They were fighting to read to the class (literally)!

Yes you read it right. My students were literally fighting to read to the class. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I wrote about how I turned a deficit into something positive. Since I didn’t have the required materials (the listening CD), I decided to have them read the Student Anthology. It was so [...]

Turning a deficit into something positive!

Since I had to switch to teaching 4th grade, I am, once again, at a disadvantage. I don’t have all of the required materials. However, instead of thinking of it as a deficit or something negative, I choose to think of it as something that I can use to my advantage.
The old way that I [...]

What is Four Step Language Math?

I don’t even know how I came across this information, but am happy that I did. Reading this information was the validation that I needed to let me know that I am doing the right thing. This is pretty much what I do with my students. Read it and see what you think

(Taken directly from [...]

Happy belated birthday!!!

I had so much to do yesterday that I forgot to wish my oldest son a happy birthday. It was his 19th! My how time flies!!!

Condolences to Jennifer Hudson!

I’m sure by now that everyone has heard about the tragedy involving Jennifer Hudson’s family. So sad! I was just talking to my husband about the senselessness of it all. How could anyone be that heartless? I would not wish this on anyone. My heart goes out to Jennifer and her family. She’ll be in [...]

PINKALICIOUS by Victoria & Elizabeth Kann

Pinkalicious (2006), written and illustrated by sisters Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, is the cutest little girly book. It had me at hello. I was hooked when I saw the cover. Once I opened the cover and read it I was convinced that I needed to purchase this book for Phillise since she absolutely adores pink [...]

Now teaching 4th grade!!!

This is the breakdown of my class:

One 2nd grader
Two 3rd graders
Seven 4th graders
Two 5th graders

Last year I identified myself with the 3rd grade teachers since I had mostly 3rd grade students. That’s why it made perfect sense to stay with the 3rd grade teachers last year. This year, I still identified myself as a 3rd [...]

I lost my voice!

I lost my voice, not in the literal sense, but in the figurative sense. I barely know who I am anymore. I’ve lost myself. I’ve been through this before when I had my first two children. Now that I’m starting a new career (my only career), I’ve lost myself again. But, this time, I’m older [...]

Math Journals in the Special Ed. classroom

The big focus this year is writing across the curriculum. The administrators want to see writing in every subject. So, I am doing something what I didn’t do last year. I am using Math journals. At the beginning of the year I let the students know that we were going to be doing a lot [...]

Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson

Visiting Day (2002), written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by James Ransome, is a semi-autobiographical account of the author’s own visits with her favorite uncle on visiting days in prison.
I saw this book at an AEMP (Academic English Mastery Program) conference and had to have it. I knew that this would be perfect for my [...]

Yet more much needed financial resources!!!

My friend Susan told me about this grant that, depending when you first receive it, can be worth up to $24,000. That’s right $24,000. It’s called the TEACH grant. The award is $4,000/year beginning as soon as you begin college if you know that you’re interested in teaching, follow a path to securing your teaching [...]

My Revised Schedule

**This schedule may change again. It is not set in stone. I need to find out if Voyager is part of OCR. If it is, I will have to change it to after Recess and move math to after Lunch.**
This is my newly revised schedule:
8:00~8:05 Morning Assembly
8:05~8:10 Welcome/ Homework Review
8:10~8:20 Writing Journal
8:20~10:20 OCR
10:20-10:40 Recess
10:45~10:55 Storytime [...]

Where is my timer?

I am so lost without my timer? Where is it? The last time I remember having it was last Thursday at the grade level meeting. I guess I’ll go next door and ask about it tomorrow because I really need it.
It’s how I manage:

my transitions
Nu’s behavior
to stay on schedule

I do so many things with [...]

Guilty me!!!

I feel so guilty. I yelled at my new student in front of the whole class today. I feel so bad. I didn’t mean to yell at him. I really didn’t. Sometimes after I react, I think about the reason(s) why. I know that one of the main reasons is because he is so mouthy. [...]

More much needed financial resources

George sent me the information about Loan Forgiveness that I discussed yesterday. Here it is:
www.finaid.org/loans/publicservice.phtml

Much needed link to financial resources!!!

I will have to pay back a truckload of money once the time comes to start repaying my student loans. That is why I have managed to hunt down over $50,000 to help repay them. I have the resources all over this blog, but thought that a post with all of them together was [...]

Don’t sign in, you’re going to training!!!

Those were the words that I heard today just as I was about to sign in. What? Today? Are you kidding me? What about my class? I didn’t get a chance to tell them that I wouldn’t be there today.
“How are they going to behave for the sub?” I wondered. Would the sub understand Nu [...]

Frustrated and annoyed me!

I am so frustrated. I just about have my planning together. However, it seems like no matter how much I do, it just never seems to be enough. My lesson plans are together for Math and ELD for the next couple of months. However, my lesson plans for OCR need to be updated every two [...]

An Easier Way to Teach Open Court to Special Education students, Part 2

**This is the second installment of an easier way to teach Open Court to Special Education students.
I sat down with my very knowledgeable Literacy Coach and made lesson plans with her. I asked her about planning my lesson on Tuesday, and by Wednesday she was ready for me with a lesson plan template for all [...]

“I’m not bothering him, he’s bothering me,” he said.

That’s what one of my students, Nu, said. If I didn’t see what happened with my own eyes, I would have thought that that was what really happened. I talked to him and explained to him that I had, in fact, just watched him hit my other student, Polo, five times.
“He is not bothering you,” [...]

The Naughty Prince by Benoît Debecker

The Naughty Prince (2001), written and illustrated by Benoît Debecker, was quite an interesting little book. The ending was so unexpected. Since I read mostly children’s picture books, I run across a lot of cutesy little book with a sweet, yet unbelievable corn syrupy ending. This book did not have that problem. I liked it [...]

Language travels (or why some words don’t follow rules)

Language travels from place to place, and mixes and merges with other languages. It’s been happening that way for a long time, it’s just that sometimes we forget and wonder why some words don’t follow rules. It’s because of the language of origin.
In my Theories of 2nd Acquisition Language class, one of my classmates, Josh [...]

Guess how smart I am?

Well, guess!!!
I am so smart that I turned in a paper meant for my second class into my first class. Yep, sure did! I cannot believe I did that. That’s goofy even for me. I had the biggest laugh.The killer part is that I got a 90% on the paper. The only reason that I [...]

Not doing mountain thinking!!!

I just realized a minute ago that I am doing the same thing that I was doing last year-avoiding. I have 2 homework assignments due tomorrow which I have not even started on. Instead of doing them though I have been doing some oh so important web surfing on the gossip blogs.
Hopefully now that I [...]

I kinda’ know what I’m doing now!!!

I know what I’m doing now (Well, kinda!) I’m thinking back to last year when I had no idea what I was doing on anything. Especialy not planning. I think about this because now I am a little better at planning because I am utilizing the resources at my disposal. There’s a new Literacy Coach [...]

A Wicked recuperation!!!

I am still recuperating from the past couple of hard weeks that I’ve had. After the past couple of weeks, I have been so in need of some relaxation. I am so thankful for friends who make that possible. My friend, Susan, managed to score us some tickets to Wicked. I am so happy [...]

It’s getting better (Isn’t it????)

Things seem to be getting better on one hand. However, on another hand, I’m still dealing with the same behaviors over and over again. I am tired of it. They are not learning. No, that’s not correct. They are learning, but they aren’t applying it. I wish I had the power to give some of these students an OT (Opportunity Transfer- [...]

Proactive vs. reactive

One thing that I have learned during my time as a parent and my time working in schools is the need to be proactive instead of reactive. What is proactive? and what is reactive? Simply put, reactive means reacting to a situation that has already occured, while proactive means heading off any problems before they [...]

The Chicken or the egg???

Yeah, it’s the age old question. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I was just having that discussion with one of the teachers that I work with. She thought that the behavior of one of her students was impeding his learning process. ‘Well”, I said, “is his inability to read a direct result of [...]