Wedged.

wedges by coachgaines featuring mid heel shoes

I'm in need of some comfortable, stylish shoes to wear to work.  I'm on my feet the majority of the day and constantly moving from student to student, table to table, or classroom to classroom.  

I tend to gravitate toward wedges because they are easier on my feet with all the walking around and standing I do.  

Any suggestions for comfortable, work appropriate (but still fun) footwear?

Spring Work Attire

Cardigan: Express (similar), Dress: Marshalls (option, option) , Shoes: Old Navy, Jewelry: Silpada, Kate Spade
(Cardigan: $10, Dress: $13, Shoes: $14)

Fall has always been my favorite season because of the beautiful colors,but spring is quickly taking over, my friends!In the past, I had always gravitated toward navy, browns, blacks, and neutrals.Recently, I've been attracted to brights, neons, and prints.  Oh my!I love spring because it opens me up to so many possibilities for work.I love the bright pops of color and summer dresses paired with a cardigan or blazer.Warm weather and sunshine make getting dressed in the morning that much easier.What do you like best about spring?

Those Crazy Kids...

Tales from the Teachers' Lounge

I swear getting to hear the things that come out of kids' mouths is one of the best perks of my job!

A student reading an oral reading passage (for a test):

"The octo-pussys....." 

Instead of octopuses, this is how she pronounced this word.  I'm sorry, I have no idea what she said after that....would you remember?!

A different student reading aloud with his book club:

"Given the circumcision, she decided to....."

And again, I have no idea what he said after that because he said circumcision instead of circumstances!

While reading The Hunger Games:

"This is the first book I've ever liked that doesn't have pictures!"

(what really made me smile was the element of surprise in his voice)

Apparently this day I looked like a Mr.:

"Mr.  I mean Miss."

Me: "Why does everyone keep calling me Mr. today?!" (second time - 2 different classes)

"Well, you have jeans on today and you normally wear skirts."

I figured this one out before they did...

"I think there are fun ways to learn, but I think we learn the hard way."

Remember that post where I shared I had a rough day?  

While looking through a thesaurus (I hope not for the first time!)

"I love these words!!  They're so powerful!"

In an effort to take some credit, we were working on figurative language - score!

Discussing the upcoming half day of school:

"I'm coming with my hair down cuz I'm going back to sleep after."

(...said the boy with spiky gel hair)

Read Across America

Tales from the Teachers' Lounge

Last week we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with Read Across America Day.

We had guest readers come in from the community and read us their favorite books.

We wore sweats, and brought in blankets.

We spent the day vegging out with a good book.

The best way to spend a day - especially a rainy one!

Dr. Seuss has some of the best life advice:

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"

"You are you - now isn't that pleasant?"

And my personal favorite:

"In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies."

Rough Days

Tales from the Teacher's Lounge

I had a really rough day with one of my classes last week.

I mean, quite possibly the roughest day I've ever had with students.

So, I went back and read my post on sweet reminders.

And decided that this week, I needed to start the week with some inspiration.

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Susan on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Allison on Pinterest

Source: philnel.com via Chyanne on Pinterest

Source: richinnerlife.typepad.com via Caitlan on Pinterest

Source: familyshare.com via Студия on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

I'm choosing to make today better.  I'm choosing to start fresh with my students this week.  I'm choosing to forgive each of them and be patient with them.  This particular group needs my patience, love, and understanding. 

After all, we all have weeks when we wish someone would do the same for us.

Sweet Reminders...

Tales from the Teacher's Lounge

Teaching is a hard job.

Not just anyone can do it.

There are days that make you question

why you chose this profession,

why you chose middle school,

how you will make it 30 years...

It is a hard job, 

but it is also a calling.

I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

Teaching is my thing and even on the tough days,

I know I'm making a difference...the smallest difference.

Then there are days where your sweet, sweet kids remind you

why you chose this profession,

why you chose middle school,

and just how the next 30+ years will go.

My students graciously showered me with Valentine's gifts.

I came home with more pounds of chocolate than I know what to do with, cookies, and cupcakes.

This card warmed my heart.  This particular child struggles with the English language as its his second.  There are days he makes teaching or maintaining everyone's attention difficult.  However, he makes me smile every day and this card validated me.  I know that I give him reason to smile every day, too.

I'm not sure if you can tell what this last picture is, but it is quite possibly, single-handedly my biggest accomplishment all year.  The child that created this project is a Newcomer.  He has been in America for less than 6 months.

He recently started attending my class after being in a Language Arts class with a Spanish speaking teacher for the first 18 weeks of school.  To help with the transition, he attends my class 3 days a week, and the other 2 he spends in her room.

The other day he turned in his homework to her a day early.

He said, "May I please stay in Mrs. Gaines' class tomorrow?  We are working on this really cool project and I really want to finish. I did all my work for you.  I can turn it in now."

When she came to me and asked if this was okay, I beamed.

Absolutely!

This is the project he had been working on.  My students have recently wrapped up their book club books and I challenged them to create a visual representation of 1 element of the book in whatever medium they wanted.  Some made collages, book trailers, diarama, comic strips, etc.

This boy had read a book about Hiroshima (in Spanish) and created a comic strip illustrating what happened and an example of what the devastation may have looked like.

Not just that.

He stood up in front of 22 classmates and presented his project explaining why he drew what he drew and how it related to the book.  The entire presentation was in Spanish, but a classmate volunteered to interpret for those that don't know Spanish.

I wish I could share a picture of the smile on his face

or the one he put on mine.

PTA Escapades

Tales from the Teacher's Lounge

The things kids say when working at the PTA thrift store...

Upon me making a deal (aka bribing them to behave)

Me: "If I don't have to raise my voice all week..."

Class: "Miss, you never raise your voice.  I don't think its even possible."

(Are you freakin' kidding me?!  Challenge accepted.)

While vacuuming...

"Miss, I'm going to make some woman a real happy wife some day."

"Can you imagine buying your underwear from here?!"

"Miss, we aren't here to shop."

"I walk to McDonald's all the time."

"My mom won't care.  I don't have to report home til 8:00."

Me: "Wait, your mom doesn't care where you are til 8:00?!"

"Well, I mean, she cares."

"I can't come to the work night at the thrift store tonight."

"Okay, we'll miss you."

"Yeah, well, I have to get my brother off the bus and I have a gym account."

"Okay."

"If I don't go to the gym where I have the account every day it's a waste of money.  Not to mention lifting weights is a huge anger relief for me."

"Okay."

"So, I'm going to go to the gym and bench press."

"Cool." (Oh, middle school boys...)

You might be a teacher if...

**Tomorrow is the fashion link up part of our New Year Challenge.  

The challenge is layering.  Hope to see your outfits!**

Tales from the Teachers Lounge

1. You get a secret thrill out of laminating things.
2. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words, “It’s Ms./Mr. ____________ and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people who  accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under 25 minutes.
6. You’ve trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day, lunch and planning period.
7. You start saving other people’s trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the Teacher’s Lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says, “Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off”.
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it’s a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, “Boy, the kids are sure mellow today.”
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.
17. You can’t pass the school supply aisle without getting at least 5 items!
18. You ask your friends to use their words and explain if the left hand turn he made was a “good choice” or “bad choice.”
19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer.
21. You understand, instantaneously, why a child behaves in a certain way after meeting his/her parents.

Jeff Foxworthy wrote this and I couldn't get over how true it is.  Just had to share in case any of you teachers can relate.  - Which ones do you relate to?

A few others to add to the list...

• You grab the entire box of notebooks rather than a few.
• You find your id badge in the dryer at least once a week.
• Your Kindle is full of YA titles.
• You smack your lips at your husband.
• You think the letters R, T, and I should be removed from the alphabet.
• You wonder why there isn't a class called Paperwork in undergrad.
• You sigh when people don't know what AIG, EC, ESL, RTI, ELA, LD, ELD, EMD, etc. mean.
• You use words like propaganda instead of promotion.
• Lice, roaches, B.O., and Axe don't scare you.

Come on, teachers, what would you add?

26RAK Project

Tales from the Teacher's Lounge

Shortly after the sad events at Sandy Hook, I came across a website about sending ornaments to the town for the trees outside the school in honor of each victim.  I immediately dropped what I was doing in my own classroom and got out all the glue, glitter, construction paper, and markers I could get my hands on and set up a station in the room for kids to make their ornaments to send.

Sweater: Gap (old, similar), Dress: Target, Tights: Bass (old), Boots: Jessica Simpson via Amazon,
Jewelry: Stella&Dot

I was very impressed with the response and compassion my students showed for the victims.  We had many discussions about the horrific event and I know that my students were truly touched by it.

As most teachers do, we take these moments in time and turn them into teachable moments using them to create learning experiences that are captivating and inspiring.  After seeing the way my students banded together to create the ornaments in a very short time, I started thinking about Ann Curry's 26 random acts of kindness tweet that has since gone viral.

I figured they would really hop on board with a project that revolved around charitable acts.  I am so impressed with the way things are taking off.  I can't wait to share more with you as we work on the project and choose an appropriate way to present it.

I encourage all teachers reading this to take these real-life situations and turn them into more teachable moments.  I have students that "don't care" about anything truly invested in this.  They have come up with acts of kindness ranging from taking the neighbor's trash to the road to going into the self-contained special education classroom to work with the students and read them books.

It's a valuable lesson for all of us to realize what a little kindness can do for someone.  Even more valuable to know that a random act of kindness is free and rewarding for both giver and recipient.

**Special Reminder: Tomorrow is the Crockpot Challenge link up.  January's recipe was soup.
Read more about it here.**

Persuasive Platform

Tales from the Teacher's Lounge

As a teacher, I'm constantly reflecting and trying to figure out new ways to get my students excited about learning.  The best advice I can give any new teacher is to make learning authentic.  Make it real for the kids; relevant if you will.  The more personal investment you can foster, the better the end result will be.  

This year I'm working on my National Boards.  There, I said it.  It's real.  And now you all know.  You all know if I succeed and you all know if I fail.  If you're the praying type, please, start praying now that things go well for me throughout this process!  It's expensive, intensive, and rigorous.  I'm not exactly nervous for it, but excited to see how it stretches my teaching and fosters "outside the box" thinking.

Whew!  Now that that's out of the bag, let me share with you one of the big projects I've been working on for several months now (with great help from fabulous co-teachers and my students of course.)

The Persuasive Platform

We did this last year and revamped it this year to be bigger, better, and more involved.  Last year each of my students wrote a persuasive letter to an audience of choice, about a topic of choice.  The only requirement was that it used the power of persuasion to get their audience to do what they wanted it to. One of my classes was then able to host the platform in my classroom.  Students read their letters aloud to various community leaders and we hosted refreshments after.  I was pleasantly surprised at the upset my other 2 classes shared after realizing they had not had this same opportunity.

So, this year, we made sure all three classes were able to participate in this platform.  The day before Christmas break is a half day for our students so I took the opportunity to reserve the cafeteria.  (We don't serve lunch in the cafeteria on half days.)  We invited ten community leaders including the mayor, town commissioner, superintendent, etc.  We also invited all of our parents/families this year!  About twenty students signed up to read their letters aloud to the rather large crowd.  

I can't tell you how proud I am of each and every individual.  They took this opportunity very seriously and addressed issues that really mattered to them including the need for a skate park in our town, the lack of food choice at lunch, the poor technology in our school, and the desire for a teen recreational facility in our town.  Each individual dressed professionally and exemplified great bravery in conducting themselves in front of such a large crowd, not just of peers, but of elders.

A few pictures from the day and again a huge THANK YOU to all those that helped make it happen!

My homeroom in their professional attire.

Father and son discussing the project after the platform had ended.

The students greeted, served, and entertained our guests.

The town commissioner discussed ideas for a future skate park with students after the platform.

I said Brrrrr

Tales from the Teachers' Lounge

It's cold in here.

There must be some vocab in the atmosphere.

We have been working so hard on locating new and exciting words in our book club books.

We locate the word, figure out the part of speech, define it in our own words, and then illustrate a visual aid that will help us to remember what it means.

Then, we celebrate.

How, you ask?

With a snowball fight, of course!!!

We set up the room with places for the kids to hide and run around.  We open up the windows so that its nice and cold inside, play the video you see above on the SmartBoard, and cover everything in white paper and sheets to further set the scene.

Each child picks one word they have been working with and they write the word on one piece of paper, the definition on a second, and illustrate the word on a third.  We then crumple them up and we can throw snowballs for the duration of this song:

And some hot chocolate to warm back up.

We always dress up for the occasion as well:

Click here to see if you won the holiday garland giveaway!