Kovescence of the Mind

Last summer I read The Together Teacher by Maia Heyck-Merlin.

I have to say that this should be a MUST read for all new teachers, but even me, after ten and a half years of teaching, I am learning some amazing new tricks.

Well, I just spent an hour working on finding a good app for my to do list...Astrid is what I have had for years, but itsn't supported online. I like everything in Google, but Tasks doesn't have an app. I have installed Wunderlist twice, but it doesn't play with Google. GTasks is what I am going to work from now. I have lost some of my favorite features with Astrid...I could keep using it, but without a desktop option...grrr

I suppose this is much like when the school system switched to Gmail from Novell...I was aggrivated, but I am good with it now. Time will heal this wound too.

Now she also talks about taking care of the many notes, slips, and lists you have. This is just the small sample I had with me in the car while the girls were at dance to begin working with.

She asks us how many places our to-do live in...ha ha ha...the pictures above say it all.

I her line "empty your brain" idea because it is so very nice to get everything where it won't be forgotten. I am not doing the best job of emptying my brain into one place...hence the sticky notes and three lists above.

Once I decided on a new app and collected all my lists and notes, I sat down to put them into my new app. GTasks syncs right to my Google Tasks, so I can use my phone or my computer to edit the lists.

I currently have lists for home, school, technology, and blog/TPT.

Then began the long process of getting rid of all the pieces of paper and putting everything in one place......DONE!

She wants a place for everything, which I have, but the problem is finding it again when I need it. I am having the same issue with my Google Drive right now, but that is a whole different project.

I always have ideas for changing things for next year, but I never have a spot to write them. I think that will be the next thing I work on, so I have started a list for that too.

Tackle that To-Do List

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Love me some Sunday Scoop to get me off the sofa and moving. I have lots to do, and I am feeling like I will get it ALL done.

HAVE TO:

1) Smurtz and I went to Target yesterday, and I got some great Dollar Spot goodies for school. I am using the desire to get these new items in use as motivation to go to my classroom and get my bulletin boards changed out. I also want to get my copies made for this week as I have a few meetings that will cut down on my prep time.

2) I am usually a bed-maker, but I haven't done this in a few days. I noticed this morning that the stripes on my sheet were going the wrong way and my daughter had left a few tissues in the bed. Time to make this right.

3) If you follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers, and you should :), you noticed that I put a ton of new parts of speech products up this past week. Now I want to fine-tune the product descriptions.

HOPE TO:

1) I have two guest posts/products review posts that I am going to do. I want to get them up and ready, so all I have to do this week is add the pictures with my students and hit publish.

2) I decided this week to move my arch nemesis -laundry from Have to to Hope to....I am giving up on the battle.

HAPPY TO:

1) We are going to be warm here today, and even warmer on my birthday tomorrow, so I am going to get in some sun. Maybe I'll pick up the trash that blows into our yard each winter ...probably not.

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FOREVER it has been since I last linked up with Doodlebugs Teaching for Five for Friday.

This week I tried something new in my AP Psychology and Civics classes. I know kids get so ~~ANNOYED~~ TIRED of hearing me talk through what they have already read, and I am tired of doing all the work. This week I changed it up!

We had a short unit in psychology on personality, so I really didn't have time to go over the whole ppt with them as it usually takes three or four days, and some of them don't listen. Instead I posted it on Google Classroom. (If you are a Google Apps for Education school and you haven't used this yet, check out my post). I then had students pair up-easy given they are two at a table-grab a Chromebook, and look through the ppt.

Then each pair had to create a set of 10 multiple choice questions and free response question in the style of the AP Exam. In Civics I had them do 5 multiple choice questions and written response.

We talked about right there, interpretation, and application type questions. I posted examples on Google Classroom for them to use as models. Each class also went over the distractors in multiple choice questions.

It looks like the pairs all got it done in the 1.5 days in class- 1/2 the time it takes me to yak at them.

Not only did they get a coverage of the material after they read the chapter and did their own notes, but they got to become test writers in order to more clearly understand how the tests are set up.

The best parts were they were engaged the whole time, and I have quiz and review questions that I didn't have to write.

Yeah for students doing most of the work!

Some of you know that I am a Girl Scout leader. I was a scout from 1st-8th grade and LOVED every minute of it. I discovered this wonderful site this week.

There is all kinds of vintage scout stuff on there. However, the best part was the catalog of all the Girl Scout camps in every state. This includes the ones that are closed. There are pictures, newspaper clippings, and badges. If you were ever a scout, go take a look and maybe add send something in to share.

I have had the pleasure this week to get to know Stephanie from Electric English on TPT. I purchased her Mark Twain product last week and am gearing up to do a post about it. She has also graciously agreed to let me give away one of her products. Stay tuned for this product review. In the mean time, go check out her store FULL of secondary English goodies.

After many years of wanting to post my parts of speech products on my Teachers Pay Teachers store, they are locked and loaded. I finished the first round of posting on these this week. It was a major undertaking, but my OCD helped me make it happen in an orderly fashion.

The full set can be found as my Parts of Speech Unit. You can also grab each sheet or part of speech individally.

Get a little taste with my freebie Adjective and Adverb Quiz.

The last, and probably best, part of my week was finding out that Sarah from Tales of Teaching with Tech was my SLANT partner again this month. Fate is telling us to be blogging besties.

We were paired up in December, and I received the most AMAZING box of gifts from her. I can't wait to send her some teacher love. Be sure to swing by her blog and check her out. We are planning something fun for March, so stay-tuned.

Here is my Throwback Thursday from July 23, 2015

Always good information to revisit.

I just finished Rick Wormeli's Differentiation: From Planning to Practice Grades 6-12.

I purchased this book last spring after hearing this buzz (mostly from my principal). However, I didn't get to delve into the text until last week. It is a quick and easy read; although I sometimes got bogged down in the wordiness of some sections.

Even Mr. Wormeli talks about passing fads in education; I have seen a number in my ten years teaching. While the word differentiation maybe a passing buzz word, the idea isn't, and I have to agree with this. In fact, most of us are doing this now, but you, like me, may not realize it.

I really get a glazed-over look when I hear about some new thing in education and am very skeptical because so many of them come and go: HSCE, Focus Correction Area, Whole Language, Phonics, etc The same thing goes for assessments that never seem to stick around long enough for the teachers to understand and get the hang of them.

A couple of major points Mr. Wormeli makes jumped out at me:

Most teachers are doing this already, but we don't necessarily call it differentiation. (more examples, drafts, graphic organizers, seating)

You cannot realistically differentiate for 150 students every single day. I was so relieved to finally hear someone speak this thought. It takes me weeks to get to know all of my students and where they are. Our building testing doesn't start until October, so I don't get great data on them until November. I just think differentiation can be overwhelming to someone like me who has six classes with 25-30 kids in a class and 5 preps. I feel that too often we are expected to do everything every day for every child, and it just isn't realistic.

Start small; it can take three years to get comfortable with this on a broad scale. A great friend once told me to do one awesome lesson each week in each class add next year add one more. At that rate you would have awesome lessons every day by year five. I am glad Mr. Wormeli took this idea and has made it okay to start small and take your time.

The work load needs to be the same for everyone; change the complexity. I remember thinking as a new teaching that it didn't seem right that a student who needed to learn a skill was allowed (or requested) to do less than a student who mastered the skill and was reviewing. This isn't how we learn free-throws. I also struggle with giving my top end students more work just because they are able to finish early and efficiently. I guess I need to think more about task complexity.

I want to talk a minute about ability grouping. I thought we were supposed to be going away from this in education? It seems to make sense to have students at the same levels working together sometimes. I understand the idea of having mixed-ability groups to help each other, but I was always that high-achieving student having to explain and often do the work for others. I don't know what to think after this book. I think grouping based on skills needed might be a better way to go about grouping. I'm done with that soapbox.

However, I have another one: lesson plans having to be turned in. We were asked last year at a district improvment meeting what should go. The staff was quite, but I, with my big mouth and opinions, piped up that turning in lesson plans should go because our administrators don't read them or give us feedback. I am not saying don't do lesson plans; all good teachers should, but the submitting them is one less thing for us to do since they aren't usually accurate by Friday anyways. Well, this book has given me more fuel for that fire.

Not every student has to do every activity. This was a light bulb moment for me. I have talked before how I am trying to keep units to 4 weeks or less. The reason they always run so long is that I have a million ideas for things to try, and I want to do everything. I supposed my current thought here is to have everything, but not require every student to do every part. I take some really challenging assignments and group them for my above-grade-level group. Then I take the on-grade-level group and give them a different smattering of tasks and so on. I have no idea why I always felt every students should do every task; maybe I was afraid of leavings something out.

Here are some things I am going to work on doing more of next school year:

Having the students who 'get it' assist with checking the work of other students; the text calls these GRADUATE ASSISTANTS.

First and last experiences in class stick, so I will make them super meaningful.

Hydration/Sun and Full Spectrum bulbs: I will explain to students how water and sun affect them. I will then encourage water....except more water means more bathroom breaks....and the cycle continues.

Orally explain to classmate: I love this because then I don't have to read 180 essay answers every day!

Dot at end of line with edit/wave editing: I am always looking for ways to help students edit their own work without telling them the problem. I think I need a special pen for this purpose.

Allowing more choice in assignments: I have been working on this somewhat this past year, but I had an epiphany while reading. In AP Psychology I have tried students taking notes on reading, giving them outlines, and reading packets; I get mixed feedback on all of them. I think I should use the first three units to sample all of these and model them. After unit 3, students can choose. I can do the same thing for vocabulary; make them try all ways (list and define, electronic cards, flash cards) and after that let them pick. They have to do one, but I don't care which one.

Using more stations/centers activities: I use to do this a lot in my middle school social studies classes, but since moving to a high school five years ago not so much. I want stations at least once a unit if possible.

Clock partners; given them a clock to fill in 12 partners. Then I can use these all year to change things ups.

Ask them how they learn best. By junior year most students know the answer to this questions. I might even give a Multiple Intelligence survey, but I was reading just last year that the research behind Garner's Theory may not be as sound as once thought....more reading to do.

Texts at different levels. This won't work too well with literature as we have set novels in each grade (unless I can convince the district for more department money), but I do think it will work wonders with informational texts. I get reading level scores from our district testing, so I can use those to group students and select texts.

This book also has a great references section, so I added some more books to my ever-growing reading list

Check out the other Throwbacks:

My birthday is now one week away! I am now beyond the age where parties are necessary; I actually prefer to sit at home and do my own thing. Just ask my hubby, who always gets asked to take the girls out as a gift to me.

However, if you want to get me a present, and who doesn't love presents, I have some major wish-list items I have been eyeing for some time.

1) Tieks

These are the ballet flats that so many teachers swear by. I am a huge Dansko fan, but these appeal to me because they are less industrial and more feminine. I would really take them in any color, but the royal blue speaks to me.

2) Nortstrom Sweater

I saw this lovely over on Teaching Sam and Scout. I new immediately that it was a must have for spring. Once again, any bright color will do.

2) Canon Camera

I really am becoming unhappy with my phone's camera. I have dowloaded two secondary apps, which have helped, but I really wan a designated camera. Photography is something I want to learn.

3) Digital Books

I have a massive Amazon Book Wishlist. I am starting to prefer that my books be digital because I really am running out of places to store books in our house. Just a few titles.

4) Pillow cases

We sleep with a lot of pillows. There are in excess of eight pillows on our bed on any given day. This DOES NOT include decorative pillows, which I personally find annoying. The problem is that we never have enough clean pillow cases to cover all of them. I often have to pull the kiddy pillow cases out. What man doesn't love Care Bare and Rainbow Bright pillow cases on his bed? Also, some of these, as the cartoons on them suggest, are fairly ages and are not as fresh as they once were. These one are organic.

5) A trip somewhere warm

I am really not picky at all, but I am longing for a beach and a boat drink.

I received no compensation for these product reviews; I just LOVE them.

Here is to the first Sunday Scoop of SPRING. It is sunny and the warmest it has been here since right after Christmas break. Here is to hoping we can use the grill this week...chicken and burgers baby.

HAVE TO:

1) I actually sitting here in front of Mount Laundry. I have more to wash, so I was kind of waiting until it was all clean to fold. Then I can hunker down with a movie: 12 Years a Slave or The Queen? Leave your vote in the comments.

2) Muffins are a big hit in my house, and I pulled some shredded zucchini from the freezer yesterday. I don't have a recipe yes, but I am going to make muffins.

3) Every year I have my honors and AP English classes doing poetry online. I am a little ashamed of how far behind I am on looking at their responses. My goal is to get two weeks worth done today.

HOPE TO:

1) I have two guest posts/products review posts that I am going to do. I also have my birthday wish list to post, and I finished Teach Like a Pirate, so I wanted to get that up post started too. Whew...that is a lot of work, but I really enjoy writing and sharing.

2) As I said, I finished one teaching book and need to start another one as my students have reading days this week, and I love to read with them. Brain Rules is next on my list.

HAPPY TO:

1) Shmurtz needs to read some more, so I think her and I are going to start the Little House on the Prairie books together. They are my FAVORITE, and I haven't read them in awhile. Potumus got a sewing machine for Christmas and it is still in the box. so we are busting it out today. She is going to make something. Suggestions for beginner sewing projects?

Be sure to go and enter the last day of Miss Johnston's 25th Birthday Bash where you could win my desk labels or one of any other great products.