Summer is coming to a close

How many times do teachers say, "Oh yes! It's SUMMER TIME BABY!" and then after they get to sleep in for a week, it's all like, "Hmm, what do I do now?"

This happened to me this summer. In fact this is what I accomplished:

1. The week after school was over I took a very long gifted class.
2. Slept in - EVERY day after that. Except for the week I helped my best friend move!
3. Went nowhere in particular. No fancy trips. Nothing but stayed home.
4. Missed my classroom. Wheels were turning about how to re-organize things again Pinterest!
5. Secretly enjoyed having nothing that I "had" to do.
6. Got back into my art and drawing passion. Drew 4 really exciting 11 x 14 doodles. Then was inspired to open an Etsy store to sell more work. Then updated my Lindsey's Design Studio artist page social networking on Facebook. 
7. Then enjoyed watching YouTube videos. Then updating my cover art there too!
8. Finally realized I needed to promote my TEACHING Facebook page so people can share creative ideas! And my TeachersPayTeachers PFT store.

Basically, I've had a very productive nonproductive summer. Clearly, I've had a lot going on in my head. I have many passions and I always get random bursts of inspiration for a little bit and then I come back to it at other times. It was a wonderful feeling to re-explore my passion of creating art (it became buried to the bottom of the list since I started teaching). Then becoming inspired to create my own design for both my teaching and art loves.  

Here's hoping that, even with all the change this school year, I will stay organized and inspire my students too. And, above all else, not overly stress over nonsensical things. Life is quite a journey! 

End of the YEAR --> 2014-2015

Teachers can feel that sigh of relief when:

1. Your students are ready to move on to the next grade level
2. Your classroom is all "cleaned" and packed up
3. You complete all the things on your checklist
4. And, you can finally take a moment to realize all your hard work, stress, and passion has made a difference and now you can finally relax. Well, until you start professional development by starting gifted classes next week.

I have enjoyed the past two years at SLE (Shadowlawn Seahawks)! I feel like with my first two years in the bag, I can now focus on what I want to improve for next year. I also have a million resources that I may need to start going through to make room for the "NEW"... Hopefully I will continue to stay organized. Honestly, I'm glad that I HAVE TO have everything in a particular way (might be a little OCD) because if I didn't keep things together, I would have stuff flying out of cabinets!!


Here is to change! I have LOVED working with the same 4th grade team for two straight years. This picture shows that we "rocked" the FCAT in 2013-14 and made it through the first year 2014-15 with FSA testing. Our team works so well together and we truly are a school family. It has been a journey for me to join these incredible ladies. Now we have some transitions: we will have three new teachers join the 4th grade team, one of us is moving up to teach fifth, and our lovely team leader is leaving our school. Mixed emotions: happy for them but sad to see them go. I think change is going to be a good thing! I am hopeful and excited to see what next year has to offer. I feel like I am meant to be at my school with these students. The staff at SLE is different because we are like a community. I'm proud to be a part of this school. I'm ready for a break for now though!! ;)

Let the 4th grade teacher handle it

Nicely put shirt! Teachers are the first to admit that we are not perfect, even though we sometimes try to be. I have passion and enthusiasm every day, even on days where work is that last place I want to be. Sometimes I even think, "Why did I choose to be a teacher, why do I put extra hours in, or why do I care this much?"

There are so many posts about the hard work teachers have to endure every day. This is not a rant and rave about the crazy amounts of work teachers have. This is a reminder that sometimes I need to take a step back and remember that even though this might not be a stress-free job, there are 3 things I remind myself:

1. I actually HAVE a job and I make a difference in the lives of many children (that moment when you connect with your class is incredible).
2. Teaching helps me grow as a learner too (maybe I don't have memory loss after all).
3. It keeps me on my toes (even though my feet hurt) and allows me to constantly share my own knowledge.

Yes teachers should be recognized for doing what we do. But we are not doing our job for the money (I'd happily accept a daily bonus!!) Speaking from experience, teachers have A LOT to deal with on a daily basis and we are constantly being thrown more to put on our plate. But at the end of the day, I feel like I can handle anything. It gives me a sense of power and accomplishment. I am proud to call myself a teacher because I truly have experienced what that means.

So the next time you run into a teacher at the store, or if your own child has a conference at school, please remember to thank a teacher. It is such a wonderful moment when you feel appreciated for spending every moment of your life trying to change someone else's.

Classroom Management

I wanted to create a classroom environment where my students are excited and ready to learn. Here are a few things I have implemented in my classroom:

1. Class Dojo

Benefits:

• Has a built in TIMER for those times you want to use one in your lesson or keep them on task for a specific amount of time. (I use it as part of my morning routine)
• Keeps the students engaged by MONITORING BEHAVIOR. Sounds will go off for positive and negative points.
• Tracks behavior DATA to show the parents during those fun parent teacher conferences or student meetings.
• EASY TO USE! Even if you are not a technology guru, you can use this website! It is a stress-free reward system so you won't have to write down who was good/bad that day.
• APP for mobile devices. (I walk with my phone in the hallways and award points for specific students in line. Or I control it if I am away from my computer.)

How I Use Class Dojo:
I've found this is the best way to keep my students engaged! It is FREE to create an account and easy to use. First, you set up a class by making a list of your students. I did this for my "homeroom" students. It will give you a code to print out so the students can update their avatar on the screen. You can also print out parent codes/letters for them to stay connected with their child's behavior that day in class. Since my school departmentalizes for math and science, I have shared my class with the math teacher (and visa versa). This allows me to add or take away points for any student I teach at any time of the day. The best part is when you want to randomly select a student to see if they are on task. They hear a timer and it selects a name. If they are on task it gives them a positive point *DING or a negative point *BONG if they are off task. It always makes the class go super quiet so they are listening for the positive sound! Sometimes I choose to keep the screen hidden so they don't see who is awarded the points. But it is also nice for them to see how many points they have earned that day/week. The great thing about this is it calculates the total points for EVERY student. This way I can keep track of what students have a certain amount of points.


Why would my students WANT to earn points? At the end of the week/month (it depends) I allow them to spend or save their points. If they save their points, they know they will get to "buy" awesome prizes at the end of the quarter. If they choose to spend their points, I have a treasure chest (read below) labeled 25, 50, 75, and 100 points. They get to look at the rewards chart and choose if they want to earn a prize from the bin or save their points. They know the more points they have, the better the rewards they can get. This keeps my class focused and working hard!

2. Treasure Chest

Benefits:

• Rewards good behavior!
• Keeps my students excited about learning!
• Easy to manage! (depending on how you want to use for your class)

How I Use My Treasure Chest:











I created labels for my 4-drawer organizer to separate the points. The higher the points the better the rewards! I started by finding a few things from the dollar store or target "dollar section" and placed them in the bin. I also have decided to let it gradually run low so I don't have to replace anything. I use a chart to let the students decide how they want to spend their points. If you don't want to buy items to put in a treasure box then you might like the chart I use:

Or you can use this idea and roll with it. Check out my TPT store for a template you might like.

3. Table Group Points
Benefits:

• Gives cooperative learning a chance to thrive.
• Instead of individual students being praised, it gives the WHOLE group a point.
• Easy to keep track of!

How I Use Table Points:
I like to award my groups for working together. I created a template that I laminated (or put in a sheet protector) and posted it on the whiteboard. It is a way to TALLY points for each group I have in the classroom. For example: If all the groups are ready with materials everyone gets a point. If one group was talking instead of taking out their materials, no point. The group with the highest amount of points gets a special reward. It could be: come in for lunch with the teacher, first to get to the treasure box, etc. That all depends on what you think would be an appropriate reward. I have usually done the lunch with teacher every other week. It is such a motivating reward because they students LOVE to come in for lunch and watch kidsnippets videos or listen to music while they eat their lunch.

You can customize this to fit your needs. But it really is simple and works great! Grab this FREE printable from my TPT store and enjoy!

More photos coming soon!

Teacher's Edition

First Day/Week of School (Teacher's Edition)

          I have to start at the beginning. Well, not the beginning of time but the beginning of my journey into the real world of education. Just imagine... graduating early with higher honors and then getting hired right away as a long-term substitute teacher. It was a fantastic feeling! Then summer comes along and I finally get to apply for teaching jobs. The only problem was, no one was hiring. I sent at least 50 applications to any elementary school who was asking for teachers. And what do I get in return... no response or worse the generic email saying you have not been considered for an interview at this time. Summer was tough but I didn't give up. It was getting closer to August and I kept applying. I figured someone, sooner or later, would be in need of a teacher. Then I finally received one phone call for an interview. I nearly jumped out of my skin! But to top it off, my best friend (also new to the teaching field) got the same interview. However, I wanted this job more than anything and was willing to prove I had what it takes. A day goes by and no phone call but I had to relax.Then I hear my phone ring, I got a call back saying we want YOU and this is what you need to do to get ready for the school year.  She was so enthusiastic to have me as part of the team, I barely got a word in. I couldn't be more thrilled to be offered the chance to show my school what I can do. Of course I went "a little" crazy and came in to set up my classroom as soon as I possibly could. It took at least a full week, with some help from a few friends and family. But I was ready, even though my room didn't feel complete.

The pre-school week (for us teachers that's a term for the week before school starts) flew right on by. It was full of meetings, conferences, trainings, room set-up, and meeting the staff. Now the nerves and excitement begins. The time is here and I am filled with complete and utter bliss. It is my FIRST day of school, well as a teacher in my own classroom. Yes, I have worked with students in other classrooms, completed two wonderful internships, and was a long-term substitute teacher... but I have never had A CLASSROOM OF MY VERY OWN. I was so ready for this moment that my heart was going to explode out of my chest. I couldn't believe this day had finally come. My moment to shine and create lasting memories with my students had finally arrived!

My team (which including me, consisted of 4 people) made me feel welcome and encouraged me to ask questions if I needed. When I got to school, I made sure I was there early so I could get myself ready for the day. I took a deep breath, turned the key to my door, and started up my computer. Then I made sure I didn't have any faculty meetings or important emails. So far I was in the clear. Then I pulled up my PowerPoint for the first week of school. I was ready. But then it hit me, I am going to meet MY students. When the bell rang students and parents were coming into the room, taking out school supplies, and hugging each other. They looked nervous but I was surprisingly calm. When I looked at my attendance sheet I saw there were more people in my classroom than on my list. So I called out the names and saw who I didn't call. I had one student from another grade level mistakenly in my classroom and two new students. At the end of the day I had 18 students altogether.

I went through telling the students to be excited because this was going to be a great year. I gave them all a newsletter "Meet the Teacher" so they could learn a little about me and let them complete a creative writing piece about their summer. Throughout the day I referenced the PowerPoint so the students could learn the rules and routines of the classroom. And they picked up on things very quickly. Even faster than I'd expected! I started to think this class was too good to be true, but then I remembered it was only the first day of school. Then more days went by and we got to know each other. I was able to see my over-achievers (students like myself) and those who were my low babies. The week went by and I had a wonderful group of 4th graders. I'm not just saying that. My kiddos were learning the rules, respecting each other, and listening to me. My principal even stopped by to see how things were going. The students had smiles on their faces and were working nicely together. I thought this is how teaching should be and I couldn't have had a better first week!

All in all, I would have to say my first day was perfect. I even got to read them First Day Jitters and show them a mysterious bag filled with my treasures. I had a storm of emotions washing over me and the predominant one was fulfillment. My dream was to be a successful and passionate teacher so I could motivate my students to do their absolute best. I had high expectations for my students and I knew they were going to do extraordinary things with me this year. My classroom even had an atmosphere that was welcoming and full of mutual respect. You could walk in and feel the warmth and excitement all around. At the end of the week my students hugged me, waved goodbye, and one said, "Ms. Stephenson, I have a feeling you are going to be the best teacher I've ever had. I love you already!" This thought lingered for a moment. I responded, "No, I have a feeling you are going to be an amazing student. I know you will work hard and make me proud! Now your job is to go home and tell your family all about your first week of school." As I finished waving to the buses, I knew my kids were safely on their way home and I could leave knowing they were ready and, of course, happy! I believe this perfect ending happened because of a spectacular first day of school!

Now the fun begins. Week one, check! Week two...