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Thursday, July 25, 2013

How Are We Learning? - Anchor Chart

I recently came across this anchor chart on Pinterest:



I knew that I just had to have this in my classroom.  With a few tweaks I made it my own, I can't wait to use it this year!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

8 Books for 8 Weeks of Vacation

With a few weeks left in the school year, my co-teacher and I noticed that our students seemed to have lost their motivation. While I too was feeling that same way, there was no way that we could let our students wander through the last couple weeks with no focus.  So I had the students write down three goals that they had for themselves for the summer.  I began jotting down what my goals were for the summer.  

Here are my goals:

1. Go for bike rides
2. Go swimming with the dogs
3. Read 1 book every week

Now I absolutely love to read, and it's something that has been put on the back burner for these last couple of months.  I've challenged myself to read books that are outside of my comfort zone.  The first book that I am reading is called "The Space Between Us" by Thrity Umrigar.  
Now I have to confess this book is not one that I picked out, its actually required reading for a grant I got through Boundless Readers.  But I am looking forward to reading it because it is not something that I would normally read.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Recovering from the School Year

I originally started this blog as a way to keep blogging after my year blogging for CEC was over.  My every intention was to continue sharing my trials and tribulations as a teacher in Chicago, but then the craziest school year took over.  As I look back at this past school year, I am not sure how I made it…this year was harder than the year I was taking full time graduate courses.  I struggled with being thrown into a new position, teaching 3 new content areas, managing a homeroom for the first time, Rahm’s longer day, and longer year.  I began taking sick days, and personal days (something I had never done in the past).  I dreaded going into work more often than I should have, and ended up racing the students out the door at dismissal.

To put things quite simply I am burnt out. 

Everyone keeps asking me what my plans are for the summer, and I happily tell them relaxing!  I am spending this summer focusing on myself, and being more than ready to face the challenges of the upcoming school year. 


So follow along this summer as I share all of my fun projects and activities, as I refocus and reenergize.