2011 Carnival!

It's the year of the double uno, and Carol at Bellringers is up to her usual Carnival-posting tricks! Go browse the midway and see some excellent articles, including two from yours truly!

Friday Night Sites

So my super-short work week was actually increased by 50%, due to the fact that my off-site training, scheduled for today, was canceled. It was canceled yesterday at 4:00 PM. I'm really thankful that I checked my email before I left yesterday, because otherwise I would have been wondering where everybody was at 8 o'clock this morning.

When I got to school this morning, I was told not to clock in, because my sub was already there. Eventually, that was changed, and I was able to clock in and resume my duties. I got down to my room just as the sub was closing the door and starting to introduce herself to the kids. The kids who were sitting and standing around their desks, looking like they had absolutely no idea what to do. Despite the instructions for the day ALWAYS being written on the board, despite me telling them yesterday exactly what they should do when they entered the room -- there was only one kid who had his spiral notebook out and ready to do the first morning problem.

Ah well, maybe by June, these kids will know the routines.

At any rate, one routine that we should all follow is to check out the bi-weekly Carnival of Education over at Bellringers. The theme this week is Friday Night Lights, which might not mean much to you if you're not from Texas, but the posts listed are still well worth reading.

Bring your cowbell and ignore those kids making out under the bleachers.

Shake up some Buzz

Is it that time again? Every other Wednesday, Carol at Bellringers serves up the latest from the world of edumacators in her Carnival of Education Buzz. Today, Episode 4 (The Tinman and the Unicorn) is presented.

Check out all of the great posts found there, and be sure to comment on a few!

In my classroom, I have decided to shake things up a bit. I just drew up a completely new seating chart, new partners, everything. I will implement this first thing tomorrow, and MAN do I hope it results in some positive changes. Too many kids thinking that just because they sit at the table farthest from the white board, that they don't have to pay attention when I'm writing on it. Nevermind the fact that I'm still less than 10 feet away from them (it's a very small room).

Keep your fingers crossed!

Traipse through the sawdust

The newest edition of the Education Buzz Carnival just came out over at Bellringers, so mosey on over there and smell the greasepaint and try not to point at the freaks. I haven't really had a chance to head over there myself just yet, but if you save me a seat on the Tilt-a-Whirl, I'll be there.

Tomorrow, at my school, we're supposed to wear a shirt that somehow symbolizes a form of labor, in honor of... wait for it... Rosh Hashanah. No, I think it's for Labor Day. Anyway, I haven't decided what I am going to wear.

I suggested to a female colleague that she stuff 3 pillows under her shirt, walk around sweaty and holding her back all day, and around noon, spill a bunch of water on the floor. She politely declined.

My next thought was to wear a shirt depicting Hercules, he of the 12 Labors. After all, what public school teacher hasn't at SOME point felt like he was cleaning out the Augean Stables or skin the Nemean Lion? (OK, I googled it.)

There's always the plumber route, but do I really want the kids to see my crack? Nah.

I'll probably just wind up wearing some old t-shirt from a community service project or something. But I can already tell I need to start thinking ahead for Arbor Day...

Routines and routines

A couple of very quick announcements first:

1) This week's Education Buzz Carnival is up over at Bellringers. Even more great posts than the last time, and we all know how great the last time was!!

2) Most excellent blogger David Wisehart has posted an interview with yours truly on his site.

Now, on to business.

About a month ago, I came across a post by My Teaching Spirit about practicing the routine for small group activities with students on the first days of school. I thought it was great, as one of my weaknesses has always been finding the time and knowing HOW to do small groups. Her methods were clear cut and gave clear student expectations, and the kids got to see the RIGHT way to do it and the WRONG way to do it.

This morning, part of our staff development was a presentation on The Daily 5. This is a program, mainly aimed towards reading, that our district is mandating for K-2. The upper grades are encouraged to give it a try.

The presenters went over how to talk with the kids and get student-generated criteria for reading to themselves, and then we had 2 faculty members act out the RIGHT way to do it, and the WRONG way to do it.

Greatness!!

It was nearly the same from blog post to presentation this morning! So either the blogger at My Teaching Spirit has independently developed her procedure and it just happens to be exactly like the Daily 5, OR she is familiar with the Daily 5 and has adapted the procedures from reading to her math class. Either way, it's a great demonstration that these procedures can be used for just about any subject!

I am looking forward to trying them out in my own class, as my goal is to get stronger in small group instruction. I even have a horseshoe table in my room for the first time ever! I'm hoping that's the first baby step in a long series of them.

A brand new carnival!

The brand spanking new first edition of the Education Buzz Carnival is up an running over at Bellringers!

This midway will undoubtedly grow over time as more people become aware and remember to send in their entries, but this first carnival is chock full of sawdusty, funnel cakey, grease painty goodness!

A few choice entries:

From Dancing Crocodile (and how can you just not love that blog on name alone?), a comparison between kids in the classroom and a pack of wild animals.

Pat (Loonhiker) ponders why kids sometimes ask questions that seem a bit. . .dopey.


I hope to have something to enter for next week! In the meantime, check out these and the other articles at Bellringers!