Teaching With Intention - Chap. 4

Once again, I am joining in the Book Study fun with The Kindergarten Smorgasboard. Life got a little crazy last week and I missed out sharing about Chapter 3, but as I read I fall more in love with this book with each chapter. Debbie Miller is an amazing person - I am in awe of her. 

This chapter was about establishing a culture of questioning and thinking in your classroom both at a whole group level and at an independent level.  

I know that I don't do this enough, I'd like to get in the habit of doing it daily. I let my students see my thinking the most when I am modeling writing. Sometimes I feel like I am putting on a show - like an actor doing a monologue - but I have learned to just let that weird feeling go. In the beginning of the year, it usually is just me talking, but as my students figure me out, they soon want to join in my thinking game and they soon start to express their opinions, make suggestions, or sometimes just follow my thinking and nod in agreement, and the. I at least know they're with me.

When I do read alouds that I have read each year for several years, I find that I put my thinking on display much better. It's like sinking into your favorite chair - familiar and comfy - so it makes displaying your thinking so much easier. A newer book - no matter how many times I have pre-read it to myself - is much more difficult and something I need to work on.  You can think you are prepared and can plan to strategically lead your students, but sometimes my students veer off the path I had intended. That's okay, I try to go with the flow and learn from the path they take me on.  

In Kindergarten, I think that encouraging students to show their thinking is a gradual, scaffolded process. The thinking that is shared at the beginning of the year is vastly different than the sharing in April and May. The growth students show is amazing! 

As to encouraging my students to show their thinking, there are some things I think I do well, and definitely others I want to improve on.  I love to learn as much as my students, so I am always looking for ways to tweak things or do things better. 

I love discussing books with my students. Read alouds are my favorite times of my day.  I like to see the excitement on my students' faces as they show their investment in a story, hop up and down on the floor waiting to share their ideas, or my favorite - when their really into the story and a pivotal event happens - and they react with "oh, no" or "uh-oh."  One of my most memorable moments came just this past year. It was one of the moments that showed me positive thinking and persistence pays off. It was February and in northern Illinois it's quite a snowy month. We had just finished reading The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Cuyler. It's about a little girl who wants to build a snowman. Her family doesn't believe she can. The forest animals end up helping her build the biggest, best snowman ever. I often forget to talk about the theme or lesson of a book, so I was proud of myself for remembering. I asked my students what lesson the author was trying to teach us. One of my little girls said, "Little people can do big things." My teacher heart was filled and I felt accomplished when to my surprise, one of my little boys says, "Aw man, I thought it was don't give up, keep trying." Teacher heart runneth over! And don't worry, we talked about how a book can teach us many lessons and that there isn't just one right answer all the time.

I want to go back into Chap. 4 and write down all the questioning and leading prompts that Debbie Miller shared. Putting these prompts on cards near my rocking chair and on a paper in my lesson plan book would really help me increase the frequency and the depth with which I use the prompts.

The thing I would like to improve the most is what I like to call "dinner table conversation." I had the wonderful opportunity in my Masters program to watch videos of Debbie Miller in action.  She teaches her students how to sit in a circle and share their thinking without raising hands, without being called on, just like a family sitting at the dinner table. I have come close the last couple of years - my students had the capability - but we spend so much at the beginning of the year learning how to raise their hands, that I couldn't get them to break the habit during discussion time. This year I am going to make it happen. If I do, I am going to video tape it and share it.  Cross your fingers!

Teaching With Intention - Chapter 2

The thing I liked best about this chapter is that it made me think - about my teaching, my classroom, my students and how they all are an integral part of my beliefs and philosophy. Being able to articulate your beliefs and philosophies is no easy task. I have taught a total of 16 years and I find that my beliefs and philosophies are not static. They have changed as I have grown as a teacher.

My Beliefs and Philosophies Presently:

• Every student is unique. From their looks to their experiences to their learning styles, from their ideas to their senses of humor, every child is different. And that is GREAT! 

Celebrate your students' learning diversities!
Don't you just love these adorable faces!!!

• Since cookie cutter students do not exist, no packaged program is going to meet everyone's needs. I must find what works best for each student to help them grow as both a learner and as a person. I like when Debbie Miller says. "Real life is not scripted. Neither is real teaching."

• Learning needs to be fun - period - no need to say more on this one.

• It's okay to make mistakes. Each year my heart goes out to my students who break down when they make a mistake. So when I make a mistake, I like to actually point it out to my students so that they learn that even adults make mistakes and that the world will not fall apart when they do. Then we brainstorm on how I can correct my mistake or if I can't, what other choices do I have. 

• My classroom is designed for my students - not for me (although it does make me happy), not for parents  - but for my students. It needs to be a place that they enjoy coming to for 176 days out of their year. 

• When I teach something new I like to make it as concrete or tangible as possible. I like to use manipulatives, models, and find read alouds that aid in the teaching of the concept.

• Getting to know your students is crucial for them to feel comfortable and to be willing to take risks. I send home a "Getting to Know You" sheet to parents at the beginning of the year that asks lots of questions: siblings, pets, favorite food, favorite song, and so much more. My kinders think I'm magical because I will use the names of their sibling or pets in a conversation and they have no idea how I know. Haha!

• Patience and persistent are key to a successful year. Just as students are all different, so are their learning rates. Some find their wings in October, while others may need until February to take flight. 

• My door is always open. Some teachers fear their principal or administrators coming into their rooms. I welcome anyone in my room. I have a saying I use. "Come on in because I am always doing what I am supposed to be doing." There is always some type of teaching or learning going on in my room. Sometimes I am the teacher and sometimes the students are. We may not always be "textbook" learning though - sometimes we are learning to be a good friend or a good person. I have had board members stop in to stay a few minutes and then hang out in my room for half an hour as they listened to students sharing their "little books." I read Greg Smedley-Warren's post before I began mine and I like how he is going to challenge himself to teach with his door open this year. Go for it Greg!

Something to Grow On:
I like to share with my students that it is great to learn new things. Some things that I would like to work on or develop are seamless transitions to maximize learning, a thoroughly cohesive curriculum with clear purposes, and finding the best way to blend traditional teaching with technology since we are now all teaching digital natives.

       

Be sure to check out the posts of the hosts for Teaching With Intention - Chapter 2:

                         

and of the book study coordinator:

Teaching With Intention - Chapter 1

I am so excited to join Kindergarten Smorgasboard's book study of Teaching With Intention by Debbie Miller. Debbie Miller is AMAZING. A few years back, I had the opportunity to attend one of her day-long conferences. I learned so much and she was even gracious enough to autograph my book. Can you say starstruck?!!!

My ideal classroom is one where the students walk in on meet-and-greet day and turn to their parents to say what a cool room it is with a huge smile on their faces. It's bright, colorful, and sends a "You will have fun here" message to the students right from the get-go.  Rainbows make me happy so my room has bold primary colors. This past year I did what I called a primary pirate theme. 

My ideal classroom has lots of student work all around it. I don't worry about the things I hang looking perfect; I want them to look like true made-by-a-five-year-old work. It is kindergarten after all. During the first week of school each student made a self-portrait pirate for our doorway to build ownership of this space and place. 

In my ideal classroom, testing is minimal. The teacher learns what she needs to know about her students from watching them and conversing with them. Also, in my ideal classroom, student anxiety is non-existent. Students are confident in who they are because they know that the teacher believes in them and will support them no matter what.

My ideal classroom has the students names in several places around the room so that they know they are an important part of my Mighty Fine Crew. My classroom is not a quiet place. Students are involved in learning discussions and social conversations constantly. So many students are coming to school these day with language delays. They need many opportunities to practice speaking and to gain vocabulary. 

In my ideal classroom we have FUN with learning everyday. My students do 3 literacy centers every day as well as 1 math center. The centers are hands-on and engaging. I use lots of manipulatives. My centers are also differentiated for multiple learning levels. Sometimes one literacy or math center will have a more social focus. Students need the opportunities to interact, to problem solve, and to use their imaginations (or in other words - a chance to play). The ideal classroom still has a dramatic play center, a block center, and other centers like this that help them learn the life skills of negotiation, self-regulation, and turn-taking. Here are a few pictures of my centers in action.

Students and teacher are moving and grooving. In my ideal classroom, we move a lot. From the floor, to the tables, from one center to the next, from quiet to active. 

Students and teacher are talking with each other frequently. In my ideal classroom one of our favorite things to discuss is books. This past year we read 368 books (next year my goal is 500.) We keep a book tally for each month. And as we read we discuss - what did we like, why things happen, how a characters feels - we talk about it all. 

In my ideal classroom, students do many things independently and the teacher facilitates as needed. I establish a strong routine in the beginning of the school year that cultures independence. As the school year progresses, students do more and more on their own.  

This is an easy question to answer. ORGANIZATION!! I am often overwhelmed and consumed by papers. One corner of my room is my teacher hidey hole. It's small and compact but the amount off papers in it pack a powerful punch to my neatness. I also need to pare down the amount of things I have. I have a super small room with minimal storage. I am working on that as we speak.  I feel if I could get organized it would give me more time to zero in on my students' skills and develop lessons to better meet their individual needs.

I also struggle with finding BALANCE between work and home. It always seems like if I do well with one, the other suffers. I am the working mom of three teens. We are knee deep in college searches for the second, paying college bills for the eldest, and helping the youngest survive his freshman year of high school. There are days I am literally overwhelmed. 

My classroom is student-centered and student-focused. It's a happy place where a lot of fun and a lot of learning take place. My students make a lot of progress and gain many skills without even realizing it. In my classroom there is mutual respect between all parties. I pride myself on learning as much as I can about my students: the names of their brothers/sisters, names of their pets, their favorite color, song, food. For nine months of each year my classroom is not a place with a teacher and students, it is a place with a very large family that learns, laughs, and lives together. 

Want to know more? Click on one of Chapter 1's hostesses links below or The Kindergarten Smorgasboard to learn more about this book study. 

Thank you Jessica for the question headers!

Be sure to check back in next week to read about Chapter 2.

Spring Teacher Blogger Meet-Up 2015

     When I told my friends and colleagues that I was going to French Lick, IN, they would look at me quizzically and say "French what?" Many people have not heard of French Lick. Last year I was one of those people. This year, I knew exactly where French Lick was and I could not wait to get there!

     Because French Lick means Teacher Blogger Meet-Up and Teacher Blogger Meet-Up means seeing old friends and making new friends which means one heck of a good time!

French Lick is a 6 hour drive from my hometown, so I hopped in my car bright and early. I was a little excited.  Can you tell?

     I mean why wouldn't I be excited.  This was truly a life-changing event for me in 2014. Last year I attended as a blog-stalker. I had blogs I followed regularly and had given blogging a few passing thoughts, but never thought I could be a blogger. But just look at me now!

     This year's Spring Blogger Meet-Up was equally exciting and life-changing, but best of all, it was so much FUN!

     Holly Ehle and Brittany Banister did a wonderful job organizing this event.  It's professional development meets weekend getaway. From the festive decorations to the food to the camaraderie, this weekend had it all! The theme of the weekend was "inspiration." As a warm-up to meet new bloggers and blog-followers each table was given a letter to decorate with your name, favorite subject to teach, your blog, and a few more things. Our table was the letter S. When it was put all together, it truly was inspiring.

The teacher swag bags were out of this world thanks to the generous donations of so many companies! Look at all the goodies that were included.

The gifts from these companies were amazing!I have found that I am quickly becoming addicted to Scentos products.  I had to restrain myself from opening the smelly gel pens until I could get this picture taken.  Smelling will commence soon!  My daughter took one look at my Erin Condren planner - that I am saving for next school year - and wants me to find out if she makes one for college students. Thanks goes out to Vera Bradley, Lakeshore, Creative Teaching Press, Origami Owl, Scentsy and even more who will get their shout outs later in this post.

On Saturday afternoon we were able to pick three mini sessions to attend on a variety of topics.  This was new to the meet-up and I so hope that they do it again next year.  I learned so much! I attended sessions on selling on TPT (my next goal after getting my blog started), using iPads in the classroom, and social media for teachers.

And then, there were the raffle prizes. Each attendee received 5 tickets to place in the 5 bags of items that they would like to win.  It was really hard deciding. The bag I dropped my last ticket in was for a free registration fee at an SDE National Conference. I want to go to iTeach K in Las Vegas so badly, but with college tuition payments, it was just not happening, until......

...my ticket was picked out of the bag.  You should have heard my whoop of joy. Vegas here I come! I cannot wait.

After all of the afternoon events, teachers went off and grabbed dinner in large groups. It was at here that I got to chat and develop more teacher blogger friendships. It was very relaxing.

And then...
the event...
the event that made this blogger meet-up into the coolest thing ever...
The Pajama Party to end all Pajama Parties.

A huge shout out to GoNoodle and TeachersPayTeachers for sponsoring this event! I had a blast from the moment I walked in and was given a GoNoodle Lanyard to the moment I left exhausted and ready for bed. There were adorable PJ cookies, pizza, snacks, drinks, design-your-own pillow cases, a photo booth, and dancing to GoNoodle! Lots of chatting, more prizes including three teacher lanyards from Origami Owl, more inspiration, and a send-off that will not be forgotten. Here are a few pics of the fun that was had!

Finally, I want to tell you about my two favorite parts of the Meet-Up.

First up - meeting some of my favorite bloggers - I admit to being a little starstruck. I felt like such a dork asking for a picture with them - but how  many chances might I get - I would kick myself if I didn't ask. Here's a little photo collage - an app I learned about at the iPads in the classroom session I attended. From left to right, top to bottom - Crystal Radke, Kim Adsit, Deanna Jump, DeeDee Wills, Amy and Lisa from All Y'All Need, and my first blog-crush, Greg Smedley-Warren.

My second favorite part - catching up in person with blogging friends I met last year and making new blogging friends. This is my favorite picture from the Meet-Up.

So I want to leave you with one last thought - never, ever forget to have fun in life - because you never know when a 6-hour car ride might change your life.

And to prove I practice what I preach, have a laugh at this picture taken by Cierra Harris - I wanted to be one of those people that photo bombs just their head - I think I nailed it.

Want a chance to win your very own swag bag? Here's a link to a rafflecopter. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to see and learn more about the Spring Teacher Blogger Meet-Up - choose any of the blogs in this linky.

Thank you to Brenda Hart Frady at Primary Inspired for hosting this linky.

Teacher Tool Gift Exchange

Last weekend I attended the Spring Teacher Blogger Meet-Up in French Lick, Indiana. I had a blast catching up with friends I met last year as well as making a bunch of new friends!

One activity we did at the Meet-Up was a teacher tool gift exchange. You bring a small tool that you can't live without in your classroom wrapped up and ready to go to a new home.

We divided into grade level groups and played a very fun left-right  written by Amanda Pauley and watched our gifts travel around the circle. I will admit to being a little starstruck during this game as I was in the Kindergarten Circle along with Deanna Jump, Kim Adsit, Crystal Radke, DeeDee Wills and sat right next to my first blog crush, Greg Smedley-Warren ( more about this in a later post.) That's me to the right of Greg - not the best picture of me.

These are the wonderful items I received in my gift from the lovely Amanda Pauley at Mrs. Pauley's Kindergarten. Ink joy pens, Flair pens, and Scentos dry-erase markers are bringing color and happiness to my teaching world. Thanks so much Amanda!

Just for fun - here is a pic of all the teachers in the Kindergarten Teacher Tool Swap.

You can see all the tools exchanged and start making your wishlist by following this linky back to Christine DeCarbo at 

An InLinkz Link-up