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Saturday
If Only We Were Just Teachers
Wednesday
Something that Annoys this Teacher
Things that Annoy the Teacher
Do you have anything that absolutely annoys you?
Things that don't seem to bother other people, yet they get on your ever-lasting
nerve. To some people, this might be called a pet peeve.
The dictionary says that a pet peeve is a minor annoyance, but
I am afraid that mine is more than minor. What do you call it if it
reaches 'major' annoyance? Good question, ah? I'm
probably getting into some kind of psychological diagnosis when it gets to that
point. HA!
My annoyance is going to seem
ridiculous to some, but here goes.......
No, it's not the potato chips and Pop-tarts themselves. It's
the packaging! I can not stand to hear the rattling of the
package. For example, if someone is sitting beside me and they keep
sticking their hand inside the package to get some chips out. I hate the
sound every time their hand reaches in the bag.... over and over again.... so
annoying! If you are sitting by me and you eat a Pop-tart (or anything
else in a package), please, please remove it from the package and put it on a
paper towel. The crinkling sound just drives me nuts. I know, it's crazy! ................okay, it's not like I can't ever be in the same room with someone who has to eat from the bag, but hear me now....I'm cringing on the inside...
My kids and husband have pretty much gotten used
to me saying, "That gets on my nerves!" When I am teaching and it's snack time, my students know the routine from day one....no packages!!
Either use a Zip lock bag (not nearly as much noise) or put it on a paper
towel. If they didn't know what a pet peeve was before they arrived in my class, they go home from the start with a new vocabulary word. Plus,
they get a good laugh out of it. We always laugh about it. :-)
I am not alone when it comes to stuff like
this. Some favorite annoyances shared on the Internet
are:
- People who block the aisles in Wal-mart, talking
- Pens clicking
- Whining
- smacking food
- People who take up two parking spaces
- People who drive under the speed limit
- So many more!!
It's packages for me, but it's other things for
other people. With me, I probably have some kind of sensitivity to
high-pitched sounds or something like that. Either that or I'm just a complete wack-O! What about you, do you have
anything that annoys you?
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Monday
FREE Birthday Pencil Toppers
I don't do a whole lot for my kids' birthdays, typically just a pencil and a birthday card....maybe a piece of candy. I have found in the past that they just want to be recognized on their birthday, and something simple can be all it takes to bring a smile to their face. I made these birthday pencil toppers that you may like. Just print them off, laminate, and tape to a pencil. Get them all ready at the beginning of the year and then all you have to do is grab one from the can on their birthday. I cut around mine using pinking shears. I have also included a style that could work for a button instead of a pencil topper. It says, "It's my birthday." After you laminate those, just hot glue a metal button backing that you can get in the jewelry section of Wal-Mart or a craft store like Hobby Lobby. Enjoy!
As always, I love comments, so say hello sometimes when you stop by. :-)
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| Feel free to pin. Just hover over the image. The can above is a soup can that I spray painted. The pencils came from the Dollar Spot at Target. |
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Don't forget click and read my blog post
Reading Larger Numbers Activity
In math, most
teachers start the new year with some kind of number sense activity... place value, reading numbers, comparing numbers, etc. One thing I have found with some of my fourth graders is that they have a hard time reading larger numbers. They can break the number down into expanded form. They can tell you the value of the digits. But, when it comes to reading really large numbers, it can be a challenge. One thing I have done in the past is refer to the commas as 'last names', meaning that when you hit a comma, you need to add a word. It goes something like this:
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When you are working on this activity, you might enjoy this I Have Who Has activity.
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| For more fun and creative ideas for the classroom, click the above picture to go to my store. |
Saturday
Teacher Tips to Start the New Year
Teacher Tips For Back to School
Throw
out the old- It has taken almost twenty
years to realize it, but if I haven’t used it in two years, it’s probably best
to just throw it out. Don’t start the
year again with posters that have torn
edges, the three paper plates that you just think you will find some use for…
you know what I mean.
Get
yourself organized- after you throw out the old, organize the new. Get crates, labels, buckets, whatever it
takes to give everything its own place.
You will
feel so much better about your classroom.
I’m always more productive in an organized space.
Spice
up your classroom - Something new for
the classroom is like sporting a new outfit.
New clothes make you feel good.
So, get a new bookshelf, design a new bulletin board, just do
something. The same ‘ole same ‘ole is
just a boring.
Be
prepared- It’s a wonderful thing to start the year with a few weeks already
planned. It can be a stressful thing to
start the year not knowing what you are doing on day 2 of school. I would not recommend it. Spend the time now to get your thoughts in
order and know how to get your year off to a great start.
Don’t
reinvent the wheel – There are a lot of teachers, former teachers, etc. that are
making great lesson plans and activities.
The act of teaching is hard enough, and there is rarely any time left in
the day to search all over the internet for plans. Use sites
like Teachers Pay Teachers and teacher blogs like mine and many others in order
to streamline where you get your lessons.
Prioritize- If there is one thing I have had to
learn over the years, it’s that
everything does not have to get done today.
The hard part is that there is always something that has to be
done. The list of things to do in education just never ends. Designate an area
of your desk where you stack or make note of things that have to get done and when they need to be turned in or completed. Put them in order based on when they are
due. It will take some pressure off of
you if you realize you just have one thing due tomorrow and not ten.
Get
out of the classroom – It doesn’t matter how long you stay at school, there will always
be a list of things to do. There will
always be a nameplate on a desk that has to be replaced or papers that need
to be graded. Yes, there are times when it really is necessary to stay until 6
o’clock between those four cement walls, but on a day to day basis, go home,
get out, free yourself. It's better for you and the students. The truth is, it may have been so many years since you've done it that don't realize how refreshing it can be. It took me lots of years to realize it, and I stress that to people. You can be a great teacher and leave at a decent time.
Work,
don’t chat – As much as teachers like to talk, sometimes things just need to
get done. Yes, we need to vent, discuss
the happenings of the day, etc., but some teachers spend their entire planning
time (which may only be one day a week for some), talking and complaining. Take that time to actually get things
done. My point is, be productive and
don’t waste what little time you do have to get things done at school. Look closely.
Those teachers that you look at and wonder how they get to leave at 4:00
each day…. Well, they typically don’t waste time during the day.
Don’t
be the Debbie Downer- negativity
typically breeds negativity. People
understand when others need to vent a bit.
After all, teaching is hard. Parents can get under our skin. Teachers don't always do things our way. We
all have things we need to share and get off our shoulders. But, don’t make a habit of it. Pick and choose the important topics that are worthy of griping about. Also, live by the rule if you don’t have something nice to say about
someone, just keep it to yourself. It
really isn’t nice to talk about others, no matter how much we want to, and
trust me, I have wanted to.
Close
your door and teach- There are new
approaches to education introduced every year.
There are new methods for teaching reading, math, and everything else. It’s enough to make you want to pull your
hair out. If you look closely, most of the time the method is the same , but the name has changed. You aren’t really needing to change your way
of teaching at all. So, just close your
door and keep on keeping on. Teach the
way that works best for you and your kids.
And if something does change, I always have the attitude that if
I can justify why I do what I do then all is good. After all, I have taught for twenty years and
have two degrees. That does leave me to
be able to make some professional call on how I should run my classroom. I like to try new approaches when I come across them, but I like to pick what will work for me and my students. Not every new approach works for every
teacher and for every group of kids, and like I said, the only thing new about most ‘new’ methods of
teaching is the name. Sad but true.
I hope you have a terrific school year.
Share the Sweetness!
Thank you for helping to spread the word about Classroom Confections.
We appreciate you 'liking' us on facebook, tweeting about us, or pinning us on Pinterest.
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| For more fun and creative ideas for the classroom, click the above picture to go to my store. |
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