A FEW TRICKS, SO YOU CAN TEACH

Hello Gourd-geous! You and I both know that October is crazy and busy and random and fun and full of sugar. Personally, October is one of my favorite months of the year. Fall candles, layered outfits, changing foliage -- I love it all! Professionally, October is one of the most stressful months of the year. I've read many articles talking about how October is "the month of teacher burn-out." I don't care how long you've been teaching, October seems to leave every teacher I know feeling a little frantic and frazzled. The Halloween season is upon us, conferences are looming overhead, the "honeymoon" period is over, meetings and extra events are piling up... BUT you can do it. I'm sharing a few tricks with you today so that you can focus on teaching and enjoying this month with your students!

Trick #1 - Take a breath.
Take time this month to do something that gives you oxygen in your personal life. Pausing on all of the crazy will help you to find your center and re-energize for all of those things vying for your attention. 

Trick #2 - Be mindful of what you put in your body.

I'm not your doctor, so I'm not going to tell you what you can/can't eat... but I am going to share a little bit of what I've learned about my own body lately. I WANT ALL OF THE SUGAR. Especially when I'm stressed. Everywhere I turn in October I can find some sort of sweet treat that I could justify deserving because I work so darn hard. Sometimes I do give in to the temptation and at least take a bite. But I've noticed just how much sugar and carbs really cloud my thinking and make me tired/lethargic. I don't know if your body works anything like mine does, but I know that I need to be fueling it with healthy foods this time of year so that I don't get sick and I can be on top of my game mentally. 

Trick #3 - Mix in some seasonal activities.

You don't have to spend money or do too much work to increase engagement in your classroom. There are lots of neat seasonal lesson plans and activities on the internet that you could utilize, or you could take a lesson you have already planned and put a little seasonal spin on it. For example, we're teaching long division right now in 5th Grade. To increase engagement, our team is having students create their own Halloween/Harvest themed division word problems embedding our recently learned vocabulary. This has made a pretty dull topic come to life as students are crafting sentences utilizing words like "partition" and "iterate" and then sprinkling it with footballs, and candy corn, and pumpkin pie!  Using the change in seasons to your advantage can be a great (and easy) way to engage the learners in your room.

Trick #4 - Give your students (and yourself) a break.

Set an achievable management goal with your students. (Examples- Quiet on the way to/from the lunch room all week, Received compliments from all Specials teachers for good behavior, Cleaned up the room each day in less than 4 minutes, etc.) When students reach that goal to your standard for a certain amount of days, reward them! In my room I have a marble jar. Students work together as a whole class to earn marbles for positive behaviors they display as a unit. When they fill the jar up, they earn a reward of their choosing. We start this on the first day of school and my students typically earn their first "marble party" in October each year. I let them decide what they want their reward to be... a popular choice is a movie party. This gives them a break to be social and relax and it gives me a break to work on grades or my other to-do's. The most important thing about this break is that it is EARNED. My students are watching a movie for part of the day, but they can articulate exactly why and what they can do to earn it again. 

Trick #5 - Go with the dance. 

Sometimes you just can't fight the crazy that is October. Roll with the punches as much as you can. When unexpected things pop up or go wrong, your reaction matters. Sometimes our reaction to stressful things is they only time our students get to see an adult respond positively to the negative situations life throws their way. (Thanks Rushton Hurley!) Go with the dance of life and try to take the time to make those things teachable moments. 

Trick #6 - Remember you're not alone.

I have seen even the most masterful educators frazzled in the midst of peak "burn-out season." Reach out to someone when you're feeling stressed. Maybe you need to talk with a friend you trust in your school, a teacher you've connected with over social media, or perhaps someone who is completely outside of the education realm.  Find someone who can understand how real the struggle is, allow you to vent, and then help you get over it. 

Outfit Details:

"Mushroom" Textured Sweater - Old Navy (same)

Trick or Teach Tee - Jane.com 

Distressed Jeans - Old Navy (same)

Cognac Ankle Booties - Target (same)

Earrings - Target 

Rings - H&M and Target 

Okay, Teacher friend I hope that trying out some of these Tricks helps you to enjoy the time you have to Teach the ghouls and boys in your class. 😉 You've got this! 

TRACK MISSING WORK IN STYLE

Do you ever have students who forget to turn in work on time? Who am I kidding -- of course you do! Or maybe they turn it in, but there's no name on it? It happens from time to time, no matter how great of a teacher you are. What matters is how you manage late/missing assignments. Today, I'm sharing with you my fun DIY to help you (and your students) keep up with what has or hasn't been turned in. It is SO important for students of any age to work on responsibility and my newest DIY project will allow my students to practice responsibility as well as self-advocacy. Keep reading if you want to see this cute, easy, and CHEAP project that will help you cut down on missing assignment nightmares.

What I've created is a "Missing Work" board that will allow me to post assignments and the names of students who I haven't received it from. This project cost about $12 and took me less than 15 minutes to make. I think that's a win-win. Not to mention the fact that this will save me the headache of dealing with holes in the grade book.

How I made it:

Supplies you will need- frame, scrapbook paper, alphabet stickers (optional), sticky notes
1. Take matte out of frame. 
2. Trace matte on scrapbook paper.
3. Cut scrapbook paper along traced lines.
4. (optional) Stick alphabet stickers on paper.
5. Place paper inside of the frame and secure.
6. (optional) If you chose not to purchase alphabet stickers, you could write "Missing Work" on the glass part of your frame using a dry erase marker.
7. Write missing assignments and student names on sticky notes and post as needed. 

How it works:

- After I have finished logging assignment scores into my grade book I will pull out sticky notes.
- Each individual sticky notes will represent one assignment. 
- On said sticky note I will write the assignment title on top, then list out the names of all students who do not have a score logged for that assignment. 
- Students will be responsible for checking the "Missing Work" board and turning in assignments so that their name gets checked off the sticky.
- If a student knows that they turned their assignment in, yet they see their name on the board, this should prompt them to look through the "No Name File" I have in my class to find the assignment and then they can resubmit.

To celebrate students who have had every homework assignment turned in during the month, as a 5th grade team we do a "Homework Club" lunch. This incentive of having lunch with the teacher and friends is a great motivator for students to be on top of checking the "Missing Work" board and turn in assignments on time. 

Did you give this DIY a try? Will you tweak it for your class? Please share in the comments below or post on social media using #myteacherstyle to show off your finished product. 

HOW TO ROCK YOUR PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

It's time for conferences 🎉 and if you are a new teacher, or a teacher needing a fresh perspective on how to run your Parent-Teacher Conferences... then this post is for you!!

First off, I want to preface this post with an explanation of how my team works because it will make more sense as to why I structure my conferences the way I do. At my school 5th Grade rotates in order to help students prepare for middle school. I teach math to my "homeroom" students, and then I teach reading to all three 5th Grade classes. My "homeroom" bunch of kids get to go to the other two 5th grade teachers every day for their writing instruction and for science/social studies. Because of this rotation, we structure our conferences in an "Open House" forum that is student led. This allows all 80+ students and their parents to conference with all three teachers and get feedback. 

Even though my conferences are structured in a very specific way, here are some universal tips for any teacher on how you can rock your Parent - Teacher Conferences!

Tip #1: Let your students take ownership.
Giving your students the chance to be involved in running their own conference is huge! This increases accountability and forces students to be more cognizant of their progress throughout the quarter. There are a few different ways you can get students involved including portfolios, weekly reflections, or asking them questions during the conference to get the conversation flowing. 
Having students create their own portfolio has worked well for me. Throughout the semester, my students have been preparing for conferences. At the beginning of the year I gave each student a blank manila file folder and told them they could decorate it any way they wanted to make a portfolio for conferences. I told my students that they needed to collect at least two graded artifacts from each subject over the course of the quarter to put in their portfolio. On the inside, they created a checklist to help them keep track of what was going in. Throughout the quarter I've created time and space to check-in with students and see how the artifact collecting process has been going. Many students put assignments that had high scores on it into their portfolio. Others chose to place an assignment from the beginning of the year that they got a lower score on, and then an assignment that they had done better on, explaining to me that they were proud to show off how much they had already grown! It was such a neat growth mindset moment for me to witness as several students came up to me and explained their collection process. I also knew that these students were proud to be taking ownership of their own conference. As I passed back graded assignments, they were looking for pieces that they wanted to display and talk to their families about. Having this level of excitement and thoughtfulness from students prior to conferences is HUGE!

One of my students let me share a picture of the inside and outside of her portfolio.

Tip #2: Prepare your students for what to expect. 
Students can get just as nervous (and probably even more nervous) than teachers for conferences! In my experience, talking students through what that experience should look like helps them know what to expect and prepare for, and also gives you a chance to enforce expectations. For example I went over the procedures for the night with my class and  explained how students should enter the classroom with their parents, go over to their desk, present their portfolio, etc. Then I've given them the chance to actually practice what this looks like and feels like with a partner in class. That way there are no surprises the night of. I've also explained to students that when they are done presenting their portfolios it will be my time to talk with them and their parents. I have told them that when I talk with them at conferences I will brag on the things that they are already doing well and let them and their parents know how I plan to challenge them, and how I'm looking for them to challenge themselves in areas of growth both academically and behaviorally. This step will help the logistics of the night run smoothly, but also let students know ahead of time that we have some important things to talk about. 

Tip #3: Think through what you want/need to say.
There are always nervous jitters in the air on conference night and sometimes you don't know just quite what to expect. Thinking through what you want and NEED to say to students and parents prior to conferences is important because it will help you stay on track. After students have finished presenting their portfolio and talking with their parents, I will usually start off the conversation by turning to the student and asking them, "How do you think 5th grade is going?" Usually I'll get back a short "good" and I'll probe a little to get that child talking about what's so good about 5th grade and what they're enjoying so far. I will usually echo some of their comments, "I'm glad to hear you say you like 5th grade and what we've been doing in Reading..." This opens the door for me to say what I need to say. I focus on sharing some strengths that I've noticed and then I offer up some areas that need improvement. Depending on the student and the areas of improvement needed I usually will start off my sentence with something like, "I think you're ready for a challenge. Here are some areas where I'd like to see us partner together to make sure the rest of your year is successful." Within these sentence frames I include personal comments and even some anecdotes that support my ideas for areas to improve and strengths I've seen. Thinking through the strengths and challenges that I want to share with parents and students ahead of time allows me to say what I need to say when they come in through my door. I always end my interaction with asking the parents if they have any questions for me. Thinking through what you want and need to say ahead of time will help things flow well throughout your conferences. 

Tip #4: Stage your classroom.
When it comes to preparing my classroom for conferences I have students tidy up their desks and wipe up the room with cleaning wipes to make sure every thing looks fresh. I like to stage my classroom by displaying neat projects that we've done this quarter on bulletin boards and creating little vignette's throughout the room. For example, on the table where I do small groups, I have little discussions questions to get parents asking their child about specific things that we've been doing so far. I also create a little welcome area (similar to what I do for Back to School night) with my business card and a little treat for parents. This year I am going to put up my supply wishlist. I also like to have some instrumental music softly playing in the background to help the room seem more warm and inviting. The background music also helps to create 'privacy' for discussion when more than one set of parents are in the room at a time. The last thing I do to stage my classroom is spray some sort of air freshener or warm some Scentsy to make the room smell clean and fresh. 

I structure the weeks before conferences very intentionally to make sure I have some awesome work to display out in the hallway and inside my room.

Tip #5: Dress to Impress
Any time I know I'm going to be interfacing with parents I want to dress professionally. Especially since I'm a younger teacher I think it's important that I convey a professional look. Also make sure your professional attire is something you feel CONFIDENT in!! Even if your outfit is perfectly professional and cute, if you don't feel comfortable or confident in it, then it won't help you give off the vibes you're wanting to. Wear something that helps you exude confidence, that will help you to start off with the right tone. For more tips on how to class things up for conferences click here.

One of my favorite looks from my "Class it Up" blog post that I totally plan on repeating for conferences.

Tip #6: Reflect!
After conferences are over you may be tempted to go into hibernation. Understandable. But before you go off the grid, take time to reflect over your conference experiences. What did you do well? What would you change up in the future. Taking a few moments to intentionally reflect (and jotting some notes down) will help you to be even more successful next go around!



Let me know what tips help(ed) you rock your conferences...or if you have specific questions, comment below! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!!

HOW I SURVIVED MY FIRST SEMESTER OF TEACHING... AND YOU CAN TOO!

So I haven't blogged since September, and that's mostly because my first semester of teaching has been very busy! I've learned A LOT over the past few days/weeks/months and to kick off this new year, I'm going to share a few of these things with you today! Whether you are just beginning your teaching journey, or you're a veteran teacher, I think that you'll be able to find my "survival toolkit" helpful. Yes, these are things that helped me survive my first semester of teaching... but they are also practices that I plan to continue throughout my education career. And now, without any further ado, a few things that I learned that helped me to survive my first semester of teaching that will hopefully help you too!

It's okay to get personal! (but still stay professional)
Going into this semester I really geared myself up for the fact that I need to be professional with all people at all times. As a fresh out of college, first year teacher maintaining a professional, "I've got my act together" persona was very important to me. I wanted to make sure I wasn't wearing my heart on my sleeve, over-sharing about my life, or treating my students/colleagues like I would my friends whilst hanging out at a local coffee shop chatting about the latest episode of The Bachelor. One of the best things I learned though was to find that balance of still staying professional... but being personable as well! It was easy to do with my colleagues as well as with my students. In fact, I found out that sharing little personal details about myself with my students every now and then (such as my love for my dog, anecdotes about my childhood, etc.) actually kept them engaged and allowed for me to get to know more about them too. This, in turn, helped me figure out what makes them "tick" so I could more effectively educate them.

Drink coffee!!
Enough said. I will also add though that I treated myself to a "fancy coffee" from Starbucks or a local coffee shop a few times this semester, but with the mindset of wanting to save money so I could focus on student loan payments I often brought coffee with me from home. Also, (and this goes back to getting personal) one of the teachers on my team has a coffee pot in her room and we take turns getting creamer, coffee, and making it before school in the morning. Drinking coffee aided team bonding as well as provided fuel to help get me through the day.

Laugh it off! (and learn from it)
I have a lot of perfectionistic tendencies. I really try to think things through and even anticipate future problems... however, sometimes things just happen. Things will go wrong, your computer will break down the day you are getting evaluated by your Principal (yes this happened to me), or a student will throw up in the middle of your most profound lesson. Laugh it off!! It's important for your students to see that you don't take yourself too seriously and that you can learn from these "teachable moments." Perfect example from my first semester... I was teaching a lesson about cause and effect relationships. We were looking at different scenarios and trying to identify the cause and the effect. I talk with my hands. A lot. During one of my sweeping gestures while teaching I bumped the jar holding my whiteboard markers and the jar proceeded to fly through the air to the floor spilling its contents everywhere. I could have gotten red faced and flustered. Instead, we laughed as a class as some students popped right up to help clean up the mess. Then, I turned that exact scenario into a cause/effect relationship. I asked students to turn and talk with the students in their group to see if they could identify the cause and the effect in the situation that just happened! The best part, students actually learned from it and they remembered the situation much later in the semester when we came back to the cause/effect relationship concept.

Don't feel bad hanging out with people your own age!
Don't get me wrong, I love my students, but spending time with people your own age is so important for your sanity success as a teacher and human being! I have a lot of friends who are teachers as well, and I love spending time with them because we bounce ideas off of one another and share funny stories from our school days. I also have friends who are not in the education field at all which often provides me with fresh perspective, or the chance to talk about something other than my work day. Spending time with friends has reminded me that I have a name other than "Miss Whittaker." I've had a hard time spending time with friends consistently because it seems that every where I turn there's another unit to plan, paper to grade, or thing to do... but I promise you, even if you only set aside a few minutes a week for a coffee date or two with a friend, you won't regret it! In fact, you'll probably be more rejuvenated because of it!

It's okay to ask for help.
This goes back to my perfectionism. I don't know if you're anything like me... but sometimes I try to do as much as I can in my own power and strength. I especially did this as a first year teacher because I don't want others to see me as "needy" or "incapable." However, I learned that true strength can come from asking for help. Turning to my mentor teacher, my team, and other teachers in my hall was actually not a sign of weakness at all. In fact, I now think it's an integral part of being an effective educator. I see teachers who have been teaching for a few years, or many years more than I have, turning to one another (even to me) to ask opinions, bounce ideas off of one another, and ask for help.

There are many other tools, management systems, and routines that I set up at the beginning of the year that really helped me to survive and thrive during this first semester of teaching, and there will be more to come on that in the future. But for now, I hope that this helps you survive your first semester of teaching!

What are your tips? Something you'd like me to write about? Comment below!