Update on temporary job change

Here is an example: Yesterday I began the day with a writing prompt. All I was asking was 5 complete sentences - some students gave me that and even more. The majority gave me 3 incomplete sentences - maybe. Then we moved onto a spelling list (taken directly off of their school work) - students complained that it was elementary and yet this is what they are needed. I wanted students to alphabetize their spelling. From experience I decided to put the alphabet on the board - I saw every student that was following the directions look at the alphabet on the board. Next was a sheet of handwriting (do you know that some districts aren't teaching cursive any more - what a shame - what are students going to do when they need to sign a legal document).

If students would spend less time complaining about their work and just get started, they would finish it much faster. 

Today I decided to ask another special education teacher who also teaches English what she does in her class. She gave me some reading material and then I created questions to go along. Of course some students did this, but most did not. 

Tomorrow I am going to try another approach and see if I can grab their attention. Luckily I am grabbing some materials from my own classroom (the one I am finally getting students in- which is a whole another issue).

Change jobs after school year starts

I went to work yesterday and boy I got a surprise. One of our special ed directors came by and asked if he could talk to me. Of course, my heart dropped and I felt that awful feeling that I was being sent to the principal’s office- yikes! He wanted to tell me that I was needed somewhere else in a teaching job since I didn't have any students. A high school was in dire need of a special education teacher who could do Individual Educational program (IEP's). So I said what would happen when I got students within my program and he said that I would stay at the high school until they could hire someone full time. When I get students the district would get a tutor or a sub for my position.

So I head over to the high school to observe and get a feel of the land. I never thought I would ever teach in an English class but that is exactly what I am doing - wow! Of course, after observing the class I realized that I needed some material from my class. After work I went to my program and picked up writing prompts, logic puzzles, finding facts- most of my Do it Now worksheets. I think these will be a life saver.

Today we used one of the writing prompts and it gave me an assessment on how students can write a complete sentence. Quite a few students start their sentences without a capital and all I's in lower case-EECK! So now I need to find some worksheets regarding capitalization and the importance of the capital I.

I am hoping that this job will be short lived so I can get back to my original job. Now in the present I plan to get curriculum for at least a couple of weeks. This way I will at least know what is happening daily. I really don’t like the unknown- but I do my best teaching by the fly of my pants.

Have any of you been thrown into a situation that was out of your control?

What is a lapbook, you ask?

A lapbook is created using mini booklets to hold information regarding a certain topic.  These booklets can consist of drawings, timeline, pictures, written work, graphs and stories. Normally the reading material accompanies the booklets. If you need you could create your own mini booklets for any subject you would like to do. I have also from time to time combined different lapbooks for each of my students to learn a topic more in depth.
 
After the mini booklets have been filled out they are glued in a file folder that has been folded into thirds and if needed card stock is added by taping to the creases or top or bottom of each page to hold all the important information. 

This is a unique learning tool that I have used in my classroom over the years. I use these instead of worksheets on given subject curriculum.  I think the quote from Benjamin Franklin sums the lapbook all up when he said, "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." 

I have created a few examples to show my students a finished product. Here are my human body lapbook. 

                                           The cover

                             The brain and the heart

 I also added the five senses into my human body lapbook.

                    Here is my Oregon Trail lapbook cover.

               A variety of mini booklets glued to a file folder.

Here is the lapbook my assistant worked on regarding Butterflies.

 

Her cover.

The inside with her mini booklets.

There are many sites that I have used over the years to find my lapbook subjects. If you look here or here or here you will be able to see a variety of different sources for lapbooks. Also there are a few sites that have lapbooks for free, like here or here. These sites are great to see if lapbooks will work for you. 

One thing that I like about these educational lapbooks, is that students can keep on learning by looking over them again and again. Also with them sharing their books to others they are cementing their learning. I have had students return to their sending school and be so proud of what they accomplished in my program that they have shared their lapbooks with their teachers and fellow peers.

I have learned over the years, no matter how old the student is I have cut out all the mini booklets to save time and frustration. 

Supplies for school I have bought for this year

I decided to have a running total on this blog of what I have bought for my classroom this year. This should be interesting - I always seem to go overboard, but I want to try and keep it simple and cost effective for now.

1 - 8 boxes of Puff Kleenex at Target - $9.00 (I bought 3 bundles for a total of $27 and received a $10 Target gift card back - but I need some at home).
2 boxes of 160 count Up & Up Kleenex for $.77 each (originally $1.52 - $.75 Target coupon)
1 6' bookcase $12.50 at the Goodwill (half off)
1 removable white board from Tanga.com $10.00
2 cactus for $1.00 each from Home Depot clearance section (reg. $2.00 each)
1 - 10" cement form to create plant holders $7.52
10 - art coloring books for $3.98 at Value Village
1 metal shelving rack for $3.99 (I used spray paint I already had)
1 metal bird house $2.99
1 package of community picture cards $3.99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~as of 09.06.14 
1 Microwave $10 (garage sale find - I forgot to mention before)

CLASSROOM STORE
1 big box of PopTarts (included 2 boxes of 12 count of brown sugar and 2 boxes of 12 count of strawberry) at Costco $5.29 on sale
6 boxes of Betty Crocker snacks $1.00 at Fred Meyer (On sale for $2.50 each and if I bought 4 boxes I had an Fred Meyer e-coupon for $6/4)
2 boxes of Capri Sun @ $1.67 each (on sale at Fred Meyer with coupon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~as of 09.06.14

School is just here - Time to get ready

The school district where I work officially started Wednesday, September 5th. So that meant that Tuesday I spent rearranging my classroom to accommodate students. I never know how many students I will be getting, since my program houses the students who got expelled for weapons, drugs and serious bodily injury. This year I have created seating for 15 in 2 separate rooms, it will be tight but it is what it is. 

Today I also started hanging motivational posters on the wall. I found a few websites that have FREE downloadable printables which I love. It's really easy to do, just bring up the poster you want and then print off your printer. Motivational quotes for women or Activity Village or even Poster-street is where I have found some of the motivational posters. Activity Village has free printables for a variety of resources. I have printed their book markers, they are colorful and cute. 

I moved in the bookcase I bought at the Goodwill over Labor Day weekend and started weeding out the books I no longer use.

This is the year that I start looking at my curriculum and see what I need and use every day and what I have only opened once or twice. My problem is that I never know what I might need for my students to be successful, I teach students from 2 - 12 grade in all subjects, so I have to be prepared for anything.

I also would like to use most of the printable consumables that are hiding in file cabinets and bring them out into the light for students to use - maybe I won't need to print so many worksheets up. Last year I had the daunting pile of worksheets that I had students help stack - I will use those for this year and save a tree or two. 

If anyone teaches - how do you prepare for the school year?

Ideas for Target for week of August 31 - September 6

Colgate Toothbrush $0.97
-$1/1 Target Mobile Coupon – text: THANKS to 827438 (you can only use this once per item)
Final Price: FREE
(I hand these out to students who might need hygiene products)

Post-It Notes $1.02
-$1/1 printable
Final Price: $0.02

Sharpie Highlighters 2 pk. $0.89, B1G1 50% off = 2/$1.34
-$1/2 Target printable HERE
Final Price: $0.17

Softsoap $.99
-$.50 Target printable HERE 
Final Price: $.49