NTU Follow Up Day 2

Thank you all for your participation, willingness to listen, learn, and collaborate with your peers today.  Here are some highlights from today's session. Each title links to either a website or additional resources.

Random Name Picker

Prodigy

Light Covers

CHAMPS

Classroom Motivators

Genius Hour

Classroom Management Tools

Spelling City

And don't forget your homework...

A New Year...A New YOU!

Last Thursday when I hit my alarm clock for the umpteenth time, I groggily got out of the warmth of my bed and painfully searched my dark room for the clothes I had laid out the night before. Yep, I was a little spoiled to my holiday schedule, but once I was coffee fueled I was ready to face the new year.  When I got to school, it was just like riding a bike.  "Oh Yeah!  I remember how to do this!"  I was so excited to see those smiling faces and couldn't wait to hear about their holiday adventures! My students walked into the classroom a little taller and somehow more grown than I remembered. My heart melted with all the reunion hugs and love.  

As we got our day started, we spent some time as a class talking about our New Year Resolutions.  How were we going to make each day more meaningful?  How were we going to help at home and school?  What do we want to get better at? So as we are sharing out our ideas to write down, one of my students asks, "Mrs. Johnson, what are your New Year Resolutions?"  So I went through a couple of my personal goals like not eating as much bread and cooking better meals for my family, and then I shared that I wanted to be a better teacher.  My kids all giggled and told me exactly what I wanted to hear, "Mrs. Johnson you can't get better."  Oh, but I can!!! That conversation sparked a need for teacher self-reflection.  I went home that afternoon and jotted out my teacher goals (not TTESS related :) that I wanted to improve on.  Once I started reflecting, I journaled lots and lots of ideas.  I became overwhelmed because I quickly realized that I have not mastered the art of teaching.  I decided that I was going to pick my top 3 goals that I wanted to work on this semester.  I wanted to be realistic.  I wanted attainable goals, and I wanted to give myself a time frame.  Now as I am about to share with world my 3 goals, hopefully now their is also a new level of accountability.

1. I want to engage in a weekly random act of kindness that can involve my co-workers, parents, students, or staff.  I want to work harder at putting more positive vibes out in the world.  One of my favorite quotes is, "Think positive and positive things will happen." 

2. I want to find more opportunities for innovation and creativity for my students.  This is year I have been implementing a genius hour into my daily schedule.  I want to work harder at integrating innovation into my curriculum and instruction.

3. Read more: Stacked beside my bed are 15 professional books that I want to read.  I WANT to read them.  So my goal is to make time for me to enjoy this fulfilling opportunity to engage in professional literature and growth.  I will read at least 3 of those books by the end of the school year!

So I have put myself out there and have admitted that I am a work in progress.  I challenge you to take this new year as a time to reflect on your practice.  What attainable goals can you set to make yourself a better teacher?

Resources for Goal Setting:

Goal Setting for Teachers

Great Teachers Have Goals

Defining Your Own Teacher Goals

A Little Reminder...

Tis the Season

With the Thanksgiving break now behind us, we enter into the final weeks before the winter break. During this time of year, students may seem a bit antsy and anxious as they anticipate the holiday season.  That is why it is more important than ever to remain consistent with your routines and structures, and also provide meaningful learning experiences that both you and your students will enjoy and grow from.  As we begin to get busy and frantic during this time of year, it is important to remain cool and collected.  Take time to reflect, relax, and most importantly take care of yourself.  It is very hard to care for so many others when we, ourselves, are not at our best.  Enjoy the holiday season with your students, make many memories, and count your blessings!

 Winter Holiday Resources

Check and Reflect

It is hard to believe that we are already into the month of November!  Fall is finally trickling into the area, the holidays are approaching, and I bet your kids finally feel like YOUR kids.  At this point your routines and procedures are falling into place and you have established the structures that help your classroom run smoothly and with ease.  If things are still not feeling quite right, remember that it is important to establish clear expectations with consistency.  At the same time, if something is not working--be willing to change, adapt, or tweak for the maximum results.  Don't be afraid to revisit and reteach your expectations as often as needed.  Classroom management is the key to creating a learning environment that nurtures and facilitates learning and growth.

Check out these resources:

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Happy Halloween!

Tomorrow, Halloween, will fall on a Monday!!!! EEEK!  Plan ahead and make sure you have plenty of engaging learning opportunities available to help students channel their energy into meaningful learning.  Check out these wonderful fall resources below:

The Teacher's Corner

teach-nology

Education World

Pinterest

NTU Follow Up Day 1

We are so glad that we were able to spend time getting to know each of you today!  Remember that your learning and professional community is a valuable resource and we appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts, ideas, struggles, and successes.  The power is in the conversation!

These are a few of the insights that came from YOU today!


Kayce led a very informative and helpful discussion about ARD's, differentiating between mods and accommodations, and prompted great conversations about data collection in the classroom. Remember Kayce's advice about frequency, duration, and location for behavioral observations. Check out some of the following resources prompted by your thoughts and ideas!
Interval Recording Sheet        Interval Timer     
16 Teacher Hacks for Making Data Collection a Piece of Cake

We loved hearing about your ideas and successes using math stations in the classroom.  Check out this pinterest board for over 1000 ideas and images regarding math stations.
Math Stations

We also had some fabulous ideas that were shared about managing students during small groups, particularly the students who are not in your small group but may interrupt with questions during this time. You shared that you used stop signs, crowns, necklaces, posters (ask three and then me), wands, and lights to give students those nonverbal cues.

Josh also shared some amazing tools and ways to encourage students to engage in appropriate behaviors using CHAMPS, mystery behavior or mystery boards.  Check out these cool resources: Mystery Motivator  Element of Surprise   Free CHAMPS Posters  CHAMPS on Pinterest

And just for fun...

10 Tips for Surviving and Thriving Your First Year Teaching

Check out this article from Edutopia that provides great advice and tips for your first year of teaching.

10 Tips for Surviving and Thriving Your First Year Teaching

I'm a Teacher!

Take a minute and let it all soak in.  You are about to change lives.  You are about to inspire.   You are going to be a safe place, a friendly smile, a much needed hug.  You will be the name on many of pictures created just for you.  You will be hope.  You will be faith. You will be love.  You will build confidence, independence, and success.  You will teach harder, love harder, and dream bigger than you ever have before.  It's true...you really are about to change the world.

Remember as you start your school year.....your influence is endless.

"A teacher effects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." --Henry Brooks Adams

Thank YOU!

Thank you for making every day special.  Thank you for the extra hugs.  Thank you for spending your weekends to make your class' week awesome.  Thank you for the compassion you give to those around you.  Thank you for your time because a lot is taken.  Thank you for the little things you do to make a kid feel ten feet tall.  Thank you for listening.  Thank you for understanding.  Thank you for doing extra even when you are beyond tired.  Thank you for making them smile.  Thank you for building confidence and growing learners.  Thank you for your support.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for everything you do every single day.  THANK YOU!

Mindframes

John Hattie's research is changing the way we look at student achievement by analyzing the influences that impact our students.  What do you feel like are major influences on your students' learning and achievement?

To read more about John Hattie's research check out the link below.

John Hattie

Attitude is Everything!

In my opinion, attitude is everything! The energy you send out into the world is what creates your learning environment, makes connections to learning, and develops the relationships that are essential to building student success!  At next week's NTU follow-up day, we are going to be exploring the effects that teacher attitude has in the classroom.  Before we meet, do a little self reflecting.  What is your attitude towards your students, classroom, co-workers, teaching, or life? Granted, we all have our bad days, but do the bad days outweigh the good?  Time to reflect.....

Here are a couple of things to help as you are reflecting:

Motivation Monday!

Everybody needs a little motivation on Monday!

Spring is in the Air!

It is hard to believe that we are already more than halfway through the month of March!  Where has the time gone? As reality is sinking in, that means that we only have a few short months left with our precious kiddos.  Although spring time feels like crunch time, especially with the beginning of state testing, use this time to soak in the valuable learning moments you are having in your classroom. Capture the memories, the emotions, and the celebrations of your first year of teaching.  As each day passes, remember that you are making a lasting imprint.  

As you relish in the beauty of spring, check out these resources that may be useful as you SPRING forward!

The Teacher's Guide

Teacher Vision

A to Z Teacher Stuff

Teaching Ideas

Doodle Art Alley

Math Menus

At our last NTU follow up day, several of our teachers were able to meet with Mrs. Brooke Lyon, a 3rd grade math teacher in CSISD.  She shared some the math menu tools that she uses in her classroom.  Thank you Mrs. Lyon for sharing with us!

Mrs. Lyon also shared a resource that she uses from Teachers Pay Teachers.

NTU Follow UP Day 3

NTU Follow Up Day 3 - SUCCESS!

Thank you all for your willingness to engage in amazing conversations, observations, and learn new things.  Here are a few of your notable finds from today's session:



Where can I find an overhead projector?  Amazon of course!

Amazon

Transition Songs and Classroom Playlists

Transition Board

Playlist Board

Alternative Sitting/Classroom Arrangements

https://www.wittfitt.com/

Classroom Set Up Ideas

Nontraditional Seating

Running Records

Random Name Pickers

Class Tools

Fruit Machine

super teacher tools

stick pick

Educators Technology

Differentiated Instruction

Article

Edutopia

And Lastly...

If there is anything else you would like more information on, please email or comment below.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

 The relationships you build with your students may be more powerful than you realize. Your bond may be filling in the pieces for a broken child, helping them to feel more complete.  Read the following Article about a commercial spot that is having people think about the emotional effects that conflict, abuse, and turmoil have on our kids today.