How do we connect with our students in a virtual education setting?

Hi everyone!

How do we connect with our students when we are working with them in a virtual setting? Here are some ideas to build that strong foundation for trusting relationships!

1. SNAIL MAIL

Send your students post cards, letters, or cards to say hello and drop a compliment! I stocked up on blank greeting cards every year and usually put them in my classroom mailboxes, but this is the same idea. When my students received a handwritten note, they were thrilled. Many parents told me that the kids kept their cards on display in the house, others kept the cards in their desks at school as a reminder that they are respected and loved. Send them mail! They'll go nuts, I promise you.

2. MORNING MEETING

Responsive Classroom is just good teaching. I love it. I love that our staff has been trained in Responsive Classroom! Morning Meeting is a cornerstone of the program, focusing on social emotional learning. Teachers express that Morning Meeting sets the stage for kids and teachers to connect, develop respect in the classroom, and bond. We all know kids work hard for teachers they connect with AND LIKE. 

So, keep it going. Maybe not every day, but try to have a class meeting once a week on Zoom or Google Meet. Get the kids together.Use fun activities like, "Would You Rather?" or  "This or That?" Make it fun so the kids participate and want to come back for the next meeting. If you can't have synchronous meetings, use a platform like flipgrid to record themselves and watch their peers. We did this last spring and had a theme each day: Minute to Win in challenge Mondays, Talk About It Tuesdays, Would You Rather Wednesdays, Think About it Thursdays, and Free for All Fridays!

3. BE ORGANIZED, STRUCTURED, and CONSISTENT

If the kids understand your expectations, know what they need to do in your class, and feel comfortable asking you questions, you're winning. At our school, we're using the same style choice boards across grade levels, everyone is using Google Classroom, and grade level teams have decided on the same organizational styles for their Google Classrooms. Consistency is key.

Let me know in the comments how you're connecting with kids during virtual teaching!

RIP RBG

Hi everyone,

Hearing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing yesterday was really tough. She was a champion for women's rights, civil freedoms, and fighting for what's right for decades. As I read more about her life last night, I just kept discovering new tidbits about her life that surprised and inspired me. She was a legend and a role model for all.

Now, more than ever, voting is so important. What is going to happen to our country? RBG held on as long as she could for us, the American people, and now we need to do what's right.

The Blanket Lady

Hi everyone!

Currently, I am on maternity leave with my sweet little Braxton. We're living it up in quarantine, staying safe together in the house! Anyway, the excitement in our lives is typically deliveries and mail. Woohoo!

So, today I received a GORGEOUS baby blanket for Braxton from his godparents. It is so beautiful. I have the same one for Violet in pink. It is from The Blanket Lady. If you are looking for a wonderful gift for a new baby, look no further. This is perfect for our monthly photos, in addition to just being a lovely blanket to wrap our little boy in!

Anyway, not a teaching post so much as a sharing post because I simply cannot get over how pretty this is!

TPT EXTRA BONUS SALE TODAY!

Just a friendly, neighborhood reminder to jump on Teachers Pay Teachers today and scoop up all of those great resources cluttering up your wish list! I know I will!

Enter code: EXTRABONUS for up to 25% off your total purchase today only. 

And if you’re feeling it, visit my store, Tales and Teacherisms, to support! :)

Thanks!!! Happy shopping!

Who is using BOOM Cards?

Hi everybody!

Boom cards are basically interactive task cards. They are self-checking, which is oh so handy and cool for teachers on the go with a million things on their plates! You must go through the Boom learning website and create an account to use them with your students. 

Has anyone used BOOM cards in their classrooms? I’m thinking that they will be great for our distance learning students, both hybrid and virtual. Our teachers are struggling with finding approved websites to use through the district currently. Many that we have relied on are no longer options because of Ed2d law here in New York. 

Anyway, BOOM cards are interesting enough that I’ve shared the website with teachers I coach and plan on creating specific cards the teachers I work with need! Check out the website for yourself!

Www.boomlearning.com

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper - Let's connect our subject areas and use our valuable classroom time wisely!

Cross curricular planning. SO IMPORTANT! I always feel like the clock is my greatest enemy in the classroom. Do we ever really have enough time for everything? The answer is no. So, we need to plan smart. Use read alouds to foster a love of literacy and learning - hook your little readers and get them excited to pick up a book on their own - but also tie it to your curriculum!

Stella by Starlight is a great example of a read aloud text for intermediate grades that will definitely connect to your Social Studies content. (I tend to find a lot of book relate to Social Studies well, and that's fine by me since we could only get to Social Studies a couple of times a week for a formal lesson, anyway.) 

Stella by Starlight is set during the Great Depression in the South, which was still segregated at the time. The Ku Klux Klan has an increasing influence over the residents of the small rural town of Bumblebee, North Carolina. The protagonist is Stella Mills, 11 years old and ready to confront racism, as well as deal with the everyday problems in school, her family, and friendships that a pre-teen tends to be challenged by.

Here are a few other great texts that connect Social Studies curriculum:

Toliver's Secret

The Hope Chest

Eagle Song

Journey to Nowhere

Any of the I Survived series books!

Classroom Management and Google Tip of the Day

Hi everyone!

Here's a quick little tip to start your Saturday. I always number my students. Number your students! For SO MANY REASONS. 

First of all, confidentiality. I can take anecdotal notes on student number 4 without everyone in the school knowing who that is. 

Also, I don't need to relabel things in my classroom every single year - there are some things that are numbered and just stay. Next, the teacher is number 1. 

When I set up programs or sign up for things online, I am student number 1, and I can experience everything as a student. 

When we line up for fire drills, we are in numbered order to make it simple for the teacher (or substitute) to determine if we are missing anyone. Just yell, "One!" and everyone else starts yelling their numbers in order. 

Finally, in Google Slides, if I give kids an assignment, slide 1 is the directions, and the students can each work on their numbered slide. It makes life easy!

Just another tip to make life easier for us teachers!

Let’s put the “tales” back in Tales and Teacherisms!

Here is a funny story from my third year teaching. 

So, it was the holiday party and kids are just listening to music, playing, enjoying each other’s company! I had a sweet group of kiddos that year who all simply adored each other so I was pretty relaxed, too. 

Then, my co-teacher says, “What is going on over there?”

I glance over to see a group forming. One of my smallest students was touching kids’ necks with something, leading to eruptions of giggles. Hmm. Suspect. 

When I ventured over, I asked to see the toy. The boy plops a real life vibrator in my hand. Yes, a vibrator. 

Luckily it didn’t LOOK like a body part, but every adult in the room gasped. We knew. I took it. Of course.  And put it in his backpack at the end of the day. A quick email to mom explaining that this boy had something of hers and I placed it in his backpack was never answered. Which was fine. 

And that was the tale of the fourth grade vibrator. Apparently it was great fun for all at the holiday party!

Classroom Management Tip from me to you!

Hi everyone!

Here is a quick tip for avoiding confusion with kids and being able to clarify when needed. 

Have kids parrot the instructions. 

I always love watching Whole Brain teaching videos on YouTube. When I taught second grade I incorporated some of the cutesy call outs. I always found a way to incorporate a version of Mirror (kids repeat after you) and Gestures (kids teach each other something using gestures). Repetition and gestures cement knowledge. Plus, teaching a friend the directions, new vocabulary word, or new concept helped the kids understand it deeper. 

No, I didn’t continue with Whole Brain teaching, but my students usually understood instructions because they repeated them back to me and oftentimes explained them in their own words, paired with gestures, to a peer nearby. 

If interested in learning more about Whole Brain teaching, that is a YouTube rabbit hole I encourage you to dive into! It feels more primary, but there’s always something you can integrate into your classroom without feeling the need to start the entire program!

How can we improve our Writer's Workshop?

Here are some tips for improving my FAVORITE time of the day!

1. Boost their CONFIDENCE!

Kids need to feel like they are capable and that their teacher believes in them. This will give them the ability to take risks and drive to write throughout the independent writing component of Writer's Workshop. BUT...this also applies to the teacher! Teachers need confidence in themselves, and as an instructional coach, I find that many teachers struggle with Writer's Workshop. They want a boxed program because they don't feel confident enough in their lesson plans, in their ability to lead a conference on the fly and help students choose appropriate goals. But we're trained professionals. We should not want a scripted program, and honestly, Writer's Workshop can never be completely scripted. Teachers need to connect their their kiddos in those conferences and make some decisions. So, everyone, build that confidence!

2. Be explicit!

Kids don't know your expectations! Even something as simple as a writing prompt, even at an intermediate grade level, model - model - model. Model everything. Anchor chart it up! Be so explicit that the kids have no choice but to understand your expectations and then exceed them.

3. Be the EXCITEMENT in your classroom!

Get kids motivated by being motivating! Get kids excited for this sacred time of your day - Writer's Workshop. Engage them through mentor texts, minilessons, anchor charts, your own writing, and more. If you're not excited, they won't be, like in teaching anything. Kids pick up on how you're feeling. When I walk into a teacher's classroom and their energy level in low, I oftentimes notice that the kids are moving slow and not really into it. You can get kids excited about anything, but only if you're excited, too. Don't say, "We just need to get through this lesson." Say, "I'm thrilled about what we're about to do and you should be too!"

4. Plan Plan Plan!

As an instructional coach, I plan for meetings and observations and demo lessons. As a teacher, I planned my face off for every single lesson. Sometimes I wrote them out, sometimes I wrote out Post Its with phrases and ideas that I wanted to be sure not to forget, but I planned. A lot. And you should too. Writer's Workshop can be very mellow and relaxing, but your minilesson is explicit, the choices for mentor texts you make is purposeful, and the writing you choose to share with kids is important. Don't wing it. 

5. Differentiate!

You know how critical personalized learning is. It is the craze that swept our world. But it's really just differentiation wrapped up in a fancy bow. Every child, every learner, is different. We all work at our own pace, learn in our own ways, so address that through your lessons. Also, utilize your individual and small group conferences to address these needs with different learner types. This ultimately means that you need to KNOW YOUR STUDENTS. Know them on a deeper level that helps you to understand what they need from you, so you can support them without being the one to do the work. Nobody wants to be that teachers who "edits" and "revises" for their students and then rereads the story to realize that it is no longer the student's story, but the teacher's. 

And there you have it! A few tips and tricks for making Writer's Workshop a success!

First Day of School Ish

Good morning!

Our school goes back today hybrid style. One cohort Monday’s and Tuesday’s. One cohort Thursday’s and Friday’s. Wednesday is full of meetings and office hours. We also have a virtual class and teacher at each grade level. 

But I’m not there. 

It’s my first first day of school home! Probably my last. I’m still on maternity leave so my first day of school outfit is pajamas, most likely! And although it feels weird to miss out, and I hate being out of the loop, I’m happy to be home with my family. And to let my school work out the kinks of reopening before I need to be there physically. I say physically because, although I am on leave, I have received 9 million emails and texts asking for help, ideas, and resources in the past week. I’m happy to help, but definitely not just kicking my feet up over here. Last night was working on our hybrid schedule for my principal. Last week was guiding classroom teachers through getting prepared for this new model of teaching. So, in conclusion, I feel kind of guilty not being at school to support as an instructional coach but I am also so blessed to have this time with my new son. I can’t imagine leaving him just yet. And it’ll still be nearly impossible in November to go back, but necessary. You know, so I can pay our bills and stuff. :)

So, for anyone out there starting with kids today, virtually or in person, happy first day of school!

Email Subscriber List: Ready to Go!

I am really making a big effort to be more present in growing my small business. So I took a big step today. I created an email subscriber list! I think it will be a great way to connect with the people who follow Tales and Teacherisms, send out freebies on the reg, and share insights and ideas that I have stumbled upon throughout my teaching and coaching journey. 

And so, if you're interested in becoming some of the first official subscribers, please click the link below and find out which paid resource I decide would make a really fun freebie for email subscribers!

Click here for a SURPRISE FREEBIE!

I really hope that you enjoy this freebie from my Teachers Pay Teachers store, and I can't wait to start this new adventure with you! Let's go!

Killing it. Do you ever have one of those stellar days?

Don’t get me wrong. I could definitely have had a more productive day, but I have a 2 year old and a newborn. This is my bedroom right now:

Like, freshly laundered bedding, laundry (almost) all put away, vacuumed recently. It made me feel quite proud. And I’m fully dressed! Not showered, but we can’t win them all. 

Anyway, there are so many days when I feel like I should have gotten more done. Or worked harder at something. Today was a fairly productive day, but nothing too special. I just feel more optimistic and forgiving today. I think I need to be content with my best more often because it’s not half bad. And I’m never going to get done what I did when I was 25, with no kids and full nights of sleep. Not gonna happen. So, today I decided that I am KILLING IT. And it’s the first time I looked in the mirror after having a baby 7 weeks ago and felt alright. So that’s something too. :)

Have a great day and remember that you’re killing it. 

LEGO STEAM/STEM Building Blocks Challenges for Every Child!

Hi everyone!

I'm here to talk LEGO! Now, if you are anything like my husband, you literally have TUBS AND TUBS of Legos from your youth. Just taking up space in the basement. Waiting for your children to be interested or old enough to enjoy them. (Our kids are 2 and newborn - we're not quite ready for the little Legos.)

I have used Legos with my students more and more over the years. For EVERYTHING! It started as a STEAM/STEM challenge. I did it with summer school students because I didn't know if I could fit Lego STEAM challenges into my regular school day during the year. The kids were completely engaged and into it. We used to have a Lego club at school, focusing on MindStorms, but that went away with budgetary reasons. So, now the kids finally had something similar back in their lives. Now, I structured it. Each day we engaged in a different Lego building blocks challenge or activity, such as building a marble maze or a rubber band powered car. Every child had a plastic tub with Legos plus extra materials they might need for a challenge, plus their Lego design book, which laid out all challenges, space for ideas/blueprints, and reflection. It became my go to summer enrichment activity in summer school.

Flash forward. I started to realize that I could integrate Legos all over. Busy bins. Recess tubs. teaching science and social studies! Literature units. You name it, I figured out a way to use Legos to teach it. Some of my favorites included morning tubs for kids when they came in. Each child got their own tub and a challenge. I also taught landforms using Legos to create them as we learned each. I also had kids setting up settings of texts with Lego scenes, practicing following directions and writing How To pieces with Lego creations, and learning all about fractions. We've done plenty of science experiments: density, water displacement, hurricane tables, and more!

Click here to check out the full array of Lego activities I've integrated into grades 2-5 classrooms over the years!

Allow me to reintroduce myself...

Hi everyone!

I have taken a little break from blogging. Now I am back! I actually have been pretty darn busy these past few years. I had a baby who is now two years old, Violet. Then I had another baby in July 2020, Braxton. Life is a whirlwind, but I wanted to get back to blogging - It's fun and it helps me connect with other teachers and moms. 

Speaking of which, my teaching life has changed, too! I am still working at the same school, but I am now an instructional coach. I work with grades 2-6 on a daily basis, helping transform their teaching. It is SO different from being a general education classroom teacher, but really rewarding, too. Before I felt like I made a huge positive impact on my class of 20 students. Now I feel like my impact can extend even further through the teachers I work with. So, less kiddos are running up to hug me, but these days I'm okay with that. I don't know if it is my forever job, but I love working with teachers, creating curriculum, and being part of the decision-making process for how our school runs. But I will never be administration. Noway. Not me. 

A peek into our lives recently:

Welcome back!

Summer is over...for most of us!

Hi everyone!

Just an update from my life. Yes, it is time to go back to school, but I am taking child rearing leave during September and October this year. I had my second child, a son named Braxton Wilder, in July. He was 10 days late, so we didn't start off on the best foot. (Just kidding, but being 41 weeks pregnant was not cool in summer!) Anyway, I worked my butt off this summer, more than I ever have in my life, even after having Braxton, just so I could take a little extra time with him this fall. With a pandemic, I felt that it would be nice to let my school work out the kinks of scheduling and cleaning before I came back...plus I just needed more baby snuggles!

So, here I am, home with a toddler (Violet Harper is 2 and the best, most independent, smartest kid I've ever met) and a newborn. I'll also try to get back to blogging. But for now, some baby pictures to leave you with all the feels:

Just living the quarantine life...

Hi everyone,

We've been teaching from home since March 16 and just found out that New York schools will be closed the remainder of this year. While that's tough news to hear, being eight months pregnant with a two year old at home, I was a little relieved. I was nervous to go back to school and feel vulnerable or like I could be the person in my family to bring something home. So, I'm okay being sequestered away in my house for a few months, as long as we're all safe.

It is crazy though, being home all the time but still feeling like I have no time to do anything! I guess that's because I'm taking care of a two year old, going to doctor appointments, still doing my main job, which is instructional coaching, but also filling in as a maternity sub for a fourth grade teacher. There's a lot going on every day!

I hope everyone else is juggling all of their hats, too!