Copier Stress SOL #11

Image by manuelwagner0 from Pixabay

In a recent post, I wrote about how I do not like technology changes. Well, the same goes with copiers. We received a new copier, and I just can't get the hang of it.

When I hit the button for the number of copies, it already has the number one. When I hit 105 for the number of students I have, sometimes the first number one doesn't go away, and guess how many copies I get? Yes! Over 1,000. Luckily, I have only done this once!

My second thorn in the rose bush copier is the double-sided copy button. For some reason, I just can't get this down either. Today, I needed single-sided to double sided. I must have hit double-sided to double-sided because I ended up with an 8-page single-sided document with BLANK pages in-between that should have been 4 pages, double-sided. UGH! 

And this isn't the first time for this. Our old copier had pictures to show you what to do and what you get. I need pictures!

Something that is meant to make my life easier should not be adding this much stress! 

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Slicing to a Deadline #SOL23

I am a yearbook staff and procrastinator of one. The clock was ticking, so here is a timeline slice about making my deadline!

Wednesday, February 1:  materials were given to me and told the deadline was March 1 (although I know I have longer than this!)

Monday, February 20:  logged in for the first time and had problems. Nothing started.

Saturday, February 25:  successfully logged in but could not upload pictures-Gave up and went to bed with nothing started yet again.

Sunday, February 26:  tried again---discovered my Google account was "paused" so the program didn't recognize me. Process began!

Wednesday, March 1:  deadline date--took the day off to complete start it. After a full day's work, sent email to our photographer (she's in charge) with five issues I couldn't fix. Everything else was done!

Thursday, March 2:  she forwarded the problems to the yearbook company.

Friday, March 3:   sent a follow up email. Didn't hear anything.

Monday, March 6:  four issues were fixed, leaving one more to finish.

Tuesday, March 7:  received the information to add color to the background--last thing to do.

Wednesday, March 8:  felt really stupid because I let technology get the better of me. 

Thursday, March 9:  should be submitted today!

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

An Imperfect Storm #SOL23

Same storm but just an hour away from me.

An "imperfect storm" was converging--severe weather right at dismissal time.

Lucky for us, Mother Nature was in a hurry today.

 

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

Tuesday Tangibles #SOL21

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March. 

One day last week while I was reading, commenting, and exploring a new blog, I found a July post called Tuesday Tangibles by Megan McCormick. Here is my day written in Tuesday's tangibles...posted on a Wednesday!

alarm clock

peanut butter toast

student greetings

revision strategies

book stacks

notebooks

spring-like temperatures

spring sprouts sighting

brewed iced tea

Time To Write

chocolate chip cookies

cold milk

bubble bath

light-weight blankets

good night kiss

Celebrate Turn #27

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

Today, I celebrate a glimpse into my school year.

It is hard to believe that October is here, and we are in our last week of the first grading period.  The sad part is that I have been so wrapped up in my home life, that I have not celebrated my school year since our first week of school.  And there has been so much to celebrate.

The first week of August Kate Roberts, the co-author of Falling in Love with Close Reading, tweeted asking for teachers who had already started school.  I tweeted back, and she wanted to know if I was interested in piloting a few lessons for her new book.  After several emails back and forth and picking my confidence up off the floor, (I mean, this is Kate Roberts for crying out loud!) I taught the lesson and submitted photos of our work, including student writing.  I have seen the "unedited-rough-draft-email-version" of the our pages and my kids (along with their teacher) are so excited about it.  Not sure when the book is to be published, but I will certainly be writing more about it!

My 100 students have read almost 400 books so far this year.  It has been so much fun talking about books and sharing books with them.  When I decided to change grade levels, I knew this was my dream job, and they are certainly making this teacher's dream come true.

Last week I wrote a post about a former student who I had the privilege of teaching for two years.  I received an ineffective on my evaluation the first year because of his behavior in my classroom.  But he has come such a long way.  After I showed him the post, he got teary-eyed.  I later learned that while he was in study hall, he Googled my blog and found it.  He left me a comment and then I got teary-eyed!  You can read the post here if you would like.  He makes me proud to be a teacher (although his grammar still needs some work!)

So this is a quick glimpse into my school year.  Writing is slowly making a much needed entrance back into my life, and I hope to continue sharing it with you.

Have a great week and may you find many celebrations along the way!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On! - 3/1

Each Saturday  Ruth Ayres invites us to share and celebrate events from our week. Looking for small celebrations has certainly improved my outlook on my week. For that, I am certainly grateful to Ruth and to all of you who choose to celebrate with us.

Snow days - I used to love them.

Snow days - Nine too many!

Snow days - Another one or two coming!

Wondering about my celebration?  This week our plan to make up these nine snow days began.  Counting the ones built in, the ones the state is exempting and the ones where we took Good Friday and the day of graduation - we have two days left to make up.  We are adding one hour to our school day, excluding Fridays.  Six hours equals one snow day.  

That's not my celebration!

I am celebrating how well these first four days went.  Because I teach a "testing grade," our hour was structured with additional instruction.  My students worked extremely hard during this hour.  I can honestly say the extra hour was the best hour of our day.  They were focused and engaged in what I had planned.

Today I celebrate my students and the troopers that they were.  Let's hope the newness of the plan doesn't wear off anytime soon.

Snow days - No more!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On! - 1/1

Each Saturday  Ruth Ayres invites us to share and celebrate events from our week. Looking for small celebrations has certainly improved my outlook on my week. For that, I am certainly grateful to Ruth and to all of you who choose to celebrate with us.

First celebration of the new year!  My celebrations are usually connected in some way or have a theme.  This week is a mish-mash of small things.  Maybe if I number them, they will be a celebration of numbers!

1.  Celebrating an end to a great two week break.  It has been filled with food, family, books, writing, and a new addiction.  I seriously think I have become addicted to Twitter.  I am still scared of it, but wow it is so filled with learning opportunities.  Although it has been nice having two weeks off, I am ready to get back to a normal routine...just in time for snow days.  (Snow hits tonight followed by sub-zero temps)

2.  Celebrating a new small group table.  Before Christmas I received a new table for my classroom.  I have not used it yet because the last two weeks of school were filled with assessment and holiday activities.  I am super excited about this because it is so much bigger than what I had before.  Can't wait!

3.  Celebrating a new mounted projector.  This year I have gone from my cart in the middle of my room (where no students can sit behind me) to the projector on a small desk and the cart off to the side, to the projector mounted on the celling.  I can't believe how much more room I have now!

4.  Celebrating heroes.  My daughter has been a HUGE University of Tennessee fan since she a little girl.  She hopes to coach basketball, and Pat Summitt is her hero and role model.  She has attended many games and even met Pat in person.  This week she returned to UT and snapped a picture next to the new statue of Pat which was dedicated this past fall. Everyone has to have a hero!

5.  Celebrating professional development.  This is actually a pre-celebration.  I have been asked to give a PD for teachers in our corporation this Tuesday. My presentation is Blogging in the Classroom.  A little nervous but also excited because I think many teachers and students would enjoy using this in their classrooms.

Have a great week and may you be blessed with many things to celebrate!

Validated Nervousness

Two Writing Teachers

Today I have some mixed emotions.  Three teachers from our district are coming to observe my reading block this morning.  All three are peers in my grade level.

To say I am a little nervous would be an understatement.  I don't like being singled out for a variety of reasons.  One reason is because I don't like the attention, but the main reason is because I don't want to be labeled as one of "those" teachers who think their way is the right way.

I have only been teaching for seven years and I continue to grow each year.  But I have worked very hard to make my reading block what it is today.

My first year of teaching I taught four sections of 5th grade reading.  I followed the basal's weekly plans and did most of the accompanying workbook pages....I can hear many of you gasping right now!

I hated that year and so did my students.  I spent that summer creating my own professional development by reading and reading and reading.  That fall I changed grade levels, along with my reading instruction, integrating reading workshop.   The more I read about reading workshop, the more I knew that was the direction I wanted to take.   But about four weeks into the school year, I began feeling the pressure.  I caved in and went back to the basal...another gasp!

Each year since then, I have developed and refined my teaching instruction through my own summer professional development.  I have merged reading workshop, Daily Five, and our state-mandated reading block to what I use today.  It has been a long, lonely road because I have been trying to do this by myself.  I had no one to bounce ideas off of or to collaborate with.

My corporation is very basal dependent, but teaching with the basal just wasn't for me.  I wanted more, and I found that many teachers out there taught reading the way I wanted to teach it.  (I hope to write a post soon on how I became basal independent.)

This year our corporation is finally making changes in our reading instruction.  When I was approached about being observed, I was hesitant, but I also felt validated.  That maybe, just maybe, I am doing things right and all the road bumps I experienced along the way were worth it.  It has been seven years, and no, I still don't have it all figured out...but I have continued to move forward, and I know I am a better teacher because of it.

So, today I do feel validated nervousness, but I think it's a good thing.  I'll let you know for sure after today is over!

A Letter to My Colleagues

Two Writing Teachers

Over the past year I have come across several blogs where teachers have written about why they became a teacher or why they stay in education.  At the beginning of the year, I sent out an email asking my colleagues that same question, thinking I would use it someday as a possible post.

I did not get much of a response, but most of the responses I did receive were from the teachers who are in our small Bible Study Group which meets every Tuesday morning.  I shouldn't have been surprised!  Many times this group keeps me going throughout the day, or sometimes even the week, with their support, encouragement, and positive attitudes.

Today, I write a letter to them, thanking them for their dedication, their inspiration, and simply for just being the positive people who I am blessed to be around each day.

My Dear Colleague,

Being a teacher in today's world is definitely a challenge.  I am sure many of you have asked yourself why do I stay?  How can I continue at this pace?  Why do I teach? 

Today, I hope to give you an answer.

You teach because you believe in the power of a smile.  At the end of the day, I see you with a smile on your face even after...

• you were late for school because you changed what you were going to wear five times and you still thought it wasn't right,
• your own children were bears on the way out of the house, 
• you changed your lesson plans at the last minute, 
• you went to the copy machine and it was broke again...or there was no toner...or paper,
• your objectives weren't in the right place...or the right size...or the right color,
• and you got evaluated for the second time this month!

You teach because you believe in the term positivity.  You see the positive things that happen in your classroom on a daily basis.  You get through the behavior issues, the student who consistently comes in late, the tattling, the talkativeness and still believe every day is a Friday.  You see the positive in every student, in every situation, in every new day.

You teach because you believe each child can learn - no matter their ability.  You always strive to get them to the next step, to make progress...even those who cannot write their name, read at grade level or get through the day without throwing a fit...or a chair.

You teach because you have a big heart.  You understand each child and the problems they face at home.  You give them a place to feel safe and to be loved.  A place with you, a place where those problems do not exist.

You teach because you believe in children.  To you, every child matters.  

You give them confidence 
          to try something new, 
               to not be afraid to try again, 
                    to have dreams, 
                         to reach goals they never thought were possible.

You teach NOT because you choose to, but because you were chosen...and that my friend makes all the difference.

Thank you for being my colleague,
Leigh Anne

Slice of Life - What a Week

Slice of Life hosted by

TWO WRITING TEACHERS

This is the first week this summer that I have not been writing, reading books, or spending much time on my computer.

Two reasons for this.

One:  I spent some time with my sister, sister-in-law, daughter and niece in Tennessee visiting my youngest sister.  We had a great time and it was great to get away.  They have a no tax weekend and we shopped til we dropped!

Two:  The size of my class this year is unbelievable.  I received student number 37 yesterday.  No, that is not a typo.

Thirty-seven.....30 + 7...3 tens and 7 ones...can you tell I also teacher math!

We start school on Friday, and that is when they will decide whether or not to hire a third teacher.  So, needless to say this week has been very hectic trying to decide what to do and what to wait on.  I have to believe that they will do what is best for students and hire another teacher.

I wrote a poem last week about Back-to-School Insomnia that I am sharing this week as my slice.

Hopefully next week I can get back to writing and reading...I miss it!