Cleaning

Here is a brutally honest post and self reflection, but maybe I will inspire someone to complete a task that you were avoiding or just clean off  the desk or your kitchen counter or eliminate something from your classroom that you might use some day in the future maybe 😉! 

Plus I should be cleaning somewhere in my house or garage and instead I am typing a blog post about cleaning while avoiding cleaning.

I have seen this meme or post several times on social media...which one do think my world looks more like?

I am definitely teacher A...I have added containers and curtains and labels, etc... It doesn't help.  Well, a new floor, no major library projects, and a Teacher B in the other half of my room (the library and STEAM lab are two rooms divided by a wall).  It was a stark contrast between our two spaces.  Most of mine was contained or "hidden".  So once the library was in order, my co-teacher (type B above) helped me dive in to complete a transformation!  

This summer was time to eliminate card board boxes from many STEM kits and robotics that were falling apart.  Now these items are in nice neat totes.  The totes were thanks to our mobile science grant.  Matching containers to store all of materials and know where they are in a moments notice - AWESOME.  Plus we unboxed and re-homed all of the new items bought with the grant including farm to table materials, new robotics, and more!  It was a big task.  To do this, we eliminated many library items stored in the STEAM area like OLD magazines, 3 old encyclopedia sets, yellowed magazine covers, and more!  I needed the shelves for STEAM items not holding onto items.

In addition, I save every scrap of paper, pipe cleaners, straws, q-tips, and more that the students want to throw away.   Time to start new next year.  I love recycled and upcycled projects but some pieces are just past their useful life.  I did save my cardboard tubes (can't pitch everything).  Paper - oy vey - why do I even take papers and handouts at conventions or off site meetings?  Why do I not throw away junk mail?  

My other offense is taking EVERYTHING that another teacher cannot use.  When I started STEAM three years ago, I collected old math manipulatives, old learning centers, and more!  Most of these are not what I needed.  I have expanded my options.  I used many of the items, but some are just taking up space.

Well - here are some pictures of the process.  More to follow!  After pictures, this week when I am in the building.

DISCARDS from the library and STEAM

One weird closet - cleaned up
They have a door but stretch to the sides from the opening and are about two feet deep.

The other closet was gutted and we are just starting to re-load it.

One mid-project picture of the STEAM step area

My clean up didn't start at school but at home.  During the first two weeks of COVID shut down, I started to clean my basement.  It is far from perfect...but I have taken multiple trips to the consignment store that never stopped taking donations!  I organized all of my children's school papers into a box/container for each child.  The crazy thing was that most of the area that I tackled was in paper boxes (not good for long term storage).  I moved things to edges of the basements not the direct middle!  This was good for two reasons...first we got flooded in that exact spot a few weeks later.  In three years in the house, we had NO floods.  I am so thankful that I did this or I would have lost LOTS of special items from baptismal certificates to school memories to probably more.  Second reason,  is that I could put up a table for home learning as the time grew longer.  My 2nd grader really used this space during the month of May. It was not as well used and collected junk, but he could work away from toddlers playing or you tube videos.  I am not DONE but thankful for baby steps.  Hence the reason for no pictures.  I am not 100% happy with the result yet!

Technology is also in need of some housekeeping and updating...

Mine wasn't desktop icons, but EMAIL to start!  My personal email account is one that I just do not use much anymore.  It is tough to access this webmail and I really began to rely on work email address more over the past year.  Well - I missed an email buried in 33,000 emails in this account that meant my son missed his preschool graduation.  😢
They did deliver his goodies, but I still felt bad.  (Note to self and others- check which email account you have mindlessly filled in a form and know which one to check regularly!)

A big mistake means time to take action.  I have deleted over 33,000 emails.  I have saved less than 200.  A few might have been deleted that I wanted but how would I have ever found them.  UNSUBSCRIBE and DELETE have been my favorite choices.  Over the past month...I have tackled about 1000 a day!  Yes...there are not extra zeros.  I am starting on my work email next. Then maybe my third cluttered junk account.

Lucas' pre-k graduation picture from home

So I am not Marie Kondo level or an expert.  But I know that it feels good to complete a task!  

SUMMER READING UPDATE:

Ben and Bella are trying to keep up with their library book club, but it means lots of focus and reading 2-3 chapters a day.  They are not self disciplined and we fell behind.  The book is getting much better, but I had to step in to help out with some reading.  

Plus I am working on Bold School for my book club at work.  So it is just book club fun!  I am getting so many ideas for my first few lessons in  school.  I love pre-thinking, talking with peers, and moving forward during this crazy time in education and our world!

Enjoy SUMMER

Every person has a different opinion on FALL 2020 and schools.  

I am choosing to focus on summer and summer fun. I have less than 40 precious days before the school year starts whether online, at home, blended, in person, etc...

The children do not need to know that you are researching the best masks for them, the possible school options, etc... 

They need to remember trips to parks, scavenger hunts in the backyard, popsicles and sprinklers, trips to a pool (if allowed).  Find something that your family loves to do and just do it a few hours a day.  Let the children live in a "bubble".

Then calmly prepare them for the unknown fall 2020 as best that you can.  I plan to find new/better masks this week that will really fit my children.  The ones that we made in haste in spring were designed to be wore less than 5 times and gone.  This is not happening.  I see masks being here for a while.  Whether at school or in the community.  

I know that the adults are going crazy...but everything is changing weekly...daily...hourly.  So let the kids be kids.  Many times, they read our emotions and feelings and echo them back.  

This post is just my opinions!!!!!!!  How are you preparing for fall?  

SUMMER READING UPDATE:

We have read three of the "Who Was" Series so far - Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin.  Today we are starting Blackbeard!

Ben and Bella are doing a summer book club in a box from the library together.  It has been good for them to solve who will read to whom, how long to read, etc... They set up their own accounts in BookClubz.  The book is getting better as most do!  It has quite a bit of Spanish in it so they are learning as they go!  The book is:

Tj finished books 1 and 2 of the Sophie Mouse series.  Not sure what is on his next read list...maybe book 3?

My book club on Bold School is great for discussion and thoughtfully prepare for fall lessons.

Plus I completed two days in STEAM/Library working on discarded books, cataloging new books, and STEAM clean out!

Summer 2020 ponderings

I have a few quick topics that are on my mind!  I will put them together in this one crazy post.

TOPICS:
1. Little Free Library UPDATE
2. Professional learning 
3. Summer reading opportunities
4. Summer learning continues

LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES

I originally posted about Little Free Libraries in summer of 2016.  Here is a link to that post: Little Free Library BLOG post.  But I have not updated much since then formally.  I recently took a few pictures of regionally Little Free Libraries in my area.  Our United Way has several documents and links to help you find a Little Free Library to support (share books with) or find a new read.  List of Little Free Library  OR visit the United Way website for an interactive map United Way + Little Free Libraries.  Plus there is a national map using the Little Free Library official website (Official Little Free Library Locator) or the unofficial app (Little Locator).  For the official locator, I find that the zip code search works best!  

Where are your favorites?  Here are few pictures of regional Little Free Libraries!

New pictures of the Little Free Library at Wattsburg Area Elementary 

Feature books in the front

Unofficial one on West 6th Street near Erie County Health Department
It was in SAD shape inside and needs some love!

On Burton Avenue near the park (plus there is another at the park!)

This is a BIG Little Free Library on Dobbins landing.  It reminds me of a lighthouse.  There is another in the EMTA building inside near by that looks like an EMTA bus!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I was supposed to go to Penn State for an Ag Institute by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau learning opportunity.  This was cancelled because of COVID.  Here is the link if you are curious about this - Ag Institute Link

Instead, I am reading a book called "Bold School" with some co-workers.  Look for updates later in the month.  

SUMMER READING IDEAS

Normally, businesses and libraries offer many different opportunities to promote reading.  Here is what I have found this summer!

1. Pizza Hut - It is the Book It.  Here is the link for parents - Camp Book It

2. Scholastic - There is a program and app option.  Here is the link to Read - A - Palooza and a link to the Home Base activity site - Scholastic Home Base.  

3. In Erie, PA, our local PBS channel called WQLN has a summer reading program for the month of JULY.  Here is the link for more information.  WQLN or Summer Reading Race Flyer

4. Public library is using a virtual way to track reading minutes and books.  The whole family can participate!  It starts on July 13.  Bean Stack

SUMMER LEARNING FUN

Again there are many opportunities and ideas in our region to learn and grow in a non-traditional way.

1. Penn State Behrend's "GOOSE CHASE".  It is a fun scavenger hunt app - Goose Chase

2. Headwaters Park has monthly scavenger hunts - Scavenger hunt

3. Outdoor BINGO throughout Erie County - Summer Bingo

WRAP UP :)

Have a great summer - here is what the children are reading in my house!

1. TJ - age 7 is reading book 2 in the Sophie Mouse series 

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2. Bella-Ann - age 10 is finishing up "Who Was Thomas Jefferson" and going to start one on Alexandar Hamilton

Plus we are onto book 3 in the Chronicles of Narnia called "A Horse and His Boy".

Finally - here is my new mantra for fall!  

COLORS, PHASES, PLANS

I feel like that my life is summed up in these three words - COLORS, PHASES, and PLANS!

I live in Erie County in Pennsylvania.  Our state went to a 3 colored re-opening system.  Our county quickly went to YELLOW then we got stuck for 2 months.  GREEN is coming.  It will not be "normal" operations, but GREEN is as close as we get for now!

Now the schools are preparing for fall:

Phases and Plans are the big buzz words here.  We have the CDC guidelines and schools creating plans.  

There are many memes and videos about the reality of what might happen this fall!  Here is my favorite - Plan video

Right now - I am just trying to enjoy summer :)

What do you think?

OFF TO CELEBRATE GREEN

Week 1 of Summer Vacation

Friday June 5th was the official last day for teachers in my district.  I wrapped up my data and blog plus worked on some grant related classes.  

The weekend was a hint of summer vacation with some work mixed in!  Our PTO president and I worked hard to move dirt to the raised beds and plant half the school garden on Saturday morning.  This was slowly finished on Sunday and Monday nights with the help of my husband and children.

   

                             

                                                             

On Saturday afternoon, Cadia was just not happy unless she was being held.  She is nearly 30 pounds and I had already had my "workout" for the day after working in the garden in the morning.  So into the stroller she went.  I decided to pull a few weeds by my back door since the flower beds (untouched since 2017) were starting to look a bit overgrown.  By the end of the day, I had found railroad ties on the edges of the beds, had my husband help thin down the HUGE hosta plants, and just puttered around.

Fast forward to Sunday...I decided to move to another "easy" section of the mammoth flower beds around the entire back of the house and sunporch.  There are HUGE rocks all through this bed which probably were pretty or useful in the original vision that we never saw!  I moved a few rocks, pulled some more weeds, and then found SLATE tiles/chunks. No major plan or ideas.  Just improvement was the goal.

Once upon time, there was slate in several beautiful flower beds.  Not sure when because it is all under several INCHES of mud and dirt.  Last year, I found them in my pachysandra and poison ivy patch.  This turned into a meandering path to my back barn (and a horrible case of poison ivy!). This year, a few pieces from a different "flower bed" turned into a PATIO.  It is not done "right" or complete.  But I have a patio under my picnic table.  

Here is the updated patio picture 

Here the patio...I have added to it all week so look for a better picture later today! I keep finding more pieces of slate deeper and deeper in the dirt.

Plus I kept thinking...where am I going to put my mini home garden.  The spot from last year was not sunny enough and NOT close to water.  I did not "love" this spot.  I picked a second spot, but two gas lines and electrical wires left us uncertain about rota tilling that spot.

So where I found the slate is flat, all dug up from a sewer project, close to a spigot, and not too easy to mow so this became the ACTUAL home to my garden for 2020.  Thanks to an awesome friend, it is rotatilled.   My daughter and her fiance helped to plant my seedling starters.  Plus I keep working with that area of the flower bed.  Sounds like relaxing fun...right? Here is the before garden picture:

  

                                  

Here is the after:

Not done but improving 

So the weekend was spent in my garden/yard/jungle as well as at the school garden! THANK YOU TO MY FAMILIES WHO ARE WATERING OUR SCHOOL GARDEN this week!  The pictures and stories that they shared made me so happy throughout this long week.  I am excited for our school garden this year...

Fast forward to Monday.   This week was my contractual library work days week.  So "Summer Vacation" could not really start yet.

What do we do?  LOTS of different tasks.  Luckily, I get to work with another awesome librarian.  She and I are opposites, but we both compliment each other.  We started shelving several hundred books on Monday and weeding almost 700 chapter books.  It is so hard to let them go, but just like a closet...out with "old" and in with the new.  We save classics, award winners, student favorites, and other books for a variety of reasons.  Some books are just done with their useful life on our library shelves.  Then we had to take them out of the system.  

Next was removing old magazines, encyclopedias, and other library items.  STEAM needed more shelf space for storage.  

Then we moved onto my LEAST favorite job - INVENTORYING.  This means touching each book (over 10000 books) and scanning the barcode and then listen for the beep sound.  A pleasant beep means all good.  If you get the most annoying "ERRRH" sound then you have to walk to the computer and check what happened.  Sometimes it is in the wrong place or that it might have not gotten checked in correctly or the barcode is no longer working.  Then you go back to where you left off and repeat.  

Erin and I did this in record time this year - about 2 days!  Then we rewarded ourselves with ordering new books using Scholastic dollars from Book Fair profits and our library budget.  Plus we added in additional new books from Scholastic.  The Scholastic order got split in the chaos of COVID in March.  Adding new books means barcoding with stickers, adding them to our database system, creating spine labels, and stamping the book.  It is a multi-step process! 

Then we worked on the STEAM area as well.  Sorting new items from our Mobile Science Grant and then CLEAN OUT.  I am a "saver" and my partner is NOT.  So we teamed up for a morning of cleaning out STEAM on Friday.   It was our most productive week together in our joint roles and now I am looking forward to my days in July/August!

Trash pile

STEAM is ready for a new floor and more clean up

So that is summer vacation week 1!  We missed a couple trips to the beach with cousins.  But overall, I am farther ahead minus some grant work and now summer vacation can really START.  It feels weird to not have library activities and tons of running to do...but maybe I will finally get more items off the "TO DO" list!

Here is what my children and I are reading:

Together as a family: We have ready book 1 which is the "The Magician's Nephew" and mostly through "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe"  Then 5 more books!
       

My 12 year old is working on "I Survived"

                                                            

   

My 10 year old is working on "Choose Your Own Adventure"

My 7 year old is working on "Sophie Mouse"

Have a great week 2 of summer vacation!  Find ways to celebrate and enjoy your time at home.  Look for new pictures from the garden.  Plus I will find myself a book to read :)

Survival

Just checking in with my loyal blog followers...I am still here :)

We did it - we survived!

Survival...many families feel that is all that they did in the past 10 weeks since March 13.

THAT IS OKAY!  We (teachers, parents, and students) were not prepared for a complete shift in society and education...

Celebrate your success and forget the losses.  Our district is pass/fail.  Did you child pass?  THEN YOU SUCCEEDED.  

Many people are all nervous for fall 2020.  I am in recovery mode as a teacher.  Sorry - check back in 2 weeks.

For the past month, I wake up and check my school email first.  Then I check our learning management platform then I start my day.

There are times when I try to unplug...I go for a walk, play a game with my children, sit down to help them with an assignment, make a meal, fold a basket of laundry, etc...  No unplugging truly happens.  I am left wondering...does someone have a question, should I be sending feedback to a student, does a co-worker need something, etc...

One hour a day for office hours really morphs into 16 hours of teaching...yes...I was in teacher mode most of my waking day since May 4th.  Not just Monday-Friday but 7 days each week.  

The notifications ding, the apps were slowly added to my phone, and everyone in our family learned to react to a noise.  

Online learning was an all in process from wake up to bed.  You guessed it...before I went to bed, I checked one last time.  

This is not to be a complaint, but a reflection and reality check.  

Parents want to send their students back and teachers want to be back in the classroom.  Not that many teachers do not naturally work in the evenings.  Online learning led most teachers to a whole new level of "ON".  

Parents and students survived the tears, the confusion, the technology, the curriculum.  That is why I wanted to be able to help or answer a question as quickly as possible.  You wanted and needed answers from us.  It was a lot for us all, but we are so much more knowledgeable and prepared for fall.   

The past week has been about DATA.  What can I do better in the future? We can only change the future if we learn from the past.

TOGETHER - we did it!!!  It might not have been perfect or pretty or ideal.  Celebrate your successes...pat yourselves on the back...reflect on what worked and did not work for the future.  

Then just unplug and re-focus.  I plan to do that after next week.  My co-librarian and I have to do ordering, inventory, book shelve, parent phones, etc...

Sometimes our children have a totally different perspective.  Ben age 12 said as I was typing this...I think that we would all be in the RED phase (Pennsylvania has a color code system on what is open/closed) if we would have been school for the past 10 weeks.  PROBABLY TRUE

My superintendent said from the beginning "In the end, it will be impossible to know if we overreacted or did too much, but it will be quite apparent if we under reacted or did too little."  

Being at home has been the safest place to be.  Embrace your safety.  Most of us have been super healthy...no colds, stomach bugs, etc...

GO BREATHE - GO CELEBRATE - GO RE-CONNECT!!!

Try these websites:
CALM

Here is a funny cartoon for the future:

Rose, bud, thorn...

Home learning got real on May 4th,2020!!!  This was the date that our school made the switch from enrichment to required learning.  

I was a nervous wreck...would my lessons work?  What would my children be doing?  

However, I am optimist and created the perfect schedule with each child's two hour blocks allotted.

Some of my ideas WORKED!  Some of my ideas FAILED.  I am happy to report that everyone finished week one over the weekend with minimal tears and week 2 is on track to finish today for 2 out of 3 of my children.  We plow through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday then on Wednesday evening we (I) make a Thursday and Friday battle plan to finish the rest.  We have 2 computers and 4 users (3 kids and mom).  However, the older laptop is "glitchy" and not a touch screen.  

My children require support to complete the activities in a timely manner.  I think that they could be more independent if I had more time!

I could comment, philosophize, and complain for pages as could every parent in America.  

Instead, I am going to do an activity that I learned through my children's scout groups.  It is called Rose, Bud, Thorn.  You pick 1 thing you LOVE, 1 thing that you LEARNED, and one thing that you DISLIKE.

So parents I encourage you to silently or in the comments below think about your ROSE, BUD, and THORN.  

ROSE: Spending more time with my children than I will ever get to spend again.  I usually get 2.5 months of summer to run to the park, go to camps, do summer library work, and more.  I will get to be with my children from March 13 until late August.  The first 8 weeks were here together...no obligations...no "rules"...nothing...just TIME together.

BUD:  My children and I get to be learners together.  I am learning right along with them.  We learn about music topics, literacy activities, computers, etc...  I do not have the answers or the perfect ideas.  We get to try new games, crafts, recipes, and so much more.  Plus, I think that I will get to know them as learners.  Who is distractable?  Who is  an auditory learner?  

THORN:  Being the "meany" when work needs done.  It might a beautiful afternoon, but I need 1 hour of work.  Or you might have to quote your resources.  Or you have to finish this topic before playing a game or watching a video.    

Remember that we will get though this!  I added some of our recent art activities...I even did one of them!  

So what are your rose, bud, and thorn?

Staying Healthy!

I honestly do not know what to write.  My family has been home together since March 13th.  It is now April 26th!  My family is lucky to live in a bubble.  My husband and I can work from home.  We are both getting paid.  My children do not need to go to childcare.  We are blessed with food from school and our own food.  No hungry bellies!  Our zipcode/region of our county has a low case count of Covid 19 positive cases.  Our family has a beautiful yard and neighborhood to explore.  

I am not trying to brag or boast, but it is my current reality.  I am trying to envision families with any different reality.  I wish that I had a magic wand or potion to fix everything.  

As a teacher, the expectations and platforms are changing minute by minute.  Teachers are learning on the go.  I never knew how to make PDF pictures.  Now I do.  Each of us is sitting at a computer deciding what to cover in our curriculum, how to modify it for a variety of learners, etc...  The questions are endless!!!

Our district has gone through three phases during this time period.  First, was the 2 week shut down and "wait and see."  Second phase was the online enrichment/packets.   Currently, we are preparing for phase 3...online LEARNING on May 4th.

Wow...I feel like I could spend all day researching and preparing and fixing and creating.  I am using something new to me called BUNCEE.  It is great tool and has so many cool options.  I hope that the students like the activities.  One platform and one link sounded more manageable for families than a series of random links and PDFs.  Maybe I am over thinking this, but I do not know.  I just need to follow the advise in this article!  Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Paper

In addition, I am a mother of six children who are now doing online enrichment and preparing for online learning.  I will fully admit to not being too strict or scheduled for this online enrichment.  I spoke to this a few weeks on my blog.  

This week, we created a schedule and discussed this change from online enrichment to online learning.  Today is house cleaning day.  I know that it is Sunday, but yesterday was too nice to stay in and clean.  Tomorrow, I want to give our new schedule a "TRIAL RUN" and not be worried about cleaning.  

What do you think education will look like next school year?  Did you see this article from NPR about the future of education?  9 Ways Schools Will Look Different  

Here are a few images that I have captured of "HOME LEARNING":

Workbook/fine motor practice

After game night picture

Mask making (for dolls)

Pizza making fun

Reality vs fantasy

The last 3 weeks have been amazing, surreal, and stressful intermittently throughout this time period.  I know that this sounds crazy, but it is true!

Today, I found a video from Gerry Brooks that sums up how I feel very well.  

Here is the link.  He is a principal in Kentucky and is really well educated..

Being An Educator 

Facebook version

How is it going with home learning at my own house?

Each child has strengths and weaknesses:

Here is the REALITY:

Alayna (age 21) is managing but college classes and tests with five younger siblings is interesting.  Many of her professors are swimming uncharted waters for advanced genetics and immunology classes.  

Ben (age 12) is working through the Pennsylvania Hunter Safety Course as well as his occupational therapy activities.  Not much school related activities, but he is doing his fluency.

Bella (age 10) is struggling to find enrichment for herself.  She is doing awesome working with siblings, playing computer and board games with them, but is not stretching herself academically.  

She is enjoying making small crafts to include in family letters.  Bella is writing a letter each day to different family and friends.  In addition, she is reading aloud to my students every night.

TJ (age 7) is working hard, but is super distractable.  He has read books, completed math activities, met on Zoom with his teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, worked on his teacher's enrichment activities, and even writes a letter every day.  This is a challenging activity for him, but he is doing it!

Lucas (age 4) is just existing and learning through osmosis mostly.  He loves ABC Mouse and Prodigy math games on the computer.  We try to do Go Noodle as well.  He is counting and working on writing his name.  He is often reluctant to color a picture, but will make one out of stickers.  Letters are my goal for him over the next 2 months.

Cadia (age 2) is just working on her speech therapy goals.  Play and listening and reading are the main ways that she is learning.

Here is my FANTASY:

I want the picture perfect imagine of everyone sitting at the table working or everyone curled up on the couch each with our own book.  NOPE not happening.  I am just focusing on sanity and real life moments not TEACHING.  

It is a huge shift...it feels weird...I still want/need a schedule.  I am guessing that this will come over the next few weeks.  

What are your successes and challenges?

Pictures...

Watching the International Space Station

 

Scavenger hunt from Girl Scouts

College Latin class

Bella painting 

PBS Kids

Zearn Math