Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Soil of God's love....and my amazing artwork!

Happy Wednesday!

Let me first start this post with please don't judge my drawing skills. For real. I do what I can. My sister inherited the artsy gene, mine bypassed me. Bible Journaling...have you seen it? Well I have been doing it now for about as long as two shakes of a lambs tail...I am by no means at all an expert! I have seen plenty of it and I have tried really hard not to compare myself because I have learned and always in the process of learning that comparison is the thief of joy. So with that said I post this to reach someone. Who? I don't know? I may never know...that's ok...or will my OCD self stay up late thinking about it?! haha...I digress. I thought about not even posting any of this ever and keeping it to myself. I mean who wants to see  my silly 1st grade drawings and hear me chatter on about my thoughts? Well, then it was laid upon my heart that maybe one person does. Maybe I can just get it out there and someone else will feel the same, resonate with it, understand it, lean on it. Isn't that what we are  here for? To "love your neighbor as yourself." Sometimes that is tough isn't it? But all the more rewarding when you do/can!

So here I am. I guess maybe it is the teacher in me too that relies on pictures to help me remember things. I will be honest memorizing scripture has not been a strong point. Why can I remember the lyrics to The Little Mermaid..."Look at this stuff...isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete"......but that moment I need that verse I can somewhat piece it together but end up googling it or opening my bible app?! So when I saw bible journaling I was like AH! maybe this is for me and my non artistic self. #hopesanddreams I mean that is how I teach my kids- add a picture to it, make it more visual and maybe there will be more of a connection. Here's to hoping it works!

Again....please be considerate when taking in all my drawing glory..let's focus on the scripture shall we!? ;)
"May your roots do down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love really is. " Ephesians 4: 17-18

Wow! How amazing! We truly can't fathom just how great his love is for us. I don't even think my wonderful drawing (ha!) can even touch the surface.
My hubby and I love to pick weeds..I know I know we are super exciting! lol...but the best part is when you pick that one weed and you yank and pull and the whole root comes out and it is like spectacularly long and you squeal with delight that you were able to get that bad boy out of the soil...anyone?! No? Just us? Well trust me when I say its a satisfying feeling ;) See now every time you pick weeds you will think of God's love and just how deep those roots go for YOU! All for YOU! Now like a plant, of course, it needs to be watered. The great thing though too about his love is it is unconditional. Even if your end dries up a tad and your soil starts to pull away from the pot (all my gardeners out there??) Just add some water and HE will in turn fill you up! He knows our hearts too! You can't fake it till you make it. The challenge as well is trying to anchor your roots deep for others. As sinners we have the tendency of course to carry conditional love. You might be scared to grow your roots into certain soil...but this is where the faith enters and grace, HIS grace takes over. Our lives on this earth are always in a constant process; changing, and forming our hearts and minds for our permanent home. Even if you stumble you have a Father that anchors you deeply in HIS soil of everlasting love!

There it is. One person hopefully will benefit. Everyone of course benefits from the artwork. ;) More to come hopefully if I don't get intimidated to share again!
Have a BLESSED night!




Tuesday, March 15, 2016

How do you start your day?! Making the most of it through life's baggage!

Hello all!

So first off, I just want to say that I appreciate honesty and truth. I try hard not to sugar coat things (I am not Willy Wonka) too much because a lot of times in the end it ends up all at the bottom of the bowl anyways right?




 I appreciate other blogs I read that are real and raw and discuss and showcase the true side of teaching/life. It is a hard job, I think we all know that. Is it the hardest job of all? mmmm probably not but it is up there. I say all of this because my post today is about setting the tone of your classroom. What I talk about today is not always 100% perfect and goes according to plan everyday... fire drills happen, crying happens (me and the kids lol), meetings happen, lice happens (me and the kids again lol), life happens. However, I just want to share some ideas of things that have seemed to work for me even through all of that chaos. I don't want to give an image that the classroom runs perfect all day, everyday, but that there are strategies and practices you can use to help it get there as much as possible.

I am going to break it down into two groups- the kids and myself.

First off, the kids. The thing about teaching is it is and can be so drastically different year to year, class to class. Some kids have backgrounds that could rival "The American Dream" and others can make you question "The American Dream". The classroom and teaching is essentially, in Forest Gump's words, "like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." One thing I have learned over 8 years of teaching so far is to try hard to be compassionate to it all. Extend grace. Now like I said, I like to be real...there are some years it is more of a struggle to do this. I mean, I am trying to do my job here people and your issues make that difficult. But here is the thing, we ALL have issues. Big or small. Deep or shallow. Hence the reason we are human and need our own grace from our God. So how can you try to make it a positive environment in your classroom? Here are some ideas.


Greet at the door:

 (an oldy but goody) (as much as possible) like I said things happen- like the mornings we sometimes Noah's ark it to school because of all the rain we've gotten and things just aren't running as normal. Or maybe the morning your head won't stop itching and you just can't figure it out and lo and behold have some very special visitors, have to leave immediately to douse your head in bleach. The list can go on. BUT those are not everyday occurrences so do what you can to stand at that doorway and give that first smile.
I have also made sure to teach my friends to say good morning everyday. It actually gets to the point that if it doesn't happen I am a little sad lol. I tell them it is important to acknowledge others and make them feel welcome and visible.




Quiet time:

 At our school we have a moment of silence every morning before the announcements. I have tried to explain that this is their time to think about their day and set the tone for how they want it to go. What kind of choices do they want to make to lead into their day? We even try to rate our day on a scale of 1-5. 5 being an epic day and 1 being, well, just isn't my day. We do this before it even gets started to show them that how we see our day going can affect it and we want to try to start out on a positive note! Once again, are there days we forget to do that particular piece? yes, and if I notice I try to place it later on such as walking down the hallway rhetorically "How's your day going so far? Are you making the choices to give yourself an epic day?" I'll let them show me on their hands 1-5 quietly what they are thinking. Some of course don't feel the need and they are totally meditating on it in their heads eh? We also discuss that some days can be a roller coaster and can go from a 5 to a 2 and back up again. We have to learn to navigate those curves and bumps.


Morning Song:

So a few years ago I was pondering while laying in bed not being able to sleep. This is normally where I do all my good thinking haha that, or the gym. I wanted to find another way to positively start our days. I wanted it to be a song of some sort, but something original to our little classroom environment. Long story short, I came up with this:
Kids sing-
"We are Beierle Owl's and we work very hard! We do this everyday so we get really far."
I say-
"Are you ready to work hard?
Kids say-
"Yes we are!"
I say-
"Make each other proud?"
Kids say-
"Starting right now!"

Here's a little video of them in action.

We try so hard to do it as a start to our day. Again, truth, does not always get done, but we try! And now I have friends that will help remind me and say "We need to sing the Beierle Owl song!" 

**oh any singers out there need my assistance in songwriting-call my people...lol



Reassurance:

Goodness doesn't everyone need this from time to time? But little kids who sometimes don't ever have that? Try to reassure them daily of your love for them and that you want the BEST for them. You are there to help and lead. The moment they walk through that door, whatever happened that morning at home, on the bus, in the car matters to you it does, but that once they are in that classroom you are there to love and guide. That our day does not always have to be determined by circumstances 2 hours prior or by another person. Yes, even  as adults it is hard to leave things at the door frame and walk in confident and ready for action. But also as adults we can lead by example. I often will share little things that go wrong in my own life, morning, or day so they can see a glimpse into the fact that everyone has struggles. It is what we do with them and how we react to them what can change the course. 
I had a little friend last week make a sad choice in cafeteria causing him to have a think time during fun stations. (classroom management post is in the works) I sat with him and discussed his choice and what happened and he started crying and said "I just made a sad choice and don't want to be in trouble" I immediately talked with him about how sometimes we do make choices that are not the best ones but it was a mistake. People make mistakes, what we do from here with it is up to us and will determine where we go. The important thing is knowing when it is a mistake, learning from it, and then making a decision to rectify it. 
At the end of the day they are just kids. Do I have my own moments when I am like "REALLY friend?! *head explosion* of course! Once again, human.


Music:

 I play it daily in the classroom. I play it while they come in and when we work. It helps to take the cold, uninvited vibes that might be trying to lurk around the room and dissipate them. (below in the next section I will discuss stations)




What about the teacher? Well here are some ideas along the same lines that you can use/do for making the most of your days.

Leave it at the door:

Do this for yourself too, just like we want our kids to do. There are days I wake up on the wrong side of the bed....no like literally, my hubs wanted to change sides and it was not happening. Spilled protein shake on my shirt, forgot my zip drive, dog threw up, etc, etc, etc. (I don't have any "kids got into a fight" analogies at this point in life...yet) Let's talk about that word GRACE again. Sometimes you have to give grace to yourself too just like you extend it to others. I use my morning drive to think. But one thing I have really cherished is I call my hubby right before I get to school and we pray before I get out of the car. Some days the prayers are short and some days a little longer, but it really helps set the tone before I walk in. Some days I don't feel the affects of the prayer until later, so I might still walk in with a sour mindset. And when that happens..it leads me to #2

Music:

I play music every morning while getting ready. Pandora is my BFF. I can really get lost in it and it helps to calm me. 
Some of my favorite stations:
Tenth Avenue North
Toby Mac
Lecrae
Calm Meditation
Jeremy Camp
Owl City
Capital Kings
Jack Johnson (for kids)
Switchfoot
Pentatonix and Lindsey Stirling
Film Scores- fun to guess which movie it is from
Enya
Michael Buble
Jammy Jams-kids radio
80's hits

Moment of Silence:

 I use this time the kids are too. I think about my own day and typically ask God for his leadership in the classroom that day. 



Brain Breaks:

So this is more for the kids throughout the day to get them up and moving but, hey I can whip and nae nae with the best of them ;)

Pull out positive:

I will expand more on this when I do my class management post at another time. But, man it does pay off. Some days are tough!! Some days it is hard to find the positive when you feel buried in all the negative. I promise though, God promises, there is sweet victory in there somewhere. It may not be deer in headlights apparent or it may literally kick you in the chest (true story from my first year of teaching- got kicked by one of my sweet autistic babies- not on purpose of course, but still warranted paperwork for injury lol) You can find something to celebrate! I dare you!

Reflection & Journaling:

I have found that this works wonders not just for my OCD lol but for everything. If you truly want to be an effective educator you have to educate yourself too! Not just doing PD and reading books etc. But to reflect on your time. It is so important to reflect and learn from aspects that went/go really well and flawlessly but also that go bad too. 
How can you tweak it, make it better? 
What went wrong? 
What went right? 
Honesty time again- I am a hoarder....of journals...it's true I normally can't leave Ross, Marshalls, or Homegoods without one. I am always like "SO cute! I'll use that for sure!" well I plan to haha...

I have one (not so exciting or cute) journal for teaching. I have made tabs for ideas I get, you know, at the gym or while I am supposed to be sleeping. 





I also keep one for personal/bible journaling/prayer requests.


It really does help to take a step back sometimes. Mentally and physically. 


Find a Balance:

Well this is the pot calling the kettle black. I can be the worst with balance. Sometimes I do not know
when to SHUT IT DOWN! I will tell you, though I have found ways to do this better.

-Time management is key!

-Set goals for yourself (grading, plans, paperwork) get to what you can then pick up later.

-Prioritize- I was once given advice to create a list based on priority. Instead of just writing it all down in one long list (which is daunting) make a scale 1, 5, 10. 1 being not too important, still need to get done but I won't lose sleep over it. 5 being medium priority, it needs to get done with some alertness. 10 being most important, I better get this done now! These are things that might have time constraints. Now the real key is not writing it all on the 10 section. lol...comes with practice.

-You won't get to it all! Once you come to understand and accept this it makes it a lot easier to deal. Trust me, coming from someone that makes a list for everything and wanting to accomplish it all. I have learned what to let go of, that I am comfortable with. What I am comfortable with letting go of or not letting go, may not be the same for the next person. You have to decide. 


 My job, the kids, the work, the effect I can extend means the world to me but one thing has to be repeated to myself daily. "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life." My life is also at home waiting for me daily. My family. We get one shot at this blessing called life and we don't know how long our time in his temporary home will be. I take the gift God gave me seriously, but like everything requires balance. My husband has been helpful in reminding me of this....now I need to remind him too #workaholic ;) 

I have been struggling with some things lately and came across this verse. 
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 (this could be a whole other post too!)


Life is messy people. I am sure you already know that. You never know what others are going through. Extend a hand, offer grace. If teaching is what God has called you to that is an amazing journey filled with up's and downs. Be the best YOU and lead by example. Those little minds will soak it up and you can leave a lasting effect on them you may not even realize. 
Keep it real! There are no perfect people, situations or classrooms. Everyone has a story. Being willing to share and be transparent and build that trust. 

**disclaimer- in no way am I saying to use the excuse of "life" craziness to slack on your job or responsibility at work. I am hoping that with some of the above ideas you can apply something into your daily routine to make the "craziness" a little easier to navigate around. Ain't nobody got time fo a slacker. ;) 

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Reading Accountability- what does it look like in primary?


Terrific Tuesday! 
We are T minus 3 days until Spring Break over in these parts! I'm not going to lie...I am going to enjoy some down time! I think it's good for the kiddos too! All work and no play makes me a dull teacher....
The Shining anyone? Scary yes? 
Anywhoo, we are at that point in the year of first grade that we need to be adding to all of our reading skill sets......fluency skills, comprehension skills, decoding skills....
We have been trying as we might! I try SO hard to make sure what we do with our reading time is WORTH our time! I want to make sure what they are doing is applying directly to what I want the end result to be. 
Here are some examples of this in action:

-I put them with a buddy for buddy reading
-They chose one book together to buddy read
-After reading, they grabbed a pack of the reading response cards off the wall (of course I don't have a picture of this particular organizational idea) I have them hanging on a ring and enough for groups to have one set. 
- They then turn to the particular card assigned for the day. (this happened to be card #35)
- Groups will discuss together the answer to the prompted response. 
" I would/ would not recommend this book because...."
I have discussed with them prior that it is OK to not agree, this just means we have different opinions. If you don't agree you discuss why.
-Once it has been talked about, they now record their response in their reading journal. 
The eye icon is what they "read" to answer.
The pencil icon is the prompt they are writing and responding to in their journal. 

This group read  "MuddyPaws".


"The Very Hungry Caterpillar"



"There was an old lady who swallowed a bat"




We also discuss some acceptable and unacceptable reasons as well...
"Because it's cool..."
"Because I liked it...."
"Because my buddy liked it..."
"Because it was funny...."
I discuss with them about trying to go into detail. Spill your guts to me so to speak.
 "Because it's cool..."  (What made it cool?)
"Because I liked it...." (Why did you like it?)
"Because my buddy liked it..." (Your buddies brain is not your brain...?)
"Because it was funny...."  (What made it funny, which part?)

I want to them also be able to use references from the actual book as well.

It's always an evolving thing-this whole fostering their love for reading and getting them to dig deep.
Small steps! 

These can be used for buddy reading or independent reading. You can assign a card for the day or they can free choice. Small group or whole group? you choose.
There are a ton of ways to utilize them throughout your reading block. 

Here is a break down of the objectives included in the pack.








If you are interested in checking out what they can do for you click here!

Keep an eye out, I will be adding other packs as well (Nonfiction, Fairytale, Chapter books)

If you do happen to try them out-I'd love to know what you think, how you use them, etc!! Leave a comment, email me, or visit my FB page and leave a comment there!


Happy Reading...And Responding!

Have a BLESSED night!!

"If Jesus Christ can rise up from the dead, just imagine what HE can do for your life, Trust in HIM!"

OH the power in those words! I think we often forget just how big our God is, just how amazing he is, just how powerful he is, just how deep his love for us is. We get pulled down daily by things around us and the sinful ways of the world, but let us not forget exactly WHO holds us together and hold us in the palm of HIS hand. I mean we are talking about the power of walking on water and rising from the dead?! He's got YOU!