Seating Arrangement

This small detail is seriously KEY it is really important to create a seating chart that you are happy with and benefits your students best. Be sure to check out the IEPS to see if there are any special needs and if you are able to speak with parents before school begins (like I was lucky enough to get to) be sure to take down some notes about little things that they say. So and so can't sit next to each other, my child needs to be up front. Just try to ensure that those first day go as smooth as possible. For me groups just seemed like too much of a distraction for the first couple of weeks so they were in rows. Once we got started with labs and more group work the tables changed to accommodate that. I also really liked labeling the desks. I had four rows which each had the same color labels and I numbered the desks with that color paper and a number 1-8. It made for a quick calling random calling system and also made it nice to dismiss by which color row was ready. I really liked it and the labels stayed on until I switched into groups and took them off so it totally worked for me!

Lab Safety

I absolutely love this activity for the first week or so of school!

First I showed the students this video that I found on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJG0ir9nDtc
which I uploaded into a powerpoint by using keepvid.com which is amazing! It makes showing clips so simple and quick!
 Then I had the students choose one rule and illustrate a do and a don't for each... Here are a few samples! They also make for a really great bulletin board to take away some of the blankness from the beginning of the year!

Classroom Jobs!

All I can say about this is I wish I had done it sooner... Such a time saver and really gives the students a sense of responsibility. I had then fill out applications, make silent appointments to interview one another, and even vote for who would get the job after they explained their qualifications. The eighth graders were not all about the whole activity but they are more than willing to help out with the jobs.

Haha who was I kidding???

I can't believe that it has almost been two whole months of teaching! What a wild wild roller coaster! I can't say that I have loved every minute but at this moment looking back I am really happy (good thing you didn't ask me a few days ago). Definitely no time to keep up a blog, which I really shouldn't even be on right now!
But no matter how difficult it is and how thin I feel that I am being stretched, I know that all of my kids deserve even more than my best so I have to keep trying the best I can. 
Plus, somehow they always bring a smile to my face. 
Teaching three grades, going to school full time, being in charge of student council, helping out with this that and everything in between, while still trying to be myself somewhere in there is A LOT! But hopefully I will make it through and only cause minimal damage.

     

Between some energy boosters, vitamin c, snacks, and my students silliness everyday... I think I just might be able to make it through the year! We might even have a little fun and learn something along the way!

Even though I did not have time to actually post... I took tons of pictures along the way. So now I  will backtrack a bit and overload the blog with my first couple months of teaching!

First Day!

Nerves, excitement, stress, fear, more excitement... Pretty much every possible feeling rushed through me as I stayed up all night and then finally entered my classroom for the first day.
Are they going to like me?
Will I be able to get through to them?
Should I be myself or try to be tough?
Did I really prepare enough? HAH never!
All of these questions and emotions, but somehow you make it happen...

I can't believe that I really made it through my first day. I must say it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and excitement that I have never felt before. All this time I have worked so hard, but now it is REAL!

I do not think that you can possibly plan out your first day perfectly but the more you plan, the easier it is to make adjustments. Be prepared and also be flexible and ready to meet your students where they are with the constraints given.

Basically, I had them come in the room and handed them each a pencil with a little tag that I made. Once they came in there was a survey for them to get started on. We went around the room and each student shared one question and answer from their survey. I introduced myself with a small powerpoint that had lots of pictures. They asked me some questions. Then I showed them a funny lab safety video and had them create a do and don't paper for lab rules.


I also got to go out and hang out with the students at lunch while they showed me how to play double-dutch and basically just got to know them a little bit better.

I could probably write an entire blog just covering first days but I will stop here with some pictures and on the TPT site I have uploaded all of the activities that I took them through along with the actual "lesson plans." However, be aware that because the school that I work at is very CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE these documents fit our specific curriculum and as with anything need adjustments depending on your site and your style. I feel that many of the viewpoints and theories that CLAS implements are positive and could be used throughout a variety of educational settings but I will leave a post covering more of that for a day when I am less busy and more knowledgable.

The first day was awesome! I love my students! Can't wait for a great year!

Science Classroom Set Up

Yayyyy! My very own classroom!

As anyone who knows me should know... I tend to go a little overboard on decorations and such for parties and I am also a little "OCD" when it comes to organization.

My classroom was definitely not going to be any exception to these personality traits.

When I first walked in it is safe to say that it was an absolute MESS as far as I was concerned. Not only did it lack that certain amount of BAM that I wanted to bring, it was pretty filthy and unorganized. Trash and old projects lined the rusty dirty countertops, science materials spilled out of the cabinets, desks were all shoved to the back of the classroom, and it looked much more like a junk room than a science classroom.

After a couple of days of scrubbing and organizing I finally felt that I could begin decorating! Luckily, I  decided to have a Mad Scientist graduation party so many of the decorations from there fit perfectly! I set up a few boards to display student work and also created displays featuring the CLAS content that is culturally responsive and necessary in my fabulous school! Anyways, a week and a half later, by the time Open House rolled around, I have to say I am pretty happy with the way that my room turned out! Check it out, give me feedback, and feel free to steal some ideas!

My huge room! Super intimidating!

Some of the mess...

My door! One of the first things I decorated... Thanks to Pinterest!                                   Some more decorations finally feeling like a classroom

The Job Search Continues

Ughhhh!

Let's just say I am a bit discouraged... I have honestly turned in about 25 applications and have yet to receive even a bite. Honestly, I think it might be more exhausting than going on interviews and being denied... It makes me feel like maybe it just won't happen. It is really tough to WOW someone and prove to them what a great teach I would be just by squeezing it into a single piece of paper...

Hopefully there will be a post later (soon) that is completely different and excited about my new position...

But if not I just have to stay positive and realize that, NO, the world actually will not fall apart. This might not be my ideal plan... But I know everything will be okay.

Everything else...

So I am at a point right now where I feel like I don't even have time to have any sort of personal life. It has been a little difficult for me because I feel a bit like I am drowning and losing of sight of who I really am.
I completely understand that doing this takes a lot of effort and that for the time being, my passion for teaching needs to take priority over the rest of my life. However, I absolutely do NOT want to become some sort of teaching robot, which is the way I feel lately. I feel like being an effective teacher takes a lot of skill with balancing because while I feel that I want to plan everything out completely and think of every single possibility so that I make no mistakes in this crucial first year, I also want to be a happy well rounded example of a person for my students. (oh and for myself)
So no, don't give up on trying to create structure and planning as much as possible. Just make sure that you don't burn yourself out... Take a deep breath, ENJOY the people in your life, and take some time for those important things that just make you happy to do sometimes.

Plan, plan, plan, and plan a little more!

Honestly, I kind of wish that I was one of those fly by the seat of your pants kind of people and that I could teach amazing lessons at the drop of a hat... Maybe one day. But if we are being real, I need some serious structure! No I definitely don't want my students sitting silently with their hands crossed on the desks like little robots. However, when they are running around, having intense conversations, and blowing things up (hey it's science) I want to make sure that I have organized it in a way that they will truly benefit from. Oh and yes I realize I just might make mistakes from time to time. But I sure as heck am not going to make those same ones again next year!

Anyways, I created this planner to help with that and keep me organized!

I bought a binder from target and created the pages inside in an excel document. I also bought some really cool tape to put on the edges, I feel like it just gives a nice pop of color and finishes it off. I have not yet put in the cool little tabs that I made and it is not complete but I really like it so far! There is a place for my agenda, a to-do list, a place for notes, "other", and best of all a place to keep track of changes to make for the following years to come. I am sure it isn't perfect but it works well for me.

If you want the editable excel workbook just download it from my TPT Site!

Teacher supplies!!!

Yessss! It is that time! Teacher supply sales! Honestly, I cannot STAND Walmart because they ruin it for small businesses and the people who work there are completely useless for the most part. C'mon I know you have all seen the people of walmart pics! haha... BUT a poor teacher who really wants to create an awesome classroom for her kids, has got-to-do, what she has got-to-do! So yes I cleared off the shelves and left that store with EIGHT bags stuffed with supplies for my kiddos and only spent a total of about $50! So this is definitely my tip #1 stock up during this time! School supplies are not cheap and definitely add up!