Getting a little behind...

Well, though I'm staying up in the classroom. I'm starting to get behind on keeping up. My classes have settled down and we made it through safety in my STEM classes. Pre-Algebra is going great! I love the Interactive Notebooks. I'm not going to do every lesson as a foldable, but the big things we are covering I feel need to be. 

I found a great Pinterest person named Debbie Dyer. She actually posted all of her notebooks onto the web. So I've been trying to follow along. I also got some ideas from some other of Pinterest. They have been really helpful. 

I'm hoping with doing this blog I will be helpful to others as well as myself for the coming years.  

On top of things...

For the first time in seven years, I finally feel like I am on top of my game. It's only Day 4, but the difference structure makes in the lives of my students and myself is golden. I love having my plan period first hour, because it helps me get done what I didn't the day before. Also, it makes me on top of the day. 

I started Interactive Notebooks this year for my pre-algebra class and somewhat for my Gateway classes. I've used them in years past, but now I'm putting a different spin on them. There are some great blogs out there that have me on top of them. We got them setup today and ready to go tomorrow!

I will let you know how it goes. :)

First day of school

As I lay here thinking about today, I contemplate what I am doing. Did I do enough? Was I stern enough?

It was a good first day back. 

I talked a little bit about the syllabus and did an activity with each class. With my first two hours, I gave them each a piece of aluminum foil and had them make something that would float. We then tested to see how many marbles it would hold. The best was 35!!

My next two hours were given 10 Popsicle sticks and some masking tape. They then created a flotation device and surprisingly the highest number was 7. It was a great problem solving activity to get the year started. 

Finally my new pre-algebra class did a "Figure Me Out!" activity. I found the activity on Pinterest and was very excited to use it. I will share it tomorrow. 

Best of sleep! 

Day 2 of being back in my room

So yesterday, we started back. I got absolutely nothing done. Today, we had our teacher appreciation breakfast. Every year, our Chamber of Commerce puts this on. It is always fun and they give away baskets of goodies to the teachers. This year, I got a piggy bank with change and a $2 bill. Overall, it was a nice morning. 

I didn't take lunch and stayed to work in my classroom. With the little bit of help I got from my kids, I was able to get my sudoku bulletin board done. I got the idea from Pinterest and used my vinyl cutter to create the sudoku squares. I then cut out numbers from vinyl and attached them to scrapbook paper. Finally, I laminated them and got ready to put it together. Here's a pic: 

I got a dollar store sudoku book and used the easiest one first. 

What's my plan? Well, I am going to give this to the kids and every week we will have one. I think the easiest will get everyone a sucker or some treat, then going to work my way up. Maybe medium, only half get something.(hopefully that will entice them). Then harder, Sonic drink for lunch. Maybe one from each class. Then the hardest of all, lunch on me. Maybe top 1-3, depending one budget. 

Let me know what you think!

A little bit about myself

2015-2016 will be the start of my 7th year in teaching. For the past 6 years, I have taught Gateway to Technology. This is a STEM class and I teach grades 6-8. I love what I teach, because it is project-based learning. I don't like to do a lot of paper/pencil assignments. We do projects and activities to test the mind.

Exciting news though: I get to teach a section of Mathematics this year for 8th grade!!! I was suppose to get a shot last year, but I ended up doing 6th grade intramurals instead. So, I am going to be using my love of project-based learning to create a fun environment for my math students.

Here is some more history on me:
* 2001-2005: attended Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, OK; received an Associates in Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Traning. 
* Changed majors, because I met my husband and realized I wanted to be home more than away. Math always came easy to me, so I changed to education and was going to be a math teacher.
*2004: Got married and started at Oklahoma State University. Didn't make it though, because I had a hard time adjusting to being married and studying.
*2005: Started at the University Learning Center in Ponca City, OK to get my degree in Elementary Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, OK. I did this via ITV!!! My plan was to take my mathematics certification, so I could teach up. This was the only degree I could get that was close and I learned so much from doing elementary on integration and modifications for students.
2007: Graduated from Northwestern in December and started a home daycare, so I could be with my son and soon to be daughter (was due in May).
2009: First teaching job at Blackwell, OK. I am still here going strong...

Getting ready for the year….

Welcome to my new blog! I have wanted to create something that I would be able to look back on and learn from the school year, plus maybe help some teachers out or get help in general. There are those times, when you wonder as a teacher, if what you are doing is working. Well…. I thought that this was the best way to see if it is true.

So welcome… Feel free to comment anything you have positive or negative. I will just delete if need be ;)