Personal learning

Thursday it was decided that I would return to STEAM on Friday.  One week in 4th grade was eye opening, challenging, and rewarding.

My favorite moment was when we were discussing visionaries during Greek and Latin...students had so many awesome ideas. One boy said Martin Luther King was a visionary and quoted his I have a dream quote.

WOW!

So yesterday I taught a double STEAM library class with help.  It turned out awesome. I left exhausted but invigorated.  I even got a good walk through!

NEXT WEEK...

I have two awesome lessons that I will be finishing this week in STEAM - Dot Day and Zucchini Bread.

Monday is doing Dot Day lesson.

Tuesday and Friday is wrap of Zucchini bread.

Wednesday has done both...so time to get creative.

Thursday is Pumpkin Run.

Some would suggest starting a whole new lesson plan but I have dozens of eggs and frozen zucchini that needs consumed.

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This morning brings a new book.  Our district is reading The Learning Challenge as an optional book club.

The book cover

PJs - couch - blanket - book - coffee 

Saturday morning fun ;)

The Learning Challenge

I love stretching myself as an educator and the conversations with my colleagues.

Look for periodic updates :)

New week...new challenges!

Thank you for all of the support and awesome posts last week.

New Week - New Perspective

 A look inside the walls of a school during 2021:

Your child boards a bus masked sitting with a sibling or cousin.  If they share a seat, there is a chart denoting who was a close contact to whom.

Your child enters school to sit at a desk as close to 3 feet apart from every child in their room and 6 feet from the adults.

Your child has lunch at a table of 4 soon to be a table of 2...

Your child can have a mostly normal unmasked recess.

But your child is in school and not virtual...this is really the ultimate goals to keep students in schools and learning as much as possible.  It can be a scary time for everyone.  Everything feels so routine but still so unknown.  

This year brings a new twist...teachers with LONG periods of quarantine to take care of themselves or their children/husbands.  How do you replace a teacher for 10-30 days with nearly zero subs and limited staff to substitute in a building?

GET CREATIVE!!!

Currently, I am subbing in a classroom for another 8 days and so is the librarian.  Other teachers are covering specials including the guidance counselor, the emotional support teacher, the principals, teachers from other buildings after their day is over, and MORE!  There is a rotation of learning support and title teachers and special area teachers teaching in classrooms.  Some days are almost normal...others are a puzzle that has to be completed by 8:50!  God Bless the front office staff and admin that have to figure this out!

I have run the gamut of emotions on not teaching my class.  However, I feel like I need to focus on the STUDENTS.  I am able to create a level of normalcy for this classroom.  They know that I will be there each day to guide them and learn with them.  The students know me and I know them.  It is what is best to continue to educate these young people.  To teach the curriculum.  To provide them some level of stability even if us adults are spinning out of control (mentally and emotionally).

I will go in tomorrow morning ready to SERVE my students...to follow my directives...to teach these darlings.  I will get to finish my farm to table lesson soon enough (hope the eggs do not spoil in the meantime).  

Everyone is really getting a chance to see how things work in another room...to see the other side of education through this experience.  Maybe I will learn how to support a teacher more.  Touch a student's life.  Allow the principal/administration to keep the building open for in person education for 1 more day!  

Find the silver lining...step up to the plate...think of the stakeholders...think of these little people...take it one day at a time.  

My mental pep talk is - I CAN DO THIS!!!  WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Week 1 and 2 done

 When people ask me how the first two weeks of teaching in 2021...I think of two memes that I have recently seen.  The students are mostly oblivious to the stress of teaching in 2021.   However, I did have two workers ask me after day 1 if I was okay or stressed.  Maybe I need to improve my acting skills for 2021.

Here are the memes:

Well, I have to admit that I am stressed.  I have already subbed twice out of eight school days.  Just like every business, education is running on a basic crew with not much extra support.  I wonder am I keeping the students safe from this virus (masks, 3 feet apart, minimal sharing of materials, etc...), am I covering the correct material to prepare them for the learning and school year ahead, and more!  Remember, I usually assist with logging in 500 students in a variety of ways (different devices, different user names/passwords, getting new students accounts, etc...) in 45 minutes while keeping them engaged while they wait is not easy!  I feel this step is necessary incase a child has to do any virtual schooling.  

Plus my lesson is a heavy topic...DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP and INTERNET SAFETY.  I watch my own children fall into watching weird YouTube videos, chat with people on Roblox, and have ready access to media 24-7.  Keeping them safe online is HUGE!  Am I doing enough...I hope so... 

I have to cover this with 4 more classes on Monday that I have not even met yet!!!

I use the Digital Citizenship curriculum from Common Sense Media.   It has a great set of lessons...

Digital Citizenship link

Kindergarten and Life Skills made tin foil boats then went to the butterfly garden to watch if they sink or float.  Then they add passengers (pennies and acorns).  Plus a tour of the garden.  This is a lot lighter topic and more fun.  Typically, I skip the deep internet safety discussion with Kindergarten.

I only got a few pictures of boats and the 3rd and 4th grade project to create their name creatively.  However, I need to add more pictures. 

This is what I need to focus on...students and their learning!!!

Folding fun

Trying to figure it out

Another boat

Tin foil boat

Name design challenge

Name design challenge

Look for a fun zucchini bread post soon :)  Plus more pictures!!!

6 weeks - time to catch up

 GOBLIN IN THE NOTCH

 The fun just keeps on coming as well as the surprises!  We are having fun with a scavenger hunt/adventure created by "the Goblin in the Notch" - see these two links for the back story:
Goblin in the Notch
Goblin in the Notch - part 2

My kids are loving running up to check the mailbox...it has been a super busy few weeks so the time for hiking is limited...but they have squeezed in a few treks to the follow the latest Goblin in the Notch letter.

The walking sticks and tooth/claw necklace were the highlights!

My children talk about this as a highlight of the summer.  It has added a huge layer of fun, surprise, and wholesome fun to our summer.

SENECA LIBRARY

Erin and I flipped the high media center in 7 days!  This was a HUGE project...but I will share more after the September board meeting (I am hoping to share with the school board).
Here are the before and after pictures.  It is NOT done!!! 

BEFORE PICTURES!

HERE IS THE AFTER PICTURES

This is a panoramic of the new library space.  The boxes are leaving!

GARDEN

Last Monday, my husband and I picked carrots, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, 10 cucumbers, zucchini, and more!  These were given to the school cafeteria for lunches.  Some were served cold and fresh...others were added to create mixed veggies!

I brought cute little bowls - broccoli, peppers, cherry tomatoes

CUCUMBERS!!

Carrots abound...plus peas and beans

Internet Safety!!

This is always my first lesson in STEAM.  It is the law...so this is the new video that I shared with students in my bitmoji classroom.  This was shared in homeroom...and then we go into depth in STEAM using Common Sense Media.

Here is the video:

Look for more updates and pictures next week!! I need to take more pictures plus my first week lessons are not finished so I do not want to share too much about STEAM yet!