Feeling Guilty

I'm feeling pretty bad that I haven't posted since April!  My world went from busy to chaotic...and that was AFTER I graduated with my Master's degree in education.  Yes, I am much smarter now than I was 22 months ago and in more debt.  :P  Seriously, I am really glad now that it's done that I completed it and I truly learned so much.  Now I am just wondering what to do next.  I know that sounds weird, but I am so used to be overwhelmed, I am actually feeling overwhelmed with not being overwhelmed!  I think I may be going crazy. 

My Year Wrap Up:

• Master's Degree Completed
• Girls on the Run Club completed and 5K ran
• Talent Show Night done
• mClass assessments (almost) done
• Visit to Riley Children's Hospital North campus
• Presentation to the High School Students
• Birthday Parties

It's amazing to look back on the school year and see how much has really happened.  This "check list" is just from this spring!  Nutty, but I love it.  I included some pictures of the recent happenings.  :)

Me and my amazing sister! (My brother-in-law photo bombed us)

Hobart Girls on the Run Coaches (I'm in the middle of these great ladies)

My awesome boy with his new stuffed animal and some candy for being a great little patient.  He was diagnosed with HSP (autoimmune disease) last year. 

 

 

I will post some of the great things that my little Firsties are doing next time.  Just needed to have some "personal" time on my little blog.  :)

 



Adaptive Classroom

In a perfect world, we would teach students that are emotionally stable, cope with many challenges in a socially acceptable way, have control over their words and bodies, cognitively equal in all subjects, and essentially boring.  However, we do not teach in a perfect world, surprise (*sarcasm implied, heavily).  Our classrooms are becoming more and more diverse and it is up to us to keep up with all of the changes.  I could totally get up on a stack of soap boxes right now about diet, technology, chemicals, early identification, more education among the professionals, and so on.  But instead of proving my side of a very complex argument with as many sides as there are opinions, I will show you how I am meeting the needs of students. 

The following cards were made for a child with high functioning autism, asperger's syndrome.  This child struggles with high levels of anxiety.  Please know that the social stories were not made for a first grader, but could easily be adapted for one of my kiddos.  I have learned that more often than not, anxiety plays a huge part in the thought processes of our students.  Social stories and The Incredible 5 Point Scale check in are methods for reducing anxiety and stating expectations in a given situation. I laminated and put them on a key chain for this child.  

This one actually has the black squares attached under the black and white squares.  (Sorry I don't have the finished product pictured)  With each breath, the child places the removable square on to the black square.  By the time the last (white) square is place, the pending meltdown should be reduced significantly.  Counting, deep breaths, and the physical movement of the squares helps to take the child's mind off of the trigger to the meltdown.

I am very intrigued by the adaptive classroom and I am wondering where God will take this desire of mine professionally.  I really enjoyed creating these and I would love to hear if you have had experience teaching children with autism. 

 

Long Lost Blogger

Wow, I have been gone for a very long time.  So much has happened in my life, both personally and professionally.  Exciting news-I graduated with my master's degree!  Whoo-hooo!!!  Unfortunately, there were many sad things that have happened which I will keep private, but I will share some pictures of the fun things that we have been up to in my classroom. 

One my my favorite things is to "look" into other teacher's classrooms via pictures to help inspire my own lessons.  So turn about is fair play.  I must brag a little, my Firsties are all reading at bench level (except 2 already identified).  This is the highest class of readers that I have ever had!  They are hard little workers.  :) 

Compound Words 

Dr. Seuss Day

(The First Grade Team knows how to have fun and be silly!)

 wAcKy Dress Day & Green Eggs n' Ham

Writing with a rubric

Thanks for checking in.  I am eager to get back to blogging!  I've really missed this and you all. 



 

Snowmen at Night

I have a sick obsession love Pinterest! Thankfully I found this fun little craft just in time for January.  We have had the craziest weather lately and our kiddos have not been able to play outside for a few weeks now.  It was time to break up the rigor with a fun craft.  We have been working on descriptive words and this activity helped us to think of how we would describe our actions if we were snowmen.  I'll have to post the final products next week....I forgot to take pictures of the hallway display.  Trust me, they are adorable!

 

Thanks for checking this out!

 

Post-it Note Reading

This year has been like no other.  I am trying to navigate through all of the common core standards and welcome a new evaluation process from Marzano while completing my masters degree, teach, volunteer, raise a family, loving my husband, and not going crazy.  So unfortunately I took the month off from my blog.

Classroom stuff: 
Post-it Note lesson- This was a lesson that I did to help students remember to be thinking as they are reading.  We did our post-its during independent reading and then shared our thoughts during the Partner reading.  

I'm going to redo this chart to make it cute...already have it started.  I'll pin it when I do.

This was one of those lessons that made my day.  My Firsties did a great job with this and I love to hear them talk all about it!

 

 

Post Christmas Relaxation

I hope everyone has had a safe and happy Christmas.  I took a break from my blog for a bit because of all of the nuttiness (sp?) of the season.  I am happy to say that I am finally relaxing in my chair under a blanket, drinking my water and eating my Activia Light Fat Free Vanilla yogurt (yes, I'm back on the straight and narrow), and hopping around every one's blogs this morning. 

I am so impressed with Khrys at Keepin' It Kool in Kinderland and Jessica at Mrs. Stanford's Class with their hard work.  You should totally check it out!  :)  Hopefully I will have the gusto to get going on some of my own stuff...in the meantime I am happy to download and purchase other fantastic teacher's work. 

Some exciting news....I am about to finish my last class in my master's of education.  Yippee!  Then, watch out, because I will be creating up a storm! 

Look at my fun classroom Christmas activities, party, and holiday happenings.  :)  Happy New Year!!

 

~Jill

 

Grinch Day

Grinch Day

My Grinch and Max Bulletin Board

 Horton Is Kind...Are YOU?  Writing

 Christmas Party Book Exchange

Pin the nose on the snowman

 

My best friend in the whole wide world and amazing Kindergarten teacher, Stefanie, and me with a sweet little girl that she taught and is now in my room.  :)

 

 



Low on Holiday Cheer at Night

I'm not trying to bum everyone out, but by the time I get home in the evenings I'm exhausted!  I know that no one else out there feels this way ;) but I seriously lack any and all luster for "extras" when I sit down.  I have been able to keep up with my FB page for my parents, but even that is slowing a bit.  I need a swift kick in the pants by Saint Nick!

Now, that's not to say that I'm not living it up with my Firsties at school, on the contrary, we are doing sooooo much that I'm just plain pooped by the end of the day. 

OK, OK enough boo-hooing, this is what I've been up to:

Christmas Around the World
Grinch Day with two resources I got from TPT  (Grinch Packet and Grinch Day)  Both superb resources the I am super happy to have in my library of purchases. 
Door Decorating, paper grading, distict collaborating, committee meeting, and all out teaching! 

I have recently invited parents to be in the room daily and so far I am loving the extra help.  It's just an hour each day that falls during the Daily 5 time.  I ususally have them work with a small group on phonics.  It has been great and I am glad that I waited for the 1st quarter to be done before opening my door.  It gave me time to figure myself out, the kids, and get to know the parents a little. 

Blah, blah, blah...let's get to the good stuff for all of you stalkers idea seekers~PICTURES!

Projected for the Firsties to see in the morning.

 



One of my sweeties with his Grinning Grinch!

 





 

Grinch juice and Grinchy Green Sugar cookies, yum!

 

Our grinning Grinch's and Max's...I made up the Max's per request of my 1st grade team member. 

The kiddos playing one of the Grinch Math games...such a fun day!

 



Who-ville door!  :)

 

As always, I hope you enjoyed!

~Jill