#Made4Math is Back!!

Holy Moly - It's been 9 years since we started Made4Math!!

You can read more about the beginnings of M4M or over on Pam's blog.

In 2012, Made4Math was inspired by a blog series called Monday Made It, hosted by Tara at 4th grade Frolics.  The basic idea was that on Mondays, we would share something we had created for our Math classrooms - maybe a new lesson, a new activity, an organizational idea for the classroom - the sky was the limit!  We kept M4M going for a few years and honestly it really helped me stay accountable.  This accountability is a great thing now as I'm getting ready to start a new job in a new district and I really need some accountability as I navigate through classroom organization again! :)

We would LOVE to have you join in the party - all you need to do is get your creative juices flowing and either blog, tweet, or IG your creations with the hashtag #Made4Math so we can steal your ideas get inspiration from you!

Here are my Made4Math projects this week...

Project #1 - Quarantiles

Last year, during lockdown, Nat Banting shared a project on Twitter and on his blog that he called Quarantiles.  I was so excited to make these last year for the Puzzle Table, but when the COVID restrictions came down, I knew that my beloved Puzzle / Play Table would not make an appearance and so my tiles were on the back burner.  Fast forward a year and I have zero clue what happened to those supplies that I purchased in Summer 2020, so I bought some more.  I ended up buying a pack of 100 2" squares on Amazon and the paint supplies at Dollar General.

After I made them, I realized that I messed up on one of the sets, so I have purchased another package of 100 to correct my error and add in a couple more colors.  All in all, these were super easy to make so I am curious how the kids react!  I do need to come up with a better storage box for them :)  If you search through the hashtag on Twitter, you'll find some really cool creations and even a coloring sheet where you can make a paper set of tiles!

Project #2 - Laws of Logic

At my new school, I'll be mostly teaching Geometry, so I've been going through some old Geometry files for any activities or things that I want to use.  Sadly, all of my classroom supplies are boxed up in my garage, so I'm going off memory on lessons and activities that I need to work on!

But one early topic that I know gives kids trouble are the Laws of Logic and what conclusions can be drawn.  I've used this card sort before once students knew what the LoD / LoS were, but I've never tried letting them actually come up with the laws and reasoning themselves!  This past week, I was going through some files from a textbook my first year of teaching (1998) and found this worksheet in a Lab Manual from Addison Wesley.  I liked that it asked the kids to sort the statements and see if they could come up with a conclusion.  I typed up the sentences (get the file here), printed on colored paper and cut them out.  Each group will get a set of sentences to sort and hopefully use those to discuss what would be a logical conclusion, leading us (hopefully) into the Laws of Logic!

More Projects Coming Next Week!

I will get my keys to my new room this week, so hopefully I will have some room pictures (and projects) to share with you next week, but until then, don't forget to share your creations with us using the hashtag #Made4Math.  I look forward to seeing your ideas!

The Power of Words

 As a child, I remember the whole "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!".... but that's a lie.  Words have tremendous power to hurt and to heal, which I've been reminded of a few times this week.

In college, this quote by Haim Ginott made a huge impression on me:

I remember using this quote in my first teaching portfolio and I'm pretty sure it will be displayed in my classroom next year as a reminder of teaching through a pandemic and how much influence we have.

My pastor's sermon today was on the power of the tongue - his official title for the sermon was "The World's Smallest yet Largest Troublemaker" - and isn't that so true?  The scriptures he referenced were Matthew 15:10-20 and James 3:1-12

With our words, we can set a spark and that can be good or bad.  Fire can be used in good ways - to warm us, to ignite passions, to spread those passions to others - but it can be used in bad ways too... to tear down and destroy.

Friday was a bittersweet day for me as I said goodbye to the students that kept me going through the 2020-2021 school year for the last time.  But, not only that, I also am saying goodbye to the district that has been my home for 21 years.  A former student upon hearing that I was leaving, sent me an email reminding me of the power of words:

You were one of my few math instructors in my secondary education that didn't make me feel less than because math wasn't my strongest subject. I never once felt demoralized under your tutelage. Thank you so much for that respect and kindness, particularly in a time of life (the teen years, OMG!) when we're tender and looking for our place in the world. I always felt valuable in your presence.

As we leave our classrooms for the summer and start to prepare for next year, let us remember that tremendous power that our attitudes, actions, and words have on those around us.

(Images from Google Image Search)

#MTBoSYuleBlog - Whiteboarding in 2021

  

What is the Yule Blog Challenge?  Over Winter Break, I'm going to attempt to blog 12 times, sharing reflections of 2020 and what I'm looking forward to in 2021.  I would love for you to join in the blogging fun - read more about the challenge by clicking here!

Whiteboarding in 2021

Technically, the Yule Blog Challenge is over for this year, but I had planned this one during Winter Break but just didn't have it together, so I'm counting it! :)

One of the things I missed so much during 2020 was whiteboarding.  For years, I have had groups with table buckets and personal whiteboards on every table.  But then with COVID, we couldn't have shared supplies, we couldn't be in table groupings, and I honestly missed the whiteboarding SO much!

So during the break, I went hunting on Amazon for some cheap whiteboard markers and erasers, thinking that if I could get them cheap enough for my 80+ stat students, that I would splurge for individual goody bags.  

This week, we are on Distance Learning and one of my students came up to assemble the goody bags for me...

In each goody bag is a:

• Whiteboard Marker (96 / $21.99) - Amazon Link
• Whiteboard Eraser (48 / $10.99) - Amazon Link
• A double-sided note - Link to Download

With the note, I had looked on Pinterest and saw several gifts TO teachers with markers, etc, but none that were gifts FROM teachers.  Then I was thinking about all of the life lessons I've learned from whiteboarding / dry erase in general as just a encouraging note for the back.  I wanted the life lessons to be a bit more applicable to life in general versus classroom applications.

The desks in my classroom are dry-erase surfaces, so I didn't have to do anything there, BUT, I wish I had gone ahead and done white card stock in a glossy sheet protector, but I have until Monday before I see my students, so it could still happen :)

#MTBoSYuleBlog - Planning Away

  

What is the Yule Blog Challenge?  Over Winter Break, I'm going to attempt to blog 12 times, sharing reflections of 2020 and what I'm looking forward to in 2021.  I would love for you to join in the blogging fun - read more about the challenge by clicking here!

My 2020-2021 Planner

Several social media posts this morning have been about buying new planners.  For me, I don't keep a separate personal vs school planner, so I tend to think of new planner ideas in the summer, not during January.  But a few days ago, I tweeted this:

For several years, I have kept my lesson / personal planner and gradebook together.  However, with the craziness of this year, I honestly didn't know what to expect, so I decided to separate them and make my planner into a junior planner and keep my gradebook separate.

While I'm not sure if I love the gradebook separate, I do love the junior planner!  When Hedge asked me to tell her more, I shared a photo, then decided I should share some more here...

A Junior Planner is the size of a half-sheet of paper, so 8.5 x 5.5.  The post-it pad is there for size reference - it's a typical 3x3 note size.  I designed my planner in PPT and then printed double sided.  Typically I take my planner to Staples to print on heavier paper, but again, when the year started, we didn't know what to expect and I didn't want to put a ton of money into a planner I didn't use, so I just printed on a normal laser printer.  The cover is a heavier plastic that I had found in the Staples clearance bin YEARS ago, but you could easily make your own using laminated card stock or by cutting down a folder (plastic or cardboard).  I am a huge fan of disc-bound notebooks and these are standard 1" discs.

The dividers are just printed on card stock and I've shared them before (see this post)

You'll notice the tabs say Calendar, Lesson Plans, AP Statistics, FSDA, Blog / Tech, and Other.  Let's start with the calendar type pages...

Under the "Calendar" tab is the traditional monthly calendar.  This is more of an "at-a-glance" for the month.  The "Lesson Plans" tab is a bit messier.  I shared this layout earlier this summer and I really like it!  There are a few changes I would maybe make depending on how the year played out, but for now, it's allowed me to keep up with the weekly lesson, schedule for any meetings, reminders for things like #MathTeachCollab, and lots of space for my Notes / To-Do List.  This is definitely a working space, so I shared some of my mess with you :)

The AP Stat / FSDA tabs are based on an idea from my friend Rachel, who blogs over at Purple Pronto Pups.  Click here to see her post about her "Summer Notebook" 

For the most part, those two sections are just notebook pages, with subtitles for "General" and each chapter / section of content.  This is a place where I can jot down ideas when I'm browsing the internet, thoughts that just come to me about various topics, articles, etc.  This is super helpful for lesson planning!

The "Blog / Tech" tab is just a place to keep track of blogging ideas and EdTech ideas

Definite shout-out here to two other good friends - Rebecka and Sarah - I am so very blessed to have these two women in my life and can't wait until we can have lunch together again!  (Sidenote - our last lunch date was scheduled for March 16 during our Spring Break, but we all know what happened with lockdowns in March 2020....)

Sarah (of Math Equals Love) shared this summer the idea of a visual blogging calendar and I LOVED the idea!  She's totally right in the idea of stickers make a difference...  Hopefully it will help me in 2021 to keep up with blogging :)

On the left side is a goal of mine to keep track of "One Good Thing" - Rebecka posts daily over on the OGT blog and she also challenges her students to keep a running list in the back of their notebook.  You'll notice I didn't really start this until the #MTBoSYuleBlog challenge though... LOL

The last tab is just for other notes and it just has blank paper over here.  I've thought about adding my Meeting Notes to this section, but that's a thought for another day... :)

If you want to make your own Junior Planner, click here to download copies of the files I mentioned above

#MTBoSYuleBlog - 3 Good Things

 

What is the Yule Blog Challenge?  Over Winter Break, I'm going to attempt to blog 12 times, sharing reflections of 2020 and what I'm looking forward to in 2021.  I would love for you to join in the blogging fun - read more about the challenge by clicking here!

3 Good Things from 2020

It's New Year's Eve 2020 and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say Good Riddance!

But even in one of the weirdest years of my lifetime, good things have still happened!  I've already posted about some success stories and some favorite memories, but 

Good Thing #1 - Hello Josie!!

In November 2019, we lost our eldest cat... we knew it was coming but that didn't make saying good-bye any easier.  We weren't ready to get another and honestly, we didn't know how our now-oldest cat, Kenzie, would take to another cat as Kenzie is very territorial and dominant.  But in January, hubby decided he was ready.  We started looking and he was drawn to a kitten at the animal shelter, so we welcomed Josie into our lives....

Josie is a most-unusual cat.  You might notice the curved tail in the photo and to be honest, her tail is never "straight" - it's always curled up like that and usually over her back, as seen in the second photo.  I started researching it and apparently she's a "ring tail tabby".  Another trait of ringtails is their playful nature and that's definitely true... EVERYTHING is a toy!  We often wake up in the middle of the night where she's brought plastic silverware or a stuffed toy to bed...

Good Thing #2 - The Class of 2020

One of the best things about teaching is that every year we get a new, fresh start.  But I'll admit that every August brings some anxiety as I wonder if I'll be able to build the relationships, if I'll ever remember all the names, if I'll ever have the connections that I had with the previous group of kids.  I hate that my time was cut short with the Class of 2020 because they were just a fun group of kids.  I know I've already posted some about my trip to Portugal and the memories I'll treasure forever, but this deserves its own spotlight.....  

 When we went back to school in January, I had shared with my students that my word of 2020 was "Courage" and I explained that I had never travelled internationally and that I would be travelling alone to Portugal in February.  So my students decided they would help me out and promptly started a "How not to die when out of the country" list on the whiteboard.  When I got back, they had erased the board and changed it to the "Congrats" message.  Little did any of us know that we would only have a few short weeks together in person after I returned.  On a positive note, one of those students came back to see me in December to say "Hi!" and to thank me for all of the hard work during our swift change over to Distance Learning.  That group of kiddos will always have a special place in my heart.

Good Thing #3 - Snoopy and the Red Baron

So, we've not been out shopping this year - I haven't been in a Target or Wal-Mart since March and as a result, Christmas 2020 was a bit spartan.  Typically, hubby and I stash away little trinkets for the stocking but that tends to require stores :)  When Christmas morning came, I was shocked with hubby told me there was something in my stocking (and I felt horrible because nothing was in his....)

No, I'm not a vintage game person, but as a kid in the early 80s, the Atari was all the rage.  I remember sitting in my room staring up at this little 10" black and white TV and Snoopy was my favorite game.  Fast forward about 20 years from that and my parents decided to sell their house, auction off all of their belongings, and hit the road in their RV.  They gave us fair warning so that we could get the things we wanted - I took my dollhouse, my Tupper Toys, and a few other things.  Then came the day of the auction and seeing your life laid out on the yard is an interesting experience.  The toy box my brother made me... a keychain with a photo from when I was a toddler... my grandmother's hideabed sofa that we all took naps on... and my Atari with a half dozen games.  Honestly, when I had gone through my room, I never even thought about the Atari - it was a 20+ year old system!  But listening to the auctioneer share the contents of the Atari storage unit, I remembered Snoopy.  After the sale was finalized, hubby and I went up to the new owner,  I introduced myself as the little girl that grew up in the house, and asked to purchase the Snoopy cartridge, only to be promptly turned down.  Apparently, the new owner had purchased the entire system just for that one game, which unbeknownst to me, was a fairly rare title.  Fast forward another 20 years and I find Snoopy in my stocking.  Hubby had finally found it at a reasonable cost on eBay.  We (obviously) don't have a working Atari system, but I finally have Snoopy back... ♥️♥️♥️

#MTBoSYuleBlog - One Word Challenge

 

What is the Yule Blog Challenge?  Over Winter Break, I'm going to attempt to blog 12 times, sharing reflections of 2020 and what I'm looking forward to in 2021.  I would love for you to join in the blogging fun - read more about the challenge by clicking here!

One Word Challenge

Many of us often do New Year's Resolutions, but honestly, I find them difficult as a teacher.  

For us, our "New Year" starts in August and for me, it's easier to think about timing any resolutions to the school year cycle.  Also, the New Year starts on January 1, but I struggle with starting something in the middle of a week or in the middle of a vacation.  I would be much more successful if I aligned it to January 4 (or whatever day we go back to school for the Spring Semester).

As a result, my resolutions rarely work out.  ☹️☹️☹️

But a few years ago, I heard about the One Word Challenge on Twitter

Source:  https://oneword365.com/

I've now done this for a few years... one word that guides me through the year, that helps me make the big decisions.  A few years ago, the word was Intentional.  Last year, the word was Courage.

This year, my word is...

2020 was a rough year for many of us and while there were definitely good things, I allowed too many things not in my control to steal my joy.  

At #TMC15, Christopher Danielson said in his keynote: "Find what you love. Do more of that." 

In other words - find what brings you joy!  This idea is also found in the Marie Kondo philosophy - does it spark joy?  If not, why have it?   

Years ago, our daily announcements at my school ended with the statement: "Make it a great day or not - the choice is yours!"

In 2021, my goal is to chose JOY and to use that as a guiding principle throughout the year.

This year, I commit to finding joy in the following:

• New Challenges - I have truly enjoyed learning more about Desmos and EdTech during 2020 and I want to continue challenging myself to learn more
• My Students - Yesterday, I saw a quote that said something about "The best part of my job is the kids.  The worst part of my job is everything else" - that rings true for me in a lot of ways!
• Connections and Relationships - I honestly couldn't have made it through 2020 without the relationships I've fostered over the years and I want to focus even more on those connections
• Me Time - I struggle with this one... I have a tendency to put others (especially my students) ahead of everything else.  I want to release that pressure and be okay with putting myself above others for just a bit of me time each day
• In Failure - Another toughie... yesterday's post lamented the kids that have slipped between the cracks, but Pam reminded me later in text about the kids that I have connected with, the kids that know they are loved and cared for.  I've not reached every child, but honestly, in the best of years, I don't reach every child.  I can only do so much.  (please keep reminding me and yourself about this one!)

2020 was a year filled with anxiety and new experiences.  There were definitely good things that came from those challenges, but it's time for me to focus on calming my spirit and finding the JOY in all things.

#MTBoSYuleBlog - So Many Struggles

 

What is the Yule Blog Challenge?  Over Winter Break, I'm going to attempt to blog 12 times, sharing reflections of 2020 and what I'm looking forward to in 2021.  I would love for you to join in the blogging fun - read more about the challenge by clicking here!

So Many Struggles

Last night, a friend of mine posted something on Facebook that I couldn't help but respond to...

Source:  @HelpATeacher

To be honest, this has been one of the most challenging years of my career in many ways - from recreating lessons, to learning new technology, to figuring out ways of teaching, but the question about is the one that hurts my heart the most.

Because it's more than just about the holiday.  

I have kids this year that are struggling and I don't know how to help them.  It truly bothers me.

I have more than one child that I have worried about during the break.  I have kids that I haven't heard from since early November.  I have reached out - I have tried to contact parents - I am at a total loss on what to do.

In this era of chaos, of back and forth of in-person and distance learning, of contact tracing and exposure, of illness.... what do you do to reach out to those kids that you haven't heard from?  I desperately need new ideas...

Emails go unanswered... phone calls aren't returned... I have in-person students, so I'm struggling with finding the time to support the in-person and the at-home learners.  Some kids that are at-home are thriving... they keep up on their assignments, they email (and respond to emails), they communicate with me.

But there are kids that don't.  And it hurts my heart that I honestly don't know if they are okay.

I don't know how to do it all... I don't know how to track down the kids that aren't working and aren't responding to me.  There aren't enough hours in the day.

I don't have any answers.  So I do my best... I keep sending emails... I keep making phone calls... I keep trying to juggle it all, but there are kids slipping through the cracks and I don't know if my heart can continue to take it.