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You are here: Home / Archives for Real Talk

I’m allergic to dust.

July 15, 2014 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 3 Comments

It’s a good thing blogs can’t collect dust, because I’m allergic and this one would be covered. I think by now we’ve established that my time management skills outside of my classroom leave a little to be desired!
I was so busy this year fulfilling my many roles that every time I sat down to blog {or finish one of the nine million projects I have for TpT} I fell asleep. No joke — life with a newborn while commuting, teaching, being a team leader, and creating meant several times a week I’d fall asleep in my office!
Luckily it’s summer, and while I’m still teaching {first time doing summer school and I *puffy heart* love it!}, I’m getting back into the groove of being a better blogger!
If you follow me over on Instagram {if you don’t, you SHOULD! I do things like smell new scents of Mr. Sketch markers so you don’t have to!} you’ve probably seen a few of these, but if you haven’t, this was the 2013-2014 school year in a nutshell!
I started the year off with a new alphabet {soon to be in my store — see, yet another project I never posted!} and a still-color-filled room. I even managed to paint my focus wall Oz-green. I somehow did not take a picture. D’oh.
My little guys kept growing and I started missing them like crazy. TMI-alert: I also spent WAY too much time in my classroom bathroom pumping. I think I calculated I spent 90+ hours this school year doing that (not during my contract time).
I won the Red Ribbon Week door decorating contest and got my class a pizza party. And yes, I agree that drugs are despicable, unless they are in fact for a TERRIBLE kidney infection and kidney stones. Then they, and nearly a week off, are SO. TOTALLY. NECESSARY, y’all.
LOTS of math anchor charts were made, and my students came to learn the only way I can remember inequalities (pictured above, right). I don’t know why the alligator thing never worked for me, but it didn’t. Even as an adult if I don’t do the 2 point/1 point method I can’t figure out the inequality. #teacherfail? Maybe.
Christmas Break came and I had never been so thankful in my life. OMG, y’all. The weeks before Christmas were trying enough, but my room flooded with, um, septic materials *gag* and I lost my classroom rugs. *HUGE SADFACE HERE* Those two Christmas cuties and TONS of NY pastries (love our yearly trip to visit family in LI) was TOTALLLLLLY worth the wait and made up for that stinkin’ (literally) flood.
So another reason I never got my resources uploaded, like that “All About Me” book pictured, was because of that little dude. I mean, REALLY. Seriously people, look. at. that. face. Every moment I didn’t *have* to be doing something for school I was doing something with that guy and his older brother. Because really. Look at him!
Oh, did I not mention the Polar Vortex and the million snow days? Including the one on Valentine’s Day (when I received that BEAUTIFUL and totally appropriate mug)? Yeah. Our pacing guide this year was trashed a thousand times over because between the VORTEX. OF. DOOM. and snow. and ice. And more snow. And more ice. We were out of school a total of TWELVE days. TWELVE. Plus TONS of delays. This meant we reduced recess (UGH), added 10 minutes to the school day (DOUBLE UGH), and extended the school year (TRIPLE UGH). The days were nice while they were happening, but… never again. #seriouslynoway
Speaking of days off… Spring Break was spent at the beach, the first time in almost a decade. I live so close, but it’s cost prohibitive to go for a vacation. Because it was the off-season we got a GREAT deal. Love Ocean City. Love it so much. #alsogainedliketwentypounds
We learned about Famous Americans, I got to teach about my favorite person ever (well, one of them — Ms. Susan B.!), and yet again I failed to upload this to TpT. Do you sense a recurring theme? Soon. It’ll be there soon.
After Spring Break we buckled down, did LOTS of opinion writing and started one of my favorite (okay, who am I kidding, they’re all my favorite) social studies units — Native Americans! Pictured are even more things I never uploaded or shared. Go figure, y’all!
Oh, and there was that time when we went to a giant Easter party on the White House lawn. Because clearly, that’s just what you do when you are a teacher! (Our school system was granted some tickets thanks to the generous staff at the White House, and it was the BEST EXPERIENCE EVER. Yes, we waited in line for eons, but everything was well organized, we got healthy snacks, met a ton of William’s favorite characters, and I got to see Mrs. Obama’s garden and bee-hive, which was totally my student’s favorite when I reported back the next morning!)

Behold, the best part of the year. LIFE CYCLE time, y’all! Again, an even larger plethora of things I didn’t upload! But seriously — nothing brings me joy like the discovery and investigation in this unit. This year we saved some of our science/grade level money to purchase monarchs and I might’ve totally jumped up and down when they were delivered (flown overnight from Florida). My kids were OBSESSED, and um, so was I. I look forward to this next year already — I’m thinking more monarchs this time and maybe some black swallowtails, too!
We closed out the year with LOTS of place value practice in math and Ancient Civilizations (oh look, look at that… more un-uploaded units!). The kids were GLUED to learning everything they could about Egypt and China, especially mummies. We totally geeked out and might’ve co-opted our entire language arts blocks to anything related to the two civilizations. Um, that’s cross-curricular learning, right? 😉

Since school let out I’ve been spending some quality time with these dudes, teaching summer school (I know, I know — I just don’t know how to quit working!), and updating my yearly teacher planner. That should be done by the end of the week, and then it’s on to uploading the other nine million things I created this year but never had time to package!
That, ladies and gents, is how to fit an entire year into one blog post.
I’ve got mad skills!

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Classroom Decor, Current Events, Family Fun, Holidays, It's science., Real Talk, Sleep is Overrated, Writing

Classroom Management Real Talk + Giveaway

August 2, 2013 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 7 Comments

If there’s anything I wouldn’t change about my first year in the classroom, it’d be my sometimes epic failures in the areas of classroom management. I’m not sure why, but I’ve been hesitant to gleefully admit defeat in this area. However, after some careful reflection in this area (and re-reading some blog posts on this very topic from some of my favorite teachers, such as this one from The Meek Moose), I’m fine with it.

My classroom management needs a serious overhaul. I know that because of my epic failures, and I’m happy to do something about it because I know that failing is the first step to success as a teacher. Critical reflection and all that!
So here are the top three things I learned, sometimes the hard way last year — that I’m going to work to improve this year:
1) Start early and review often. I completely underestimated the need for procedures. I thought sure, I need them, but do I really need to write them down? Yes. Do I really need to explicitly teach them every day for the first month? Yes. Do I really need to review them multiple times a month — even after I think my kiddos have “mastered it”? Yes. Do I really need to re-write my procedures and re-teach them based upon the changing climate on my classroom? YES.
I could have saved myself so much grief and “managing” of behaviors if I did a better job of teaching procedures, modeling, correcting, and reviewing (until blue in the face). Front-loading those efforts could have made me more effective in the long run, and it 100% without a doubt (of the run out and buy a lottery-ticket variety!) could have reduced “negative” behaviors in my room.
2) Be. Consistent. Ohhhhhh. Oh. Just oh. If there’s anything I regret about my first year, it’s about not being consistent enough — in modeling and correcting procedures/expectations, in applying consequences, etc. If I’m being honest (and my goal here is to be honest), I was so overwhelmed at times by trying to get my sea legs in my own classroom that I lost sight of the importance of consistency.
And just like explicitly teaching and modeling, being consistent in absolutely every area of management could have made my year — and more importantly, my students’ year, so much better.
3) You really can just be positive. Or, as it’s otherwise known, ditch the clipchart and communicate better. (Disclaimer: Clipcharts just might be your thing and work wonderfully for you. No judgment here — this is really and truly about me and my classroom!) I must have gone through three or four clipchart iterations last year, trying to find one that worked. I never did. It’s pretty easy to see why — clipcharts worked well for my students that had excellent behavior because they were always reaping the benefits, but all it did for my students that struggled with making good choices is put them on the defensive and in a sour mood and — you guessed it! — led them to making even worse choices.
I don’t know why, but I was afraid that my classroom would become Lord of the Flies if I focused on the positive, didn’t “clip down to red” multiple students a day, but I was. I was terrified that without the threat of orange/yellow/red or whatever iteration it was that my students wouldn’t be motivated to perform. Boy was I wrong.
So — what does this translate to? This translates to balancing out the equation and sharing the responsibility with my students. I’ll be better equipped to start my students out on a level-playing field this year by being aware of explicitly teaching procedures and expectations, providing supports in consistent application of consequences (communicate, communicate, communicate), and most importantly, ditching the clipchart and learning to love the art (and it is an art!) of praise.
I’ve started this journey to improving my classroom management skill-set with something small — my “rewards” this year. Last year I tried classroom coupons, a treasure box, etc. and nothing felt quite right to me. Enter brag tags. You’ve seen them in various forms — necklaces with cards or tags that recognize a specific moment, trait, or success for students.
Above all this upcoming year, I want to recognize even the smallest of successes — because for some of my students, that small success may be the only success they have that day and building upon that is key. [We’re a PBIS school this year, so this is especially important.] I wanted to find something that could be a year-long “reward” and a source of pride for students, something beyond the five-minute joy of a trip to the prize box. That’s when I settled on Brag Tags.
Miss Nelson has a fabulous set of her version, Behavior Beads, which I’ll be using for sure. But I wanted something to fit my personality as teacher too, and something that goes along with the classroom theme I’ve already got in place.

So I started making these. I wanted to recognize both academic and behavioral successes, so the included tags do just that — in keeping with my Oz-Inspired classroom.
I plan on starting off my students with the “There’s No Place Like Second Grade” tag in a special ceremony the first Friday of school. Every Friday thereafter I plan on awarding additional brag tags to students, recognizing them in front of their peers (with specific praise!), and allowing them to wear their necklaces all day (with lots of pride!). My entire team is implementing Whole Brain Teaching this year, so specific WBT-themed brag tags are next on my to-do list (any requests?).
And if one of my kiddos has an off day? An off week? I won’t have to feel like clipping down is my only (or any, because I won’t have a clipchart) option; I’ll be able to point to their success in a tangible form on their necklace — and give them a “Dream BIG” tag for encouragement — communicate (again and again) my expectations, and work with the student to find a solution.
SO, if you managed to make it through all that (it was seriously cathartic, y’all) I’d like to give away three copies of these brag tags. What did you learn most about classroom management your first years as a teacher? Leave me a comment and I’ll pick three winners Sunday night.

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Giveaway Like It's 1999, Plan-Plan-Plan, Real Talk, Spinning Plates in Classroom Management

About the Author

Sarah Plum(itallo) is a teacher of emerging multilinguals and 21st Century Grant coordinator in Virginia. She writes curriculum for inclusive classrooms and presents professional development on a variety of topics.

Read more about Sarah and her background in education here.

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