Love teaching and you can help your students

Saw this on the web tonight and love the story behind it.

A teacher hopes that they can help their students and make some type of positive difference but sometimes teachers don't know if they make a difference.

Love what happened for this teacher, amazing thing for her students to do!

http://www.sunnyskyz.com/happy-videos/3970/Teacher-Drops-To-The-Floor-When-She-Sees-Her-Surprise-At-The-End-Of-The-Hallway#XycB8ouzMshStwo1.01

5-D Process

With our new curriculum I have been learning new tools to use when solving problems.  One that we recently learned and that I love is called the 5-D Process.  It has really taken the stress out of word problems.  

My students have been working hard on them and overall they have been doing an awesome job solving tough word problems using this process.  The process is described below and I also included a picture of some posters my students have been making using the 5-D process to solve some word problems.

10 Memories

As I look back on this year so far, I can help but think of all the amazing things that have happened or all the funny events.  Below is a list of 10 things, however there are many more!

1)  I was blessed to be hired for my first year of teaching and I got to have students that I knew from subbing last year.  

2)  I truly am grateful for all the students I have had this year, whether it was for half the year or the whole year.

3)  I am blessed to work with so many amazing people.

4) Vitamins....that's all I have to say period 4 :)

5)  Basketball - watching mostly but also playing












6) Dab - a bit blurry but from when I did the dab in class.












7)  Being scared - certain students like to yell "Hi"  when I am not look and they are right behind me to scare me.

8)  Football talks - a Monday tradition when the NFL season was happening.

9)  Lunch - there have been some interesting lunches.  Whether it is in the lunchroom or in my classroom.

10) Spirit week - it was fun seeing all the different outfits and also participating by doing the days as well.

One last basketball post

So I think after today, I may be done with basketball for a while. 

I did the score keeping of the boys basketball games tonight.  That makes for 7 or 8 games of basketball that I have watched over the last 3 days.

My students laugh at me when I say this but here is another "proud teacher moment"

Watching basketball these last 3 days, you can really tell how much these students love the sport.  They play hard and do their best.  I truly am in awe of all the players, I knew about some of the students that played but not all.  I was impressed by ALL of them over the last 3 days.

Not to give any of them too many compliments but they truly did a great job and I am so proud of all the students that played both this weekend and tonight!  Thank you to the student who invited me to come watch their game this weekend, it was fun watching all the students that I saw.

There are some truly talented basketball players, I can only imagine how good some are going to be as they get older.

MORE basketball

You would think that after all the basketball the last couple of weeks I would be tried of it.  However today I found myself watching more basketball.

One of my students invited me to their game this weekend, they have a tournament.  Well needless to say I say yea, maybe I will come watch. I wasn't sure if I was actually going to go or not but ended up going.  I was planning on only watching 1 game today but ended up watching 5 or 6 games.  I had fun watching all the games today and I am glad I went to support my students, they did awesome!

I also found that I was not the only teacher their supporting her students.  I ran into a lady I know who teaches in Eden Prairie and she was there watching her students and supporting them, we had some great conversations about how important it is to support your students and how fun it is to watch them excel in their sport. 

It was fun watching all the students I know play this weekend.  They all did a great job!  Good Luck to all of them tomorrow it their games!

Basketball follow up..

So yesterday was the day I was playing basketball against a student.  I have NO clue what I was thinking.  I was exhausted by the end of our 15 minute game.

Although I was not good, it was still fun!  There were way more students there than I was expecting.  I was actually nervous.  I have not played basketball since 5th grade and did not think I would score any points.  However I did make a few baskets :)

Playing basketball yesterday morning was a lot of fun and will be something I wont forget!  However I do have to thank a fellow teacher for joining the game for the last couple minutes because I was losing energy!

Moral of the story when you challenge a student to a basketball game expect a big crowd and to look like a dork :)  However, thinking back on it I may not have played as well as my student and I was not very good, it was still fun and made for some fun conversations throughout the day with my students.

Tomorrow...Basketball

Well, tomorrow is the day.  Tomorrow is when I will be playing basketball in the morning.  I  am a little nervous but also excited.

I am not really sure what I am doing but it will be interesting.  I will probably loose, but that's okay.  This is meant to be something funny not something serious.

I have been acting like I know what I am doing and that I will totally win but we will see what actually happens.

Wish me luck!

Conferences

Well conferences are over, and I enjoyed seeing all the families.  All three nights of conferences went great!  I got to talk about each students strength and talk about how they are doing in class.

I may be one of the few but I truly enjoy conferences!  I love meeting the families and talking about their student and what their strengths are.  I love hearing the stories that my students tell their parents.  There have definitely been some fun things and some silly things going on this year and to hear what students share with their parents is always fun.

Now don't get me wrong I am glad that conferences are over because when we have them it makes for some very long days but I also love conferences.

I can't believe conferences for my first year of teaching are over....where has this year gone?

Basketball...

As I sit here and watch the NBA All star event, I am trying to learn some new things.  Now I am not saying I will ever be able to do anything that they are doing but I am watching :)

I will be playing basketball this coming week on Thursday and to be honest I am not sure how that is going to go.

I haven't played basketball since I was in 5th grade.  I did manage boy's varsity basketball for 6 years and then watched in all the time in college but I have personally not played since 5th grade.

I knew I should have played more this summer with my nanny kids....oh well, nothing I can do now except for trying to get some pointers and maybe having someone teach me.

All I keep thinking is hopefully I don't look too silly playing and hopefully I can score a couple points.

February Already...

I can't believe how fast this year has gone!  I have been blessed to work in such a great school, with great staff and students.

My first year teaching has been crazy, busy, and has gone by fast.  The group of students I have this year will always be special to me, not only because of who they are but because they are my first official class.  They truly remind me each day to just enjoy the small things and that teaching isn't about cramming things in but making sure your students learn and have fun learning.  They are full of surprises, crazy times, laughs, and one of the best years ever for me!  I am one lucky teacher to know so many great, incredible, funny, and talented students!

I have really enjoyed my first year of teaching so far and the staff and students are the reason why.  I have never felt so supported by other staff and teachers before, the people I work with are truly amazing!  The students I have are truly amazing as well.  They all (staff & students) are the reason I am excited to come back to school every day!

As I look back on this year so far, I can't help but get teary eyed at all the amazing memories; football talks, basketball talks, math activities, laughing till you cry, field trips, and just the normal day to day interactions with everyone.  I also can't help but laugh at some of the memories as well; games, lunch times, singing in the classroom, reactions during lessons, and me playing basketball against some students (which happens next week).

If I had one piece of advice for anyone out there, it would be to remember that although there are many things going on, you need to take time to remember and thank those that help you.  I would also suggest that you enjoy the time you have, before you know it, it is February and you realize that in a little over 3 months the school year is over.  Your first year of teaching is over and all the kids you had subbing for a year and teaching for the next year are moving on.

I can't wait to see what else is to come this year.  This year has been amazing!  I wouldn't change a thing about my first year of teaching!

PROUD TEACHER MOMENT

Today was one of those proud teacher moments.  I didn't think that what I watch would make me this proud of my students.

Conferences started this week and the first night when great, hoping the next two nights go great as well.

But back to my proud teacher moment...

Today after school I went to watch some of my students play basketball (both boys and girls).

I didn't get to see much of the girls game but the parts I saw were great, they were scoring points, making nice passes, and they pulled out the win!

When watching the boys play I got to seem some things I don't really get to see the same way in the classroom.  I got to witness great team work, effort, hard work, and never giving up.  The game was close most of the way, it came down to the final minute and watching the players work so hard to rally back and make the last 30 second intense and amazing to watch made me so proud of them.  Although it may not have ended the way they wanted, my students should be proud of what they did (rally back, and put in a great effort)!

My advice for both the girls and the boys is to never put your head down, hold it up and be proud of what you do!  It may not always end the way you want but you should be proud of the effort and team work you showed!

Keep trying, keep putting in the effort and great things will happen!

Second Semester

I can't believe it is already second semester.  This year is flying by.  As I sit and type this I can't help but think that in a little under 4 months the year is over.

As I prepare for conferences and my last observation I am finding that I am more nervous for my observation than conferences.  I have already been observed twice but for some reason this last one makes me nervous.

Being nervous can sometimes be a good thing but it can also drive you crazy!  Some of my co-workers keep telling me to breathe and then we all laugh at how nervous I am.

I just keep hoping things will go well this week!

Not sure....

What a week...  As I reflect today I can't help but wonder if I am a good teacher or not.

Today was a tough day for me, I found myself disappointed in myself.  I don't know if what I am doing is making a difference or not.  Today was one of those "first year teacher" days.

You feel like you try so hard to help and then something happens and you feel like it's all your fault, when it's not.

I had a very open conversation with a co-worker today, she said to me "All you can do is try, help your students, and if a student doesn't see that what you are doing is only because you believe in them and you want them to succeed, then that's their loss.  It's hard when you try and do whatever you can to help but you feel like they don't care."

I feel that in the end what I am doing to help will be the right thing but some days you wonder if what you are doing is working, if it makes a difference, or if it's worth it.

If you would have asked me a couple hours ago I probably would have said I don't know if what I am doing matters to my students but if you ask me now I would like to think that the support I am giving to my students does matter, it does make a difference, and it is worth it!