Student Motivation

Hey explorers!

What a great week it has been here. The weather has been warm with lots of sun. We have been able to get a lot of work done around the house which has been AHHH-Mazing. However... there is always something on mind... work! The school year is rapidly coming and no one knows what is going to happen. Will we be in the classroom? Will we be online? Both? 

Well, I'm thinking that the best way to put it out of my mind is just to think about what I want my physical classroom to look like this year. As I was shopping a few weeks ago, I got these awesome bracelets. 

Bracelets that I found at a local store.

I wasn't sure how I would use them, and one day I just thought about how the WWJD bracelets were popular back in the day. I thought about the fidget bracelets as well. Then I thought about what the kids needed in the classroom. Then set to work making these cards that will go with the bracelets. 

For the first day of school I will give these out to the kiddos during our first morning meeting. The rest I will hold and have ready for other times when they need a reminder. I may even pull some cards out randomly when students need a reminder or an affirmation. 

I think if we have to go back virtually, it may be something that I send out periodically to my students. They can enjoy receiving some mail with happy sayings, right? 

What do you think about them? How would you use them in class? 

Click on the photo to get a closer look and to purchase!

New School, New Grade

The past three years have gone pretty much undocumented, except for on IG and Facebook. Here is a quick rundown though:

1. Left the school I was in due to administration changes and truly being unsupported in my position. 

 

2. Found a new school to go to, had a great school year and met awesome educators! Received tenure, baby!! 

 

3. Same school, had 15 teachers come and go on our team, eventually leaving just me in 4th grade with 60 kiddos. We didn't have a principal until February. Our building got hit by a tornado, my hall was destroyed. We moved an entire building into a new building in 4 days. Taught in that room for 3 days, and then we were out for the rest of the year due to Covid-19. Oh... and I won teacher of the year! 

Brings us up to the present day: I am going to a new school, and trying out a new grade level. I am super excited about moving to second grade! I'll get to see the kids grow and mature as they change grade levels. Everyone keeps telling me 2nd grade is the best grade to teach, and I cannot wait to agree with that. :) 

While packing up, I noticed that most of my picture books have disappeared. So, I'm looking for new books to put in my library. After scouring the internet, I created a list that I definitely want to add. What other books should I make sure to have in my 2nd grade class library? Leave me a comment with suggestions! 

Guilty

I had planned to do a lot this summer.

1. I was going to wake up at my normal school year time...
2. I was going to go and work out to lose the standardized testing pounds I gained from March-May.
3. I was going to work on my TPT ideas.
4. I was going to print out centers, laminate, cut, and store them.
5. I was going to make cute things for my boards.

Instead, I have slept in until 8 everyday. I have watched Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. I have read books... and they WERE NOT school related. I have been to the West Coast, Alaska, and Canada. I have gone fishing. I have gone to the park. I have hung out with family and friends. I have played video games. I have just been.

My house is nice and clean. My shopping bill is a bit up from taking advantage of the summer deals. Do I regret any of it?

No.

No, I don't regret a single second.

Last year was a rough year. The last three years have been hard on my family because of illness. My father-in-law passed away this summer. It made me think about all the time and effort I put into my job. Don't get me wrong--I love my job. I really do.. but it's hard to balance life and work.

So this year, I am making a promise to myself to make things easier on myself. Here are my school year goals:

1. Work on saying, "NO!" After all, in this time and age--employers expect you to be on 24 hours a day it seems. Sometimes our parents think that as well. This year, I'm telling my parents after 5, I probably won't answer if you message me on the Remind App or through my e-mail. I am telling my principal that I cannot do four meetings a week during my planning. I have to say no, even if it makes me look like "that teacher."

2. I am going to have fun at work. Last year, I took all the fun out of my room. I was afraid that the kids wouldn't do what I expected. Sometimes their behavior wasn't the best and I took away. This year, the ones who want to keep us from having fun can go sit in another area and work on book work or something while the rest of us is grooving and learning!

3. I am not going to feel bad about what other teachers are doing. I always feel like I need to one up someone or that I need to be doing what everyone else is doing. Why? I guess I want to be the same as what everyone "thinks." This year--NO! If everyone is drinking shakes for breakfast and lunch then that's great for them! I might not be able to do that because those things are gross. They made everyone cute little gifts to welcome them back to school. Oh that's nice. My kids are getting a smiling face and a bunch of stories from things I have done over the summer.

If you are feeling stressed out about starting the year, or from seeing so much about teaching online...please don't be stressed. I mean it. Everyone puts their best things online. It's not to make you feel bad or inadequate...it's to inspire you or to get you to purchase something. Instead, know what you need to make yourself happy. After all--if you aren't happy now, then you aren't going to be when school starts back. You have to be ready and rejuvenated for the first day of school!

If you need to vent or you need to know that you aren't crazy...then email me or comment below. The teaching community is huge, and we are here to support each other. We aren't here to make others feel inadequate. Promise!

Remember to take time every week for yourself. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see what I do every week to make sure I'm making the most out of this school year!

Summertime is Wondertime :D

Anyways, I am back at it, and am already back down the 8 of the 20 lbs. I've put back on in the last month and a half. Slow and steady ya'll, slow and steady.

I have never been so glad to have the summer off! After having a really rough year, the summer has been a roller coaster. I just got back from my Alaskan Cruise with my mom, and it was really amazing. I learned so much, and finally got to LEAVE the good ol' USA. During the trip though, we got some devastating news--my father-in law passed away. Suddenly, all I could think about was getting home.

Remember those previous posts about doing better, and getting healthy? Well--is it bad that I haven't totally fell off the wagon, but I haven't progressed any? Do you ever say, "This summer I'm going to work out, and lose all this testing weight?" Yea, me too. I had done really well and had lost 15 lbs. Then the BBQs started. If you are from the South, you know that when you go to someone's BBQ you have to try a little of everything they put out, and you go back for 2nds. :)


Other than those setbacks, this summer has been way more relaxing than the previous two summers. Even though we are getting a new principal, I am getting a new team, and everything around me seems to be changing. I feel at peace. I feel ready for a new year.

Now to pick a theme for this year...

I have done color themes, and I think I will stick with that. I would love to do Harry Potter, but I think I would spend a large fortune--money that I don't have--to make it look like a RCA classroom. The kids would love it, but my wallet wouldn't. I'm thinking more of a homey feeling. I wonder if I could get someone to come in and paint my classroom. My neighbor got hers painted last year, and it was the most beautiful shade of light blue.

Make sure you check out my Pinterest account to see what themes I'm browsing! @XplorewithCindy

Teaching Season is Here!!

I got an e-mail Monday during our planning day. I about freaked out. It said "Tentative State Testing Schedule."

Holy Moly.

I whipped out my Erin Condren planner and said, "13 days? That's it??"

Ya'll-- I had 13 days left to re-cram everything I have ever taught this year into my lovely little ones. UGH.

Then I got to thinking about this saying I heard last week--"If you think you have to hold on to it, then you are doubting yourself as an educator..." we were definitely talking about the hoarding problem that plagues all teachers...but I got to thinking...

"If I think I have to reteach everything, I am really doubting myself as an educator."

Why do we feel like we have to help students cram for the test? I mean that's stressful on us as well as them, right? So, what should we do instead? I HAVE TO RETEACH THEM EVERYTHING. Ha! It's game show time. It's individualized center time. It's conferencing time. It's not stress time.

There are a bunch of books that help with anxiety and testing. Every year we do a bunch of things that help our kids relax because after all they are 8-10, and they need some ways to release the relax themselves. One of our classroom favorites is Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook (purchase yours through this affiliate link)

One of my favorite activities to do is one our guidance counselor did with us last year. We all (even the teachers) got a piece of lightly colored paper after reading Wilma Jean. We were asked to close our eyes. Imagine the most peaceful place for you. Is it the recess yard? The library? Your bedroom? The football field? Where do you feel the most peaceful? Now on your paper you can do one of two things...

1) Draw it out. What you saw--draw it! (I even let them use my awesome smelling Scentos markers to do this activity)

2) If you don't want to draw, write it out like a Wordle. What words come to mind? What do you see? What do hear? What do you smell?

After they got done, we asked for people to show their special peaceful places off. We made a special place in our binders for them. When kids got worried or overwhelmed, they opened their binder and took a look at their peaceful place. It was awesome! The kids loved it--even my kids who are so not worried about anything #catchthesarcasm !!

That brings me back to my instruction. I still have to teach, but I don't want them to be stressed. So, what's a teacher to do? Here is what we are doing! You can follow my Instagram @exploringiselementary to see us in action in the next few weeks:

1. Task cards. The task cards we are using are old state tests paired with stories. I have them laminated and in a scoot position. We are going to each read the story, analyze it, and carry it with us as we enter our answers into our technology--and if they are doing our EL testing still good ol' pencil and paper action will be happening!

2. Kahoot is gonna be our friend!

3. Game shows with are testing books. We have Coach books that we are to work out of because they cost us a lot of money. -.- So, we are going to get the answers on our own. Then talk it over with our tablemates using accountable talk. Finally, it's game show time. I got these awesome buzzers a few years ago. I have kids start in the back of the room and do something physical or STEM related before they run to the front and hit the buzzer to answer the question. If they are correct they get a point, if not they have to go back and start the challenge over before they can answer again. I have music playing in the background and it's the F-word!! FUN!!!

4. PLINKO. Ya'll the kids love to play Plinko. I use my equity sticks after the kids have discussed their answers, and if they get it right they get to drop the disk! If not, they get to pull the equity stick of the next person who gets to go. If that person doesn't get it, then it goes back to the original table. It goes on until the questions are complete!

5. Finally-- our very own triathlon! Our whole team gets in on this one. Each of us takes on a tested subject. We set up centers based on the biggest testing strands. In our homerooms, we begin with the lighting ceremony. One of our standards is that the kids have to create a working circuit. So, we create lighted torches. Then we parade around the school with our torches.

We get back to class and the "Olympic triathlon" begins!!

Students have 30 minutes to get through the centers in the classroom. For every correct answer, for every leader-like moment they exhibit, and for good sportsmanship the class gets a point. (Enter Class Dojo!) At the end of the 30 minutes, we rotate classes and do another subject area. At the end of the games the classes will be awarded the Gold, Silver, and Bronze (and maybe some other prizes too!)  It's so much fun!

So, there is how we set our kids up for the BIG TEST! What do you do to get your kids pepped up for the test??

Teaching Life

I'm on my 2nd week of a "better life" plan. I can admit, I was irritated at the beginning of the week. I got on the scale... and NOTHING changed. My weight was exactly the same. So, I went out and got some doughnuts. I went to school, and snacked on some left over chips from our Homework Club Party. Went to a meeting during planning, and was told ALL of the this STUFF that just had to be done during my 20 minute guided reading groups. (Counted it up, and the time it would take would leave me about 6 minutes to "teach.") Then my lovely angel of a student decided it make goose noises the whole time we were taking a practice writing test. Cue the candy bar!

                                     It was only Monday...

                       ....and the tone was definitely set for the week....

I didn't work out... not once... I didn't drink enough water...not one single day...I ate so much bread... and I liked it...until I was thinking about my goals. Then I was disgusted.
The rest of my week I spent dealing with books flinging at my head, evacuating my class because of a child's meltdown, and reading that everything is happening because I'm probably not doing things a certain way. Phew! I thought it was because the children had a hard life and really didn't like when they were asked to do certain things. ::EYE ROLL EXTREME::

Ya'll when I say, I can't wait for this school year to be O-V-E-R I mean I CANNOT WAIT!! Ever have that year? I've heard they come every 5 years or so, and I've had 2 in the last 3 years.

Anyway, enough of the venting.... IT HAPPENED. I stepped up on the scale on Friday morning. It said, "Good Morning! You have lost 10 lbs.!" I couldn't believe it, so I stepped up on it again and it said, "I'm not lying!" In 2 weeks, I have lost 10 lbs, even with one week sucking pretty badly. I spent 2 hours this morning meal prepping. Here's my plan for this glorious shortened week (SPRING BREAK IS COMING!)...

Day 1: Mini Quiches (5) for breakfast, Tuna and avocado (seasoned like guacamole) for morning snack, Stuffed bread (left over from last week), hummus and raw veggies for an afternoon snack, and then for dinner stuffed chicken breast with roasted asparagus.
Day 2: I made my own Quiche, so I'll have 4 oz. of it, tuna and avocado with some crackers, almond flour coated chicken tenders, raw veggies, and stuffed chicken and asparagus.
Day 3: 4 oz of Quiche, fresh fruit and honey lemon dressing, chicken sandwich, and we are going out to a co-worker's house for dinner.
Day 4: (Ya'll spring break is here!!) So, after sleeping in... I'll probably eat my chicken nuggets because it will be lunch time (LOL!), then some fruit salad from the day before, and finally end on a peanut butter sandwich or La Torta Loca (If you ever come to Nashville, this place is better than Mas Tacos!).
Day 5: I'm off to Indiana. So the food will consist of car ride food (lunchmeat and cheese most likely)

Look at these two baby deer that walked up to me while I was walking!

We are going to our annual Teacher Retreat hosted by some wonderful women Mrs. Ehle and Mrs. Banister, plus some of their amazing friends. If you haven't hear, Principal Gerry will be there. OMG IS HE FUNNY OR WHAT! I'm sorry if you are missing it, but here is how you can see some of the shenanigans going on....Sign up for LIVE! From the Red Carpet. You will get to see some of the fantastic things happening and see who is sponsoring the event like ESGI and GoNoodle.

Back to the exercise routine this week! Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I will be walking the track and doing the bleacher climb. I get some great stair steps in on those bleachers. It counts as something like 8 flights of stairs. It sure does wear me out, but it's worth it.

Post below what you did this week to help yourself become a better you!