Organization

Another  classroom organizational tip:

Have all those pop out bulletin board letters in a box or bag somewhere.  I hate sorting through those.  Sort them by letter into extra strength zip up bags (all colors and styles of letter in a bag, just sort them by letter) and hold them together alphabetically with a ring...Simple but so helpful!!!

Daily folder

This year I did my daily folders like every other year before, but this week I decided that I was going to change some things so I redid my student's daily folders...

Front of the folder is labeled and the folder is a cheap paper folder that was laminated- I just cut slits for the pockets and brads

On the inside front cover I put an incentive chart to record what color the child was on today (refer to older posts about my discipline/reward system).  I put a sticker for the color the child was on for the day.

In the brads is a zip up binder pouch for money or small notes etc.

Weekly newsletter stays in a clear plastic sleeve in the brads.

Daily folder form that the parents fill out is also in the brads.  

My attempt at daily folder organization.  The older I get the more organized things HAVE to be!!!

No homework policy

WARNING WARNING

This entry is bound to find new heights of unpopularity among my fellow teachers!!!

What is the purpose of homework?  My son, M, HATES homework, and I mean with a T Total Passion-- Hate, loathes, abhors homework.  We were doing homework, with the normal battle - crying and gnashing of teeth and all other forms of mayhem, when I had a moment (if you haven't realized yet, that happens a lot).

Let me back up a couple posts, around my second post I had had a moment and decided that I was going to concentrate my doctorate in special education.  I'm not even sure why I decided that.  Maybe I was experiencing a "my last books of my masters degree have arrived and I'm deliriously excited" high, or some other sort of nonsense, but that desire to go into special ed lasted about 2 days.  But then what am I going to do? What will my concentration be? I wore my hubby out talking about it (I think he finally just stopped listening, and started tuning me out- see, he knows me well enough to know that if I talk about something long enough, it will eventually sort itself out in my brain, and he will never have to remember all the stops along the way.  He knew what I would decide, but he also knew that this sorting out process was essential to my decision making).

So back to 4 days ago, doing homework with M and trying to see through all the tears (his and mine) what he was actually getting out of this.  I mean what was the purpose? He wasn't learning anything, he wasn't going to obtain any of this info.  It was at this point, nothing but a hassle (we worked on homework for 2 hours that night).  So, as a mom and a teacher, I started raking my brian to decide how I feel about this.

I came to the following conclusions:

1. One of my educational passion, strong stances, is that a child who has not only a strong support system in the school/classroom but also a strong support system in the home, is more likely to find academic success that leads to the building of strong citizens.  (I am not naive enough to think that this is possible for every students, the students who do not have that support at home, need to be with a teacher/school who is willing to go above and beyond to offer extra support).  Many teachers, myself included, feel that homework is an effective way for parents to be involved in the child's education.  I agree on some level with that.  

2. Some students need extra work outside of the classroom to help them grasp a concept (this could be given on an as needed basis).

3. Children are in the classroom 7 hours a day.  To require them to come home and sit at a table and work more math problems or write spelling words, etc for another hour- 2 hours is just plain and simple too much to ask.  (reading at home, in my opinion, is another story)

4.  I believe in having a "No Homework Policy" (except for the occasion that extra work is needed to grasp a concept- as needed basis).    

5. My doctorate concentration is going to be Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.  Not because I want to take on all teachers who make kids do homework, but because I want to teach future teachers to have a purpose behind their curriculum, to write work, assignment, tests, projects in a way that brings learning to new heights.

Disclaimer:  I love Ms teacher, he has only been with her for 2 1/2 weeks and I haven't had the opportunity to spend as much time with her as I would like, but she is already doing an excellent job teaching him new things.  This post is in no way directed at her.  That night at the table merely spurred on another "moment" for me.

And yes, I make my boys do their homework, but we have revamped our evening schedule.  Now they come in from school, get a snack, and play for 2 hours.  Then we sit and do homework right before dinner.  This allows them to play and get the pent up energy out before I ask them to sit and work.  For the last 3 nights, homework has gone much more smoothly, and not lasted any more than 30 minutes, and been done with a cheerful heart and attitude.  :)  YEA

August Theme- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

To start the year off, because August was a short month and because we are just in the beginning stages of Phonics development, I chose Chicka Chicka Boom Boom as my August themes.  We read the book and did fun activities to accompany it.  This is one of the activities that my students loved.  As part of a math activity, I had a printout of 2 coconut trees with numbers on the leaves.  Along the bottom of the tree were coconuts with the corresponding numbers.  The students had to color the trees, them cut out (fine motor practice) the coconuts and glue them to match the number on the leaves.  

Later, in preparation for Grandparents Day and to go along with our August theme, the students used their handprints to make a family tree.

Brown hand print for the trunk and limps, torn green tissue paper glued to the top of the limbs for the leaves.  Then the students told me who was a part of their family and we added names. (We are also doing a unit in social studies about family relationships so this tied right in.)

"Kinder sweeties"

School has started and on top of teaching, I am mama to 2 boys in new schools this year.  M and G are in public schools and for the first time are not with mommy.  This has been interesting for me.  They love it.  They are very happy and have wonderful teachers.  But it is hard for me not being able to go check on them on my break or pass them in the hall.  I find myself wanting to call them throughout the day to ask them a question or tell them something (no my 8 and 6 year olds don't have phones :)).  But as difficult as this is, it is good for all of us.  I am glad to let my babies grow up and learn to be independent.  As a matter of fact, it is fun to watch them all getting to be big boys (we have recently potty trained the twins, and thrown away all sippy cups :)).  So this has been a good transition for us all.

My "kinder sweeties" are so great this year.  I ended up with only 6 students- all of whom know each other from last years k4 class.  They really are precious.  I find that my classroom is so much more laid back than years past.  I think that this stems mainly from the transitions that I have made in my instruction.  This year my students are spending minimal time in their desks.  I am teaching a a great deal from a circle time perspective and using centers for the practice and participate (as opposed to mostly workbooks).  I am still working on my methods of instruction- it is difficult going from all instruction and and worksheets to circle time and centers.  I am also still working on fine tuning my centers.  But we are getting there!!!

I am also going to be sharing my weekly/monthly themes and activities we are doing :)

A teacher stuck behind a desk

For all 7 years that I have been teaching, I have worked from a traditional desk, everything I do is behind my desk.  Well, after researching and beginning this blogging and classroom transformation, I have seen many teachers who have not taken that mindset.  So, this year I am a teacher who is not confined to a desk.   I threw it out !!! (not really, just moved it to the hall :)) and I replaced it with a bookshelf for my stuff and a kidney shaped table.  I love the table, I can just envision sitting with 2 students on the opposite side working diligently to help them understand a concept.  I will be a teacher who is constantly mingling amongst my students.  This is a big step for me! But this will be a small thing that will make me a better teacher.

Classroom Reconstruction- Day 6-7

Classroom Reconstruction Day 6-7 (or 8 or something, I've lost track)

I have finally gotten my classroom together. (Almost) Everything is organized (everything that can be seen that is) And I'm all ready for Meet the Teacher Night on Monday.  I am super excited because all seven students in my class this coming year are returning and know me and I know them.  So here it is, the ALCS K5 2012-2013 classroom...

Notice that I rearranged the desks again, I think this happened at least 10 times over the last 2 weeks. But this works perfect

Teacher workstation, and table to work one on one with students and with reading groups

Reading Rug- wallpapered with poems that we will be reading through the year.

My sweet hubby was just my 100th page view :)

Classroom Reconstruction Days 4,5,6

Classroom reconstruction days 4,5,6 were productive.  I had moments of near defeat, but I pulled up  my proverbial bootstraps and sucked it up, and got down to business :)

Got my hallway bulletin boards done

"Tree-Mendous Work K5"

This tree will stay on the board all year, but the boarder and accents will change seasonally (ex. fall will be leaves and pumpkins, winter will be snowflakes, etc).  

Under the white and red apples I will display student work.  

This is the learning wall, the colored papers are to display student work inside the classroom.  The reading group table/teacher work table will go right in front of this wall, so that students will be looking at the letters, number posters as they need while they are working with me.  

I also got my learning centers organized.  

This is our discipline/reward board.  Each student starts their stick in the green pocket each day, they can move up to purple for exceptional behavior (helping a friend, kind words, etc.) or they can move to yellow, red, and black for misbehavior.  Any student who stays above yellow all week picks from the treasure box Friday :)

Classroom Reconstruction Day 2 and 3

I have been able to get into my classroom in the past week and finally make some progress.


Classroom Reconstruction Day 2: Moving furniture around, moving in the blue rug, finding a home for students desks....

Classroom Reconstruction Day 3:

So this is where I am.  Took me awhile to figure out how I was going to arrange student desks (only have 6 students this year) .  Everything is starting to come together.  In the next few days, I will take old stuff off walls, hang and rehang new stuff, I'm sure I will probably rearrange furniture again.

I am starting to get excited about having my classroom ready and introducing my kiddos to kindergarten.

Classroom Recreation Day 1

Classroom Recreation Day 1:

So I looked at the calendar today and realized that I have 2 weeks left to put my classroom together.  I freaked out a little bit, loaded all 5 kids into the car and high tailed it to school, thinking that I could send them into the gym to play (my class is connected to the gym) and I would get everything done, and all would be hunky dorey.... HAHAHA (note my sarcasm).  So I walked and facing me was a classroom full of my junk in no particular order with no rhyme or reason.

And all my umph drained straight from me.  I wandered around school for about an hour and loaded the kids back up and we went to the park :)

I have been so excited to get this started, I have done so much preparation, and research that I did not anticipate having no idea where to start.  It was a real scary feeling, fear that I would not be able to accomplish what I have set out to do in my class this year momentarily consumed me.  What if I get in there and realize that I have no idea what I'm doing.  (I sound so melodramatic right now :)).  I was really disappointed with myself, I felt like a failure in that moment.   Then I pulled into the our driveway (after an hour playing at the playground, which obviously lifted my spirits!) and there was a package, a small box with my name on it.  I opened the box (after unloading the boys and getting everyone happy and content) and I found my last 2 masters level text books.  In that moment, my whole attitude changed.  I realized that I can do this.  I am a passionate teacher who is striving to learn everything I can take in in order to become the best teacher I can become.  In the box were 2 books, one for my Classroom Management class and the other for my Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Special Needs Class.  One thought lead to another, and I called my enrollment advisor.  I am ready to apply for my doctorate and have decided to concentrate in Special Education (a far cry from what I ever thought I would want to do).   The moment of truth came when she looked at my unofficial transcripts and congratulated me for doing such a great job (my GPA is 3.8).  It wasn't a proud moment, just a telling one.  It is so easy for me to tell myself that I'm getting As on everything because I'm good at playing the school game (I've always loved school).  But God reminded me of something totally different.  It's not that I'm just good at the school thing, it's that this is what God created me to be- a wife, a mommy, a teacher.  I honestly could not be happy doing anything else.  He put people in my path to ensure that I am encouraged in all I do.
My husband has played a huge role in helping me realize my dreams.  I took a semester of masters work after our third son was born.  I was just doing it because....well, I really don't have a reason.  I was completely happy working in private school, making less than minimum wage and having my boys with me.  Then I got pregnant with the twins, and I got uncomfortable, life got more difficult, and masters work got more time consuming.  The pregnancy was an easy, logical reason to quit ("take a few semesters off").  I also decided to take a year off works (a decision I will never regret), and be a full time mommy.  As March of that year rolled around, I still had no regrets of staying home, but all I could think about was getting back into the classroom.  My wonderful administrator had a position ready for me, and I started planning.  Private school was nice and comfortable.  And then my hubby started encouraging me to get back on my masters.  I have to admit, I was a bit peeved with him.  I didn't care about the money that public school could offer, I just wanted to stay where I was comfortable.  But God was working through my Willy, and I reapplied to Walden University.  Recently my hubby and I talked about that time of "encouragment".  He assured me that the money was only a fortunate byproduct of getting to see me do something that he knew God was calling me into, something that he knew would make me happy and fulfilled, something that he says I have a passion and a talent for that not many other people have.   And he is right.  Without his extra push, I would have stayed in my comfort zone and lost my chance to go back and grow as an educator.  (Let me just add, I have absolutely nothing against private school.  The teachers whom I have worked with are passionate, capable, and Godly people.  They are giving themselves in this mission field and working for the betterment of the kingdom of God.  They have played a major role in my and my kids lives.  I would not trade this experience for anything.  But, in the words of Willy, if all the christian teachers and students pull out of public schools then there is no hope positive change.  Public school is a mission field too-it's my mission field).

Please understand that I am in no way tooting my own horn, as a matter of fact I am fairly confident that I would not have done any of this without the encouragement of my husband because of the will of God.

Tomorrow is a new day,  I am encouraged and enlightened.

"I will sing unto the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me" Psalm 13:6

I've kinda been hung up on this post.  I feel like before I can begin to "blog" about my classroom transformation I need to lay the groundwork.

 The class that I am currently enrolled in, Action Research for the Educator, was in my mind the worst class I was going to take.  I dreaded the research part! I'm going to cheat for a minute and steal from my own class discussion post, so that you can get an idea how the first week in this dreaded class panned out:
"As I pondered this class and wondered what it would have to offer me, I honestly thought that I would be bored with the content;  research does not sound like something that I was looking forward to learning.  However, my mind was quickly changed as I watched Kevin Berry, elementary school teacher in the “Dial A Researcher” portion of the class resources, speak about the changes he was able to influence on a higher educational level because of the research he was conducting.  He stated that one of the benefits of teacher research is that it results in positive changes in the teaching practice, and that it can influence policy change on not only the school level, but all the way up to the state level (LEI, 2010a).  At that point it dawned on me, that this is the class that takes us beyond being well educated educators and makes us educational professionals.  Research professionals Dr. Nancy Dana and Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey affirm that so often teachers are expected not only respond to all the needs of the children in their classroom, but they are also expected to respond to all the changes advocated by professionals outside the schools. “Teachers’ voices have typically been absent from larger discussions about educational change and reform” (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, p. 1, 2009).  It is time to change this stigma.  Teachers voices should be the first ones heard when change is at hand.  Teachers should be the professionals advocating necessary changes.  Action research will not only inform my teaching and classroom practices, but it will also inform future change.
I think that the general public sees teachers as just that- “just teachers”.  We are in the classroom instructing, and grading, and teaching, but that’s all.  Sadly, this is the case too much of the time.  In light of the realizations that I have already come to (I am ready to play a larger role in the inner workings of educational change), I would like for the public to see that teachers are not only instructors,  but that we are researchers striving to make necessary changes in the world of education.  There are so many decisions made in the state government level regarding education that I do not always agree with, or that need to go further.  I am not content anymore to just sit back and watch.  I want for the public to see that teachers, the ones who are in the classroom 8 plus hours a day implementing these policies that the government puts into place, are also making a difference in policy and changes.  It is important to not just sit and complain about the way things are, but to take a step toward influencing that change."
(Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010a). Dial-A-Researcher:Week 1-  Introduction.  [Video webcast].  Action Research For Educators. Retrieved from  http:// www.courseurl.com
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010b). Student Course Introduction.  [Video webcast].  Action Research For Educators. Retrieved from  
 http:// www.courseurl.com
Dana, N.F., Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2009). The Reflective Educators Guide to Classroom  Research. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA)

Ok.  Let me start with my "wandering"


“How can learning centers be used to improve literacy among kindergarten students?”
"Moving my classroom from a lecture based class to a centers based class room will take a few major changes to accomplish. The first and most obvious change will come in the way that my classroom is set up- they physical make up of my small class. I have a small classroom with 2 doors, and no windows.  It is divided in 2 areas, the learning area and the play area. Currently, the focus in my class is the chalkboard.   All desks are pointed to the board,  all posters and game boards are taped to the wall directly in front of the desks on the wall beside the board.  For this study, and the upcoming school year, I am going to do away with the division between the learning area of the class and the play area.  These two ideas are going to mesh into one.  The entire classroom will be devoted to learning and fun.  I am going to have to continue to use the chalkboard for group instruction, however, the instructional posters, and game boards will be spread around the room.  There will be tables set up to use for center play.  I am also going to create a reading center in which the students will feel comfortable laying back and practicing their growing literacy skills.  All centers will be organized in baskets at kid level.  I will create a physical environment in which all students are able to find something that catches their interest.
As far as my actual teaching is concerned, I am going to revise my daily schedule.  There will be a time for the typical instruction in which I will stand in front of the class and teach and they will answer questions.  This time will be reduced by half.  The remainder of the instruction time, plus some, will be used as center time.  I will give the students instruction and allow them to explore the centers to practice the new skills, therefore,  the amount of student worksheets will be reduced.
In the midst of all these changes, I will be collecting data and researching the benefits of these changes with my students.  I plan to gauge the effectiveness of the study by analyzing the standardized testing scores, the reading levels of students, and over all academic grades. "

Ok, now that the groundwork is lain, we can get down to the fun stuff.  I am going to use a lot of pictures to show the transformation.

These pictures are how my classroom looks right now.  All my stuff is in the hallway.  You could look at it as bare and empty but I look at it as a clean slate.

So the transformation begins!!!

So don't expect me to be a blogger who logs on everyday and creates a new inspirational, witty post.  I just don't have time for that!! But I will post as much as possible.

The reason I created this blog is in response to a masters course assignment.  The class is Action Research for Educators. I thought I would hate it, I mean an entire 8 week course about research...BLAH!!! But, one day into the class and I was hooked! (I know I'm a dork!) So for this course we are creating an action research project (research that takes place within the classroom with the teacher as the researcher).  The project is a 24 week study. So my project is "How do learning centers affect literacy in kindergarten students?"  When I started my beginning research I came across several blogs where teachers had blogged and documented classroom centers.  So, I am going to take this opportunity to document the changes that are going to take place in my little kindergarten classroom over the next 5 weeks until school starts.  And then the effects of those centers during the year.  And of course I'll throw in my kids antics too :)

(One of my two year olds today told me "Mommy, I want to be grown up so I can go to college, drive a car, and chew bubble gum"   least he has his priorities in line :)

This is where it all began

Ok, here goes.  I am a wife to a loving, caring, supportive man; mom to 5 EXTREMELY energetic little boys (8, 6, 4, 3, 3 years old).  I am a teacher, and a student.  My life is crazy busy, hectic, tiring, but I am "pressed down, shaken together, and running over" as my dad would say.  In other words, I AM BLESSED!!!

A little about me to get started.  I am 32 years old.  My hubby and I have been married for almost 10 years.  We met in college.  I looked across a crowded cafeteria and saw this guy dancing on the table.  That was it for me.  I told my roommate and best friend  that I was going to fall in love with that guy some day, and that' s just what I did.  It took him a little longer to fall in love with me, but he fell!  We married in 2003 and our first son was born 18 months later.  Two years later another little blue bundle of joy came along.  Then 2 years later, another.  Then we got our twins.  And here we are, almost 10 years and 5 boys later.  The BIG question we get asked almost once a week-"Are you going to try for a girl?" I answer the same way every time (I'm sure my hubby is getting tired of hearing me say) "We were trying for a girl and got twin boys.  I think that was God's way of telling us to stop" :)  And we stopped :)

Now that I have my body back and am not concentrating on being pregnant or caring for a baby, I have been able to focus some of my attention on my career.  I started my teaching career when I was pregnant with my first Bubby.  My bachelor's degree is in English.  Not a mistake, but not a very lucrative degree either.  So I began my teaching degree in one day care center after another.  I was miserable, underpaid, and felt insignificant (now that I am a mom who's kiddos are in daycare, I can tell you that day care teachers are NOT insignificant).  It just wasn't what I needed to fulfill the teacher within me.  After Maddux was born, the mom within me emerged and all I wanted to do was be a mommy.  My inner teacher shriveled and almost died.  We did not have the money for me to be a stay at home mommy, so I settled for daycare so that I could be near him everyday.  Baby #2 came along.  After Gavin was born I did not end up going back to work.  I wanted to (needed to) but the center that I had been in had not openings for him.  So I continued praying about what God wanted me to do, and started sending out resumes.  Lo and behold, a private school (k3-12, that had a daycare) called me for an interview.  It was a k5 position.  I was on cloud nine.  I got the job, and my 2 babies were right there in the daycare.  I took over for a teacher who was moving to another state, so I came in in January.  That inner teacher that I mentioned, well, she was being nourished!  And started to grow.  I sat at my desk the afternoon before my first day, scared out of my mind, over analyzing everything, and wrote a journal entry.  I believe it went something like this "I love my desk, I love my chalk board, I love my grade book, I love my classroom" HEHEHE.

I taught k5 there for 4 years until the school unexpectedly closed. Very quickly after putting out resumes, I was offered a position at another small private school as the 4th grade teacher, and part time middle school Bible teacher.  That was a very challenging year.  In November I got pregnant with the twins, and dealt with the physical strain that put on me.  But in the classroom I had several boys who wanted to try to bully me.  As a fairly young, inexperienced teacher who only wanted these kids to accept me (mistake #1) I took this very hard.  One of the boys had documented anger management issues (had an anger management counselor shadow him 3 days a week), and the other boy was following in the first's footsteps because the first was a cool kid.  Admittedly, they were both trying to get me to quit.  Eventually I had to start my maturity leave a week before school ended, and I did not return the following year.  I took a year off to be mom.  Unlike before, it was not my intention to find a way to become a stay at home mom.  By this point, that teacher within me had become a huge part of who I was.  But I knew that taking a year to be only a mommy was something that I would never regret.  My kids were getting big and wouldn't need me to be home with them much longer.  I knew that I would have the rest of my life to be a teacher, but my years of mommy were flying by.  So I took a school year to be just that.  I loved every minute of it, but by February I had already called my administrator to be sure that she would save a position for me.  The following year I went back to the same school, this time as the middle and high school language, history, and Bible teacher.  After all, I had gotten my degree in English because I wanted to be that middle school teacher who reached out to all the kids who just needed someone to listen to them :) I had some good kids, but they were all middle schoolers...and all that that entails.

During that year I also made the decision to continue my education, and enrolled in Walden University to earn my masters degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.  I began to feel about private school as I did about daycare.  It wasn't the final landing place for my career.  I knew that God wanted more from me. Public school was the next logical step.  The problem was, that my English degree did not earn me a teaching certificate.  So I can not move on to public school until I finish my masters and earn my South Carolina teachers certificate.  I have 3 classes left to complete.  And plan to go straight into my doctorate.

Last year I moved back to a kindergarten teaching position.  This is where I am most comfortable, feel most successful, and most in tune with that teacher within.  Kindergarten is where I feel at home.  And I am back there this year.

I feel that blogging may become my stress release.  So hold on- here I come.