Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Together Teacher Chapter 8: Keeping Your Organizational Muscles Strong!




I hope you are enjoying becoming a "Together Teacher" with us through this book study - I know I am! Today it is time for chapter 8 and our hostess is Stephanie from Technology Timeout.

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 If you have missed my previous posts from this book study you can find them below:

      Chapter 7
                                                                             Chapter 6
                                                                             Chapter 5
                                                                             Chapter 4
                                                                             Chapter 3
                                                                             Chapter 2
                                                                             Chapter 1

 Chapter 8


Just like trying to eat healthy or exercise every day, when it comes to being an incredibly organized person, no one is ever perfect 24/7.  In this chapter, Maia Heyck-Merlin addresses the common pitfalls that you may find along the way of becoming a Together Teacher - and most importantly, how to find your way out!

A few of the bumps she mentions:

1. Forgetting to carry our system with us.
2. Forgetting to look at our system. (So guilty of this one!
3. Not writing everything down (Again, one of my weaknesses!)
4. Forgetting to look beyond today (yep)
5. Choosing the wrong tool

Have you ever experienced any of these bumps while trying to become more organized?

What to do when your to-do's are not getting done

When you just don't feel like doing it.

1. Bring on the extrinsic motivation and give yourself a treat when it is completed.
2. Set a deadline - even better is someone else helps keep you accountable.
3. Tackle that task first thing in the morning - Get it over with!

Does It Really Need To Be Done?

1. If not, cross it off your list!


Monster Projects

1. Break it down into bite-sized pieces.

What Do You Do To Keep Your Self On Task?

If you are following along add your link below.


Monday, September 8, 2014

Hot Air Balloon Race Fun!

Every September in Reno (about 30 minutes West of where we live) they hold Hot Air Balloon Races.  This year as part of a STEM class I attended over the summer, my class and one other class got the opportunity to go on a field trip to be part of it.  We made model hot air balloons with our class, and then got to launch them with other schools in the area.



We spent the first two weeks of school during science time working on making our balloons using tissue paper and glue sticks.

We used the directions that are posted here.

The big day finally arrived!  It was a Friday, so the kids got to wear their regular clothes instead of their usual uniforms.  Luke and his buddy still ended up wearing matching clothes!  They made me take a twins picture!  Not sure why the Lunchables made a photobombing appearance - lol!


Then we loaded up on the bus. This was actually my first field trip on a bus as a teacher!  We haven't had the funding for field trips, so I was excited to get this one paid for through a grant!



When we got to the hot air balloon races, volunteers were on hand to fill up our hot air balloons and launch them.  Some were more successful than others and we got the opportunity to rethink our designs.




We had a blast chasing the balloons as they came down!



So much fun - but exhausting too!

Luke was definitely tuckered out!







Sunday, September 7, 2014

700 Follower Celebration - Win a $25 TpT Gift Card and 70 Products from TpT Sellers




My TpT journey has been incredible and I can't believe I have over 700 followers now!  It is time for my monthly TpT gift card giveaway and time to celebrate 700 followers!  I have teamed up with an amazing group of TpT sellers to not only give the winner the gift card, but 70 products as well!















In addition to the items above, you will also win 8 items of your choice from my TpT store!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

The Together Teacher Chapter 7 - Automate: Create Routines and Planning




This week Sarah from
Kovescence of the Mind

 is hosting chapter 7 from The Together Teacher which is all about creating routines and planning. You will definitely want to visit her blog today, not only to read her thoughts on chapter 7, but also because she is hosting a GIVEAWAY!

 If you have missed my previous posts from this book study you can find them below:

                                                                             Chapter 6
                                                                             Chapter 5
                                                                             Chapter 4
                                                                             Chapter 3
                                                                             Chapter 2
                                                                             Chapter 1

 Chapter 7

By now if you have been following along with us, you should have developed 5 key tools to help you:

1. The Comprehensive Calendar to meet your deadlines.
2. The Upcoming To-Do List to list all of your to-dos
3. Thought Catchers to track your ideas and thoughts
4. Meeting/PD Notes to follow up from meetings and PD
5. Weekly or Daily Worksheets to plan your schedule

If you haven't already bought the book to follow along, what are you waiting for?  It is your time to be more organized!

This chapter talks about putting all of the tools above into use on a regular basis.  It tells you how to plan ahead and make the greatest use of your limited time - all in the interest of taking home less work!  Can I get an Amen on not taking home more work? I thought so!

The Weekly Round-Up
This is what Maia coins the time that you take to plan ahead for your upcoming week.  What, you aren't planning ahead?  You should be!  Maia even gives you an agenda of what to do during your time so that nothing is forgotten!


You can find a copy on her website here.  You need to register, but it is free. Maia says you should ideally conduct a weekly round-up on either Friday morning or Friday afternoon in preparation for the following week.  I have been working on mine on Sundays, but Maia says that you should conduct it BEFORE the weekend in order to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed during the weekend.  I am going to give this a try this week and let you know how it goes.  We have an early release day on Friday, so the afternoon should work out perfectly.

Your weekly round up should take between 30 and 90 minutes depending on how much work you need to process from the previous week.

Daily Routines: Making the Most of Openings and Closings

Just like your morning rituals of waking up, showering, brushing your teeth, etc. your time when you arrive at school has a set list of things that you need to get done or prepare for your day ahead. Maia says that there isn't one right way to have a morning routine, as long as it is one that is clear to you.  She shares a few examples from various teachers. Likewise, you should also have a closing routine at the end of the day to set you up for success for the next day.

Use Those Preps To Their Fullest

Sometimes it is so easy to waste our prep times when we don't have a plan for how we want to use them.  It is very easy to get sidetracked in a conversation in the copy room and before you know it 45 minutes has just flown by.  Maia suggests mapping out your prep periods with an ideal plan of what you want to accomplish, things might not always work as planned, but at least you have a plan of attack to start from.

She also suggests keeping like items with like items.  For example, you might want to set one prep period for making copies for the following week.  Another day might be dedicated to planning or parent phone calls.



Next week Stephanie from Technology TimeOut is hosting chapter 8!

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If you are following along with us, be sure to link up below:



Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Problem Solving

No matter what grade I have taught (3rd, 4th, or 7th), it seems that one of my students' biggest challenges is problem solving!  In talking with other teachers I realize that I am not alone - problem solving can be challenging!


This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love.  


 I have been using problem solving math journals for a few years now and they have helped a ton! But, this year I wanted to kick it up a notch with even more problem solving practice.  Because in reality, we don't spend our adult lives solving problems on a worksheet, but instead have to engage in real world problems such as how much tile to order, balancing our checkbooks, modifying recipes, etc.  That is what our kids have to be successful with!

Here are a few of our math lessons this week:

We started our multiplication unit by reading this book:


Two of Everything is about a couple who find a magic brass pot that doubles everything that is put inside. My students LOVED this book and besides the math application to it, several wrote stories about what they would put in a magic pot like this and what might happen.  Love when you can hit multiple subjects at once.  We really talked about the idea of doubling being multiplying by 2.  I was often perplexed when my 4th graders last year (who had their math facts down cold) would get deer in the headlights looks when I asked them to double or half anything.  I am determined that my students this year won't have that same problem.

We then did a few practice problems together.

If I put 2 shoes in the pot, how many will come out?
If I put 4 dollars in the pot, how many will come out?
If I put 3 pencils in the pot, how many will come out?

Then I gave them worksheets with similar problems to solve.  I would love to say that they were all able to solve the problems independently (or even in partners).  I would love to show you pictures of them happily solving the problems, but I can't because that isn't what happened.  It was downright ugly and we had a few students in tears.  Had I already killed their love of math in 3rd grade????

Determined to remedy the situation, I regrouped and bought some chocolate.  Everything is better with chocolate right? Even multiplication?  I sure hoped so.

I posed the following problem to my students (after waving the bags of M&Ms as a bribe to think about this multiplication thing again).

Mrs. Malloy has 3 boys living at home.  She wants to give each of them three M&Ms.  How many does she need?

Then I passed out the M&Ms to let them try it.  Who needs stinking worksheets anyway?


Again we struggled a little bit, but this little smartie figured it out!  So, we fishbowled around her to let her explain her method.


As she explained, I could practically see light bulbs forming above their heads!  "I GET it now!"  They rushed back to their seats ready for the next problem.  I used the same problem as before, I just changed the numbers in them.


The sweet taste of success!  Made better with the sweet taste of M&Ms when they were done.

The next day we were ready to step it up a notch.  We were ready to model and use equations and sentences to explain our work.  Using the MESS acronym I use in my math journals.



This time I posed the problem that they were having a party and they needed to fill goody bags with 5 candies each.  How many candies would they need?  We rolled the dice to see how many people we were each inviting.  Then I gave them some plain construction paper and markers to show their thinking.  Here are a few examples:


We have been working on underlining words that we aren't sure how to spell (to mirror the underlining in Word) and I was happy to see this transfer to math!


This one was able to model the problem and solve it correctly, we just need to work on matching up our equations with the problem.


I love how this student signed her math problem Love, (her name)!  Too cute!



No tears this time!  Just problem solving perseverance! 

And even a little partner work..


I love when they spontaneously help each other out!


Monday, September 1, 2014

September 2014 Currently, Labor Day Sale, and Upcoming Giveaway!

We have already been back in school for a full two weeks so far,  and now it is September! The first of the month means it is time to link up with the one and only Currently from Farley!  I love her camping theme this month - perfect for Labor Day Weekend!  Even though our only camping trip this summer was a bit of a dud - we got rained out!


That would be the view from our tent...

Anyway, back to Currently:



Listening: It seems like my boys are constantly wrestling around!  Joys of being a boy mom!

Loving: After having the same students for two years in a row, I was worried about what the new batch would be like, but I am loving them!  I have some great personalities this year. I just forgot how young brand new third graders are compared to end of the year fourth graders.  Lots and lots of independence training going in right now.

Thinking: To say that my boys are animal lovers would be putting it mildly.  A few weeks ago they brought home a stray kitten that was so tiny and not really ready to be momless.  They have nursed him back to health, and I was hoping to give him away, but he is so stinkin' adorable that even I can't say no.  He is here to stay.

Wanting: Ahhh!  The pain of back to school blisters!  Just once I would love to find a pair of shoes that leaves me blisterless and comfortable for the first few weeks of school.  I've been eyeing the Tieks for ever, but am worried about the cost - are they worth it?

Needing: A fellow teacher and I took a science course this summer, and part of it includes a field trip to the hot air balloon races.  We are making model hot air balloons using tissue paper to launch at the field trip.  I am worried that we won't get them done in time...

3 Trips: I would love to go to Tahiti, Ireland, and Mexico.



On another note - I am celebrating Labor Day Weekend with a sale!  Head on over to save 20% today only! 

And, I am blown away that I have reached over 700 followers, and I will be hosting a giveaway next week in honor of that.  If you have a TpT store and would like to donate to the giveaway, fill out the form below:

Speaking of Teachers Pay Teachers, one of my friends from the TpT Sellers Conference, Nancy of The Apple Bucket Teacher has gotten her store up and running! She is hosting a contest right now, so head over and show her some love!
The Apple Basket Teacher


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