July 2016 – It's all good, really!

I was recently asked what advice I would give a brand new teacher. Well, I’m not a new teacher but I felt like one when I moved to a new school last year. After my experiences last year, I would always suggest posting a daily schedule!! Who knew a classroom schedule could be a game changer and bring calm to a classroom of fifth graders?

Up until last year, I was a departmentalized 5th grade teacher with no control over my schedule. All that changed last year when I moved to another school. Suddenly, I had a lot of control over when and what I taught AND I was self contained… meaning I taught all subjects except specials and science to a fabulous group of 5th graders. Wahoo!!! There was just one problem….due to the specials, not one of my days’ schedule was the same!

Looking back, “Hello, Captain Obvious. a posted schedule is the answer!” Well, I never claimed to be the sharpest pencil in the box! It was a rough couple of beginning days….”What’s next?”, “What books do I need this morning?” “What specials do we have today?” I could go on, but it is just too embarrassing!!!

About the third day, after answering way too many questions about “What are we doing today” or “What books do I need to have?”, I had a moment of clarity after the students left!!! I literally walked over to the white board at the front of my room and wrote the next day’s schedule on the white board. My classes were listed in one color; specials and non-academic activities such as assemblies in a different colors.

whiteboard

Nirvana!!! No, not the grunge band…but perfection! No more, “I don’t have my math book!”, “I thought today was computers, not media!” No more clamoring from the students as to what the day would bring as students came in. Suddenly there was peace in the classroom!

children-happy

graphic by http://www.mycutegraphics.com

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If you have been on any social media in the past few weeks, you know there’s been a lot of tears shed. It’s left me feeling helpless and wondering what I can do. How can I, one person, make a difference? I have three kids and six grandkids and I worry about their future.

Well, I found my answer in a most unexpected place…FACEBOOK! Say what? Yup, I was kind of surprised myself. I was rolling through my feed this morning and there it was. I am friends with a neat lady who has a Facebook page titled, “Read Like A Rock Star”. She, too, was shocked and upset with what has been happening AND she had a plan!

Her plan is simple and yet so powerful that I felt that I needed to let everyone know about it. Here it is… Acts of Random Kindness… with a twist. Read Like A Rock Star has a plan and I want all of us to get on board with it…that’s why I am writing about it. She has a store on Teachers Pay Teachers, but this won’t cost you anything more than a moment of your time.

She has created a ARK board of ideas that each of us can implement on our own! You could cut the board apart and hand the individual cards out to people or simply choose an act to work on each day. I have already downloaded my own copy and I plan on starting today! You DON’T have to be a teacher but you will need to make an account…doesn’t cost a dime!!! You also don’t ever have to download any thing else from her store. As she says in her description,

“It’s time to take action. I am a strong believer in being the change you wish to see. One of the happiest times in my life was when I printed A.R.K (Acts of Random Kindness) cards for myself that said, “This act was performed by me, but inspired by God. All I ask in return is that you perform a random act of kindness for someone else.” be the change Here’s her link…https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Be-the-Change-2639829