Valentine's Day: Elementary Edition

It was my first Valentine's Day as a second grade teacher, and I survived! AND I actually loved it! We had a box decorating contest, passed out our valentines, and had such a fun party thanks to my awesome moms.

First, my mom was in town for a little less than a week, so I took advantage! She came in and helped me with this cute door. Each student had a heart with their hand showing the "I love you" sign, and they wrote something or someone that they loved on it. A couple of them said they loved their teacher. Awwww…. :)

I also had to make the kids valentines, of course! With some help from Pinterest, I created some that I was pretty proud of. I bought dollar store bubbles (three in a pack…a steal!) and blow pops. I used Washi tape to tape the blow pops onto the bubbles, and printed out adorable labels for the bubbles! "You make my heart POP!" 

I LOVE my kiddos!

Behavior Chart Conundrums

In the teaching world, everyone who's anyone has an opinion about behavior charts. "It's the only think that will keep kids in line,"some will say. Others think that charts show your authority, showing kids who's boss. Some educators think that charts are too public, and changing cards or moving clips will humiliate and embarrass the students, making them feel unsafe in the classroom. On Pinterest there are posts about "Why I got rid of my clip chart and you should too". Even in college I was taught that there are a million other different and better ways to manage your class.

But guess what? I tried them.
Guess what else? None of them worked.

I tried taking away privileges. I tried recess time, individually and whole class. I tried individual rewards. I tried over the top and out of this world praise. But nothing stuck.

I was taught to hate clip charts so much that it was January- halfway through the year- before I considered it as an option. But I was out of other options, so I bit the bullet.

And let me tell you…

I put up the clip chart last week and it has CHANGED OUR CLASSROOM LIVES.

These kids now sit in power positions. They RAISE THEIR HANDS- which is a huge deal, hence the all caps. They ask to get out of their seats. They don't talk during writing time. They even walk better in line, just in case I see them and tell them to change their clip when they get back because guess what (again)?!

The clip chart has positive options. They can move UP. For some reason, they love it. It's unspoken praise, visual proof to the rest of the class that they are doing so awesome. And I let them brag. Because they're second graders, but also because their bragging makes the other kids want to move up too.

They all want to get to "Outstanding" by the end of the day. Because you wanna know what they get if they make it all the way up there? Wait for it…..

A skittle. ONE. SKITTLE.

It's magic, folks.

So do I believe in the clip chart satanic voodoo anymore? Not at all. You have to know your students. My kids don't get embarrassed by anything for some strange reason, so I knew we wouldn't have to public humiliation issue. It's actually beneficial for the kids to know where their classmates are. You have to know what motivates your class. This is it for mine, and I wish I would have started it sooner!

LOVING Listening

In our school district, the students come in two groups, A.M. and P.M. However, it's not the typical A.M. and P.M. that you would think of, like in kindergarten. Instead, I have half the class come at 8:00, and the other half comes at 9:15. The students who came at 8 leave earlier at 2:15. The students who came at 9:15 stay until 3:30. This is just so that we get small group literacy time, which is uh-maze-ing. You just ease in and out of your day. I mean I'm here from 7:30 to 4:00…but who's counting?

During these small group times, we do our literacy centers. And believe me, even with only 13 kids centers can get wild. So what does a teacher do when she wants her class to quiet down? Create a listening center!

And I'm in LOVE. It's working. They're quiet. And busy. It's lovely.

I bought this little table at Ikea that took approximately 4.5 minutes to build. I bought the little rug so they can sit at/around it, also from Ikea. We only have three or four people per group, so command hooks are holding the headphones (on the side of my desk- talk about multipurpose!). The stereo is underneath, as well as the drawers holding the books, CDs, and response papers. It's the perfect little setup. 

I taught the kiddos how to use the stereo and how everything should look when they are finished, and they have yet to disappoint! I'm a proud mama/teacher. But sometimes they really do call me mom so…

Below are pictures of the center, as well as the response paper that we are using. Thank goodness for Pinterest and TPT, right?

Click HERE for this response sheet

Anchor Chart Madness

I told you I'm addicted. 

I used to feel so bad that my classroom didn't have cute posters all over it. But the teacher store ones weren't cute enough, and the ones that were over the top adorable on Pinterest needed to be printed in color and we can only print in black and white. Talk about a bummer. 

So I started making anchor charts. And never stopped. And let me tell you, these other teachers are jealous of my anchor charts. They come admire my work while I go, "Oh, no, it's nothing…I just threw it together". (Usually that's actually true for lack of planning, but that's another story…..)

So here you have it. Anchor charts. In between kids forgetting underwear, hitting each other, and giggling through what are supposed to be educational videos. Just a day in the life around here. We're just trying to get through the day.


Also, this isn't quite an anchor chart, but it did turn out pretty cute. It's amazing what some butcher paper can do for ya. Eventually it will get laminated, but I'm always to anxious to get it up to wait.

A Look into my Classroom

Everyday brings a little progress with it. A lot of times, I feel like the progress was actually just papers swirling everywhere across the room, but everything can be cleaned. I've decided it doesn't really matter what it looks like as long as the kids are learning. (I do still try to make it semi-cute though). So here's a peek at a  few things!

When the kids come in first thing in the morning, they put their homework folders on either side. "Early Birds" come to school at 8:00 and "Later Gators" join us at 9:15.

This is a work in progress for our morning and afternoon centers. It will get there. Someday. I hope.

This is my organization station, meaning it's SUPPOSED to be. I try to place papers in the bins for each day's activities, but it's a lofty goal. It looks this way the majority of the time.

 We have a garden/insect theme in our class, so each table has an insect. This is how we keep track of table points. 

 And on the other side of the board, we have our schedule because second graders are notorious for thinking that you are going to forget what time recess is or accidentally skip lunch or that you don't know what time to go to music. So this was to eliminate questions, however most of them still as regardless. Gotta love them.

 Our voice level chart that we can change stays up at all times. The clip moves and their voices do (should) too. 

 And last but not least, our library. The grey rug is heaven. We have lots of arguments about who gets to sit where during reading. But at least they want to read…? That's what I've been telling myself.

More to come soon enough! We have Pumpkin Walk this week, which is kind of like a pumpkin patch that our school puts on. It's quite the community affair. We set it all up today and took pictures…you'll want to see it!

I Have a Confession...

I'm an anchor chart freak. It kinda makes me hate myself. And love myself. I'm not sure which is worse. These are just a few of my favorites. We usually fill them in together, rather than the entire thing being done by myself beforehand. 

 Nouns came first

Adjectives were next

 Mounted on the wall

 ...and it's October, so why not?

For the last one, the kids wrote adjectives that described pumpkins and attached them to our chart. We just hung it up today next to the other two. I hope I'm not too anchor chart happy, but I do feel like they add a little life and personality to our classroom. And they're free. And interchangeable. It's the simple things that make my teacher heart happy.

12/14/12

Nothing really matters today.  I can't focus on anything for very long.  My heart and my head keep going back to these children in Connecticut.  For the last hour and a half, all I could do was cry.  I choked out how awful the shooter was and how sad it all is a few times.  But mostly, just cried and cried.  It's all so hard to imagine, but so easy to feel.

These kids went to school this morning thinking it was a normal day.  I can just envision their faces as their teachers told them they were under lockdown, as the fear and tears set in.  I can imagine the feeling of responsibility and terror that the teachers were faced with as they fearlessly led students through the school and to safety.  And I can painfully imagine the grief that everyone is flooded with, whether student, teacher, parent, brother, sister, or friend.

I know why bad things happen to good people.  That is never a question that I have been faced with.  I have been taught that God has a plan.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people so that they can move on to what he has planned for them.  However, I have never understood is why bad things happen to children. I know that he has a plan, but it just seems wrong.  These kids did nothing to deserve to suffer.  They were innocent and pure.  Then someone came and decided everything for them.  He decided that they wouldn't have anymore play dates or any new friendships.  He decided that they wouldn't go to high school and they wouldn't get a diploma.  They wouldn't go to college, or get married, or have kids.  And he had no right to make any of those decisions.

Then I think of the parents.  You don't have to be a parent to know that their pain and suffering is immense. Their grief will last far too long and never fully subside.  Their families are now incomplete.  They will always have a void in their lives and a hole in their hearts.  Christmas is now the hardest time of the year for them. They have presents for these children that will never be opened.  They will ask themselves time and time again why they dropped their child off at school today.  And it will take them years to realize that this was out of their control.

And of course, as a future educator, I think of the teachers. Their love for those kids gave them the adrenaline rush and courage that they needed to save lives.  They are true heroes.  I fear that the aftermath of this shooting will change teachers and frighten them.  I hope that they can remember why they do what they do.  It is all about the children.  My heart aches for teachers that will have students missing from their classrooms, or students that no longer have a teacher.  I have always wanted to be a teacher, but now it is my greatest desire.  I know, without a doubt, that I would do anything for my students.

This is a tragedy. This man has ruined so many lives, and it seems impossible to see anything other than evil. But when you look a little deeper, there is a silver lining: these children are with their Heavenly Father.  He has welcomed each of them with open arms.  They are free from pain and suffering and they know that they can be reunited with their families someday.  We have been blessed with this knowledge of the plan of salvation, and I hope these families can someday attain this knowledge as well.

In the midst of tragedy, we cannot fear.  We must remember that despite the evil in the world, there is opposition in all things.  There are good people.  There are helping hands.  There are neighbors and communities banding together to support one another.  We are blessed.  I am blessed.  I have my faith, my friends, and most importantly my family, and I am so grateful.