Mission Complete!

I put in some very long hours this week but I think it was all worth it!!! Parent Teacher Conferences were last night. School dismissed at 1pm and parents started coming at 2. While 1 hour sounds like a lot of time it really wasn't. I had so much going on during the 1/2 day of school I just needed a moment to collect my thoughts. I think yesterdays half day with students was one of the more stressful day's I have had this school year. NOTHING seemed to be going in my direction. One student spent quite a bit of time in the office, I had 4 safe seats, lunch duty and recess duty. It just didn't seem like it would ever end. After a little melt down from the day I was ready to greet and talk with 15 parents!

The conferences went great! I was finished with my last conference at 7:40pm, 12 hours and 40 minutes after I had arrived! It was one LONG day! By the time I packed up my stuff it was 8pm before I left school and I returned to my house exactly 14 hours after my departure time.

I had 100% attendance and all the conferences went amazing! I have some really great kids and parents at my school. The entire evening I kept thinking about last years experience at parent teacher conferences and how much I have grown as a teacher. I really feel I am in the right school for me. I am able to grow as a teacher, I get constant feed back from my principal, and the parents are supportive.

I hope your parent teacher conferences went well or will go well! I am now off to enjoy this very long 4 day break from students. It couldn't have came at a better time!

It's my favorite time of the year....

I think the title might be a HUGE lie! lol I am preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences and trying my hardest to get all grades up and into the online gradebook.

No mater how long you have been teaching, when you move to a different school you have a NEW computer program to learn....ugh! I think I might have it all figured out but sometimes I wonder if all that hard work isn't in the program the correct way.

I have my 1st conference on Wednesday and then 15 on Thursday between 1 and 8pm. I think I can handle my 2nd year of PTC but I am still nervous about the parent meetings. I know my students have been working hard so I shouldn't have much to worry about. Today I put in a 12 hour workday at school. I felt like I had so much to get done/prepare that I just didn't get out of school until 7pm! I am sure all this crazy work will pay off on Friday!!! Friday I get a nice rewarding break which will involve sleeping in! awwww!

Tomorrow my goal is to get ALL the grades entered online and then begin to fill out the oh-so important grade cards!  I hope you all are getting ready for your favorite time of the year! :)

A Few of my Favorite Things!

I am really starting to feel at home in the 4th grade classroom. I love my job even with the challenges that are thrown my way daily. Here are some of my FAVORITE items in my classroom.

WARNING!

If you don't have a magnetic white board/chalk board please do not read all of it. I promise you will be extremely jealous (and I don't want that to happen). Don't worry, I was once that teacher that didn't have a magnetic whiteboard and it was not my favorite.

 

These 3 items (up close on the right) are the best things ever created! I think I would be lost without those things. As you can see they are magnetic and stay right on my whiteboard beside my Smartboard. So what are these amazing items?

 

1) Magnetic eraser! I use this a lot throughout the day because I love writing on the white board and it very convenient to grab the eraser.

 

2) Timer! I use this at least 12 times a day. It is magnetic and stays in place. I know exactly where it is located and my kids know where to look if the need to know how much time is left for them to work. I also love that is will count up and down!

 

3) Recycled container that holds the sticks with the kids names on them. I just made this item and it has proven to be a life saver!

 

 The calendar is all ready for the upcoming events in October! Look at the 3 very important dates (green and pink sticky notes).

This is Stan the 4th grade skeleton. He is the official meter stick and yard stick holder! This skeleton was found in my closet the first time I went to my classroom. Stan goes great for Halloween decorations and my closet can actually close now that Stan is out!

Marcia Tate

On Monday we had professional development the entire district went to Northwest to see Marcia Tate speak. She was amazing!!! I learned so much and when I left I was fired up about teaching. I had never been to an outside of school professional development speaker, so it was a wonderful 1st time experience.

10 things I learned on Monday...

1) A person needs 12 positive interactions each day (kids who come from difficult homes may only get those 12 positives while at school so make their day worth it!)

2) Playing music as your students come in each morning is a great way to get the day started.

3) Natural colors work best in a classroom (brown, blue, and tan)

4) EVERYONE needs a purpose - make sure your students have a purpose each day.

5) Brains in today's schools are different so you need to find ways to connect to the "new" brain.

6) Students can only focus for 1 minute for their age (example 12 years old = 12 minutes of focus) so you need to have a variety of different activities planned so students don't loose focus while in the lesson.

7) Having a peer greet students at the door with the teacher can reduce bulling (I am starting this one next week!)

8) Self-helplessness is a condition not a disorder but you can work with a student and parents to help create a better attitude towards learning.

9) Laughter is good in the classroom as long is it is not sarcasm young minds don't understand and accept sarcasm well.

10) Yelling doesn't grow dendrites.

If you want to know more about Marcia Tate check out her website! If you ever have a chance to hear her speak you should take it! Monday was such a great day!!!

Awww how I love teaching.

Things in the 4th grade world are going very well. Today (Monday) we had no school. While I would like to say that I was able to enjoy it however I pleased this is not the case. We had professional development and listened to the amazing Marsha Tate speak! I felt so empowered and energized from her speaking. I think I could take on the the worlds problems!

She had some great insight and really gave valuable tips for making your classroom function. She is very similar to Harry Wong. Both of them are my heroes! SON has been going very well in 4th grade. Last week was one of the best weeks I have had since starting 4th grade. I have constant reminders that I have put the procedures in place and that my expectation are achievable! I keep  working and soon my 4th graders will be independent people ready for success in 5th grade (that's my goal!)

A student who is currently using the MotiVator is doing very well. He completed a math test in 45 minutes on Thursday without his timer. That is a HUGE accomplishment for him. A student who has visited the principals office many times is starting to coop himself and using the techniques that his councilor is giving him. This is also a huge accomplishment. He has not had to visit the office for 2 weeks (we are working in the right direction). I also have eliminated many "time wasters" and started to time my students on small tasks. It has become a competition and goes extremely well for my group of kidos!

I am extremely proud of myself and my students. I am seeing improvement in the class behavior, their ability to be on task and their desire to talk when I am talking. I am excited for the month of October and to see what great things are waiting for my 4th graders! :) I know that I will be putting in place many things that Marsha discussed today and I know that my students will love them!!!!! :)