Telling on myself...

Last night I was out to eat with my family (that is what happens after cutting your finger on the mandolin while making pickles) and a student approached me smiling and waving.  I smiled back and asked her how she was liking the Jr. High.  She laughed and reminded me she was still in 6th grade and that she is in my class this year.

YIKES!  I know that I have 600 students and that I have only seen her class twice but wow... I felt awful!

I was talking to my husband later sharing how I spend so much time in her class period "dealing with" a few high needs students (code for unable to follow directions, stay on task or be respectful) that I didn't even realize who all the other kids in that class were.

Today I was reading through my feedly account and this great article from Connected Principals was waiting for me.  It is about a teacher and her preconceptions about a students.  It got me wondering if I was approaching my T8 class with the same attitude.

I also got to thinking about something a friend put on facebook this week. She grew up in poverty and her status update was just her sharing that "as a child of poverty, the idea of being anything she could dream of was unrealistic.  She was so focused on surviving that there wasn't time to dream of the future."  It  got me wondering what my high needs students might be surviving outside of school.

Funny how things happen when they do... here is to a new week with new viewpoints!

Random Tidbits...

We have lots of things started but nothing finished so I am posting some random tidbits...

A sampling of my Jon Gordon notes... Love him! 

Jon Gordon came to school and spoke at our opening assembly.  It was so AWESOME!  If you haven't read his book "The Energy Bus" yet, I highly recommend it.  It is really common sense stuff but put in a great way.  Basically you want to be feeding the "positive dog" while slaying "energy vampires" on your bus. 

now if that sentence doesn't make you want to find out more...

My classroom's windows covered in Jon Gordon quotes...

My spotlight artist display that is going to change every month.
I am going to try to make it focus on an artist who has overcome a disability of some sort. 

My art display case as inpired by Art with Me!
(check it out here)

Love using iPads for looking up visual references in the classroom.
Love getting the students the information they need, when then need it.  

So there is a few random tidbits... hopefully I will have some lessons up and ready for you soon.  

If you haven't checked out my google site you will have to take a look.  I created it during one of my summer classes. I view it as a "filing cabinet" for all my stuff.  You will be able to follow along on the calendars to see what we are learning and even access my lesson plans.  Hopefully this online accountablity will help me be accountable as the year goes.

First Day and We Are Playing Candy-land...

Just kidding... but prepping for today I couldn't help but feel like I was getting ready to play candy land.

I decided to try something new for our first seating chart.  If your kids are like mine the first quarter is always a bit of a honeymoon.  They are so happy to be in your room and hang on your every word.  They follow directions and do EVERYTHING you ask.  

okay more like first day, maybe week, but you know what I mean...

Anyway... my seating chart planning started at the paint store.  I picked up three matching samples for each of the primary and secondary colors plus a neutral as I have 7 tables.  One paint sample was taped to the middle of the taped to identify it as that color of table. The other two were cut into color squares.  Once set of the color squares were taped to the corner of tables.

I taped the second set to white paper and laminated it.  As the students walked into the room they were given a colored card.  On the board was the directions to match their colored card to the table and have a seat.  When I entered the room we started into the "Rules and Regulations."  About 1/2 way through the class they get to work on their information card and I walked around the room writing down names and putting together the seating chart.  

A few things I realized:

• in 6 classes I ended up with only 1 table of all boys/girls
• students told me their names vs. me guessing pronunciations or abbreviations
• students were active and engaged from the start of class, no more listening to me read names for 5 minutes
• students started collaborating already, working together to get everyone to the right spot
• it was easy to accommodate for class size.  My neutral table is my "extra" table and I would just add/remove the neutral paint samples as needed. 

Summer Lovin...

I have been blissfully absent from blogging for most of the summer as I decided to unplug and recharge myself.  We moved into a new house last September and I have been itching to attack some projects.  Here is photographic proof of what I was doing (since we know I wasn't blogging)

The Original Landscaping (rocks and dead grass)

New Landscaping (flowers, mulch and lighting)

The girls' room when we bought the house

And the girls room today (remember the chandelier from last summer)

Our room when we bought the house (yeah there was wall paper in weird places)

Our room today

Then entry way when we bought the house (yes those are real rocks glued to the wall)

the entryway today (still have to finish the floor but it might be an improvement)

the downstairs "office" when we bought the house

my "office" today

Those are the house projects.  Of course we still have more to do but I think we are off to a pretty good start.  I also enjoyed watching baseball games, gymnastics practice, dance camp and swimming pool tricks.  We didn't take any big vacations (no money or time) but made a few day trips to friends in Iowa and my grandparents farms.  We enjoyed some camping close to home and spent a lot of time laughing and hanging out with friends.  

And now I am ready for a nap... 

but wait, school just started!