How do you get student's attention?

As a teacher, it is so important to establish routines the first part of the school year.  Part of establishing routines are ways to get your student's attention.  In the past, I used call backs when I taught elementary school.   Since I am heading back to elementary school this fall, it's time for me to start thinking about which one(s) I plan to use this year.  

Here are some I have heard or thought about:

Duck, Duck...  Goose

Hey Class... YES

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! ....It's Off to Work We GO!

Red Robin... YUM!

Everybody ROCK... Everybody ROLL!

Can I get a.... Whoop, Whoop!

Are you ready kids? ... Aye, Aye Captain

Meanwhile.... Back at the Ranch

Holy Moly...Guacamole

Hocus Pocus...Time to Focus!

Hocus Pocus... Everybody Focus!

Zip, Zip, Zap...We are all that!

All Set... You Bet!

Class... YES

What do you use???

OWL Themed Teacher MEGA Pack

I am so excited to be teaching a NEW GRADE at a NEW SCHOOL next year!  

Therefore, it was time for me to develop a NEW Theme! 

OWLS

It's going to be a HOOT!

It's going to be an OWL-Standing YEAR!

Looks Whooo's in 4th Grade!

Whooo's Ready to READ?

4th Grade is a HOOT!

What fun I am going to have with this theme!  With a new theme, means new products!  

Check out my latest products:

Teacher Lesson/Binder Mega Pack

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teacher-LessonBinder-MEGA-Pack-K-5-Owl-Themed-1977601

AND ...Cool Notes for kids!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Owl-Theme-Clean-Desk-Notes-1953741

I hope you are enjoying summer break just as much as I am!  

It's Almost Summer Break!

Where did the school year go?  

It seems like yesterday we were just heading back from our last summer break!

As we head into this break, I want to share 5 things I was most grateful this year:

1. Being able to share my love of books every day with students.  Seeing their excitement when they are able to get lost in a book or read a book they thought was too hard for them!  
2. I am grateful that I work in such an amazing building with some talented teachers.  Being able to share ideas with them, laugh with them and spend time with them makes me smile.
3. Turning a non-reader into a reader melts my heart!
4. I am so happy that I tried so many new technology resources this year!  What an enhancement they made to my daily lessons.
5. I feel so lucky to work with such an amazing community of parents!

I Love Books!

I love books!  I love to read!  I love to get lost in someone else's world!  

Unfortunately, it wasn't always this way because I was not a strong reader in 1st grade compared to the other students.  However, I had an amazing teacher who didn't just push phonics on me or sight words down my throat, instead she started to lay the foundation of loving books.  Thank you Connie Merritt for reading all of those Amelia Bedelia books as they sparked my love for reading.  (Something my youngest child, Breana is also fond of reading!) 

As teachers, our number one job is to spark some type of light into our student's lives.  For me, as a Reading teacher that spark is to help my students become lifelong readers by helping them find that "just right" book which is the beginning of laying down the foundation to love books!   Each year, I am challenged with doing this and it's exciting.  As this school year wraps up and I look around my classroom as each of my students are lost in a book, I get teared up as I also helped them create that foundation.  

I am so blessed to be a teacher.  :)

I AM Lesson

"I am" Lesson- After the stressful PARCC testing, I am asking my students to focus on what they are- smart, funny, loved, inspired, courageous, humorous, etc. This week's assignment is to create an I AM poster like this one! (I am also having my son, Weston do one too as he struggled with taking the test too last week). Time to refocus on what's important...building student's self-esteem and self-confidence!

Being A Child's Champion

You could read the research or you hear about it in your education courses but nothing really make a profound impact on you until you see it in a student's eyes.  Being a child's champion, cheering them on when they don't believe they can do it is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job!  As educators our job is not to just "teach" the standards but to make an authentic connection with our students by learning about who they are, what they like/dislike and to empower them with the skills they need to be successful in life.  

Yesterday, while conferencing with my students I was congratulating them on the successes they have had in making new friends in middle school, being responsible students, being self-advocates as well as making growth in reading and writing so far this year and most importantly, telling them how proud I was of them.  It was the smiles on their faces and some tears in their eyes that spoke to me….they knew I was their cheerleader.  That I believed in them.  That is worth more than ANY paycheck….ANY day!   

I am not "just" a teacher, I am a child's champion!

Get Those Kids Moving

As I stated yesterday on my Facebook page, it's critical to get our students moving especially after a break.  Here are 10 quick ways to add movement in your classroom!

• Keep it Up-  Have students stop "working" and quickly play a game of beach ball volleyball.  Have students toss around a beach ball around the classroom not allowing it to hit the ground.
• Stand Up-  As you are teaching new information, have students who are answering questions stand up if they know the answer.  Make sure to wait a few minutes to allow other students to come up with the answer as well.
• Task Card Rotation-  Need to review some information you taught prior to the break?  Create task cards for students to practice these skills.  Put a variety of different task cards in various spots in the classroom (set up like centers) and have the students move around answering the questions.
• Surf the Web- Go to Gonoodle.com.  It has great brain break activities.
• Core Fitness-  When you notice you are losing your students, stop and get them out of their seat doing any type of core fitness- sit ups, push-ups, wall sits, jumping jacks, and/or lunges.  Get that blood flowing!
• Dance Party-  Students love to dance even in 6th grade!  Play a current song and have a dance off.  Do it weekly and give out prizes!
• Whistle While They Work-  Need the classroom picked up?  Have the students whistle to a song while they clean up!
• Charades- Have students act out concepts being taught in the classroom.  Great for visual learners!
• Power Walk-  Put those coats on and head outside for a quick power walk!  Even 10 minutes will help students refocus!
• Mindfulness Activity-  Sometimes, students are stressed out when they get back from their vacation.  Teaching students deep breathing techniques can help them learn how to deal with pressure and stress.  

I hope these give you some fun new ways to add movement to your classroom!

Happy 2015!