Team Teachers

I need to raise $50 for Pre-K Celebration ASAP, if anyone is interested in donating via paypal or chase epay let me know!

tomesaway — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:49:41 -0400

The need for funds is a long story, but know it would be going to our 3 Pre-K’s celebration on the last day of school. We’d like to buy a small spread of food and some resources for the kids to take home.

Please e-mail me positivelypt (at) gmail (dot) com or use fan mail!

Thanks!

signal boost!

The Updated Teacher Roll Call

girlwithalessonplan — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:26:42 -0400

teamteachers:

Charellabon took it upon herself to take on the daunting task of organizing the Teacher Roll Call. Girlwithalessonplan started the roll call by keeping a blog post of teacher bloggers before the #education tag was officially started. World-shaker took it a step further by using GoogleDocs to create a submit form that exported all the information into a spreadsheet.

Charellbon has checked each entry, identified defunct tumblrs, and organized each blog by state. You can now view the master list and even find people by state/location. She should be applauded for her work on this.

So, what’s new?

1. Sorting by Location groups, alphabetically by state abbreviations, on the Master Roll Call, which is the main spreadsheet and the first page (and thus called the Master, due to subsequent spreadsheets following the Master Roll Call).

This roll call is available to the public, but only to those with the link.

Link to the Master Roll Call: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArEdPVjEjZTjdEx4MER4a2ZKaEFkQ3VRRVExcW9zUkE#gid=14

2. A new Submit form to point to the To Be Added/Filed tab, the tab directly to the right of the Master Roll Call spreadsheet.

TheTo Be Added/Filedtab gets updated live. Char will plan to manage future entries by manually transferring them from theTo Be Added/Filedtab onto theMaster Roll Calland respective Location sheets. Note that the form is the same exact form from the original (I copied and pasted), but with a different destination.

Link to the new Submit form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MsiEYZYSInaR_WntyneMFr3IdXVIJji_Z3w15ICCmIs/viewform

3. Specific Location spreadsheets within the Master Roll Call (i.e., CA Tumblr Teacher spreadsheet tab).

4. Location spreadsheet tabs at the bottom (desktop view) or top (mobile view) are also listed alphabetically.

5. Pink highlighted entries indicating defunct, “not found” tumblrs.

We will eventually be deleting these blogs from the list.

~~~

Char noted the following:

In addition to making these 20 spreadsheets plus the Submit form, I crunched out some numbers out of curiosity:

- 1377 total entries of Tumblr teachers!

- 223 defunct tumblrs within the Master Roll Call.
This still means we have 1,154 active Tumblr Teachers out there - over a THOUSAND entries, folks!

- The leading location - as far as numbers are concerned - is our International tumblrs, with 237 active entries. Then No Response tumblrs, with 93 active entries, followed by California tumblrs, with 82 active entries. New York is the runner up, with 75 active tumblrs.

Again, major props to Charaellbon for this. She’s a education-licensed homeschooling mom and relatively new to Tumblr #education, so give her a follow and thank her for her work.

WHOA. Late Announcement. Today is the 15th which means #education dare day!

positivelypersistentteach — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:59:02 -0400

Ready, set, go.

I’ll make up for the late announcement with an extra one this month!

The Updated Teacher Roll Call

charellabon — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:40:05 -0400

Charellabon took it upon herself to take on the daunting task of organizing the Teacher Roll Call. Girlwithalessonplan started the roll call by keeping a blog post of teacher bloggers before the #education tag was officially started. World-shaker took it a step further by using GoogleDocs to create a submit form that exported all the information into a spreadsheet.

Charellbon has checked each entry, identified defunct tumblrs, and organized each blog by state. You can now view the master list and even find people by state/location. She should be applauded for her work on this.

So, what’s new?

1. Sorting by Location groups, alphabetically by state abbreviations, on the Master Roll Call, which is the main spreadsheet and the first page (and thus called the Master, due to subsequent spreadsheets following the Master Roll Call).

This roll call is available to the public, but only to those with the link.

Link to the Master Roll Call: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArEdPVjEjZTjdEx4MER4a2ZKaEFkQ3VRRVExcW9zUkE#gid=14

2. A new Submit form to point to the To Be Added/Filed tab, the tab directly to the right of the Master Roll Call spreadsheet.

The To Be Added/Filedtab gets updated live. Char will plan to manage future entries by manually transferring them from the To Be Added/Filedtab onto the Master Roll Calland respective Location sheets. Note that the form is the same exact form from the original (I copied and pasted), but with a different destination.

Link to the new Submit form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MsiEYZYSInaR_WntyneMFr3IdXVIJji_Z3w15ICCmIs/viewform

3. Specific Location spreadsheets within the Master Roll Call (i.e., CA Tumblr Teacher spreadsheet tab).

4. Location spreadsheet tabs at the bottom (desktop view) or top (mobile view) are also listed alphabetically.

5. Pink highlighted entries indicating defunct, “not found” tumblrs.

We will eventually be deleting these blogs from the list.

~~~

Char noted the following:

In addition to making these 20 spreadsheets plus the Submit form, I crunched out some numbers out of curiosity:

- 1377 total entries of Tumblr teachers!

- 223 defunct tumblrs within the Master Roll Call.
This still means we have 1,154 active Tumblr Teachers out there - over a THOUSAND entries, folks!

- The leading location - as far as numbers are concerned - is our International tumblrs, with 237 active entries. Then No Response tumblrs, with 93 active entries, followed by California tumblrs, with 82 active entries. New York is the runner up, with 75 active tumblrs.

Again, major props to Charaellbon for this. She’s a education-licensed homeschooling mom and relatively new to Tumblr #education, so give her a follow and thank her for her work.

Write a Letter to a Teacher

positivelypersistentteach — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:28:58 -0400

Write a Letter to a Teacher:

gjmueller:

Perfect sentiment for Teacher Appreciation Week here on tumblr #education!

Think of a teacher that made a difference in your life; helped you succeed, or got you through something difficult. Take a few minutes to go to the school’s website and send them an email. Nothing means more to a teacher than knowing they made a positive difference in a student’s life.

Satisfactori: Are you a trans*, gender nonconforming, or nonbinary TEACHER?

positivelypersistentteach — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:08:20 -0400

Satisfactori: Are you a trans*, gender nonconforming, or nonbinary TEACHER?:

satisfactori:

I recently decided to be a teacher, but I also identify as agender. I was wondering if you could help me out by answering a few questions. These include:

How do you identify yourself?

ex. genderqueer, femme, avid reader, left handed, tall, tough, sparkly, gender creative, gay, fun,…

Click through for the rest.

Boosting.

Preparing for the effects of the sequester: A Little Help from my Tumblr Friends?

tomesaway — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:58:20 -0400

Preparing for the effects of the sequester: A Little Help from my Tumblr Friends? :

positivelypersistentteach:

Hey everyone, as you may have heard the recent sequester will impact many government programs and their funding. My program is getting a cut, but it looks like no positions will be cut from instructional staff at this point. However, other parts of our staff may be.

Each year Pre-K teachers get a modest classroom supply fund. This is not much different than the grade level funds that are often used to purchase take home folders, construction paper, notebooks, etc. except that we each individually decide what to spend it on. This year, I spent mine on art supplies, stuff needed for science and math activities (not reusable), and some books. I am guessing that our classroom funds will be very small next year, as they have gotten smaller every year.

As you know, Pre-K kids play hard and at the beginning of the year are still learning a lot of social skills and rules. So books get ripped and toys break. And, I am sometimes able to replace them through classroom funds or my own, and sometimes I am not.

This year’s class has loved every minute, but there’s things from free choice centers that need to be replaced. Also, this year, I put a lot more focus into using rotating centers for all academic centers. While I do have a number of books that need to be replaced or that are still on my dream classroom wish list. I want to focus on stacking up on materials for literacy, science, math, and social studies.

If you have the funds this month or are a billionaire I’d appreciate it if you could take a look at my wish list (linked above). I partner with another teacher to plan a lot of things and we share materials so you would be helping out two classes.

I totally understand that money is tight for many, but all the reblogs in the world are appreciated.

Signal boost!

What is involved in having a tumblr buddy? Sounds fun!

positivelypersistentteach — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:30:48 -0400

Tumblr buddies is arranged similarly to a Secret Santa. For the time period named, each person agrees to send 1-2 items a month to the person they have. You may remain anonymous or tell your person from the get-go. I can’t guarantee your buddy will keep their end of the bargain. We have had some people fail to follow through. I can tell you the majority of buddies do send something regularly. Also, some buddies send small gifts, but you also have to know that there is no guarantee of a gift in return. If someone can only send notes of encouragement, then we want them to participate. Sometimes kind thoughts are just what we all need.

good: Starting a New Tradition: Georgia Students Hold School’s...

positivelypersistentteach — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:01:15 -0400

good:

Starting a New Tradition: Georgia Students Hold School’s First-Ever Integrated Prom
- Liz Dwyer wrote in Education, Race and Georgia

A group of high school seniors at Wilcox County High School in rural south Georgia made history this past weekend by bucking their community’s longstanding tradition of racially segregated proms—yes, one prom for white teens and one for black teens. Indeed, thanks to the inspiring students behind the Integrated Prom movement, for the first time ever, black and white students in the community dressed up and danced the night away together.

How does a community get around having a prom that’s open to everyone without violating any civil rights laws? Easy. You just don’t let the school sponsor it. After the courts integrated the schools in the area, proms became private, invite-only events. White parents began raising funds for an all-white senior prom, leaving black families with no choice but to follow suit and host proms for their children.

Yes, this still goes on on 2013, and not just in this town, either. And yes, some white Wilcox students still attended the all-white only prom. But as you can see from the video above, what happens when students say they’ve had enough and take action is truly inspiring.

Hi, folks! I visited the tumblr teacher roll call just yesterday and was truly amazed by the massive list of tumblr teachers in this community! Last I visited the roll call was a few years ago, when I believe there were ~200 listed. So, question - I know the list has been described to be organized by grade level, but would you mind if I took it upon myself to organize this 700+ member list by location? It would be amazing if, say, CA tumblr teachers met up! Already working on the Int'l folks..

girlwithalessonplan — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

We are glad you like it, but Location is in there, on the final column. —girlwithalessonplan

ambedu: Found this video to use about kids who started a...

positivelypersistentteach — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:01:13 -0400

ambedu:

Found this video to use about kids who started a petition for Crayola to recycle markers.

Every year, Crayola makes about half a billion markers — enough markers to wrap around the earth more than three times! — and sells them all around the world. Millions of kids use and love Crayola products — including the students at Sun Valley School, where I volunteer. That’s why we’re asking Crayola to make sure these markers don’t end up in our landfills, incinerators and oceans.

“I love your markers, but I’d like to tell you it’s polluting. So can I please send some of your markers back? I love your product, but hate pollution,” Zachary, age 9.

Around the world, people are starting to realize the massive problem of discarded plastics. It’s not only a waste of resources — it is detrimental to our wellbeing. Plastics, which escape into the ocean, are entering our food chain as they are weathered and broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. By establishing a take-back program for their plastic markers, Crayola can stop millions of markers from becoming pollution and waste.

“I want to let you know that I am not a useless little kid. I can make a difference! By telling you to recycle your pens,” Dante, age 10.

”Will we ever be able to fix the hole in the ozone layer? I don’t like pollution because it hurts the Earth,” Georgia, age 7.

“If we all came from the Earth… Then why are we hurting it so much? Earth is all we have left,” Olivia, age 11.

We want Crayola to “make their mark” by starting a “take-back” recycling program for their markers. If Crayola can do it, we know other companies will follow. Crayola can be a leader for the environment.

Sincerely,

Mr. Land and his “Kids Who Care” from Sun Valley School

Reminder!

positivelypersistentteach — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:36:28 -0400

Please don’t forget to send your Tumblr Buddy something 1-2 times a month.

Also, I’d like to know if people are interested in doing a shorter round of Tumblr Buddies for the (American) Summer lasting from June-August. If there’s enough interest, I will certainly arrange it.

Tomes Away: Spotlight in #education

tomesaway — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:04:05 -0400

Tomes Away: Spotlight in #education:

tomesaway:

May I suggest an #education spotlight where we feature an under-represented, yet totally-worth-reading-and-following teacher tumblr?

It could be a daily thing, or a weekly thing, but it’d be a great way to open up the page a bit for a breath of fresh air. You could tag your entries with…

Let’s start this today! Tag your nominees with #spotlightineducation and tell us a little about the teacher you admire.

"SENATORS say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared..."

positivelypersistentteach — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:39:18 -0400

“SENATORS say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets. The fear that those children who survived the massacre must feel every time they remember their teachers stacking them into closets and bathrooms, whispering that they loved them, so that love would be the last thing the students heard if the gunman found them.”

- Gabrielle Giffords’ lede in her NYT Op-Ed “A Senate in the Gun Lobby.” (via joshsternberg)

Tomorrow is the 15th which means #education dare day!

positivelypersistentteach — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:20:09 -0400

Feel free to start a little early.

girlwithalessonplan: englishteacheronline replied to your post: @PPT: My mom was THE school nurse!...

girlwithalessonplan — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:38:22 -0400

girlwithalessonplan:

englishteacheronline replied to your post: @PPT: My mom was THE school nurse!

I WANT TO SEE THE HEAD LICE COLOURING BOOK!

My mom would never disappoint tumblr; she actually emailed me this link when she saw the post, before I knew you even asked:

http://www.headlice.org/kids/coloring_book_int-opt-rd.pdf

Print and enjoy, everyone!

Reblog for the daytime crowd. I don’t want anyone to not get a head lice coloring book.

Is there a Houston teachers meet up in the works?

positivelypersistentteach — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:18:08 -0400

We don’t arrange the meet ups. We don’t work for tumblr. But, we do signal boost meet-ups that other people want to set up. Would you like to plan one? Any other #education people interested?

I think there needs to be a Boston #education meetup

positivelypersistentteach — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 21:32:41 -0400

strangenewclassrooms:

Especially with April break coming up! Any takers?

Boosted

DONE!

positivelypersistentteach — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:29:50 -0400

msleahhbic:

All the emails are sent. If for some reason you haven’t received yours, please private message me on Tumblr or email me at msleahhbic@gmail.com!

Also Important Thing: please take 1-3 weeks to make and mail your craft/piece of art work. Keep the person you’re mailing to a secret! If you have questions for them about what they might like, consider messaging them anonymously!

Thanks for heading this up Leah!

mixedupdays: This is one of my literacy centers, Spellatron...

positivelypersistentteach — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:43:48 -0400

mixedupdays:

This is one of my literacy centers, Spellatron 5000. I made it from a cardboard box, pieces of an egg carton, cardboard tubes, and fruit cup bowls. (Everything was hot-glued on, but it gets rough handling from first graders so its mouth had to be repaired with clear tape a few months ago.) Inside, it’s filled with ping pong balls, each one with at least one spelling word on it.

I start the year by putting in all the students’ names, plus a few kindergarten words (I, the, and). Then, every word that gets added to our Word Wall also gets added to Spellatron. I always write the first grade word on one side in black, and a harder word (the “challenge” word) on the other in a different color, so there’s differentiation. I also put in science and math vocabulary words when they come up, and my own name, the school name, and a few “wild card” balls which just have a star on them and mean that the student can practice ANY word they like.

So to use the center, students reach in (no peeking!) and pull out a ping pong ball, then decide which word (if there is a choice, as the name balls only have one choice) to practice, then they either build that word with magnetic letters or write it with chalk (the boards I have are magnetic white boards on one side and chalkboards on the other). They have to do at least five words before moving on, but they love this center and often practice so many words that the holding tray on Spellatron’s head will fill up and overflow. Fun!