Read3 (or More) #MTBoS12Days

Today marks one week of Winter Break and I'll be honest that all I've really done is veg on the couch and read :)  Reading is my happy place and as a kid, I always had a book at my side.  As an adult, I am never too far away from my iPad and its Kindle app.

Read3 (or More) - Reads that Make an Impact

Twitter Reads:

Most of my new Twitter Finds are due to Sarah (@mathequalslove) and her Monday Must-Reads.

• Jae Ess at Jae Gets Real - I found Jae's twitter feed and blog after Sarah gave her a shout out for the Pythagorean Maze.  Once I started reading her blog, I was hooked!  Jae does a ton of sharing of ideas, printables, and one of the first things I found was a retweet that led me to
• Christie Bradshaw at Radical4Math - When I first saw the retweet from Jae about Card Sorts, I immediately dug in.  In fact, I've had that tab open now for a week, waiting on me to get off the Chromebook and go upstairs to actually print / laminate some of them!  I love how Christie freely shares her dry erase templates and activities.   
• Puzzlium - Again, Sarah has mentioned this company several times in her posts about her Puzzle Table, but on Twitter, they often tweet out puzzles that would be perfect for the classroom.  Since I posted the other day about wanting to try the Puzzle Table in my own room, I've started searching their twitter feed for ideas!
• #12DaysTwitter - This hashtag was one of my most enjoyable reads throughout December.  The prompts were great reflection tools and I loved getting new suggestion for must-reads, goals, quotes, and more.

In my Professional To-Be-Read pile:
There are WAY more than 3 books in my TBR pile, but these are the 3 at the top of the list :)

• Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria - This book is part of a book club hosted by my school for the Spring Semester.  I've got it sitting in my Kindle queue, but I haven't started it yet :)
• Teach Like a Champion - I've heard so many good things about this book, so when I found it at Half Price Books for $2, I knew it was coming home with me!  
• Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning - This book was recommended by Jennifer Abel and after reading her tweets about it last summer, it was on my wish list.  I finally found a copy at a price I was willing to pay, so it's now in my pile! :)

Podcasts for those times I can't read:

When I'm driving or out for a walk, I often use that time for personal and professional reflection, but one of my favorite ways to use that time is for professional learning via podcasts.  Here are some of my favorites:

• Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers - This weekly inspirational podcast is definitely my favorite.  Full of small nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for all teachers, this is a weekly pick-me-up that helps me remember my "why"
• Mr Barton Maths Podcast - This podcast is more math-ed specific, but there are some gems in here.  I'll admit that I often have to listen to these episodes multiple times while driving because I zone out and miss some really good ideas!
• Bedley Brothers - I randomly found this podcast one day through Google, but I've really enjoyed it.  The two brothers have a fun relationship that comes across in their interview and the educational ideas are adaptable k-12.
• Global Math Department Podcast - I'm horrible about actually attending GMD presentations on Tuesday nights because I'm busy planning the next day or I get distracted and lose track of time.  Thankfully the recordings have now been turned into Podcasts, so I can listen on the go! :)
• Cult of Pedagogy Podcast - This general education podcast has some great episodes, but since it's more general, not all of them are equally applicable for my classroom.  This is still one of my go-to's though when I'm looking for something to listen to!

My favorite places to find books:

• DailyFreeBooks.com - This is a website that I hit daily.  I'm a fast reader and can easily read a novel (or three) in a day when I have time.  However, I learned early on that my salary could not keep up with my love of books, so I really enjoy reading indy authors when I can.
• Amazon Kindle Store - Several times a week, I try to hit the "Top 100" lists on Amazon to see what deals I might find.  I've thought about trying out Kindle Unlimited, but haven't done so yet.
• Half Price Books - HPB is my favorite used book store and while the closest one is about 2 hours away, we intentionally go to visit several times a year.  If we are anywhere in the vicinity of an HPB, we will definitely make that a must-stop!  My favorite has to be the "flagship" store near downtown Dallas and we have been known to spend a few days in the DFW area just going from store to store! :)  My favorite part is that HPB usually has a fabulous education section, which has filled my professional bookcase too!
• Thrift Stores - From the time I was a little girl, I knew that thrift stores were magical places, filled with random goodies for great prices.  I have purchased more than my share of paperbacks for 50 cents at Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other thrift stores.  Prior to Kindle, this was my #1 place to buy books!

Classroom Must Haves #MTBoS12Days

Since it's Christmas Eve, I suppose I should have named this post the "Classroom Teacher Gift Guide" :)  I've had some generous students over the years and have received my fair share of candles, candy, and Starbucks gift cards, but the kids that really know me well tend to get me school supplies :)

My Must Have Items for my Classroom

Must Have #1 - Personal Laminator

Confession Time - I actually have 3 laminators, but my Amazon Basics one is the one in my classroom and probably my favorite one.  It's compact and fits perfectly in a little cubbyhole for storage.  My other two laminators are larger (12" width), but this little one definitely gets the most use.

The Amazon Basics pouches are pretty good quality as well.  I've tried other, less expensive brands, but prefer the Amazon Basics.



Must Have #2 - Paper Trimmer

With INBs, it is important to have a way to easily cut paper.  A lot of people like the paper guillotine cutters but to be honest, those scare me to death!  Instead, I found a scrapbooking paper trimmer to be perfect for me.  I can easily cut several pieces of paper for INBs without being afraid to lose a finger, but more importantly, I can have my aide use it without worrying about he/she losing a finger!  Probably my favorite part of the paper trimmer though, is how easily I can cut laminated activities without having to use scissors or stressing about straight lines.  (Yeah, I'm one of those that would redo an activity if my student aide didn't cut it straight...)

You can even order replacement blades!



Must Have #3 - Good Pens for Grading
I don't know a teacher out there that doesn't love a good pen.  For me, I have 3 that I absolutely adore...

• Flair Papermate Pens - These are amazing for grading because they come in bright, bold colors and don't bleed through the paper.  I tend to buy the big pack at Sams when they are on sale :)
• Papermate InkJoy Gel Pens - These pens are a new find for me.  I like the thicker barrel because it's more comfortable to hold while grading, but the ink isn't quite as bold as the Flair Pen.  
• Zebra Sarasa Gel Pen - These pens are my favorite daily writing pen.  They remind me a lot of the Pilot G2, but a smoother ink glide.  I've never really cared for G2s because they always end up either skipping or clumping on me and I've never had that happen with the Sarasa.

Must Have #4 - Dry Erase Sleeves

I'll admit, that I had these for years before I knew the magic of them!  I had picked up a class set at the Target Dollar Spot back when things really were $1. :)  They sat in my cabinet for a few years until I started reading blog posts about the awesomeness that is the dry erase sleeve.

Now, these things are used in my classroom on a daily basis and I'm hoping to buy some of the larger ones that fit an 11x17 page.  I use them for stations, warmups, graphing, etc.  Pretty much if they aren't putting it into their notebook, but I want to have them practice, we use these sleeves.  I don't know how I managed so many years with them in the cabinet! :)

Must Have #5 - Plastic Picture Frames

I might have about 30 of these frames - some vertical, some horizontal, in various sizes - but they are so useful!  I use these frames for Station activities, for Sub Instructions (I'll blog more about that sometime), for Lab Procedures, for Kahoot Activities, for just about anything that I need the students to reference while working.

The best part is that they are available at Dollar Tree, so whenever I see them, I definitely stock up! :)  

What are your classroom must-haves??

Something to Try #MTBoS12Days

As a kid, I loved puzzles.  As an adult, I don't have as much time for these things, but I still love Sudoku and other logical games.  My Geometry students have really shown interest in puzzles that challenge their thinking, and I really want to capitalize on this to help their logical thinking.

Something You Want to Try in Your Classroom

Last summer, I read a post on Sara Vanderwref's blog entitled "You need a Play Table in Your Math Classroom".  I thought the idea was fascinating.  Then, Sarah Carter started posting about putting out a weekly puzzle on her play table.  And again, I was fascinated with the idea!

Over the past few weeks, I've been pondering how I could incorporate these into my classroom.  I have various puzzles that I've collected over the years plus all of the printable resources that Sarah C has provided and other ones I've found online (such as this one), but I'm really stuck on the logistics.

The biggest issue I'm running into is where to even put a play table.  Here's a picture of my classroom from last year from my desk area.  I have a couple of options, none of which are appealing to me...

Option 1:  On the right side of the picture, around where you can see the sun glare, is an alcove that houses a file cabinet and my student aide desk.  The file cabinet is the right size / height, but the alcove can only hold a couple of people, which really limits the idea of play.  I'm also semi-worried about pieces falling behind the file cabinet and being lost forever or being vacuumed up by the cleaning crew.  However, this option is the easiest to implement as it doesn't require any additional furniture acquisition. :)

Option 2:  On the wall behind me is a bank of windows with a countertop running the span of the classroom.  This allows for more people, but I use the countertop a LOT while prepping table folders each morning, etc.  I don't want to constantly move things and I'm afraid it would annoy me to have a mess on the countertop every day.

Option 3:  Along the front of the room is the Promethean board and two large whiteboards.  I could put a table or desk along the front but that does reduce the space available to move around as well as restricting access to the whiteboards which is counterproductive to my goal of VNPS.

Option 4:  Right outside my classroom door is an alcove from the hallway.  I could put a desk out there as the play table.  This has some benefit of getting students other than my own involved, but runs the risk of pieces going missing.  I've been thinking about putting something outside my classroom since I read Sara Vanderwref's post about her hallway experiment. 

Option 5:  Going vertical is a possibility since the whiteboards in my room are magnetic or I could put up something in the hallway alcove (large baking pan?).  This would work well for the printable puzzles, but I don't know how it would work if you needed to flip a piece over. Would you have to put a magnet on each side?  (Plus, putting magnets on the pieces increases their bulk so they are more difficult to store).  If I went vertical, I would probably put it in the hallway to reduce the distraction factor during class, however, it would be a better way to draw attention to the weekly puzzle. 

UGH - So many options... so many things to think about it!

If you have a play table, how do you manage it?  What are the logistics I'm missing?

#MyFavFriday - Moments from Fall 2017 #MTBoS12Days

Good morning and Happy Friday!  After yesterday's post, I decided to deviate a bit from the "Yule Blog" Challenge prompts and share some of my favorite moments from the fall semester.  If you would like to participate in the "Yule Blog" Challenge, just jump right in and share your post either in the comments or via the hashtag #MTBoS12days.

My Favorite Moments from Fall 2017

My Favorite Use of Technology

I'll be honest that I really didn't use technology as much as I could have or should have this year.  I did a few Kahoots and the like, but overall, I was too busy preparing for a new prep to really dig into technology much.  

But during one block day, I was prepared to teach a LOT of material for Geometry.  I usually try to limit that, but the semester was winding down and there were still quite a few topics left to teach, one of them being the Triangle Inequality Theorem.  I last taught Geometry 10 years ago and at that point, I often used toothpicks or other manipulatives, but this year I decided to look for a virtual option and of course, it was Desmos to the rescue!  The kids had a great time recording their data and discovering patterns.  

My Favorite New Formative Assessment Technique

I try to implement a lot of Formative Assessment Strategies in my classroom, but a new one to me this year was "Hold Ups".  I thought I had taken a photo of these, but apparently I didn't, so hopefully the explanation will work well.  A huge part of Geometry is vocabulary, so I wanted a way to check on how well students could identify various vocabulary terms.  For example, when we learned about angle relationships, I gave each group a set of laminated cards that had Supplementary, Complementary, Vertical, Linear Pair, Adjacent, None of these.  I would project a geometric diagram and ask them to identify the relationship between specific angles.  As a group, they had to discuss and hold up the appropriate cards.  I loved how easy it was for me to see how well they were grasping the differences in the terminology.  

My Favorite Warmup

Not to pick on Geometry again, but this year, I really wanted to work on thinking skills.  To be honest, I really wanted to work on numeracy, but I haven't had a chance to fully read about Number Talks, so instead, I decided to use the card game 24 for "Mental Math Monday".  However, instead of only trying to get to 24,the students are trying to get ALL of the numbers from 1-24.  What I didn't expect was how much they would really get into it - including my other classes!  I post student solutions on my board, including any that we couldn't figure out and throughout the week, students often come up with a solution for those missing values.  The engagement is one of the main reasons I want to try a puzzle table in my room if I can figure out the logistics!

I really regret not using #MyFavFriday this semester as a positive reflection tool.  Sometimes, I can be too hard on myself about how I failed to reach this kid or how that was a dud of a lesson, but there are positive things every year that we need to celebrate!  I am going to try to do a better job in the spring... :)  Someone hold me accountable please! :)

Reflecting on Fall 2017 #MTBoS12Days

Wow!  I can't believe the Fall Semester has come and gone.  This is my 20th year of teaching and I swear that every year goes by just a little bit faster.

Over this Winter Break, I am participating in the Yule Blog #MTBoS12Days Challenge.  You can find the prompts here.

What worked (and what didn't) in 2017

What Worked....

• Instagram for #teach180 - For several years, I've tried to keep up with a 180 blog or twitter post.  For several years, I've failed.  Until this year!  I decided last summer to try using Instagram for my 180 posts and while I've definitely forgotten to take a photo every single day, I've managed to post several times a week.  The IG platform allows me more of a photo diary with minimal text, which is ideal for my visual nature.
• General classroom organization - I still use the table folders and table buckets and those have continued to work really well.  
• Whiteboarding / VNPS - I haven't used this strategy as much as I had hoped, but I have used it more than in the past.  My kids, especially geometry, love to use the whiteboards and often will ask to go get one for their table even on a non-whiteboarding day.  
• Keeping a better balance - For the first time in my teaching career, I have done a pretty decent job of creating a balance in my professional vs personal life.  Our school start time changed from 7:50 to 9:15, so I am still getting up and arriving at 7 am.  This allows me to get a ton of stuff done before kids arrive and while I'm fresh.  Unless I have a meeting, I try to leave by 4:15 so I can get home and go for a walk before sundown.  Because I do have a new prep (Geometry), I am still spending evenings working on the next day's lesson plans, but in general, I've done a pretty good job with keeping up with grading / planning, and even finding time each evening to read for fun! :)

What Didn't... (Or Still in Progress)

• Co-teaching Adjustments - This past summer, my former forensics co-teacher decided to pursue other opportunities.  She and I taught together for several years, so it is taking time to figure out how to adjust the class and curriculum with a new co-teacher.  This is a "still in progress" item as the new co-teacher came in 2 days before kids arrived and hit the ground running.  As the experienced one, I took the lead and I'm still trying to figure out that role and how to better organize the class.  I'm not extremely happy with some of the decisions I made this past semester, so part of my Winter Break plans is to really spend some time reflecting on this class and changes to make for the Spring.
• Using #MyFavFriday - Back in August, I posted that I wanted to use #MyFavFriday for Accountability.  Ummm, yeah, that didn't happen.  It was a great thought and I do love the idea, but so far, it's not been a priority.  I have blogged more this semester than I have in years past, so that's a win, right?  Fridays are hard for me - I come home pretty darn tired from the week and it's all I can do to stay awake past 6pm!  Maybe the Spring semester will be better for that... :)

Overall:

There were a lot more positives in my life this semester than negatives and for that I am eternally grateful.  Even the negatives weren't really bad, just different.  I am extremely happy to be back teaching Geometry and I've really had a blast with those kiddos.  :)  I know I have things to work on, specifically richer tasks and better questions, but I'm getting there!  I already have items on my summer to-do list and have already asked my principal to keep me in Geometry next year as well, so I can really build on what I've done this year.  

What worked for you this year?

2017 "Yule Blog" Challenge #MTBoS12Days

Winter Break has finally arrived!  In years past, @pamjwilson and I have hosted a "Yule Blog" challenge to help us with blogging over the break.  I've done a better job at blogging this year, thanks to Julie and the #MTBoSSundayFunday challenge, but I definitely need to do some reflective blogging over the next few weeks as I prepare for the new semester!

Your challenge... if you choose to accept it... is to blog 12 times over your Winter Break.  The prompts are listed below.  Don't feel like you have to blog in this order or even use the prompts at all!  They are only there as a suggestion when you don't know what else to blog about! :)

Please share your post with us in the comments or via Twitter using the hashtag #MTBoS12Days

"Yule Blog" Challenge Prompts:

• Share a "#teach180" picture / post
• What are your strategies to reach "that kid"
• Share a lesson from the Fall semester
• Time capsule - Revisit an old blog post and update it
• What are you looking forward to in 2018?
• What worked (and what didn't) in 2017?
• Read3 - Three blogs (or posts or tweets or podcasts or books) that made an impact on you
• Share your holiday favorites (treats, gifts, memories, traditions etc)
• Share a "One Good Thing" from 2017
• What are your favorite First Day Back Activities for January?
• Share something new you tried (or still want to try) this year in your classroom.
• What are your classroom must-haves?

Share using #MTBoS12Days

MTBoS Sunday Funday - Self Care Tips

Just a reminder that the #MTBoS Sunday Funday challenge is back!  This is a weekly blogging prompt that is hosted over at Julie's blog and this week's theme is "Self Care"

Every week, Julie will push out a new topic, you blog about it and submit your blog post using this Google Form.  On Sunday, there will be a huge list of awesome blogs to go read! :) YAY!

As always, this is a no pressure blogging challenge, so feel free to join in anytime, but if the week gets away from you, that's okay too!

This Week's Topic:  Self Care

I'll admit that I almost didn't blog today.  Self Care is definitely one of the topics where I fail miserably.  I am pretty bad about putting my classroom ahead of myself and my family, but here's some things I try to do on a regular basis:

Self Care Tip #1 - Exercise regularly
This is a tricky one for me and I'll admit there are some years I do better than others!  Meg Craig (@mathymeg) does a FitBos challenge each year with an easy to use spreadsheet that does help with tracking your goals.  This year, I have done really well, meeting my 120 hour goal by the end of October!  (YAY me!)  I'll admit though, that I've had some motivation to keep walking, even as the cooler weather has set in.  In the summer, I'm really good about getting up and walking 2+ miles per day before hubby goes to work.  This past summer, there was an elderly gentleman in my neighborhood that would walk his dog right at the same time, so we struck up a small friendship.  As we got to know each other, I found out that his wife of 59 years has dementia and he had just moved her to a nursing facility in the early summer.  It's now part of my daily walk to visit with him and hear the stories of his life, which is definitely a huge highlight of my day!

Self Care Tip #2 - Pamper yourself
At least once a month, I take the time for a girls day.  Sometimes this is with family, sometimes with friends, but it almost always includes a pedicure, dinner, and some shopping.  If you've never had a pedicure, it's a must!  There's nothing better than sitting in a massage chair while your feet are in the warm, swirling water.  Sometimes I go with a good friend and we sit and visit, other times I go by myself with a good book - either way, it's a wonderful way to relax!

Self Care Tip #3 - Relax with a Good Book
There's very little in this life that relaxes me as much as curling up with a good book, a fuzzy blanket, and a purring kitty.  If you ever come to my house, don't be shocked to see books everywhere.  There's a huge bookcase of novels in the bedroom, even more bookcases of professional books in our offices, even stacks of 'to-be-read' books in the living room.  And of course, that doesn't even include the thousands of books that I have in my Kindle library!  As a kid, my happy place was our public library and I even volunteered for many years there.  As an adult, my happy place is still when I am surrounded by books and I try to "read for fun" on a daily basis, even if it's only for 10 minutes.

Self Care Tip #4 - Find your People
Teaching is a stressful job.  I know I'm preaching to the choir, but it's a never-ending string of lessons, grading, management, answering questions, more lessons, more grading, etc.  It's so easy to get burned out, to find yourself isolated, to feel like you are drowning and not sure how to surface from all of the demands.  To combat this, it's important to reach out and find your people - the teachers that have a similar philosophy of teaching, that can ease some of the burden, the people that you can text at a moment's notice to ask if they have a worksheet over topic XYZ and know that it will fit your style with minimal change.  For me, I am blessed to have a few of those people in my real life, but my main source is the MTBoS (Math Twitter Blog o Sphere).  If you find someone online that resonates with you, reach out - tweet to them, comment on their blog - and I promise you won't regret it!

Self Care Tip #5 - Push Send
Sometimes, we can't see how far we've come because we are too close to the situation.  It's easy to get discouraged and frustrated when we are in the middle of the year, feeling like we are treading water and going nowhere.  Often, if we were able to look back, we'd see the progress we've made, the victories that have been won, and the successes of our students.  Because of this, I highly encourage all teachers - new or veteran - to journal their year.  This could be a private paper journal or a public blog / Instagram account.  This year, I'm trying Instagram for my #teach180 posts and I have to admit that I love it!  I've tried to blog more this year as well because I know that I grow professionally from blogging, from the active reflection and sharing, even though I've not done it as much as I should. 

If you have additional self-care tips to share, feel free to comment or even blog your thoughts and submit them to the #MTBoSSundayFunday post!