Class Funny ~ Is That What They Really Hear?

The other day in class I was messing around with the kids and took one of the boys' chair and sat in his seat.  Of course this gives a huge debate in the students, do they "fight" with the teacher to regain their chair or do they go find a new place to sit?  Oh the dilemma!  It's actually pretty funny to see them struggle with it in their head!

During this thought process, someone shouts (as they always do), "You're the teacher now!"

This student then says, "Okay, I'll teach!"  He goes to the front of the room and says, "Blah, blah, blah." and shakes his head around.

That's when I can't contain my laughter and realize that is EXACTLY how they hear me most days!  Takes me back to the Charlie Brown teacher days.

Long Awaited Update

It's been a long time since my last update and many parents may be wondering if anything is happening in class!  That's the reason for the delay, we have TOO much happening in class!

The year is flying through so quickly and I can't believe it is already October.  The kids are doing amazing work and trying their absolute best; but, I feel like there's not enough time to do all that needs to be done.

We are currently taking a break from the normal busy routine to work on Calico cats for our annual Calico Arts Festival!  In case you haven't heard, we are celebrating our 40th Calico Festival this year.  If you are able to help volunteer your time, we need workers in all areas for set up, tear down and of course the actual event.  Please consider coming out and helping by working a couple hours.  It still leaves plenty of time to enjoy the event with your kids and provides so much for our school!

As well as needing volunteers, we are in desperate need of donations for our Calico basket!  Our theme this year is Movies.  The money raised from this fundraiser goes directly back in to the classroom to benefit your kids!  Without this money, there's so many additional things we aren't able to do.  It's these extras that Calico provides us that allows us to bring the fun back in to the classroom and sets us apart from other schools.

Your support in this major event is greatly appreciated by not only the kids; but, by us teachers as well!

So Proud

I'm so proud of a few of these kiddos today!  We've been working on learning our new phonics program and using dictation to practice their spelling with the phonics program.  Today as we were working through the lessons, I had a student point out how he knows the letter s can say the /z/ sound ~ the sound spelling card shows it!  Yeah, he's catching on!!

Even better was during dictation.  A couple days ago I had several students writing and really not thinking anything through.  Before correcting I pointed out that every word needs a vowel.  I must have said it 4 or 5 times and told them to check their word for vowels.  Most did not check it and went on to get it wrong.  I was highly disappointed (and a little frustrated!)  Today, we were working on the word made.  I noticed 2 students wrote mad.  I said, "Before we correct, everyone check your word and read it silently to yourself.  Ask, did I write made or mad?"  All students were reading their words and both the students saw their mistake and went to correct it!  Yeah!!!  One student was checking the sound/spelling cards and wrote maid which is a correct spelling for the word; just not the one we were using.  But, again, YEAH!  He successfully used the cards to help guide his spelling instead of just guessing and being WAY off!

I love seeing the kids take an active part in their learning and actually trying to use the tools I've given them instead of just sitting back and waiting to be told the correct answers.  This made my day today!

Rachel's Challenge

Today we had an assembly titled Rachel's Challenge.  This was brought to us from the family of Rachel Joy Scott, a girl who was killed in the Columbine High School shooting back in 1999.  I have heard they do an amazing talk for high schools; but, was a little concerned at how they would approach the topic today with our younger students.  There was no reason for concern as they did an amazing job!

From the moment we entered the cafeteria for the assembly, there was an upbeat mood about the place.  The speaker was playing some great songs and began interacting with the students and becoming personable with them.  Once we were all seated and ready to begin, the speaker started by introducing Rachel with a baby picture.  All you heard were ahhhs from the students at the cute baby picture.  Throughout the talk, we heard about Rachel's Challenge for Creating a Chain Reaction.  We saw video examples of how the challenges could be upheld.  We heard stories of different ways Rachel had impacted the lives of others when she was in school.  The assembly was a great starting point to bring up discussions in the classroom.

Once in the classroom, I wondered how much did my 2nd graders get out of this assembly.  I found they got more than I imaged!  They were able to see the impact they can have by just stepping in and stopping someone from bullying another person.  Or the simple act of helping someone clean up a mess.

During the assembly students were given these 5 challenges:

1. Use kind words
2. Include others
3. Surround yourself with positive influences
4. Set goals
5. Journal

We will be talking and practicing these things in our classroom as the year goes on.  I think they are great traits we can begin making habits that will turn in to just a way of life for our kids.  Our first goal is going to be using kind words.  If you begin seeing some of this happening at home, please be sure to encourage it and not be suspicious of what they may be up to.  They aren't trying to fool you, they are just trying to change the world one kind act at a time.

For more information about Rachel's Challenge, you can visit:  http://www.rachelschallenge.org/

One Week Down

Today we come to the end of our first full week of school!  It's always a busy and tiring week.  I'm sure many of your kids have come home very tired, hungry, and crabby.  I know mine have!  Of course I'm sure my wife would be asking if it's our kids or me who is coming home tired, hungry, and crabby :)  Yes, I admit it, I'm as bad as the kids getting back in to the routine.  My feet hurt, my voice is cracking and I'm tired beyond the point of a good night's sleep doing any good ~ I think I need a good 3 days of uninterrupted sleep!  But, I don't see that happening anytime soon!

Even with all the sleepiness and crabbiness going on, I think this going to shape up to be another fantastic year for Room 14!  Some students have started testing boundaries and seeing how far they can go.  I love this time of year because you see who the timid students are and who the daring ones are.  The daring students begin pushing limits right away and give that look as if to say, "So, what are you going to do when I do this?"  You know, the expectation is, it's the beginning of school and the teacher is going to let us do just about anything ~ WRONG!  Reality is, it's the beginning of school and the teacher is going to set the stage for a great year by letting you know you can't get away with anything!  What's even better is when the look turns to, "But, you were serious and I really have to (read, draw, write, etc. . )"  All the while the timid students are quietly watching and thankful some other student tested that limit because they know where it is now.

Ah, the time of settling in is fun!

I love my job so much; but, as I was going through today's lessons and dictation, I think I found my other true calling!  I should quit teaching and become a tour guide on a great excursion or a ride like the Jungle Cruise and Disneyland!  My mood was off in a weird place, I had a microphone in hand, and the voice and jokes just kept rolling out.  Kids were looking at me with mixed emotions.  Some were laughing and some thought I'd just lost a few marbles and belonged far away from children.  Good times; but, now instead of being a WalMart greeter when I retire, I think I'll go work at Disneyland on a cruise ride where I can tell corny jokes and people have to put up with it because their stuck on a ride with me!

Thank you to everyone who came to Back-to-School Night!  Hope you had a great night and if you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year please be sure to let me know!

Tomorrow Is the Big Day!

It's hard to believe we are on the eve of school beginning!  The summer has been full of great events making great memories.  My greatest memory of this summer was taking my sons to see their very first Giants game in AT&T park!  It was a great memory for my family; especially considering my middle child is an avid Giants fan(atic).  Whether you did a huge trip, a small get away or just a staycation, I hope you all enjoyed your summers as well.

As we begin to enter a new year, I am excited to meet my new batch of students.  I am really wondering who will end up with the least amount of sleep tonight ~ them or me!  Even after 17 years, I still get nervous and anxious as the new year begins.  I'm sure I'll be at the school bright and early making sure all those final touches are finished.  I've moved things so many times, I'm not even sure where they are any more.  It will all be worth it once the kids begin entering and feeling the excitement of the first day of school!

Here's hoping we all sleep well tonight and we all make it to school on time ~ especially with the new early start time!

Class Awards & Gifts

This morning was the big day I've been both anticipating and dreading.  I've been working hard on some special items for these kids and today was the unveiling.  I've been excited to see their reaction; but, very nervous because I have to talk in front of parents!  I'm great with the kids, but you put adults in the room and I get tongue-tied and self-conscious!  These kids know my sense of humor and personality; but, you parents only see snapshots of me.  With it all, it went GREAT (at least I think it did!)

As I've been telling these kids, they are a very special batch.  I have the privilege of working with amazing kids every year; but, only every few years do I get the opportunity to work with an exceptional class that comes together as this batch has!

We started our morning with "candy" awards that represented personalities.  I know some of the candy wasn't always the favorite candy; but, it was more about the personality trait representing the students.  This was a hard task because so many awards could have been given to so a lot of different students.  I think my favorite ones were the awards I described and the students knew exactly who would get it ~ yep, we ALL know who our "baseball minded" kid is!

Next, I presented the students with a project I hope they will cherish for many years to come!  A month ago we took time to write one word we felt described each of our classmates.  I took those words and created a word web for each student (and myself).  Printed, framed and wrapped, these became a going away gift for the students.  My hope is when they are feeling down on themselves, they will return back to this item and remember what their classmates thought of them and have a little pick me up!  Here's what the class thought of their teacher:

Lastly, I gave the students a very special coloring book.  What's so special about a coloring book?  Well, it's all about them!  I spent A LOT of time trying to get this as close to perfect as I could; but, I took pictures from throughout the school year and made it into a coloring book for the kids.  They seemed to be impressed with this I think.  Here's a sample picture of our book:

Original Image from our field trip

Color book page from the picture to the left

It's a very bittersweet day today!  Looking forward to summer vacation; but, I really don't want these kids to grow up and move on to 3rd grade.

Game Day ~ What Was I Thinking?

Last week of school, time to wind down and yearbooks being released from my room, what better thing to do than a game day? It'll keep kids busy as I have constant interruptions of students coming and going to get yearbooks.  Boy, was this a mistake!  These kids aren't classmates, they are a bunch of siblings arguing like 2 & 3 year olds.  We'll get through this game day and then NO more!  I can hear this at home with my own boys and it's not nearly as loud.

Special thanks to the family that sent on Rock Em Bots game.  My head hurts so much just hearing it you'd think I was being pounded in the head :)

Important part, they are all having fun and want to continue playing!

Ice Cream In a Bag

Yesterday we had a great science experience that tied in with our field trip last week ~ we made our own ice cream in a bag!  It was a great experience loaded with lots of fun and super easy.  I highly suggest taking some time this summer and doing it with your kids at home.

Supplies:
Milk/Cream
Sugar
Vanilla
Rock Salt
Ice
Zip Lock Bags

You take 2 Zip Lock bags (we highly suggest you use the name brand so they won't spring a leak so easily).  In the larger bag, you place rock salt and ice.  In the smaller Zip Lock bag you place sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Be sure to mix them enough to make the sugar dissolve.  Once ready, place the smaller bag in to the larger bag and shake for about 5-10 minutes.  You will end up with ice cream!

There are ways to make other flavors than vanilla; but, we went with simplicity!  The kids had a blast and enjoyed their creation.  If you look to do this at home, there are plenty of sites to help with other flavors.  Sorry there aren't any pictures, I was having too much fun watching them mix it all up.

Student of the Month

Each month our class has chosen a student as the "Student of the Month."  This year I have allowed the class to vote and select who would represent Room 14 at the monthly Student of the Month party.  I have not been posting much about this throughout the year; but, this month I had to post!  As it gets further along in the year, it often gets more difficult to select that one student who stands out.  This time, I had several who I could see earning the honor; however, it was the last one of the school year.  I talked with the kids and we discussed what qualities the student of the month should have and how they need to show it in the classroom AND on the playground.  The class voted and we ended in a tie that I could not break, so I opted to send both students (shh, don't tell anyone!)

The best part, one of the boys who was voted in responded with, "Really?  I've never been a student of the month!"  You could hear the excitement (and pride) in his voice.  It was at that moment I had a talk with both boys who won this last student of the month and I was able to tell them I kept hearing from their classmates how much they have changed this year.  One student said, "He's gotten really nice.  Last year he was always annoying."  Another student said, "He's fun to play with now."  Of course one student piped in with, "I think he's just afraid of Mr. Price."  I could see the boys really beaming as they saw their classmates truly saw them as friends and heard nice things being said about them.

Very proud of the work these two boys have done for me in my class this year!  Hope that feeling sticks with them and I hear about them getting more student of the month awards in years to come!

Playday

Playday was a big hit today!  So much fun getting out and just playing on the playground and having fun with other classes.  It's a little sad to see how much smaller it is compared to a few years ago; but, it is still a lot of fun getting out there and enjoying the kids from other classrooms and seeing all the teachers cut loose a bit.  I will admit, this year's class was a little too competitive for my liking!  I had to remind them a few times that it wasn't a huge competition.

I think the highlight of the day for me was our shirts and buffs!  I've had several compliment our class and how well we could be spotted from across campus.  Several didn't think I'd actually wear mine; but, if they know me, they know I'll do anything for my class ~ no matter how ridiculous I may look!  (At one point someone said I reminded them of Richard Simmons).

Here's a picture of our class sporting their Playday gear:

Field Trip ~ Rosa Dairy Farms

Today we had an incredible day away from school.  We came in this morning and prepared ourselves to set off on our 2nd grade field trip.  A day of fun and learning.  First stop, Rosa Dairy Farms.

At the Rosa Dairy we learned some history about the Rosa family and how they began their family dairy that has passed on to the next generation.  For those that are wondering, yes, we are talking about the Rosa Dairy that produces the valley famous milk such as the rootbeer milk and the orange cream milk!

Once we learned a little about the dairy and their family, we had time for a few questions ~ boy was that a mistake!  There was the dreaded question no teacher wants to hear.  "How do you know if the cows are boys or girls?"  I held my breath as the speaker stated they have different parts just like in "real life" and then she changed that to humans because cows are in real life as well.  It was probably one of my favorite parts of the day as I look back!

After we had our talk, we were able to board the dairy's "Moo Mobile" to ride around their dairy.  Unfortunately no photography was allowed on the tiny bus; but, I can say the tour is amazing!  I love how the kids are able to drive around that dairy and see everything without getting out and worry about them touching things they shouldn't or slipping and falling.  I wish I had my own "Moo Mobile" to take me around cmapus :)

After the drive around the dairy, we were able to get out and pet a calf!  The calf was very cute; but, also very active!  She jumped quite a bit and we had to watch the kids from scaring her even more.

Matthew, Mark, Gavin, Gabriella, Jayden, and Ethan all try to get a feel of the calf as she bounces throughout her pen

Once done checking out the calf, we got to go do a milking challenge to see how well the kids could milk a cow!  Don't worry, it was a simulation activity.  We had 2 students who were the clear winners of the class being able to milk out 13 ounces in 30 seconds ~ WOW!

Brooklyn is determined to milk this cow dry

Kaden is not going to be outdone as he figures out how to milk this "cow"

After this experience we cleaned up and got to try some milk samples.  Most students chose the chocolate or rootbeer flavored milk.  I opted for the my first ever taste of the orange creme ~ hmm, wishing I had more of that right now!  Very yummy stuff.

From the Rosa Dairy we headed over the Civic Auditorium for lunch and Superior Dairy ice cream!  It was a great cool day to sit and have a picnic.

Gabriella and Brooklyn enjoy their picnic with a friend from the other class!  (I only post pictures of those I have permission slips signed from, that's why the friend is smiling extra special here!)

The only picture I have from ice cream is on my cell phone.  I would gladly post Wyatt's chocolate mustache and beard; but, that was taken to text to his mom so I don't have it available to post here.  But, ice cream was a big hit.

With ice cream done and put away, we then moved over to the carousel. We patiently waited our turn while Mrs. Marshall's class went on. Once we got on, the fun began for us!

Gabriella, Brooklyn, Wyatt, Mark & Kaden all wait patiently for their turn on the carousel.
(I'm guessing that's Ethan probably making funny faces at them)

Jonna is ready to take her ride

Gabriella, Brooklyn and Mark are eager to get moving around and around

It was a great day that has made this teacher one VERY tired guy!  Looking forward to Playday tomorrow, but also dreading it a little because my legs and feet are ready to fall off.

3rd Trimester Wildcat Trip

We had an amazing end of year Wildcat trip to Visalia Lanes today!  The kids were excited and pumped to enjoy a morning of bowling as a reward for their great behavior this last trimester.  I'm so proud of them as there have only been 2 students who have received tags this trimester; that means 19 have not received any!

The kids weren't the only ones enjoying the bowling alley.  I had the fun of bowling some of their turns for them.  Of course, in my old age I may need to ice my arm tonight :)

Enough of my talking, what you really want to here today is some of the pictures I snapped of our trip!

Jonna watches as her ball heads down the lane.

Jayden looks so enthused to prepare for his turn ~ dude, we're supposed to be having FUN!

Love this shot of Angelina as she walks away from what looks like what a great toss down the lane ~ the aura is that of a winner!

Gabriella prepares to take her turn as her classmates check their scores on the board

Joey seems VERY happy with that  shot ~ or VERY upset, sometimes you just can't tell with this kid!

Gabriella looks like she's walking the runway, but I think she's trying to figure out how she's going to get that nasty split down there

Wyatt takes time to glance at the camera before taking his turn

Wow, how many kids can bowl the ball at a time??  Or are they preparing to attack the teacher?

Signs the End of the School Year is Near

It's that time of year again and I always know what to expect.  It never fails, just as school is coming to a close and when school begins to start back up, my insomnia kicks in!  I have so many things on my to-do list and add that with all that I want to do to make the end special for this group, my list is getting larger.  My mind just won't shut off :(

One thing to check off the list is the awards ceremony.  I hate that the awards are given out 3 weeks before school is actually out; but, I don't control the calendar.  The awards assembly was great yesterday and I'm happy to see so many families were represented.  I was especially impressed with the amount of students who hadn't received a tag for the 3rd trimester ~ actually, we almost had the entire class in that category!  What was more impressive was that I had 15 students who haven't received a tag/referral ALL year long!  That is unheard of!  Have I mentioned what a great class this is?  If you haven't heard that before, you may want to read this blog a little more carefully :)

Of course, it never fails.  The awards assembly was yesterday and today I spent a great deal of the morning talking with students and fixing "mean girl" issues.  Never a fun part of the morning, but another sign the end of the year is coming near!  And of course we don't stop there, students believing that since the awards have been handed out, we must not care about behavior any longer ~ WRONG!  Mr. Price ALWAYS cares about behavior; but, some students are learning that the hard way.  Hopefully just a rough morning will fix all those issues and lead us in to a great rest of the week!

I'm almost done DRA testing all your children and I'm impressed with their growth!  As soon as that is done, I can begin the report card process and hopefully check another couple "to-do" items off my list so I can sleep a little.  Luckily baseball season ends Wednesday night and hopefully I can get to my classroom this weekend to get more things done so we can all have an enjoyable last 2 weeks of school.

Dribbling Students

With the heat wave coming on us, I think the sun has ruined my students' brains.  They come in from lunch recess and can't even remember how to take a drink!  Check out Jayden below.  He's so thirsty he can't even take a drink without drooling all over his chin and down his shirt!

Pay no attention to the hand tipping the bottle up on him!  Just blame the kid for not being able to take a simple drink.  Okay, maybe the heat has gotten to the teacher's brain and making me think things are funnier than they really are; but, I loved this picture because you rarely see Jayden really laugh in class ~ such a serious student!

Greatest Moments

The end of the year is approaching faster than I'd like at this point!  Talking with the students yesterday about the end of year events and how little time we have left, I will admit, I was getting a little emotional.  Sad thing is, so were a few of the kids!  As I'm getting to the point where good byes are too near I had a great reminder today that it isn't really a good bye.

I was walking back to a meeting after lunch and caught the eye of a student I had about 5 years ago.  We have a habit of catching each other's eye and giving the "what's up" nod or the whole "I'm watching you" signal.  It really is dorky; but, it's a habit.  I give the nod as I'm running late for the meeting; but, he puts up his hand and I think he's doing the "watching you thing."  Nope, he flags me down and mouths, "I need to talk to you."  Well, of course students take priority over that meeting (anything to delay a meeting!)  I head over to find out what's going on.  What later hit me was the huge reward I get from this job!  This student had me 5 years ago and still trusts that when he sees me, I not only have time to acknowledge him, but I can also be trusted to talk to when needed!  (The conversation wasn't a huge deal to any adult; but, to him it was a big deal at the time.)

Later I got to thinking, I have a roomful of students who will hopefully be stopping me as I walk to a meeting and they trust I'll have time for them!  Of course with this class, they'll probably come tackling me if I don't keep my eyes on them at all time anyway :)

Our Moms

Having a little fun with technology and character traits today!  Since we've been working on Mother's Day projects and we need some academic stuff as well; why not connect moms with character traits?  Here's what we came up with . . .

Mother's Day Projects

Okay moms, I tried extra hard this year to beef up our Mother's Day project!  I thought about getting outside help from other moms on campus to keep it a surprise from you all; but, then I found this great idea and thought, "oh, we can do that!"  Got the supplies, was geared up and pumped the kids up for it.  Everyone is on board and then we started project and that's when I realized. . . I HATE Pinterest and I have created a Pinterest fail :(

Some kids have been doing an amazing job; but, some of these projects are truly the work of a child!  I don't want to give away the surprise; but, of course there's a spot for a picture.  Some of you may be lucky to see your child's eye in the picture with the space they left open, LOL!

So all I can say is. . .

Hi, my name is Mr. Price and I'm a Pinterest craft failure!  I try and we hope you enjoy your surprise and just remember, it is truly the thought that counts ~ and yes, A LOT of thought went in to this.  I guess I just didn't think it through every angle!

With that, here's a little video for you mom's as Mother's Day approaches.

Childhood Replicating Adulthood ~ NO THANK YOU!

I came across this on Pinterest while searching for class ideas. .  .

It reminds me of many students I have had throughout the years; but, especially of one student in particular because I worked with his mother.  She would often come by my class and see him out of his seat or not sitting the "right" way.  She would always worry I wasn't being firm with him because we worked together; but, finally I reassured her.  I have these students every year who just can't sit in their seats.  (Half the time, neither can their teacher!)  As long as they are working, then by all means, stand, sit funky in the chair (as long is it a safe funky!)  It's not about sitting still, it is about whether or not they can do what I am asking of them.

I see many class set ups where all the supplies are at each set of tables and no one ever has to get up because the supplies are an arm's length away.  Every year I think it looks so organized and imagine how well transitions must take place in these classrooms.  But, then I think of the poor children who must sit in their desks all day and never have the chance to get up ~ imagine how their backs must ache (okay, maybe that's just me and my old age; but, sitting for long periods of time makes my body ache!)

I remember back when I was a younger teacher and had others looking at my class management skills.  Students must be in their seats and silent.  What I found is, I went through way too many boxes of Kleenex!  Truth be told, they never needed to wipe their noses.  Let's be serious, how many kids really use Kleenex on a regular basis?  Isn't that why they have sleeves on their shirts?  But once I loosened up and allowed kids to stretch by standing when they needed to, boy, Kleenex lasted longer.  No more need to find an excuse to walk around.

The standards placed on kids today are hard enough; do we really need them to be mini adults while in school?  NO!  So, when you enter my class and see kids standing, wandering, sitting in odd positions, just know I am one who believes we need to "Let them move!"

Great Reminder. . . .

As we approach this time of year I am thankful that for the first time in my 16 years of teaching I am not preparing students for a standardized state test.  That whole process is stressful for everyone, teachers, students, parents, and anyone else involved in the lives the people taking and administering these tests.  As I watch the 3rd-8th grade classes prepare to take the sample test for the new version of state tests, I am relieved my class is not having to endure what they are dealing with; but, I am also reminded that we all need a moment to step back and reflect.  These tests are only a snapshot of what each child complete at that point in time.  They do not reflect the true learning that has taken place all year long and can be swayed by so many factors ~ hunger, lack of sleep, losing the baseball game the night before, arguing with a sibling that morning, needing to pee but afraid to ask because they are in the middle of the "THE TEST."  I've seen so many factors make an impact and had many stomach aches; but, then I remind myself, these kids are more than a test score and I do more than teach to a test!

As all this has been on my mind today, I stumbled across this on Facebook and thought it was very appropriate and needed to be shared with all parents and students!

What makes it even more appropriate is that it came to me on the day I'm trying to figure out what to do with my youngest son and kindergarten next year.  He's very immature and lacks some of the academic abilities others his age are capable of; yet, I don't really want to hold him back from kindergarten because I think he'd be too bored in another year of preschool.  As I start comparing him to his older brother I have to stop and remind myself, it's not a race but a time of him to develop at his pace and with the right teacher guiding him, he'll be exactly where he needs to be when he needs to be there!

These ramblings may not make sense to anyone outside of my mind right now; but, I am grateful for this picture because it reminds me to quit worrying so much about how my child measures up against others and just allow him to be who he is!  

And yes, I do apply this to my classroom as well.  Goals are great; but, no students should have a set goal as the standard.  They should be individualized and set for the individual student to be able to meet their goal with a little work on their part.  That's why I like AR ~ I set the goals based on individual reading levels and students work to meet that goal.  Same with Rocket Math ~ goals are set on individual writing and process speed and students work to meet their individual goal.  It's not standardized as children are not standardized robots; therefore, we shouldn't teach to them as though they are.

Return from Spring Break

Unfortunately I had to be gone the first day back from Spring Break and the kids were forced to have a substitute teacher.  Fortunately, they are a great group of kids and I expected nothing less than the note telling me how great they are from the sub.  What I didn't expect was to find the clip chart filled with 5 students who moved their clip down.  After looking over who moved their clips down, 3 of them wasn't a big surprise as they are some of our more active boys and I've just learned to work with them.  Two of the students was a bit of a shock so we talked about what moved these 5 students down ~ nothing major, parents don't need to worry, no tags, no bench time just behavior reminders.

Here's what I loved during our talk!  The entire time I had a certain boy with his hand up and I kept telling him hold what he's thinking.  I'm imagining him telling on the boy I'm talking to and giving more information than what the "guilty" party is saying.  As I'm wrapping up our talk I find one of the clip down offenses was running back to class.  One girl says, "I was running with them too but I got to move my clip back up later so I wasn't down with them."  The boy with his hand up quickly nods his head and says, "Me too!"

I LOVE that these 2 kids ratted themselves out!  I would have never known their clips were moved down except they took responsibility and ownership of their actions and admitted it to me!  This is why I love this group of kids!  They are honest and ready to fess up their mistakes not knowing if consequences will be there or not.

The 5 who were on the "Verbal Warning" section of the chart were all worried and I could see the panic on their faces ~ I have to admit, I kind of enjoy that too!  I did draw it out a little as they waited to see if I was going to give a tag or bench time ~ of course I didn't; but, it was fun watching them sweat it out.

Yes, I love their honesty and responsible behaviors; but, I also love torturing them <insert evil laugh>!  In seriousness, parents, you have amazing kids and I am blessed to have the chance to be their teacher.  One even asked why I just don't move up with them next year to 3rd grade ~ some days I wish I could!

Lucky Day!

After hours of waiting, I find our class has won the Gripcase Instagram Giveaway I posted about yesterday!  Very exciting news; but, the day of good news didn't stop there!  At last night's Parent Booster Club meeting, my proposal was approved and they granted me $1,500 to use towards my iPad project!  I really didn't expect to receive anything as they are saving for other projects and other teachers hadn't come forward with any requests; but, after some discussion, they approved the donation!

I've already ordered the screen protectors and mini styluses from NoMoreRack.com.  I also ordered the Gripcase and stands.  I was able to take advantage of their BOGO offer and ordered 1 case and had another sent to the school.  As of right now, I have enough money to completely outfit 3 iPad2s for the class.  I may also be able to purchase an extra iPad2 for later use once I can get the money for another case, stand and screen protector!

I am very excited about this process and seeing it come to be a reality this year!  Once we return from Spring Break, we should have 2 iPads for every group of students.  I am currently working on planning what I hope will be fun and engaging unit for the kids.  I will be researching different uses for the iPads throughout this unit and hope to have the kids interacting regularly with the technology!

Competitions and Giveaways

At the beginning of baseball season I learned very fast I needed to have a class talk about good sportsmanship and competition.  We have some very competitive boys in this room and several were not on the same team and would playing against one another.  They have been great sports all season and I haven't heard of any problems coming to school with them!

I mention the above paragraph as an intro to this post because I guess I should have been listening to my own talk!  I'm a not a huge athlete and don't really follow sports; but, I am hugely competitive.  On the ball field, my students are hearing a different side to me (as are the parents!)  I don't see myself as "one of those" dads; but, yes, I do get in to the game and am very vocal!  I try to remember they are kids and I do encourage both teams for their good plays; but, nothing gets my blood pumping and energy flowing like watching my little boy out there playing ball ~ and when he makes a good hit, I'm yelling so loud everyone around probably wants me removed from the field.  But, luckily for my son, once the game is over, I'm over it too!  Tell him good job and we go about our night.

The sad thing is my competitive nature doesn't stop at just watching my kids play sports!  Often times companies will do promotional giveaways for teachers or classrooms.  Of course I'm on top of it trying to win the prize!  Recently an iPad case company I love (GripCase) was offering an iPad case and 2 accessories for the Instagram picture that was most original.  Knowing I'm trying to bring more iPads to our class, I wanted a free case and stand ~ one less I'll have to buy down the road!  So, I got busy thinking of ideas ~ and of course, being me, I couldn't stop at just one.  There were a total of around 12 pictures posted ~ 4 were mine!

The giveaway deadline was yesterday, and ever since I've been constantly checking Instagram, my e-mail and their Facebook page waiting to hear who the winner will be.  Last night they posted they would announce the winner today!  This morning, they began teasing us by posting a picture of one of the entries.  Soon it has become evident they are posting an entry every hour as they lead up to the final winner announcement.  So far, 3 of my 4 posts have been featured along with about 3 other posts.  I have one final shot at being the winning photo and I sure hope it wins!  Of course, my last entry wasn't exactly a photograph, it was a drawing my oldest son did for me and I may be biased but I REALLY think it deserves the prize ~ my idea with my son's artistic ability, really, there is no better combination!

Here's the drawing my son did for the contest as to why we deserve a GripCase, stand and neck strap:

Here's hoping we get selected for the prize because if not, I may be showing unsportsmanlike behavior and that would not be good role modeling :)

Today's AR Quizzes ~ Don't Blame Me!

I take NO credit for how today's AR quizzes turn out!  It's amazing how many students become ready to quiz on a book once you bring out iPads for the first time.  Hmm, no Mr. Price, we really are ready to quiz.  It has nothing to do with wanting to touch an iPad.  Yeah, I'm no fool!

The kids are doing great sharing and handling the devices for their first time out with them.  I did hear a drop and my heart sunk; but, luckily it was just a book that fell out of the way as a student was making room to put the iPad on his desk.

On a plus side, you wouldn't believe how quiet this reading time is in here today.  Not once have I had to remind them it's a quiet time ~ I wish I could say that was because of my great teaching of expectations; but, nope.  I know it's the fear of iPads being locked back up!

iPad Update

Two posts in one day, you won't know what to do with yourselves!

I was sitting here chuckling as I thought about this morning.  We were busy in class doing some things when Mr. Fritz came in to enter the WiFi password in to our class iPads.  I simply took the iPads to him as I continued reading to the kids and he did his thing.  As he gave me the thumbs up, I asked the kids what we can tell Mr. Fritz ~ at that moment their excitement unleashed and there was a thundering "THANK YOU MR. FRITZ!"  He walked out of the room chuckling at their enthusiasm.

Most of the kids knew it was for the WiFi; but, a few had hoped we had our e-mail addresses ready.  I explained what he had done and now they were set for me to begin my next step of putting apps in and setting them up for the kids.

Then, later in the afternoon I got a phone call from the office telling me a package I was looking for came in.  I said I'd come in after school to grab it.  I was just hanging up the phone when a couple students asked, "Did our last case come in?"  They already knew what we were talking about ~ hmm, they should have been working instead of eaves dropping :)

I'm not sure who is more excited, me or them!

That's NOT Fair!

How many times do you hear that whined at you in a day/week/month?  Oh my goodness, I could do with out the phrase, "That's not fair" in my classroom!  Today, we talked all about fairness ~ no, it's not on the approved standards list; but, I find some of our most valuable lessons can't be found in the state curriculum guides.

The conversation started with math ~ yep, some students need extra support than others.  Some need to draw their math out; while others can simply do the math in their head.  I wanted to ensure students knew their job was to do what they needed to do to be successful for themselves!  It doesn't matter what Susie Q needed to do, all that mattered was what they needed to have their own success.  That lead to this great quote:

I love this because I'm always talking to the kids about doing what they need to do to be successful ~ and this plays right up to that concept, using our word "successful" because that's what we want for our children.
Then we were reading from the read aloud.  In case you haven't heard, we are reading The House in the Big Woods.  It's part of the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  We got to a chapter today that began showing Laura's jealousy towards her big sister Mary.  And of course there was the famous phrase, "that's not fair" in the book.  (I just love when the ideas running through my head all coincide with each other and pop up in reading, math, writing, etc. . .)

Now we were talking about siblings and the "fairness" between them and I was reminded of a great illustration I've seen from time to time!  Parents, feel free to pull this up anytime your kids are bickering about fairness ~ it's a keeper for sure!  This image really shows the idea of fairness and led to a pretty good class conversation.

As I pointed out, the first picture shows fairness because they all got 1 box and so that's fair.  Boy, were your kids quick to tell me how wrong I was!  They were able to explain the idea was to see the game and so the 2nd picture showed fairness so they could ALL see the game. 

I'll be saving this picture to remind them that sometimes someone getting something you don't is still fair!

Have You Heard?

I'm sure by now you may have heard the news; but, in case you haven't. . . .

Our class is the happy owner of 4 new iPads!  For a couple of years now I've been dreaming of adding to our class technology resources and have been dreaming of the day I could bring some iPads to the classroom.  Well, with YOUR help and support during Calico and the Home Trunk Show fundraiser, you helped make this happen!

Our Calico money earned was $656!  The Home Trunk Show money raised was $246 ~ that was with the bonus of being the highest earning class!  I think my shopping put us over the top on the Home Truck Show ~ Mrs. Price had a good Christmas this year, but part of the money was going for a great cause :)

On top of all the fundraising, I applied for a few grants and one came through with $425!  Adding all that together, I was able to get the class 4 new iPads ~ we are so excited!

When will the kids get to use them?
I am currently waiting for screen protectors and cases to come in.  Yes, I could have gone to the store and bought screen protectors; but, I found a much better deal on www.nomorerack.com and when spending classroom money, every cent counts!  So, we are waiting for the delivery!  Once the screen protectors and cases come in, I will get them set up with the FEW apps I'm going to begin each iPad with!

What will the kids do with them?
Basic apps being used will be STAR Reading and Accelerated Reading where students can quiz on their books.  I love the app version of the book quizzes so much better than the computer version ~ plus, imagine being able to test 7 kids at a time!

Students will also have logic games to play such as Sudoko and Montezuma Puzzle.  Both work on problem solving strategies and Montezuma Puzzle brings in the geometry skills students need to develop.

Another game we will enjoy playing is Words With Friends.  Students will be actively playing against each other.  Through word building skills, they will become much better spellers and increase their vocabulary.

Mr. Fritz is creating blanket e-mail addresses for the iPads so students will be able to e-mail me work they do using the iPad.  They will be practicing their reading fluency by recording themselves reading and then e-mailing me their best reading sample.  Students will also be documenting learning by taking pictures and creating a brief description for the picture and e-mailing me their final product.

There are many more uses and my hope is to have your children prepared to use today's technology as learning tools; not just game systems!  My mind is working hard and now that I have 1 iPad for every group of 5 students to share; my next goal is to have an iPad for every 2 students to share!  I have written a couple more grant proposals and await hearing back.  I have requested assistance from the Parent Booster Club and hope to know if they will help support this dream later this month.

Please keep in mind, technology cannot replace the paper/pencil learning we all did as students; however, without changing some of our teaching to meet the needs of today's learners, I would be doing them all a big disservice.  I thank all of you who helped make this happen this year through Calico donations, purchases and other fundraiser events!  I hope soon you'll be hearing from your kids about the exciting things they are doing with the iPads as I know they are all just as excited as I am!

Minds are Working!

Students amaze me at this time of year!  The beginning portion of the year they are all about putting the "right" answer down and filling in what I tell them to put where ~ it drives me crazy!  I work on them for months to just try their own answers and thoughts so we can see where they are and where we need to take them from there.  This is the time of year they begin doing that more and more and they take chances without fear of being "wrong!"

As the students are working on reading response journals right now, Brooklyn wants to know if she can still respond on a book even though she hasn't finished reading it.  Of course she can!  As I begin to explain to her why, she cuts me off and says, "Because I can respond on just a chapter right?"  SHE'S GOT IT!  Of course she can respond on just a chapter of a book, or even just a paragraph.  There are many ways to respond and you don't have to be finished with a book to have some sort of response to it.  I love that she could reason her own question out.

And then there's Joey questioning the reading response poster wondering why a section is listed the way it is.  Truth be told, I don't know and he's right, it doesn't make sense!  The fact that he analyzed the chart and realized it was a little wonky is great critical thinking on his part!

I love seeing this in students and it reminds me of something I heard yesterday while listening to the tv. Kids today need to learn to "fail" because we learn from our failures.  When our kids don't know how to handle "failure" then they don't learn from it.  Too often we want our kids think they can do anything the first time around, which makes them more worried about trying new things.  I love getting the chance to make these kids get out of their comfort zones and try new things ~ I love it more when they aren't "successful" the first time because I get to show them that it's okay and let's think on what we can do differently on our next attempt.  It teaches them you won't be perfect at everything; but as long as you try, it's not a failure.  The only failures in life are the things we passed on trying because we were too scared.

Look Who's Back!

Welcome back Kaden!  After being out sick for some time, Kaden was able to join us back in class this morning.  Kids were very excited to see him on the playground before school started and entering the classroom this morning ~ but I'm sure none were more excited than Kaden and his parents!

Being the great and kind teacher I am ~ yes, that's sarcasm again ~ I of course started the day out with a very challenging and frustrating activity for all!  Today is St. Patrick's Day and we have loads of activities surrounding the theme of the day!  After starting out with some "easier" work, it was time to bring out the challenging work.  Of course, the above pictures shows Kaden was just thrilled to be in class working again; but, not sure we can say the same for Daisy in the picture below. . .

Daisy's face seems to ask, "Why Mr. Price, Why?"

And then there's this picture of Brooklyn and Brayden.  Brooklyn is excited to have found a word while Brayden seems to be holding in his scream of frustration. . .

Ahh, the joys of teaching ~ you know it's all just to torture these little innocent children as I sit back and give my evil laugh, muh ha ha!

The activity they are struggling over?  Building words out of the letters c, e, v, r, o, l

Made My Week!

I know this blog should be about the current class and all the learning we do; but, I have to share what happened with a former student this past week.  I mean, after all, it's not like these kids ever stop being my students, even after they leave 2nd grade they will always be one of "mine" from here on out!

This week I was reminded of how it really is the little things you don't even realize you do that makes the largest impact on the students I teach.  I had just finished getting a haircut when I received a text message from a parent from a previous year.  She said her son was having a hard time finding a good book or series to read and it was making him not want to read again.  This mom had asked his current teacher for some help in selecting level appropriate books her son may enjoy.  The boy then told her mom that, "Mr. Price picks good books, can you ask him?"

I LOVE THAT!  It's an amazing feeling that what he remembers from me is the entertainment he received from the books I read aloud or pointed him to read.  It really is the little things that make the difference!  But, now I have a responsibility to live up to and hope I can direct him in the right direction ~ I have 3 for him to check out and hope at least 1 does the trick or my credibility may be ruined :)

2nd Trimester Awards Assembly

I am very proud of everyone's work this last trimester!  For the first time in a couple of years, I can say each and every student earned an award of some kind this trimester ~ that's incredible!  I am also very amazed at the fact that none of our current students received a single tag in class during the 2nd trimester.  That's an amazing accomplishment in itself!

My goal for the final trimester is to have every student reach their AR goal with the correct accuracy and have every student earn a citizenship award!  How amazing would it be if the entire class got to go on the final Wildcat trip together?

The AR goals are reachable if students read in their levels and quiz weekly in the computer lab.  Remember, students get their new books from the school library on Fridays and they have all week to read as we go to the computer lab on Thursdays.  Students should be able to quiz on a minimum of 5 books a week at that rate!

Great work in the 2nd trimester and I'm expecting even better in this final term of 2nd grade!

Promise to Get Better

At yesterday's staff meeting another teacher told me I had a parent complimenting me on Facebook for using a blog and how much they liked seeing what was going on but wish I'd update more often.  That made my day!!!!  Of course, it also made me feel so guilty for not updating it more often!  I know the parent posting completely understands time issues; but, really, the main reason I haven't updated more often is I never know if anyone is reading or if it is for my own amusement.  So, knowing I have at least 1 parent following our blog will motivate me to make a better effort at updating more often!

How Do These Conversations Start?

Today was a long day and by the afternoon we were a little restless and overworked.  It was time for some brain downtime; so, as students worked on an Abraham Lincoln word search and color page, I turned on the projector and played Ninjump on the iPad.  The character is in a Panda suit so this sparks a conversation among the kids about pandas.  Okay, reasonable enough; but, how did we go from pandas to Mexican food?  See if you can follow this rabbit trail. . .

Student 1:  Does anyone eat at Panda Express?
Several students reply with yes.
Student 2:  No, I don't like Mexican food.

Students gasp and I'm waiting for the every so nice <insert sarcasm> (have you ever heard kids correct each other, it's rarely ever nice!) explain that Panda Express is NOT Mexican food; but, nope.  The gasps were in response to a student not liking Mexican food!  So many asked how he could not like it and how it's the best food.  I actually had to rethink the idea myself and wondered, "Is Panda considered Mexican food?"

Oh, how I love the rabbit trails these kids can take!  This one will stay with me for a while.

Class Read Aloud ~ The BFG

Welcome back to the new year!  It's been a while since I've posted on here; but, today has already been an exceptional day and I am so impressed by this class!

We came back from vacation and I needed a new read aloud.  I chose a book I haven't read in many years ~ The BFG by Roald Dahl.  The book has been great to help students see how to check in and ask questions as they read.  We are also working on our visualizing skills and creating a picture/movie in our head as we read.  It takes quite a while to get through a chapter because we stop so much to create those pictures, make connections and check our vocabulary understanding.

As I was reading today's chapter there was no doubt these kids are paying attention to this book and creating their mental images!  I never know if they are truly understanding; but, today the book was talking about soda bubbles and how they should travel.  In Giant Country, the soda bubbles travel downward to keep from burping.  My students were quick to see where this was going!  If the bubble travel down instead of up, the air bubbles have to come out somewhere and they were already cracking up before I could even attempt to explain that one.

I am not one for "fart" humor; but, I love the way this book handles what the giant calls "whizzpopping."  The descriptive language had the students busting up laughing and truly enjoying a great book!  What amazes me the most is they got the point WITHOUT me having to spoon feed it.  That's what I've been waiting for as their teacher, they day they begin being active in their learning and make connections on their own.

Have I mentioned how much I love teaching this class?  They are an exceptional group of kids!