Teacher Week - 5 Fun Facts

I am so excited to be able to participate in this year's Teacher Week. Here goes five fun things about me

One: 
My summer binge watching included a new favorite TV show Scandal. I absolutely love Olivia and Fitz together and can't wait until season 5 starts! I also watched Revenge and Orange is the New Black. 

Two:
Starburst Jellybeans are delicious. They only come out at Easter and I try to grab as many as I can when Easter candy goes on clearance. The cravings for them didn't subside though so I had to buy 12 bags from Amazon. 



Three:
I hate running. But I tried to get into running in January and managed to lose 22 pounds. I ran two 5k's and managed to improve my time. Over the summer it is so hot in Florida that running outside is miserable, so hopefully I can get back into running again and learn to love it. Lucky me that my boyfriend bought me new running shoes for my birthday. They are like running on clouds!! 


Four:
I love to read. I don't always get the time to read for fun but love it. I was able to read so many books this summer and it was glorious.


Five:
I have a great family and an incredible boyfriend. I am so thankful for them in my life. I wouldn't be the teacher I am without them. Ready for this year to be the best year ever!

Be sure to check out the other awesome teachers and their 5 fun facts over at Blog Hoppin' Teacher Week Linky! 

Teachers Pay Teachers BTS15 Sale!

So we all know all about the TpT BIG Back to School sale! Who doesn't love 28% off and some of you great teachers had additional discounts too! I was resistant at first because the pay schedule in my county is less than ideal and I had already felt like I had spent so much on my classroom already but I just couldn't resist some of the awesome things I picked up! 

Click the names of these awesome teachers to go to their blogs or TpT stores and see their great products!

Cart #1:

Christopher Columbus Close Reading from Elementary Lesson Plans
Close Reading: Florida from Creativity to the Core
Vocabulary (ELA) from Jason's Online Classroom
Math Vocabulary from Jason's Online Classroom
Science Vocabulary from Jason's Online Classroom
Common Core Standards Third Grade Teacher Planner from Teaching is a Work of HEART
Create-A-Pal Base Set from Polka Dots and Pals



After being so excited about all of these awesome products I quickly got to work creating my own pal and then of course had to have the other Create A Pal sets which is what led to cart number 2. 

Cart #2:

Create-A-Pal Super Pal Set from Polka Dots and Pals

Create-A-Pal Independence Day Set from Polka Dots and Pals

Then I remembered that I posted on Facebook about two awesome back to school items that are great for classroom procedures and policies and needed these two awesome products!

Cart #3 (after BTS sale of course! ughhh!)
ABC Parent Brochure Prek-5 Back to school from TCHR TWO POINT 0
Classroom Procedure Manual for students from Teaching in Room 6

 Hope you all enjoyed my purchases and check them out yourself!: )

Growing Dendrites

If you are anything like me you cringe when you hear the words Professional Development, because let's be honest do you really want to sit in a school chair all day surrounded by other people and be told how to teach your kids? I have had a hit or miss relationship with Professional Development in the my 5 years of teaching. Some of them are awesome and I would recommend them to other teachers (ie. SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) and the read aloud integration in Science lessons, and various others). However most of the others I could do without. They can be overwhelming and add another thing to our already full plates and while the presenter is preaching to you about all the great things that you should be doing for your kids, they aren't doing them for you in the professional development, you're sitting in the chair not moving listening to some teacher drone on about things you should be doing.

However when I was given the opportunity to attend a two day Marcia Tate workshop I was stoked. I had high hopes that this would be interactive, useful and easy to implement in my classroom. I always try to be optimistic about trainings, workshops and meetings and I was right on with this one.

Day 1: Shouting Doesn't Grow Dendrites
Behavior Management that will eliminate most of your behavior issues and guess what it isn't another clip chart, cool interactive app or even anything that is going to cost you anything!! WHATT? How awesome.

Things that you should be doing the moment kids walk in your room:
1. Greet them (this helps build a relationship between you and your student)
2. Play music (calming preferably, and it sets the noise level in your room, you shouldn't hear them over the music)
3. Start out with something positive (a compliment, a joke, a story, something light and fun to start the day off right)

You should spend 75% of the first days practicing the rituals and routines of your classroom
If kids are engaged they will remember 0-10% of what you are teaching, engage them and they will retain the other 90%. 

Six F's of Good Classroom Management:
1. Firm (not being mean, but meaning what you say)
2. Fair
3. Friendly
4. Fun
5. Flexible
6. Forgiving

Did you know human beings need 12 positive interactions daily to be happy.
We need 8 positive interactions daily to maintain life.
And we need 4 positive interactions daily to survive. Wow. That's startling to me. Tell your kids every day how special and awesome they are, because that could be the only positive interaction they are getting. 

These were my big take aways from Day 1. Such a powerful and great workshop. Check out her book for more information!!

Day 2: Mathematics Worksheets Don't Grown Dendrites
1. Greet your kids
2. Play Music
3. Start with something Positive

M - Math
A- Ain't
T -That
H-Hard
How cute is this little acronym?? I love it. I think it would help kiddos feel less stressed about math!

Fun activities to do with your kiddos to get them up and moving!!
1. Math (or any subject) Alphabet Book
2. Math Problems about your life
3. 9 Times Table Story
4. Number Line Hustle
5. Circumference Conga
6. Math Pictionary
7. I have Who has
8. Partner Appointments
9. Create a number 
10. Interactive Word Problem

Again these are just my main take aways from the second day. You really should check out her and her books if you get the chance!

http://www.developingmindsinc.com/about.html 

A Book Hoarders 12 Step Program

Hey Ya'll a second Blogpost in a week!! Whatttt?!

Well I have been in my classroom a couple weeks now and have decided since I own so many books which honestly these fabulous books spend most of their time hiding in cabinets or on special "teacher only shelves" where the kids can get their dirty little fingers on them. Yes I am that teacher I hoard books from my kids. 

Don't hate me just yet...The kids have plenty of books they can read in my classroom and I do read these amazing little literary nuggets to the kids. I love reading to my kids. I just don't have these precious books out where the kids can get to them. Have you seen what kids do to books?? It is awful. Dog ear pages, rip pages/rip pages out completely, color on the pages, write on the book, in the book, using the book as a clipboard and the worst of all they take them home and never bring them back! Whatt those are my books they can't keep them! Let's be real, why can't they? They are kid books, and kids should be reading them and loving them. Sooooo....


This year I am trying to overcome my fear of students touching my books.
 I have started this 12 step program...it's a work in progress 

1. Unpack the books from their boxes
2. Go through every single one of them and assess their awesomeness (let's be honest, Kinder books aren't really "Just Right Books" for Third Graders, and I can rehome them to another teacher, student or our little neighborhood library box)
3. Add them into an online database that will let the kids check them out of our classroom library just like they would in the school library.

The online database I have started using is ClassroomBookSource and so far I LOVE this website. I have only gotten about 480 books in so far. But it is a work in progress. It gives you tons of options to add AR stats, Guided Reading Levels, Genre, Location on your bookshelf, etc. You can also download a scanner app and have the kids scan the books in and out as they check them out or turn them in. Upon check in the kids can rate or review the book too! How awesome is that!? I haven't obviously done the check out/check in options yet since it is still summer, but I will be back to blog about that once school starts
  

4. Sort and put the books on shelves the kids can get to
5. Teach my kids how I want the library to look, feel, sound, and how it should be used
6. Let my kids touch and explore the books
7. Reteach how the classroom library and books should be used (because let's be honest I am going to need to do this haha)
8. No Freaking out if books have to go under the knife at Dr. Books office (Ha I made that up!! But I might make a basket that says that now for books that need surgery). It is okay, well loved people have scars and have had bandages, so well loved books should have them too right?
9. Breathe.
10. Smile.
11. Let it go, Let it go!!! If a book walks off, I can get another one, a student loved a book so much they took it, that means I am doing my job right?
12. Order more books to read and be happy!!

I am hoping this is a positive experience for me and my kiddos. Happy Summer!

30 days until teachers go back for me. :) I am excited to meet my new kids but loving having the summer off!! 

Finally Blogging about...my new school and grade level

Here in the beautiful sunshine state all teachers are on an annual contract. What does this mean? It means that all teachers' jobs "end" at the end of the school year. Stressed much? Yes...very much so. Now obviously this doesn't happen to everyone, there are some teachers who were grandfathered in and still have continuing contracts, lucky them. 

I suppose theoretically, it could work something like this: you work at a school, have outstanding observations, great parent rapport, engaging activities and technology, and good test scores and your contract gets renewed. No sweat.
However it isn't always that simple. Teachers get let go all the time. It is crazy. The county I work in loses a quarter of their teachers every year. A QUARTER! That seems like a fairly large amount of teachers to lose every year.

So being new to this annual contract thing, it was always in the back of my mind. I stressed about every little thing that I viewed as negative thinking this is going to lose me my job etc. Finally after going back and forth about whether I wanted to come back to the school I was at and then deciding that I did. At the end of the year I had convinced myself of this thought, "I worked hard this year, my kids saw successes and I learned a lot from them and the other teachers around me. It wasn't a perfect year but next year will be better." 

Then came time for everyone to start signing their new contracts...I waited and then was called in to discuss my placement and was told I would not be returning to the school. I was devastated. While this wasn't the perfect year, I had high hopes for next year and the changes I would make in my class, in myself and in my peer relationships. So now jobless I frantically began the job hunt to find another school to call home. I applied to 20 something positions. Some elementary, some middle school. I interviewed with 4 schools and was offered 3 jobs. 

I now happily call home to a portable classroom at a Title 1 School with 100% free and reduced lunch, 83% minority teaching 3rd grade. I will have to be at school an hour longer than last year (than any year I have taught actually) but I am really looking forward to the new adventure.

Happy to be teaching 3rd grade! 

Donor's Choose

I finally did it! I finally created a Donor's Choose project!
                                           
I have heard from many coworkers what a great way to get resources for your classroom this is but I was just "too busy" to look into it, or it was "easier" to just get whatever it was I needed for my classroom myself. But after being encouraged repeatedly and seeing all the great things my other teacher friends get, I finally submitted my first project!

I am so thankful to those teacher friends who encouraged me to just do it! I am hopeful that our project will get funded and my kids will get some awesome science tools! 

Check out my Donors Choose page here: http://www.donorschoose.org/TeamMaddox 

Thanks so much for you continued support and encouragement! Very thankful for Donor's Choose and their love for teachers and our classrooms too!

Rocks Rock!

As my first year in Fifth grade it is also the first year I was giving the opportunity to teach rocks and the rock cycle! EEEEK!
I was stoked about this opportunity because my mom used to work in a Copper Mine and we had all these samples of rocks and I always found so cool. Not to mention living in various places and seeing all kinds of rocks which were so cool. 

Having never taught Rocks or the Rock Cycle, I didn't have a lot of resources or even know where to start. Thanks to TPT I found TONS of awesome resources! I would like to shout out to Melissa Mazur and her awesome Rocks and Minerals pack that I used in my classroom. This pack comes with so many awesome activities and resources! I used the reading passages, the task cards and the word wall cards. Next year I will use more of the experiments and hands on activities because they are so awesome.

I used the word wall cards as a matching game. I cut the definitions apart from the picture and term. They have really great pictures to match the vocabulary terms and definitions. My kids matched them all first and then played memory with the cards. They loved it and I felt like it really helped the terms and definitions stick with them.

 


The task cards we used as they are intended. The kids worked as a group to answer the various questions. They love working on task cards it gives them a chance to move and talk while answering content related questions.

We have these great reading books that come with our Science textbook. Using these books the kids read to answer questions about the Rock Cycle. It is great to have these resources because they can be used in a small guided reading groups, read to a buddy center or just plain old reading non-fiction choices for the kids.

Sometimes I draw pictures and just love how I drew them! These are two examples of our Rock Cycle and Rock Formation pictures we drew for our Science Notebook.

Happy Teachin' 

Professional Development - what's your favorite and not so favorite

Every year most of us teachers get a survey about our intentions for next year. 

Sometimes I've been asked what Professional Development I think would benefit our staff. This year is one of those cases. This year it feels especially important to answer this question because I really feel like my principal really listens to us when we make suggestions. 

I have sat through so many different professional development opportunities some which were so helpful and some which were a waste of time. As a teacher I know our time is valuable and that we are incredibly intelligent and usually know what is best for our kids without someone reading us some book they wrote or some ideology they have "discovered". While these PD's are important and I don't mean to down play these PDs in anyway, ones that are more valuable to our teaching and classroom are far better than just any old PD. I wish I could be a full time student and just sit in classes all day and learn - seriously if full time student were a job I would sign up! I absolutely love learning.

There are tons of different professional development opportunities out there are there any that anyone could suggest that they LOVED or didn't love I would appreciate hearing your feedback. 

Thanks for helping out in advance!

January Wrap Up

Things have gotten away from me I was doing so well that last week of posting and then fell off the wagon! So here is the belated January Wrap up!

Florida's Literacy Week...we saw day 1, 2, 3...

Day 4: Snuggle up with a Good book (wear your slippers, bring blankets and stuffed animals to school)
My kids loved this day even though we didn't get to wear our Pjs they seemed content with slippers and stuffed animals. For our 30 minutes of independent reading time they were able to snuggle up and read and boy was my room quiet! It was so precious to see them all snuggly and reading.

 I love that this kiddo is using Mr. Bear for extra cuddles! He loves to read too!

Day 5: Reading Makes you classy! (Wear your class shirt) This was an unofficial day, fifth grade wanted to wear our class shirts so I added this to the week for my kids. We also had our guest speaker come from the Pensacola Light House and told us all kinds of cool facts about the lighthouse, it's history and read us a story about a similar light house from Maine called Abbie Against the Storm. It was a great Nonfiction book that made relating to our lighthouse great for the kids! Check this book out but keep in mind it is probably for older kids grades 3-5. 

The Pensacola Lighthouse sits on Naval Air Station Pensacola and is open to visitors year round. I has 177 steps to climb to the top! It is also pretty close to our school! You can see it from Pensacola Beach as well. :)

While we were wrapping up Literacy Week we were also wrapping up our unit on Space and the Planets. I created a sort (quickly) and had the kids sort the planets by size and then match the numeric sizes to the correct planet. Super easy but more fun than me just giving them the numbers. They worked in groups and some had it perfect on the first go. I love doing sorts like this because it lets the kids do the exploring on their own rather than having me drive all the exploring. It also helps them work as a team which some of them have trouble doing. haha 

Forgot to add this awesome board to my 100 Days Celebration! Fifth grade decided to create this board with 100 things we learned in Science. Each class got a different colored sticky note and the kids wrote what stuck out to them. Lots of kids and teachers admired our board because it is right after the office!

Some Groundhog Day Writing. Which animal from Florida should predict the weather and why? How will it predict the weather. These were some of the best writing pieces. I loved the different things they came up with! We also had a cute window display that I swore I took pictures of but don't seem to have the pictures so I will have to get those this week and post about them!

 Happy Teaching Everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

100th Day of School

Today was our 100th day of school! Hard to believe it has already been 100 days of fifth grade, 100 days through my first year of common core and teaching in Florida! Yay!! 

Since Fifth grade is a little old to be doing some of the standard 100th day activities but I still love doing them we celebrated in our own "grown up" way. 

1. Using number die cuts we created a Space Colony scene and then wrote about it. The kids were asked to use the die cuts in their picture and then explain why they chose this new place for their space colony.

2. We had a 100 cup tower stack challenge. I split the kids into two groups and gave them 100 cups and told them to create the tallest tower they could using all 100 cups. One group just couldn't get the cups to stay standing. The other group built two towers! one was 29 inches tall and the second was 48 inches tall! They really seemed to enjoy this activity. They do need some help working together and talking to each other like a team rather than just yelling but we are working on it.