# 1 Parent Communication Tool of the Semester!

I'm struggling getting back into the "blogging" routine, but it's been nice to look back through the semester and reflect on some of the things that have worked and some that haven't. It may be a little exaggeration (we work on hyperbole in the second semester :)) that this is the number one communication tool, but it has truly given me great insight into my parents and families, and to see their perspective on the exact same classroom situations that I have lived for the past few months.

Midyear Parent Survey

At the beginning of the year, I ask my parents to write a letter to me telling me their family story - information they'd be willing to share about their family make-up, siblings, occupations, goals and dreams, as well as how they view their kiddo academically. Midyear, I conducted a survey that asked specific questions about academics, but also social and emotional needs and how they feel I am doing as a teacher. You'll find this jpeg linked to a word doc in my TPT store, so you can save, edit, and use as you see fit.

Don't be Nutella

NOW...I forewarn...don't ask what you don't want to hear. Some of my parents were brutally honest, and some, I know, were too easy. BUT, I was also amazed at how parents viewed certain activities, tasks, homework, testing, etc. and I had not thought about their viewpoint at that time. I have received amazing insight on homework amount, tasks being too hard/too difficult, and even assignments or projects that I find "ordinary" were a source of much enjoyment!

The lack of communication was eye-opening for me, as well. I was surprised that many parents or guardians did not take the opportunity to share their thoughts on how the year has gone. I may be taking it personally, or I should know that timing at the end of the semester is quite hectic - what was I thinking, sending this in the middle of the holiday rush? :)  Something I may change for next time? Give it at the beginning of second semester. Parents and students have had a break, and have been able to enjoy time away from the "scene of the crime." They also will not be feeling the hustle and bustle in the air, and may take time to give more details and specific examples to help for future classes. 

In the beginning of the calendar year, we tend to reflect and look over what we have achieved in the past year. Hopefully, this survey can help you in your classroom and give you additional perspective on the families you work with! 

Happy New Year,

Character Matters - A Thank you to my "Nathan"

Eye-opening. That's what I would call Sunday's service at Heartland Church. We are going through a series, entitled Character Matters, that focuses on one influential person in the Bible each week...Abraham, David...we know these guys, right?

Dr. Wayne Schmidt spoke about the prophet Nathan...my first response was "WHO?" (I turned to my husband and said "Is it bad that I didn't even know there was someone in the Bible NAMED Nathan?") As the sermon went on, I couldn't help do what any good student would do...learn what I didn't know, take some notes, and of course, make connections to what I was reading. :)

Nathan was not only a prophet and adviser to King David, but he was also his friend in the best and worst of times. He was able to affirm David at the high points (Keep building! Keep defeating your enemies!) and had to confront David at the low points (Adultery and murder have been frowned upon since ALWAYS). We started out the message with an example of statements that should be in our thought process, when looking at our Spiritual Friendships. Friendship Survey as follows (check all that apply)

* "I have close relationships with other Christians who influence my life."

* "I want other Christians to hold me accountable for my actions." 

* "I have spiritual friends who speak truth to me and don't hold back."

* "I am committed to mentoring or helping others grow spiritually. 

I thought to myself, "Does this only apply to my spiritual life?" In all honesty, it's probably EASIER to find these people in other areas of my life - most certainly my professional one! As a teacher, I look for influences, accountability partners, teammates who will hold me accountable for what I am doing in my classroom and in my students' lives, and hopefully, I can do the same for others in their classroom, if possible. I'm online learning from hundreds of YOU across the globe and seeing what you are doing in your classrooms and in your students' lives. I question what works and what doesn't. I evaluate if it applies to what is expected of me in state and district standards and guidelines. Simple...right? (Professionally, it's pretty black and white, in my opinion.)

As luck would have it, my original assigned mentor teacher at Geist Elem, was both a Spiritual and Professional relationship. D.C., you are truly an inspiration to me (even if you did go off and become administration at another school :)). As a newbie, I was (and in some ways, still am!) very rough around the edges...D taught me that our "business" is about people; not procedures or grade books or cute projects and beautiful bulletin boards. It is about the students, the parents, the hugs and smiles we give or the new directions we have to guide them in. It is the WAY we talk to people and HOW we respond to their "stuff." I am black and white...D showed me there are shades of gray. She called me out when she needed to and helped guide and facilitate when she saw I was floundering a bit. D is a wonderful professional mentor in that aspect...but...

...this also applied in my spiritual journey. D cried with me over the loss of a personal friend. We have served dinner at the Ronald McDonald House together. She allowed me to hangout with her kids for a weekend and experience taking them to basketball practices and wrestling meets. D invited me to the Great Banquet and I experienced a weekend that brought me closer to God, deeper in faith, and made me look at all aspects of my life a little closer. She had fierce conversations with me and asked if what I was doing, was the direction I was supposed to be going. The impact she made in the first few years, have lasted way beyond what will occur in any classroom.

My challenge to all of you; find your Nathan.  (Both professionally and spiritually!) Do you have someone who holds you accountable? Are you willing to take direction and constructive criticism from them and learn what changes need to be made? Do you have someone that affirms that you are on the right track - being the best you can be - encouraging you to continue to pursue your excellence?

And to my Nathan...I say thank you. With a new year of school just around the corner, I wish you a successful and productive one! Your role, no longer in one classroom, but in many, is invaluable. Your role, not in one life, but in many, is amazingly profound!  I hope someone expresses that to you this year. I  hope to aspire to be a Nathan to someone, as you have been to me!

Have a great week, Friends! 

Top 5 TPT Conference Wish List!

I've been MIA for the past few days, not only for summer fun, but because I have become OVERWHELMED with trying to find all of the tips and tricks and glean from blogs, Facebook, the TPT forum and whispers in the wind as to what everyone took away from the conference last week. As of right now, I have six pages typed into Microsoft Word of things I want to do to improve my store and products to help, not only my sales, but my TEACHING and other teachers in general. Just imagine how many more pages are out there for me to grab from and add to my novel! :)

1. Alright, I'm not looking for fabulous jewels, but My WISH is that I am looking for some fabulous E-friends. NETWORKING is the word I saw over and over again in posts, pictures, and presentations. I cannot even express the brilliance I have found on the TPT forum, Facebook, and just getting my blog off of the ground. Finding all of you who DID attend the conference has been a scavenger hunt on its own, but your "jewels" of wisdom have been invaluable to me!

2. Yes, as teachers we use alliteration like a second language, rhyming like we understand the reason, and cute isn't really a challenge. What surprised me most, was that many sources reiterated the need to simplify and be clear when it comes to our titles and descriptions. My WISH: To have the where-with-all to know how precise and simplistic my titles need to be.

We do it for Google...type in exactly what we're looking for and hope to get a ping in the vast craziness...TPT has become so large, we may start to wish for the same thing. (I also read that you can type in your subject/topics/key words in the search bar, and see where your items come up in the listing...may be helpful to see what direct or specific words are being used in titles and descriptions!)

3. Know your data - We do it for our kids. We provide it for our our principals and administration. We can talk numbers and acronyms all day. Do we know our OWN info as much as we know that break down in our classroom? This was an eye opener for me - basically, is the amount of time you're putting into your Social Media Frenzy paying off in your networking relationships, classroom and store sales. My WISH: A step by step guide to figuring out my own data; or at least someone creating a really pretty sheet that I can fill in my own numbers for. :)

4. I struggle to understand all of the pieces to this one, but I have seen MULTIPLE posts and sources talking about creating your own style (personality, persona, etc) and marketing that (that's the easy part :)). From there, as you network and beg and borrow (as most teachers do)...(preferably no stealing)...(hopefully you share when someone has begged and borrowed in person at your school, too!), you need to make sure to have your work copyrighted and have the priorities and/or watermarks set in your jpegs for blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. You have worked really had to be YOU...now protect it. My WISH: Understanding of all of the pieces that need to be protected from the graphics and jpegs that I create all the way to how to credit all of those that have so generously allowed me to use their work. Is just a credit at the end of my product enough? Do others use my products in a way that I don't know about? What should I do to protect myself and use others' work wisely?

And...last but not least...

5. It was stated over and over that the generous, enthusiastic, supportive staff of Teachers Pay Teachers are truly in it for the TEACHERS. Changing lives is what they are about...and ultimately, what (I hope) most teachers are about. Whether their own financial status is boosted, their classroom is rejuvenated, or their creativity is sparked, TPT has truly been a great resource for teachers and staff in the field of education. My WISH: To attend a TPT conference in the near future and be able to experience some of the excitement first hand!

Until then, hope to meet and learn from you online!Who said we had to have a conference in person?!? :)

Summer Wednesdays!

My Fabulous Class is hosting a weekly linky party of SEASONAL items and today's theme is January/Winter items...check out other friends, here:

Although I am NO WHERE NEAR thinking of winter and anything that remotely involves snow (after Snowpocolyspe2014, eeeeekkkk!), I wanted to share this cute little idea that I put together from a Pinterest post, a blog story (thank you, Mr. Hughes), and a need to review team building/living with purpose when we returned from winter break.

Hope you're able to enjoy the quote, the idea, or at least the discussion with you kiddos! 50% off this week!

Happy Summer Wednesday! 

Book Banter!

MANY of us put on our Summer Bucket Lists to read more...well, have I got a story for you! :)

I've got to start with the series that I have been reading for the past two months...yep. Took me that long with school and wrapping up the year and starting a blog and Sparkle & Pop and...and...and...:) The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. How many of you have read it??? (Pictures in this blog are linked to Amazon to purchase.)

I was blown away by the first in the series, Divergent, but as soon as people found out I was reading the series, they recommended I stop there and just imagine my perfect ending to this series. Allegiant, although well written, was a serious heart breaking disappointment (sorry Veronica!). The characters were memorable and I missed them once it was over, but the circumstances they were left in, was not the result I was expecting, after seeing the fight they just fought. I'm not into spoilers, but I recommend the series...I need closure! (I'm also a major advocate of reading the book prior to seeing the movie, so that is next on my "to-do" list. I'm slightly bummed that the movie isn't coming out on On Demand/DVD until August, but that's what I get for making my choice of books before movies.)

OK...now, a confession...I'm an absolutely awful teacher for doing this, but hopefully my kiddos will a) forgive me and b) be proactive and finish it off for themselves. I didn't finish our read aloud at the end of the year - did I mention it was busy? So, I popped it into my school bag and didn't think about it again until I did my "week after" clean out. Oh my...If you have not read Wonder by R.J. Palacio, run, do not walk, to the nearest book store or Scholastic Book site and order it! Now! Go! 

The publisher's description: August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

  

One of my colleagues recommended this book for my final read aloud, and I'm pretty sure her and I are in a "fight" right now. (Hehe) Part of the reason it took me forever to read, was because I was CRYING every other page! I'm hard core, E-friends...I see things in black and white and am pretty set in my ways...then I had a baby. Heaven help us all...the water works haven't stopped! :)

My students loved seeing the personal side of me. When we read a part that I felt was unbelievable, I would stop and say "Hey, does this really happen when teachers aren't looking?" and they would give me an honest answer and great conversations occurred. When I got all blubbery, they would ask "Did you connect this part with Reese?" *sigh* Yes, Little Brownies, you just wait until you see YOUR Mom and Dad react to something that has happened in your life! 

And finally...these "Mentor Texts" are all the rage and quite the Buzz (Words)...haven't we always used clips and snippets from books to show and represent to our students what we're talking about? Oh well...to continue along with my Book Banter...

Our Cultural Competency Team at school began to give us picture books to show various situations that could occur within our classes, that may show a cultural difference for students who have come from other countries. Their goal was to provide us with a ready made lesson and book that wouldn't require us to do more work, but would allow for the opportunity for a meaningful discussion and an eye opening experience. As this Little Library has continued to grow, I thought - "Why only use these for cultural lessons,when there are literary and writing skills to come out of this, too?!?!" (You can only multi-task so much in the classroom these days, am I right?) I absolutely fell in love with these three books and hope you might check them out! 

        

All are beautifully written and illustrated, show a wonderful CHILD'S point of view of events and not only bring in the cultural aspect, but are amazing mentor texts for personal narratives, voice, characterization, and author's purpose. My kids may end up hearing these books more than once! Ha! 

Four Feet and Two Sandals summary: "When relief workers bring used clothing to a refugee camp in Pakistan, ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly - until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. But soon Lina and Feroza meet and decide that it is better to share the sandals than for each to wear only one. As they go about their rountines - washing clothes in the river, waiting in line for water, and watching for their names to appear on the list to go to America - the girls discover the true meaning of friendship and sacrifice. This book honors the experiences of refugee children around the world, whose daily existence is marked by uncertainty and fear. Warm colors and bold brush strokes are the perfect complement to this story of courage and hope."

The Other Side summary: Clover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups' rules by sitting on top of the fence together.

Mrs. Katz and Tush summary: Larnel doesn't know his neighbor, Mrs. Katz, very well, until he asks her to adopt an abandoned kitten. Mrs. Katz agrees on one condition: that Larnel help her take care of the kitten she names Tush. When Larnel starts spending more and more time with Mrs. Katz to help with Tush, Mrs. Katz tells him stories about coming to America from Poland and about the good times she spent with her late husband. As Larnel grows to love Mrs. Katz, he also learns about the suffering and triumph black history shares with the Jewish heritage.

Next on my night stand is what Amazon says is "light hearted" and something they recommended for me by my previous searches...Where'd you Go, Bernadette? I'm not one to judge a book by its cover...but isn't it cute? I'm looking forward to reading this one. 

Happy Reading to you and yours, this summer! I would love to know what is sitting on your night stand to read! (Or what texts you use to "mentor"... :))