Teachers,
Here is your late, weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Thanksgiving —
What a wonderful time to remember all that we are thankful for. So I shall keep this short. Enjoy time with your family. Enjoy the time you have off.
Quote I’m pondering —
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky
What I’m watching —
What Homeless Keep With Them
We have a small population of homeless in our school. This article with accompanying videos put more of a face and background on who we are working with when it comes to the homeless.
Favorite Article This Week —
10 Things High School Teacher Can Learn From Elementary Teachers
This is more of a reminder of all the things you do as an elementary teacher. Nice job.
A Big Thank You —
Thank you. Just Thank you.
I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Being Thankful
Teachers,
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Being Thankful
It is a great time to reflect on being thankful. Halfway through the school year and at the end of the calendar year makes it a great stopping point to reflect. So what am I thankful for? My family. The time we spend together and the opportunity for me to see them grow and progress through their lives. My family send out a Christmas DVD instead of a Christmas card to our siblings and a few friends. It is a montage of pictures that we take through the year. It is a good reminder of what we have done and where we went this year. One of our favorite activities is watching our past Christmas videos and seeing how we have grown through the years. I am thankful for them. They remind me that I am not the center of the universe, they are.
I am thankful for a job that does not seem like a job. I get to have recess every day. What other job does that? I get to work with wonderful people everyday. I get to see where our future will come from and I have to say that even with the problems we have, I see a bright future in our students. I am thankful for students that do not always fit in the same box as other kids. It is those kids that will take us to new places in our world. I am thankful for teachers that give of their time, look for new ways to teach and are willing to do whatever it takes to help students see the light they have never seen and some thought was never possible to see. I am thankful for others that have patience for my shortcomings. I am very thankful for good friends. We always need someone to help us through the times when it seems a little too rough for us, and I have had a few of those times, and friends guide me and, when needed, set me straight. I am truly thankful for life and the opportunity I have to live it. And it is worth living, at all times. So at this time in the year, what are you thankful for? Who are you thankful for?
Quote I’m pondering —
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." ~ Dr. Seuss
What I’m watching —
20 Things We Should Say More Often
I love the kid President videos. They are amazing and this one was a life lesson for me. I try to share corn dogs with my kids often.
Favorite poster This Week —
Life Is Full of Surprises
There are so many people on our way through life that help us or that we don't even know that they notice who we are and what we do. Sometimes we need to take a moment and talk to the people that we see each day and don't recognize. Such a great article. Some many little things that I need to remember.
A Big Thank You —
Thank you everyone for all you did during the Reunification Drill. We appreciate your patience and help to keep the students safe and looked after. Drills can be so boring and unwanted, until there is a time we need it. It only takes one time to need it. Thank you for all your help. Thank you teachers for keeping the classes organized so the students were easy to find for the runners. Thank you runners for being quick and detailed. Thank you information collectors for being so detailed and quick with your job. Thank you everyone. Thank you for being a huge part of making this whole drill run smoothly. Thank you. It is all about keeping students safe in situations that might come up. Thank you.
I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Being Thankful
It is a great time to reflect on being thankful. Halfway through the school year and at the end of the calendar year makes it a great stopping point to reflect. So what am I thankful for? My family. The time we spend together and the opportunity for me to see them grow and progress through their lives. My family send out a Christmas DVD instead of a Christmas card to our siblings and a few friends. It is a montage of pictures that we take through the year. It is a good reminder of what we have done and where we went this year. One of our favorite activities is watching our past Christmas videos and seeing how we have grown through the years. I am thankful for them. They remind me that I am not the center of the universe, they are.
I am thankful for a job that does not seem like a job. I get to have recess every day. What other job does that? I get to work with wonderful people everyday. I get to see where our future will come from and I have to say that even with the problems we have, I see a bright future in our students. I am thankful for students that do not always fit in the same box as other kids. It is those kids that will take us to new places in our world. I am thankful for teachers that give of their time, look for new ways to teach and are willing to do whatever it takes to help students see the light they have never seen and some thought was never possible to see. I am thankful for others that have patience for my shortcomings. I am very thankful for good friends. We always need someone to help us through the times when it seems a little too rough for us, and I have had a few of those times, and friends guide me and, when needed, set me straight. I am truly thankful for life and the opportunity I have to live it. And it is worth living, at all times. So at this time in the year, what are you thankful for? Who are you thankful for?
Quote I’m pondering —
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." ~ Dr. Seuss
What I’m watching —
20 Things We Should Say More Often
I love the kid President videos. They are amazing and this one was a life lesson for me. I try to share corn dogs with my kids often.
Favorite poster This Week —
Life Is Full of Surprises
There are so many people on our way through life that help us or that we don't even know that they notice who we are and what we do. Sometimes we need to take a moment and talk to the people that we see each day and don't recognize. Such a great article. Some many little things that I need to remember.
A Big Thank You —
Thank you everyone for all you did during the Reunification Drill. We appreciate your patience and help to keep the students safe and looked after. Drills can be so boring and unwanted, until there is a time we need it. It only takes one time to need it. Thank you for all your help. Thank you teachers for keeping the classes organized so the students were easy to find for the runners. Thank you runners for being quick and detailed. Thank you information collectors for being so detailed and quick with your job. Thank you everyone. Thank you for being a huge part of making this whole drill run smoothly. Thank you. It is all about keeping students safe in situations that might come up. Thank you.
I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Planning for Substitutes
Teachers,
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Planning for Substitutes —
I was talking with the Community Council on Wednesday afternoon and we were talking safety and a concern came up about how substitutes will know what to do in case of an emergency in a classroom. So I thought about this. I would like for every teacher to put together a Substitute Information page that you can leave out whenever you have a sub. It is page that will not include daily plans, but will include information that a sub might like to know to help run your classroom better. Procedures that are used all the time and are not written into lesson plans. Topics like; procedures during an emergency fire drill or any emergency drill, How do students line up, How you deal with situation in your classroom, procedures for students using chrome books or iPads in the classroom, how you call on students, procedures for specials and PE, and any specific times students go to ELL, Resource, Speech, or other places, How you line up to go to iReady… There are many things that are procedures we see everyday that you might like a sub to know when they come to your room. When you put this list together just print it and put it next to your sub plans when you have a sub. If you would send Anita a copy of the Sub Info also she can print it if there is ever an emergency. The biggest piece of information we would like on this page is what to do in an Emergency. Where to go, how to line up, who to they report to, and anything specific they need to know that will help them through an emergency.
Quote I’m pondering —
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
What I’m watching —
Taylor Mali: What Do Teachers Make?
If you have not seen this, you need to see it. We are in a tough profession and you do an amazing job teaching our little ones.
Favorite Article This Week —
15 Questions to Replace “How Was School Today?
These are great questions to ask our on kids when they get home from school. Which tells me that we need our students to be able to answer these questions before they leave school each day. So how do we do this?
A Big Thank You —
Thank you Shelly. There are so many things you do at this school that it is hard for me to say thank you for just one thing. Thank you for everything. For setting schedules, for preparing lessons six grade levels of science and teaching them each week, for housing and cleaning leftovers from animals in your room so students have the opportunity to see animals up close, for taking a morning or afternoon duty when someone has a meeting or is not feeling well, for helping in the office and doing odd jobs when we need them so the school will keep running. This list could go on and on. Thank you for all you do. I thank you, we all thank you Shelly. Thank you.
I appreciate all your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Planning for Substitutes —
I was talking with the Community Council on Wednesday afternoon and we were talking safety and a concern came up about how substitutes will know what to do in case of an emergency in a classroom. So I thought about this. I would like for every teacher to put together a Substitute Information page that you can leave out whenever you have a sub. It is page that will not include daily plans, but will include information that a sub might like to know to help run your classroom better. Procedures that are used all the time and are not written into lesson plans. Topics like; procedures during an emergency fire drill or any emergency drill, How do students line up, How you deal with situation in your classroom, procedures for students using chrome books or iPads in the classroom, how you call on students, procedures for specials and PE, and any specific times students go to ELL, Resource, Speech, or other places, How you line up to go to iReady… There are many things that are procedures we see everyday that you might like a sub to know when they come to your room. When you put this list together just print it and put it next to your sub plans when you have a sub. If you would send Anita a copy of the Sub Info also she can print it if there is ever an emergency. The biggest piece of information we would like on this page is what to do in an Emergency. Where to go, how to line up, who to they report to, and anything specific they need to know that will help them through an emergency.
Quote I’m pondering —
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
What I’m watching —
Taylor Mali: What Do Teachers Make?
If you have not seen this, you need to see it. We are in a tough profession and you do an amazing job teaching our little ones.
Favorite Article This Week —
15 Questions to Replace “How Was School Today?
These are great questions to ask our on kids when they get home from school. Which tells me that we need our students to be able to answer these questions before they leave school each day. So how do we do this?
A Big Thank You —
Thank you Shelly. There are so many things you do at this school that it is hard for me to say thank you for just one thing. Thank you for everything. For setting schedules, for preparing lessons six grade levels of science and teaching them each week, for housing and cleaning leftovers from animals in your room so students have the opportunity to see animals up close, for taking a morning or afternoon duty when someone has a meeting or is not feeling well, for helping in the office and doing odd jobs when we need them so the school will keep running. This list could go on and on. Thank you for all you do. I thank you, we all thank you Shelly. Thank you.
I appreciate all your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.
Monday, November 7, 2016
PBIS Being Resourceful Video
This is our third installment this year of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Video series for Dixie Sun. In this video we discuss Being Resourceful and how it can help us at school. Being resourceful can be difficult to explain. We discuss Mindset in this video. A few things we discuss are;
- Being Resourceful is to find a different way to do something challenging
- New ways to solve problems
- Change the way you think about things
- Brains are made up of Neurons
- Learning grows our brains
- When you make mistakes and learn from it your brain grows
- Mindset research
- Challenge yourself
- Push through problems
- You can do anything you put your mind to
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Searching
Teachers,
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Searching —
If has been a busy month and I did not get to the tech training that I wanted to do. We just had so much we have been doing as a school that I thought another thing would push everyone over the edge. So I will start here. Searching. Not googling. Searching. I was listening to my wife talk about why she can't find a certain document for work because the name was changed and she does not know how to find it. So here are a few rules when naming documents. First rule is to name it so you can find it. Long names are fine. Sentences are not. When you are sharing a document, like lessons plans, with someone, put your name on it. It makes it easier to find and it will not get mixed up with someone else. When you are searching for a document in google Docs, the search will look through the document for words also. So if you forget the name of the document, search for a prominent word or phrase in the document and it should be able to find it. The last thing I want share with you is about sharing. If you do not want the people you share with messing with your document, select the view only box and they will be able to see it, but not add too it. I hope this helps as you are naming documents and searching on your computer.
Quote I’m pondering —
"There is much more to life than increasing its speed." Mahatma Ghandi
What I’m watching —
Why It's Time To Forget The Pecking Order at Work
Another TED talk that talks about super chickens and how to make teams work better together.
Favorite Article This Week —
100% is overrated
I always think about how many times my teachers told me I was smart because I got 100%. Then I think about the times I did not get 100% and how I felt that I was not as smart as I should be. I like how this article suggests we change our labels.
A Big Thank You —
I want to thank a couple of our unsung heroes at school. Our lab aides, Nicola and SherryAnn. They help our students with usernames and passwords, collecting data for Imagine Learning and iReady. They keep us on track, and we need that. Thank you for all your hard work with our students and especially keeping us where we need to be. Thank you ladies. Thank you.
I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.
Here is your weekly dose of “5-Point Friday.
Searching —
If has been a busy month and I did not get to the tech training that I wanted to do. We just had so much we have been doing as a school that I thought another thing would push everyone over the edge. So I will start here. Searching. Not googling. Searching. I was listening to my wife talk about why she can't find a certain document for work because the name was changed and she does not know how to find it. So here are a few rules when naming documents. First rule is to name it so you can find it. Long names are fine. Sentences are not. When you are sharing a document, like lessons plans, with someone, put your name on it. It makes it easier to find and it will not get mixed up with someone else. When you are searching for a document in google Docs, the search will look through the document for words also. So if you forget the name of the document, search for a prominent word or phrase in the document and it should be able to find it. The last thing I want share with you is about sharing. If you do not want the people you share with messing with your document, select the view only box and they will be able to see it, but not add too it. I hope this helps as you are naming documents and searching on your computer.
Quote I’m pondering —
"There is much more to life than increasing its speed." Mahatma Ghandi
What I’m watching —
Why It's Time To Forget The Pecking Order at Work
Another TED talk that talks about super chickens and how to make teams work better together.
Favorite Article This Week —
100% is overrated
I always think about how many times my teachers told me I was smart because I got 100%. Then I think about the times I did not get 100% and how I felt that I was not as smart as I should be. I like how this article suggests we change our labels.
A Big Thank You —
I want to thank a couple of our unsung heroes at school. Our lab aides, Nicola and SherryAnn. They help our students with usernames and passwords, collecting data for Imagine Learning and iReady. They keep us on track, and we need that. Thank you for all your hard work with our students and especially keeping us where we need to be. Thank you ladies. Thank you.
I appreciate all of you and your hard work. Have a wonderful weekend.
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