Sunny Kinders

Sparkling Wine Date of Birth Party by Guido Reimann , licensed by Pixabay   Mr. and Mrs. Digraph QU forever! I had to repeatedly reassure my students yesterday that the wedding we were having was not real. A student in our class was dressed as the Bride. (When she showed up for the book character parade in full Cinderella regalia, we knew she would be perfection. And she was!)  BUT, the planning of it was for real !  We had celebrated the occasion as a grade level   at my previous school , but this was the first wedding at my new school. I suggested the idea to my team, and they  had never heard of anything like it. T hey  liked the idea, but not enough to do anything about it. I didn't really have any vision yet, except for the Bride, but it started to take shape quickly. I asked the principal if he wanted to officiate, and he was totally game. I don't think he knew what he had signed up for, even though I sent him a script, and let him know that he w...

 Rating Stars System by Open Clipart-Vectors , licensed by Pixabay As 2021 draws to a close, it is time for a self-check. Blogging is supposed to help me become a better teacher. What is my reality, however? This school year doesn't really compare to previous years because of the Coronavirus. It doesn't really compare with the year I taught virtually, either. Still, I know myself. The Good I have more joy in the classroom, so my students are happier. Happier students means greater learner ownership. My students are learning the value of love. I am making more opportunities for fun. Fun increases engagement, which increases learning and motivates me, too!   The Bad I am being less systematic with instructional time and assessment. Although my lessons are sound, they are not as regular or targeted. Also, I don’t have clear metrics to address student growth. The Priorities Jo...

Binding Contract Secure Free Image by Steve Buissinne , licensed by Pixabay     I remember walking out of the title office after closing on my first home. It was just a condo, and 10% was already paid, so not a huge commitment. I had expected to feel excited and proud, and was completely blind-sided by the weighty heaviness in reality. I was super young and had led a very sheltered life at the time.       Now I know better. I don't know why I want to take on such a big project so near retirement, but I am in the business of learning. So hey, why not? My district will cover the $2000 in fees for successful completion of becoming nationally certified. Even though it's a lot of money, it's not really a determining factor. I could get more than that by just switching employers. It would, however, mean that if I started, that I would not quit -- basically it would be an all-or-nothing decision. It's a huge undertaking, requiring 3-5 years and a ton of multimedi...

  Colorful Abstract Artwork by Gerd Altmann , licensed by Pixabay My daughter is really into visual images. She is always current on cute memes and is constantly changing her collection of images. This summer, she even started to learn coding, so she could create her own images with her friends around the country. (She really misses virtual learning at home.) I did a little digging and discovered the Monart Method, founded by Mona Brooks . I ordered her book, because she touts that she can teach everyone to draw. My original intent was to teach my daughter, but she knows that I am not a good teacher for her. (Her dad is the amazing parent!) Plus she's 11 now. Then I can still teach other people's kids. I *love* this, because every year I want to draw little images for my students on anchor charts, since many of them are pre-readers. I have been ruminating over Smarter Charts by Mraz & Martinelli, but my students couldn't understand my drawings. So, the method seemed l...

  handshake-2009183_1280 by  John Hain  from  Pixabay   Our current unit of inquiry is about members in a community living and working together. Our grade level usually takes turns going on a walking field trip to the local fire station, but cannot this year.  I have reached out to a couple of parents from previous years for virtual tours and Q/A sessions. Our local Chick-Fil-A proprietor is meeting with us on our school-approved M.S. Teams platform next Thursday. *All* of our students have been there, so there will be interest.  Additionally a veterinarian has agreed to come each morning next week, for better interaction. This is going to be such a treat! A good third of our students already want to be vets. I'm sure 3/4 of them will afterwards! We are going to do some pre-interview activities, so that the students will be prepared with the expectations and format. We would also like the students to generate and ask the questions. One of  the te...

group-3354366_640 by  by  Gerd Altmann  from  Pixabay   This IB course I'm taking is "making me" do all these assignments to become a connected educator. I say that tongue-in-cheek, because I am not really just working to get it done, but I really do want to learn how to effectively use these technologies. I'm just really overwhelmed at the moment. (Post-COVID issues in KG, like students who have never been in school, unidentified potentially SpEd students and new l_o_n_g 1:1 BOY assessments are kicking my behind!) So...I guess you could say that I was procrastinating participating in a live Twitter chat by not understanding how to join one. I could not find a live #PYPchat, but found a #Kinderchat one. I didn't know what I was doing, but chimed in anyway, and am so glad that I did. Now that I'm on the other side of it, I can say that it was an absolute delight! I actually have more energy afterwards, because of the encouragement, ideas and new connections I m...

  Photomontage-1514218_640 by  Gerd Altmann  from  Pixabay   Disney has that song that repeats "It's a small world, after all." It's so true. And the reality is that the world is getting flatter/smaller every day at an exponential rate. At first the internet allowed everyone anonymity. But now, people are finding that they are leaving digital footprints which are traceable, and there are life-long consequences. Just as good manners have to be modeled, practiced and tweaked in real life, so does netiquette. Awareness and habits are learned through experience and guidance. learning and sharing in ways that make sense listening with understanding first, then commenting clearly and courteously demonstrating respect for other's privacy, opinions and work accepting of differences valuing other's feelings and thoughts as important as our own doing and speaking beyond our comfort zone broadening our perspective and understanding thinking about others' perspective...