This, too, shall pass....and it did!

Whew! I know this weekly post is a little later than I had hoped, but it's better late than never, right? We have had a very busy week jumping back into the swing of things, but we made it.

Paul started his next doctoral class this week and is already quite busy with his studies. On the other hand, I am enjoying my break from grad school, for the time being. I finished up my summer courses with two A's -- starting out grad school with a 4.0 GPA! I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. :)

We also started back tutoring this week at the Inner City. Those kids are truly our heart right now (esp since we don't have children of our own - and won't for hopefully a couple more years), and we cannot wait to meet our new kinderbabies for this year's Bible class for the Tuesday night Bus Ministry at Inner City.

I also survived my first week back in the classroom as a teacher. It was a great week, and I have wonderful students. For the first week, we have been reading "The Parable of the Dream Giver." I abstracted it from The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson and edited certain parts to make it appropriate for use in the public school system, and the students have LOVED it! It is about a boy named Ordinary who lives in the Land of Familiar. One day he discovers his BIG DREAM, and he realizes that he is made to be a Somebody and destined to achieve great things! It has been so awesome and humbling to hear all about my students' big dreams and to encourage them to strive for their goals. It is my goal that all my students learn to believe like Ordinary, that they are made to be Somebody and destined to achieve great things! I have this posted on my lectern for them to see every single day. (Yes, my students already know the appropriate difference between a lectern and a podium. In case you do not know, a podium is something you stand on; a lectern is something you stand behind. That is one of my big pet peeves. lol)

 



All in all, I had a great week back as a teacher! I am apparently "cool" because I painted my fingernails in "hip colors," and I enjoyed a SUPER CUTE apple cupcake from one of my sweet students.

 

We have also thoroughly enjoyed our study of the Bible at church over the past week. We have been blessed to be able to listen to Earl Lavender (a professor at Lipscomb University), and he always has such a great message. It is truly like drinking water from a fire hose because he has so much knowledge of the Scriptures and always provides interesting ways of viewing ideas, but it is WONDERFUL! A few of the pearls of wisdom from his lessons lately include the following:

 

• The universal function of faith is that everyone believes in something. Faith is the living out of that reality. Faith should not be an "app" but our entire "operating system."
• Be Transmissional - transformed into the mission of Christ.
• It is not about how to apply the Bible to our lives but how to adapt our lives to the Biblical story.
• Don't let a plan ride be what dictates you as a missionary. (As I always say, we are entering the mission field the moment we walk out our door. We have to take it seriously and realize that God appoints each moment of our lives for such a time as this.

Today was also a wonderful time with our church family for our Big Day! Earl Lavender spoke, and we had two different services (both full!). Then, we enjoyed good eating with a barbecue picnic with our church family, complete with a quartet. LOVED IT!

 

To hear Earl Lavender's lessons (or more from our studies of the Bible throughout this year), please click this link. http://www.mayfair.org/#/media

 

 

 

Last but not least, I have a huge PRAISE REPORT! After a week-and-a-half, the kidney stone if is finally gone! Over the past week, I had minor discomfort on several days; however, Friday was horrible. I was not sure that I was going to make it through the school day, but God gave me strength. My students were angels and worked so well for me. I think they knew I was not feeling well. In fact, one of my sweet students said, "Mrs. Lanza, you sure look pretty today, but you haven't smiled at all." This is so uncharacteristic of me, and they knew it. I was also told throughout the day that my complexion seemed green, and the pain and lack of nutrition ultimately made me sick on Friday. Needless to say, I made it through the day (including my CPR re-certification after school) and came home to crash. I can definitely say that I have learned to say "I'm fine", even when I'm totally not, from my grandmother. What can I say?

 

I continued the weekend by resting (if that includes sitting on the couch working on tons of lesson plans - I'm not very good at doing nothing, haha) and drinking as much water as my body could hold. Saturday turned into Sunday, and I was starting to wonder whether I would have to face another teaching week with this silly thing. Nevertheless, I had lots of people praying for me throughout this weekend. I am so appreciative for those! I was able to pass the kidneystone today, and I was ready to throw a party! It is such a relief. Yes, I did save it, and I will be turning it in to my urologist at my appointment in a little over a week. Hopefully, we can find out why I get them so often and take precautions to hopefully not let it happen again. (FULL DISCLOSURE - This is probably the nastiest picture I will ever post.) Just to let you all know that kidneystones are not a joke, this thing is spiky! Here is a picture of it, and yes, it hurt very much badly. Thank you all for the prayers.

 

 

 

 

On a totally different note, I will be posting my research on helping the homeless soon. I know that many will not care to read it, but it is very enlightening as to how we can reach out (both big and small) to those less fortunate. It is time that we show Jesus to even those that are considered the "lease of these."

 

I hope this post finds you all well. Paul and I will be visiting my hometown soon, and we cannot wait to see everyone! Until next time...

 

 



Ready or not...Here they come!

Wow! What a wild week it has been. I started back to work last Friday with a new teacher orientation (even though I'm not technically new), but it was wonderful! I learned some valuable information that I was not aware of and was given a big box of school supplies. LOVED it! Then, last Friday evening, I attended Walmart's first ever Teacher Appreciation Night. It was great! They had finger foods, cake, games, and prizes. I was able to meet other teachers in the area and got to leave with a buggy full of 2 boxes of school supplies, a spa basket that I won, 2 desserts, and 2 treat bags!!

 

Last weekend, I also got to enjoy some time with my parents. They dropped my sister off at college last week and came up to visit. We loved getting to spend time with them, and they also got to sit in on Paul's Bible lesson last Sunday. Paul is now busy preparing his lesson for this Sunday. I have just loved hearing my husband share Biblical truths on Sunday mornings during this month of August.

 

Then, on Monday I went back to work for in-service week. It was filled with lots of training, and I learned SO much! I can't wait to put all my new ideas to work during this next school year. I was off to a great start to the week getting my room set up and lessons planned, and then Wednesday hit. I had felt a little discomfort throughout the day at work, but then I was hardly able to sit through church on Wednesday night. After service I told Paul I just couldn't handle it any longer, so we went to the ER. Six hours later confirmed what I thought....I have a kidney stone. (Woo-hoo, I think this makes number 4 or 5).  Paul was so patient throughout the whole thing; I have to shamefully admit that I was the one complaining about how long it was taking for them to diagnose a kidney stone and get me some pain medicine. However, it did not take long for God to remind me of my blessings. As I heard the nurse come in next door, I heard her tell a sweet old lady (as her husband tenderly held her hand) that she would be having surgery that day, and I found out that she also had lung cancer and breast cancer. I never found out this lady's name, but please keep her and her precious family in your prayers.  Then, when we went to CVS around 1:30 am the next morning, a guy came in with a hospital gown on. He made a joke about how awful it was to be there at that time of morning; then, he told me that he had been hit by a sixteen yr. old who was texting and had a few cracked ribs. In good humor, he joked that he was more mad about the paramedics ripping off his favorite shirt that he had just worn to church Wednesday night. Both of these things helped me regain my perception of how blessed I truly am and quit complaining. Nonetheless, we made it home, and I took a 4-hour "nap" before work the next morning, where I wore an uplifting shirt to get me through the day.

 



I made it through that day, and I came home to complete a coach's training course online and turned in my last assignments for my summer grad classes. Now, I am just waiting on the grades! Needless to say, I will be taking a break from grad school while teacher mode kicks back in. I will probably start back with grad classes sometime in the spring. However, Paul is starting back next week. How he manages his doctoral work, full-time job, all the volunteer work with the Inner City, and still has time to be an AWESOME husband is beyond me! I am just so blessed to have him in my life! Please keep him in your prayers, as just looking at his text book makes my brain hurt. Speaking of which, I finished proofreading, and Paul submitted his article to the journal (I can't remember which one) last week. Now, it is just a waiting game to see if they accept it. I am just so proud of him and all his hard work!

We finished off the week strong! The furlough Friday weeks came to a close this week, so Paul will go back to his normal work schedule next week! This will really help him so that he won't have to work 10 hr. days along with grad school and Inner City. I also finished setting up my room and preparing it for my students on Monday. I have a few small things to touch up this weekend but nothing major. I came home last night to sweet, gorgeous flowers from my mother-in-law to help me feel better, and Paul and I enjoyed a quick date-night-out to Steak & Shake (hey, that's what we were craving!).

 

Well, many have asked to see pictures of my updated classroom for this year. So, as promised, here you go!

 

 

I teach 7th reading and 8th language arts, so the theme of my room is English Expedition. We travel through the exciting world of literature and writing.

 

 

 

They will post their exit slips here, so that I can see who learned the day's outcome. They are "commenting" on the status about learning the day's outcome; and, of course, Mrs. Lanza likes their comments!

 

This wall shows the various genres of literature and a definition of each. As we get into the year, students will be asked to read a certain number of books. They will complete a reading passport of their literary travels (a different form of a book report), and they will put a luggage tag (stating the name of the book and author) on the appropriate luggage case (genre) for their book. This goes along with the theme of the classroom.

 

 

This is my new poster that I am very excited about! The students will complete a job application for each class job. The jobs will last a duration of one month before new candidates are chosen. This will really help me with small tasks in the room. The main jobs are as follows: Secretary (takes attendance and good notes), Loan Officer (passes out paper and pens to students who do not have it and keeps up with those names), Investigator (looks up information needed in class on computer or in dictionary), Distribution Agent  (passes out and collects papers), Motivational Speaker (shares a joke, quote, or message to motivate students in class), Understudy (does the job for someone who is absent), Student Teacher (helps review material with class that has already been taught), Porter (answers door and runs errands for teacher), and A/V Technician (controls lights, speakers, and calibrates Smart Board). All other students serve as Hot Irons (straightening desks) and Quicker-Picker-Uppers (pick up trash around room to keep it tidy). Those who fulfill the big jobs will receive a homework pass to use throughout that month.

 

 

The wall on the far side by the windows contains luggage tags of the different literary devices. This also coordinates with the theme of the room (obviously).

 



 

On the other side of the room is the student section. That side is where they may check out books from the class library, find dictionaries, locate their make-up work, turn in their assignments, sharpen pencils, staple or punch holes in papers, find no-name papers, and grab journals for creative writing.

 

 

This is new for my room this year! The map shows a plane going from Huntsville, Alabama to Hollywood! My students will be on their way to STARdom with Star testing this year. Their flight ticket below the map says that they are "Flying First Class to Success." When students show improvement on their start testing, they will have their name written on a star (like in Hollywood) and places on the Wall of Fame.

 



 

This is the bin to turn in assignments, as well as find their missing work or fill out a "no homework" form.

 

 

 

This is the no-name paper wall. Student are responsible for putting their names on their papers.

 

 

(view from the doorway)

 

 

The packets for homeroom are on their desks and waiting for Monday.

(view from the back of the room)

 

 Elements of Fiction in photo frames. People like to put their memories in frames. The same our literature travels!

 

 

 

The Suitcase Showcase: I will showcase certain books each week. Students may also ask to put in big announcements for others to see.

 

 

 

 I have adapted part of the "Parable of the Dream Giver" to be fit for public school teaching. The parable is from a Christian writer and is about a boy named Ordinary who find out he has a BIG DREAM. He realizes that he is made to be a Somebody and destined to achieve great things! We will read this during the first week of school. It is my goal that every student leaves my class this year believing this statement. If they don't learn anything else, they need to know that they are important!

 

 

 

 (view of my desk area)

The part above the whiteboard says "English Expedition" - there is just a glare.

 

 

 

 

 A sign that one of my students gave me last year. They said they thought it represented me well, and I LOVE it! I refuse to dress in "old teacher clothes" haha.

 

READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME!
I'M READY FOR A GREAT YEAR!!

 

 

Trial and Error: New Classroom Strategies for the Upcoming Year

NOTE: This blog will probably appeal more to my teacher friends (or those that just want to see my new, fun teacher ideas!)

The new school year is right around the corner, and I am in full-blown teacher mode. Although my first year teaching went as smooth as it possibly could, I am always working to make it better. That said, I came up with a few new classroom management strategies for this upcoming school year. Many of these ideas are adapted from Pinterest (wonderful, wonderful website - I spend waaayyy too much time on there, but it is so worth it). I took fabulous ideas and made them my own! I would like to share a few of them with you:

SUMMER READING - SCRAPBOOK BOOK REPORT

Yes, I was that teacher that assigned summer reading; however, I allowed my students to choose from a list of ten books, some classics and some brand-new. They did not have to do anything with the books over the summer, except read one of them! I told them the project would come at the start of the school year. So far, I have received great feedback! The kids liked the fact that they could choose from a list instead of being told a specific one to read.

Well, now comes the project part. At first, I had planned to have the students do a multi-genre project (I can provide more information on those if you like - they are wonderful to do with units, and they get away from the BORING book projects) with the book they chose, but I later felt like that was a little much for a summer reading project. So, I can up with an alternative solution that doesn't require as much class time to prepare for it - the Scrapbook Book Report!

 

These sample pictures are taken from www.heartsofwisdom.com. I just wanted to show somewhat of a visual. The students' projects will be more in-depth, as described below.

Students will choose a 12"x12" piece of scrapbook paper (or they may cut a posterboard down to size). Then, they may use both sides of the paper and are required to have the following certain elements: Biographical Information (title of book, author, and their name), Journal Entry (written like a diary from the protagonist's point-of-view that summarizes the setting, characters, conflict, plot, and resolution of the story), 5 Photos with Captions that relate to the book (can be hand-drawn, printed, cut out of magazine, etc.), 3 Multi-genre pieces (create various elements that relate to the book, such as a bumper sticker, invitation, want ad, brochure, obituary, interview, recipe, news article, mini-scene, Dear Abby, etc.), and a Critic's Review (stating why they would or would not recommend the book to others).

Once students complete their scrapbook book reports, they will present them to the class. Afterwards, the scrapbook book reports will be put on display using (strange, I know) a paper towel holder, as shown below. The sky is the limit with these projects, and their creativity is free to roam. I cannot wait to see what they do with it!!

CLASSROOM JOBS

I spent so much of my time last year doing odd-and-end tasks, and I finally realized that there are ways for my students to help and learn leadership roles. Killing two birds with one stone! So, I have adapted the "elementary helper" idea for the secondary classroom. Of course, I had to keep it in line with my technologically savvy students. Thus, I came up with 9 "apps" to help the teacher on my iHelp board. Students will fill out a realistic job application to apply for the jobs, which last a duration of one month. At the end of the month, students can re-apply for jobs. However, like in the real world, I will keep their applications for particular jobs throughout the months, so they will not have to re-apply for the same job over and over. Students selected for a job will receive a "free homework pass" as payment for their extra work.

 

 

 

 

 

 TEACHER'S HOMEWORK BLACK BOOK

 

Student's generally start the year off great, but I wanted to find something that can help motivate them to continue doing their assignments throughout the year. It is hard to keep up with who did or did not do their assignments on a daily basis....well, until they are entered in the gradebook, and by then valuable time has been wasted that student's could have used to make-up the work. One of my teacher friends already has an idea similar to this, so I must admit that I adapted this idea from her, and amped it up with ideas I found on Pinterest.

 

Therefore, when students do not have their assignment on the day that it is due, they are to fill out a "no assignment" form and hand it to me. It has the date, their name, the assignment missing, the reason why they do not have it (as stated by them), and their signature.  I will then file it in the Homework Black Book.  After three times of this happening, the student will receive silent lunch (which is something they DO NOT like having), or if they fail to fill out a form when it is needed, it will result in immediate silent lunch. This is a small idea to keep them on their toes, and it will be great to have this on record for conferences!

 

 

 
Should a student continuously miss assignments, they will have to fill out the letter to the parents (as shown below). The parent will sign the letter stating that they know what the child is missing. Since I teach middle school and am well aware that some of these letters may never make it home, I will take a picture of the letter with my I-pad when the student fills it out. If the letter is not brought back signed, I will contact their parent/guardian and attach a photo-copy of the letter that they never saw. I have a feeling that will diminish any future problems pretty quickly.

The letter template was created by Laura Candler - www.lauracandler.com.

 

 "WHILE YOU WERE OUT" FOLDER

As the flu began going around last year, as well as the various sicknesses, I began trying to think of a better way to keep students up-to-date with the material they missed. I had "absence folders" for putting in the work they missed, but this became faulty for days that did not have handouts or worksheets. So, this year, I have created a "while you were out" binder. There is a folder in the binder for each class (similar to what I did last year). However, this year I will also have a "while you were out form" in it. The form will state the day they were absent, their name, any assignments that were due the day they missed, and any work they need to make-up from when they were out. Beside each assignment is a space for a due date. While most assignments will be due  the following day (or long for those out an extended amount of time), the due date slot will come in handy in case some assignments are past due or are not due until later on (such as projects). This form will be paper-clipped to any handouts, worksheets, etc. that they missed. With the form, I can write in text pg. numbers or other assignments, which will keep students up-to-date, especially when I do not have a handout for that particular day.

 

"NO NAME" HOME OF SHAME

I tried several tactics last year, but I never came up with anything I really liked. Originally, I started out trying to track down students with "no name" papers. This wastes valuable time. Then, I started pinning the papers to the board - always took up too much room and looked messy. So, this year I have revamped the idea. I am going to take a ribbon with clothespins glued to it. It will be attached to the wall. Each clothespin will represent a different class period. If a student turns in a no-name paper, it will simply be pinned to their class section. Above the ribbon and papers will be the following sign:

 

Last, but not least...these are a few of my favorite apps!

I can't wait to use these this year!

Pick Stick - my Ipad generates who I call on (much easier than using popsicle sticks). I can select to have names put aside as "used" or "put them back in." If I choose to re-use the names during a class period, this will keep students from getting off the hook. They never know when their name may be called.

 

 

 

 

Noise Meter - this app can be used for group work...keeps the class from becoming way too noisy, as it changes as the class noise level gets too loud. In the absence of this app, I also have green, yellow, and red cards to use for group work. If the group reaches a red card, they will have to move back to their seat and work individually. This keeps me from having to punish the whole class for one group!

Remind 101 - I am hoping to use this app this year. I create a class online, and it will give me a text code for each class. Students and their parents can choose to text the code to the number it provides (which is not my number), and they subscribe to daily updates for my class. Then, I can login and send a mass text to all who have subscribed. The best part: They never have to know my number, and I do not have to know theirs!! It's a great way to keep in touch!

 

 

Well, that about sums up my first of the year ideas! I am working on a "Readbox" (instead of Redbox) assignment idea where students read books and make video trailers for the books. I haven't gotten that one all figured out, yet, but I will post more teacher ideas as I come up with them! I also have a neat mini-unit that I am going to do with my students at the first of the year to inspire leadership and working towards their dreams! I will post in a couple weeks about how that went!

 

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments, I would love to hear them!! I am always looking for ways to improve and make the learning more engaging for my students. Now, it's time for me to get back to work preparing for a fun new year!!

 

Until next time....