Let's Try This Again...

I haven't blogged at all this past school year. I have no reasons why.  I will tell you that I thought my teaching was so much better when I was blogging.  So.....

I am starting over.  Let me introduce myself

I am linking up with The Teaching Tribune for Week 2 of their Summer Bloggin' linky party.  I thought this was a good way into getting back into the blog world.  I am planning on linking up tomorrow and Wednesday too.  So please come back and visit!

First Day of School Plans

Good Evening All!

Tonight I am linking up with Deana over at Primary Punch with my tentative plans for the first day of school.   Like most everyone else I have written them in list form so I can just check items off as they have been completed. 

 I will be required to turn in my plans by the week so I will be 

posting them on Aug 18.  

Ready or not I will be returning to work on Monday for a full 

day of professional development.

10 Things I've learned from Teaching {Linky Party}

Miss Kindergarten is hosting a linky party on 10 things you have learned from you teaching experience.  

In August I will start my 21st year in the classroom and here is a list of things I have learned over the years.

1. THE WORLD WILL NOT END  if everything doesn't get done-- You must make time for yourself and your family. School can and will consume your life if you let it. A wise teacher once told me that I could work at school day and night and there would always be something else to do. 
2. Your attitude is contagious. Students can pick up on your moods. I have found that when I am calm and soft spoken so are my children. If I am in a good mood and excited to start my day so are they.
3. Be a team player. Don't work alone. Your school secretary, janitor and lunch staff can be your best friends. Avoid gossip at all costs! Never say anything that you don't want everyone else to know. However, keep all things said to you in confidence.
4. When you leave at the end of the day have everything prepared for the next. Organization will be key. Make sure you have all your materials and copies ready for the coming day.   It will happen.  You will be out very unexpectedly.  Make friends with a teacher on your hall, in your grade.  Someone that will help you when you are in a bind.  Make sure you return the favor.
5. Keep extra copies---We always have one child that for some reason doesn't want to go on our field trip and comes to school.  I send these extra copies with him to another teachers room for the day.  These should be items he/she can work on independently. 
6. Communication is key--Parents want to me informed.  Check out what parents are saying about you or your school through social media.  This year parents vented concerns over reading homework rather than coming to the teacher.  We held a special meeting for the parents and were able to clear up many misunderstandings. 
7. Develop think skin--With social media being so prevalent now, teachers are going to be talked about.  Don't let it bother you.  Parents are going to say good and bad things about you.  
8. Stay Positive--There will be days when you want to quit.  Believe me, I have been there.  Just hang in there and it will get better.  Think of all the good things you have accomplished.
9. It is OK to take a day off work---Enough said.  Your classroom can go one or two days without you in it. The children will be fine.
10. Be flexible--Go with the flow and you will be fine.

I hope we all have a successful start to our school year!

Next School Year...

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Now that summer is finally here, maybe I can get back into the swing of blogging.  This linky party hosted by Finding Joy in 6th Grade is a great way to get started. 

I have an idea on how to want to run my literacy centers next year and I think it will work well for me.  I hope to share with you my plans later on in June when I have everything all worked out.  This is something that I am most excited about, however, it will take the most work.

 This is also an area in which our entire school will be focusing on.  As a school we are going to improve our science instruction all the way around.

I have a classroom blog that I need to be more consistent with and encourage my parents to use it as a resource.

Check out what others want to do next year by visiting Finding Joy in 6th Grade.

Tell Me More, Tell Me More....

The fabulous Amy Lemons is having a linky party!

I am going to be completely honest with you guys, there is not that much to tell!  I live a very simple life.  I LOVE it!!  


 I am married to a wonderful Christian man who is a great father to our two daughters.  These daughters give us all the excitement we can handle.  Never in a million years would I have thought I would do or be all these things because of my girls.

I am a band booster.  My oldest daughter is beginning her second year in band.  Last year was the first time in over 20 years that I went to a high school game.  I am proud to say that I went to all games and cheered for the band, football team and anyone else who was with our school.

I am a cheer mom.  What???  I am the mom that only started going to high school games last year.  I know nothing about this kind of stuff.  However, I am a quick learner.  My youngest daughter made cheerleader at her middle school.  She has spent a week at camp and is going to early morning practices.   Now, I will also be going to football games every Tuesday night for the middle school team.

Every now and then we like to take weekend trips.  Since we live in Alabama we have most ofter visited Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.  All you Mississippi readers please send me some ideas for a weekend trip in your state.  FYI:  We don't gamble, so all the casinos are out.  I am a typical tourist.  I want our pictures made in front of everything!  Here we are in front of Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Lunchbox Linky Party

Tara at 4th Grade Frolics is having a fabulous lunch box linky party.

I take my lunch most days. I use a lunchbox from Thirty One.


I take a can of soup almost everyday. I just warm it up in the microwave. Today I also had some leftover rice to add to my soup.



I also carry crackers. This is for myself and my girls as an after school snack.



I eat lunch every day at 11:45. We have a 25 minute lunch. I am required to eat lunch with my children. Here are a few pictures of my class at lunch.


We have five tables in our lunchroom. Our lunch times are 5 minutes apart. We only have 13 homerooms in my school. We are very limited on our staff.

Kinder-2nd Grade Linky Party

Kindergarten Lifestyle is hosting a linky party for Kindergarten - 2nd grade. I thought I would join in. If you teach Kindergarten, First or Second Grades please head over to Kindergarten Lifestyle and check out all the blogs. There are so many listed and many are new to me.

I get to play!!!

I'm It!

I am sure you all have seen the Tag! Your It! Posts going around in blogland and I get to play too! Yea! I have been tagged by two fabulous bloggers!

Here are the rules
*You must post the rules.
*Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
*Answer the questions the taggers set for you in their post and then create twelve new questions for the people you tagged.
*Tag 12 people and link them in your post.
*Let them know you tagged them.

12 Fun Facts About Mechele

1. I love to send cards to people. I send Birthday, Get Well, Thinking of You and Congratulations Cards. I mail all my cards on Tuesday of each week.
2. Myself and a couple of coworkers take on mini photo challenges on the weekend and we share our photos with each other after school. It is a way for us to learn how to better use our camera and have fun doing it.
3. I cook all the time. (not by choice) We live in a rural area so going out is not an option. The only thing close by is a Burger and Pizza Joint. We have to drive 40 minutes to the nearest sit-down restaurant.
4. I live across the road from an old one room school house that is still standing. My Daddy went to school there. The schoolhouse is in fair condition and is on private property.
5. I love sitting on my front porch! For Christmas I asked for and received two ceiling fans to go on the front porch. Now I must get them installed.
6. I am a huge Country Music fan. My husband and children--not so much. This is why they listen to/play on their IPod if they are not driving.
7. For family trips we like to get in the car and drive to see where we end up. We leave the house with only a general direction. These are some of our best memories.
8. I eat fresh eggs. We have our own chickens and we gather about a dozen eggs a day. We give many away to neighbors. Who can eat 12 eggs a day?
9. I like to play Just Dance with my kids on the Wii.
10. I get wild ideas --like starting a new blog when I barely have time to work on this one.
11. I am trying to talk my husband into getting bee hives so we can make our own honey. (I'll let you know how that goes)
12. I meet my husband 21 years ago at a fast food restaurant. I married him 54 weeks later. We have been married for 20 years.

12 Questions from

How many grades have you taught? 5--K,1,2,3,4
How many years have you taught? 19
What is your favorite hobby?Reading
What is your favorite restaurant? I don't really have a favorite, we usually eat at Cracker Barrell
What is your favorite television show? Amazing Race
What is your favorite movie? A Good Western
What is your favorite app? Google Reader--Someone needs to clue me in on some good apps
What is your favorite subject to teach? Math
Do you like roller coasters? Yes
Do you have any tattoos or piercings? No
What is your favorite season? Spring
How many siblings do you have? 1 sister

12 Questions from

What's your easiest thing about teaching this year? Not much, however, my reading coach has been helping me alot with my daily 5 centers. This has made teaching guided reading easier for me.
What's the hardest thing about teaching this year? Having a diverse classroom with no aide. I have 24 students that range from ELL, autistic, selective mutism, dwarfism, and throw in a couple of ADHD children for good measure
What is a professional book you recommend to everyone you work with? The Daily 5
What is a new idea you have tried this year that has really worked? We have started a management response for one of the autistic children in my classroom. He has responded very well with this. It came about because it helps him stay focused in an inclusive classroom.
What book character do you most want to be like? Any that have a happy ending and everything is right in the world
What is your favorite book or author to read aloud to your class? Kevin Henkes
What treat or pick me up do you keep hidden in your desk at school? Currently is is Nilla Wafer
What one new thing to you want to try new on your blog? Linky Parties
What do you do on snow days? Nothing--It rarely snows in Alabama. When it does snow everything shuts down. We may have a snow day every couple of years. They are few and far between. We use more days for severe weather (tornadoes, flooded roads, etc...)
What time do you get up on school days? 6:00 am
What is your favorite thing to pin? Recipes
What is the last movie you saw? Beauty and The Beast in 3D

Here are my 12 questions for the 12 people I am tagging:
What is your go to recipe when you have a long day at work?
If you weren't a teacher what profession would you like to have?
What are some of your favorite graphics you use when creating your units?
What is your favorite city in the United States that you have visited?
What is your favorite song?
Do you play an instrument?
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
What is your favorite spring activity? Either at home or school
Would you rather have a new handbag or a new pair of shoes?
What is your favorite fruit?
What is your favorite science/social studies unit to teach?
What is something you use in your classroom on a daily basis?

I Tag...

Heather's Heart

Marvelous Multiagers

Tattling To The Teacher

The Kennedy Korral

Swimming Into Second

The Bubbly Blonde

Farmtastic Fun In Second Grade

Faithful In First

A First Grade Fairy Tale

First Grade O.W.L.S.

Second Grade Shenanigans

Down Under Teacher

12 Questions from

1. Do you have to sign in and out when you arrive and leave school? (including if you leave for lunch?) I have to sign in and out when I arrive and leave. I do not get to leave for lunch. I am required to eat lunch with my children.

2. What is your favorite snack? BBQ potato chips

3. What time do you usually get to work? 7:20 am. This is the latest we can arrive. I must be signed in by that time or I am considered late.

4. What is your dream vacation? A week on a tropical island with no phone or internet

5. Who is your favorite actor/actress? John Travolta

6. Have you ever had a bad habit that you have now overcome? No, I don't drink or smoke however, I have a horrible temper and I have not overcome it yet. I work on it daily.

7. Is there a smell that you can’t tolerate? Body Odor

8. Do you have a favorite sports team? The Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team

9. What’s your favorite type of music? Country

10.What annoys you more than anything? People who want a free ride, they want everything given to them without working for it.

11. What is your favorite children’s book? There are so many it is hard to choose just one, I will go with Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

12. How long have you been teaching? 19 years

Week 3 {Clutter-Free Classroom Project}

Now that I had a plan, I was able to purge the clutter!

I have worked super hard this week. I came in on Monday while my daughter was at a birthday party and worked after school Tues and Wed. I think I have accomplished so much. I started by working in small areas and organized as I went. You can find my before pictures HERE.

I began by getting the large garbage can on wheels that stays in the hall. I was able to fill it half full just by doing an immediate clean sweep of things that went into the trash.


I then placed everything I wanted to keep in one location in the classroom.

I went through it a second time and either gave it to a fellow teacher, recycled it, tossed it our put it away. I threw away lost of extra papers and things that didn't work. I recycled a broken desk, and gave others teachers resource books I no longer use and extra supplies.

I generally has two bags of extra trash a day.


The only thing that I haven't started on yet was tackling all the extra papers. My plan is to keep one copy and send the rest home with the children for extra practice.

If you get a chance please vote for me. You have until Thursday!
Thanks!

Week 1 {Clutter-Free Classroom Project}

A New Year begins for Barrow's Hodgepodge. I am hoping
this semester is better than the last. To begin the year I am going to participate in The Clutter-Free Classroom Project sponsored by The Clutter-Free Classroom . This is perfect since my school will be undergoing SACS Accreditation review the first week in February.


Below you will find my before pictures. These pictures were taken today. Yes, I came to school on a Saturday night to write lesson plans. Here is the really sad part---I was not the only teacher there!





This is a picture looking at my desk area. To the right is the table for my laptop, document camera and mimeo. In front is our listening center.

This is the picture of the corner bookshelf behind my desk. I am not happy with this area. I feel as though it is not utilized in the best way.

This is the reading table. We use this table every day. It may be clean at some point during each day, however, it often is cluttered. I love the located of the table in my room. It is located in the very middle. This is working great for me, the only problem is the lack of storage in this area.



This is the clutter that is my back wall. The curtain hides the children's coat closet. And my pocket chart is falling down. I will fix this before I go home.





This is one wall of my classroom. On top of the bookshelf is math centers (that need to be better organized). On the shelf is a collection of different reading materials.



This last picture is the back wall in our classroom. This is the worst part of the classroom. It has messy pocket charts, clutter daily work boxes, textbooks and book boxes.



After seeing this mess I am ready to be clutter-free. I am excited about having a plan to get organized. Head on over to Clutter-Free Classroom for more information or to join in!

Teacher Talk Tuesday

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your day was very productive. I am linking up with Blog Hoppin' this week and today is Teacher Talk Tuesday. I will try to offer my best advice for new and returning teacher alike.

So here is my five favorite tips for new teachers:

1. Your attitude is contagious. Students can pick up on your moods. I have found that when I am calm and soft spoken so are my children. If I am in a good mood and excited to start my day so are they.
2. Be a team player. Don't work alone. Your school secretary, janitor and lunch staff can be your best friends. Avoid gossip at all costs! Never say anything that you don't want everyone else to know. However, keep all things said to you in confidence.
3. So what if everything doesn't get done---THE WORLD WILL NOT END! You must make time for yourself and your family. School can and will consume your life if you let it. A wise teacher once told me that I could work at school day and night and there would always be something else to do.
   
4. When you leave at the end of the day have everything prepared for the next. Organization will be key. Make sure you have all your materials and copies ready for the coming day.
   
5. When everything you have tried has been unsuccessful---EAT! It always make me feel better. Remember that tomorrow is another day and it will get better.

I am Blog Hoppin' and reading all sorts of wonderful advice. Hop on over and read what advice other teachers offer, you will not be disappointed.

Top 3 Things Linky Party

Simply Second Resources is having a linky party! She wants to know the top three things we are going to work on in our classroom.


In My Second Grade Classroom This Year
I Want To Focus On:

Our class blog--This is something that I just started. My goal for this blog is to be a resource for parents and a place for students. This will replace our class webpage. I want my students to interact and follow other second grade class blogs. I would like for us to communicate with others. This blog should also have resources for students to use when they are at home. Feel free to check out our class blog--please remember I have just started this. I welcome any feedback you have to make this a better blog for students and parents. Let me know if you would like to communicate with my class via -blog, skype, email, etc.. I am open to any ideas!

You can find us at: teambarrow.blogspot.com

Math--In my classroom and my school we will have a focus on math. We will be closely looking at instruction, instructional strategies and state standards. In the fall our faculty will complete a book study on Number Talks by Sherry Parrish. I am also going to try to implement math work stations according the ideas presented in the book Math Work Stations by Debbie Diller.


Technology--I must incorporate more technology into my lessons. I have a Mobi and a Mimio. I received Mimio training in June. I just now received my Mobi and I am not sure how to use it. I need to find out quick because school starts next week. Do you have a Mobi or Mimio? I need some advice and lesson ideas.

What 3 things do you want to work on in your classroom this year?
Head over to Simply 2nd Resources to join the linky party!

New School Year Resolutions

Clutter-Free Classroom is having a New Year Resolution Linky Party
and I thought I would join in.

It seems that at the start of each new year I always have the best intentions and somehow everything gets jumbled up during the year. With that in mind I am planning on two resolutions. One professional and one personal.

Professionally, I want to create and maintain and usefully and beneficial classroom blog for my students and parents. I would also like to use this blog to communicate with other classrooms. I stated my classroom blog using Ladybug Teacher Files Video Tutorials. This has given me a good start. However, the blog still needs more work. I would love to see some other examples. Teaching Happily Every After has a post on Ways to Spice Up Your Class Website. If you have a classroom blog please go to her sight and like up. If you have any ideas on things a class blog should include please leave me a comment. I will share my classroom blog once I have things looking a little better.

Personally, I want to improve my time management in and out of the classroom. It seems that there is always something going on that we have to fit into our schedules. I want to make sure I have all my priorities in order and that school work doesn't consume my life.

Now, if I only had someone to hold me accountable! Our students come back to school in three weeks so we shall see how it goes.

Head over to Clutter-Free Classroom and see what everyone's resolutions are.

Classroom Jobs

I just love Linky Parties!

Mel over at Oh the Places We'll Go is hosting a link party on classroom jobs. I think classroom jobs are important and gives the students responsibility within the classroom.

For the 2011-2012 School year I plan to have these jobs--I am hoping their is enough for each child to have one job.

Classroom Job List from last year:

• Line Leader
• Caboose
• Girl Restroom Monitor
• Boy Restroom Monitor
• Water Monitor
• Table Washer A
  
• Table Washer B
• Classroom Sweeper
• Messenger
  
• Materials Manager
  

These next jobs will be new for my classroom next year. Most were take from One Extra's Degree's Blog and Mel's Oh the Places We'll Go. I just loved the names for some of the jobs.

• Librarian
• Desk Sanitizer
• Planner Checker
• Student Substitute
• Sanitation Engineer A
• Sanitation Engineer B
• Electrician
• Chair Checker

The following jobs will be new for me and will take many weeks of modeling before the students can do them independently.

• Photographer (will take at least one photo a day)
  
• Broadcaster (will be responsible for the end of the day summary)

Mrs. Lochel at Keeping Up With The Kindergartners is also have a classroom jobs linky party. Head over a check our her blog too!

Summer Reading

Teaching Happily Ever After is having a linky party and I thought I would join in.

Where do I start? I love to read and I enjoy reading on my Kindle.

Professionally I plan to read:

• Math Work Stations by Debbie Diller. I hope to read along with other bloggers and explore the possibilities of using math work stations in my second grade classroom next year.
  

• Several years ago our school did a book study on Bringing Words to Life. I would like to revisit this book in hope of bring new life to my vocabulary instruction.

• Our school also did a book study with The Daily 5. I have used the Daily 5 framework in my kindergarten classroom and hope to do that again this new year in second grade. I will be referring back to this book often as I plan the literacy centers for second grade.
  

• 

As I was leaving for summer break my reading coach suggested I should read The CAFE Book over the summer. So, if time permits I will try to read this one too!



Now, my personal reading preferences is to find books that are light and fun to read. I will make time to try and read at least two books just for pleasure.

• In the past I have enjoyed the Stephanie Plum novels written by Janet Evanovich. The last few books have been so-so in my opinion. However, I still plan to read her newest book to be released on June 21. I hope this book will be as good as her first few in the series.

• Another favorite author I have is Julie Garwood. She has a new book coming out in August. I hope I have time to read this book before school starts. I know that once school starts my time for pleasure reading will be limited.