30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 5: Our Classroom

I'm going to try and do the 30-Day blogging challenge from TeachThought. Day 5: Post a picture of your classroom, and describe what you see–and what you don’t see that you’d like to.


What I see: A learning environment where students feel safe and are able to collaborate with others. I see splashes of color. I see learning "centers" that help bring students together. I really like my "Kid Cart" along the blue wall. It houses all the things that students need: pencil sharpeners, turn in trays, art supplies, kleenex, missing work, etc. I have an extensive collection of gnomes. Why? I'm not sure. I think they are a little creepy. You know the story how someone gives  you something and then others continue it. That's how it started and now I keep continuing the collection as we go along this journey.

What I don't see: I don't see the Chromebooks that we will get later this year. I don't see posters that deal specifically with my content. (I hope to change that soon.) I don't see any student work. (It's up there now.) I don't see my Finish Early Poster. (It's up now and it was created by the students.) I would like to eventually build somewhat of a stage, or platform to put at the front of the room. I need to do something with my blue wall. It's not very accessible, so it will need to be something that can stay up for a while. I need a new welcome mat. I've had the same one for 5 years. It's worn out. I should put something on the ceiling tiles.

 View from the the corner. 

 The back wall which includes the projector screen.

 The lounge where students can work on assignments together. I'd like to get a coffee table sometime. The Unheard Word Heard is the Vocab wall. 

 From the door. 

 The Bridge aka my desk area. And The Bridge's First Mate. :)

 The blue wall. Kid Cart with all the student supplies. 

 Table. 

 Futon again. 

 Book case. Students can check them out. My amazing collection of gnomes. I have around 40ish gnomes in the room. 

 Looking a the door. 

 Looking at the front board from the middle of the room. 

 Circular View

 Panoramic view. 

Thoughts on my room? Things you like? Questions you have? 

Read More

30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 4: Best

I'm going to try and do the 30-Day blogging challenge from TeachThought. Day 4: What do you love the most about teaching?

I have always thought that the best part of teaching is when a student comes back to just simply say, "Hi." When students still want you to know what they are up to later in life, you have made a difference. That is the ultimate best thing about teaching. It's never the lessons. Never the tests. Never the projects. It's about the learner and if you cared about them as more than just a student. There has never been a student tell me, "Thanks for helping me on that standardized test."

Read More

30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 3: Observation Improvements

I'm going to try and do the 30-Day blogging challenge from TeachThought. Day 3: Discuss one “observation” area that you would like to improve on for your teacher evaluation.

This year, I would like to improve the higher-order thinking strategies/questions that I institute during a class period. I tend to ask questions back to the students who ask questions. It's my way of guiding them to the correct answer without me telling them. Answer a question with a question. It works wonders.

I will go about thinking about my deep thought questions by making a conscious effort to incorporate them into the lesson and reflecting in my lesson plans about ways to get them deeper into the content.

Read More

30 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 2: Technology

I'm going to try and do the 30-Day blogging challenge from TeachThought. Day 2: Write about one piece of technology that you would like to try this year, and why. You might also write about what you’re hoping to see out of this edtech integration.

This one is pretty easy for me. All of the students will be getting Chromebooks in about a month. I look for this to change the landscape of learning in my classroom. I've been thinking about how this is going to work alongside my interactive notebooks. What needs to change? How I am going to integrate the Chromebook into what I'm already doing? How quickly I can change from paper/pencil to more of an all-digital class?

I think the impact on learning is going to be huge. No more scheduling computer labs. No more students who don't have a device. No more making different lesson plans for students who have a computer and for those who don't. (Not that that is an issue, just that it's one thing I don't have to do.) 

Along the lines of technology, I would really like for our students to be able to freely access the internet. YouTube is blocked on all the student devices. I fully understand the risks of what can happen if there is no filter, but I also see the benefit of learning that is possible. I feel there has to be a way to monitor those students who are looking at inappropriate things. 

Sidenote - I Google-searched the obituary of someone in my family a couple weeks ago. His name was Richard. He went by the word that rhymes with Slick. I typed his name in as it would be on the obituary: Richard "Slick" Lastname. My principal got an alert of what I was searching. If they can monitor me, I feel they can monitor the students' searches. 

I think if we are going to put a device in the hands of 6th graders, we need to give them the responsibility to handle it appropriately. Teaching of proper use, acceptable use, and digital citizenship will be a premium. There must be circumstances if students are not able to handle the freedom and responsibility, but we need to fully let them explore.

I'd love to hear other's takes on this. If your school district has restricted/unrestricted students' devices what are your thoughts? Is it a good thing to restrict them? 

Read More

30 Day Blogging Challenge Day 1: Goals

I'm going to try and do the 30-Day blogging challenge from TeachThought. Day 1: Write your goals for the school year. Be as specific or abstract as you’d like to be!

My student goals that the students gave to me as a teacher this year is to make the class:


My personal 5 Word GPS to guide myself is:

Real - LCLs

Fun - Want to Come

Empowering - Through Choice and Content Creation

Awe - Class is Filled with a Sense of Wonder

Sure-Fire - Students are setup for Success

These are the words that I want my students to say about my class at the end of the year. Easier said than done, of course, but you need to know where you are going before you can go there.

Read More