Teachers and professionalism

I loved school. LOVED it with a passion. I have many friends I have asked what their memories are about school, and it is sad to say they are not pleasant ones (on the most part). I am yet to find a friend who loved school as much as I did.

There are many reasons why. The teaching style didn't suit them, we all remember the chalk and talk method that was so prominent. Lessons had no link to their interests. Lots of reasons and probably lots of blogs. What made the difference that made me enjoy school and everyone else I know hating it? Probably because I am a linguistic and spatial learner. School provided lessons that suited me just fine. Moving on...

Recently I was at a friends house having a coffee, and we were chatting about school and teachers. He is another one that didn't enjoy school, he gave some of the many reasons I have heard many a time. But he gave an additional reason which has had me thinking for the past couple of days. He had some comments about teachers and his portrayal of them that made me cringe. I had to agree with him.

He said:
Teachers seemed to always look down on us, like "we're" up here and you students are down there. The way they dressed, the way they stood, the way they wore their glasses, the way they held their coffee cup...

Interesting isn't it...

Why is it we are constantly reminded about our need to act like professionals? Even in uni it was a major focus. I recently received a phone call from a parent 'thanking' me for playing a game in the classroom. It's so nice for them to be kids and have fun... she commented. Yea... I lost sight of that. I was too focused on fitting in all the curriculum. Hindsight, and reflection has taught me much this year.
I've spent some time thinking about the teachers I work with. One made me laugh... Mrs R. She always has a coffee cup in her hand but I doubt she ever gets to drink any lol. I have no clue how many mugs she has but they have been sighted all over the school, literally. She is in another block, and another floor level!!! One of her mugs was found outside my room just last week. My class had a laugh about it, then one of them volunteered to courier it back to her. I love it, that she is just that little bit 'crazy,' it sure makes me smile.

I'm definitely not one of them professional looking teachers. I'm in jeans and a shirt, messy hair and constantly losing my sunnies. I like to think I am approachable for the kids. I did wear a skirt and top with my hair done up one day, and had many comments about how different I looked. I was asked why I was all dressed up. I actually had a date after work (lets not go there... disaster!!!). But I simply replied "no reason. Just felt like it". Maybe, every now and then is o.k for me. Every day would make me mental.
Yes there are definitely limits. For goodness sake cover yourself up, no need for bits and pieces to be on display. Hmm yes I do dress appropriately with this in regard.

I often think about what students will remember about me. These comments made by my friend made me think about my favourite teachers. It was the crazy ones I remember most fondly. They are the ones where life lessons stick out the most.

Mr Bell. Who had a hollowed out old car put into the playground for play equipment. We had the best school fairs, with horse drawn carts and games and laughter. Every parent came.
I used to kick my shoes off the second I got to school and run down to the paddock and talk to the cows.
Mr Bell was the teacher to 26 kids. He was also the only teacher in the school. He was my year 3 teacher, year 3 was made up of 4 kids. IMAGINE that!!! It was the BEST school I ever went to. Mr Bell taught kids from kindergarten to year 6 in one room, and yet me, a year 3 kid still managed to learn and have fun. What an achievement.

There are more. Another time.

I think I am going to be one of them teachers that resists the whole 'professional' thing. How about you?

Mr Brown

My first weeks of teaching were so confusing. I will never forget them.

In those first few weeks there are 2 teachers that really stand out in my mind who were helpful. Not by offering suggestions or feedback on how I was going, but just by general conversation, I didn't feel like such an alien. Because seriously, when I started work full time it really did feel like an alien place... the routines, the traditions of the school, the staff members, the children... not to mention the work load!!! Every school is different it takes time to adjust and learn all this.

My first week was the toughest. Those 2 teachers... both male. One is the school librarian he's tops. So down to earth I always enjoy his conversation and no nonsense attitude. The other was a veteran teacher to the school named Mr Brown. This is how we met...

"so you must be Voldemort?" he said to me. At first I didn't realise he was talking to me, but then I realised I was the only other person in the copy room.
"sorry" I asked.
"you're the one whose name can't be spoken" he replied.

I was confused... then I clicked!

My surname is not very common, and I had introduced myself to the staff using only my first name. I must have mentioned to someone that my last name had always been an issue so I don't bother telling people what it is.

Oh haha very funny. Great nick name!!!

We had a chat, I explained I had 5 children and lived in Newcastle etc.

Mr Brown would come and visit me in my classroom some mornings and afternoons to chat about the day. Very comforting as I am painfully shy and don't approach people Mr Brown saved me from doing this. One morning he came into my classroom saying "I am sorry for your loss" ... I had learnt by now that he often spoke in a cryptic manner and this was one of those times. I waited for his explanation. Apparently he had discussed me with another staff member and they had told him that I had 3 children. So he was saying sorry about the loss of 2 of my children. Hmmm, we laughed about the power of Chinese whispers and how things can get twisted by gossip.

The following morning he breezed through my room before school saying "you better come with me" ... crap!!! Ok damn I was not going to question him so I followed him. It was Friday and there is a staff meeting every Friday morning. Of which I was not aware.

Little things like that, things that he did helped me adjust to that confusing time. I genuinely appreciated it. I don't think he ever knew how much.

Sadness about this story. Mr Brown was killed last Wednesday afternoon in a traffic accident. He's been a teacher at the school over 20 years. More sadness to this, his wife is a teacher at the school too. It's not merely losing a teacher, this situation is more like family. I feel for her.

However, I am not always sad when I think of Mr Brown and that's why I'm writing this. Many things about him make me smile. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind... who he offended in the process, well, to him it wasn't intentional they had to know what he thought. So many little conversations like that make me smile.

He was also a passionate teacher. This year he had his class create a short film for a competition. The video was submitted to Kids Witness News video competition. They won the NSW Primary school section. Awesome stuff.

This is the video the children, with the help of Mr Brown created.

Who killed the cockroaches?

This Thursday we say goodbye to Mr Brown. He will be missed. He will never be forgotten.

Charlie the unicorn

Classrooms ask for lots of discussion. Answering questions in front of 30 other people can be a very daunting thing to do.

The important thing to promote is that mistakes are a part of learning. Embrace them. If you don't there won't be that environment where children feel comfortable to take a risk and speak up in class to answer a question.
I know what I'm talking about. I was one of them... one of them ones that never answered questions. I'd avoid eye contact, pretend I was busy working, busy thinking, whatever the case may be even if I thought I knew the answer I did not want to be picked to answer it.

WHAT IF I WAS WRONG?!?!

God forbid!!! No thanks. Just don't put me in that situation in the first place.

I'm a very shy person, even now as an adult and a teacher. That part of us never goes away. I recognise the children who, like me prefer not to brave it up and speak in front of the class. I can vividly remember those times when I was chosen... the face would burn up with embarrassment... inside I felt physically stressed and anxious. It's not a nice feeling.

I try to encourage those children who prefer not to speak up in class discussion by providing subtle cues during the exploration stage of the lesson. For example I might have some one on one questioning with a student, then during whole class discussion 'discreetly' ask that child for their input. It's nice because that child feels comfortable as they have that knowledge that they know the answer is correct, and it still allows them to have that feeling of success.
This is not my idea, it's what my own teachers did. I just didn't realise what they were doing at the time.

That is the wonder of hindsight. I LOVE HINDSIGHT!!!

We have a new friend in our class to help with this concept, more toward helping children be accepting about making mistakes. I got the idea as a combination from some students in the class who sang a song to a student who was sad (Put a banana in your ear), and from a colleague who told me about Charlie the unicorn... *Hi Amy*. Perhaps it is just my humour but I found it very freakin funny here is a link:

Charlie the unicorn. Hahaha I'm still giggling thinking about that one...

Charlie is a purple unicorn (purple is my favourite colour), and has magical powers.
Did you make a mistake??? Charlie!!! It was Charlie he is trying trick you...

If someone makes a mistake I place Charlie on their desk. Now Charlie is watching extra close he's still going to try and trick you, and anyone else close by.

A little bit childish you think? Yea but that's me. I've discovered that you should at least go with your ideas it's surprising how things can turn out.

I think it's a nice way to brush away mistakes. I will see how it goes.

In the meantime... welcome Charlie.

Cuddle monster

I got a present. I know it must seem like I focus on all the lovely gifts I receive but I mean WOW that's really special.
Our school had a production this week, it was based on 'healing the world'.
My class shared an item with the other year 4 class and sang the song 'Rip, Rip Woodchip' by John Williamson. It's a fun song I loved it. There was some axeman in flannies and hard hats, and the children were dressed in green shirts and jeans. We had one child dressed as a tree. I've mentioned this child before she's 'Janie' mentioned here... Pick me pick me!

I arrived at school last Monday morning and parked my car behind a white car. When I got out the lady in the white car got out and yelled 'Miss K________, I have to hug you' .... ummmm! I didn't know who this lady was but hugged her anyway LOL. Ohhh, I figured it out pretty quick I saw her daughter! JANIE!!! O.k so this is the first 'parent hug!' Crikey!!!
She apologised for the possibility I may think she was a crazy lady, but 'Janie' was so excited about being a tree and was so grateful I made the costume, so she had to say thank you. Isn't that lovely.

The production was awesome. Very demanding, but worth it.
On Thursday morning I arrived at school and 'Janie' handed me a bag with a wrapped gift and a thank you card in it. The card was more than enough it was enough to see her face so eager.

The gift... hahahahaha, what a treat! It's a singing and dancing 'Cuddle Monster' who moves to the tune 'Mahna Mahna' it's awesome I love it.
It will be a treasured and sentimental item always :)

Put a banana in your ear!

Sometimes... a kid will be sad... for whatever reason... :(
Recently it's been because of all the Father's day stuff we've been doing in the classroom.

I thought it was really lovely and sweet when a pair of girls who had noticed a fellow student who was sad would ask me if they could sing them a song to cheer them up!
Hey who am I to stop some fun and singing.
I asked the girls to write down the lyrics for me.

You have to imagine this being sung by 2 girls crouching down to the sad persons height and bopping up and down and swaying from side to side.
Change the name as appropriate, this time we will call the child Katie

You look so down
With your big fat eyes
And your big fat frown
The world doesn't have to be so greeeeyyyyyy
Katie when your life's a mess
When you're feeling blue
Or are in distress
I know what can wipe that sad away
All you have to do is
Put a banana in your ear, put a banana in your ear
Put a banana in your eeeeeaarrrrr
It's true
So true
Once it's in your gloom will disappear
The bad in the world is hard to hear
When in your ear a banana cheers
So go and put a banana in your ear
Put a banana in your ear
You will never be happy
If you live your life in fear
It's true! So true!
When it's in the skies are bright and clear
Oh, every day of every year
The sun shines bright in this big blue sphere
So go and put a banana in your
Earrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Try and make it to the end with out laughing....

Is this one of those 'you have to be there to appreciate it' kinda deals?!?! :D

7 is right next to 8...

One of my challenging students but also most funniest. I'll call him Fred. He sure doesn't look like a Fred but it will do.
He has aspergers. The stuff he comes out with is quite extraordinary at times. Being truthful, he doesn't really participate in the class curicullum too much. It's a challenge to get him motivated but if I have a chat to him one on one he takes in alot more than you'd realise. His curriculum is focused more on socialising factors.

He struggles to display appropriate social ettiquette. He's constantly trying to give hugs, clinging onto my arms or legs, whatever is in reach! I'm trying to teach him about personal space and about how most people feel uncomfortable about uninvited hugs and people invading their personal space. How is that going??? This should give an indication...
On Thursday he had some advice for me. He said Miss K you should go to church so you can learn about love...
WOW!!! I laughed so hard I just couldn't help it. Through the eyes of a child. I feel a little sad in a way that he thinks I don't know what love is...

This same little boy. He is an atrocious speller and usually gets 3 or 4 out of 10 in his weekly spelling tests. He told me at the beginning of term 2 when I began teaching him that spelling was a waste of time and so was writing. If someone had something to say they should just pick up the phone and call that person and say it. We had a rather long discussion about my friends in America and the benefits of emails etc. I managed to convince him that it was worthwhile at least doing our best for spelling and reading and writing.
2 weeks ago he got 9 out of 10 in his spelling test and it went in the dimple files. We came to an agreement that if he got 8 out of 10 any other week it should go in the dimple files. This week he got 7. I was very impressed I have to say.

He said ohhh c'mon Miss K... 7 is right next to 8 it should go in the dimple files... LOL. I was tempted to cave but I didn't. I know he can do it so I'm going to expect him too.

He's a funny little guy. How lucky am I to have met him.

Classroom jobs

This weekend I spruced up my classroom jobs. I've made them more fun.
If you can think of alternative names or some more to add to the collection. Please... let me know :)

Good morning?!?!

Every morning when I mark the roll I greet each child individually by saying 'good morning / hello' in a different language.
Usually I just choose one of the top off my head or the children suggest one.

Tonight I made up some laminated cards with different greetings from all over the world on them, and I'm going to put them in a box and pick them out randomly.

It's kind of fun the kids enjoy it.

I'm also thinking we could make some up. Our own unique greetings!!!

Nei ho - Chinese (Cantonese) pronounced Nay-ho
Bongu - Maltese
Konnichi wa - Japanese - pronounced kon-ni-chi-wa
Yia sou - Greek - pronounced yah-soo
Shalom - Hebrew - means hello, goodbye and peace!
Kia ora - Maori
Buon Giorno - Italian - pronounced bwohn geeornoh
Guten tag - German
G'day - Aussie!
Aloha - Hawaiian
Yaama - Indigenous Australian (Kamilaroi people)
Bonjour - French
Buenos dias - Spanish
Yia sou - Greek - pronounced yah-soo

Classroom set-up.

Yup this is some dry boring stuff.
I remember the lessons we did at uni on classroom organisation. Rows, horseshoe, groups... and the different reasons why blah blah blah. This is just revising that... and my thinking behind it.

When I first went to the classroom I changed the tables to groups. It didn't work I had no clue about who I was sitting with whom the dynamics were a disaster. I changed back to rows. The disaster of the initial group set up made me afraid of going back, until my mentor and fantastic teacher to boot Mrs M gave me some suggestions.

One of those being 'Table points'.

The tables are in groups there are 4 of them. This term we have 'The west Tigers'... 'The Big Fat Pigs shortened to the B.F.P's'... 'The Diamonds'... and 'The Spider Pigs'. The theory is to spread out the 'troublesome' children so they are amongst the children who know how to behave appropriately, you know kind of using peer pressure to get those kids to behave. The tables each gave themselves their name and throughout the day the tables are rewarded for various wonderful things such as tidiness, working sensibly, listening and being cooperative, and sometimes even something simple I observe such as sharing. At the end of the day the winning table is rewarded with a treat and at the end of the week the winning table receives a reward, 20 minutes free time.

I love this set up much more than the rows. However I had to have that background knowledge to implement it more effectively.

I've had more to think about this term and have made a few more changes. I moved my desk. Something simple I know but I love this simple change.

The space of the classroom: The entrance to the room is via a long corridoor... leading down carpetted steps. The children sit on the steps for roll marking, whole class discussions, chapter reading etc... on the opposite side of the room there is also glass doors leading out into an amphitheatre. My desk used to be stuck in a corner next to the store room.

Firstly, let me say that a teacher RARELY sits at their desk. But you can bet when they do someone will come to the door!!! I could not see the goings on in the corridor, nor if anyone came to the door.

I've moved my desk so I have a view of everything. I can see the corridor, if someone comes to either door, and the whole room. I also made use of having a bookcase close by which has all my programming folders in it, the top of the book case is where all marking is placed, I can simply reach around and grab it if I have a spare moment.
This keeps my desk tidy and yes, I may be one of the more unorganised people of the world... and being a teacher I am surrounded by those super organised people... it's really rather freaky LOL. But I like tidiness... I also found I had more space... the table groups have much more space between them so I can walk around the room much easier.

Yea it's boring, but it's something we don't really think about until we're there. At least I didn't.
Change the room to your liking, work with the space... work it, work it, work it!!! hehe. I've also started to add my own personal touch of cuteness with some cute little animal cushions. We have a penguin, a koala, a pink poodle and a bumble bee!!! The chilren use these during reading groups when they read to me, during D.E.A.R (drop everything and read)... and hey they don't think it's daggy like I was afraid they might :)

Dating in year 2!

Migraines.
Oh bugger!!! I went to bed with one last night. Spent today in a dark room in silence sleeping... my head still hurts. What a horrible horrible thing to have. I get them rarely luckily.

Happier news.

The same girl who was eager about the maths lesson had some happy news to share yesterday.
After a sports lesson with Mr.T she came to me and said very cheerily 'I had the BEST 3 minutes of my life today!'

Wow. That's quite a statement you're wondering what she did right? I was too.

She said 'Mr.T let us go in the sports shed we went through the balls, hoops, nets EVERYTHING!' with a HUGE grin from ear to ear. It made me smile it's the simple things that kids appreciate :)

More news...
I was on playground duty yesterday at lunchtime. A girl I have gotten to know a little approached me all flustered saying over and over 'I need your help, I need your help...'
I asked her to calm down and tell me what was wrong.
She said 'what do you do about boy troubles?' ....

UHHHHH! Now I'm the one that needs help....

Oh crap, this girl is in year 5...

She expands. She says there is a boy she has a crush on. They used to date back in year 2 but now she's been single for 3 years....
Say what! Mmmmm, at this stage I am distracted by a shiny sparkly thing... ooohhh look at the leaves in the trees all... yea just look at them...
How very awkward.

Hmmm, I look at the young lady in question and tell her 'girl, you're a baby. You can worry about boys when you're older, like in your twenties!'

She looks straight back at me and says 'oh no I am grown up, I'm in year 5'.....

Oh my god.

I could only shake my head at her and scrunch my face up. I told her it was nonsense and she was a little girl and should enjoy being one. She could only laugh at me. I feel like an old fuddy duddy....

*sigh*

That poor girl. Even if she were in her twenties choosing me for love advice was her first mistake!

Pick me Pick me!!!

Every teacher wants eager students in their class...
Today made me smile... perhaps the eagerness was too much.

There is a girl in my class, and she reminds me of myself in many ways.

She's sarcastic, she wants to join the army when she grows up (I wanted to join the army when I was a little tacker), she's well behaved (tee-hee), kind of shy but happy to mix with anyone from the class. Let's just say if the class were full of little Janies (not her real name) my classroom would be a muchly happy place... lol.

This is what happened today.

In a box I had some MAB blocks making a four digit number. The children had to raise their hand and guess the number, I would reply with a higher or lower... continue until someone guessed the correct number.

Janie... listening intently had noticed that someone had actually said a number I had already said higher too... and in fact if they had been listening they would have been able to figure out what the number was! Janie... bouncing up and down on her seat arm flailing in the air eyes popping out of her head and a big smile to boot!....

I was trying hard not to laugh actually... I digress.....

The effort to stop laughing was put to an end when she couldn't stand it any longer and called out 'pick me I know the bloody answer!' ..... oh god!

You'd laugh too right?!?!

Our best mate Maggie!

Another idea I took from Megan's seminar... 'A classroom friend'.
Megan also spoke of letting the children get to know you as a person. This struck me as I have always been very careful to keep my private life very separate. And of course that will always be the case there are some things that I won't share. However, it did make me think... these are the people I spend most of my time with it made no sense to keep myself so private.

I integrated these 2 concepts.

I have created a 'classroom friend' based on my childhood pet, a dog named Maggie.
I introduced Maggie to the class. Inside her book is a simple story about her...

When I was a little girl I had a dog named Maggie. She was a cocker spaniel and looked alot like the toy dog accompanying this book.

She was my best friend. Sometimes... on very cold nights she'd sleep at the end of my bed. She'd wake me in the morning with her smelly dog breath.

Her favourite game was fetch the stick and she loved to chew on the lamb roast shank on Sunday's after lunch.

It then explained that Maggie would be a guest in the children's homes and the children would share what Maggie did in the book. I also integrated this with a unit we are doing in C.O.G.S this term and suggested that the children focus on any machines Maggie comes across whilst on her visit.

I have to admit I was hesitant... I was worried the children would think it a little 'childish'... however I thought it was cute and wanted to try it... project more of 'myself' and what I like so to speak. And hey guess what... they loved it. I have children begging me asking when it's their turn to take Maggie home.

Just think about how the children are going to learn about each other as well. I think this goes really well with the 'values' education we are also teaching... values such as acceptance!

So there ya go... another simple idea and cheap as chips with no huge preparation time (The toy cost $10, scrap book $2.50).

And also a lovely addition to the class :)

The Dimple Files!

Whilst at Megan's seminar in Sydney last week Megan spoke of a positive reinforcement method she used in the classroom called a 'smile' book. In her example she called it 'The Pool Room' ... People who have seen the movie 'The Castle' will understand that reference. Basically, if she saw something that was great and 'smile' worthy she would say 'that's going straight to the pool room!' which was a scrap book containing all these precious moments.

I've adapted that concept a little bit.

In my classroom, if a child does something that makes me smile I will say to them something like 'LOOK at what you have made Miss K do' (whilst pointing at my dimple and smiling)... 'you made the dimple come out that's fantastic!' So I made the same scrapbook concept and called it 'The Dimple Files'

Inside it says...

This book is dedicated to all who are in it!!!!
*insert school abbreviation here* 4K 2009.
These people managed to achieve something fantastic which brought a smile to Miss K's dial....
:)

A bit of fun and not a heap of preparation involved.

N.E.D

The children attended a show on Tuesday called NED. Remember back in the day when the Coca Cola yo-yo people used to come and demonstrate their skills??? This is it but adapted to highlight some values.
N = never give up.
E = encourage others.
D = do your best.
It was a great show I enjoyed it and the children did too.

Yesterday we were doing a reflection lesson about the show. I asked the children to think about how they had shown the NED principles for the week just gone.

The answers were very sweet. e.g.'s

N -
I had to learn a very hard song for choir and I never gave up and kept trying.
I have been trying to learn knitting, I tried hard to learn it so my nonna would be proud of me.
E -
I encouraged my little sister to keep trying to learn to ride her new scooter.
I encouraged a friend who was sad to be happy.
D -
I did my best in my homework (I have to add, this is the first time this child has EVER handed in homework... in his whole school career so he tells me!).
I did my best at Jazz ballet dancing.

Oh but this is the best.
E - I encouraged my mum to cook my dinner so I wouldn't be hungry.

I had a good chuckle when I read that one. Ahhh the simplicity of it I can relate.
I'm a single parent of five boys. I work full time. I drive quite a distance to get to and from work every day and I try and leave at the end of each day so I have no work to do when I get home... and when I walk in the door each day after work what do I hear??? 'mum, what's for dinner?' .... oh bugger! Yea sometimes it has been deflating and I get a little cross. Can I get in the door first??? If I don't laugh I'll cry. I don't think I have ever looked at what my children do in this context as encouragement. Perhaps they do :)

Funny moment of the day.
We have a school assembly each day. One of my students has Asperger's and often sits on the edge of the line keeping himself busy playing with objects he can find. I don't mind as long as he's not disturbing other students and he still makes himself a part of the school group i.e. he's not isolating himself. However yesterday he was scraping a piece of bark up and down the side of a bin and the noise was irritating me... so... standing with my feet together I asked him in a firm voice to find a comfy spot with the rest of the class and to sit and listen to the assembly like everyone else was doing.
I can just see his little cogs working now. He had a cheeky little smirk on his face...
Comfy spot you say....
So he sat on my feet!
I was frozen in place I was trying oh so hard not to burst out with laughter.... it was lucky he had his back to me or he'd have seen it!!!

Keep the passion... :)

Ever seen those people... when you look at them you just KNOW they hate their job? It makes me wonder what has happened to them to get to that stage. Where did the passion go? It was there once... wasn't it???

I am totally pumped... I'll explain why.

Yesterday afternoon at around 2.20pm I was down on the oval playing a game of T-Footy with the kids (it's a game with a mixture of T-ball, football and cricket)... when my principal seemed to appear from nowhere with a sheet of paper. The paper had details of a course running the following day... in Sydney. Oh bugger!!! Ummm, well uhh, o.k sure i'll go. I can adapt... What have I got to lose right???

I awoke at 4am and caught the train to beautiful Sydney and attended that course today. I have three words for you.

PASSION.
CONSISTENCY.
POSITIVE.

These words are more for my benefit more than anything and it was hard to narrow it down, as I could add to that list and make a weeks spelling list... hmmm... there's a thought!!!

FIRSTLY...

OMG....

I WAS SOOOOO WRONG!!!!!

I wonder... if I hadn't have gone to that course today how long would it have taken me to realise this. I wonder... if I had never realised this would I too become one of the passionless ones???

Teaching is NOT about SURVIVING. At least not solely! I can see now that an attitude like that sets up a pattern. If all I want to do is 'survive' ... then surely I will do the minimum necessary to get there... this sets me up for failure. There is something else that goes with the surviving... THRIVING! I am very excited that I realised this. Who do I have to thank for this? A very inspiring lady named Megan. Any new teachers you must attend one of her courses if you have the opportunity. Go check it out!

Megan Dredge

I have left the course full of energy, PASSION, inspiration, excitement and a nice positive feeling. Because let me tell you being a beginning teacher is very overwhelming there is so much to figure out. But hey, all teachers have been there and none of them have done it perfectly... mistakes are allowed and even celebrated!

I had to strike while the iron was hot but I will be referring to this day in the future. I have loads of ideas I will be implementing in the classroom :)

A sweet little girls heart xoxo

This is why teaching is so rewarding.
One of my students is a Spanish girl. I love to have her translate things I have written on the board just to listen to her. Even the simplest things such as her translation of measuring a litre of water into a jug sounds simply splendid in Spanish!!!

She is so thoughtful. And her face... she is ALWAYS smiling and her eyes light up the room.

She made me a Birthday card for my birthday (which was in June) and had everyone in the class sign it. I had no clue and was genuinely surprised!!! It was beautiful... I am sorry that I let other things that were making me not so happy at that particular time in my life... mostly getting older!!! Yuck... interfere with just how special that gesture was.

Today my heart felt so warm and happy. I went back to work today after 2 weeks off for winter holidays. During the winter holidays this little girl went to Queensland with her family. Today she gave me some gifts.

A postcard.
A 'best teacher' owl keyring (technically it's a 'zipper pal' but for my purposes it will be a key ring!)
and a piece of dead coral from the Great Barrier Reef.

This is something I will treasure.
Before the holidays she asked me what my favourite animal was. I told her it was Sea Turtles. I didn't really think much of it I myself ask the children questions like this (for ideas on what to plan lessons around etc).
The special part... the postcard has a picture of a Sea Turtle on it.
Doesn't that make your heart get the warm and fuzzies xoxoxoxoxo
(I have included pictures but of course have edited to hide her name...)

Yes. Teaching is hard work and studies show it is one of the most stressful professions out there. But you have to appreciate what a privilege you are in to know these beautiful people.

coming up for air

Ohhhh my god!
First year indeed. SO much for sharing my experience.
I have just completed my first term and my first block of 2 weeks holidays. I've been slack about blogging but I will try to do better.

The first term was much like the first week. Surviving.
Things I learnt:
Filing...
I started with 'subject' folders... i.e. English, Maths, C.O.G.S etc. Now I have about 50 different folders! It is more like Maths assessments, Measurement, Space and Geometry, times tables, mentals... and lord knows if I'm going to have to break that up even more... measurement - Mass, time, area... etc.

Adapt:
If you can't adapt, forget teaching!!! You may PLAN for something to happen, but let me tell you quite often those plans go bye byes. There are too many examples to demonstrate this... many mistakes... it can be disheartening but I smile even if I clearly don't feel like it!

So many funny tales.

I laugh when I think of....

One of the children practicing his petty thievery (pick locking) skills when he tried to use a paper clip to open my store room cupboard. You see he was trying to assist a friend, I had locked a toy he was playing with in there. He was trying to get it out. Problem was he snapped the paper clip and I WAS LOCKED OUT OF MY STORE ROOM. Oh the chaos when the rest of the class realised what had happened. The LOLLIES were in the store room. No lolly rewards on Friday... oh my lordy!!!!!!!!!

I will have to add to this when I think of them. What a shame I didn't share them as they happened....

My R & R during the holidays I went to New Zealand for a week. It was amazing I loved it. There was an earthquake... 7.8 on the richter scale the second biggest earthquake in NZ history. It went for sooo long I was afraid the house I was in was going to slide down the hill at any moment. I saw snow for the first time, it even snowed while I was there and I drove in it (which was not so fun). Attached is a pic of me and my first snow man!

Back to the madness of school days. Back to learning!!! I hope... back to sharing...

Week one!

It's very basic, and comes down to 6 letters.

TIRING

The first week was more about surviving. Now I've done that, I've learnt a bit about the personalities in the classroom. What am I doing???

UNWINDING

REFLECTING

I hope I will have more to write next week.

Spelling Postman

Again, trying to collate my program for term 2, but keep getting distracted by the finer things, like lesson fillers, lesson break activities and games.
My latest distraction a spelling game I thought up called 'Spelling Postman.'
This is basically how it works.

The teacher tells the children that the postman is coming.
Have the children turn their chairs around to face their desks, and place heads on desks with their hands placed behind their backs.

Teacher chooses a word from the weeks spelling list and retrieves the letters from some pre-made letter cards, and quietly 'posts' the letters by placing them into the hands of random children. When all the letters are distributed, have the children who have had a letter delivered come to the front of the classroom and figure out between themselves what word it is and stand in a line in front of the class so that the correct word is spelt.
Swap so that a child becomes a 'post person'.

I got this idea from K-3 teacher Resources
Just another example of how we can adapt ideas!

Thumbs up!!!

I am beginning to wonder how teachers ever managed without computers, internet, printers and laminators... imagine the horror of having to use... books! *gasp*

I've been busy collating my term 2 program as well as some other classroom activities. One of them being the reward system. Thumbs up!!!!

It's really very simple and a bit of fun. The children are 'caught being good' in the context of classroom behaviour, showing initiative, kindness to class friends, great effort with work, etc etc. The list is endless. When the children are observed following these traits they receive a 'thumbs up' and after they collect 10 they can trade them in for a prize from the 'thumbs up prize box'

The thumbs up are small visuals I have printed out, coloured, cut and laminated. I've also thought about expanding this individual reward system based on an idea I got from an online teacher resource site K-3 Teacher resources

Sites like this one were an awesome resource to access throughout uni. Any uni students reading this, read up!!! Assignments can be a pain in the butt I know, however I am surprised at how much those skills I have been using for the past 5 years I am implementing now...! Great 'practice' and gives you a great idea of what you would really use. Don't include anything in an assignment you can't visualise yourself actually teaching. Trust me. You will be thankful for the extra effort now :)

Year 4 it is...

Today I went to the school I will be working at. Until today I didn't know what class I was going to be teaching. The issue... there were 2 positions available and both were being taught by casual teachers. Both of them applied for the 'other' position. It was decided that because of this, the other position had to be filled before my placement could be finalised. I found out today... I will be teaching year 4.

I'm relieved for several reasons, now I have direction. I can plan, start to think about who is in the classroom (SIX I.E.P children... this is going to be a challenge). However, today was not a time for celebration.

I'm feeling rather crap right now. I spent the day at the school. The present classroom teacher received the news that she would not be returning next term. Expectedly, she was upset. She explained to the children, and they were upset. It took everything in me not to break down sobbing my heart out... It wasn't until I got to the car that it had to release. I feel awful for this girl who has grown close to the children, and has to move on. I also feel the anguish of the children. I will have to be sensitive to their needs when I start next term.

Just bloody awful. I definitely can't be happy today!

I had a thought though. One of my most treasured possessions is a thank you card I received from a class. It contains all the children's finger prints, created into little 'people' with arms and legs and faces. One of my first activities will be to have the year 4 class complete a thank you card for their term one teacher.

Resources!!!

I am trying my damn hardest to do programming. One problem I still don't know for certain what class I will be teaching. All I know is it's year 3 or year 4. But no class list, and no knowledge of what they have already done makes this task very difficult. Not to mention, I haven't met them yet, I don't know their learning styles, interests etc.

I've been digging up my old resources. I've come across so much stuff I forgot I even had. If you're a Sex and the City fan, and you know about the shoe closet... I not need no shoe closet!!!! Give me a resources closet and I will rule the world (slight exaggeration but I'll be very happy).

Learning can be fun, and if you have the imagination, motivation, energy and means to do so... make some resources to use in the classroom. Think of all the benefits :D

• Including the children's interests.
• Increase motivation to learn.
• Social benefits (board games)
• Significance (utilise relevance, e.g. Aussie context)
• Plus it's just plain fun. I LOVE learning and for me this element helps to convey this love to the children I have taught :)

I'm in the process of making some Maths board games right now. Will post pics when I'm done! For now, an example of some other Maths board games I have made up (Instructions are on the back, in case you were wondering).

Lesson Break Rap!

So I haven't started teaching yet, but I can still share some of my favourite activities completed in practicums/internship.

Research suggests that children gain more from learning if there is some sort of 'break' between lessons, to allow children to gain the concept that the topic has been discussed, now we're moving on to something else. It is also suggested regular participation in movement is beneficial, it gets the blood flowing and all that awesome stuff.

There are many short games you can play... corners, spelling baseball, shoot-out. One of my favourites however is a rap called 'Lesson Break Rap' It's great because it's a bit of fun, the children sing, move, and there is a social element as well.

I typed the text of the rap onto sentence strips (in my case using NSW foundation text) glued them onto A3 paper/ cardboard and laminated them.

Colour coded:
Black = singing
Blue = singing with actions
Red = singing quietly with minimal actions

BEFORE you begin.
*make sure the children's chairs are pushed out, but they are sitting*
*make sure they have chosen a friend's hand to shake*
~It also takes some practice :)

This is the text:

Lesson Break Rap

When your mind needs a break,
And your body too,
Here's a few little things,
That you can do.
Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch ch ch (rub hands)
Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch ch ch (rub hands)

Put your hands in the air
And shake 'em to and fro,
Wriggle those shoulders.
And go, man, go!
Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch ch ch (rub hands)
Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch ch ch (rub hands)

Stamp your feet on the floor,
Tap a rhythm on the table,
Stand up, turn around -
Twice if you're able.
Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch ch ch (rub hands)
Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch, Ch ch ch ch ch (rub hands)

Now that you're up
And standing on your feet,
Clap your hands to the rhythm,
Tap your feet to the beat.
Tap right 2 / 3 / 4 /
Tap left 2 / 3 / 4 /
And stretch. / / /

Bring your hands to your head,
To your shoulders to your knees,
Leave 'em there, turn around,
Straighten up please.
Turn to a friend.
And give their hand a shake,
Cause now your body's moving
And your mind has had a break.

Lesson break (clap, clap)
Lesson break (clap, clap)
Oh Yeah!

I got a job!

Friday 6th of March 2009, at around 2.45pm my phone rang. It was a lady from the Dept. of Education and Training office in Sydney. They had rang me the week before to confirm my chosen teaching areas, in particular my choice of the Central Coast. I figured something was going on so I was not altogether surprised by the phone call.

However, what the lady caller had to say in the next 5 minutes completely took me by surprise! We are offering you a permanent teaching position at *insert school name here* would you be interested? Uhhhh, WOULD I?!?! Trying to act cool, calm and collected... like these sorts of opportunities just happen to appear every day... why yes indeed, I would. 'Good girl' she said LOL. Yikes. I wonder what she would have said if I had said 'no thanks, but thanks for asking'...

She provided me with school details and informed me that an acceptance package would be emailed to me and I will need to post it back ASAP.

After I got off the phone, what did I do??? SCREAMED and danced around like a prissy little girl of course :D

I haven't started teaching yet, and in fact I have not even done a single day of casual teaching. Well and truly diving right in there!!!

My first day of teaching, 28th of April 2009.

Who am I?

Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Miss Koolmeister. I realise that is a mouthful for an adult let alone a child, so I let the children call me Miss Kool or Miss K if it's too much. I'm a freshly graduated teacher from the University of Newcastle.

I began my degree in 2004 and I graduate 'officially' on the 17th of April this year.

I currently live in a small seaside suburb of Newcastle Australia, called Dudley. It is gorgeous, the best place I have ever lived, I love it.
I'm a mother of 5 boys, and I love them dearly, so whilst this blog is dedicated to talking about my teaching experiences, it is only natural that I may 'slip up' and talk about my precious children.

Throughout my degree, I loved to utilise technology, and I am told it is one of my strengths as a teacher. So, why stop now??? My thoughts were, to share what it is like for a new graduate during 'her' first year of teaching.

Scary stuff indeed. A challenge... definitely! Let's begin :)