Christmas Time is Here!

As our semester is coming to a close, we are also wrapping up the 2010 school year and it is amazing to think that Christmas is just around the corner.  As you can imagine, the Christmas season is huge in our little Catholic School in Clawson.  There is a big Christmas Concert in the Church this week and there has been a lot of preparation going on during these past three weeks of Advent.  Everyone is getting ready for the birth of our Lord.  Of course, our little youngsters are also anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus and probably some big present that comes in his bag.  We know that children often think of receiving during this holiday season, but it is important to get their senses thinking about other things as well.  Allie Magnuson suggests many activities that will get your children in the holiday spirit...away from thinking just about Jolly Ol' St. Nick! 

She suggests these activities and more!

• For Sight--Do some kind of activity revolving around Rudolph's blinking red nose!
• For Touch--Use and make some Insta-Snow and get the kids working on a snowman project!
• For Sound--Work with Jingle Bells to create a necklace for Mom!
• For Smell and Taste--Bake some Christmas cookies and decorate them together!  You could even mail these cookies to soldiers oversea or something!

Of course, Allie Magnuson makes many other suggestions too!  Read the entire article and see some pictures on her post.

Comments in Word

On the Scholastic webpage, Mary Blow wrote an article about how to use Microsoft Word in the classroom to help with conferencing and editting.  She instructs teachers on using the extremely helpful "Comments" tool within Microsoft Word.  She says, "When I conference with students, I type or record comments into students’ documents so that they'll have them when they revise or edit on their own. If students are confused, they can respond to my comment with another comment. Students also use comments as a form of communication during peer review. Ultimately, digital comments enhance communication in any classroom."  I think this is a fantastic way to create very neat notes in an essay or project to help students remember what you talked about during the revision process.  While taking a class at the University of Michigan last year, my professor also used these Microsoft comment tools and it made it so easy to see where she was making suggestions or compliments for my writing!  Mary Blow includes videos and other tutorials about using the Microsoft Comments in her article posted here.

Praising Children

Brent Vasicek wrote on the Scholastic blog this week about using Authentic Praise with students.  He talks about how our culture is developing in such a way that it seems like "every child needs a trophy."  Kids are growing up expecting to be praised for everything that they do, whether it is good or bad.  I have one young student who is always at my desk saying, "How did I do?  Was that good Ms. Karol?"  I hate to see that children are coming to me for continuous praise instead of finding it within themselves.  There is so much wrong with that picture that I don't even know how to continue!

However, Brent Vasicek gives a helpful acronym for teachers to remember each and every day.  He uses the acronym FIGS, which stands for Frequent, Immediate, Genuine and Specific.  He goes on to explain how every time we praise our children we need to keep these terms in mind.  For his full explanation, read this article.  Just remember that each child needs to hear some kind of genuine praise each and every day at school and at home!

Oh, We Need a Little Christmas!

Just yesterday, my principal sang to me, "Oh, we need a little Christmas...Right this very moment!"  Isn't that the truth?  Christmas cannot come soon enough!  It was a great relief to hear that I was not the only one feeling the need for a small break!  We are all rushing around trying to wrap things up in our classrooms and in our own personal lives.  We are shopping like crazy and some of us may have battled the Black Friday crowds last week--I couldn't even think about going out that day!  Buy anyway, it was interesting to see that Change.org actually published an article about how in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, parents should remember to think about their teachers.  I tend to think that parents do not need to go out of their way to find a present for me, their child's teacher.  Change.org argues, however, that "Every year, teachers reach down into their [own] pockets and pay as much as $1,500 a year on classroom supplies -- sometimes for materials as vital as paper and pencils."  They argue that teachers give so much of their own personal time and money that it is only right to give back to them.  I had to keep reading and was actually impressed to see that there are websites like ILoveSchools.com that actually allow teachers and donors to connect in order to collect basic supplies for their classrooms.  Wouldn't it bring an overwhelming sense of hope to struggling schools to know that some teachers out there are not asking for gifts this holiday season, but are instead asking them to send supplies to schools in need?  What a great idea and something we can still implement in our classrooms before the holiday break!  At this time of year, it is all about giving!  For a more detailed list of donation websites, click here.

Video Book Reviews

Because of our Master's program, we are always looking for ways to incorporate technology into the classroom.  On the Scholastic website, Mary Blow writes about using technology to create "Video Booktalks" in her classroom.  Her students actually talk about their books with other students in a talk show format.  These Booktalks help children learn the basics of summarizing books of interest while also working on their public speaking skills.  They video tape these talks and are able to share them with others.  Each person has a special role in the production and the "host" has specific questions that he/she has to ask.  This is a great way to use technology and to allow the children to see their own projects on the classroom TV!

Read the whole article here.

Reviewing and Parents

All of us are in the education field because we want to help children learn!  We spend time introducing new concepts, reviewing old ones, and testing everything that should be mastered.  Reviewing is key no matter what age.  Brent Vasicek posted a blog for Scholastic this week that said, "When a student is learning something new, I follow the 10/24/7+ Rule.  After I teach a concept, I review it ten minutes later, 24 hours later, 7 days later, and periodically after that."  I think this is a fantastic rule to follow in our classrooms.  All children need to hear information over and over again.  When I think about the various grades I have taught--first, second, and third--I know that I spend a lot of time reviewing things I taught the year before, especially in areas like math and phonics. 

With that being said, I want to know about your views on reviewing!  I have some parents who are very critical of the fact that we spend the first quarter reviewing and taking our standardized assessment.  They complain that their students' grades for the first quarter are "too high" or "too good" for their beginning quarter of 3rd grade.  Isn't it our job to help our students prepare themselves for what to expect in this new grade?  Aren't we supposed to take some time to review in case there is a need for reteaching?  Are we wrong because our desire to help our students?  Any thoughts?

A Desire for Simplicity

As we enter the long winter months and get settled into a regular routine in our classrooms, it is important to remember how to keep things fun and engaging.  However, it is also the time that we are bogged down with extra things, like Christmas shopping and homework, and we are trying to give everything to everyone in our lives.  So, I was hoping to find some simple steps to help me in my classroom.  I love keeping things fresh, but I also love having a little help coming up with ideas from fellow teachers!  Who knows what you will be able to do with a little inspiration!?  There was an article on Edutopia entitled, "Ten Simple Strategies for Re-engaging Students."  The first thing that caught my eye was the word SIMPLE!  Thank goodness--it won't be overwhelming!  So, I had to read on.  Andrew Marcinek suggests ways to excite your students:
1. Have Fun
2. Learn Beyond the Walls
3. Expand Your Audience
4. Collaborate
5. Deconstruct an Issue Transparently
6. Make Many Mistakes Along the Way
7. Share
8. Provide Constructive Criticism
9. Eat a Sandwich
10. Engage Others
He fully explains each of his suggestions on this blog.  I recommend taking the time to read it!