Dork and Wimpy Kid Woes

Hey there gang!  I am wondering if I can get some feedback from some many y'all (hey, I live in the south and 'when in Rome', right?).  When you're in the workshop model, do you dictate the type of books that your children read?  I typically have them reading from a chapter book on their level but have run into a lot of Diary (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries) readers.  Do you feel like you're getting well thought out, higher-order-thinking-type responses from your children that actually apply the skill taught in the mini-lesson?  I feel like I'm at a crossroads and am really not wanting them to read those while applying the skill, but then at the same time it means I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth because it is, by definition, a chapter book and they're leveled at or near the child's level (EXCEPT it does NOT follow the five-finger rule).

What are your thoughts?  Do you allow your children to read the comic book style chapter books for mini-lesson application?

Behavior Overhaul

I am embarrassed that I even have to admit this, but I had to COMPLETELY change my behavioral plan.  I've been teaching about ten years now and can honestly say that I've never felt that my classroom management was a weak area in need of development.  I run a tight ship and my kids and their parents know that.  I also adore my little monsters and do everything with the best of their interests in my heart.  I care about them as miniature humans and that is never questioned by anyone who spends any time around me with my students.

That all being said, I have been spinning my wheels with a majority of my children this year.  My rules and the enforcement of them have been (what feels like) a huge joke to them and them showing respect to myself and other adults on campus is the punchline.  That has to be the case.  Why else would they continually interrupt me or stop me, mid-sentence while giving directions, to ask me about something completely unrelated OR about something that I haven't gotten to yet because I am still going over the assignment/expectations?

Care for an example?  Perhaps that would help to build perspective.  We have a library slot on Fridays at the end of the day.  I get my homeroom back at 2:10, and we have library from 2:10-2:25 with dismissal at 2:42.  This would leave me about 17 minutes to get a quick social studies lesson either started or finished. So last week, I am rushing them all into my room at the end of the day and reminding them that this is our only time all week to get to the school library to exchange books. "Please go into the room, set your things down, and immediately line back up to go to the library.  Remember, if you are renewing your book you need to grab it because we have returned the other books already."

Now, as I'm greeting the children back into the room, I have a child who has stopped me twice to try and ask/tell me something. I have told him both times that now was not the time because I have to get everyone to the library and back.  The children are attempting to get in line to go (by now it is 2:20) and yet another young man walks over to me as I am giving verbal reminders to interrupt me and ask me something.  I don't even remember what it was because I stopped him mid-interrupting-the-teacher-sentence to ask him if this was something that I absolutely HAD to keep 21 other children from going to the library for or could it wait until I get back.  He's attempting to tell me that it could wait when from the other side of the room, the first interrupting child shouts (not exaggerating, it literally startled me), "YES!"

I look at the other child, mouth agape, I'm sure, and ask him what it was.  "I left my lunch box on the playground!"

*DEEP BREATH...it's Friday after all*

I wasn't even sure where to start because so many responses were running through my head as this fifth grader felt it was imperative I keep books out of the hands of 22 children (including him) so that he could go get his lunch box on the playground.  I am not even kidding you when I say that I saw three hands fly up to the mouths of the children muffling their laughs because this was wildly inappropriate in the given setting.  I turned to my line leader and said, calmly and oh so defeated, "Go, please."

Now, as the majority of the children are leaving the room, another sweet face raises her hand..."It can't wait?"  She says, "Can I bring my own book to read at the library since I'm not checking anything out?"  Uhhh, yeah, I think the library is a safe place to bring a book to read, I thought to myself.  "Yes, please do," I actually said.

I mentioned the time for a reason.  We have lunch with our first period groups.  First period ends at 12:10.  It had been out there for over two hours and he needed to go out RIGHT NOW to go get it.  After we got back to the classroom I sent him with two students, my keys, and a walkie talkie because this is at dismissal time and they would not be going where teachers would be standing.  It was gone--probably at the Lost and Found--but here's the kicker.  He was going DIRECTLY PAST THAT PLAYGROUND on his way home.  UGH.

Oh and Ps, the OTHER child with a pressing interruption...he had a club to stay after school for and he wasn't sure which line he'd need to go to.  After library.  After social studies.  At dismissal.  In 30 or so minutes.  I think my liver is starting to hurt just thinking about all of that again.  And THAT, my friends, was a Friday.


I know that doesn't sound like a very big deal, and it really isn't.  If it were isolated.  However it is not.  My entire days have been filled with a series of moments just like that.

Sooooo, I researched what I could be doing wrong. After all, if you continue to do the same thing and expect different results and all...

I put on my big girl pants and decided to change what had been working (very well, I might add) for nine years.  What I've decided on is Whole Brain Teaching.  I am still kind of terrified going into it (I started on Monday) but it seems to be that at least 1/3 of my children are embracing it with open arms and welcoming smiles.  That's a start and it's more than they gave me at the beginning of the school year one short long month ago.  *sigh*

How about you all?  Any words of the wise that you can share or positive experiences with WBT that will be encouraging?  I just can't lose another month of instruction trying to get these munchkins to value what I do and who I am so that I can complete a sentence...

2008-2009 to 2012-2013 Classroom Evolution

Phew!  We are one week into our school year, Orientation is over and went off without a hitch (worth mentioning, anyway), and the students have paid 4 of their 180 days' debt to society as fifth graders in my classroom *giggle*.  I've made quite a few changes this year and they really were more a product of the past four years' experiences.

I initially planned on doing my reveal today, but I have a few things that I finished up this weekend that I was going to take to school and hang first, so that will have to be my next post.

Obviously (based solely on the title of my blog), I have had a beach theme in the past.  That hasn't so much changed as it has evolved into more than just a beach theme.  It's also opening the door for me to transition into potentially changing the theme one day.  You know, if I win the lotto, get a wild hair, AND decide that I have nothing but time to dedicate to the cause.  I don't anticipate that happening ANY. TIME. SOON.

So, the evolution was caused by the team-teaching-turned-six-partner-switch that has occurred over the five years we've been working at OVE.  There have been a lot of changes, some good and others not-so-much, as far as the fifth grade team goes.  From the first year that we opened, out of a team of 8 (9 if you count our ESE Teachers, and I always do), only three of us remain.  *FROWN*  However, we've gotten the opportunity to make a lot more friends that way.

Short story EVEN LONGER, our grade level has been color coded since the first year we opened.  I was chose pink because red was already taken by the teacher who brought the idea from her former school--not being too big a fan of pink at the time, I have adapted MARVELOUSLY *patting myself on the back in an over-the-top-kinda-way*!  The first two years, I worked with Mrs. Teal (one of the originals ;)) and her color was...wait for it...TEAL!  For obvious reasons--though her favorite color was purple and happens to be my LEAST liked color (I detest purple and have no idea why)--and I am glad she went with her last name for the coding.  After that, my principal split us up to put two (what she called) seasoned teachers with two teachers who needed seasoning.  Hehehe, that part I rephrased.  My new partner, Mrs. Devine, was fairly new to teaching and I was excited because I conned convinced asked her to come to OVE when she was surplussed from GPE our first year of opening (she is the only other teacher that remains with us from the first year on our grade level).  Maureen (Devine)'s color choice was LIME GREEN.

NOW, we are split up in the grade level.  One partnership has the inclusion class and one mixed ability class (heterogeneous, if you will).  We remaining six have our homerooms, to whom we teach social studies, and then two homogeneous groups in our departmentalized subject areas.  For those who are new (and honestly, I'm not sure if I've even mentioned it yet), I teach language arts and reading to two blocks a day.

Last year was the first year that we did this and I really think that it went well.  I got the opportunity to work with five other teachers rather than just one, and also got the chance to know even more students rather than just the 44 I would have taught.

The color coding within my group began at that time with the three colors, as I was only using two in the previous years.  I had all of these left over teal and lime green storage  bins and areas, so it was just a natural color selection.  It wasn't all that obvious last year, but this year (and largely due to Pinterest and my constantly expanding blog reading/following) it took on a whole new dimension.  When former students returned to my room during Orientation to say hi--which I get VERY excited about because my babies leave the school after fifth so I don't get to see them in the hallways like other grade levels get to--they were oohing and aahing over the changes.  One student in particular, who I ADORE and taught the first year, said to her mom, "Mrs. Van Kampen has upgraded since I was in her class."   :D We had quite the giggle over that.

Well there you have it--I started using a beach theme, and it grew and grew for a few years and then this year I abruptly added a LOT of lime green and teal to my already pink accents and storage areas.  I am including a link to last year's sneak peek so that you can see the "before" from just a year ago.  My next post will have this year's updated (or upgraded, hehehe) look.

2011 Sneak Peek

Organizational OCD

I am sure this is a common ailment for many teachers, but I suffer from a bad case of Organizational OCD.  I'm not naturally organized, I have to work very hard at it, so I've become obsessed with baskets and bins to assist me in my endeavor to become organized.

That being said, I'm sure many of you have seen the rolling carts with the primary colors for storage, but if not, they look like this:

I bought them at Sam's Club for the lowest price I'd ever seen them.  Normally they are around $80 but Sam's had them for $25 so I bought two for my classroom.

 Now, unfortunately, they do not really go with the color scheme in my classroom, so I busted out the scrapbook paper and modpodge and VOILA:

Well, I decided that I'd really wished that I'd gotten some for home in my craft room/office so I went back with my fingers crossed they'd still have some and thankfully they did!  YAY! 

I think that warming up my craft muscles on the first two sets was a good idea because my set for home turned out just a tad different. Hehehe

As you can see, this time I gave them a COMPLETE overhaul using spray paint (creme and chalkboard) as well as some stencil and paint on the top.   I wanted to match them to these ADORABLE storage bins I found at Michael's last year.  

FYI: I thought that in the past I had seen these for around $70-80 but got curious and looked at a couple of teacher supply sites to see if I remembered correctly.  I did...kinda: School Aids has them for $99.99.  Now, I mean no disrespect towards School Aids, but WHOOT WHOOT!  I FINALLY got a deal when I thought I was getting a deal!  Now, that being said, I TOTALLY fell for a sales pitch on some carpet cleaner while I was there the second time, but that was only $40 and it DOES clean...just not NEARLY as well as this knucklehead told me it would.  Oh well.  I STILL SAVED MONEY!  

Curious again, after hearing that one of my colleagues went to our local Sam's Club to get some after seeing mine last week and they were sold out, I looked online at their website to see if you could order them and have them delivered to the store.  To what will likely be her dismay, but to my relief that I was not wasting a rare opportunity to get these so cheap,  they are selling them online at Sam's for $66.83.  To their credit (yeah, not-so-much), that does include shipping. ;)

Well, I need to my classroom so have a SPECTACULAR Sunday!

Word Wall Cursive Alphabet Letters

Good afternoon! I am sure that many of you are doing what I've been doing lately...preparing for another school year.  My summer was crazy busy so by the time I was done taking care of the litter of pups and getting them into their new homes, I had exactly 6 weekdays of summer to be "off."  Sheesh!  Don't get me wrong, they're a blessing to be around even though it was nonstop work, but they are now a blessing to their fur-ever mommies and families now.

As I was taking inventory and beginning the set up of my room this week, I got to my Word Wall letters.  They are super duper cute, but they were in print and it reminded me of last years' students often asking me how to write something in cursive.

So, to avoid that this year, I have created a new set using a cursive font.  I've continued my beach theme (because I simply cannot imagine the amount of money it would cost to change my theme at this point) but also really added a lot more pops of color in my color scheme of bright fuchsia, teal, and lime green.  But to make it quick and easy, I used the Just So Scrappy Lil' Red Brag Book Pages found here.

You can get your own copy here:
Cursive Alphabet

That's all for now!  I'm heading to my room to work on the chaos I left behind two days ago. :)
 

Summer Shopping Linky!

You can imagine my sheer delight when I realized that someone was doing a linky that, despite my absence from writing (I was DEFINITELY still reading your blogs) posts, I can STILL participate it!  :D WHOOT!

Okay, beginning with Oriental Trading Company I loaded up on some flip flop/beachy items for gift bags next year.  I had a total of 51 students this year with three groups that I taught and some from my homeroom also being in either my first or second period reading classes.  That got REAL expensive when purchasing items throughout the year.  NOW I have pencils, stampers, key chains, erasers, and bracelets to give to my munchkins for next year:

I downloaded these last year, but never got around to making bracelets so I'm excited to have purchased bracelets from Oriental Trading that will work!  <source>

 I believe I got these at the Dollar Tree, but I can't be sure.  I was SO excited to see them and am not sure just how I will incorporate them into my them/gifts, but I know that they are GREAT FUN (yes, actually, I have always been easily entertained...why do you ask?) to blow up.

I don't remember where I got the salt water taffy, but I've seen it incorporated into other beach themes and somehow escaped me as an option.  NO MORE! ;)

Target purchase on sale

AC MORE--I've spent several weeks picking these adhesive embellishments up to add to my Tuesday Folders.  I've hot glued brads (and in many instances, some of my skin cells from my fingertips) and they will be added to my Nicky Folders which are used for weekly communication.  I add the behavior sheet to the middle so that it doesn't get lost among papers that need to stay home or be returned to school.

Dollar Tree purchases that will likely go in my rewards bin

On sale at AC More and I will either attach them to pencils or Tootsie Roll Pops for small birthday treats

I just ordered these from Pick Your Plum, too.  I'm not sure how I'm going to use them, but at that price, I couldn't wouldn't resist!

I also ordered these from Pick Your Plum and am undecided if I will use them to make Christmas or Mother's Day gifts with my students. Again, a GREAT price...I just LOVE that site!

Probably not last, and CERTAINLY not least, these are shower curtain hooks that I'm hoping will hold clipboards onto my ledge of my white board.  This will be a potential student display area! :D

Well, I believe that's all for now..."for now" kinda worries me there because the summer has only just begun!  Ah well, such is the life of a teacher, eh?  What have YOU bought so far?

My "Sabbatical" is Over!

Let me begin with my sincerest apologies for not writing in so long.  It's been...extremely hectic and overwhelming with my personal life so in the times when I would have normally written, I was dealing with the sucker punches that life was handing me.  Everything appears to be on the upswing now and for that I am extremely thankful.  Our family had some very scary challenges but God has pulled us through.

Thank you all for not giving up and for keeping me on your "following" lists.  I am hoping to get some posts up to share with you anything that may be of use from the past several months so bear with me and I will try to get my blogging schedule back to normal.  Until then, feel free to check out my class website.

I hope that you are all enjoying your summers.  I am on my second day off but have had my 9 year old niece for a little over a week so it has felt like vacation has been longer than that.  Can't complain about that, right?

Well, I'm off to tend to our 8 puppies (one of my unexpected challenges was that my Golden Retrievers managed--despite my efforts to avoid it--to breed again).  Have a GREAT Monday!