Friend Makin' Monday

Before I get into my Friend Makin' portion of the post, I have to mention what happened this morning. As I mentioned in previous posts, over the weekend my husband had the flu. I have been so afraid of catching it, but so far, I am feeling totally fine. So I got up this morning, leaving sleeping hubby in the bed because he is taking a sick day, and got ready for work.

When I got to school, I mentioned to a friend that my husband was sick over the weekend and she said I should talk to my department head because the school does not want any students or staff in the building if they have even been exposed to the flu. So....

They sent me home!

I couldn't believe it.

Yes, please. I will take a day off that doesn't count as an absence in order to avoid spreading germs at school.

I have that giddy feeling I get when a snow day is announced.

(I also heard a rumor they are thinking of closing the entire school tomorrow and Wednesday.)

Yikes!

In honor of my "snow day" (I can't really call it a sick day)...Tell me what you love to do if school gets cancelled.

Call it a lazy day?

Get organized?

Cook something yummy?

OK, on to Friend Makin' Monday!

Amber at {ae filkins} is hosting another FMM and today's topic, which I love, is

What are your favorite candle scents??

I am one of those people, who loves sniffing out any candles that smell like food. Not all food, mostly yummy scents reminiscent of baked goods fresh from the oven. I know there are many people out there who despise these kinds of scents, but I am a lover! My bff is one of those people. Although we are so much alike in most regards, our candle sniffing tastes are very different. She is a lover of Granny Smith Apple.

These are my lovelies:

Buttercream

as in delicious buttercream frosting

Cinnamon & Sugar

like warm cinnamon buns!

Frosted Pumpkin

Pumpkin is such a nice fall scent, but sometimes it can be too spicy smelling for me. The addition of the word frosting and the baked goods on the jar made this one seem delish!

Christmas Cookie

maybe it's the memories attached to baking and decorating sugar cookies during the holidays, but this scent is at the top of my list!

I think my love of baking definitely informs my selection of candle scents!

And as for my not-so-favorites:

There are a lot that I don't care for, but this would be one of them!

Lemon Lavender

The lemon part is okay, but not a fan of Lavender and I always consider whether or not the candle color matches my decor and this one is a miss!

How you doin'?

I feel like it's the calm before the storm because my husband is still asleep and I have a moment to do my daily blogging! Yesterday his fever spiked up to 101.3 and he was miserable all day. I ran around fetching tea, snacks, blankets, a cool washcloth etc. for him and I made two additional trips to the store to get specific snacks/foods that he wanted. Each time I tried to sit down to do work or check blogs, I heard him calling me, so it was hard to get a lot done.

::sigh:: a day in the life of a wife with a sick hubby! (or a mom!)

I definitely hope he starts to feel better today because this flu is awful and I would not wish it on my worst enemy.

I skyped into another class last night with my PDX cohort. This time I felt much more comfortable speaking up and adding to the conversation. I had to present an article that I found for my research and although I know I brought up some good points, there were several moments of dead silence as my peers looked at me and I looked at them. Maybe it's just weird to talk to someone on a screen, but they didn't add to the conversation as much as I would have liked. I can't tell if they think I am a hugely boring talking head or what! I have been really interested in my research and I think I lose perspective a little bit and come across like a total dork. I got a few head nods from one girl, which really made me feel better, but there was a lot of silence too. I am not privy to the rest of their discussions, so I don't really have a feel for the group at all. I wish I could get to know them better and have that amazing support group that was mentioned at our first orientation, but from here, that is unlikely. I really feel like an outsider, yet I am so lucky to have the opportunity to continue in my studies while I am abroad that I am happy with any scenario I can get! My big papers are due at the beginning of December so I really need to get cracking on organizing my research and writing my literature review.

I am including another graphic for one of the kiddos I am going to work with. He is extremely smart, but has some behavioral issues. He is always drawing or playing with materials on his desk. He doesn't listen to the teacher, but begins working on assignments or worksheets without waiting to hear her directions. He frequently has to stay in during break time because he has not completed work or because he didn't follow the directions. He gets really upset because he really loves to play and this has resulted in a pretty poor attitude about school at times. He angrily said one day that he just wishes he could leave school and jump on a big trampoline. Don't we all??

Because he is very smart, I wanted to appeal to his logical thinking with some visuals that directly correlate good school behaviors with good consequences. I also made a counterpart that shows inappropriate behaviors with the negative consequences that follow. This is a tool I will laminate and keep in his desk, so that we can refer to it when he is starting to get distracted. I also wrote a social story for him which narrates (from his perspective).

Not familiar with social stories? Learn more here and here.

These kinds of "stories" are used frequently with students that have Autism or Asperger's.

Positive Consequences

Again, the lines in between the two columns should be arrows, but I have not yet figured out how to make arrows with Boardmaker software. I just draw them in after printing. The bottom right picture is missing because the student got to choose a "big prize" he would like to earn when his marble jar is full. Since he loves drawing so much, he gets to draw the final picture. I hope that gives him a sense of ownership over the tool as well. He chose to have extra time in the library. Love it!

Happy Sunday!

Sharing is Caring

I just made some stuff to use with a few of the new kiddos I will be working with. I thought I would share in case any other teachers would find these ideas useful.

Let me know your feedback!

I made these using Boardmaker software which is phenomenal, but expensive. It costs over $400. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship for classroom supplies, so I bought it two years ago. I have used it in so many different ways in the classroom and I love it. If you are interested to try it out, you can download a free trial or check with the SPED department at your school. It is used a lot with students that have special needs especially with symbol based communication devices/helpers. I use it for games, English Language Development, Social Stories, science etc. etc. etc.

I made some visuals to encourage students to make connections when reading a text. I made them in a bookmark size, but I also used to have these in a larger size posted above my whiteboard so students could see them all the time.

The IPICK strategy is meant to be a bookmark that students refer to when selecting a book in order to make an appropriate selection. It's kind of like the Goldilocks idea of not to hard, not too easy, but just right. The ideas pertaining to how to select a "good fit" book come from The Daily Five by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser (which I highly recommend). Read this post for more info about The Daily Five and good fit books.

Text Connections

If you print this document, you will probably want to add in the arrow heads on the lines going from the book to the other pictures. For some reason the program could make lines, but not make them into arrows.... sorry!
Good Fit Book

Good Pick Books

This part is meant to go on the back of the bookmark to remind the student what they should think about when selecting a book for silent reading.

I am hoping that you will be able to both view these documents in pdf format and print them if you desire. Let me know if you run into any problems (and if you like them!)

flim flam flu

The flu has hit our quaint little apartment in Germany. Yesterday my husband came home from work feeling awful and has pretty much been horizontal and wrapped in blankets since. We both went to bed really earl (for a Friday night) and I was really hoping that a good night's sleep would result in a happier and perkier hubs.

Not so much.

I love my husband and I would do anything for him. In fact, I always do lots of stuff for him. He is one pretty lucky (and pampered) guy. I wouldn't say that I wait on him hand and foot, but I would say he is decently spoiled....So considering that I often bring him something to drink while he watches tv or make him a snack, it's funny that I get so anxious when he is sick.

Maybe it's because sick grown men turn into such babies when they don't feel well! Ok, I guess I can't speak for all grown men, but I can speak for my grown man. I am used to taking care of him, but when he's sick, his neediness definitely kicks up a notch and I feel like I am running around doing all sorts of things for him. This morning I went to the apoteke (pharmacy, but it's a separate store) to buy a thermometer. The lady, who thankfully spoke English and was so nice, told me that if his temperature was higher than 38 degrees Celsius that means he has a fever. He was 37.4, but when we converted that into Farenheit it was 99.3, which I would definitely consider a fever. I guess with this bout of the flu, higher than 39 means a high enough fever to merit going to the doctor?

The doctors are not open on the weekends so she gave me the address of a weekend emergency clinic, but she said the wait would most likely be quite long. Thankfully, my husband had a connection through work, so he was able to score some Tamiflu from someone who had the flu last week. Yes, I know that you should not use prescription meds given to someone else but in this case, I think it is worth not waiting at the doctors office for hours just to get the same thing.

So after I got the thermometer, I hit up the grocery store and got apple juice, orange juice, tea, honey, soup, water, hand sanitizer, bread, and butter. My hubby always requests cinnamon toast when he is sick because that was what his mom gave him when was sick as a kid. It always makes him feel better, so I did my best to pan fry the toast because I don't have a toaster.

We just got the medicine from his friend, so hopefully that helps him to feel better. He is worried that I will catch it...and so am I! When he is sick, he gets waited on, yet when I am sick, I somehow end up still having to do a lot of things for myself. I really don't want to get sick for my second week on the job either! Even though it's cold out, I have all the windows open in the apartment because it gets so stuffy in here and I can just feel all the germs festering if there is no fresh air.

The flu sucks!

Challenge Check In

So far I am four days into my 30 Day Shred challenge.

I have some thoughts.

1. I can't imagine doing the same workout routine 10 days in a row! First, I don't think it is beneficial to work the same exact muscles day after day without an opportunity for rest. I have tried mixing up the weights so I am not lifting the same amount each time, but I am still working the same muscle groups over and over and that seems counterintuitive.

2. I have only done level 1 four times so far and I am already getting bored with the same exact exercises day after day. I am pretty sure going one level at a time is the intent of the workout, yet for me, it just doesn't work!

3. I don't think there is a sufficient explanation of the intended process, but I feel rest/recovery days are important. Is the goal really to complete the program for 30 consecutive days or are rest days supposed to be included? None of that is really clear from the information provided on the box or by Jillian....She also does not give any info on how much weight should be used for various exercises. I can lift 15 pounds for chest flies, yet I can barely manage my tiny two pounders for the lateral arm raises. Shouldn't that be discussed? Especially for exercise newbies!

4. I need a little variety in my life! I think I am going to switch it up just a bit and alternate levels from day to day so that I am not doing the exact same thing for 10 days before going to the next level. I want to make sure I am working different muscles while giving other muscles time to recover. The challenge is still on, but I am not doing it just for the sake of doing it, so I need to make it work for me! I may include "rest days" where I just do cardio or maybe nothing at all. I don't want to damage by body in any way by doing this, so I am adjusting as I see fit.

Also, I wore high heel boots to work yesterday and somehow managed to really hurt my left foot! I did the shred last night anyway, but my foot is still hurting today. I would never recommend to anyone to exercise or continue pushing while injured, so I may do pilates today instead of the Shred just so I am not putting too much strain on my foot! I know all my healthful bloggy readers would fully support that choice!

I am still going strong (3 whole days!) without diet soda. I like to count days and keep track because the higher the number gets, the less likely I am to break my streak. I did the same with avoiding sugar/sweets last year and I was well over 100 days, but then Valentine's Day happened and so did chocolate consumption!

And here's a funny little workout inspired cartoon for November!

Bilingual students

Students from all over the world attend my school. There are about 40 different student nationalities which means the students speak a lot of different languages in addition to English. English is the language of instruction for most classes and students also study German as a second language (or first for some) and Spanish is offered in the upper grades.

On several occasions, I have heard teachers tell students to speak in English when they are using their native language (most often German) in the classroom. They are told that it's ok to speak other languages at lunch or recess, but that only English should be used in the classroom. I am fairly certain, but not positive, that this is a school policy.

I am torn.

English is the language of instruction, therefore it is the "common" language among all students and staff. When it comes to equal access for understanding documents and school business, it is reasonable to have one language selected as the primary language to be used because it would be quite difficult to get all documents and all information translated into 40 or so different languages.

I do, however, think that telling a student not to speak their native language is not okay. If a student is using his/her native language, chances are the language is being used to negotiate meaning or to help another student who is less proficient in English. I don't think either of those reasons is unacceptable. The ultimate goal is education and if using a second language can help students to comprehend better and make deeper connections, then by all means.....Native languages are a very significant part of who the students are. They are languages most likely spoken at home, with family members and grandparents. They represent some families' home countries, their origins, their roots, and their traditions. Who am I to tell them to turn that off? Knowledge in one's native language can be transferred to a second (or third) language, yet in order for that to happen, the native language cannot be suppressed or shunned, especially in the environment where learning takes place!

Each time I hear a teacher requesting that students use "English only," I cringe a little big. I know some teachers feel threatened when students communicate with each other in a language that the teacher does not understand. In certain circumstances, bullying or negative scenarios could be happening without the teacher's knowledge. It seems, however, at my current school, the insistence on English only is because it is the rule.

I just don't get why it's the rule. I feel like the wealth of languages and cultures should be embraced always. If a student says something in German or Japanese, or Italian, rather than tell them not to, I would want to ask them about what they were discussing and how it helped them to better understand what was being taught. It's not like students are refusing to speak English at all, simply that every once in awhile they might like to turn to their neighboring student and make a comment in their native language. Is that so bad?

What are your thoughts? Should students be able to use their native languages in the classroom if there are other students who speak the same language or is it okay to insist students speak English only?