Thousands of teachers have used these tried and true GUARANTEED tups to stop students from blurting out. Chatty Class? YOU NEED TO READ THIS!
Learn from other teachers and share what works for you.
Discover a world of laughter with our collection of funny meeting memes, perfectly capturing the quirks and humor of workplace gatherings. From endless conference calls to 'could have been an email' moments, these memes offer a light-hearted escape, enhancing camaraderie and bringing a smile to every professional's face in the midst of their busy schedules.
Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...
Discover a world of laughter with our collection of funny meeting memes, perfectly capturing the quirks and humor of workplace gatherings. From endless conference calls to 'could have been an email' moments, these memes offer a light-hearted escape, enhancing camaraderie and bringing a smile to every professional's face in the midst of their busy schedules.
Discover a world of laughter with our collection of funny meeting memes, perfectly capturing the quirks and humor of workplace gatherings. From endless conference calls to 'could have been an email' moments, these memes offer a light-hearted escape, enhancing camaraderie and bringing a smile to every professional's face in the midst of their busy schedules.
There are many procedures that you teach at the beginning of the year. Some of them you know by heart. But, it seems like there are always a few that you forget to teach until you have an "oops!" moment. Phone calls are one of those procedures that I forget to teach my class until I get my first phone call. Then it is the big "Oops! I really need to add that to my procedures list next year". Somehow I forget to do that because you know what the beginning of the year is like, crazy busy with a big dose of overwhelm-ness thrown in for good measure. Learn from my mistakes and add what you want your students to do when the phone rings to your procedure list. The next time the phone rings, you'll be glad you did. At the beginning of the year, there is always a larger percentage of your class that blurts out. For some students, it takes them a while to get back into school mode. For others, it can be a matter of: ANXIETY: Beginning of the year can be a scary thing. Think about your last job interview did you ramble on more than you normally would? This is how it is with the nervous type of blurters. They are anxious. With time, they will adjust to the expectations of your classroom. Sensitivity and patience works best with these type of students. Heavy handed discipline or laying-down the law does not work with an anxious blurter. All that does is make them more anxious and prone to blurt more. Try to ignore their blurting as much as possible. Making connections with them during work time or recess will help make them more comfortable with you and at school. The smallest comment like "I noticed you working really hard on your journal today" can pay the biggest dividends with them. IMPULSIVITY: Some students are impulsive and excitable by nature. It could be also be a matter of maturity. Check their birthdate. Were they born between May - August? Whether it is their nature or a matter of maturity, there are strategies that you can use. The parking garage is a strategy to use when you are teaching a whole group lessons. Some students that blurt respond well to a visual reminder. I made small stop signs and kept them everywhere that I kept one at my reading table, carpet time, white board, and all the other places that I taught. I didn't stop what I was teaching when one of my students blurted, I held up my small stop sign that I put on a popsicle stick. The student quickly learned what the sign meant and without any verbal directions from me, stopped interrupting the lesson. Here is a freebie for you. Do you have colleagues that pop in when you are teaching? Sometimes there is a reason why it is necessary to ask you a question during your instructional time. But, many times questions could wait until you have a prep period, or before/after school. If you have co-workers that are making a habit of popping in at the wrong time you can handle it different ways. Talk to them, privately, if it is becoming a problem. Shut your classroom door during the day when you are teaching and don't want to be interrupted. This works as a visual cue for most people. If you don't want to be interrupted after school when you are catching up on paperwork, close your door then, too. It works as well after school as during the day. Did you hang a marker board outside your dorm room in undergrad? People left you notes if you were sleeping or not in your room. I have seen teachers used this same type of method. They kept a marker board or even a small table with a pad of paper and pen outside their classroom door. People can write a note and leave it in the basket. The first school I taught at was a Catholic School. Students were taught to stand up next to their desk, face the person who enters their classroom, and greet them with either "Good Morning Mr./Mrs. ___ or Good Afternoon Mr./Mrs. ____". It was to show respect and greet the person when he or she came into a classroom. People rarely visited other classrooms during the instructional time, because the greetings clearly demonstrated that you were interrupting our class. Looking for more tips? Check out my Classroom Management Pinterest board. Click on the picture below. Fern has a few tips to share with you, too. Be sure to hop over to her blog! Each week, Fern and I share a Tuesday Teacher Tip. We love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books and hope you do, too! Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for our latest tips. We hope you will share your ideas, too. Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip. We will announce the winner on the following Tuesday's post. Do you have a interruptions, blurts, or other distraction tip to share? Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip. You must leave your email address in order to win. Looking for more ideas? Click on the pictures below. An InLinkz Link-up http://teach123-school.blogspot.com/2014/08/interruptions-blurts-out-and-other.html
Discover a world of laughter with our collection of funny meeting memes, perfectly capturing the quirks and humor of workplace gatherings. From endless conference calls to 'could have been an email' moments, these memes offer a light-hearted escape, enhancing camaraderie and bringing a smile to every professional's face in the midst of their busy schedules.
Are you on the Sunshine Committee this year? Some schools call it Social Committee. Whatever the name, it serves the same purpose. Usually there is a little arm twisting at the beginning of the year to get staff members to pay their dues. If your school normally doesn't allow the staff to wear jeans, you might ask your administrator if your committee could give people who pay dues a "Jean Day Coupon" that allows teachers to wear jeans on one day of their choosing. It's like a "get out of jail" card. Through the years, there has been some grumbling at some of my schools about our committee. I think this happens when there are not clear cut guidelines. There needs to be guidelines in writing and transparency with the finances. Here are a few topics to discuss when you are ready to write some guidelines: Leadership: officers and their duties I highly recommend the treasurer giving a report at the faculty meetings at least quarterly. Boss Day in October: Will the committee purchase the gift? If so, what is the budget? Appreciation Day/Week: Which staff members do you recognize? How and what is the budget? Morale booster activities: when and budget Staff parties: When, where, budget Showers: baby/wedding - Does the committee provide anything for the shower, if so what is the budget. Is it for the first baby and first wedding or other? Death: Does the committee send something from the faculty? If so, what and what is the budget? What relationship to the staff member should it be when you do this? I.E. Immediate family member Holidays: Does the committee purchase holiday gifts for any staff members? If so, who and what is the budget? I typed up a few things that I have done at some of my schools that you might like, too. These are fun activities that boost morale. Do you have a staff member that is your PTA representative? If the PTA ask you for suggestions, you might suggest that they organize food during your conferences. I helped organize this at my daughter's middle school. Her school had a week of Parent-Teacher Conferences. Students had school for half a day and then teachers met with parents the other half. Our PTA organized food the first three days for the teachers. We knew that the teachers had conferences at different times and wouldn't eat at the same time so the food had to stay fresh for a long time. We organized a salad bar one day, a nacho bar another day, and heavy appetizers the final day. This was the most popular thing that our committee organized. Click HERE to download this freebie. Looking for more tips? Check out my Beginning of the Year Pinterest board. Click on the picture below. Fern has a few tips to share with you, too. Be sure to hop over to her blog! Each week, Fern and I will share a teacher tip. We love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books and hope you do, too! Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for our latest tips. We hope you will share your ideas, too. Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip. We will announce the winner on the following Tuesday's post. Click HERE to read Melinda's tip. Do you have a staff morale booster tip to share? Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip. You must leave your email address in order to win. Looking for more ideas? Click on the pictures below. An InLinkz Link-up Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
Came across a new blog by Mrs. Orr - Cardigans & Curriculum. She had a GREAT idea on managing unwanted blurts! She made a Blurts poster wit...
Discover a world of laughter with our collection of funny meeting memes, perfectly capturing the quirks and humor of workplace gatherings. From endless conference calls to 'could have been an email' moments, these memes offer a light-hearted escape, enhancing camaraderie and bringing a smile to every professional's face in the midst of their busy schedules.
Are your students blurting and interrupting constantly? Put an end to the interruptions by teaching your students when it is okay to blurt and when it’s not. With this low prep resource, students will learn criteria to decide whether they should blurt, raise their hands, or keep their thoughts in their heads. This resource will also help you to document your students’ interruptions and give them positive reinforcement when they remember to raise their hands! This resource is part of a self control activities bundle! Click here to save 20%! This resource is part of an executive functioning bundle. Click here to save 20%! ****************************************************************************************************************** What’s Included Poster (color and b&w) Desk sized poster (color and b&w) “Should I Blurt?” Activity – Students will decide whether or not to blurt “Should I Blurt?” Foldable Positive reinforcement and reminder cards Positive reinforcement notes 4 Daily data collection sheets 2 Weekly data collection sheets 2 Monthly data collection sheets For more information, see the preview. ****************************************************************************************************************** Ideas For Use: Self control lessons Self control small groups Classroom management Morning meetings Students who could benefit from remembering to wait to talk Students who frequently interrupt the teacher or other students Students with ADHD ****************************************************************************************************************** What People Are Saying About This Resource: Amber said "I love this product and it has really reduced the chatter and blurting." Marsha said "Love this! Blurting is out of control these days! Thanks for your innovative idea!" ****************************************************************************************************************** If you are satisfied with this resource, please leave feedback. If there is something I can improve upon, please e-mail me at [email protected] and I will do my best to accommodate you. Looking for more self regulation resources? Check these out! Staying Focused and On Task: A Classroom Lesson Self Control Activities: Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker For more updates on my new products: Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Instagram! To read the terms of use and copyright information for this resource, please click here.
This is a Brand New book in excellent condition. Format: PaperbackAuthor: Leighann Dobbs, Lisa FenwickISBN10: 1946944173ISBN13: 9781946944177 Designer Marly West has one reason for taking the job at Draconia Fashions.and its not to come up with the latest clothing trends. But when she blurts out a good idea in a corporate meeting, she gets exactly what she didnt want . an opportunity of a lifetime. Too bad taking advantage of it might reveal the secret she desperately needs to keep hidden.But its too late to get out of it now, and she soon finds that shes in over her head with a boardroom full of resentful executives, a hot CEO, and a jealous M M-scarfing assistant who wants to make sure Marly doesnt succeed.
How do you stop students from blurting out in the classroom? Do you have some processes in place to curb blurting, but they’re just not working for you anymore? Here are some classroom management idea
Do you find yourself answering questions about the directions that you just gave your class? Does your voice get hoarse from repeating yourself? Do you feel like you have tried everything but still your students aren't listening? Observe your class during their lesson with the librarian or school counselor. Look for signs of active listening. Sometimes we assume that our students are actively listening when they are quiet. This isn't always true. Listening is a skill like reading or playing soccer that you need to practice in order to improve. You can promote and practice active listening when giving directions for an assignment: Engage your students when giving important directions. Example: "Boys and girls hold up one first and repeat after me, the first step of this assignment is ____", (class repeats while holding up one finger), "Now class hold up 2 fingers and repeat, the second step of what I will do is _____", (class repeats while holding up two fingers), continue until all of the directions are given. If your class is sitting at their table or desk, you can ask them to stand up when they repeat what you say, and sit down when they listen to you. Movement helps engage them and with the wiggles. Sponge activities that improve listening skills: Teacher or student leader says: If you can hear me tap your chin. If you can hear me jump 2 times. If you can hear me flap your arms like a chicken. If you can hear me touch your left elbow. Mental math: teacher or student leader gives math problems to the class. Great activity to use when class is waiting in line. 4 + 2 + 6 + 1 = __ 7 + 5 + 5 + 8 + 2 = __ In order to actively listen, students need to concentrate on what the speaker is saying. This skill requires stamina. Practice! Practice! Practice! Assessing listening skills can be done formally and informally. You will notice that you have to repeat directions less often as your students' listening skills improve (informal assessment). It is helpful if you have a baseline of where your students begin to see how they improve during the school year. Listening skills can cause academic and behavior problems for students. This is one more tool to add to your teacher toolbox. Listen and Draw is an activity that is a non-threatening way to assess your students' listening skills. I recommend doing activities like these at the beginning of the year and at least once a month throughout the year. It is helpful documentation for parent-teacher conference, R.T.I., and other times when you are looking at behavior or academic issues. Listening skills impact many areas in the classroom. I have a FREE sample that you can use with your class. Click HERE for a FREE sample. Listen & Draw - PLUS: includes additional materials that the other files do not include. These materials include: QR Codes, MP3 files, assessment tools, brag tags, and happy notes. Listen & Draw - Inferences & Superhero lessons are a big hit with students! Listen & Draw - Fall / Autumn Listen & Draw - Winter Listen & Draw - Spring Listen & Draw - Summer Listen & Draw - BUNDLE (includes the files above) Listen & Draw - Christmas Listen & Draw - Ocean Listen & Draw - CVC Words Listen & Draw - R Controlled Words Listen & Draw - Poetry - FREE Listen & Draw - CVC Words - FREE Listen & Draw - R-Controlled Words - FREE How do you promote active listening? Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
W.A.I.T. is a management strategy that brings attention to why and when someone is talking in order to talk with purpose.
National security reporter Ken Dilanian thinks that the main reason that the White House is lying about Jared Kushner's recent nepotism example is that they're all embarrassed. It was reported this week that President Donald Trump personally asked that his son-in-law be given top security clearance ...
Need ideas on how to build a strong classroom community? Try these sharing ideas for your morning meeting!
If you read forums for teachers, job satisfaction surveys, or listen to conversation in the teachers’ lounge you will often hear a common theme in the complaints of teachers. Teachers who are unhappy feel unappreciated and unrecognized for their hard work. Although a raise would put a smile on teachers everywhere, this may not be possible with the current state of economics. Have you read Malcom Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point? One of the examples he gives in his book is the NYC subway system. George L. Kelling was hired as a consultant in 1985 to test his broken windows theory. The city cleaned the subway system of graffiti. Graffiti was quickly cleaned any time it appeared. The theory was that small crimes lead to bigger crimes. Purging the subway of graffiti was the tipping point to make the NYC subway system safer. Small crimes lead to bigger crimes. I think a few negative comments can spread quicker than 48-hour flu in a school. Soon it seems like the entire staff is infected with negativ-itis. It is possible to make teachers, staff members, and co-workers of your school feel appreciated and recognized for their hard work. The best thing is the school climate doesn't have to be the responsibility of one person in the school. Do you think your co-workers are feeling a little stressed? Do you hear more snips and snarks than comments of appreciation? Have there been changes on your campus . . . new team members, administrators, curriculum, or expectations? If this sounds familiar, you could be the change agent at your school. Sometimes it is the administrator, team leaders, or Sunshine Committee than plans school climate and community building events. But, one thing I have found through the years. Everyone loves a helping hand. If you step up to the plate, you will have their undying gratitude. After a few community building events, you will have a happier place to work. So, it is a win-win for everyone. For whatever reason, I have always enjoyed planning these type of things. I know it is crazy, right?!! I have been on a social committee for my neighborhood homeowner association, a school's Sunshine Committee, and planned monthly luncheons for my daughter's middle school. Through all of these experiences, I have picked up a few tips and tricks that make putting on a luncheon for a large group a little easier. Food brings people together, it bonds them, it is just that simple. If at all possible it is best to plan the date of your luncheon on a day when everyone can eat lunch at the same time. Do not forget to include everyone in your school family like the custodial staff and secretaries. If you do plan the luncheon on a day when you have multiple lunch periods, set out fresh food each lunch period. I just added a new School Climate packet that includes what you see above. Each luncheon has a PDF that is "PRINT & GO" prefilled for your luncheon. There is also a blank signup in the EDITABLE file so you can personalize it to fit your needs. The sign is EDITABLE, too so you can add the date, time, and place. There are also notes (6 per page) so you can write little notes of support, encouragement, thank you, and give treats. There is room that you can write a note or attach a treat. Who doesn't love to get a little note in your mailbox? Some of these are colorful and some are black & white. Look for the Positive is a system where staff members recognize other staff members. This system could also be used with students. Staff members fill out a nomination about another staff member who is: ALL HEART: A person who is kind and helpful to others. ALL STAR: A person who shines at his or her job and goes beyond what is required. ALL SMILES: A person who has a positive attitude and a joy to be around. OUR TREASURE: A person who is worth his or her weight in gold. Prizes can be whatever you want. I made these signs to hang outside classrooms to recognize teachers. I bought the supplies at Hobby Lobby. At one of my schools, the prize was a front row parking spot. That was a very popular prize! If a luncheon seems like a bigger job than you want to tackle this year, I included monthly events that are still fun, but on a smaller scale. The signs are editable so you can add the date and time. Click HERE find out more plus get a FREEBIE in the preview file. Click HERE to check out the preview file. Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
How do you stop students from blurting out in the classroom? Do you have some processes in place to curb blurting, but they're just not working for you
Happy Friday eve! It's Kristin here from School and the City. The peaches are excited to bring you "a pot of gold" this March to make your classroom magical! My tip for you is definitely magical... but here's a secret: It's a tip to benefit YOU, not your kids. (Your sanity is important!) I have definitely had to work some magic lately because it is that time of year. By that time of year, I mean the weather is getting warm, kids are getting extra peps in their steps, and it's almost time for spring break. We are so close! When it's that time of year, it's also time for behaviors to start going downhill and the chattiness to begin getting out of control. (Well, that's how it is in my room, at least!) Last week, I decided that enough was ENOUGH. I couldn't make it through a day block lesson sentence without getting rudely interrupted by a student blurting out. So I did some research, during which I found the idea of blurt cards and figured out how to make a system that would work for my classroom. On my first day of attempting blurt cards, I posted about it on my Instagram and Snapchat (@SchoolAndTheCty). Tons of you asked me to share, so here goes! First, we read and discussed a book. These are my absolutely favorite books for blurters: Afterwards, I introduced and explained the blurt cards. Each time a student blurts out or interrupts a lesson with their voice (like an inappropriate laugh or sound), they have to mark off a box on his or her blurt card. I'm starting off with four boxes, but I hope to eventually move to three then two. If a child can make it to dismissal with an empty card, they get rewarded. PURRR tickets are school-wide PBIS "money" that students can spend at the school store. Right now, my fancy-schmancy blurt cards are just good ol' sticky notes. They are easy enough to make a few of each afternoon and stick on desks before I leave. I decided that the best way to go about this is to give all of my students the opportunity to earn rewards. Therefore, each day, 6 kids get blurt cards. Four kids are my special friends that will get blurt cards every day. I also give blurt cards to 2 more students. It's great to compare the results at the end of the day of the volcano kids and non-volcanic kids. And again, I wanted to make sure that my well-behaved students also have the opportunity to be rewarded. Last, I just made a quick schedule to keep in my binder so I can keep track of who hasn't had a turn yet. Blurt cards have worked really well for a whole... week! Some of my volcanic littles have worked really hard to restrain themselves, and I can see improvement already. Let me know over at School and the City if you try blurt cards or something similar! I'd love to have you follow my (never dull) teaching journey. Good luck handling spring fever in your classroom... and stay tuned for more March magic! For even more ideas from The Primary Peach, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to catch all the latest news and updates!
Thousands of teachers have used these tried and true GUARANTEED tups to stop students from blurting out. Chatty Class? YOU NEED TO READ THIS!
Use these 35+ Books to Teach Rules and Procedures for the classroom. Helpful for any teacher. Combat blurting out, tattling, lying, stealing, and bullying.
Are you on the Sunshine Committee this year? Some schools call it Social Committee. Whatever the name, it serves the same purpose. Usually there is a little arm twisting at the beginning of the year to get staff members to pay their dues. If your school normally doesn't allow the staff to wear jeans, you might ask your administrator if your committee could give people who pay dues a "Jean Day Coupon" that allows teachers to wear jeans on one day of their choosing. It's like a "get out of jail" card. Through the years, there has been some grumbling at some of my schools about our committee. I think this happens when there are not clear cut guidelines. There needs to be guidelines in writing and transparency with the finances. Here are a few topics to discuss when you are ready to write some guidelines: Leadership: officers and their duties I highly recommend the treasurer giving a report at the faculty meetings at least quarterly. Boss Day in October: Will the committee purchase the gift? If so, what is the budget? Appreciation Day/Week: Which staff members do you recognize? How and what is the budget? Morale booster activities: when and budget Staff parties: When, where, budget Showers: baby/wedding - Does the committee provide anything for the shower, if so what is the budget. Is it for the first baby and first wedding or other? Death: Does the committee send something from the faculty? If so, what and what is the budget? What relationship to the staff member should it be when you do this? I.E. Immediate family member Holidays: Does the committee purchase holiday gifts for any staff members? If so, who and what is the budget? I typed up a few things that I have done at some of my schools that you might like, too. These are fun activities that boost morale. Do you have a staff member that is your PTA representative? If the PTA ask you for suggestions, you might suggest that they organize food during your conferences. I helped organize this at my daughter's middle school. Her school had a week of Parent-Teacher Conferences. Students had school for half a day and then teachers met with parents the other half. Our PTA organized food the first three days for the teachers. We knew that the teachers had conferences at different times and wouldn't eat at the same time so the food had to stay fresh for a long time. We organized a salad bar one day, a nacho bar another day, and heavy appetizers the final day. This was the most popular thing that our committee organized. Click HERE to download this freebie. Looking for more tips? Check out my Beginning of the Year Pinterest board. Click on the picture below. Fern has a few tips to share with you, too. Be sure to hop over to her blog! Each week, Fern and I will share a teacher tip. We love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books and hope you do, too! Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for our latest tips. We hope you will share your ideas, too. Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip. We will announce the winner on the following Tuesday's post. Click HERE to read Melinda's tip. Do you have a staff morale booster tip to share? Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip. You must leave your email address in order to win. Looking for more ideas? Click on the pictures below. An InLinkz Link-up Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
Are your students blurting and interrupting constantly? Put an end to the interruptions by teaching your students when it is okay to blurt and when it’s not. With this low prep resource, students will learn criteria to decide whether they should blurt, raise their hands, or keep their thoughts in their heads. This resource will also help you to document your students’ interruptions and give them positive reinforcement when they remember to raise their hands! This resource is part of a self control activities bundle! Click here to save 20%! This resource is part of an executive functioning bundle. Click here to save 20%! ****************************************************************************************************************** What’s Included Poster (color and b&w) Desk sized poster (color and b&w) “Should I Blurt?” Activity – Students will decide whether or not to blurt “Should I Blurt?” Foldable Positive reinforcement and reminder cards Positive reinforcement notes 4 Daily data collection sheets 2 Weekly data collection sheets 2 Monthly data collection sheets For more information, see the preview. ****************************************************************************************************************** Ideas For Use: Self control lessons Self control small groups Classroom management Morning meetings Students who could benefit from remembering to wait to talk Students who frequently interrupt the teacher or other students Students with ADHD ****************************************************************************************************************** What People Are Saying About This Resource: Amber said "I love this product and it has really reduced the chatter and blurting." Marsha said "Love this! Blurting is out of control these days! Thanks for your innovative idea!" ****************************************************************************************************************** If you are satisfied with this resource, please leave feedback. If there is something I can improve upon, please e-mail me at [email protected] and I will do my best to accommodate you. Looking for more self regulation resources? Check these out! Staying Focused and On Task: A Classroom Lesson Self Control Activities: Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker For more updates on my new products: Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Instagram! To read the terms of use and copyright information for this resource, please click here.
Are you on the Sunshine Committee this year? Some schools call it Social Committee. Whatever the name, it serves the same purpose. Usually there is a little arm twisting at the beginning of the year to get staff members to pay their dues. If your school normally doesn't allow the staff to wear jeans, you might ask your administrator if your committee could give people who pay dues a "Jean Day Coupon" that allows teachers to wear jeans on one day of their choosing. It's like a "get out of jail" card. Through the years, there has been some grumbling at some of my schools about our committee. I think this happens when there are not clear cut guidelines. There needs to be guidelines in writing and transparency with the finances. Here are a few topics to discuss when you are ready to write some guidelines: Leadership: officers and their duties I highly recommend the treasurer giving a report at the faculty meetings at least quarterly. Boss Day in October: Will the committee purchase the gift? If so, what is the budget? Appreciation Day/Week: Which staff members do you recognize? How and what is the budget? Morale booster activities: when and budget Staff parties: When, where, budget Showers: baby/wedding - Does the committee provide anything for the shower, if so what is the budget. Is it for the first baby and first wedding or other? Death: Does the committee send something from the faculty? If so, what and what is the budget? What relationship to the staff member should it be when you do this? I.E. Immediate family member Holidays: Does the committee purchase holiday gifts for any staff members? If so, who and what is the budget? I typed up a few things that I have done at some of my schools that you might like, too. These are fun activities that boost morale. Do you have a staff member that is your PTA representative? If the PTA ask you for suggestions, you might suggest that they organize food during your conferences. I helped organize this at my daughter's middle school. Her school had a week of Parent-Teacher Conferences. Students had school for half a day and then teachers met with parents the other half. Our PTA organized food the first three days for the teachers. We knew that the teachers had conferences at different times and wouldn't eat at the same time so the food had to stay fresh for a long time. We organized a salad bar one day, a nacho bar another day, and heavy appetizers the final day. This was the most popular thing that our committee organized. Click HERE to download this freebie. Looking for more tips? Check out my Beginning of the Year Pinterest board. Click on the picture below. Fern has a few tips to share with you, too. Be sure to hop over to her blog! Each week, Fern and I will share a teacher tip. We love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books and hope you do, too! Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for our latest tips. We hope you will share your ideas, too. Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip. We will announce the winner on the following Tuesday's post. Click HERE to read Melinda's tip. Do you have a staff morale booster tip to share? Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip. You must leave your email address in order to win. Looking for more ideas? Click on the pictures below. An InLinkz Link-up Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
Lordy, lordy, look who’s at it again: Dude, the whistleblower’s complaint was the start of the investigation. And he or she is simply following the law as it’s written. It’s like if someone called in an anonymous tip that you’d murdered three girls on...
Free and Funny Confession Ecard: If you can't handle me randomly blurting out song lyrics that relate to what you said, we can't be friends! Create and send your own custom Confession ecard.
Have you read Jan Brett's new book called The Snowy Nap? It is about Hedgie (the hedgehog from The Hat) trying to stay up to see what his animal friends do during the winter before he hibernates. If you haven't seen this book, you must check it out! Jan Brett's books and illustrations are always so captivating for kids and adults alike. I love the little cut out pictures on the side and how you can talk about what is happening in the side pictures while the characters are doing something else in the story. It is just great for developing executive function skills and theory of mind. We loved using our retelling cards to retell and then act out the story. Then, we couldn't forget our hedgehog snack! Each Friday we make a snack to match our theme... it gives us something to look forward to! We used pre-made sugar cookies, frosting, chocolate chips, and cocoa krispies. Didn't they turn out cute? After reading The Snowy Nap, we had so many questions about hibernation. {Which animals hibernate? Why do they hibernate? Where do they hibernate?} We did a little research to figure out our answers and then made a poster to teach others what we learned. I helped by drawing some of the background and giving them pictures to color so that we could focus on interactive writing. We used our favorite Kwik Stix paint for our mural. If you haven't tried them you must! They are paint sticks that dry in 60 seconds...amazing! If you'd like to try them, you can click here and use the code COFFEETALK10 for 10% off (affiliate link). We also enjoyed reading A Time to Sleep to help us better understand the variety of the animals that hibernate and where they hibernate. To answer the question "why do animals hibernate?", I froze blueberries in a container and asked the kids to pretend to be hungry bears and get enough berries to eat out of the ice. They tried dropping the ice on the table to break it or digging the berries out of the ice, but they couldn't get enough to be full. We left the frozen berries in the container overnight and observed that we could get all the berries out when the ice melted. We made a bear paw for snack out of a graham cracker, Reese's cup, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Do you teach about hibernation in your classroom? What are your favorite activities and books? Happy Teaching!
We are working through my daughter’s newfound anxiousness not with meds but by tackling one worry at a time.
Today's "book review from the past" is in fact an artist review and it isn't from the past, as David Bates is doing quite well. The first time I saw a David Bates painting was at the Whitney Biennial in 1987 where it stuck out from the conceptual art like a big red mistake-smashed thumb. I don't remember what it was called, but it depicted a HUGE square-jawed Goober in a red flannel shirt, a logger I think, or a fisherman, with giant gobs of oil paint slopped on actual canvas. He was holding a fish in each hand which looked like they came out of a radioactive pond, and Gomer seemed proud, curious, ashamed and, well...real all at the same time. I remember it making the whole place smell of paint. It was like painting had returned somehow to an art museum. In my mind still it sits between Marsden Hartley and Red Grooms and they are both looking up at it grinning. I show it here from a catalog I own, when I bailed out of my three-story walk-up, I wasn't feeling too well and left many of the books behind. But I did box up all my David Bates catalogs. So among the new-wave and Guerrilla Girls and theorists and critics and Eurocentric noses hung this bigass chunk of solid Southern American Regional blurt. And I loved it. I have followed his work ever since. I briefly owned a print he made from his early days in Texas, it was a splendid 6 color lithograph of his fishing guide or friend titled "Blue Heaven" and I wish I hadn't sold it two decades ago to meet a month's rent during the summer I was drying out. But things come and go. David Bates is a long way from that show, but he hasn't changed much. There is a consistent body of goofy glorious work. He'll move from painting to wood to iron then back to canvas and they'll all look the same. He's done a ton of beautiful southern plants, each dripping sweet and fresh...his ham fists make an iris look clumsy and beautiful all at once. Who says painting should be delicate? His is honest, direct and bold as a fat loud neighbor but far from simple. I have never figured out the relationship Bates has with folk art or primitives. The work is 100% sincere and faux nothing. While frontal and direct, it seems to come more from the type of person he is portraying than any strategy, technique or trick. Honest work by honest folks. And despite the often "over-friendly" simple things he paints, there is no satire or irony. Real is good, and for 25 years David Bates has painted real good. It is a curious thing to stop one moment and realize you have had a "favorite artist" for two decades. It is also nice to have a small, tiny forum in which to share it. I once realized there were about only three things I have kept from my drunk days...Dylan, George Jones and David Bates. A back-handed compliment, but it is the truth. The gentleman above with the perfect guitar is a bonus, Johnny Shines, a blues singer who crooned and quivered like a bird. A few years ago I was able to go to an opening of his work and meet Bates briefly... he had moved uptown since I used to see his shows at Charles Cowles Gallery in Soho. He was kind and a gentleman but nervous in a suit. I think he would be more comfortable in a flannel shirt. Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb BOOKS HERE
Things are about to heat all the way up.
Free and Funny Workplace Ecard: I've survived another meeting that should have been an email. Create and send your own custom Workplace ecard.
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The former foreign-policy adviser to the Trump campaign boasted of a Russia business deal even after the election, according to a new letter under review.
Are you on the Sunshine Committee this year? Some schools call it Social Committee. Whatever the name, it serves the same purpose. Usually there is a little arm twisting at the beginning of the year to get staff members to pay their dues. If your school normally doesn't allow the staff to wear jeans, you might ask your administrator if your committee could give people who pay dues a "Jean Day Coupon" that allows teachers to wear jeans on one day of their choosing. It's like a "get out of jail" card. Through the years, there has been some grumbling at some of my schools about our committee. I think this happens when there are not clear cut guidelines. There needs to be guidelines in writing and transparency with the finances. Here are a few topics to discuss when you are ready to write some guidelines: Leadership: officers and their duties I highly recommend the treasurer giving a report at the faculty meetings at least quarterly. Boss Day in October: Will the committee purchase the gift? If so, what is the budget? Appreciation Day/Week: Which staff members do you recognize? How and what is the budget? Morale booster activities: when and budget Staff parties: When, where, budget Showers: baby/wedding - Does the committee provide anything for the shower, if so what is the budget. Is it for the first baby and first wedding or other? Death: Does the committee send something from the faculty? If so, what and what is the budget? What relationship to the staff member should it be when you do this? I.E. Immediate family member Holidays: Does the committee purchase holiday gifts for any staff members? If so, who and what is the budget? I typed up a few things that I have done at some of my schools that you might like, too. These are fun activities that boost morale. Do you have a staff member that is your PTA representative? If the PTA ask you for suggestions, you might suggest that they organize food during your conferences. I helped organize this at my daughter's middle school. Her school had a week of Parent-Teacher Conferences. Students had school for half a day and then teachers met with parents the other half. Our PTA organized food the first three days for the teachers. We knew that the teachers had conferences at different times and wouldn't eat at the same time so the food had to stay fresh for a long time. We organized a salad bar one day, a nacho bar another day, and heavy appetizers the final day. This was the most popular thing that our committee organized. Click HERE to download this freebie. Looking for more tips? Check out my Beginning of the Year Pinterest board. Click on the picture below. Fern has a few tips to share with you, too. Be sure to hop over to her blog! Each week, Fern and I will share a teacher tip. We love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books and hope you do, too! Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for our latest tips. We hope you will share your ideas, too. Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip. We will announce the winner on the following Tuesday's post. Click HERE to read Melinda's tip. Do you have a staff morale booster tip to share? Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip. You must leave your email address in order to win. Looking for more ideas? Click on the pictures below. An InLinkz Link-up Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE. Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
Today was another long day of hard work in my new apartment. I love saying that, my new apartment.It felt like the toughest day so far in this remodeling experiment. Everything hurts, from my toes,…
Claire Luxton is making waves with her dramatic and daring self portraits.
