Confession of a Focus Wall Dropout

I loved making my focus wall last August for Reading Street.

It looked great in my classroom!

I used in so faithfully for the first quarter of the school year!

Here's the confession:  It's a great idea, but practically it just didn't work for me.  More importantly, I did not see my students using it enough to feel like it was worth the time and space investment.  When I moved to the new room at the end of January, I never reassembled it. I did feel some guilt about this.

Next year I'm probably going to use a very modified version of it.  In my mind I just see 3 panels for each selection:

Panel 1:  Title, author, (illustrator), genre and picture of the cover
Panel 2:  Vocabulary words and definitions
Panel 3:  Big comprehension focus for the selection

Way more streamlined and way less space.

What didn't work out the way you planned this year?

Finishing Well By Planning To Start Well

Here is perhaps my best tip or trick for the last full week of school:

One element that I am adding to every day is an activity that the students can do for next year's 4th graders.  They LOVE this.  They write book recommendations and attach them to a book mark that they make.  They also complete a "10 Things You Need To Know About 4th Grade" list.  I got this from Clutter Free Classroom TPT store, and it's FREE!   Oops, it isn't the free one, but it was so worth $5 for my sanity!  Here's the link.   {There's lots of other good stuff in the packet!}  This means that my first big bulletin board for next year will be ready to go by the end of the week.  {Above you can see a bit of this year's board.}  They make a welcome to 4th grade card, and they decorate a ziploc with permanent markers and foamies that I will fill with a few goodies next year.

This all makes my life easier--now and later.  It lets my students feel that they are contributing something valuable.  And next years students feel so good because they get so many personalized one of a kind gifts the first week of school!  Win--win--win!

Year End 4th Grade Fiesta

I first really saw the value of opening my home and life to my students and their families when I was teaching in a bush village in Alaska.  When I taught there, kids would stop over almost daily to drink kool-aid, sit on my couch, and watch me.  {I was not comfortable with this then.}

Mid-year I also had a "feast" where I fed my students and their families--extended, some lasagna.  {This was funny because most of the people in the room had never eaten lasagna!}  I started to see great value in opening up and offering hospitality to my students and their families.  There is an amazing and enchanting power in hospitality.

There have been years when I've had a party before school, but this year we just had a year end fiesta over the weekend.  After a few years, I'm able to focus more on what's really important with a more simple format.  If you're interested in experiencing the power of hospitality, here are my recommendations:

You don't have to host it at your house.  Maybe your school or a park or community center can be a good alternative.

1.  Don't worry about having a perfectly clean house.  {Even this year I worried about stuff that no one saw.}

2.  If possible plan the event for outside.  I ask people to bring blankets or chairs.  {I always have a few extras for people who might not bring anything.}

3.  Enlist help/support from one or more parents, if possible. {This year my amazing room parent suggested a theme and provided some of the food--she offered to do more, but this is unusual.  I am getting better at asking people for help.  They are more willing to give help than I am to ask for help!}

4.  Keep the menu as simple as possible.  This year we had walk about tacos--a small bag of Fritos with taco meat and a variety of taco toppings provided by parents.  Families were invited to bring a taco topping or side dish or dessert.  This was the smoothest option ever!  We provided lemonade and water in big coolers, too.

5.  Plan a couple of simple activities.  We usually play charades--the kids guess and the adults put on the charade.  We also did a signature scavenger hunt that got everyone up and talking to each other.

6.  When the activities are done, I invite people to stay as long as they want, but I let them know there is nothing else planned--about 30 minutes after that everyone is gone.

14 of my 24 students were there with some family members--for a total group of 45.  That is a pretty normal turn out.

I realize that this might be to much of a stretch, but I know it's a great way to make a powerful and enchanting memory for kids.  As an added bonus I have flower beds that look pretty darn good in my backyard!!!

What do you do to make a year end memory for yourself and your students?

Year End Sanity Saver: String Games

When I was a kid I loved carrying a string in my book bag, and practicing string games for hours on the bus. Back in my day, most kids played string games. If anyone would have told me this would be so popular with my students, I would have been skeptical. They are LOVIN' string games!

Here is the background research I did: I did a little online research to see what I could find. I like THIS SITE because it has little videos to see how the string is supposed to move on the fingers.

I also looked through a few books and check some out of the library.  Public libraries can almost always provide a few books

 String Games by Richard Darsie

Cat's Cradle is one of several Klutz books

Super String Games by Camilla Gryski

Then I provided just one skein of yarn.  Kids have cut dozens, maybe hundreds of strings and there is still more left.  

I taught the students just a few of the moves I could remember.  They started teaching each other.  They practice at home.  Their parents showed them more games.  They play when they finish lunch.  They take strings out to recess.  I have to make rules about when you can have the strings out and when they must be away.  Both boys and girls are really enjoying the experience.

I also like that this requires sequencing and lots of practice to mastery.   I like that kids are learning to entertain themselves.   I like that I'm witnessing lots of problem solving and kids helping kids.  I also like that this is something that kids can do over the summer that does not cost money or involve electronics.

What sanity saving activities are you doing with your students at the end of the year?

Stirring A Revolution of Kindness

I fully believe that kindness is a secret weapon--a super power of sorts.

I am stirring a revolution of kindness within my professional universe.

Are you with me?

Unite!

Here's the thing.  At this time in the school year, it is so easy to be everything else besides kind.  It's as if familiarity has bred contempt.  It feels ugly and unsavory to me.

I'm the kind of person who REALLY want to change things for the good, but the job always seems so huge.  Here's the beautiful thing about a kindness revolution--it does not require lesson planning or any real planning.  It does not have to cost even a buck.  It can be totally free.  It does not require special talents.  It does not take extra time.  It really just requires showing up.  Showing up with the intention of being kind.  Of course there could be lots of resources involved, but it's not necessary.

Here is my intention--I want to show up the rest of the days of the school year to stir a revolution of kindness among my coworkers and students.  I intend to assign good intent to what people say and do.  I will not wallow in gossip or negative talk.  I will simply show up with kindness for others and myself.

This is revolutionary!

Will you join me?

Simply Finishing Well

Here is a recording of the coaching lesson I did on finishing your school year well.

You can also grab a poster and writing/thinking prompts over at Brave Teachers.

I truly hope your week has finished well, and I hope you are preparing to finish your year well.

Happy weekend!


 

Watch live streaming video from braveteachers at livestream.com

Celebrate Successes Week

It's hard to believe the school year is over! I got crazy busy with life, standardized testing, and a reading festival. In that process I neglected this blog (and myself and my family:( !)

But I'm back with renewed energy and focus to make this a great way to connect, share my passions and visions, and connect with community.

I'm going to start out by sharing some of the great successes in this school year. So stay tuned for some fun ideas that worked well.

For now let me say that I was able to make it through the year of learning how to balance home and school with more success than I could have imagined. Was it perfect? Nope. Was I torn? Yep. But it worked.

Part of the secret to our success was that my husband brought our son to school everyday (except 3!) this school year. At the beginning of the year I focused on nursing him. I would have never thought to do this on my own, but another teacher had already blazed the trail. Later in the year it was just mommy time.

My students were fantastic. They eat lunch in our classroom, but when they saw Sam they would pack up and head toward recess. When the baby was there we did lock the classroom door to avoid any surprise visits!

This made it a lot easier for me to be away from my guys, and it conveyed a great message to my coworkers and students that my family is very important, too. This was definitely a success of the year I am celebrating, and I know I will miss it next year.