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?

Sharpest Crayons in the Box

Happy Halloween!

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

I recently started reading this book and although I have not finished it, I already feel the need to spread the word about how great it is. The book is written by Rafe Esquith who "has taught at Hobart Elementary School for twenty-two yeras. He is the only teacher in history to receive the National Medal of Arts. He has also been made a member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. His many other honors include the American Teacher Award, Parents Magazine's As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award, and the Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong."

Not only has he accomplished all of these amazing things, but he has written a terrific book to give readers and fellow teachers insight into the world of room 56. 

Rafe speaks a lot to classroom culture and what he does to create a strong one in his classroom. He emphasizes the development of trust among teachers and students rather than the use of fear and intimidation. 

What struck me the most so far was his discussion of Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. I had never before heard of Kohlberg among other pertinent figures in the study of education such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erkison. Rafe makes note of the idea that as teachers, we are not just teaching the content material, rather we are educating students to become life long learners, investigators, and most of all people of strong character. We want our students to do the right thing (even when no one is watching!). 

Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development

Level 1. I don't want to get in trouble

Level 2. I want a reward

Level 3. I want to please somebody

Level 4. I follow the rules

Level 5. I am considerate of other people

Level 6. I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it

Rafe uses characters from film and literature (such as Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird) as models of level 6. He explains that it is typical for students to operate in the earlier stages, exhibiting positive behavior traits based on fear of getting in trouble, rule following, or receiving a reward, yet much more rare for students to fall within the higher levels where they are truly concerned about others and exhibiting good behavior because they believe in what they are doing and do not seek recognition for their actions. 

When Rafe describes his students and the wonderful things they learn and accomplish, it is truly inspiring.

Great book to read!

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)

Every once in a while at our staff meetings, the principal of my school gives us a gentle reminder/nudge to recall the SIOP training we have all been through and encourages us to incorporate these strategies into our lessons. 

What is SIOP?

 It stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. 

What does that mean? 

Essentially it is a series of strategies or parts to incorporate into lessons in order to help students access the material and make content more meaningful.

Who does it help?

All students, but primarily ELL students or students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds who may not be familiar with some mainstream concepts and/or the English language.

There are 8 main components that a great SIOP lesson should include:

1. Preparation: Language and content objectives, adaptation of content, use of materials
2. Building background: Links to prior learning and background experience
3. Comprehensible input: Making content accessible through clear speech and explanations
4. Strategies: Scaffolding and questioning techniques
5. Interaction: Grouping configurations to enhance discussion
6. Practice/application: Activities to integrate content and language objectives
7. Lesson delivery: Student engagement and lesson pacing
8. Review/assessments: Focus on content and language objectives, progress, and feedback.

In other words, teachers should acknowledge the diverse backgrounds of students and incorporate ideas that are familiar to them into lessons. Making sure to connect to something the student already knows helps to facilitate further learning. It is important to clearly identify what you  a student is expected to learn in a given lesson and how they will demonstrate they have succeeded. 

For example:

Content objective: Students will understand that animals live in different types of habitats.

Language objective: Students will be able to name three animals and the type of habitat they live in. Students will use the sentence frame: 

The ______ lives in the _______.

The fish lives in the pond.

This helps the students to know what is expected of them and providing a sentence frame helps them to be successful. Teachers should also make sure to use plenty of visuals and speak at a pace that matches the level of English the students have. Demonstrations, pantomimes, and pictures are wonderful tools to use.

Additionally, teachers should not be the only ones talking! If our goal is for students to acquire more English, they need to practice! For every ten minutes of teacher talk, students should have at least 2 minutes to share with partners or groups. Teachers can also use scaffolding as a way to slowly allow students to become more independent in their learning. A good model is:

I do

We do

You do

During the "I do" the teacher will instruct and explain and demonstrate what the students should do.

During the "we do" the students and the teacher perform the task. This may happen with the use of partners or small groups.

During the "you do" phase, the students complete the given task independently. Providing students with opportunities to practice skills in a hands on manner is always necessary in establishing mastery of knowledge and skills.

Finally, I have learned that it is so important to just listen to students. They bring so many different and unique experiences and stories to the classroom community and I will only be able to meet their diverse needs when I truly know them and what they are bringing to the table. Some families/children may not be comfortable sharing, however if they are, so much can be learned that can only enhance teaching!

 

People First Language

The thought occurred to me today when an employee at my school referred to one of my students as the "special ed kid" that many people may not know the "PC" or preferred way to refer to individuals with disabilities.

In all of my special education courses at PSU we learned about people first language which essentially puts the person before the disability.  An article by Kathie Snow www.disabilityisnatural.com clearly identifies some important ideas to make note of when discussing people who have disabilities

People with disabilities are NOT:

• people who suffer from the tragedy of birth defects
• paraplegic heroes who struggle to become normal again
• victims who fight to overcome their challenges
• nor are they retarded, autistic, blind, deaf, or learning disabled

People with disabilities are PEOPLE. They can be moms, dads, sons, daughters, employees, friends, neighbors, students, teachers, doctors, presidents and more. People with disabilities should be recognized as people first and not characterized simply by the disability they have. Snow indicates that the real problem is never a person's disability, but the attitudes of others.  Whether intentional or unintentional, the words that people use can be hurtful. 

Here are some great examples of People First Language

Say:

People with disabilities

Paul has a cognitive disability

Kate has autism (or a diagnosis of...)

Ryan has Down syndrome

Sara has a learning disability

Bob has a physical disability

Tom has a mental health condition

Steve receives special education services

Nora uses a wheelchair

Tonya has a developmental delay

Children without disabilities

She needs/uses...

Instead of saying:

The handicapped or disabled

He's mentally retarded

She's autistic

He's Down's

She's learning disabled

He is crippled

He is emotionally disturbed

He's in special ed (or is a special ed kid)

She's developmentally delayed

Normal/typical/healthy kids

She has a problem with

Sometimes it can be frustrating that people still use the term retarded (and often think it is a funny way to crack a joke) but I try to realize when I hear comments or statements such as that, most people have not been taught an alternative way to speak about individuals with disabilities. I know the person who spoke to me today was not intending at all to speak negatively about my student, but his choice of words certainly could be construed as derogatory, especially for someone working in a school. 

My hope is that more people will learn to understand people first language and to acknowledge that people with disabilities are people, with feelings, hopes, beliefs, and talents. They are unique and offer gifts to the world. They may not be good at everything, but who is?

Some of the students that I have had with disabilities have brought so much joy into my life.  They achieved so much in my classroom and it was a joy to be their teacher. I hope that most people they encounter in their lives see them for all that they have and all that they are rather than just defining them with a label and a disability.

Resources for Teaching ELL students

This information comes directly from an article entitled "How Can I Help My English Language Learners?" in the SEPT/OCT edition of Instructor magazine. These are some resources listed as being great ELL sites:

www.colorincolorado.org

This bilingual website for families and educators focuses on teaching ELL students how to read. 

www.teacher.scholastic.com

Scholastic's site offers classroom strategies and a wealth of research on language acquisition.

www.soundsofenglish.org

ELLs can listen to pronunciation of English words, including difficult beginning and ending sounds.  The site also features links for teachers.

www.ccsd.net/ellp

This extensive website outlines one district's ELL program implementation. Its helpful detail is both broad and specific.  Click on programs.

This year I have several ELL students in my reading group. I am focusing a lot on using visuals and picture representations of the words we blend.  I noticed one day that the kids did not hear the difference between the words hug and hog. The slight differences in vowel sounds are difficult for them to decipher, so I starting using my Boardmaker program to print small 2"x 2" pictures to accompany all of the words used during blending. That way, not only are they doing phonemic awareness and phonics exercises, but they are building vocabulary as well. 

Visuals can also be a great way to facilitate communication with parents who speak little or no English. 

Hug Haven

Teaching first  graders has its share of frustrating moments. I have two boys this year that are proving to be particularly challenging--it's no wonder.... one little boy's mother is in prison and the other boy is living with a foster family and I don't think it's the first one. The life situations that these kids are facing are nothing I can ever relate to. I try to put myself in their shoes and understand where they are coming from, but regardless, it is hard work. Sometimes they tire me out.

Seth, who is a foster child, likes to spin. He holds his arms out, looks up, and spins around. I think it's his way of letting his environment fade away. I would probably want to make the same thing happen if I was in his position. I am sure his environment has changed so many times in the short 6 years he has been around that he has realized sometimes he just wants to ignore it. I have a hard time getting Seth to follow directions and sometimes repeat the same thing 10 times to no avail. He has some language issues, probably due to his living situation at a young age, and as a result has a hard time processing directions. With this in mind, I patiently repeat and repeat, coaxing him to take action! 

He spins.

I repeat.

Being a teacher requires a LOT of patience. Many people tell me they don't know how I do it and sometimes I don't either.

But then I get the hugs.

Everyday before Seth gets on the bus, he wraps his arms around me and gives me a big hug. He has a huge smile on his face and in that moment I know he is happy. And so am I.

That small moment at the end of each day makes all of the other moments of frustration fade away. In those moments I know I make a difference in the lives of children who need someone to love them and care about them. If I can be that person, it is all worth it. 

Non-fiction for kids

The curriculum I use for reading uses weekly themes that tie together all of the literature we read each week. This week our theme is pets. The kids really enjoy talking about the pets they have and how they take care of them as well as animals that don't make very good pets. 

I went to the library today and found some great non-fiction series about pets. 

Scholastic: A True Book, Your Pet [cat] series

Susan Blackaby [Dog] For You: Caring for your [Dog] series

My First Pet Library from the American Human Association: My First [Dog]. 

These types of books are great to teach kids more information about certain topics and to teach them the nature of non-fiction books.  My program focuses on the use of photographs instead of illustrations and the presentation of real information about real people, places, or things in non-fiction books. Students should be able to differentiate between books that are fiction versus non-fiction, real versus make believe. 

These books are still too challenging for my group to read independently, but they are great for shared reading and for talking about how to care for pets, what pets need, etc. 

I also found some cute fiction stories about pets and aniamls:

Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough

What Pet To Get? by Emma Dodd

Dog Breath by Dan Pilkey

Good Dog Daisy! by Lisa Kopper

Bad Dog School by Barbara M. Joosse

My Cat Copies Me by Yoon-duck Kwon

Cat, Cats, Cats! by Leslea Newman

My Cat, The Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet

When the Silliest Cat Was Small by Gilles Bachelet

and of course my class favorite....Bad Dog Marley

A few books about the death of a pet:

The Forever Dog by Bill Cochran

Jim's Dog Muffins by Mirian Cohen

If you are a teacher, make sure you get a special library card for educators as you will be allowed to borrow books for a longer period of time!

Kid Writing

Sometimes when you look at the writing of a child, it is hard to decipher any meaning in what is on the page. Many of my first graders use unconventional spacing in between letters and words and their frequent use of mostly or only uppercase letters makes the message they are trying to convey pretty unclear. I want to know them better through their stories, so I pour over their writing looking at each letter and thinking about the sound it makes, trying to piece together the thoughts they have put down onto the page. 

 Although the words may not be spelled correctly, they are made up of letters representing the sounds students hear when they say the words.  Some letters may be missing, but sure enough when you say the sounds of the letters that are there, you hear the word they wanted to say. They are doing a wonderful job writing stories about their lives and I just love to read them. It is almost like decoding a secret, encrypted language. When I figure out the meaning I am so thrilled to know what they were trying to say.

Here are two  of my favorite journal entries from last week. The writing is very hard to see, but look hard! The stories are there.

Sam
 

"Dinosaurs lived millions and millions of years ago. 

They aren't alive anymore.

 If you were there you would get killed."

Michelle

"I have friends."

I have to admit, when I first looked at this piece, I thought to myself, "Michelle did not do what I asked, she just wrote down a few random letters and drew a picture." Then I stopped myself and remembered the fantastic book I read this summer about the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. There was an example that looked just like this and the author found many wonderful things to compliment. 

I gave it another try. I asked Michelle to read to me what she had written. 

She read, "I have friends."

Of course that is what is says! She wrote down the first sound of each word and she drew all of her friends to illustrate her topic. This is wonderful. Michelle is a beginning writer. English is her second language and she did a wonderful job. She even included the date at the top of the page! Michelle will eventually learn to put spaces in between her words and to write down all of the sounds rather than just the first, but this is a great beginning! Michelle's friendships are obviously important to her since she wrote about them in her journal. Imagine if I did not acknowledge all of the great things she did in this piece?!

There is more to kid writing than meets the eye!

So far, So Good

What a difference in the number of posts from the teacher on summer break and the teacher in September!

So far I am beyond impressed with my class this year. This is the first year that everyone in my class has come from a full day Kindergarten class which makes a world of difference in their skill level when they enter First Grade. I am thrilled to see the things that they are already capable of doing. Mostly, I see they have a better ability to follow directions and stay on task compared to other groups I have had. I feel lucky.

Surprisingly, when my students were assessed with DIBELS, 11 of 25 students were identified for Title 1 support which indicates they need supplemental reading intervention to meet the First Grade benchmark standards in reading. That is almost 50% of my class! Despite this high number of students identified as needing extra support, I find my group to be hard workers and happy learners.

I have especially been impressed with their math skills. I think they are already mastering skills, like place value, that my class last year was still struggling over in the spring! It is wonderful to be able to challenge them and have them welcome the more difficult work. Earlier in the week, I gave each student a 100 board with a few numbers filled in, but most of the spaces blank. I asked them to write in all the missing numbers. You could have heard a pin drop on my floor! They were so engaged and enthusiastic. When it was time to get in line for PE I was trying to coerce them away from their work and they were telling me, "Wait, I am almost done, I want to finish." I gave a few students an entirely empty 100 board and one of those students said to me. "Mrs. T. this is too easy, I think next time I will have to write 100-200!" He is so excited about learning, he knows how to differentiate his own instruction. I love it!

I am finally getting to experience what I have read about in so many books. Kids being excited about learning and wanting to learn more, and more, and MORE. It is a great feeling. :0)

At my school, despite the fact that First Graders are 6, the students regroup for reading in order to be in reading groups appropriate for their skills. We are torn about this process because developmentally, it is appropriate for 6 and 7 year olds to remain with one teacher in order to develop a relationship and sense of belonging and trust with that teacher. On the other hand, we have SUCH a broad range of skills amongst the kid this year. It is difficult to teach the same lesson to one student who has an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) score of 0 words in one minute and another who reads 124 words in a minute. These children have different needs!

I volunteered to teach the lowest group this year and I love it. My class consists of 14 students, 6 of which are English Language Learners, and one student with Down syndrome who does not yet use oral communication. Several of my students have very low phonemic awareness skills, struggle to pay attention, and are not yet proficient in relating sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes). I am so excited to work with students at this level because they have so much room for growth this year. They are a wonderful little group and I am enjoying teaching them very much.

Sometimes I feel like I need to stand on my head and juggle with my feet in order to get them to pay attention to my lessons, but I know they will come so far this year and I know that my expectations for success will help them make great gains.

So far it has been a great year. I am finding myself more motivated and more excited to go to work in the morning. It reminds me of when I was student teaching and I was almost disappointed on Friday afternoons because I loved working with my class so much. I can't say that I am disappointed when Friday afternoon rolls around now, but I do feel like this will be a terrific year.

Buddy Walk

Today I participated with some colleagues and friends in the 2008 Buddy Walk which was hosted by the Down syndrome Network of Oregon. Chris Burke, also known as Corky from the TV series Life Goes On, was there performing with his band. It was so cool to meet him! My friend Meghann and I were pretty star struck. It was wonderful to see how an individual with a disability can accomplish so much.

My buddy for the walk was my former student, Maria. She is 8 years old, LOVES Hannah Montana, dancing, and cheerleading, and she has Down syndrome. It was such a pleasure to be Maria's teacher last year and equally special to spend the day with her. Maria took me up on stage to dance with Chris and his band. We learned sign language for I love you and friends forever. She had so much fun singing and dancing and so did I. :0)

Top Picks from Debbie Miller

In her book, Reading With Meaning, Debbie Miller suggests many children's book that are great to use for teaching certain comprehension components. I want to have a comprehensive list in one place rather than having to go back and page through her book, so I thought I would post the list here and then I can have easier access to great book suggestions as I go through the year.

Book Clubs for Kids:

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger

How Many Days to America? by Eve Bunting

The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland

The Magic Fish  by Freya Littledale

Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola

Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen

The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Baylor

The Titanic Lost and Found by Judy Donnelly

The Mummy Lost and Found by Judy Donnelly

Wild, Wild Wolves by Joyce Milton

Williams' Doll by Charlotte Zolotow

Tried and True Text for Mental Images:

Close Your Eyes by Jean Marzollo

Color Me a Rhyme by Jane Yolen

Creature of the Earth, Sea, and Sky by Georgia Heard

Footprints and Shadows by Anne Wescott Dodd

Goodnight to Annie by Eve Merriam

Greyling by Jane Yolen

I Am the Ocean by Suzanna Marshak

Mountain Streams (CD)

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Night in the Country by Cynthia Rylant

Night Sounds, Morning Colors by Rosemary Wells

Putting the World to Sleep by Shelley Moore Thomas

Quiet, Please by Eve Merriam

The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer

Say Something by Mary Stoltz

What Does the Rain Play? by Nancy White Carlstrom

When I'm Sleepy by Jane R. Howard

Wild, Wild Sunflower Child by Nancy White Carlstrom

The Zoo at Night by Martha Robinson

Tried and True Texts for Schema:

Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

Hazel's Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells

I Know a Lady by Charlotte Zolotow

Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber

Koala Lou by Mem Fox

My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston

Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola

Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Two of Them by Aliki

Tried and True Texts for Inferring:

Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky by Georgia Heard

Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

For the Good of the Earth and Sun by Georgia Heard

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger

How Many Days to America? by Eve Bunting

If You Listen by Charlotte Zolotow

Miss Maggie by Cynthia Rylant

Mother Earth, Father Sky selected by Jane Yolen

Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola

The Royal Bee by Frances Park and Ginger Park

Where Are You Going, Manyoni? by Catherine Stock

Winter Fox by Catherine Stock

Tried and True Texts for Asking Questions:

All I See by Cynthia Rylant

Amelia's Road by Linda Jacobs Altman

An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger

The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland

Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons

The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Why Is the Sky Blue? by Sally Grindley

The Wise Woman and her Secret by Eve Merriam

Yanni Rubbish by Shulamith Levy Oppenheim

Tried and True Texts for Synthesizing:

The Alphabet Tree by Leo Leonni

Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie

Fables by Arnold Lobel

Frederick's Fables by Leo Leonni

Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola

The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills

See the Ocean by Estelle Condra

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

The Story of Jumping Mouse by John Steptoe

The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Balor

Tea With Milk by Allen Say

Tried and True Texts for Determining the Importance of Nonfiction:

Series:

Dorling Kindersley Readers, DK Publishing, New York

I Can Read About..., Troll Associates, New York

First Discovery Books, Scholastic, New York

Eyewitness Books, Knopf, New York

Newspapers:

Your local paper

Weekly Reader

Magazines:

National Geographic for Kids

Time for Kids/Big Picture Edition

Ranger Rick

Zoo Books

Calliope: World History for Young People

Kids Discover

Cobblestone: The History Magazine for Young People

Read Alouds:

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Poppy by Avi

Poppy and Rye by Avi

My Father the Dragon series by Ruth Stiles Gannet

I love this book!

I have been reading the book Reading With Meaning by Debbie Miller and it is awesome! Debbie's words are very inspirational to me and really motivate me for the upcoming school year and my new group of students.

Some great quotes from Debbie's writing:

"Learning to read should be a joyful experience.  Give children the luxury of listening to well-written stories with interesting plots, singing songs and playing with their words, and exploring a wide variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and rhymes. Let them know when they say or do something smart; give them credit and ask them to share.  Help children access what they already know and figure out how to help them make connections to something new.  Be genuine.  Laugh. Love. Be patient. You're creating a community of readers and thinkers; you're building relationships and establishing trust."

"Showing children we care about them and love being their teacher is an important first message."

"Gradually releasing responsibility to children as they gain expertise, teaching a few strategies of great consequence in depth over time, and giving children the gifts of time, choice, response, community, and structure guide my work and allow me to make thoughtful decisions based on principles I believe in."

"If we expect big things from our children, we must expect big things from ourselves, too.  For years I'd been told what to do in my classroom and how to do it.  Glossy teacher's guides with smiling children on the cover even told me what to say. I didn't always read the words in italics exactly as written (I considered myself a rebel even then), but I'd get the gist of the lesson from the guides.  Beyond running off worksheets and making cute activities for centers, I never had to think much about reading at all. Come to think of it, the kids didn't either." 

(This totally encapsulates how I am feeling about reading right now!)

Debbie Miller also cites a quote from Lucy Calkins who is another of my favorite teacher models:

"It is significant to realize that the most creative environments in our society are not the ever-changing ones. The artist's studio, the researcher's laboratory, the scholar's library are each deliberately kept simple so as to support the complexities of the work-in-progress.  They are deliberately kept predictable so the unpredictable can happen." 

Goals

Today was the first day back and it was so nice to see everyone and hear about what everyone did over the summer. Most of our day was spent in a staff meeting of sorts, discussing the new schedule, PBS, changes to our school rules, and other such business. 

We have new school hours 8:20-2:20 and no more early release Thursdays. For some reason despite the fact that they day is shorter, it works out that we have more time for math and a solid 30 minute period for science/social studies. It looks like the new schedule is going to be a good change.

We also have new school wide rules as part of our PBS program. Instead of the 4 R's, we now have the 3 B's

Be safe

Be kind

Be responsible

I think that will be a good change. 

We were also asked to create our professional goals for the year. As usual, the First Grade teachers completed the assignment as a team. We love to be united. :0)

Our goals are as follows:

1) Given a combination of Treasures and Fast Track Phonics instruction, at least 85% of First Graders will be at or above grade level reading benchmarks as measured by Spring DIBELS.

2) Write and send home a newsletter written in both English and Spanish at least once a month  (in addition to personal newsletters/letters).

3) Create a more student centered mathematic environment through the use of differentiated instruction and activities as well as more hands on activities utilizing manipulatives. 

In addition to the team goals, I also have some personal goals such as implementing more writing to learn activities, assessing writing on a weekly basis using a goal sheet and sticker chart for each student, and completing some reading incentive activities like last year's goal of reading 100 books as a class.

I have a feeling it is going to be a good year.

Last Day of Summer Break

 I decided to do something adventurous on my last day of summer break. I had wanted to hike Dog Mountain all summer, so today was the day. 

The total distance is about 7.1 miles and very steep. It took me 3 hours total which included a short break at the top for lunch. The views from the top were outstanding. The field of wildflowers was not really in season, but being outdoors was so peaceful and quiet.

I am tired out!

First Grade Back in the Day

Ms. Gura's First Grade 

Samuel Staples Elementary School

1989

 Wasn't it great how the photographer asked us to yell something as he shot the photo as evidenced by our open mouths??? Now, they don't even make the kids get together for a real group shot, they just make a composite of all the individual pictures. 

I am third from the right in the top row sporting the adorable navy blue sailor dress.

I can still name everyone that was in my class. :0)

Keeping the Humor

Lifelong Readers

I am currently reading Growing Readers by Kathy Collins. I am both fascinated and motivated by what it says. The way Kathy discusses her young students who seem mature, well spoken, and thoughtful fascinates me. At the same time, her description of her reading workshop motivates me because reading in my classroom is very different and I would love to incorporate some of her ideas.

In the world of teaching reading there are two camps; those who strongly believe in researched based instruction and those who strongly believe in the whole language approach. I have read about both, been interested in both, thought about both, but only taught one.

My school recently adopted the Treasures reading program by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill which falls into the category of researched based. As a newer teacher, I often find comfort in the organization of the lessons and scripted material that offers a crutch to any teacher that needs a little support. The repetitive nature of the lesson structure makes it fairly simple to plan for and easy to teach. I often wonder what I would do if I had to think up lessons from scratch on a daily basis to immerse my students in good literature. I question whether I would be able to accomplish such a feat and be so good at it like Debbie Miller, Lucy Calkins, and Kathy Collins whose books describe a more whole language approach. I do know, however, that when I create lessons from scratch, I am much more invested in them and there is a different enthusiasm to my instruction.  

I worry that although my students are getting the research based goods that incorporate the big five essential components of reading instruction, they are not gaining that exceptional love and appreciation of reading that Kathy's students seem to have. In a typical day, my students read from decodable paper books and anthologies, but the amount of time they spend engaged in real literature is shorter. The push all year seems to be about making benchmarks and learning to read, but not reading for more practical purposes. 

Kathy talks about "just right" books which her children choose and place in their reading baskets on a weekly basis. Through her mini lessons, she teaches her students how to determine what constitutes a just right book (a book that can be read with about 95% accuracy and comprehension) and she sets up the routine of how the children will choose these books, think about these books, and talk about these books with partners each week.  Students in the class may be reading at very different levels, but each student has books that are "just right" for him or her to read during independent reading time. While students are reading, Kathy can roam the room and discuss the books with students or ask questions to ensure that they are "thinking while they read."  The students know that reading is about enjoying books and learning from them.

I would love to add some of these aspects to my daily reading lessons. 

As a teacher in my district, I am mandated to teach the particular program we adopted. I have felt in the past that research based programs and whole language programs are mutually exclusive, that you are either on one team or the other, but I am starting to change my point of view.  

Although I have to use Treasures as the foundation of my reading instruction, this does not mean that my own personal investment in reading should fall to the wayside. In my personal life I read all the time. I am a collector of books. I love to learn. I love stories. I love books. As a teacher, I focus so much on the instruction of reading, that there is less emphasis on teaching my students to love reading. I think that, at times, my teaching does not reflect my own spark and passion for the art and purpose of reading. 

That needs to change!

Although I cannot use a reading workshop format for my reading instruction in lieu of the research based program, I certainly can use less of the blue scripted writing in the teacher's manual and more of my own enthusiasm and heart to accompany the lessons. 

There is business that must get taken care of such as the phonemic awareness and the spelling, but there is also a world of great books out there that I want my students to be a part of. I want them to discuss characters and authors like Kathy's students. I want them to think while they read and reflect on the stories thoughtfully with their peers. I want them to know that they can do this and they will...if I give them the right encouragement and the right tools to do so. 

I think this year will be a year of experimentation and change in my classroom. I am finally taking the wheel and owning my instruction and I am excited about that. I know it takes time for teachers to get it right. The teachers I idolize and look up to certainly have a lot more experience than I do which plays an important role. I just think it would benefit me to be more evaluative of what I do in the classroom and try harder to make it my own. 

Kathy's discussion of lifelong readers really got me thinking about how I want my students to feel about reading. It's a porthole to other worlds, it's functional, it's enchanting and it's a treasure.

how ironic :0)

Classroom Management

I am trying out a new classroom management system this year. Not entirely creative since I purchased a pre-packaged pocket chart that includes different colored rectangles for each student and nameplates, but the idea is the make the expectations as clear as possible in an effort to reduce the amount of time spent handling discipline and disruption related issues. 

Each student has their name on a pocket that includes colored cards: green, yellow, orange, and red. The idea is that all children begin the day on green and remain on green if their behavior is in accordance with the school and classroom rules and expectations. Students who remain on green all week might be eligible for random surprises or privileges. 

If a student becomes disruptive, he/she is given a warning and must place the yellow card at the front of the pocket. If the first incident is more severe than being disruptive the warning step may be skipped, going directly to the orange card and a time out.

If another problem occurs with the same student, they move their orange card to the front of the pocket and are given a consequence such as a time out away from the group. 

Another incident results in the red card being moved to the front, another consequence (longer timeout, perhaps in another classroom) and a note sent home to parents. 

I have not used a system like this before, however I think that it hold students accountable for their behavior and allows them to know exactly what consequence results from what behavior.

I feel very strongly that communication with parents is an important part of being successful, so parents will be required to sign and return the note sent home to acknowledge that they received it. 

I just finished reading Setting Limits in the Classroom by Robert J. MacKenzie, Ed.D. I found the book to be very interesting and learned a lot from it. MacKenzie describes four different kinds of discipline styles: punitive, permissive, mixed and diplomatic. 

The Punitive Approach is firm, but not respectful. This type of approach to discipline typically results in angry and resentful students who want to retaliate and engage in power struggles.

The Permissive Approach is respectful, but not firm. This type of approach to discipline results in kids not knowing when they are really expected to stop because they may receive multiple verbal warnings but no clear actions to support their words. The only way students know when to stop is by testing the limits and seeing what they can get away with.

The Mixed Approach is neither firm nor respectful. This type of approach to discipline is inconsistent and does not provide students with a clear message regarding expectations.

The Democratic Approach is firm and respectful. This approach to discipline achieves guidance goals with the least amount of conflict and greatest amount of cooperation. An essential component to this approach is clear messages with limited choices. It focuses on teaching and learning which is guided by the teacher who provides clear limits, acceptable choices, and instructive consequences that hold children accountable for their actions.

Reading about these different approaches made me think about how I typically handle situations in my classroom. I would have to admit that I probably employ the mixed approach more than anything else which is exactly why I am spending more time now to plan out my behavior management strategies so that I can be consistent and clear.

I am hopeful this new system will work and will update as the year goes on. My main goal is to recognize positive behavior more frequently and focus on the good things I see in the classroom so that students are more likely to engage in positive behaviors that enhance their learning. 

My Home Away From Home

As the new school year quickly approaches, I am working on getting my classroom set up just right. Over the past two years I have changed the arrangement of my room MANY times, never feeling like I had the right fit. My rocking chair has been in every corner of the room, but I think through trial and error I have found the setup that works. 

I made some big changes for the new year--trying out some new ideas that I am excited about.

The "clothesline"

Our custodian Mike was kind enough to install a wire clothesline across the length of my room. This is something a few of the other First Grade teachers have that I have been eyeing since my first year. It is a terrific way to display student work since wall space is limited. For now I am displaying the color songs that I will be teaching the kids during the first month or so of school, but eventually they will be moved aside and replaced by writing examples and other student work.

Desk Arrangement

Previously I always started off the year having the desks in groups of four. This year I am trying something entirely different. I discovered at the very end of last school year that a sort of U shape fit nicely in the classroom allowing ample space in both the library area and the carpet time/calendar area. The kids will still be grouped (indicated by colored shapes on their desks) but the groups are not separate, except for the one in the middle. Along the back row, the kids will be facing each other as they typically do in groups, but along the sides, the four desks are in a line which will make "heads together" work a bit more challenging.  I am interested to see how the kids do with this seating arrangement. My class last year liked it a lot, but a group of students getting ready to leave First Grade is VERY different than a group of students just arriving. 

Bookshelf
After redoing my husband's office space at home, I had an extra book shelf that I decided to bring into my classroom. I had an idea in mind of how it could be useful and it fit perfectly in the space I was imagining. It is just the right height to slide under the white board. The compartments are also exactly the right size for the anthology books that go along with our reading program. Each unit has a different anthology and students use them daily as the books include stories related to our weekly themes. Previously I kept these book on the back ledge near the window, but having students get up to retrieve them often took more time than it should have. I think the close proximity to our carpet area will be a great change. The bookshelf also make a great ledge for storing my CD player as well as my teacher manual when I am teaching.

Computers!!!

Computers in our lab are being replaced this year, so teachers were able to request the old lab computers for our classrooms. I had one computer last year and I am thrilled to now have three! Now I can actually utilize a computer station for reading activities and math games. One computer was great, but three is even better! The computer was never in use without three or four additional students standing around watching the child who was using it. Now more students will be able to have turns. 

           

Calendar Area

The calendar area is mostly the same with the exception of getting a facelift. I find it necessary to redo the design every year because I still have not found the perfect arrangement of all the necessary calendar activities. I did add a new weather board with many different weather icons. There is an area for weather reporting as well as an area for graphing the numbers of days we have experienced each type of weather. (I hope there are enough spaces for RAIN). Our first science unit is on weather so I would like to extend the use of our weather knowledge into calendar as well. 

Keepsakes

Some memories from my own days in school...

Second Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

A little card from one of my students

Research

This summer I completed my Master's Project which was entitled, "Best Practices and Implications of Response to Intervention for Elementary Level Non-Native English Speakers." The topic stems from my interest in both English as a second language and special education and what happens when they intersect. 

Because I chose to do my project by myself rather than working in a group, it was a lot of work that took up a lot of my time this summer. Although I am so glad it is over,  I found the research I did to be very interesting. I came across a lot of great resources related to linguistically and culturally appropriate teaching practices, Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD), Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), Response to Intervention (RTI), teacher expectations, and teacher preparation.

I'd like to share some of the resources I found to be most helpful:

Brown, J.E., & Doolittle, L. (2008). A cultural, linguistic, and ecological framework for response to intervention with english language learners. Teaching Exceptional Children   40(5), 66-72.

Cartledge, G., & Kourea, L. (2008). Culturally responsive classroo

ms for culturally diverse students with and at risk for disabilities. Exceptional Children, 74(3), 351-371.

Chamberlain, S.P. (2005). Recognizing and responding to cultural differences in the education of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Intervention in School Clinic, 40(4), 195-211.

Echevarria, J., Short, D., & Powers, K. (2006). School ref

orm and standards-based education: model for English-language learners. The Journal of Educational Research, 99(4), 195-210.

García, S.B., & Ortiz, A.A. (2006). Preventing disproportionate representation: Culturally and   linguistically responsive interventions. Teaching

 Exceptional Children, 38(4), 64-68.

Gersten, R., & Woodward, J.P. (1994). The language-minority student in special education: Issues, trends, and paradoxes. Exceptional Children, 60, 310-322. 

GoPaul-McNicol, S.A., & Thomas-Presswood, T. (1998). Working with linguistically and culturally different children: Innovative clinical and educational approaches. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon.

Mandlawitz, M. (2007). What every teacher should kno

w about IDEA laws and regulations. Boston: Pearson. 

Nordmeyer, J. (2008). Delicate balance: ELL students struggle to balance language and content, while educators need partnerships and specific professional learning. National Staff Development, 29(1), 34-40. 

Ortiz, A.A. (1997). Learning disabilities occurring concomitantly with linguistic differences.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30, 321-332. 

Very Interesting Video: A Class Divided

Donors Choose

My mother in law first told me about Donors Choose last year. She recommended checking it out as it is a great way for public school teachers to obtain classroom materials that they cannot afford to (or don't want t0) purchase with their own money.

I decided to give it a go.

I created a proposal requesting some math manipulatives and games for my students. I was having a hard time motivating some of the kids during math and they were struggling. I was searching for a way to make math more enjoyable, bearing in mind that kids are more likely to learn if they are having a good time and math makes more sense when you have things to move around and manipulate. 

The fun part about creating a proposal for materials is the shopping! There are many education websites linked to the site where you can do some virtual shopping and add desired items to your cart. When finished, you have a completed list of items that you are requesting and a total cost which includes the cost of shipping. 

Don't get me wrong, this is not just an easy way to get whatever you want for free...Your request has to be student centered, reasonable, and meaningful which is why you are required to submit a proposal for review in which you describe the materials you would like, how you will use them, how the students will benefit etc. 

Once submitted, the proposal gets reviewed and, if accepted, gets posted on the  DonorsChoose.org webpage. Potential donors can browse through the proposals and if there is a particular proposal that speaks to them, they can make a donation towards the total cost. I was fortunate enough to have two wonderful donors who submitted enough money to cover the cost of the math games and manipulatives I had requested.

I received notice that my proposal had been funded and was asked to confirm the shipping address of my school. Shortly after that I received the thank you package which included a disposable camera, the names of my donors, and instructions on what to do next. As part of the process, teachers are required to photograph their students benefitting from the donations (whether it is using the materials or participating in an activity), they are also required to have their students write thank you notes to the donors, as well as write a personal thank you note describing the impact the donation had on the students. Within a few weeks of returning the thank you package, I received a box including all of the materials I had requested.

That was an exciting day! I showed my students each of the new things we had gotten and they were just as thrilled as I was. During an indoor recess shortly after the arrival of the new games, all of my students played math games instead of blocks, coloring, or computer games!

Once you have established an account with Donors Choose, there is a point system. You begin with three points and you can spend and earn points by completing various actions. Submitting proposals costs points (based on the cost of materials), but by responding to email notification quickly and returning the thank you materials you can earn back points. 

Once submitted a proposal has about 6 months to be funded or it is removed from the site. Since I had excellent luck with my first proposal, I decided to create a second. This time, I requested non-fiction books relating to science and social studies themes I cover as well as picture books written in Spanish for my students who participate in Spanish Language Arts. The proposal has been listed for awhile and so far I have not had any donor action, but I am still hopeful! 

Teachers typically spend a lot of their own money on classroom supplies. Donors Choose is a fantastic way to receive donations rather than using personal funds. So many teachers have inspiring, creative, and magnificent ideas, but are limited by the costs involved. If you are one of those teachers that has a fantastic idea brewing, but needs some materials to make it work, I strongly encourage you to check out DonorsChoose.org and give it a go!

My current, hopefully soon funded, proposal