shown below are from the holiday arts and crafts section on familyfun.com.

POP-DOWN TO CHRISTMAS
Inspired by an idea from the Hales family of South Jordan, Utah, this bubble packaging countdown calendar offers a daily burst of fun, so you'll probably have to make one for each family member.

To make a Christmas countdown calendar, cut a tree shape with 24 bubbles from bubble packaging (as shown), use glue dots or double-sided tape to attach it to a piece of paper, then decorate circular stickers with markers and adhere them to each bubble. Have your kids squeeze a bubble to start each day of December with a bang!

What could be homier than a pair of mittens drying on a clothesline? This card idea, from the Mollette family of Uniontown, Ohio, was modeled after a card that had been given to a coworker.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
8 1/2- by 11-inch natural-colored paper
Rubber cement
Fabric remnants
String
Cardboard
Pencil or pen
Scissors
Hot-glue gun
Mini clothespins
White glue
Tissue paper

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Start with a piece of 8 1/2- by 11-inch natural-colored paper. Cut each sheet in half to make two cards, and cut to fit another, lighter-colored sheet, rubber-cemented to the paper as the background for the mittens.

2. Draw a mitten pattern on cardboard and cut out multiple mittens from fabric remnants. Using a hot-glue gun, attach each end of the string to the background sheet, then clip the mittens to the string with mini clothespins (available at craft stores). Use white glue to attach small squares of white tissue paper.

THUMBPRINT REINDEER
You will need:
Ink pad with nontoxic brown or bronze ink
Plain notecards or card stock
Craft glue
Googly eyes
Mini pom-poms, brown and red
Brown marker
Use a thumb or fingertip to stamp 3 reindeer heads on each notecard. Glue on googly eyes and pom-pom noses (including a red one for Rudolph, of course). Finish by drawing antlers.

I love this card and would love to have my students make them, however I am not sure if their thumbprints would be big enough...I just might make some for myself though!

Thanking Volunteers

This year I have been blessed with many parent volunteers who consistently provide at least an hour of their time on a weekly basis to help the students in my classroom. Having additional hands and the extra support of helpful adults make a world of difference to a teacher with 24 students! 

I decided to give my volunteers Cookies in a jar this year as a thank you gift. The idea is to put all of the dry ingredients used in a cookie recipe in a jar and provide a label with instructions for adding the wet ingredients and baking. The ingredients are layered in the jar for a cute presentation. The website above provides many different choices for types of cookies to use along with quantities of the dry ingredients to place in the jars. Additionally, there are links to several different labels that you can simply print out which contain the mixing and baking instructions. You can choose both the type of cookie and the design you want to print your own custom label! I also included a personal note on the back of each recipe label thanking the volunteers for their work.

It was fun putting together the jars and I am hopeful that the cookies will come out good! I found that the ingredients for the Oatmeal Plus Cookies fit perfectly in the jars, but the ingredients for the Chocolate Chip and M&M cookies fell a little short. Of course I added extra chocolate chips and M&M's to make up the different and I am hopeful that works out okay.

I have not completed the jars yet and I will post a picture of the final product. My next step is to glue the recipe card to colored construction paper and glue the thank you note on the back. I will then laminate the whole thing and hole punch one corner so that I can use colored ribbon to attach the card to the jar.  The site also suggests using a 6-8" circle of fabric to place under the jar lid for further customization. I do not think I am going to do that part because I am trying to keep the project within a budget, but I do think it would add to the presentation of the gift. 

Election Critiques from Six Year Olds

Yesterday I talked with my class about the presidential election and the two main candidates. Many of them were familiar with the names and understood that yesterday was the day to elect the person who will be the next president. 

This morning, I asked the class if they knew who had been elected. 

I heard some interesting feedback. 

One little boy informed me that "Obama is evil." I asked him what made him think that and he replied, "My mom told me."

Another little girl explained to me that if you don't want your baby, Obama will kill it before it comes out because he kills babies.

I completely respect everyone's right to their own opinions and political views. It surprises me, however, that parents are so blatant in discussing these issues with children who are so young and unaware of the meaning and impact these words have.

I commend parents for taking the time to make their children aware of information pertaining to politics/the election, but I do think that there should be a certain degree of filtering when it comes to discussing abortion with 6 year olds. Is that necessary?