Organization & Classroom Management

I cannot stress this enough-> Regardless of how good of a teacher you may be, if you are not organized and managing your classroom, your good teaching will not show.   I was so over students losing pencils, erasers, highlighters, dry erase markers, slowness with getting dictionaries, etc.  I stayed after work to correct this situation.  In each cup I gave the students two sharpened pencils, an eraser, one highlighter, a dry erase marker, their assessment guide and our class pledge.  That was the best decision I could have made to improve the structure of my classroom environment.  I also placed a thesaurus and a dictionary on their desk with their calculator.  Everything they could possible need was within their reach. GLORY!   I informed students the next day that I expected their desk to be organized like mine.  I explained to them that everything that was in that cup was done on my time and with my dime, losing them would have consequences. Enough said.  Let’s just say class ran smoothly. I have a perfect 4 in Compass in the area of management.  #boom  Pictures below…..

Making Learning Fun!! Geometry Lesson!

I love to have fun and I am so thankful that I love my job.  Learning should be fun.  However, there is no denying that some things are just sucky and boring to teach. Yeah I said it.  Judge Me. LOL!  However, that is why when an opportunity presents itself to be fun, we must seize it. During a geometry lesson in which I was teaching my students lines of symmetry, how to distinguish quadrilaterals, and understanding what it means to be congruent and similar I incorporated Little Debbie snacks.   For students to be able to eat their snack they had to correctly stand when I called out certain characteristics that their Little Debbie had.  Also they had to compare and contrast (incorporating their ELA knowledge) their Little Debbie to that of their elbow partner.  This was so fun. Students even stepped it up a notch and transformed their shape to that of something else and explained how it was now different and now had more similarities to their elbow partners.  Students did a wonderful job explaining the angles and degrees of their Little Debbie (identifying it as acute, obtuse, or right/less than 90 degrees or more etc).  It they identified it as being a quadrilateral, they were able to explain why, and if not etc. This lesson also builds their constructed response skills.  I want my students to speak their knowledge.  Ex. Versus saying a rectangle and a square are the same because they have four corners, they could identify that they both have 90 degree angles.  Please see pictures below

Schools Out for the Summer/The End of 2012-2013

WoooooooooooooooooooooHooooooooooooo! *singing* “schools out for the summer” #boom

Okay, I know it has been a minute since I have blogged and I want to apologize.  Hopefully when my life comes to a calm and I am able to establish a steady routine (repeated discipline) I will be able to blog at least every two weeks. I am projecting this to be a reality by September.  I have so many new ideas and concepts to share with you all.  I did look at my stats and views and must say I am impressed.  Thanks for sharing my blog with others and coming back to view.  You are appreciated! Again if there is any material on my blog that you need please feel free to email me, I am here to help. 

As you all know this past school year I was moved from my special education classroom to a regular education classroom.  I am pleased to report that it was a success and a wonderful experience.  I witnessed a major transformation in my students in both academics and behavior; despite the trials and tribulations we experience as educators, situations like this make it all worth it.  Knowing you made a positive impact and influence on a young mind is priceless.  I salute all my fellow educators! Remember, my fellow educators that our real boss=students.  I hope the implementation of Compass and Common Core did not discourage you or make you feel worthless or unappreciated; if it did I send you hugs and advise you to look at your students and their achievements.  My students did great or their state test.  I had students who had a history of USAT, receive Basic, students who would only get Mastery in ELA & Math, receive it in Science as well or Social Studies, and even go from a Basic in Science to an Advance.  Also, watching previous Mastery students get an Advance was tear jerking. Needless to say my students did better than their predecessors despite being an entire nine weeks behind and encountering a series of transitions. *Pops Collar* J   I only had one UNSAT in Math!!!!!  My tigers rocked that test and showed out in the content of fractions! I myself also grew and learned so much from this experience.  UNPLEASANT CIRCUMSTANCE PORTENDS GREAT GOOD.  I never thought I would say this, but I am so grateful to have taught such wonderful, dynamic students.  I sacrificed a lot of myself and had many long nights, but it was worth it.  This was indeed a year to remember!!!! One more thing before I go-> I was awarded for all my hard work.  I do not care what anyone says, it does feel good to be valued.