Hiking Holiday

As part of our teaching contract, we get one "floating holiday" which is a day off that we can take at any point in the year for any reason. It's not a sick day, it's not even really a personal day, it's just a free day off. 

I always savor this day and try to think of the best possible time to use it. This year I decided June 5th would be the lucky day. I feel like I have been out of the classroom a lot this year due to the Courageous Conversations team that I am on that works through discussions about racism in education. Our team attended workshops about once every month, which doesn't seem like a lot, but it still feels like I have been absent frequently considering I only took one half of a sick day this entire school year (so far). I don't want to jink myself considering some of my students have now been absent for 5 straight school days! (swine flu!??!)  I was also on the committee for interviewing candidates for the principal position at my school which took me out of class for another day. I feel kind of bad leaving the kids again this close to the end of the school year, yet deep down I know I deserve it-- and I have used the same great sub, so by now she is used to the routine and I know the kids are in great hands. 

My husband decided to take the day off as well so we can play together. We made plans to hike Dog Mountain, which is ironic because I did the same hike about a week before school started this year and now, with just over a week left, I am going for it again. 

There is a beautiful field of wild flowers that peaks just about this time. When I went in August, they were all gone, so I am looking forward to seeing them this time. The hike is about 7 miles and takes between 3.5-4.5 hours. Last time I went all alone because hubby was traveling for work, so it will be nice to have company this time. 

There is only one problem with our fantastic plan....

It is supposed to rain!

We have been having gorgeous weather lately--in the 80's and sunny everyday! The summers in Portland are fantastic, but the rest of the year can be kind of dreary so seeing sun is very exciting. Yet today, a crazy storm blew in just as I was leaving school. The sky was gray and ominous and there was serious wind blowage. On the way home there were tree branches littering the streets and the leaves were blowing around like crazy.  It was thundering and raining and nasty.

When I came home I checked tomorrow's forecast and it looks like rain all day. I am not too happy about that, but I will look on the bright side. Regardless of what we do, we get to spend the day together. We will be sleeping late (and if we don't go hiking), VERY LATE. It is amazing to me how many hours of hard sleeping we put in on Friday nights into Saturday mornings. We are like a couple of hibernating bears! I still hope we get to go on our hike, but worse case we cozy up and watch the remaining 3 Star Wars movies that are waiting for us on the DVR.

The other exciting part about this weekend is the trip to the coast with a group of teachers from my school. We rarely get to hang out in social situations, yet when we do it is always a blast, so I am pumped for some girl talk and good times.

Last bit of exciting news---we booked a trip to Germany today! We leave the day after school lets out, June 20th, and come back June 30th. I have never been to Europe before so I am super stoked and even better, we will get to spend my birthday there! I can't wait! If you have any traveling tips for me shoot me a comment! I would love to get some advice as I have never been out of the country before...

New Books

Recently I have heard from a few of the teachers in my building that they are really into The Daily Five.  It is not a reading curriculum, rather a structure for teaching reading that eliminates a lot of the discipline efforts and assists in creating more independent learners/readers. 

Here is the synopsis from amazon.com:

"Do you love teaching but feel exhausted from the energy you expend cajoling, disciplining, and directing students on a daily basis? If so, you'll want to meet “The Sisters”, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. Based on literacy learning and motivation research, they created a structure called The Daily Five which has been practiced and refined in their own classrooms for ten years, and shared with thousands of teachers throughout the United States. The Daily Five is a series of literacy tasks (reading to self, reading with someone, writing, word work, and listening to reading) which students complete daily while the teacher meets with small groups or confers with individuals.

This book not only explains the philosophy behind the structure, but shows you how to carefully and systematically train your students to participate in each of the five components.

Explicit modeling practice, reflecting and refining take place during the launching phase, preparing the foundation for a year of meaningful content instruction tailored to meet the needs of each child.

The Daily Five is more than a management system or a curriculum framework; it is a structure that will help students develop the habits that lead to a lifetime of independent literacy."

I decided to order this book from amazon and it was bundled with another book for only 27.74. The Daily Five by itself was 24.95 on Borders.com. I have come to find that even though I really like Borders, amazon truly has the best prices. Anyway, I decided to go for the bundle since I will have lots of free time for reading in a matter of weeks. 

One of my favorite memories from childhood is going to the bookstore with my mom and getting new books for summer vacation. I still get a thrill when I get a new book!

I am always interested in new ways of thinking and teaching. Summer break is always a great time to recharge and get a fresh perspective on kids, teaching, and learning.  I especially like books that offer strategies, ideas that can be implemented amongst an adopted curriculum like we have at my school. 

Bedtime tips for grownups

To followup my last post, here are some bedtime tips for the BIG kids.

Good habits for good sleep: Click here to see the original article

1. Exercise most days, even if it’s just to take a walk.

2. No caffeine after 6:00 p.m.

3. An hour before bedtime, avoid doing any kind of work that takes alert thinking. Addressing envelopes—okay. Analyzing an article—nope.

4. Adjust your bedroom temperature to be slightly chilly.

5. Keep your bedroom dark. Studies show that even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle. We have about six devices in our room that glow bright green; it’s like sleeping in a mad scientist’s lab. I have to put a pillow over the cable box.

6. Keep the bedroom as tidy as possible. It’s not restful to fight through chaos into bed.

If sleep won’t come:
7. Breathe deeply and slowly until you can’t stand it anymore.

8. If your mind is racing (you’re planning a trip, a move; you’re worried about a medical diagnosis), write down what’s on your mind. This technique really works for me.

9. Slather yourself with body lotion. This feels good and also, if you’re having trouble sleeping because you’re hot, it cools you down.

10. If your feet are cold, put on socks.

With so much on our minds as the end of the school year approaches, we need to remember to get ourselves to bed as well! 

Bedtime say what?!

I just went running around my neighborhood and was surprised at how many kids I saw out playing in their yards. Why is that strange you might ask? Well, it is 8:45 at night...

What happened to bedtime?!

 I saw at least 10 kids under the age of 5 out and about riding bikes, playing ball, and hanging out in their yards. 

no sign of pajamas...

...no cuddly bedtime stories...

...no winding down to end the day....

Rather than passing judgement because I am not a parent, I will say, it must be hard to be a parent when it is totally light outside until after 9:00! Why would kids in Portland want to go to bed when they finally see the sun after months of rain and it is warm and sunny until 9:00 at night. If they went to bed, they would miss some prime playing time!!

As a teacher, I get frustrated when it comes to bedtime because there are parents who do not have any sort of reasonable schedule for their young children. I had one student this year going to bed at 11:00 at night because his mom really didn't understand that little kids needs LOTS of sleep and need to get to bed by 8:00 or 8:30. Once our counselor discussed it with her, she changed the family habits and it helped a lot, but I still find it sad that some parents are not aware of fundamental aspects of wellness for children. Like I said, I am not a parent, but I do know that kids thrive on schedules and predictable routines and going to bed at 11:00 simply does not make sense for a young child who needs to be alert and ready for a full day/week of school. 

I am seeing the effects of over tiredness, illness, and almost end of the school year-itis in a major way. Yesterday I had NINE students absent and today SIX. Something yucky is going around and getting enough sleep is important in order to stay healthy. 

Even though it remains light out, I think it is important to maintain a proper bedtime schedule on school nights. During summer vacation, let them stay up as late as they want, but for these last few precious days of school, put them to bed!

Some tips for an effective bedtime from ehow.com

1. Step1

   Have a designated bedtime. Decide whether the time you are choosing is the actual time you want the kids in bed or the time you want the bedtime routine to begin. Whatever the case, stick to that time. On the weekend of course you can push the time back a few hours as needed, but try to stick to the routine even on the weekend.

2. Step2

   Plan out what the course of events will be that will make up this bedtime routine. Always start out with an activity that can transition your child from their current activities to bedtime. They can, straightening up their room by putting away stray toys or clothes. If their room is already clean, they can quietly play or read for about 15 to 30 minutes. Make sure you call out a count down to bedtime to prevent tantrums. Such as, “one hour to bedtime, 30 minutes to bedtime, or 15 minutes to bedtime.”

3. Step3

   The routine itself should take about 30 to 45 minutes and consist of some if not all of the five main points that I’m about to mention. 1. Putting on their pajamas. 2. Brushing their teeth 3. At least 15 minutes of face to face time with the person putting the child to bed 4. Making sure you child is comfortable 5. Saying goodnight

4. Step4

   Depending on the child’s age, try to let them do as much as they can on their own. You should let the child choose his/her own pajamas and also let them put the toothpaste on by themselves.

5. Step5

   I found that the face to face time is best spent reading a couples of stories to the child. Let them choose the books. Involve them in the story by asking simple questions, such as “why did that happen or what do you think will happen next?” There are alternatives to reading a story such as singing a few songs together or if it’s an older child just talking.

6. Step6

   Make sure your child is comfortable by giving them their favorite stuffed animal or blanket, a small glass of water or even by turning on a night light. The last part of this routine should be saying goodnight. If you’ve taught your child a prayer let them recite it or simply tuck your child in and give them a reassuring hug and goodnight kiss. Don’t forget to say I love you and good night.

End of the year ORGANIZING

This is not my classroom library, although I kind of wish it was. Just an example of how organized it can look.

Today after school I spent quite some time trying to organize my classroom library and sort my books. When I first started teaching, I was willing to take any books that were offered and willingly put anything in my library just to fill up the shelves. 

Now that I have been at it for a few years and have experience teaching reading to first graders, I have a better gauge of what kinds of books are appropriate for the shelves of a first grade classroom library. I made a huge pile of books that I deemed inappropriate and fortunately our school has a Book Nook program that I can donate them to so that kids in need can take them home. There is nothing wrong with the books, but I am trying hard to limit my books to ones that are truly age/level appropriate. I have gotten a lot of really nice, brand new books this year through the Scholastic Book Clubs and my fabulous Donors Choose proposal that was funded (Thanks Karin!) so I am less willing to hold onto the really old beat up, ripped, and way too hard books that I willingly adopted 3 years ago!

I also find that there can be such a thing as TOO many books in that the more we have the less we have to focus on caring for them. I found many books shoved in places they don't belong, so for the rest of the year I am going to display fewer books and have more put away for special checkout only (for responsible book users). 

I decided that I really wanted to keep my books grouped by subject (especially the non-fiction ones) so I made bundles based on some of the topics we cover:

• insects
• matter
• weather
• frogs/amphibians
• colors
• animal life cycles
• dinosaurs
• presidents and American symbols
• parts of speech and grammar
• math books
• coins and money

I also have a bundle for special holiday/times of year books that I grouped in order of when the holidays come during the school year

• Back to School
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Winter/Christmas
• Groundhog's Day
• Valentine's Day
• 100th Day of School
• End of the Year

All of those books are ones that I use for instructional purposes, so I don't let the kids have access to them all the time. My instructional books stay on my own personal bookshelves so that they stay in better condition and don't get lost/misplaced. Sometimes I feel like I am hoarding books, however there are plenty for the kids to read daily and I think I deserve to have an organization to my teaching materials that does not happen if the kids have access to everything.

I also organized books that the kids can read at all times and grouped them by type/author/level. Some of those groups are:

• Frog and Toad
• Cam Jansen
• Magic Treehouse
• Junie B. Jones
• Clifford, Berenstein Bears, & Little Critter
• Henry & Mudge

I did not take any photos yet, but I will try to remember to post a few. For now, here is a link I found to some good information on planning and organizing a classroom library.

This teacher has some good photos and explanations of how she set up her library. She even has custom labels that you can type over and print out for labeling those special "teacher books" that you don't want your students keeping in their desks. 

Also, when I post my pictures, you will see I have a TON of baskets for my books which I found at the Dollar Tree. They have baskets that fit small chapter books like Junie B. Jones perfectly and they come in a variety of colors. You can't beat the price, so I have definitely stocked up as my library has grown.

Additional classroom library resources:

Classroom Libraries

Resource for leveling books

Printable book basket labels (by type, author, series)

More Labels (even cuter!)

Cataloging/keeping track of your books

CareBks

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu how to care for book

found at Carl's Corner

Summer Fitness

For the past two years, the first Monday in June has marked the beginning of a month long, 5 day a week Boot Camp guaranteeing a jump start on summer fitness. Hour long 5:30 am classes filled with hardcore strength training, toning, running, pushups, sprinting, pushups, burpees, pushups, lunges, squats, and (did I mention pushups) had me starting summer break with fitness on my mind.

This year, because of 5 snow days which tacked 5 extra days onto the end of our school year, I decided not to participate in June boot camp. Getting up at 5 so I could make the 5:30 am class, then rushing to get back home, shower, get ready and then race back out the door to get to school was a little hectic. Thinking about having THREE whole weeks of that this year rather that two just made it seem like a stress overload. 

I really enjoy my time in the morning in the classroom before the kids come. I usually arrive by 7:15 which gives me a whole hour before the kids walk through the door. During camp, I could barely make it by 8, which gave me zero time before kid arrival which always meant starting the day a little more stressed. 

I hope that despite not having an organized class that I will still kick my exercise routine into high gear because lately it seems like my sugar addiction has kicked in full gear and some extra pounds have found their way to my buns! Last summer, with the encouragement from my awesome boot camp trainer Daniel, I gave up sugar completely for over 100 days. From about mid July through almost Halloween I did not indulge in any of my sugary favorites. After Christmas I totally fell off that no sugar wagon and I am really hoping to get back on it starting NOW. Perhaps a public pledge will help me stick to it, so here is goes.

I am officially designating tomorrow, May 30th, my first official sugar free day. My goal is to get to my birthday, June 26th without any sugar downfalls. 

The hardest part about giving up sugar is that it means no baking. I am pretty good at resisting temptations, however when I bake that is the big exception. I just can't help having a good lick (or ten) from the bowl and of course I have to try out the goods before I feed them to someone else. I have been so obsessed with trying out new kinds of cake balls, but perhaps I will have to put that on hold for awhile. Last summer I found that once I had been off sugar for awhile, I really stopped craving it. Even now, when I have sugar (and I always have too much) it really makes me feel bad. That should be further incentive to give it up.....we'll see how it goes.....

no more Miss Betty Crocker