A teacher’s life is consumed with hours upon hours of activities. Our days are emotional roller coaster rides and we balance the many needs of our students with the administrative responsibilities that go along with the profession.
Hence, we tend to find joy in the little things…things that others might seem very ordinary and, thus, nothing to celebrate.
Take, for instance, these tables that magically appeared one Friday morning a few weeks ago…
Because I was hired so late in the summer, I got the furniture leftovers and had to make do with regular desks.
I don’t know if you’ve seen 9th graders these days, but they don’t exactly fit into those desks. Thus, I’ve been on the lookout for tables.
Alas, nothing ever appeared in the dead furniture store (my district’s depot for discarded furniture).
Until Thursday, when my friend, Barbara, stopped by.
She’d hit the mother lode but was soon told that she couldn’t have the pieces she was tagging with her name.
Say what?
She gave them a small piece of her mind for not marking the items as off limits and left.
Then, the next day (i.e. Friday), the items appeared, and my heart soared.
Students gave me funny looks as I pulled out my phone to take the above picture.
I think I made myself sound weirder when I explained that I was going to put the picture on my blog.
Yeah, that Mrs. AuburnChick…she’s one strange lady.
Whatever.
You’ve got to be a little strange to actually enjoy spending eight to ten hours a day with teenagers.
😉
I cannot tell you the difference that those tables made in my room.
The space totally opened up…thank goodness because I teach five tall basketball players. One of the guys is 6’7″, and yes, he’s a freshman. Can you imagine how tall he’s going to be when he’s a senior?
Here’s are the “before” pictures…
Here are the “after” pictures…
Needless to say, my students are thrilled with the room.
One of my gals made me laugh when she asked, “Mrs. AuburnChick, when are you going to stop changing things around?”
I told her that I would stop as soon as I got my room exactly the way I wanted, which will probably be right before the school year ends. It will be just my luck that I’ll have to change rooms next year and start all over.
Wednesdays used to be ho-hum…until Joyce started hosting the Hodgepodge! Whoop Whoop! Join in…link up with Joyce!
1. George Washington-Abraham Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson…who would you most like to meet and why?
Oh my…what a tough choice!! I minored in history, so I’ve done a lot of reading about all three incredibly brilliant men! Every single one of them would be a pleasure to meet! I’d love to meet Washington and find out if, in fact, he was the humble guy some have described him as. I’d love to meet Lincoln because I’ve read that he was quite the story teller. I’d also like to warn him to stay away from that crazy woman he eventually married. She was psycho, I’m telling you! I’ve read a biography about her! I’d love to meet Jefferson to chide him for not clarifying the whole “Separation of Church and State” thing. Sheesh, but politicians have certainly made a mess of his words, now haven’t they?
Oh, what wonderful insights I’d get if I could meet any one of these brave, trailblazing men!
2. What’s your favorite chain restaurant?
I’d have to say Panera, with its Black Bean Soup and fresh bread! Yum!
3. When you look back on your life, do you imagine you’ll think about the goals you failed to meet with regret? Or will you look at what you accomplished and say: it was good?
I will most definitely look back and see all I’ve accomplished. I’ve worked very hard for everything I’ve gotten. I was never given anything, including my education, which I had to work for and pay for myself (am still paying for it, in fact). I can, at this time, say that every single goal I’ve set for myself has been realized. Years ago, I dreamed of finishing college. I did it twenty years after graduating high school. I wanted to be a teacher. Six years later, I am teaching.
Now, for my last goal…winning the lottery.
😀
4. Grapefruit-take ’em or leave ’em? Given the choice between an orange and a grapefruit which would you choose? Would you prefer it served as is or squeezed into juice?
I love grapefruit. What a yummy, sour fruit! Honestly, I’ll take it however it’s served up!
5. When was the last time you cleaned out a closet? Is there a closet in your home that currently needs cleaning? What are you waiting for?
I helped Rooster clean out his closet a few weeks ago. I periodically “rearrange” the closet in my bathroom. Really, aside from a bit of straightening, I think my closets are alright.
6. You get to have lunch with three famous people…who would you like to see round your table?
Do they have to be dead or alive? Is it the table in my house or a fancy restaurant? Details, details.
heeheehee
Let’s see…famous people…hmmm…
I’ve gotta go with my knitting ladies…Stephanie McPhee (aka the Yarn Harlot), Cookie A, and Anne Hanson.
I need to meet Stephanie so we can plan our children’s wedding. I know this sounds stalker-ish, but it really isn’t. See, we’re both from Canada, even if I am a naturalized U.S. citizen. Her hubby hails from Newfoundland, where I was born, and everyone knows that Goofy Newfies, as we’re called, must stick together. Thus, with so much in common, I find it quite natural that she and I discuss the wedding plans of our children. See, I have this dream that Rooster will marry her daughter, and then we’ll have lovely get-togethers where I can sit under Stephanie’s wise knitterly tutelage and soak up all of the knowledge she has about all things yarny.
Did you know I found this on Wikipedia?? She's definitely famous if she's on Wikipedia. Wait. She could have put the information in hersel. Still. Nobody's taken it down yet.
Cookie A…well…she’s the queen of sock knitting, and I simply MUST meet her. I test knit for her last book. My name’s even in the back. She’s brilliant, I tell you!
Anne Hanson is a divinely gifted pattern designer. Her shawls are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s, and her blog posts are filled with beautiful pictures of the trips she takes, knitting, gardening, and cooking.
Oh yes, I like to party hard with the stars, do I not? 😀
7. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your ability to parallel park?
Hmmm…I’d say about a five. Down in south Florida, we only had parallel parking in front of our house, and I was quite good, when I wasn’t gently tapping the fronts or backs of the cars in my way.
:::cough:::
No dents happened, I can assure you.
I’m a bit out of practice these days, but I’m sure it’s like riding a bike.
8. My Random Thought
With yesterday being Valentine’s Day, I thought I would share photos of what I sent to my sweet Chicky-Poo, who is in her second year of college.
Before you scroll down, please keep in mind that I am the same mother who sent her soccer cleats after she left them at home during the holidays. I included a “surprise,” which I blogged about here.
Um…yeah.
Valentine’s Day was gonna be fun.
First, she got one of those giant cards…the kind you get at Walmart. Dang, but I took a picture but must have deleted it. On the return address part, I put, “From the Ones Who Love You Most.” On the back of the envelope, in LARGE letters, I wrote, “Someone cared enough to send the very best.”
Yeah.
The post office is across campus, and she had to walk all the way back to her room with that huge envelope. She said that no matter which way she turned it, there were embarrassing words on it.
heehee
I also sent her a box with the following…
Isn’t that the cutest thing? It does more than just sit there…
I purchased it in October when a vendor came to my school.
Also included in the box was this…
What? Haven’t you ever gotten anti-itch cream for Valentine’s Day?
See, I found it under her sink the other day and thought that I’d send it along to her…just in case she got the itch to ditch school. This will fix that right up!
heehee
I also threw in two boxes of yogurt bars, which I happened to spy on my one and only trip to the grocery store in the last couple of weeks.
Boy, it sure was hard to get up after going to bed at…um…well, it was late. Trust me.
Of course, just as I was about to get out of bed, Molly decided to roll over and snuggle against my feet…
Regardless, I’d worked hard on my lesson plans, so off to school I went.
I told you about one of the centers I had planned, and let me tell you…it was a HUGE hit!
The center involved students writing about these…
Of course, to make it more fun, I’d purchased three boxes of them at Sam’s.
In order to write the author’s purpose paragraphs, they would have to taste the snacks.
They were tickled pink and were very productive!
There’s nothing like a little bit of food to motivate students!
The fortune teller foldable was a hit…with the girls, that is, but the guys played along because I encouraged them to.
😉
All-in-all, it was such a fun day!
I’ve gotta tell you that before I started guided reading centers, I was DREADING them!
Now, I must admit that they are actually…
Hold on to your horses…
FUN!!!!!!!
Yes, I did. I admitted it.
Teaching intensive reading can actually be fun!!!
Most people look at the students I teach and think, “discipline problems” or other worse things. I’ve seen the looks of sympathy in their eyes when I tell them what subject I’m teaching.
I’m getting the last laugh, though, because I ENJOY spending my days helping my students navigate their way through the crazy activities I’ve planned.
Wanna know the trick?
Keep the kids engaged in learning.
Have the students DO THE WORK!
Over the last few school days, and especially today, I’ve heard several students tell me directly or to their peers, “Class went by so fast! I didn’t even notice the time go by.”
That, my friends, is a very good thing indeed.
I hope my students enjoy what I have planned for tomorrow…an intro to our next unit…inference…
I always have good intentions to work on my lesson plans on Saturday and not put things off until Sunday.
Then…I find myself sleeping in…until 11am or so.
Those of you with young children, drool if you wish. I was once in your shoes…getting up early to fix Cheerios and turn on the cartoons.
I’ve paid my dues.
Plus, I’m a former SAHM who is back in the workforce.
But I digress.
My students could, hopefully, tell you what that word means. It was one of their vocabulary words.
Anyhoo…
Saturdays come, and I find myself e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d, unable to even get out of my jammies once I do get out of bed.
Before I know it, Sunday has arrived.
Lately, I’ve been sleeping in on Sundays too.
Shame on me, I know.
Sigh.
Alas, though, once I do get up, I do the Sunday Scramble.
There’s nothing like a deadline…i.e. classes full of children who need to be educated…to call me into action.
That is why, all of a sudden, I found this in front of me…
Oh, it was u-g-l-y, let me tell you.
I had a folder full of activities and, quite honestly, I just could not decide which ones I was going to have my students do.
It all went back to my objectives for the week.
I am going to finish up Author’s Purpose with my students, and we are also working on “sed,” “sess,” and “sid” affixes.
I thought and thought and thought.
I copied, scanned, and copied again.
I typed center instructions and placed them into clear sleeves.
I remembered my lesson from last week…when I did not number the stations and had no clue which group had worked on which station, so I created this hand-done sheet…
It’s all shorthand that I understand.
First off, I decided to copy another teacher and create two sets of three stations…hence the two columns of numbers. The goal is to allow students two opportunities to complete each station. Last week, I discovered that we simply cannot get three rotations done each day, so I’m just doing the best I can. I figure that Fridays can be catch-up days. Students tend to finish some activities quicker than others, and I can always use the computers and magazine activities for fill-ins if needed.
Going back to my picture above…
The AP stands for Author’s Purpose. My students will be writing paragraphs that inform, persuade, and entertain…using trail mix packages that I’m going to give them to eat and write about.
It should be a fun activity.
They’re also going to be making fortune tellers to help them review their vocabulary words.
Do you remember these from school?
Here’s a “how-to” I found on Google…
It’s a handy little foldable that can be used for multitudes of purposes and any content area. Shoot. You could even use them to help children learn Bible verses!
Anyhoo, I think my students will enjoy making these. They will write their vocabulary words on the outside flaps. On the insides, they will create questions and write the answers under those flaps. I’m going to have them draw pictures on the inside to illustrate their vocabulary words…for those who are visual learners.
My last center is an Author’s Purpose packet. It’s a packet of reading passages with comprehension questions. Two of the passages are “Must Do,” and they can select one of the “Choice” passages to complete as the third component of this assignment. I’m planning on sitting with each group as they work on these for differentiated instruction time.
With all of that said and done, my stuff is now in bags in the car, and my table looks a lot better…
I’m hoping that with my stations for the week complete, I might just be able to knit a round or two on the project you see on the table. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve knit, and my hands are beginning to itch with anticipation.
Or, I might just do the Sunday Scramble this week so next weekend I can relax and really enjoy my days off.
Oh, who am I kidding. I fear that I’ll be doing the Sunday Scramble for a few more years…until I fill my filing cabinet and binders with loads of lesson plans that I can pull from.
On Monday, I finally took the plunge and, with my friend, Barb’s, help, I began training my students on how to work in their guided reading stations.
If you’ve worked in or volunteered at an elementary school, you will probably be familiar with the “centers” that students rotate through. This allows the teacher to work with small groups of students, targeting specific learning abilities in reading and math instruction.
Intensive reading students in middle and high school also go through rotations.
I’d never taught this way before, so that’s why this week has been such a huge thing for me.
I worked all weekend to get my baskets ready…
I worked with each class to develop expectations and rules that will, once everyone is trained, serve the purpose that the reading framework is intended to accomplish…
Another teacher suggested the roles that you see on the poster. Brilliant idea, don’t you think?! I just love collaborating with other teachers!!!
Barbara began coming into my third period class to assist me. This class is my largest and rowdiest.
Monday afternoon, we had a sit-down, and she shared some observations.
Two things had stood out immediately:
1) Two-thirds of my class are males
2) Students had to sit for over an hour before we began stations
It’s no wonder I’ve been having so many problems with this class! They’re boys, and they can’t sit for long periods of time.
Yeah, I was feeling a little dumb at that point.
We decided to change the order of items on my daily agenda. Rather than having students sit through bellwork, independent reading, read aloud, then whole group instruction, they would be sitting through the first two things, a very short instructional time, and then stations. I moved the read aloud to the last five minutes of class.
This is what students saw when they walked in on Tuesday…
So far, I’ve taught three days with this new schedule, and things seem to be going a little better.
Typically, reading teachers pull students to the kidney-shaped tables in their rooms to work on individual skills. Although I’m not pulling students yet, I’ve been working my way around the room, providing training/instruction as I go…readying my students for when I release more of the control to them.
Even in the midst of my going from group to group, Barbara suggested that I am, in fact, providing the differentiated instruction…just in a different way. I’m going TO my students rather than calling THEM to ME.
Hey. Whatever works, eh?
Although I’ve been a bit self-conscious about having Barbara in the room while I actually conduct my lesson (she and I are close friends, and she even won teacher of the year for our school district a few years ago), I’ve found her to be an excellent sounding board. She gives me suggestions while being positive. She’s helping me keep my instructional time focused on the goal…helping my students improve their overall reading skills while weeding out unnecessary or tedious lessons.
This is such a humbling experience, let me tell you.
Once again, I’m reminded of how much fine-tuning this profession requires.
I will say, though, that watching my students finally be engaged during the ENTIRE class period has both encouraged and inspired me. Sometimes the things that look most difficult can, in fact, be the things that are the most fun and rewarding.
Joyce has some Valentine-themed questions for us this week, so join in the fun, why don’t ya?!
1. What is something you are loving right now?
I am loving having Rooster home from school. You might remember that he graduated early. He’s looking for a job, but he still has plenty of free time on his hand…time that I cannot let go to waste.
Hence…the dreaded TO-DO list!! Basically, Rooster has become my housekeeper! And the best part? He works for free!!!
2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?
As a history buff, I would most like to visit Rome. Oh, the joy that would fill my soul if I could travel across that history-filled city with all of its museums and, well, “old-ness.”
3. Are you a romantic?
Simply put, no. I’m very practical and just don’t care about lovey dovey stuff.
4. What’s your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?
I’m not a huge fan of romance movies. Someone either dies or the couples just can’t figure things out, and that drives me nuts. With that said, my favorite movie is Gone With the Wind, which has the timeless romance of Scarlett and Rhett. I can watch the movie with the satisfaction of knowing, from having read Scarlett, the sequel, that Scarlett grows up and finds her way back to her guy.
5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends…which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.
What a fun little quiz! Here are my results…
I’m shocked at how well this describes me!!!
6. What’s the best chocolate something you’ve ever eaten?
Ahhh…I’ve blogged about this before…it’s the Caramel Chocolixer that can be purchased at Godiva stores…
7. Share a favorite quote about love.
Romans 5:8
New International Version (NIV)
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
8. My Random Thought
A lot of you have been blogging for a while now, just as I have, so you’ll understand what I mean when I say that it’s not uncommon for your bloggy friends to pop into your head at random times throughout the week.
I was at Walmart yesterday when I spied a clearance endcap. As I took a look at the stuff, I couldn’t help but chuckle as I spied Belle items. My friend, Rebecca, is a little obsessed with this Beauty and the Beast heroine. I so want to meet Rebecca one day (and this is not a stalker thing, so don’t get creeped out. We’ve been bloggy friends for a few years now.)
Another recent instance when I thought of a bloggy friend was when I came across this in Sam’s…
I was instantly reminded of one of Joyce’s questions last week and just had to take a picture. It seems that, ever since posting that set of Hodgepodge questions, I keep running into this color!!! It truly is the color of the season!!
As an intensive reading teacher, I am tasked with the responsibility of working with my students individually to help them strengthen weak reading comprehension skills.
Studies have proven that the more individualized instruction a student receives, the more that student improves.
Hence, guided reading centers…
A frightening prospect for someone who likes a routine and concrete order.
Today will be my first day training my students, although, in reality, I’ve been training them to work on group activities so I can spend quality time with individual students.
I present to you my whiteboard…busy as it is…with the agenda for the day…
I’ll provide whole group instruction with paired partner practice work.
Then, the big moment, when we start passing baskets of activities.
It’s going to take some getting used to, and the timing will be challenging at first.
I’m confident, though, that with the assistance of my friend (who happens to be the school’s literacy coach) as well as the other more experienced reading teachers, I’ll do much better than had I would have had I been left to my own devices.
AuburnChick's Adventures 