Valentine's Day

Although my mother thinks it's blasphemous, to be honest, I hate party days. It doesn't matter what the holiday is, the students always respond the same way. They cannot contain themselves. If it was only excitement, I would enjoy the day. However, it's usually a mixture of excitement, frustration, and impatience. The kids are so excited about the 45 minute party at the end of the day, they don't want to do anything during the first 5 hours or so. They end up being pretty cranky and not much fun to be around.
Finally, a couple of years ago, I found a solution that made those days so much better for me and them. I created a special set of centers for just that day. Not the usual literacy or math centers, but "special" ones. I worked to make sure they were hands-on and engaging, and I had the students in them all day long!
It works like a charm! The kids get involved in the rotation of the centers, and they enjoy the activities. Then they forget that they really didn't want to do any work today. In fact, when it is time for the party, there are a few who want to finish their last center first!

Here's a Valentine's Day sample of centers that have worked for me:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Language-Centers-Valentine-Fun-1074083

Maybe you'll find it useful in your classroom too!

Krystal

Finding that Work/Life Balance

I stayed home when my kids were babies. However, ever since I've returned to work, finding a balance has been difficult for me. I know this is not a new concept: the working mom struggling to do it all, but it is still very prevalent for me.

During the school year, my balance definitely tends to lean toward the work end. When I was in the classroom, I felt such a responsibility to my kids at school that my kids at home would often be neglected. I thought this was one trend that might change when I became an instructional coach. However, I find that I still feel that sense of responsibility, just with adults rather than children. At the end of the day I want the adults in the building to say that I've made a difference for them. As a result, it seems that I'm putting in more time than ever.

So, my New Year's resolution is to find a better work/life balance. These are the three steps that I have in mind:
1. Do school work after the kids have gone to bed.
2. Stop doing school work  for long enough to have a conversation with my husband (he may be the one most neglected in this whole situation!)
3. Set aside a specific time to work on the weekends and only work during that time.

I know that there are millions of working moms who would have a ton of other advice for me. I'd love to hear it!!

Krystal

Let's Talk about Close Reads

If you are a teacher you've surely heard the term "close read" by now. It's often said in kind of a hushed tone like it's a magical (but secret) concept. :) In my district, there are a ton of misconceptions about the idea of a close read and there tends to be a good deal of apprehension about implementing one.

So, what is a close read and why do one?

 I'm not claiming to be an expert, but from my research and experience, here's my two cents!

 

A close read is the repeated reading of one text in order to reach a deeper understanding.

 

A lot of teachers might say, "I've been doing that for years. We read one story over a week's time and take a test on Friday." However, there is more to a close read than just the fact that the kids will read it more than once.

 

I believe the important piece that makes a close read different is the analysis. Each time the students read the text, they read it in a different way with a different purpose. Here are some examples of different reads with different purposes:
* Read 1- Read this text and find all of the words the author uses to make the town seem like a friendly place.
* Read 2 -Read the text and look for descriptions of character A's personality. Use what he/she thinks, does, and says to help you identify character traits.
* Read 3 -Read paragraph three and think about why the author included this event in the story.
* Read 4 -Re-read the first and last paragraph of the story and list ways that the main character has changed. Then list the events that caused the change to happen.

Rather than just asking kids to find information in text or to infer from text, we're asking them to do those things by analyzing the text. We're constantly asking them to "prove it." Some reading practices in the past may have only required the students to fully engage in the text during the first reading. The subsequent activities may or may not have caused them to re-engage. The close read is intended to repeatedly cause active reading.

Rather than asking kids to find text features, we're asking them to explain why those features were placed in the text. We're asking them to think like the author and analyze as a reader. The idea is that students will become more thoughtful and skilled readers.

My first year of using close reads actually caused a lot of frustration for me and my students! The students were pretty used to being able to answer questions about a text without really having to dive into it. When I asked them questions requiring them to read the text and think about it and maybe read it again, they were not thrilled with the idea. However, by the end of the year, it got better. I'm sure we'll continue to see that trend if everyone jumps on the close read train, and hopefully that train will lead to a generation of more thoughtful readers.



Creating anticipation & motivation

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my house! I LOVE getting ready for Christmas. Yesterday, we returned from visiting family for Thanksgiving, and I spent three hours or so wrapping presents. Today, my entire family woke up and started on decorating the house. We worked all day long and we're not quite done yet! So, this evening my husband and I are exhausted, and I start to wonder, is it all worth it?

 

 

A few weeks from now, we will be doing all this work again without the excitement. We'll have to take down all that we've put up. Those presents that I spent hours wrapping will be opened quickly, the paper discarded. So, why put forth all of the effort? 

 

 

For me, the feelings that all of these preparations create are worth all of the time, energy, and money that we put into it. I love seeing the sparkle in my children's eyes when they see all of the presents stacked with care. I love the cozy feeling in my house when it's filled with trees, lights, and ribbons. I love the anticipation of the holiday and the memories of it later. Without all of the preparation, the holiday would lose its sparkle. Not to say that Christmas is all about decorations, but this post is :). We have plenty of reminders of the reason we celebrate Christmas all over our house as well.

 

So, as a teacher, I begin thinking about all of the time consuming things that are a part of a teacher's life. I know there are things that I do in my classroom that are just as time consuming as preparing for Christmas, and in the middle of it all, I wonder if it's worth all of the work. Then I talk to one of my former students years later, and they tell me one of their memories from my classroom. And I know, it was worth every minute.

 

I just recently posted a guide to student motivation on Teachers pay Teachers. It's a free little presentation that I hope might have an idea or two that could help other teachers to create anticipation and motivation in their classrooms.

 

Check it out:

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guide-to-Creating-Student-Motivation-978810



Thanks,
Krystal

Reading Actively

So, you can probably tell by now that I'm a teacher. I've taught 3rd,4th,5th, & 6th grades over the past 14 years, and this year I am working as an instructional coach. I was really worried about taking this position, since I thought I'd miss working with the kids. However, it turns out that I still spend a good deal of every day working in classrooms. So, I get to interact with more kids than ever!
One of my priorities as a coach is to help teachers meet Common Core Standards in their classrooms. To that end, I've been noticing a common theme. In most classrooms students want to passively read text and wait for the adult (or overachieving student) to do the thinking for them. I know that I've often experienced this phenomenon in my own classroom.
I've been working on creating a set of materials that would help teachers to teach the skills mandated by Common Core and give their students immediate practice with those skills. I really want the students to take ownership of good reading strategies, so I want to give them support and independence in one piece. Take a look at the end result. I've created organizers for students to use as they read for each of the 4th grade literature standards. Hopefully, this will attain the goal of making them more active readers as well as more confident readers who think as they go. Take a look and let me know what you think!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-Literature-Common-Core-Standards-Printables-996959

My First Blog

I feel like a child going to kindergarten or a teacher before the first day of school. I'm entering a whole new unknown world and afraid of what people will think of me. Is my outfit cute enough (my background appropriate)? Is my hair ok (what about the font)? Will they like my new bookbag (is the layout ok)? But most important, will they like me?
In keeping with the first days of school sentiment, let me participate in an activity that I often require of my students. I usually ask my students to create a "Me bag." You know the one where you send them home with a brown paper bag and they fill it with 5 objects that will introduce them to their classmates?
Well, here's mine:


 

My family means everything to me! I was lucky to marry the love of my life, and we love being parents to those 3 crazy kids!

 

I love being a soccer mom! I never would've guessed that I'd enjoy attending the games as much as I do!

 

 

My daughter loves horses, so I do too! We spend a lot of time at the stables (although she does more than I). Her love of horses has literally changed her life. She has become more confident, less Prima Donna, and more conscientious.  

I love decorating my classroom as much (if not more) as I do my house. I put a lot of time, energy and money into it every year! My library is one of my favorite places in my room. Which, of course, makes sense. Reading is one of my favorite things to do!

 



 

I truly believe that there is no profession as important as teaching. Specifically in a district like mine, where poverty and violence are rampant, students need adults who care about them and invest in them. This note really puts it into perspective. We are everything to some of our students!

So, there you have it. That's me in a paper bag! I'm excited to begin this blogging journey. I hope you'll join me.

Krystal