Weekend Wrap Up

Can I just take a moment to profess my love for summer?  I know some teachers love the idea of year round school, but I absolutely ADORE these two months (+ change) off every year.  Hello pool side reading!  (Which I sadly haven't been able to do yet because the weather in Chicago is super sucky right now.  Oh well, no complaining because no matter what the weather is like, I don't have to go into work tomorrow!!)

I spent my weekend doing a mix of celebrating the end of the school year and focusing on my training goals for summer.  Friday evening I hopped on a train to Chicago to visit a long-time friend.  We went to a vegetarian restaurant, biked through drizzling rain down the lake front path to a German street fest, enjoyed some craft beers on a patio post-street fest, got soaked biking home in the middle of the night, stopped for pizza on the way back, and passed out on the couch watching Arrested Development.  All in all, a perfect first night of summer.  (Although I would not particularly recommend riding a bike in skinny jeans, especially in the rain...Seriously, I don't know how the hipsters do it.)

Bikes!!!  Btw, the bike I was riding was at least a couple inches too big for me...Getting on and off at stop lights was...interesting...

Celebrating my German heritage!  I am such a pretend German though--I don't know when I have ever in my life eaten German food (besides pretzels), and being a vegetarian, I doubt I ever will!  The beer is good though. :) 

Locking our souvenir mugs to the bikes when we got to destination 2...Come on, you know those babies would have been stolen...Who WOULDN'T want a plastic mug with American, Chicago, and German flags on it??

Saturday morning I work up, took a bus and train to the opposite end of the city, and attended the Chicago Area Runner's Association summer marathon training kickoff clinic.  I got a free membership to CARA for summer training because I am fundraising for Autism Speaks.  I am totally a solo runner, so training with a group will be a completely new thing for me.  I'm excited, though.  When I'm logging lengthy double-digit runs, I think it will be awesome to have the group support.  

Swag

 The clinic was super informative--we were in sessions all day about things like basic marathon training, nutrition, injury prevention, running form, etc.  I was in the novice group obviously because this was my first marathon, and I was hoping to learn something new.  I definitely did and took pages of notes!  I left the clinic excited about training and with a head full of information.  Oh, and Hal Higdon was a speaker!  I felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity!

They encouraged us to write down some goals for summer training.  In addition to sticking with the training plan and stay uninjured, here are mine:

I have been slacking on stretching and foam rolling lately, but I know it is super important for me, especially since I am starting marathon training with an injury (IT Band Syndrome).  Foam rolling and using the stick helps keep my ITBs happy and prevent all sorts of other issues.  I'm committing to rolling out after every run and before bed every night!  

Today was a slow-start day.  I woke up early (after falling asleep at, wait for it, 9pm...) and proceeded to lay in bed for hours reading and playing on the computer.  I had a brick workout, the last one before next Sunday's tri, on the calendar this morning, but the weather was not being my friend.  It was under 60 degrees all morning!  I am a little bit of a wimp, and biking around in damp clothes and with wet hair is not my favorite.  I figured I could be lazy all morning and attempt the brick at noontime when the temperatures were a little warmer.

I finally made it out there for that brick...and thought I was going to die.  It was about 55 degrees and windy.  My hair was wet and dripping down my shirt.  It basically sucked.  Plus, I got lost on the trail where I was biking, and became convinced I'd have to approach a random fisherman to borrow their phone and call my dad for a resuce...luckily I found my way and avoided that.  By the time I made it back to my car, though, I decided to say "screw it" to my run and head home to a hot shower.  I am still working on warming up!

Red, frozen fingers 

Now I'm off to lay under a blanket before watching the Blackhawks later tonight with my fam--hopefully another win!

Awesome Dad and I in matching Toews jerseys...I know, we are adorable...

What did you do this weekend?

Reflections on a Year of Change

Today marks the last day of the school year, and my first last-day at my new school.  Nothing more depressing than a classroom full of boxes and empty of color:

This has been a year of changes, and I want to take a moment to reflect and celebrate.  This year I...

• Was welcomed into a building with a truly positive climate...
• Fell in love with a new grade level...
• Worked as part of a truly well-functioning team... ((What a breath of fresh air!))
• Implemented Quantum Learning into every part of my day...
• Finally KIND OF figured out how to run guided math...
• Celebrated amazing amounts of growth with my kiddos...
• Conquered my fear of field trips, including taking a 16hr marathon trip to Springfield, IL...
• Finished my masters! (happy dance!)...
• Got my *spark* back and truly grew as a teacher.

Thinking back over this year, while I still feel like I kind of got screwed out of a job last year, I feel truly blessed. Last year just plain sucked--you might remember how frustrated, defeated, and exhausted I felt when I worked, and worked, and worked, only to feel like I was being sent the message that it wasn't enough.  This year was of course filled with its own challenges, as every year in teaching is, but during one of my evaluation meetings with my principal, I shared with him that I feel like myself again.  What a wonderful feeling.  While I didn't end up somewhere beautiful and new this year, I am confident that I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be.  More than ever, after this year I whole-heartedly believe that everything happens for a reason.  

My goals for next year include:

• Figure out how to get the kiddos using WAY more technology in the classroom--I totally suck in this area
• Figure out how to get my kids actually reading and FINISHING tons of books
• Work independent reading conferences into my literacy block somewhere, and take data on them!
• Keep working on guided math!!
• Take a sign language class--I will not only have an ELL cluster next year, but I'll also have a Deaf & Hard of Hearing cluster!  (My school has the DHH program for the district.)
• Start Girls on the Run at my school--hopefully!

I will leave you today with some "gems" from the letters I had the kiddos write to me yesterday.  I love reading the totally random things they have to say, and they can be pretty darn cute. :)

Because the ONLY reason for learning is to be smarter than friends and cousins ;)

^Note the triathlon themed artwork on the bottom--LOVE!

"I am super proud of the accomplishments.  We did great, but not as good as you did."

Didn't realize I was in a contest against the kids!!

Look closely at the detailed drawing of the projector.  I'm confused about the wavy line that connects what I assume is me to it.

:)  Love random sharing.

I'm the One and Only Miss Teacher!!  Woo!

Kid, I hope my summer looks just like this picture.

Aw thanks, I will try to keep it up!

Clearly they know that I am in desperate need of some relaxing time :)

Teachers--are you on break yet??  How are you celebrating your start to summer?  I'm celebrating the start to my summer by enjoying a much needed night out with a friend tonight, attending a marathon training clinic tomorrow, and digging deep for my last brick of tri training Sunday before the Esprit de She triathlon on June 9th.  Oh, and hopefully watching a Blackhawks WIN somewhere in there!!

What are your reflections on the year and goals for next year?

What I'm Reading Wednesday: The Read Aloud Edition

I've already talked about on this blog how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE read aloud.  Our schedules next year look like they're going to be even tighter and more rigorous (no, thank YOU Common Core!), but consider this my pledge that I will SOMEHOW still work in time for a daily read aloud.  I wanted to share the books I read aloud to my class this year--they were all huge hits.


Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Goodreads Summary: There was a terrible mistake - Wayside School was built with one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high (The builder said he was sorry.) Maybe that's why all kinds of funny things happened at Wayside-especially on the thirteenth floor.

My thoughts:  This is a classic, and it has always been a favorite beginning-of-the-year read aloud for me.  It's a great hook to get the kids to buy into read aloud--even my too cool for school 5th graders loved sitting and giggling to this book in past years!  4/5 stars

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Goodreads Summary: 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?

My thoughts: I have already sung my praises about this book here, so I won't go into it again, but this book was a huge hit with my 3rd + 4th graders.  They got so much out of it, too--we had beautiful talks about kindness and courage throughout.  Loved!  5/5 stars

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Goodreads Summary: It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . .Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next;Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle,who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.  Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.

My thoughts:  Again, I also talked about this book here, but I want to say again what a fun read aloud it was.  Initially I was worried that the kids wouldn't be able to follow the story because it jumps between seven narrators, but we made a chart of each students na dsome character traits to describe him or her at the beginning, and they caught on quickly.  Another powerful book that fueled discussions on kindness, laying blame, and forgiveness.  5/5 stars

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Goodreads Summary: Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.  Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

My thoughts:  If you haven't read this book yet, read it asap.  It is so beautiful.  My kiddos didn't buy into this one as quickly as Wonder and Mr. Terupt, which I think is because it wasn't as funny.  Even so, after a few chapters they were in love with Ivan and Ruby and Stella, hanging on every word.  Another powerful book that led to great conversations about respect for living creatures and ethics.  

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Goodreads Summary: One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold. If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting.

My thoughts:  This book was totally different than our previous few read alouds, but it was so much fun!  At first, my kids had a tough time following it because there is a lot of talk about investments and capitalism and stocks, but I broke it down pretty simply.  When Joey Pow the boxer shows up, the book gets just plain hilarious.  We loved it!  4/5 stars

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
Goodreads Summary: "Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don’t do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you’re in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it." 
Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is “borrow” the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected. With unmistakable sympathy, Barbara O’Connor tells the story of a young girl struggling to see what’s right when everything else seems wrong.

My thoughts:  This was a serious one; Georgina's situation is just plain heart breaking.  It was kind of an eye-opener to some of my studnets to think about how some families actually do have to live in their cars and deal with very tough times.  Our big focus during this book was evaluating the characters' actions.  We used lots of turn and talks and voting to share opinions and make judgments about the characters.  I loved the higher-order-thinking it inspired--the kids had to share their opinion and justify it with text evidence.  In discussions, I had them use sentence frames to respond to each others' evaluations of the characters.  It was a really sweet book that deals with some tough issues in a great way.  4/5 stars.

What books did you read aloud this school year?  We are cruising through Lawn Boy Returns right now, and I'm hoping to finish it by our last day, Friday!

And now, off to *hopefully* watch the Blackhawks win!

Race Recap: Chicago Spring Half

Last Sunday, headed into the city to run the Chicago Spring Half Marathon.  I went into this race with two goals: enjoy every mile and stay uninjured so I can start marathon training strong next month.  As I was getting ready for the race this weekend, it struck me how calm I was feeling about the whole thing. My first half I was incredibly anxious about just finishing, #2 I was worried about getting hurt since I'd been an injured mess beforehand, and #3 I was shooting for a PR and was a bundle of nerves (#4 was in Disney and my only focus was on sticking with my sister in law through her first race, so I wasn't nervous about that one.)  Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I wasn't nervous AT ALL going into this race. Sure, I had one nightmare where I showed up late, forgot my Gu, got lost on the course, and had to run through WATER for part of the race, but that's normal, right?  :)  With a few halfs under my belt, everything felt routine as I lined up at the start--I knew I could do it, and I was just excited to get started.  What a great feeling

My awesome dad came with and brought his bike so he was able to ride down the course and catch me several times along the way.  It was a beautiful day to be running along the lakefront path in Chicago--there is nothing like feeling those lake breezes and seeing the skyline while you're running.

After a few minutes of the race, I realized that I'd forgotten to set my Garmin to beep for my run/walk intervals.  To change that, I'd have to stop it and start fresh.  Crap!  I'm such a slave to my Garmin that I was so worried about screwing with it and having the time/distance be off.  For about 30 seconds I considered just keeping track of the time and walking every 3 minutes without the beeps, but I realized that after an hour there was no way I'd be able to remember when to walk.  I decided to reset it right at mile 1 so I was just 1 mile off--easy peasy.  Phew!  I hoped that was the worst obstacle of the race!

I had all kinds of weird aches and pains the first few miles--does that happen to anyone else?  Parts of my body that I never have problems with will hurt.  I'm convinced it's just my brain messing with me.  Right around mile 5, though, I hit a great stride.  I came out a little fast, and by mile 5 I'd gotten myself to settle in to a comfortable pace of 11min/mi--I planned to run it at 11:30/mi, but once I got started 11s just felt good so I decided to go with it!!  The miles started to fly by.  6, 7, 8, 9--I LOVE when that happens in a race!  I'd see the mile marker up ahead before I even realized it was coming!  BEST FEELING EVER.

Along the way, I got lots of comments about my shirt:

"Dear God, Please let there be someone behind me to read this."

Of course, they were made by people passing me... :) Even though I've gotten faster, I will always be a back of the pack runner--but the pack of the pack is kind of fun. :)

I started getting pretty tired and cooked by the sun by mile 10, but kept plugging along and kept up my pace.  Around mile 11, though, things got tricky--apparently at 9am a 5K walk for the children's hospital started, and it was on the same course for about a mile!  Let me set the scene: a handful of half marathoners are trying to keep pushing forward along a path that dips off into the harbor, weaving through a huge mess of 5K walkers.  I felt like such a jerk weaving through people, but by this point I wasn't going to just stop and walk!  It was scary enough to think about how close I was to falling in the water, but the worst part was that I was convinced I was going to lose the half marathon course!  I kept looking back to check people's bibs as I passed them, making sure there were other half runners around.  I was terrified that I was going to end up crossing the 5K finish by accident and having to turn back around to find the half again!  Yikes!

Luckily there were enough course marshals staggered along the way to reassure us we were moving in the right direction and direct us when the course eventually split.  I crossed the finish line with no idea what my official time was thanks to the Garmin oops early on.  The post-race "picnic" features amazingly fluffy pancakes and watermelon--PERFECT.  I was a little sore, but in nowhere near as bad shape as I was after finishing the Space Coast half, so I was SHOCKED when I checked my time online later and found out I finished in 2:21:22, just 1 second slower than Space Coast!  I couldn't believe it--that whole race I was so focused on my pace and time, pushing deep, ignoring pain, and focusing on finishing with no gas left in the tank.  So when I saw that today I ran just as fast but felt so much better, it was awesome.  Maybe I am actually ready to up the stakes and start marathon training this summer!  Woohoo!

Six on Sunday

Hey guys!  I realize "Six on Sunday" is in no way a "thing," but it has been so long since I blogged I figured a bulleted list would be best to get me back in the game.  Things were busy in spring, and I just needed a blog break.  Do you ever feel that way?  I hate for blogging to become a "chore" when it's supposed to be something fun that I do in spare time, so if it ever does become "work," I have no problem giving myself a blogging time out vacation.  Anyways, onto the "six"...

1. I ran my 5th half marathon this morning!  It was an awesome race and a beautiful course on the lakefront path in Chicago.  I wasn't shooting for a PR, but I ended up coming in just 1 second slower than my PR from the Space Coast Half in November, and I felt WAY stronger--what a great feeling!  Check back for a full recap and more pics later this week!

2. Speaking of running, I am officially signed up for the Chicago Marathon in October!  Not only will I be running my first full marathon, but I will be running as part of Team Up!, the charity team for Autism Speaks. I'm thrilled to be supporting such an awesome organization and am excited I've already raised almost $2,000!  Check out my fundraising page here if you are interested in hearing more about my connections to autism and why I'm running this race.

 3. My class is completely falling apart in the last weeks of school.  One girl was out midweek with stomach flu, another went home sick Friday with diarrhea, and another threw up on the carpet Friday mid-morning.  YIKES.  My fifth graders almost always made it to the trash can or bathroom to throw up, but this was our second floor accident of the year.  Must be a third grade and below thing...oh well!  Anyways, since all of this I can't help but view my classroom as a giant petri dish of germs, and I convince myself every stomach twinge I feel is the flu...my fingers are crossed that the large amounts of hand sanitizer I've been using will protect me!!

4. Speaking of school, with EIGHT DAYS of school left, I'm reflecting on what an awesome year this has been.  The kids are totally driving me crazy right now (HELLO MAY!), but seriously this year has been a breath of fresh air.  I loved fifth grade, but 3rd/4th is totally my niche.  Yes, they cry more than 5th graders, but then they write something cute on a spelling test like this:

Adorable.  That being said, I am so ready for summer!  Pool days, nonstop reading, and vacations are calling my name!!

5. Tuesday is my LAST DAY of grad school!  I am presenting my final project, turning in my loooong paper, and calling it a day!  It all feels a little anticlimactic because I didn't walk at the graduation ceremony, but after Tuesday I will have my master's degree.  Woohoo!!  What an awesome feeling.

6. I'm not much of a field trip girl--I think I am still scared from a field trip with my insane class my first year that almost killed me or at the very least almost drove me to quit.  Seriously, it was THAT BAD.  Anyways, like I said, I'm not much of a field trip girl, but Wednesday morning I will board a bus with a billion 3rd & 4th graders bound for Springfield, IL to visit our state capitol.  It is a 3 1/2 hour dive.  We leave at 6am and will be back home at 9:45pm.  Hold me...

By the way, I have some upcoming posts in the making including ones detailing my guided reading structure and notes, a typical day in Daily 3, how I ran guided math this year, updates on my marathon fundraising, and a giveaway for tart cherry juice!

Love for my new Math Bulletin Board

When I moved into my classroom at the beginning of this year, I had big plans for the giant bulletin board that stretched along one of my (small) walls above my counter.  It was going to be my fabulous MATH BOARD, and it was going to be colorful, interactive, and just plain wonderful.  Then the school year started, testing happened, and the board ended up totally covered with a random hodgepodge (technical term) of signs displaying math terms and definitions.  There was no rhyme or reason other than, "CRAP!  Here's ANOTHER concept that will be on THE TEST that I didn't have time to teach!  Better put up a sign and hope my darlings look at this board!!!!!"  I know, I know, good teachers everywhere are cringing and shaking their heads at me with disdain.

After 2 nearly solid weeks of testing (I KNOW!), the last thing I wanted to do was look at those awful signs anymore.  Last week, instead of using my precious plan time to actually grade the gigantic stack of expository essays or poetry books that I've been carrying around in my teacher bag for far too long, I pulled out my trusty staple remover and demolished the entire board.  Suddenly, I had a PROJECT on my hands.  Before I knew what was happening, I was typing labels for the different areas of the board, mounting them on hot pink paper, and even laminating them.  (Don't ask why--I realize there is NO good reason other than that I turn on that laminator every chance I get.)  I am IN LOVE with the result!

On the left: current anchor charts with content we are working on, models, and any relevant sentence frames.  I have these hanging with clothes pins with tacks hot glued to the back--one of my favorite things to use around the classroom this year.  SO much easier to add new charts throughout the week.  I try to make them with the kids as much as possible, and if I do make them in advance, I always use them in a lesson before hanging them on the board.

Next up is our Wonderful Math Words section.  After being so annoyed about stapling and unstapling (another technical term) my old vocab signs, it dawned on me to just hang a pocket chart.  DUH.  I know any primary teachers are confused about why i didn't think of this idea in the first place, and my only possible reasoning is that I like to make my life difficult sometimes.  Love this so much more.  I wrote my vocab on large index cards rather than sentence strips so I could include brief definitions or examples on some cards.

\

Possibly my favorite part is the game section.  I've never used the Everyday Math games as much as I have this year, mostly because I am doing a guided math block and have less co-teacher support for groups than I have had in the past.  This means that students are independent more frequently, and I needed something more than journal pages for that time but don't like dealing with centers.  Some games are from EDM and others I made up to reinforce the skills we are working on.  I am trying to find or create two games to "feature" on the board per unit that closely relate to the skills we are working on.  These are our "Featured Games."  I included instructions and examples/photographs of the games on the board in page protectors so I can easily slide them in and out.  (Sorry for the glare in the picture!)

Below that are the "Old Favorites"--games we've worked with earlier in the year that are also available.  I wrote all of the games on dry-erase sentence strips so I can easily change them without taking the strips down.

I've been going crazy all year, though, managing the handouts and supplies that go with each game.  I've had a mess of papers and file folders in a bin on the counter since Fall!  I knew something had to change, so I laminated file folders and stapled them along the sides before stapling them to the bottom of the board.  I wrote the name of a different game on each in wet-erase marker, along with the materials needed to play.  Any other materials needed for the available games are in small boxes/baskets at the base of the board (calculators, dice, cards, etc.) Now, the kids can go up and find what they need to play a game.  Finally everything is running smoothly, and more importantly, no one is interrupting my guided math groups to ask questions about games!!

One other new feature is a Challenge section.  Meeting the needs of my brightest math students is something I've been slacking on this year.  It can just be so hard to leave a guided group of your most needy students to work with your advanced kiddos--even though they need you just as much!  I'm comitting to finding more ways to challenge my students inside and outside of guided groups throughout the rest of this year and into next year.  While this means meeting with their groups more frequently, it also means independent and group activities that will exercise their math minds when they are not meeting with me.

I posted two Challenge Problems on the board (also in page protectors) for them to try last week, and they LOVED them.  I also found some supplemental challenge activities from EDM that I copied and put in the folder below the challenge problems.  I practiced with the kids how they could go to the pocket and take any of the challenge activities any time they finished their "Must Do" math activity for the day, and checked in on what they were working on when we met during our group.  All of my kids are assigned a "Brain Buddy" who they work with when they are not meeting in a group, and the challenge activities are something they can work on together.

1 week in, the kids told me they really like the new board.  One even said, "Everything is so organized!" Be still my teacher heart.  The most important thing, though, is that everything displayed is for a PURPOSE--enhancing the learning of my students.  Isn't that what it's all about? :-)

Do you use interactive bulletin boards?  This is my first venture into them, and obviously this board isn't really interactive, but it's still a step in the right direction!  I'd love to hear more about how you make your bulletin boards a meaningful part of your teaching!

Pumping Kids Up for THE TEST!

We are knee deep in state testing here in Illinois!  4 tests down, 4 to go.  (We only give one test a day so the kids don't get overwhelmed and exhausted, but it makes for a looong two weeks of testing...)  I wanted to dedicate a post to sharing some of the ways I pump my kiddos up for testing--both state testing and every test we take.  I try to keep testing really light and positive.  All year long I talk about tests as a "big game" or "championship"--the result of all of our practice, hard work, and "training."  When I introduce a test on a regular day, I usually do it something like this.  "You guys, we have something exciting happening this week!  We get to show our learning on a test!"  Then I have the kids cheer. :)  I know, it sounds silly, but after making tests a positive thing all year, the kids actually buy into it and cheer all by themselves. ;)  

Shared these testing treats last year, inspired by this pin

Next, when I pass out tests, I have the kids write "Bring it On!" on the top.  I use this ALLLL the time--any time we are about to do something tough, I say, "This is challenging!  What do we say to a challenge??" and the kids shout, "Bring it on!"

I've shared my affirmation wall before, and while I refer to it every day, I make sure to refer to it a little extra during testing time.  

I truly believe that these affirmations--both posting them on my walls and weaving them into the culture of my classroom--make a difference in my students' attitudes.  I hope that if there is one gift I can give them, it's that they carry these affirmations with them after they leave my classroom.  I cover the kiddos' name tags before testing because we aren't allowed to have any tools (multiplication charts, etc.) on their desks, and I let the kids doodle on them.  I also encourage them to write some positive "words of encouragement" to remember during testing.  Love this girl's:

I talk to the kids all the the time about my running, training, and racing.  Why?  Because I like them to say, "WOW, you ran that far?" and ask, "Did you WIN your half marathon??"?  Haha not exactly.  I like them to see me set big goals, work hard to train for them, and risk it all on race days.  I talk to them about how nervous I get before a race and how I have to tell myself to trust my training, tell myself, 'You can do it!', and visualize myself succeeding.  They love hearing about it, and I feel like it sets a good example for them of how hard work pays off.  I call our test prep "training" for our big event--THE TEST. :)  I like to have them visualize opening their test booklets, visualize knowing EVERY ANSWER, and visualize succeeding and proud after finishing.

My absolute favorite test motivation strategy came to me randomly my first year teaching when I had 5 extra minutes the week before testing.  I had the kids write a letter to the class, wishing them good luck and offering "words of encouragement" to make their classmates feel confident before testing.  What started as a "filler" became a yearly tradition.  I LOVE it.  The kids write the sweetest, most thoughtful notes to the class. I read a few before testing every day, and the kids love them.  Some of this year's favorites:

Please ignore the atrocious spelling...we're working on it...

How do you keep spirits high during test time?

Giveaway Winners!

Better late than never, right?  Sorry I forgot to post these days ago!  The 3 winners of Running Inspired are...

 

Pam, Holly, and Rae, contact me at juiceboxesandcrayolas AT gmail DOT com by Tuesday to claim your prize!

Why I will Always Make Time for Read Aloud

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a digital copy of Running Inspired, a great book for beginner runners!!

My first year teaching, I didn't make a ton of time for read aloud.  I remember wondering when I was possibly supposed to squeeze that in amidst the already jam-packed day.  If something was going to be cut from my lesson plans, read aloud was always first on the chopping block.  Why?  It just didn't see as important as the other 100 things on the daily to-do list.

Today, I can't imagine my classroom without read aloud.  It is one of the most special parts of my day, and I promise you this--it IS important.  In SO many different ways.   We all know that read aloud gives a great model of fluency for kids, but it does so much more than that.  I truly believe that my read aloud teaches my kiddos to fall in love with reading.  They look forward to those precious 10 minutes every day and beg me to keep reading.  Once they groaned when I had to pause the book because it was time for PE!  They cheer when the endings are happy and cry when the plot takes sad turns.  They line up at the library to put the book I'm reading aloud on hold because they love it too much to wait.  My read alouds expose kids to books that they might not ordinarily pick up on their own.

Seeing how excited this student was when reflecting on a book he probably never would have read on his own brought tears to my eyes.  Isn't teaching kids to love reading why I got into this business in the first place?

This year, I decided to use read aloud as a time to teach my kids important life lessons.  There is so much more to teaching than the content areas--we are truly playing a part in helping these little people grow up to face the world.  If I take a minute to think about the big ideas I want my students to come away from my class with, they definitely all don't have to do with reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.  I want to teach my students kindness, empathy, courage, friendship, owning their actions, honesty, and so many other things.  Read aloud is my chance to do that.  I started my year by reading Wonder, a truly amazing book with so many important themes.  While reading, I asked students to listen for examples of courage in the book.  By the end, not only did the students all understand that courage is so much more than going off the high dive, but they understand that above all other things, kindness is always the right choice.

We also read Because of Mr. Terupt this year and had some big, serious discussions about the importance of not laying blame.  When a tragedy happens in their classroom, the students in this book are quick to blame each other and blame themselves.  I repeated to the kids throughout the story, "Sometimes, when bad things happen, we look for someone to blame.  When we can't find anyone, we often blame ourselves."  This is a big idea for 8 and 9 year olds, but by the end of the book I truly felt like many of my students understood how important it is not to blame others or themselves for things that are out of their control.  They also talked seriously about how important it is to stick together in the midst of a tragedy.

Right now, we're reading The One and Only Ivan.  Vegetarian that I am, I'm doing my best not to get up on my bleeding-heart soap box preaching about the horrors of zoos and the importance of animal rights, but the book is starting some interesting conversations all on its own about kindness and living things.  I can't wait to see the deep conversations it stirs up in my little classroom.

I try to do quick writes or reading responses connected with my read alouds from time to time.  I find that my kids are able to think so deeply in their reflections sometimes, and that even my struggling readers shine.  The kids pick up on the important lessons and big ideas and are able to add their own insights in their reflections.  The kids get to practice literacy skills like metacognition, visualization, making inferences and connections, and making predictions in their reflections.  I don't often have time for them, but every time I do I find at least one kiddo who surprises me in their insights or deep thoughts.  Such a special teacher moment. :)

So, that is why no matter how intense our days become or how many new things Common Core adds to my teacher plate, I will ALWAYS make time for read aloud.  It is such a special part of our day, and there is just something about sitting so close together on the carpet enjoying a really great book that just makes our classroom community all the more close-knit.  Love it.

What are your favorite read alouds?