And the theme song for the week is...

Queen's Another One Bites the Dust!

Lets just say I have two empty desk that I am not sad about!

In fact I have been grinning all day long since I heard the glories news!

...and I was not the only one thrilled by the news there was some celebrating happening by students and adults!

 

IEPs explain a lot

I have sat through my fair share of IEP meetings in my four years of teaching. There have been IEPs that I have dreaded as well as ones I have looked forward to. I saw this pin on Pinterest and thought how very fitting it was for IEPs too.

I cannot count the times I have sat across a parent and had an "aha" moment. During these "aha" moments everything is instantly explained for why a student is who they are. Now this not only applies to students who are a hot mess, but students that are beyond awesome! 

Today I had three IEPs and in each IEP I was given insight into how this student became who they are either in a positive way or negative.

So this happened last week

I really do believe Halloween should be on the last Saturday of October. Some students treat Halloween as a two day event: day one preparation and day two recovery. 

 

Halloween always seems to come with its slew of questions:

Miss do we have Halloween off?

What are you going to dress up as?

Are we having a Halloween party?

Do we have to do work on Halloween?

Can I bring in candy?

This year not only did I receive the typical questions, but I was given a note.

Let me explain the situation...students are given two weeks to complete vocabulary homework: week 1 spelling and week 2 definition. The homework is rather simple and I cannot remember a time when I excepted a student's excuse for why they did not do their homework; so when this note appeared this student didn't stand a chance!

I was so tickled by this note I paraded it around school like it was the president of the United States showing it to everyone I came across!

For those that are wondering this students earned a ZERO for his homework that he had two weeks to complete!

Honest conversations

I hold my tongue on a daily basis while I'm at school. There are countless things I wish I could say, but do not because...well there not school appropriate. Now what I want to say and what I actually say are pretty similar; just with a little niceness thrown in. I feel that educators have to be ever so careful with our words and have to tip toe around the truth. When if we just said what we wanted to say maybe things would get better. 

I took this approach with my 7th graders on Friday. The 7th graders are a mess. Full of drama and lack focus on what really matters. I have given countless pep talks and said a lot of nice things, but it was not working. 

So on Friday I got real with them. I had them think about their future, what they want to do and how are they going to do it. Then I pulled out my old IEPs, read some amusing teacher comments from my past regarding my behavior in school (apparently I was a hummer in class and roamed the classroom). I also discussed how school was unbearably hard and how I hated having a disability. School only became easier when I stopped complaining and got down to business. I worked hard and did not give up. Giving up would be easy, but would not provide me with the future I wanted for my life. 

I went on and told them if I was a student siting beside them I would be incredibly distracted by their behavior. Paying attention to the teacher or to the student who is twirling his pencil would take top priority in my life. 

They are the first class that I brought out my IEPs and discussed my disability with. I hope my honesty brought attention to what they are doing and how its not helping them reach their true potential. I guess time will tell if this worked with them. 

Parent conferences are these week

...that's all I'm sayin'...

An unexpected gift

Today I was given a gift from a student. All three grades that I teach work out of interactive notebooks. Last year I gave students the opportunity to leave their notebook at school or to take them home. 

One such 6th grader took his notebook home at the end of last year. I was secretly hoping that he would leave it at school because he did an amazing job with it. Well, today at the beginning of class he came up and presented me his notebook he kept over the summer. He thought I needed it as a reminder of all the lessons and activities we did last year. We flipped through the notebook and laughed at the poems he wrote last year. One poem was about me calling his mom because he was not behaving in class. Its safe to say that this student has come along way and is a joy to have in the classroom!

Not a fan of...

Diploma option day for IEPs

 {For those that are unaware}

When a student will turn fourteen within the year of their annual IEP; the uncomfortable decision must be made about their diploma tract. There are two options: standard diploma or special diploma. Obviously you want to get a standard diploma. Unfortunately, a majority of my students get opted for a special diploma. Now with a special diploma your future is limited. Four year universities are out of the question, military is questionable, a majority of jobs as well as community colleges, trade schools and vocational training will accept this type of diploma. 

I guess it could be worse, but when you click on special diploma option 1 on a student's IEP and the parent is present a flood of emotions is bound to spill out.

Today was one of those meetings. A diploma option needed to be selected and when we clicked on special diploma option one, tears instantly fell down the parents face. My heart always aches as I hold back my own tears and put on a brave face for the parents and student in the room. I know that the diploma option can always change each year as the student progresses or as education laws and mandates change, but I always think that I could have a special diploma and my future would not be what it is now if  I was a student in today's schools. 

I want this shirt

Sometimes its nice to hear...

"Miss you know that your classroom is where I feel the most comfortable"

...melt my heart...

Clothes pin art

I like to display student work outside of the classroom. Typically, I just use painters tape and stick their work to the wall, but I was tired of going through all that tape just to eventually throw it away because lets face it...painters tape is a little pricey. I then came up with an idea that would use my glittery clothes pins to display students work.

I used command hooks, twine and the sparkly clothes pin to hang student's work. I only did two rows and then displayed the students work I liked best.

The work that is currently beign displayed are 8th grade "Where I am from" poem. This poem is version of the bio poem just more mature.

Hello salted goodness

Today was teacher duty day and I was planning on bringing in these lovelies today, but the caramel had other plans. Lets just say that a meat thermometer does not work like a candy thermometer. Gave the caramel another shot today and everything turned out just as planned. So tomorrow these cupcakes will be at school for the adults to enjoy and the students to wish they had one. Happy beginning of quarter two!

Recipe from 20 Something Cupcake

Donors choose update

Since school has began I have received three lovely boxes full of resources for my classroom. Two of the three boxes were class sets of books (Flipped and Dolphin Tale) and one set of biographies to be used with a research project at the end of the year. 

I still have three projects that are live and waiting to be fully funded.

Barnes and Noble Nook color 

Civics/history resources to be used for research 

A revolving book stand

I highly doubt that the Nook project will be funded. Although the local Barnes and Noble reached out and asked how they could help...I thought this was very nice of them! I would much rather have the revolving book stand funded since I have boxes of books in cabinets that have no home. If the civics project does not get funded I will just re-open another once it expires. 

Donors Choose has been a life saver as far as bringing materials into my classroom. I am so great full that there are generous people out there willing to help teachers in their classroom. If you are a teacher create a project TODAY! Donors Choose makes the process very simple and will walk you through all the steps...you will not regret it!

Passing Notes

Not a week goes by that I do not find a sweet little note from one of my students that they have left behind for me. Either on a post-it note or on a back of a test their sweet words make my job ten times easier. Unfortunately, I have no place to keep these notes and they eventually end up in the trash. So taking another great idea from pinterest I have created a keep safe box through the use of a shadow box.

Supplies

fabric

ribbon

letters

hot glue gun

scissors

H54F: the one with the letter

Hello all

This week was pretty nice. First off the first glimpse of cooler air came through on Tuesday and by cooler in mean 75 degrees in the morning. Of course yesterday afternoon the humidity was outrageous, but at least cool air is in the future.

Surprise note

after grading vocabulary tests I noticed something on the back of one. A 7th grader wrote a sweet little note.

Mail call

I collect vintage Alice in Wonderland books and love anything that involves Alice. So when this advertisement from Disney came I took it as a sign that I should be visiting the happiest place on earth very soon.

One down

The first IEP of the school year was yesterday. My district took on a new IEP program which means I have to learn how to use the lovely new program.

 Hello there

 I had a surprise visitor in the shower yesterday morning. I successfully managed not falling in the shower while capturing this little creature...a miracle for sure!

New Display

I like displaying student work outside of my classroom. I typically just tape the work up, but came up with this brilliant idea...clothes line student work display.

Well I hope you all had a fantastic week and a restful weekend!

"But I have an...

IEP so you have to help me more than the other students," one 7th grader proclaimed on Monday.

(His IEP re-eval was last week so I guess it was fresh on his mind)

Nevertheless, this was the wrong thing to say in a room full of students who all have IEPs and even a teacher who once had one herself.

Unfortunately, the second this tid bit of information slipped out of his mouth I became the sarcastic version of myself and informed him that he does in fact have an IEP and then I went and named every single student in the class that had an IEP

Molly has an IEP

Jack has an IEP

Ashley has an IEP

David has an IEP

Ruth has an IEP

Ricky has an IEP

Tiffany has an IEP

John has an IEP

Sara has an IEP

Jacob has an IEP

Ian has an IEP

Meg has an IEP

And alllllll the IEPs say different things and I have to help you alllll in different ways.

I think this moment in the classroom can go down as the least graceful conversation I have ever had.

Truth be told it can be difficult to manage a classroom full of students that all have IEPs. Don't get me wrong, I love them to death and would bend over backwards for them. However, its times like these when I have five students who need me to accommodate them, each in a very unique manner that can become a little overwhelming.

On a side note my first IEP of the school year is tomorrow with a student I am very fascinated with.

 

Music in the classroom

Last year I began incorporating music in the classroom and have loved this new addition ever since. There are multiple reasons why I use music in my room.

To fill the silence

To boost productivity

To motivate

To calm/Soothe

To help thinking

To entertain myself

 

I unfortunetly, forgot my Ipod at home today and deeply missed the melodies floating in the air.

 

I typically lean toward playing soundtracks in my classroom, but never shy away from some good ole' Motzart or Chopin. Here are the soundtracks I play often.

Dolphin Tale

Finding Nemo

Harry Potter(s)

The Help

The Holiday

Hoot

Hugo

The King's Speech

Life is Beautiful

October Sky

Pride and Prejudice

Seabiscuit

Shakespeare in Love

Are there any soundtracks you love to play in your classroom?

 

Every now and then I play music with words and watch as student dance along in their seats while they work. Last week I played Stevie Wonder for my 7th graders and one class loved it while the other class was pleading to go back to classical...Here are some songwriters that I play:

Jack Johnson

Adelle

Stevie Wonder

Mat Kearney

 

What does it mean to be...

I took a totally new approach to creating and implementing classroom rules this year. To see how it began go read: rules to live by.

 

The next step we took to finalizing what these rules meant to our class was to create a paragraph per rule. I allowed each class to pick a rule they wanted to define. So class by class the rules were written as a class. To do this I handed out post-it notes and each student wrote one sentence as to what that rule meant to them. Then we created our paragraph by piecing together one student's sentence at a time. Here is what they came up with:

  Independent means that we do not need anyone for anything. We can accomplish tasks on our own. Being independent is completing tests, classwork and quizzes by ourselves. When we are independent we work in a group of one without being interrupted. An independent student can ask questions if necessary. When we are independent we study hard, earn great grades and help each other.

Supporting others means helping students who are stuck. We support everyone even those we do not like. When supporting others we come to them in their time of need. As a class we will guide students in becoming better at writing, reading and spelling. We promise to support others while we are in class. 

To follow this rule we have to watch how we talk to one another. We believe in order not to put down others we must not make students feel bad about themselves. As a class we have to work as a team to build one another up and not down. To create a positive classroom we have to choose our words and friends carefully. If a student is putting you down we must not do the same to them. We understand that putting others down hurts others feelings and discourages them from being great!

  Staying classy is being ourselves and not following others. A classy person is content with who they are. By being classy we help and care for others around us. We will look good in what we do. Looking good is more than outside appearance we have to focus on who we are on the inside as well.  We must treat others with respect and kindness.  Staying classy is using manners when talking to others.

   Striving for excellence is being a great person. We will always do our best as well as help others. When we strive for excellence we show bravery even when things become too difficult. We always try our best because we are striving for excellence. If we give up on ourselves we will go no where!

Overall, I enjoyed the process in having students define the rules. Each of the five rules are framed by themselves and hang on a wall as a reminder to what is expected of them.

Library Decor

My schools media center is going through a make over. Part of this remodeling was improving the posters that hung through out the library. Each department was responsible for recreating two of these posters.

Since I am part of the Language Arts department we brainstormed what our posters would be. Our first one was modeled after an I-phone; where each app is L.A related. For our second one we tore out pages in a novel and arranged them across the old poster. Then we were stuck...for a while we were just going to leave the pages alone, but it looked like something was missing. Thankfully, pinterest is full of ideas and after searching we combined two pins into one.

Supplies

Mod podge

spray paint

sponge brush

letter stickers

Mod Podge the book pages together. To eliminate the letter stickers on the pages we used mod podge. Cut out the letters and then arrange them how you like. Peel and stick them on the book pages. Make sure the edges are stuck tightly to the pages so spray paint will not seep through. Spray paint the poster and then peel off the letters. Supposedly, you are supposed to let the spray paint dry, but I lack patience for that. I waited about three minutes before peeling off the letters. The letters came off easily and did not stick at all!

{it looks better in person}

The best notebooks around

When it comes to picking the right notebook for creating interactive notebooks I prefer the bigger the better. This way when I have notes directly off the printer the page fits exactly on the page. If I just want to have my students put an entire page in their notebook then we just staple it, but if there are multiple pieces then they glue it in.

If I had it my way I would have every student use:

 A spiral Five Star notebook

While we are on the topic of notebooks. I keep a master copy for each grade level on the side of my tech station. Each grade level has a different design to tell them apart.

Having a master copy of each grade levels interactive notebook allows me the opportunity to test out lessons as well as placement of notes. While at the same time I can demonstrate what each page looks to the students.

Interactive supplies

I try to minimize any unnecessary movement in the classroom. Using interactive notebooks requires that students have various supplies. I used to have students create an assemply line when they needed to gather supplies. This year I became a little bit wiser when it comes to student's supplies.

 I have a plastic crate on the counter filled with individual student supply box. My biggest class is 14, but without fail someone is always out...so 13 boxes works perfectly! I typically have students grab a supply box during vocab bellwork and then at the end of class assign two students to pick them up and put them back in the crate.

Inside each box is: crayons, colored pencils, scissors, a colored pen, eraser, glue stick and pencil sharpener. I find that having these supplies at each student's desk reduce unnecessary movement during lessons.

Interactive notebook organization

Part of having interactive notebooks is having a home for them.

For me the best way to keep them organized is through these three drawer containers I purchased at Wal-Mart.

(I saw that target marked down their turquoise colored ones this week)

Each class period is divided into their own drawer.

My school is on block schedule. Even days is housed on the left and then odd days are in the container on the right.

My classes are small since I am ESE. My biggest class is 14 and my smallest is 11. The containers are sturdy enough to hold the wieght of the notebooks. I could probably fit about five more in each bin.

The drawers can pull out completly which comes in handy! During bellwork I assign the first student who is complete to pass out the notebooks to each student.

Bonus

These bad boys have wheels. When parent teacher conference night comes around I wheel them into the hallway and as parents come to me I can pull out their student's notebook to give them an idea of what their child is doing in the classroom.

Why interactive notebooks

About half way through last year I decided to jump full force into interactive notebooks with little knowledge on what I was getting myself into. I am the type of person who likes routines and tends to lean on the overly organized side of life. So to have this sudden change is not me at all, but I have reasons to back up why I switched to interactive notebooks. 

Background

Previously, I had students keep their notes in their binder under my tab...L.A. This system worked well until around October and then came the excuses...which I hate!

Miss I lost my notes

I can't find that piece of paper

Do you have an extra vocab list

I left that at home

I think I threw that away

I thought we didn't need that anymore

When did we do that

Can I have another one of that

I don't think I was here that day

I was supposed to keep that

I blew my nose with my notes

(sadly this has happened)

Fast Forward

I guess you can say I snapped because I was approaching a poetry unit where students were going to have pieces of paper coming out of their ears: notes, poetry dissection and writing their own poems. Too many papers to be lost! Thankfully, I had scooped up a bunch of spiral notebooks when they were a penny to hand out to students who could not bring their own.

Today...

I am loving, loving, loving interactive notebooks. They are my saving grace to monitoring each classes progress as well as individual students. I no longer hear the endless excuses from students losing their notes. Through the use of interactive notebooks students are held accountable during each lesson making sure each task is complete. Students can also look back on what they have done throughout the year to see how far they have come!

 My OCD has found its happy place in the form of a spiral notebook.

Stick around to find out other helpful hints on interactive notebook goodness.

Beez in the trap

 

Prior to taking a spelling test this morning one of my 8th graders asked if I had any Bees in the trap...I of course had no clue what she was talking about

{but had a feeling I did not want to know}

I quickly shifted the conversation to another topic. Later on in the day after searching what this new "Bees in the trap" is I find out that it is another classy song from Nicki Minaj. After reading the lyrics to this song it's safe to say I will stick to listening to Ms. Minaj's songs...at least this way I understand every other word instead of the entire line.

 

{Side note}

For those teaching middle school you may find this humorous.

10 on 10 minus one

Guess who remembered to bring her camera home?

Me..who apparently cannot count to ten.

So here is my 9 on 10 a day late.

Go check out the other fantastic pictures on a bit of sunshine

 

1. 8th grade goal

2. interactive notebook's home

3. map tapestry

4. pencils, highlighters and pens oh my

5. read

6. vocab anyone?

7. ribbons in the sky

8. etc.

9. story maps

 

So Close and yet all locked up...

Well thanks to Lyndsay I was reminded of 10 on 10

Unfortunately, she was not at school to remind me to bring my camera home. So yes, friends my camera is locked away in my filing cabinet

Not to leave you empty handed I will give you 10 tid-its from today

(some of them are a stretch...bare with me)

 

1. Blister

I walked the bridge twice this weekend. On Saturday, I had a baby blister on my right heal and then I had to make matters worse and up grade to a full blown blister by Sunday. In fact I blame the blister for my lack of motivation to not walk back into school to grab my camera. Since coming home I have iced it and taken Tylenol. I think it is safe to say I hate annoying pain.

2. Stamps

Not one to think using stamps in middle school would be ideal, but again thanks to Educated...not so domesticated; I have hatched a plan for these little beauties. More to come on this...

3. Centers

Again, thought centers and middle school did not match, but I was proven wrong today. I tend to look into other teachers classroom to see what they are doing as I am walking down the hallway. This one reading teacher occasionally does centers in her room. From what I can see through the window in the door. Yes, I realize this makes me sound like a crazy teacher stalker. Anyways, she teaches one group while other students are doing their own activity. So I did the same today. Pulled a group of five over and added punctuation to various sentences; while the other group came up with their own sentences using different punctuation marks.

4. New paraprofessional

We have a paraprofessional. Yay, help in the classroom. Life is good again!!

5. 7th graders bringing their A game

For the last month the 7th graders have been acting like their typical 6th grade selves. Thankfully, they are pulling it around. In fact today they rocked at the punctuation centers. It was beautiful, one of those moments where I wish I had a higher up walk in and witness the amazingness!

6. Harry Potter soundtrack

There is something about fall in Florida that makes me pull the wonderful Harry Potter soundtrack! I love watching students perk up as they say "hey this is this Harry Potter"

7. One kid out makes all the difference

One of my difficult clients was out of class today...I wish I could say I missed this little darling.

8. Mastering routines

After practicing classroom routines they are finally coming around and figuring out how I like things run.

9. Strawberries

Red and delishes. So terrific.

10. Season 8 of The Office

I thing I am narrowing down my favorite characters to: Creed or Kevin...perhaps Kelly and Dwight too.

Bonus
Semi-colons
Although I am teaching this odd little mark I am never sure how to use it correctly
;;;;;;;

{I promise I will not forget my camera tomorrow}

H54F: The one with the before and after

Hello friends, Friday is here again! Yay!

This week had its ups and downs for sure. Thankfully, more ups than downs.

Chop, Chop, Chop

I am a good 8 pounds lighter since chopping my hair off. I love the cut, but to be completely honest my hairdresser could of given me a mow hawk and I would of been over the moon with it! The greatest thing about getting a hair cut is that my hairdresser and I talked about Honey Boo Boo Child the whole time!

Well hello there

My mom and I walked another beautiful FL bridge. We decided to have some fun and say hello to everyone we passed. Unfortunately, people are really in their element when they walk a bridge so saying hello back was asking too much of them.

 Two Downers

By the end of today I needed a little pick me up; which came in the form of frozen yogurt. Lets just say at the beginning of my day one of my lovely 8th graders could not attend a parent conference because he was throwing a fit in his mom's car (I thought temper tantrums stopped when they were no longer toddlers). Then at the end of the day a lovely 7th grader said I was pissing him off...my translation I was pushing him to do his best.

 Stress relief at its finest

Bridge walking has truly been a blessing since school began. The view, breeze and exercise is simply wonderful.

Pretty little things

De stressing through Target has its perks. Stumbled upon this little jem covered in gold polka dots. Its safe to say it found its way home with me.

Whew

So I decided to try something new. 

Blogging for the entire month of August

{well I missed the first day}

It was an adventure for sure! I cannot imagine blogging for the entire year! I can say that I wrote things that I would never put out their on the Internet. So for all those that left sweet comments thank you and for the new followers welcome! I will not be blogging every day...perhaps every three days! Now I am off to soak up some sun!

So much depends upon...

Mr. William Carlos Williams provided 7th graders with their first opportunity to write a poem.

The poem came in the form of a mimic poem. This type of poem allows students to create a poem with minimal thought. The basic is that they duplicate the original poem matching the same amount of syllables in each line and keeping one line of the original poem in the re-written one.

I began this lesson with asking students what poetry is

Then I showed them Mr. William's poem:

so much depends     

upon                  

a red wheel              

barrow                      

glazed with rain        

water                      

beside the white       

chickens

I then asked them if this was a poem

some said yes some said no

they of course had to explain their thinking!

We then dissected the poem going word by word examining the very existence of this so called poem.

They were then given the task of creating their own So much depends upon poem. 

They turned out pretty good...just as good as the original 

Here are a few samples:

The Big Black Steam ship

So much depends upon

A big black steamship

Sailing in the ocean

without a white blanket

H54F: the one with all the hair

Hello all, linking up again with Lauren at From My Grey Desk. This week was pretty uneventful. Isaac came and left rain as well as gave us a day off from school!

 

My hair is coming close to the cut off date, which is Saturday!

Oh braids!

I have decided to master all braids I have come across. This week was the reverse braid...pretty simplistic!

Oh the dramatics!

I let my students know that I was cutting my hair and they must of translated my words into I was cutting my arm off. They do not approve of this change for sure!

 Oh  Repunzell!

The length of my hair is a tad bit ridiculous!

Oh Sunsets!

A relaxing way to end any day; a walk over the bridge at sunset.

Oh Isaac!

Isaac did provide some nice weather for walking over the bridge and pretty rainbows!