Teaching After 10 (Years)

Create a Successful Blog

2013-02-18T13:51:00.002-05:00

Growing a blog from the ground up is a daunting task. I am still nowhere near where I want to be in terms of readership, quality, or frequency of posts. However....I need to determine what makes a blog successful.

Success of a blog depends on several factors...

Measuring the Success of A Blog

1. Readership - I want my blog to be read and enjoyed by people. If I want to double my monthly views in the next two months I need to figure out what makes my readers
a) want to read

-and-

b) come back for more....that is where number two comes in.

2. Quality - In my quest to create blog entries I should always put my best work out there. I appreciate the quality of the work I read on other blogs and when I produce my own blog I have to do the best I can to make my content reader friendly and enjoyable. I try not to compare my work to the work of others but no matter what, my readers are reading multiple blogs and finding their information in many places. I have to stand out by producing original and helpful articles.

3. Earnings - Being that my wife now is a stay-at-home mom and I am the primary breadwinner in the family our budget and financial versatility has changed. Having extra income each month via blogging income would help ease some of that. While this measure of success is concrete for me, I do not want to let it control what or how I write.

The Most Important Measure of A Successful Blog

QUALITY

I believe that when the content is of a high quality, people will want to read the blog and will want to return to the blog for more information.

After that, the other two measures (Readership and Earnings) will follow suit.

The Blogging Calendar

I am a LAZY blogger. I rarely feel like sitting down and writing or working on the blog. I would usually rather play with my daughters, hang out with my wife, watch television or play Minecraft (addicting).

A few weeks ago I sat down to decide....what do I expect from myself and my blog?

I realized that I need to create content more regularly. Being a teacher, I am a fan of schedules and planning. Checklists are my best friends.

So here it is:

A. Blog Entry - Once per week - This means that I want to write, edit and publish a blog entry at least once a week. I still have the freedom to create more entries or write smaller entries; however, whatever I write needs to be high quality.

B. Twitter - Three Times a Week- Tweeting is a micro event...It should be easy to post to at least three times a week so that it keeps me in the Internet universe in an active way.

So....here's to success!
(Clink Glasses Here)
Cheers!

How to Find a Teaching Job

2013-01-29T22:10:00.000-05:00

After being a teacher for over ten years I've had my share of student teachers and graduate students observing in my classroom. I get a lot of people asking me advice on finding a teaching job and I have a few things to help them of course, there are no guarantees but one must try.

For those of you interested in finding a teaching job, enjoy a few pieces of advice from a veteran teacher, here we go:

1. Substitute

This might seem like a no-brainer to those of you who've been in the trenches doing your time in the sub pool for a while now, however, not everyone understands just how crucial this can be. Even if you have your "in" to the school (principal neighbor, mother is a teacher, etc.) you have to prove yourself worthy of the opportunity through subbing. A lot of the tips mentioned here tie back to this first one.

2. Make Friends

Make friends with EVERYONE you can. I know it can be scary or awkward to eat in the teacher's room but go ahead and be part of the group. Seek out the other teachers on your team for the day and build relationships with them. Teachers LOVE to be flattered and most teachers have a controlling personality combined with a love for talking so get them talking about their strategies and how they deal with situations that arise in their classroom. I mean, look at this blog.....you are reading thoughts of a teacher who loves to share ideas with people and there is something flattering in knowing that you're reading this.

3. Maintain Control at ALL Times

No one expects you to be perfect but it never looks good if other teachers or administrators need to help you out with classroom management. Keep the students active and engaged during lessons, remain respectful of your students with clear boundaries and expectations. If you work with the younger grades and walk with students in the hall, keep them quiet and orderly. Walking in front of the line will not work, keep an eye on your students in the hall and walk with them at about the halfway point monitoring the front and back of your line.

4. Dress and Act Professionally

You need to remain professional when substitute teaching, even if you are working with little students or other students you think won't notice, you need to remember that you are being watched and teachers give feedback about the substitutes in their rooms. The students tell on you when you do something a teacher shouldn't....we always hear about it. Unfortunately some of the teachers in the building will not be good examples to follow. Just remember, they have a job and you don't. Don't worry...one day that role will be yours.

Those are just a few of the many hints to name....stay tuned for a few more tips over the coming weeks.

Morning Meeting Classroom Activity: Name Six

2012-12-19T10:19:00.000-05:00

Name Six is one of those activities that seems so simple yet can be a challenging and worthwhile activity for your students.

The Object:

Name six things that fit inside of a category before time runs out.

How I Run It:

With the students seated in a circle in the center of the room I have one student sit on the floor in the middle of the circle. The person seated in the middle is the one who must name the six things. The rest of the circle acts as a timer by passing around an object: marker, ball, toy or any other object you have handy.

I name the category and then pass the object. The student in the center of the circle must name their six things before the object comes back around to me.

Ideas for Categories:

Stores in the mall

Presidents

Animals on a farm

Car brands

Hotels

Books

Authors

Colors

Why I Like It:

This activity can be adapted to each individual and to any age or grade. I also like the fact that it is a great way to encourage quick thinking and speaking in front of a group. The activity also leads to great discussions about pressure and the feeling of a looming deadline.

Sandy Hook School Colors

2012-12-15T06:16:00.001-05:00

On Monday December 17th all teachers should wear Blue and Gold to school.

With the tragic events in Connecticut still resonating across America it is time for us to come together and show support for those who hurt so much.

Please tell your friends.

If this makes it beyond teachers and unto the general public that would be amazing.

#blueandgoldmonday

Bulletin Board: Pig Out On Vocabulary (Interactive)

2012-12-14T15:12:00.001-05:00

Interactive bulletin boards are the way to go. I have always found that when students are able to:

1. Help you create the bulletin board

2. Interact with the bulletin board in some way

...then it becomes more usable in the classroom and can add to the instruction in ways that static bulletin boards cannot. Don't get me wrong, I use my share of static bulletin boards too but when I can apply some interactive elements I try to.

For this bulletin board, I wanted to create something that the students could interact with and would be useful for teaching vocabulary skills to the students. Upon reading a recent issue of Mailbox magazine, I found an idea similar to this one except it used Piggy Banks and "Money" for the vocabulary slips.

What I felt was lacking was the element of "created by students" that makes the bulletin board pop. I quickly went to work changing the idea to be a little more -me- and created a pig template and new vocabulary slips.

This is the final result:

The idea is simple....I printed the pieces of the pigs using the template I created. I started by printing the pattern onto white paper and then photocopied it directly onto the construction paper.

I used two different pink tones to give the image some depth. I also used black as the back of the pig; you could use any color you would like but black seemed to work well.

I had the students assemble their pigs using scissors and glue. The back of the pig is glued in a "U" shape so that the pig can act as a pocket for our vocabulary slips. The slips go inside of the pig and are designed to align with the Common Core expectations for vocabulary work.

If you would like a copy of the template/pattern and vocabulary slips head over to Teachers Pay Teachers and download it (link below).

School Ties: National Common Core Standards Adopted by Majority of States

2012-12-08T14:21:00.002-05:00

The national Common Core Standards set forth "rigorous" grade-level expectations for kindergarten through high school in the areas of Mathematics and English language arts. The goal of this state-led initiative, in collaboration with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, is to prepare students for college and the work-force.

The Common Core in Mathematics for K-5 focuses on building solid foundations to apply to math concepts, procedures and applications. The standards stress procedural skills, as well as conceptual learning. Middle school standards provide preparation for high school level mathematics, and high school standards emphasize the use of mathematics and statistics to interpret data in order to get students college and career-ready.
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Mayan Calendar Craft

2012-12-07T15:42:00.004-05:00

With the end of the world quickly approaching I decided there is no better time to create a project with my students. We created Mayan/Aztec Calendar styled pieces.

They are not reproductions of the calendar because that would be too difficult due to the intricacy of the design.

Materials:

Salt Dough

Acrylic Paint

Wax Paper

Paper Clips

Paint Brushes

Process:

1. Make salt dough - We made ours at home (another teacher made it) and brought it in for the class to use. You could also make it with the students. We decided to pre-make ours because it would speed up the creation time. Use Google and find a salt dough recipe online; there are many out there.

Literature Circles and Common Core

2012-12-05T09:57:00.003-05:00

A few years back I decided I would try out Literature Circles in my classroom. As someone already involved in Guided Reading/Balanced Literacy, I wasn't sure how I could implement Literature Circles into Guided Reading.

Then....it hit me: I could use Literature Circle work for my students to do while I meet with groups at the horseshoe table in the back.
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Winter Writing Activities - Book Report Guide

2012-11-29T11:27:00.002-05:00

After a summer and fall hiatus, I am back!

My wife and I are expecting our second daughter in about a month and we are more than excited for this new addition to the family.

I haven't posted here in a while but that is only because I have been so busy with the start of our school year and all of the great things going on at home and at school.

The holidays are always fun and I am always looking for activities to engage my students (and give me some time to catch up on work) so the weeks before the holidays are the perfect time for: Book Reports!

Check out my new page on TPT because I am giving away one of my Book Report Guides for FREE! There is another one up there for only $1.

View my profile on

Download the FREE one and leave a comment on my seller page.

Use the link above or just visit Teachers Pay Teachers!

Enjoy Them!

Last Day of School Activities

2012-06-12T08:58:00.005-04:00

What do you do on the last day or day(s) of school? Need last day of school activities?

For me the last days are always bittersweet because of summer being around the bend but also the class that I have worked with all year is moving on. In my case, they are moving to a new building so many of them I will not see again.

However, why not take the bitter out of that bittersweet and just make the last days SWEET with a few quick ideas for Last Day of School Activities.

Resources packed up? Who cares.....

Activity 1:

Human Angles

Have the students create angles using their bodies. Call out degrees and see if they can use their hands to BE those angles.

Whisper an angle measurement in each child's ear. Have them make that angle with their hands and then find their matching angle (be sure you make partners when you whisper) without talking.

Activity 2:

Acapellla Group

Try to guide your class through creating an acapella rendition of a song. It could be something easy like "Twinkle, Twinkle" or more complex like a modern pop song. Try to get students to be instruments and see if you can get them to actually sound like a band. It's the last day.....why not?

Activity 3:

Summer Movie Charades

Summer blockbusters are already coming out. Many of the students are looking forward to them. Have the students act out various movie titles of upcoming or already released summer films. See how many your students can guess. Think: "Dark Knight Rises" or "Madagascar 3" those would be fun to act out.

Thin "Madagascar 3" is too hard to act out? Have students think Mad - Gas - Car - Three....they could act those out and have the group put them together for the title.

Enjoy those Last Day of School Activities....they are a great way to end your year on a fun note while still keeping those students focused through the last few hours. Have fun and feel free to send me any of your own Last Day of School Activities!

Two End of the School Year Activities: BioDomes and the US Map

2012-05-31T16:15:00.001-04:00

I am always looking for end of the school year activities. Each time I develop end of the year activities I struggle to find ways to make the content relevant to my students. As summer is approaching they are antsy and really looking to get out of the classroom and back into their pools or simply outside. Many of my end of the year activities are related to the outdoors.

As the end of the school year draws closer I like finding ways to involve the students in activities that take them outside of the classroom and get access those kinesthetic intelligences we so often neglect.

Activity One: The US Map

Many of our schools have large parking lots or play areas where there is simply blacktop. Why not use that space as a canvas and get our students learning in the process. Of course you would want to clear this with your school administrator but painting a map of the United States (large scale - think 20 feet long) on the parking lot is a great activity for your students. Involve them in the planning and execution of the activity.

Once created, the map is a great way to get the students engaged in Social Studies learning and accessing mapping skills. I have used it to identify states, explore battles during the Civil War, or discuss the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Activity Two: BioDomes

Put into a nutshell I have the students collect 2-Liter soda bottles. We wash them out, remove the labels and cut the tops off. I then go into the woods (we have a cross country trail) and have the students collect soil, plants and bugs to go into their BioDomes. They create the BioDomes by putting the two bottoms of the soda bottles together like a pill and the soil, plants and bugs are inside. They make a great window decoration (make sure its not too hot) and when done right the bugs can survive for a while. I usually have the students leave the bugs out since I think it is a little cruel to leave them captive (they always die) in the classroom. The plants do well though and the moisture in the soil cycles through.

This is a great lesson on water cycles, and interdependence in the natural world.

Enjoy those two end of the year activities. Hopefully you will find a way to keep yourself and your students cool and learning as the year winds down! Enjoy!

Thoughts on my "Blog for Teachers"

2012-05-20T16:55:00.001-04:00

A lot of what happens on this blog is designed to share with people what I have been doing for the past ten years. It has caused me to do a lot of self reflecting and has driven me to think about how my teaching practices are most effective. I have been honored to have people reading this blog and am driven by the numbers of people I have visiting.

Recently I have been toying with how to best organize the site. If you have been here since the beginning you know that it has undergone some changes and even was dormant for a few months after an initial push. I have been taking a new class in blogging through an inservice company and have recently fallen more in love with blogging.

The blog that I created for my class can be found at blogxpe.blogspot.com

That blog is just a simple blog designed to meet some requirements of the course I was a part of. I just finished the course but have no intention of stopping my blog. Actually I think that this blog will become the major focus and now that I am done with that course I am going to be pushing hard these last few weeks to wrap up the year well.

Over the summer I am going to be working on creating some resources that I can offer up and am considering joining a site where I can sell my units. I tend to really go over-the-top when I create curriculum so some of it gets the final brush up before being sent out.

Trust me...the best is yet to come!

Qwirkle: A Game I Recommend

2012-05-10T21:31:00.000-04:00

I am officially recommending Qwirkle as a great addition to any classroom. I recently played it with my students after borrowing it from our Gifted and Talented department. It is a great game, and it challenged the students without being overly difficult. It doesn't take long to learn, but Qwirkle will take a while for the students to master.

Gameplay: The game is made up of tiles; each tile has one of six shape, and the shape is one of six colors. The goal is to build onto previously made sets by joinging columns and rows that contain only one attribute (shape or color) in common. I will leave it to Wikipedia and YouTube to do the explaining of the rules in more detail.

The game plays similar to Scrabble with people trying to win points by creating and joining sets of tiles. Overall it is a great way to spend an indoor recess period or quick 30 minutes of free choice time. I wouldn't hesitate to say that this game belongs in the game closet of any teacher.

Morning Meeting Monday: Ping Pong Nose Race

2012-05-07T16:04:00.001-04:00

Relay races have always been a favorite of mine. It can be difficult or scary to incorporate such things into your Morning Meeting routine but I have had great success with several of them and this one is great too.

Materials:

2 Ping Pong Balls

1 Paper/Styrofoam Cup

Prepare the Cup:

Cut the cup in have vertically so that you have two identical haves. These will lay on the ground like a cup buried halfway underground and will be the goals for the game.

Classroom Management Strategies

2012-05-02T17:02:00.004-04:00

Classroom Management is a skill best served cold. By that I mean that it is best learned as you actually apply your strategies to a real classroom.

You can certainly learn strategies and methodologies in teaching training classes in undergrad and graduate level classes. However, you don't really know how it is going to work out until you apply it.

Management strategies are like fine suits, you need to tailor it to fit your needs and allow it to have enough flex in it to adapt to various situations.
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Magic Box: A Morning Meeting Activity

2012-04-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

This is basically charades with a non-existent box of objects.

1. Have the students imagine that you have placed a box in the center of your Morning Meeting circle. (Of course this is just imaginary so you will not need an actual box.)

2. Make a gesture to pretend you are opening the box.

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Monday Mornings and Teaching Truths

2012-04-30T07:45:00.001-04:00

Monday Mornings......

I always start my Mondays in the same way at school. I put some music on my stereo at school. Recently my selection has been whatever Pandora likes to play. I do try to keep it to music that I would not mind any of my students listening to since I am in school after all. Usually I get to school about 90 minutes early. I know that sounds crazy but I have found that I enjoy the warm up time to get myself off and running for the day. I find that I am ready to go once my students walk in.
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Desktop Doodle

2012-04-26T22:08:00.001-04:00

This is a good use of a desk calendar.

Morning Meeting Components

2012-04-24T22:32:00.003-04:00

Morning Meetings play an important role in my classroom. I do them almost every morning.

Five Major Components of a Morning Meeting

1. Greeting: This is a chance for all students to greet someone and to be greeted. All students are involved and there are many ways of doing a greeting. I start the year with greetings that are less involved and eventually work into more complex greetings demanding greater comfort level between students.

Examples:

Handshake

High Five

Squeezing a Hand

Thumb Wrestling

2. News and Announcements: I tell the students what to expect for the day and the upcoming week. I have the students contribute any relevant pieces of information.

Examples:

Morning Meeting Monday

2012-04-23T07:42:00.001-04:00

Here is a quick activity to get your class moving on a Monday....

Sitting on chairs in a circle have the students pass a ball, can, basket (whatever you've got) around the circle using only their feet. If it drops just pick it up and keep going. Encourage communication and teamwork as well as supportive comments during the activity.

Enjoy!

It's Been A Long Time....I Shouldn't Have Left You....

2012-04-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

I am working on getting back in the saddle on this. It should be sooner rather than later. Until then....here is a photo to tide you over.

Keep checking back here for updates coming soon!

Returning from Vacation

2011-08-25T10:52:00.000-04:00

Starting the year right is a tricky thing. I have learned a few things about starting the year on the best foot possible.

Here are a few ideas for the First Day of School:

1. Think of the First WEEK of School not just the first day.
2. Plan your first week out completely from start to finish of each day. I have found that a bit of hyper-planning for the first week helps to set the tone for the school year.
3. Use each minute of the day wisely....try to limit the amount of "free choice" time for the students. By letting the students know that you have the days planned you avoid them thinking that they can just do what they want. Students need direction and providing structure and expectations are essential.
4. Classroom Management - You need to create a plan for managing student behavior. I will get into this in a later post in more detail but you need to know what you expect so that you can properly implement it.

2011-08-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

As promised, below is the grid worksheet to go along with the icebreaker activity I mentioned a few days ago.

Grid Worksheet

If you need to know what to do with it, refer to the previous post.

ENJOY another activity!

2011-08-04T21:28:00.000-04:00

My previous post mentioned an icebreaker for the first few days of school. I wanted to provide you with a link to the file...here you go!

Circle Names Worksheet

I will follow up with the Grid Worksheet later.

Two "Double Duty" Icebreakers

2011-08-03T17:47:00.000-04:00

I have started every year with these two "double duty" icebreakers......they are essentially the same activity done in two different forms.

Activity One: The Grid

Create a 4x2 Grid in Word or some other word processing program. Insert clip art into each of the 8 boxes...8 boxes and 8 different images.

Each student gets one of the sheets and writes his or her name on the top of it. Students then circulate in the classroom getting people to sign in each box and they sign in the corresponding box on that student's sheet.

Example: If you use a picture of a truck in one of the boxes.....the student finds someone to sign their truck box and they sign that student's truck box.

They need to get all of their boxes signed with no repeats. Completed worksheets are kept in a folder, binder, etc.

Result:

1. Students get to know one another's names.

2. The teacher can now call students to find their "truck partner" "ostrich partner" "beach ball partner" etc. when pairing students up for reading, spelling word practice, quick sharing, etc.

Activity Two: The Wheel

Draw a circle on a piece of paper, draw lines across the circle so that there 10 equal sized slices of the circle. Number each piece of the circle from 1 - 10.....

The rules and results are the same as with The Grid... this is a great Day Two version of the activity. Now you have TWO ways to make partnerships at "random" because they students do not know the results of the activity until you use it for your first partnership.

I usually make copies of the worksheets and keep them in a binder so that if a student loses his or her sheet I can still have them find their partners because I have a copy.....I also redo this activity several times throughout the year so that the partnerships don't get stale.