We all have them....
"Oooooooh, I'm tellin'!"
" Ms. [insert your name here], look at THEM!"
"Ahhhh!!!!!!! Did you see that?"
*massages temples*
Tattletales. Tattlers. Squealers. Busybodies. Faithful reporters of misfortune. SNITCHES.
Oh yes, they can tap-dance on the last shred of nerves that you have, OR they can be a help.
(What???? A help??? She must be a fake teacher...either that or a LOON!)
Mmkay, I'm a bit of the latter, but just hear me out: "Snitches" can be graaaaaand help in the broad scheme of things. They're another set of eyes for YOU! No, I'm not insinuating that you're not good at supervising your class, I'm simply saying that extra pairs of observant little eyes aren't necessarily bad. Use your tattlers as bathroom monitors, literacy center monitors, and teachers' assistants. *shrug* I do it. It works well. Juuuuust be sure that your snit---um..."observant" kids are also TRUSTWORTHY! LOL
Til next time,
Jenn
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Just A Tip...And It Might Help Your Evaluations,Too!!!!
This is white paper cut into a triangle. Six words are written on it. It's been sectioned off with a ruler and colored. Yep, it's been laminated, too. *cue ooohs and aaaahs* LOL!
We all know that differentiation is a must, as well as higher-order thinking questions that address all of the areas of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Why not make one of these and post it on the corner of your whiteboard? I place a dot on each section to assure I've addressed all of the areas during my lessons. Even the kids will get in on it: I remember them saying "Ms. C., we haven't reached the top yet!" HAHAHAHAAA!
Just a thought...and psssssst..... This looks great to evaluators, too; shows an effort has been put into differentiation. ;-)
Until next time,
Ms. Jenn
Monday, July 23, 2012
First Day Jitters
Random thoughts......no rhyme or reason to them, just writing:
The first day of school is next week.
I'm afraid.
I get like this every year: The jitters, the cold sweats, the lack of sleep, the tears that quickly turn into sudden bursts of energy to get things done, the laughter at myself for being so silly, the nervousness for the babies that I had last year to do well in middle school.........
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm a wreck.
Yes, I'm an awesome teacher. Yes, I get like this every year. Yes, this begins my tenth year teaching. And YES, I'm STILL a wreck.
Sigh.
Tears are falling NOW! I've got butterflies in my stomach. My migraine is threatening to come back. I don't care HOW old I am, HOW many degrees I get, or HOW many times I hear "Good job", I'm still gonna wonder if I'm good enough for THIS bunch of kids.
No sympathy needed....just me blabbing.
But, I came across this quote:
“Successful teachers are effective in spite of the psychological theories they suffer under.”
Well, darn. Sucked my tears right up. Regardless of what I'm feeling, if I'm gonna be successful, I've got to shake any hindrances off. And I'm GOING to be successful at teaching this new bunch; best believe that!
I can do this!!!!!!!!!!!
Those salty reminders of humanness will probably come back at least thrice until I actually see the batch of babies that I'm getting. I'm not quite ready for 'em, but it's ok. Put me in, Coach. :)
Lemme go throw these Kleenex tissues away,
Jenn
The first day of school is next week.
I'm afraid.
I get like this every year: The jitters, the cold sweats, the lack of sleep, the tears that quickly turn into sudden bursts of energy to get things done, the laughter at myself for being so silly, the nervousness for the babies that I had last year to do well in middle school.........
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm a wreck.
Yes, I'm an awesome teacher. Yes, I get like this every year. Yes, this begins my tenth year teaching. And YES, I'm STILL a wreck.
Sigh.
Tears are falling NOW! I've got butterflies in my stomach. My migraine is threatening to come back. I don't care HOW old I am, HOW many degrees I get, or HOW many times I hear "Good job", I'm still gonna wonder if I'm good enough for THIS bunch of kids.
No sympathy needed....just me blabbing.
But, I came across this quote:
“Successful teachers are effective in spite of the psychological theories they suffer under.”
Well, darn. Sucked my tears right up. Regardless of what I'm feeling, if I'm gonna be successful, I've got to shake any hindrances off. And I'm GOING to be successful at teaching this new bunch; best believe that!
I can do this!!!!!!!!!!!
Those salty reminders of humanness will probably come back at least thrice until I actually see the batch of babies that I'm getting. I'm not quite ready for 'em, but it's ok. Put me in, Coach. :)
Lemme go throw these Kleenex tissues away,
Jenn
Thursday, July 5, 2012
FREE Resources (For Parents AND Teachers!!!)
Hey, guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope your summer has been great. I just wanted to share a couple of FREE resources ("Free? Did she say 'free'?" Why yes, yes I did!) for both parents and teachers alike. I know "worksheets" are frowned upon, BUT there IS some good ol'-fashioned educational greatness in these sites.
First site: http://www.math-drills.com/
This site is GREAT for a couple of reasons:
1.) Review: If you truly teach math the way it is to be taught, there's some "spiraling" that's involved. For those who may not be familiar with the term, spiraling is basically dipping back into previously taught/learned skills so that they stay fresh in the kids' minds.
2.) Differentiation: Yes, I said it....the "d" word. LOL!!!! For each skill, there are several subsets that can be used to challenge students, strengthen skills and to pull back and reteach if need be.
3.) Convenience: Ya know when parents ask ya for extra work for their kids? BAM!!!!!!!! Not only are these easy to print (or you can just give 'em the website), but they come with answer keys!!!!!!!!!!!! SCORE!!!! Parents....can we say ROAD TRIP ACTIVITIES???? Print off some, buy a dollar clipboard from Walmart or your local dollar store and.....you can thank me later. LOL!!!! Aaaaaand teachers, if you have one of those mounted projectors with a feed from your desktop in your classroom, pop a skill up there, let the kids work on it in their math journals, and allow for self-checking! *cue happy dance*
Second site: http://www.worksheetworks.com
Now, this site says "beta" on it, but PLEASE DON'T let that deter you from checking it out! It has a hodge-podge of skills that can be used for extra practice.
*For the little ones, there's a scissors skills section: Just click the level of difficulty and print out different shapes to help your kids develop the fine motor skills needed for cutting. (Hey....get the kids some kid-friendly scissors. Try the kind by Westcott, that fit both left and right-handed babies. They're at Walmart, they're reasonably-priced, and read carefully: There's a kind made out of nylon that'll only cut paper--no carpet, hair, electrical wiring, that new purse....nada. Solo papel!)
*There's a handwriting section for both manuscript and cursive. You can even type in what you want kids to copy and practice writing. Think about it....go with me, here: Choose any subject area and type in what you want the kids to write. Not only does this reinforce skills in social studies, science, etc, BUT it buys you a bit of time. Raise your hand if you've got enough time carved out of your day to practice handwriting with the babies........Y'all might; I don't. *chuckle*
*There's a math section. It's ok, but I really like the calculator skills portion. Even in 4th and 5th grade, I noticed that the babies had trouble with correctly entering in the information into their calculators. (I hear my Daddy in my head "It's not the calculator that's wrong, Jennifer, it's the one using the thing. The calculator is just a tool!" LOL Yes, Daddy.) Check out the math portion...it's cool.
*The English Language section is pretty nifty. There are skills with homophones (scene, seen...their, there, they're), vocabulary and alphabetizing.
*The Geography section has the coolest puzzle EVER! It's a states and capitals grid puzzle. Honestly, I wanna (and I just might) print one out and work on it mySELF!!!! (But, once again, I'm a dork. *shrug*)
*There are sections for both puzzles (brain teasers, Sudoku, Pentominoes, etc) and miscellaneous items.
Welp, I'm done......................for now. :-) There's more to come--we've got ALL YEAR!!!!
Until next time,
Ms. Jenn
I hope your summer has been great. I just wanted to share a couple of FREE resources ("Free? Did she say 'free'?" Why yes, yes I did!) for both parents and teachers alike. I know "worksheets" are frowned upon, BUT there IS some good ol'-fashioned educational greatness in these sites.
First site: http://www.math-drills.com/
This site is GREAT for a couple of reasons:
1.) Review: If you truly teach math the way it is to be taught, there's some "spiraling" that's involved. For those who may not be familiar with the term, spiraling is basically dipping back into previously taught/learned skills so that they stay fresh in the kids' minds.
2.) Differentiation: Yes, I said it....the "d" word. LOL!!!! For each skill, there are several subsets that can be used to challenge students, strengthen skills and to pull back and reteach if need be.
3.) Convenience: Ya know when parents ask ya for extra work for their kids? BAM!!!!!!!! Not only are these easy to print (or you can just give 'em the website), but they come with answer keys!!!!!!!!!!!! SCORE!!!! Parents....can we say ROAD TRIP ACTIVITIES???? Print off some, buy a dollar clipboard from Walmart or your local dollar store and.....you can thank me later. LOL!!!! Aaaaaand teachers, if you have one of those mounted projectors with a feed from your desktop in your classroom, pop a skill up there, let the kids work on it in their math journals, and allow for self-checking! *cue happy dance*
Second site: http://www.worksheetworks.com
Now, this site says "beta" on it, but PLEASE DON'T let that deter you from checking it out! It has a hodge-podge of skills that can be used for extra practice.
*For the little ones, there's a scissors skills section: Just click the level of difficulty and print out different shapes to help your kids develop the fine motor skills needed for cutting. (Hey....get the kids some kid-friendly scissors. Try the kind by Westcott, that fit both left and right-handed babies. They're at Walmart, they're reasonably-priced, and read carefully: There's a kind made out of nylon that'll only cut paper--no carpet, hair, electrical wiring, that new purse....nada. Solo papel!)
*There's a handwriting section for both manuscript and cursive. You can even type in what you want kids to copy and practice writing. Think about it....go with me, here: Choose any subject area and type in what you want the kids to write. Not only does this reinforce skills in social studies, science, etc, BUT it buys you a bit of time. Raise your hand if you've got enough time carved out of your day to practice handwriting with the babies........Y'all might; I don't. *chuckle*
*There's a math section. It's ok, but I really like the calculator skills portion. Even in 4th and 5th grade, I noticed that the babies had trouble with correctly entering in the information into their calculators. (I hear my Daddy in my head "It's not the calculator that's wrong, Jennifer, it's the one using the thing. The calculator is just a tool!" LOL Yes, Daddy.) Check out the math portion...it's cool.
*The English Language section is pretty nifty. There are skills with homophones (scene, seen...their, there, they're), vocabulary and alphabetizing.
*The Geography section has the coolest puzzle EVER! It's a states and capitals grid puzzle. Honestly, I wanna (and I just might) print one out and work on it mySELF!!!! (But, once again, I'm a dork. *shrug*)
*There are sections for both puzzles (brain teasers, Sudoku, Pentominoes, etc) and miscellaneous items.
Welp, I'm done......................for now. :-) There's more to come--we've got ALL YEAR!!!!
Until next time,
Ms. Jenn
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Teachers That Know They Can
*thumbs in belt loops* Heeeeey, y'all!
So back in February, I had a guest speaker that the kids know as "Mr. Awesome Eric". LOL! Well, while he was in the middle of talking about goals, success, and dreams in kid-friendly terms, he quoted this poem:
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a person’s will-
It’s all in a state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!
The kids were amazed. They applauded right then and there, and he wasn't even through talking to them yet!
Months later, in May, the kids were playing games because, well, it was after standardized testing, there was maybe a week and a half of school left and.........welp....... they deserved the free time! (Dear administrators: Don't freak out! Respectfully, Jenn) Haahaa!
During one of the games, B hollered "I'm gonna win, cuz I'm a man that thinks he can. Remember Mr. Awesome Eric said it?" My teacher senses tingled. After he did, indeed, win the game, I asked him to come over and recorded him reading the poem. MY GOSH!!!! This child hates to read with a passion, but he jumped at the chance to read "Mr. Awesome Eric's Poem."
I got inspired.
Let's see if I can "remix" the poem in teacher-friendly terms:
The Teachers Who Know They Can
If you think you can't teach, you can't.
Take down your bulletin boards and leave.
There's no sense in making your classroom great
If you don't think our kids can achieve.
If you think they're too stupid, that's a shame
That falsehood contains nothing true
The kids WILL learn, but the worst part is,
They'll learn it all without YOU.
Classroom difficulties are likened to war,
We're in the trenches each day--
Fighting to be certain that our kids can solve
Each problem that comes their way.
State testing is a painstaking must
If you think they'll get harder, they will
Non-teachers are holed up in boardrooms NOW
Passing even MORE education bills
But fellow teachers, bow not your heads
Fight the good fight again
For every morning brings learning anew--
THIS IS A FIGHT WE'LL WIN!
Determination is what's needed
In your schools, please take a stand.
For there's NOTHING that is MORE POWERFUL
Than the teachers that KNOW they CAN.
Do you believe that you can TEACH again for 2012-2013? Yes? Then come on; we're in this together. :-)
*waves*
~~Ms. Jenn
So back in February, I had a guest speaker that the kids know as "Mr. Awesome Eric". LOL! Well, while he was in the middle of talking about goals, success, and dreams in kid-friendly terms, he quoted this poem:
The Man Who Thinks He Can
By Walter D. WintleIf you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a person’s will-
It’s all in a state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!
The kids were amazed. They applauded right then and there, and he wasn't even through talking to them yet!
Months later, in May, the kids were playing games because, well, it was after standardized testing, there was maybe a week and a half of school left and.........welp....... they deserved the free time! (Dear administrators: Don't freak out! Respectfully, Jenn) Haahaa!
During one of the games, B hollered "I'm gonna win, cuz I'm a man that thinks he can. Remember Mr. Awesome Eric said it?" My teacher senses tingled. After he did, indeed, win the game, I asked him to come over and recorded him reading the poem. MY GOSH!!!! This child hates to read with a passion, but he jumped at the chance to read "Mr. Awesome Eric's Poem."
I got inspired.
Let's see if I can "remix" the poem in teacher-friendly terms:
The Teachers Who Know They Can
If you think you can't teach, you can't.
Take down your bulletin boards and leave.
There's no sense in making your classroom great
If you don't think our kids can achieve.
If you think they're too stupid, that's a shame
That falsehood contains nothing true
The kids WILL learn, but the worst part is,
They'll learn it all without YOU.
Classroom difficulties are likened to war,
We're in the trenches each day--
Fighting to be certain that our kids can solve
Each problem that comes their way.
State testing is a painstaking must
If you think they'll get harder, they will
Non-teachers are holed up in boardrooms NOW
Passing even MORE education bills
But fellow teachers, bow not your heads
Fight the good fight again
For every morning brings learning anew--
THIS IS A FIGHT WE'LL WIN!
Determination is what's needed
In your schools, please take a stand.
For there's NOTHING that is MORE POWERFUL
Than the teachers that KNOW they CAN.
Do you believe that you can TEACH again for 2012-2013? Yes? Then come on; we're in this together. :-)
*waves*
~~Ms. Jenn
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Summer Tip
Hi!!!!!!!
Summer break: One of THE biggest blessings ever! Do NOT let any non-teacher guilt you into thinking that it's undeserved. C'mon now: We work 10-12 hour days, plus weekends with 15-27 kids that AIN'T OURS in a classroom setting......And all we get paid is Kroger-brand jelly beans and peanuts.
It's deserved.
Now, one of the biggest caveats to the summer for me is that soooo many ideas for the upcoming school year hit me, buuuuuut I forget them. (Heck, I'm 31 and I'm entitled to senior moments.) LoL!!!!!!!
My tip: Move your MemoPad icon to the home screen of your smart phone. Jot your ideas down in there. (Move it to the home screen to play a mind trick on yourself: You'll be more prone to write it down if ya don't have to go hunting for it!) Or, if the idea of tip-tapping on your phone doesn't suit, get a small memo pad that'll fit in your purse or pocket. What a treasure you'll have come the Fall: A nice-sized heap of ideas that came to you while you were relaxing. Score!
Happy Summer,
Ms. Jenn
Summer break: One of THE biggest blessings ever! Do NOT let any non-teacher guilt you into thinking that it's undeserved. C'mon now: We work 10-12 hour days, plus weekends with 15-27 kids that AIN'T OURS in a classroom setting......And all we get paid is Kroger-brand jelly beans and peanuts.
It's deserved.
Now, one of the biggest caveats to the summer for me is that soooo many ideas for the upcoming school year hit me, buuuuuut I forget them. (Heck, I'm 31 and I'm entitled to senior moments.) LoL!!!!!!!
My tip: Move your MemoPad icon to the home screen of your smart phone. Jot your ideas down in there. (Move it to the home screen to play a mind trick on yourself: You'll be more prone to write it down if ya don't have to go hunting for it!) Or, if the idea of tip-tapping on your phone doesn't suit, get a small memo pad that'll fit in your purse or pocket. What a treasure you'll have come the Fall: A nice-sized heap of ideas that came to you while you were relaxing. Score!
Happy Summer,
Ms. Jenn
Monday, June 25, 2012
Wind Beneath My Wings
So......
I was doing a series of lessons with my class on figurative language, since that's a tested skill here in TN. (I'll put some lesson ideas after this short anecdote.) Well, we were playing a class game of Jeopardy, boys against girls (as if pre-pubescent 4th graders would have it any other way). The question was "What is meant by 'You are the wind beneath my wings'?" After some thought, B answered: "But.........why would you want to break wind under somebody's wings?" -_- Needless to say, both the class and I guffawed for a few minutes, aaaaaand I continued figurative language into the next couple of days. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Random moments can be so much FUN!
Now........... for the figurative language ideas:
Ms. Jenn
I was doing a series of lessons with my class on figurative language, since that's a tested skill here in TN. (I'll put some lesson ideas after this short anecdote.) Well, we were playing a class game of Jeopardy, boys against girls (as if pre-pubescent 4th graders would have it any other way). The question was "What is meant by 'You are the wind beneath my wings'?" After some thought, B answered: "But.........why would you want to break wind under somebody's wings?" -_- Needless to say, both the class and I guffawed for a few minutes, aaaaaand I continued figurative language into the next couple of days. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Random moments can be so much FUN!
Now........... for the figurative language ideas:
- After instructing the students on figurative language terms, i.e. simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, etc., have them make a book illustrating each term. Simple, but it's a great way for them to be creative, and for them to show you what they've learned. One of my kids wrote "If I don't get some candy soon, my head's gonna explode!" He drew a picture of a head exploding with brain bits everywhere, but I KNEW that HE knew what hyperbole was. Ha. Yeah, ya didn't freak me out. One point for Ms. Jenn. *side eye*
- Have the kids make a circle. Pick one student to be "it". (I'll write a post later on cool ways to pick students... "That ain't fair!" gets soooooo old!) Tape one of the terms on their back. Go around the circle, having kids come up with examples for that term. When they guess it, they return to the circle, another kid is "it", and the learning is continued with a different term. Easy.
- Hink Pinks!!!! (I've also seen them as "Hinky Pinkies" and "Hinkety Pinketies") Hink pinks are rhyming words that answer a riddle. To my understanding, the answers to hink pinks each have one syllable, hinky pinkies have two syllables and hinkety pinketies have three syllables. WHAT IN THE HECK IS MS. JENN TALKING ABOUT???!!?!?!? Mmkay. Example: A green mineral made into a cutting device *cue Jeopardy theme* Give up? A Jade blade. Ha haaa!!!! A large branch? A big twig!!!! Brain teaser. Synonyms. Poetry tool. Cooperative learning technique. Icebreaker. Heck, even SAYING it makes ME laugh, but I'm a dork. LOL!!!!
- If you go to http://www.quia.com/, you can type in "figurative language" and come up with all sorts of activities. The Jeopardy game is in there. It's a really cool site!
Ms. Jenn
25 Things About Jenn the Teacher
1.) My favorite color is green.
2.) I'm afraid of deep water and spiders.
3.) I'm really easy-going; I let a lot of things roll off my back.
4.) One of my fellow teachers calls me "Sarge".
5.) My father was in the military; you'll see that structure pop up in my classroom....a LOT!
6.) I learn every student's full name: It helps with discipline. (Yoooou know; being called your first, middle, and last names puts the fear of GOD in you, even in your adult life.)
7.) My first class was a Pre-K class.
8.) I taught 2nd grade for 6 years; they weren't consecutive. Three years, then 4th, back to 2nd for three MORE years, then 4th again. (This'll be my tenth year total.) I'm currently a 4th grade teacher.
9.) I was a theatre regular up until graduation from undergrad. Since then, I won't touch a stage. I want to, but adults give me stage fright. I will, however, dress up for my class and stay in character for a given amount of time and allow the kids to ask me questions. Any subject area....doesn't matter. Kids don't give me stage fright.....at ALL! I let the students sing, dance, and act for assignments, as well. Kids call me "dramatic". Fellow teachers and administrators call me "theatrical". I call myself "Jenn". LOL
10.) My Masters degree is in Instructional Technology.
11.) Sometimes I put "M. Ed." at the end of my name; people get confused and call me "Doctor".
12.) I've been called "The Big, Bad Wolf" by students; they thought I didn't know. I think it's hilarious!
13.) I'm one of the best story-readers EVER! Different tones, pitches, accents...If there was a market for this, I'd do it professionally. (Got it from my Mommy)
14.) I'm a third-generation teacher; slice my finger and ABCs will spew out.
15.) I have no problem WHATSOEVER in telling students "I don't know"; I'll look it up so I CAN know, though--They watch me go to a book or website and everything.
16.) When I was younger, I was the shortest,skinniest, and quietest one in my classes for awhile. I've got a soft spot in my heart for kids like me.
17.) Because of #16, I'm the poster-teacher for anti-bullying. I hate it. It's awful. I was teased and bullied until I hit a growth spurt. The shortest kid became one of the tallest. Mm hmm.... NOW talk!
18.) I was the youngest kid in the Southeast to take the HAM radio licensure test. Yeah. The shortest kid was the smartest, too.
19.) I'd rather come up with ideas alone. I hate workshops where they FORCE me to work with other people. We're trained to spot the different learning styles and modalities in students, so why d'you stick to just ONE of them with teachers? It's beyond me.
20.) I took each Praxis test once. I kept hearing horror stories about it. *shrug* I walked in, took multiple tests the same day, and received the awards for high scores.
21.) I HAVE to be in a colorful classroom and the shades are rarely drawn. Every wall needs to have something that the kids can look at and learn from. Every window needs to be unblocked. Heck, kids these days are gonna look around anyway. Who knows? A teachable moment may occur from something they've seen.
22.) I have a hard time separating "Jenn the Teacher" from "Jenn the Regular Person". I've been known to tell adults that they've earned a gold star, though I never put stars on anything. I WILL put another type of sticker on an adult's shirt or forehead. You'd be amazed at the smiles (and looks of horror!)
23.) I tell my kids I love them every single day, even if they mess up. In the end, they know that their mistakes don't stop me from loving them. We all screw up from time to time; I forgive them, they forgive me, and the classroom family marches on.
24.) The "vibe" of my classroom is always really cool. Music, kids at the "big tables", kids on computers, kids sitting at MY desk, kids on the carpet, kids on the floor, kids at their desks.....yeah. They love it, and I don't know of any other way to do it. :)
25.) I've no problems WHATSOEVER in helping other teachers. I guess that's what this blog is for; partially for a therapeutic journal, but really for those that're stuck in a rut. Ask me stuff! Teachers are constantly in the media and rarely supported. It's time to change that....one blog at a time. :)
Your faithful friend and fellow teacher,
Ms. Jenn
2.) I'm afraid of deep water and spiders.
3.) I'm really easy-going; I let a lot of things roll off my back.
4.) One of my fellow teachers calls me "Sarge".
5.) My father was in the military; you'll see that structure pop up in my classroom....a LOT!
6.) I learn every student's full name: It helps with discipline. (Yoooou know; being called your first, middle, and last names puts the fear of GOD in you, even in your adult life.)
7.) My first class was a Pre-K class.
8.) I taught 2nd grade for 6 years; they weren't consecutive. Three years, then 4th, back to 2nd for three MORE years, then 4th again. (This'll be my tenth year total.) I'm currently a 4th grade teacher.
9.) I was a theatre regular up until graduation from undergrad. Since then, I won't touch a stage. I want to, but adults give me stage fright. I will, however, dress up for my class and stay in character for a given amount of time and allow the kids to ask me questions. Any subject area....doesn't matter. Kids don't give me stage fright.....at ALL! I let the students sing, dance, and act for assignments, as well. Kids call me "dramatic". Fellow teachers and administrators call me "theatrical". I call myself "Jenn". LOL
10.) My Masters degree is in Instructional Technology.
11.) Sometimes I put "M. Ed." at the end of my name; people get confused and call me "Doctor".
12.) I've been called "The Big, Bad Wolf" by students; they thought I didn't know. I think it's hilarious!
13.) I'm one of the best story-readers EVER! Different tones, pitches, accents...If there was a market for this, I'd do it professionally. (Got it from my Mommy)
14.) I'm a third-generation teacher; slice my finger and ABCs will spew out.
15.) I have no problem WHATSOEVER in telling students "I don't know"; I'll look it up so I CAN know, though--They watch me go to a book or website and everything.
16.) When I was younger, I was the shortest,skinniest, and quietest one in my classes for awhile. I've got a soft spot in my heart for kids like me.
17.) Because of #16, I'm the poster-teacher for anti-bullying. I hate it. It's awful. I was teased and bullied until I hit a growth spurt. The shortest kid became one of the tallest. Mm hmm.... NOW talk!
18.) I was the youngest kid in the Southeast to take the HAM radio licensure test. Yeah. The shortest kid was the smartest, too.
19.) I'd rather come up with ideas alone. I hate workshops where they FORCE me to work with other people. We're trained to spot the different learning styles and modalities in students, so why d'you stick to just ONE of them with teachers? It's beyond me.
20.) I took each Praxis test once. I kept hearing horror stories about it. *shrug* I walked in, took multiple tests the same day, and received the awards for high scores.
21.) I HAVE to be in a colorful classroom and the shades are rarely drawn. Every wall needs to have something that the kids can look at and learn from. Every window needs to be unblocked. Heck, kids these days are gonna look around anyway. Who knows? A teachable moment may occur from something they've seen.
22.) I have a hard time separating "Jenn the Teacher" from "Jenn the Regular Person". I've been known to tell adults that they've earned a gold star, though I never put stars on anything. I WILL put another type of sticker on an adult's shirt or forehead. You'd be amazed at the smiles (and looks of horror!)
23.) I tell my kids I love them every single day, even if they mess up. In the end, they know that their mistakes don't stop me from loving them. We all screw up from time to time; I forgive them, they forgive me, and the classroom family marches on.
24.) The "vibe" of my classroom is always really cool. Music, kids at the "big tables", kids on computers, kids sitting at MY desk, kids on the carpet, kids on the floor, kids at their desks.....yeah. They love it, and I don't know of any other way to do it. :)
25.) I've no problems WHATSOEVER in helping other teachers. I guess that's what this blog is for; partially for a therapeutic journal, but really for those that're stuck in a rut. Ask me stuff! Teachers are constantly in the media and rarely supported. It's time to change that....one blog at a time. :)
Your faithful friend and fellow teacher,
Ms. Jenn
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