Alright, friends--here it is. My creepy truth. I dare you to look me in the eyes and tell me that snakes aren't terrifying.
Hope you have a great week, and that you get more treats than tricks on Thursday. =)
xoxo
Rachel
Monday, October 28, 2013
More Truth!
Y'all. I'm so into this series with Sunny Days in Second Grade. I promise I'm going to be back with some content sometime soon. I'd like to commit to this week, but my in-laws are coming in on Thursday, so that may or may not be realistic.
Monday, October 21, 2013
I LOVE this new series!
Hey, y'all
Denise over here at Sunny Days in Second Grade has a GREAT new idea for a blog series that's less about instruction and more about life outside of school. She's going to focus on one truth each week--and even though my current truth is that it's 8:06 on Monday night and I have zero lessons planned for school tomorrow--I'm totally getting in on the first My Truth Monday.
Plus, what a cute little banner?! Okay, the first Monday focus is fitness. Yikes. Fitness. Way to get in there and get aggressive with the very first week. I'm trying to share honestly here with this, as I do across the board, but I'm feeling nervous. Fitness brings up a lot of icky feelings. Here's my official stance:
I mean, I'm really trying to stay committed to my goal of losing 20 pounds before I turn 30. Honestly, I'm just trying to lose the right amount of weight that will make me feel healthy. Because I figure you're only as healthy as your feel. Yes? Okay, friends, and without any further ado I'm going to head on and get those lesson plans working for tomorrow. Whoop, whoop!
xoxo
Rachel
Denise over here at Sunny Days in Second Grade has a GREAT new idea for a blog series that's less about instruction and more about life outside of school. She's going to focus on one truth each week--and even though my current truth is that it's 8:06 on Monday night and I have zero lessons planned for school tomorrow--I'm totally getting in on the first My Truth Monday.
Plus, what a cute little banner?! Okay, the first Monday focus is fitness. Yikes. Fitness. Way to get in there and get aggressive with the very first week. I'm trying to share honestly here with this, as I do across the board, but I'm feeling nervous. Fitness brings up a lot of icky feelings. Here's my official stance:
xoxo
Rachel
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Spur of the Moment Sale!
In case you haven't seen yet, TpT hit 100,000 followers on Facebook and to celebrate they're throwing a sale! I'm joining in the fun! Everything in my store is on sale until Monday evening--15% off. If you use the code FB100K TpT will give you an additional 10% off. That means almost everything in my store is under $2!
Happy shopping!
xoxo
Rachel
Happy shopping!
xoxo
Rachel
Friday, October 11, 2013
Five for Friday ON FRIDAY!!!!!!
Friends! I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday ON FRIDAY! I'm so proud of myself.
Without any further babbling, I bring you our Five for Friday. **Important Disclaimer: the camera on my phone is broken, and I can't find my actual camera, so there are no pictures in my 5 for Friday this week. :( Major bummer.
Without any further babbling, I bring you our Five for Friday. **Important Disclaimer: the camera on my phone is broken, and I can't find my actual camera, so there are no pictures in my 5 for Friday this week. :( Major bummer.
This week, we had our first round of parent/teacher conferences--APTT, which stands for Academic Parent Teacher Teams. It's this really cool, data driven type of conference. It went well; we had about 20 parents show up the first night, and have been able to catch up with more of them since.
I am SO JAZZED that we have a long weekend coming up. These past few weeks have been a little crazy. I'm also super jazzed to see the Zac Brown Band in concert on Sunday. I don't generally love county, but I do love that Zac Brown Band.
Even though I live in DC quite close to the Mall, I haven't been down in that area since the shutdown began. Earlier tonight, the hubs and I were driving to VA and we drove down past the Mall, Independence Ave SE/SW, and the Tidal Basin area and it was totally surreal to see NOT A SOUL anywhere. Even in the torrential rain there's always a few tourists running around who won't be stopped. It was completely bizarre to see no one.
Today, I went to a labsite at another school and it was POURING rain here. I mean, I thought I was going to have to build an ark. So, before our meeting started we ran out to get lunch. I didn't really plan for the weather and my bag didn't close; I did have my rain coat but everything in my bag was getting soaked. We only had to walk like 2 blocks back to the school and in that short time our paper bags got so wet they started ripping. I mean, it was really nuts. It was also equally pouring when the labsite ended, and we had to walk back to the car. Then, I was dropped off a few blocks from my house to walk home and I was wondering where I happened to put my umbrella. I opened my bag and it was Right. In. Side. The whole DANG time! Ugh. Total palm to forehead moment.
I'm so excited about some forthcoming blog makeovers! My brother's best friend is doing some graphic design for me, and I've only see the preview of the button, but I'm feeling pretty excited about what's coming my way.
Alright, y'all. I have a lesson plan due tonight (that isn't finished), and a speech (that isn't written) to give tomorrow at my sorority's Founders' Day lunch so I need to get down to business. Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Rachel
Thursday, October 10, 2013
APTT & The *@!%$ Shutdown
Hey, y'all! I hope you're as jazzed as I am that fall has finally come. Here in DC today was the first cool, rainy fall day. It really made me want to drink tea and spend the day curled on the couch ready. That's pretty mutually exclusive with actual teaching, though. =)
I wanted to share a few ideas with you, and promise you that I'm still chugging way on items for my TpT store. The first thing I wanted to tell you about is APTT. Say whaaat?! APTT stands for Academic Parent Teacher Teams, and it's a really data driven version of parent teacher conferences. (You can read an interview with the creator of this model here. It's less lame than I just made it sound.) It was created to be more meaningful in schools with high populations of low(er) income families to share data in a meaningful way, despite the education level of the parents involved. If we're being 100% honest the first year I did APTT I HATED it. (In retrospect, I think that's because I was putting a TON of time into the conferences, but not getting the return back.) However, I'm now in my third year of using this conference model, and I absolutely L-O-V-E it. Now, I want to be honest with you, it's the same amount of work as it was the first year, but now I'm working with other teachers to put on the meeting, so it's divided among a team, AND the turn out is so much better. Let me tell you a few reasons I love APTT. First, it only focuses on academic data. (I know what you're thinking, but honestly, I find conferences to be so much more positive when we don't discuss behavior.) The basic gist of APTT is that as a teacher, you select one long term goal for the year in reading and one in math and then basically you measure each student's progress toward that goal every 60 days throughout the year. The other thing that I really like about APTT is that these are group conferences and we share all the kids' data, with all the parents, but we share the data anonymously. It's really powerful, because it give parents a clear idea of a) exactly where their kids are, b) where all the other kids in the class/grade are performing, and c) what the current expectation is, and if their child is above or below it. One last thing--APTT was originally created to share data with parents in lower income schools/districts, but I don't think that's the only environment in which this model would be successful. That's basically the quick and dirty version of APTT. If you have any questions I'm happy to answer them.
In other news I have to take about 45 seconds of your time to rage about this stupid federal shutdown. It's so crazy; I mean, really I can't even talk about it. I mean, it's so ridiculous that yesterday our principal had to send an email out that we can't order any more supplies/materials until the shutdown ends/budget is passed, so we all have ONE PACK of copy paper until whenever it is that the shutdown ends. Whether that's 2 days or 2 weeks. Also, after next Friday schools will (likely) have to shut down because DC's rainy day fund will be dry and there won't be money to run the physical buildings. The whole thing is such a mess. Not to mention that federal employees (like the hubs) aren't getting paid at all right now. Okay. I have to move on.
Last, I'm hoping to glean some knowledge from y'all. So I have a group of about 7 boys this year who are really struggling to get on the classroom community train. They're just garnering a lot of negative attention, and slowing down the learning of the entire class. Two of them are currently on a behavior plan that, honestly, seems at times to be extremely helpful and at times a huge time suck. I think I'm going to launch table points on Tuesday, but does anyone else have (relatively easy) any ideas to help them settle/simmer and successfully participate in the class?
That's it. Thanks so much for sticking with me!
I wanted to share a few ideas with you, and promise you that I'm still chugging way on items for my TpT store. The first thing I wanted to tell you about is APTT. Say whaaat?! APTT stands for Academic Parent Teacher Teams, and it's a really data driven version of parent teacher conferences. (You can read an interview with the creator of this model here. It's less lame than I just made it sound.) It was created to be more meaningful in schools with high populations of low(er) income families to share data in a meaningful way, despite the education level of the parents involved. If we're being 100% honest the first year I did APTT I HATED it. (In retrospect, I think that's because I was putting a TON of time into the conferences, but not getting the return back.) However, I'm now in my third year of using this conference model, and I absolutely L-O-V-E it. Now, I want to be honest with you, it's the same amount of work as it was the first year, but now I'm working with other teachers to put on the meeting, so it's divided among a team, AND the turn out is so much better. Let me tell you a few reasons I love APTT. First, it only focuses on academic data. (I know what you're thinking, but honestly, I find conferences to be so much more positive when we don't discuss behavior.) The basic gist of APTT is that as a teacher, you select one long term goal for the year in reading and one in math and then basically you measure each student's progress toward that goal every 60 days throughout the year. The other thing that I really like about APTT is that these are group conferences and we share all the kids' data, with all the parents, but we share the data anonymously. It's really powerful, because it give parents a clear idea of a) exactly where their kids are, b) where all the other kids in the class/grade are performing, and c) what the current expectation is, and if their child is above or below it. One last thing--APTT was originally created to share data with parents in lower income schools/districts, but I don't think that's the only environment in which this model would be successful. That's basically the quick and dirty version of APTT. If you have any questions I'm happy to answer them.
In other news I have to take about 45 seconds of your time to rage about this stupid federal shutdown. It's so crazy; I mean, really I can't even talk about it. I mean, it's so ridiculous that yesterday our principal had to send an email out that we can't order any more supplies/materials until the shutdown ends/budget is passed, so we all have ONE PACK of copy paper until whenever it is that the shutdown ends. Whether that's 2 days or 2 weeks. Also, after next Friday schools will (likely) have to shut down because DC's rainy day fund will be dry and there won't be money to run the physical buildings. The whole thing is such a mess. Not to mention that federal employees (like the hubs) aren't getting paid at all right now. Okay. I have to move on.
Last, I'm hoping to glean some knowledge from y'all. So I have a group of about 7 boys this year who are really struggling to get on the classroom community train. They're just garnering a lot of negative attention, and slowing down the learning of the entire class. Two of them are currently on a behavior plan that, honestly, seems at times to be extremely helpful and at times a huge time suck. I think I'm going to launch table points on Tuesday, but does anyone else have (relatively easy) any ideas to help them settle/simmer and successfully participate in the class?
That's it. Thanks so much for sticking with me!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
My FIRST EVER Currently!
Hello, sweet friends! I'm feeling really tech savvy because I FINALLY figured out (with the assistance of some googles) how to link up for this month's Currently. I'm a bit late, but it's a month long thing so hopefully I'm not so late that I get kicked out. (Crossing my fingers here.)
Listening: The hubs spent his formative years in Indianapolis, and while he loves the Colts he really LOOOOOVES Peyton Manning. Honestly, I joke sometimes that if he had to choose between me and Petyon he might choose Peyton. ;) So we're watching the Broncos/Cowboys game right now, and every once in a while there's some shouting/advice giving/cheering/coaching coming from the couch.
Loving: I'm going home for a family friend's wedding in 2 weeks and I could not BE any more excited. (If you just read that in a Chandler Bing voice you're after my own heart.) I haven't been home since Christmas and I'm so excited to see my family, my friends from high school, and my sweet little baby niece--who's actually not really a baby anymore I guess since she turned 3 last month.
Thinking: October is about to get aggressive! This week is our first grade APTT meeting on Tuesday, our first data meetings are this week, and I'm going to a labsite on Friday! And that's just this week. Yikes!
Wanting: An IV drip of coffee is really what I feel I need to get everything done before school tomorrow. Or the moral fortitude to get over my FOMO and stop going to the bar on Sunday afternoons to watch football games. I just looooooove football, but I don't care about the Redskins. At all.
Needing: Do I really need to say more about this one? The goal is to drop 20 pounds before the big 3-0. But it's not going to happen on its own. Actually going to the gym is going to be a crucial part of achieving this goal.
And y'all, here's my treat: put. this. in. your. mouth. It is an extremely delicious smoothie that has a banana, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt in it and keeps me full all the way from 6:30 (when I usually eat breakfast) to 11:30ish (when I'm shoving lunch into my face while making photocopies, stapling, charting, etc.). And don't freak out about the spinach. It doesn't taste yucky. It just turns your smoothie a pretty shade of green. =) Promise.
Okay, friends. Thanks for reading my dissertation..I mean, Currently. I'll be back sometime this week with more news from room 125.
xoxo,
Rachel
Loving: I'm going home for a family friend's wedding in 2 weeks and I could not BE any more excited. (If you just read that in a Chandler Bing voice you're after my own heart.) I haven't been home since Christmas and I'm so excited to see my family, my friends from high school, and my sweet little baby niece--who's actually not really a baby anymore I guess since she turned 3 last month.
Thinking: October is about to get aggressive! This week is our first grade APTT meeting on Tuesday, our first data meetings are this week, and I'm going to a labsite on Friday! And that's just this week. Yikes!
Wanting: An IV drip of coffee is really what I feel I need to get everything done before school tomorrow. Or the moral fortitude to get over my FOMO and stop going to the bar on Sunday afternoons to watch football games. I just looooooove football, but I don't care about the Redskins. At all.
Needing: Do I really need to say more about this one? The goal is to drop 20 pounds before the big 3-0. But it's not going to happen on its own. Actually going to the gym is going to be a crucial part of achieving this goal.
And y'all, here's my treat: put. this. in. your. mouth. It is an extremely delicious smoothie that has a banana, peanut butter, and Greek yogurt in it and keeps me full all the way from 6:30 (when I usually eat breakfast) to 11:30ish (when I'm shoving lunch into my face while making photocopies, stapling, charting, etc.). And don't freak out about the spinach. It doesn't taste yucky. It just turns your smoothie a pretty shade of green. =) Promise.
Okay, friends. Thanks for reading my dissertation..I mean, Currently. I'll be back sometime this week with more news from room 125.
xoxo,
Rachel
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