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Nibits for Newbies 11.1.15

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Nibits for Newbies 11.1.15

If it’s SUNDAY..
It’s time for…
NIBITS FOR NEWBIES!
This week’s THEME????
Keeping YOURSELF Healthy.
OK…So it’s ALL ABOUT ME!
I came back from FALL vacation..a little…OK!
A LOT…OVERWEIGHT!
A cruise will do that to YOU! 🙂
It wasn’t the cruise’s fault. Been packing it on lately.
SO?
DOCTOR’S  APPOINTMENT!
UGH!
What do you mean…
STEP ON THE SCALE!!???
NO!!!!
So..I did..and then we talked…
ALL IS GOOD…Blood Pressure good…low cholesterol…etc., etc. etc
BUT…..TIME TO LOSE THE WEIGHT!
Eat less…exercise more!
NO MAGIC!
( BUT I WANT MAGIC!)
NOPE!
OK…So hubby ( my biggest cheerleader )
and I joined Weight Watchers!
This is NOT my first round with WW..
Just my most CURRENT.
Why am I telling YOU this?
KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE!
I NEED YOU!
Keep asking me “How’s it going?” etc etc
So ..I count points, I drink water, I ride my bike DAILY!
I feel good…only had one peice of candy on Halloween!
I track ( on my phone )…daily!
Hubby is my cook ( he loves to find new recipes & cook )
Me? I do not cook!
Everything is going good.
Weigh in is Wednesdays.
We will see how it goes.
We are in for the long run.
NO Quick fixes!
So…I have laid it our there for you!
My life in a fishbowl!
What do YOU do to keep YOURSELF healthy?
Healthy teacher is a HAPPY teacher!
Hang in there!
Wash your hands often…germs will be spreading like wildfire!

Nibits for Newbies 10.18.15

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If it’s SUNDAY..

It’s time for

NIBITS FOR NEWBIES!

This week’s Theme…

THEMES

???  WHAT??

Themes? What do you mean?

I mean themes.

Not like apples, solar system, Easter eggs…

I mean LARGE…LONG-LASTING themes!

Who wants to change the bulletin boards, centers, papers, cutesy decor, etc., etc., etc.

each week?  2 weeks? MONTHLY????   UGH!

NO!

NO  MORE!

MAKE IT STOP!

Advice from a veteran teacher….

IS THIS YOU???

Now..add to that the 1 million pinterest boards telling us how CUTE our classroom should be…

AT  ALL  TIMES!

NO!  NOT!!  NEVER!!!

I give up!  So now what?

I choose 4 themes per year…

Fall,  Winter,  Spring,  Summer

Everything  I  do  (  or don’t get to ) fits into one of these themes!

If I do a cute apple project…goes on the bulletin board for FALL.

If we don’t get to Johnny Appleseed…so what? Pumpkins will go up next.

Instead of begin so specific..I spend WAY TO MUCH TIME changing my classroom

STUFF….I can add to the theme…or not….

DO YOU REALLY “TEACH” HALLOWEEN?

“NO!”

Jackolanterns & Pumkins?   YES!

So spend “YOUR” precious time on the big picture!

If you get to the “cutesy” things…GREAT!

If not….move on!

Look at your lesson plans.

Chunk your lessons under  a  season.

Do you really “teach” CHRISTMAS?”

I can’t…but I can teach

WINTER!

Just so happens…Dec. 25 is in WINTER!

WAHOOO!

So is NEW YEAR’S  &  Martin Luther King, etc etc

I change my Theme(s):

1. Fall- the day after Labor Day

2. Winter- Thanksgiving Break

3.Spring- March 1

4. Summer- May  1

Enough time to enjoy..but NOT too much!

Relax…don’t” over do”the little things.

THEMES…the way to go!

Enjoy!

Nibits for Newbies 10.11.15

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If it’s SUNDAY…

It’s

Nibits for Newbies!

Today’s theme…

BACKPACKS!

I HATE   DISLIKE 

 HAVE TRIPPED OVER TOO MANY OF THEM!

So..what to do?  What to do?

Well, my school does NOT have these…

Though I think ALL primary classroom should.

AND

I can’t stand this…

(OK…this is NOT bad…My chairs were  always CLOSER together

 &

 backpacks & stuff was

EVERYWHERE!

You couldn’t walk between the chairs & stuff was always

 ON THE FLOOR!

UGH!

Until…

I need a Shelf!

NO!

I need LOTS of Shelves…

that can hold a LOT of weight!

(So where do I find multiple shelving units that can hold weight?)

HOME DEPOT!

GARAGE  DEPT!

TADA!

Home Depot….$39.97

( Teacher’s Salary…)  🙂

I attached 2 eye-hooks to the wall on each side.

Then I “ZIP-TIED” each side to the back wall..

(  CALIF. –  EARTHQUAKE  SAFETY )

LOVE…LOVE…LOVE  IT!

I don’t let kiddos put ANYTHING on the top.  ( MY extra tubs, usually )

They stand up their backpacks on

next 3 shelves.

We save the bottom for jackets!

( Usually, wet ….)

SO…room for everything!

NOT ON THEIR CHAIRS!

WBT Rule #5…

Keep your TEACHER  happy!

Have a great week!

Nibits for Newbies 9.26.15

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Nibits for Newbies 9.26.15

If it’s SUNDAY…
It’s time for
NIBITS FOR NEWBIES!
This week’s theme…
Helping to Make
INTRINSIC
Learners!
I am right in the middle of Teacher-Parent Conferences.
I work at a Title 1 school with 99% FREE LUNCHES.
LOTS of LOW INCOME, struggling families.
WONDERFUL people..
Just that education is NOT one of the top 3 items on their survival list!
AND THEIR KIDS KNOW IT!
So how do I…1 person…help the kids WANT to LEARN?
(Especially because  a lot of them…are FAR FAR BEHIND?)
HOW can you MAKE someone an INTRINSIC LEARNER??
You CAN’T!
 You can’t MAKE anyone “want” anything!
BUT, you can give them 3 three things to HELP:
#1
You can give them MOTIVATION!
Find the “carrot”.
Watch, listen, talk!
Find the “thing” that will help add some “DESIRE” to change!
What “thing” will help spark the desire?
#2
Make it FUN!
As we all know….
If it’s FUN…exciting…enjoyable
WE WILL WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!
Spark their creativity!
Do something THEY want…
Add some SPICE to the day!
Laugh!  DANCE!  Giggle!
#3
Make them believe they can do ANYTHING!
A little FAIRY DUST…
A LOT of  “I BELIEVE IN YOU!”
And …They can FLY!
( You know what I mean…)
Show them how to be better, how to EXCELL..how to do it ALL!
 I think the conferences have made me rethink my day.
If I can keep them IN SCHOOL ( maybe even on time & ALL day!),
 If they know I BELIEVE IN THEM,
 and I give them fun & exciting reasons to be HERE…
We can learn…. from each other!
Help them, help themselves!
You can MAKE intrinsic learners!
Let’s start TODAY!
 Giggles, Grins, Hugs & High Fives!

Nibits for Newbies 9.13.15

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Nibits for Newbies 9.13.15

If it’s SUNDAY…
It’s time for
NIBITS FOR NEWBIES!
This week’s theme..
ASSESSMENTS!
I am getting ready for quarter 1 report cards. ( UGH!)
(Not my FAVORITE thing to do!)
So..we give an ELA reading & writing assessment from our reading program.
This “benchmark” assessment populates the report card automatically.
The report card itself is designed “around” the assessment.
The CCSS  standards are “interwoven” into the assessment.
What that means is, I cannot verify FROM THIS ASSESSMENT if a student has mastered a common core standard or not.
When I give my grades, I want to be sure I am accurate
& I want parents to know what we
( ALL OF US ) are working on!
So…MY TURN!
I give each of my student’s
INDIVIDUAL assessments to determine if they have mastered Quarter 1 CCSS standards
OR
if they are in DIRE need of MORE HELP!
(From me, an assistant, intervention teacher, parent, etc)
So here are a few examples of the assessments I GIVE…
Running Record
 As they are reading I record what words they can read ( with a check mark) and missed words           ( looking for what skills did they usse & what are they lacking).
I check their independent reading forms from IN CLASS & AT HOME.
We have BOTH.
I check their past spelling tests. Are they working on words families?
Do they know their HFW?
( Usually kids who DO NOT know their HFW are struggling readers.)
What DO they know about about reading?
 And….letters & sounds…
 We assess writing.
Can they write a complete sentence?
Capitals? Punctuation? Topic Sentence?  Handwriting?
 And this one I HAD to do this week!
Do they know the KINDERGARTEN HFW?
Our program moves on….very little kinder review.
So…The HIGHLIGHTED words are the words this student DOES NOT KNOW!
Sent home to practice every day for 20 school days.
Then,  assess again!
So …crazy times!
Relax …remember…it’s about helping kids!
IF I can find out what they DON’T KNOW
I can help them learn it
so they can always
GET   BETTER!
Just a head’s up….
most of my assessments came from my
WHAT IS BALANCED LITERACY?
Click HERE to check out this AMAZING Packet!

Nibits for Newbies 8.30.15 & a FREEBIE

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Nibits for Newbies 8.29.15

If it’s SUNDAY….
IT’S
Nibits for Newbies!
This week….
Keeping IT  Clean!
So..WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SCHOOL PERSON YOU NEED TO KNOW?
( OK…AFTER  the Secretary!)
THE   JANITOR!
This is the person who can help make your life easier…
 moving desks, tables, etc, etc..AND
KEEPING YOUR CLASSROOM
DUST FREE
BUG & MAMMAL FREE
and
GERM FREE!
( LOTS of GERMS on tables, floors, deks, etc..etc )
These little “creatures” can make kids stay home,
can RUIN the best lesson ( if no one is there..the lesson has to be done AGAIN..
or the absolute worst…
THEY CAN MAKE THE TEACHER SICK!
SUB PLANS???   NOOOOOO!!!!!!
So…Let’s worktogether to keep our classroom CLEAN!
So here is MY THEORY..
Our janitor only has “X” amount of minutes to clean MY room!
I want him to spend the MAXIMUM amount of time
cleaning the stuff
my students & I  cannot!
TEAMWORK!
So..I have 2 helpers each day who are the
CLEAN UP  CREW
(This sample is available for FREE..click HERE!)
Their job
 (while the rest of us are at the carpet listening to AUTHOR’S  CHAIR)
is to stack ALL chairs into stacks of 6…
to pick up ANYTHING on the floor ( under tables & desks)
AND
to use the push carpet sweeper to clean the floor!
THEN…..EVERY FRIDAY we
DE-GERM our classroom!
We take papertowels & SANITIZER
YES…SANITIZER
And wipe ALL surfaces!
I MEAN ALL!
Tables, desks, student whiteboards, chairs, pencils ( I know… “germy fingers” )
THE DOOR, pencil sharpeners…EVERYTHING!
WHY???
Because…I want my students to
TAKE  RESPONSIBILITY  for  their  ENVIRONMENT!
You “live here’ …YOU  ‘clean it!”
THEY  LOVE  IT!
Then..after we leave..
the janitor can spend his time doing DEEP cleaning…whiteboards, dusting, windows, windowblinds…
stuff I can’t get to & the kids cannot either!
Monday Morning….CLEAN CLASSROOM!
( I LOVE to start the week with a clean classroom!)
So…make friends with your janitor.
Keep your classroom CLEAN.
Get your kids involved!
After all…RULE # 5….KEEP YOUR TEACHER  HAPPY!
🙂

Nibits for Newbies 8.16.15

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Nibits for Newbies 8.16.15

If it’s Sunday…
It must be
This week…..
GAMES!
Do you play games in your classroom?
I HOPE SO!
What a better way to practice academic skills & strategies.
The BEST way to learn social skills of sharing, taking turns, winning and losing.
AND..most importantly….
IT BUILDS YOUR CLASSROOM COMMUNITY!
I also have the children make their OWN games..
We play the “matching” game..A LOT!
Use spelling words, vocabulary words, math facts…whatever!
I give 1/2 the class 1 sheet of colored paper.
I give the other half  1 sheet of colored paper, too BUT a different color!
We fold it into 8 rectangles.
EVERYONE writes the same words on their paper.
THEN…cut the cards apart!
When we are ready…find a partner
 WITH   DIFFERENT COLORED PAPER!
Turn over all of  the cards. Pick one of YOURS, then choose one of your partners!
( With different colored papers…no mistaking whose is whose)
When game “time” ( set  a timer ) is done..pick up YOUR cards!
(No mixing them up!)
Take the cards HOME & PRACTICE!
Here WE ARE at WORK:
I hope you play games!
Have FUN!