The Last Week of Summer

There's one thing I NEVER do the last week of summer....and that is...go into school!

I make it a habit to have my classroom ready or nearly ready before the last week of summer...well you know...Are we ever really 100% ready? There's always something else we could do.

I save the last week for me! Some of the things I do are organizational so that the first few weeks of school go smoother. Some of the things I do are just plain fun!

Here are some things I do the last week of summer.....

1. Stock Up

I stock up on just about everything. You know how it goes. You are getting ready for school or should I say trying to get ready for school when your little one spills,  your other kid drops his toothbrush in the toilet, and you have used the last of the conditioner (even the adding water to the bottle and swishing it around to get the last bit part). You're now running late, and you have to be at 2 soccer games and a meeting after school. You have no time to stop to pick up household items on your way home! But if you stock up the last week of summer, you will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you have everything you need in the back of the cabinet.

Here are some things I like to stock up on:

Makeup and Toiletries

Keep them hidden if you can. That way they won't mysteriously disappear. Your teenagers may find that extra body wash and start using it well before the one currently in the bathroom is used up.

Paper Products

Hide the paper towels. Significant others take lots of these. I have no idea what they use them for, but somehow they have a way of making them disappear. No need to hide anything else. You are the only one who knows how to change the toilet paper anyway.

Cleaning Supplies

No need to hide any of these. If someone in your family decides to use the cleaning products, consider yourself lucky.

Poster Board

And if any of your own kids are in middle school....poster board. Yep, stock up on poster board. Even in this digital world, the night will come when your middle school child declares at 10:00 p.m. that he/she needs poster board for a project that is due tomorrow.  Take my word on this. If you have a middle schooler, buy poster board.

2. Get the Clothes Ready

You probably already did the back-to-school clothes shopping thing, but maybe the clothes are still in bags. It's time to get them out, cut off the tags, iron if necessary,  and prepare every outfit for yourself and your own kids for the first week of school. 

Why? Because after that first PD day, you will come home with a headache as you wonder to yourself who thought up these new procedures, how on earth are you ever going to get it all done, and when are they going to fix the laminator? On their first day of school, your own kids will hand you a stack of forms to fill out and tell you that they will get a prize if they are returned tomorrow. You will be glad that you do not have to worry about clothes. They are in the closet already lined up for the next day. Do this for yourself and your kids.

3. Prepare and Freeze Some Meals

Honestly, I don't go overboard here but do a little of this to save your sanity.

4. Have Fun!

This is my view from my kayak. My county Parks and Rec runs a program where you can rent a kayak or canoe for $5 an hour, life jackets included. It is incredibly relaxing, not to mention cheap. My kids usually come with me and rent their own kayak. Sometimes we pack a picnic lunch and hang out for a while in the adjacent park. Our tax dollars at work!

Start a tradition with your kids or even for yourself. Our tradition is a day down the shore, just me and the kids. (Jersey girl here!) We throw a football around, read, walk, chat, and ride the waves. Yep, I'm the oldest one in the ocean on a boogie board! I think I scare the living daylights out of my kids by doing this!

We also do the boardwalk. The Jersey boardwalk is full of shops, games, rides, and places to eat...

Did I mention that on tradition day, there are NO rules about what to eat? That's right! The kids are allowed to eat whatever they want, whenever they want all day! Of course, if one or more of your kiddos have dietary needs, you will need to modify this rule to make it work for you. We eat pretty healthy on a regular basis, so this one day is a fun treat! And really...it's just one day out of the year. Your kids will wonder if you have lost your mind upon hearing this one-day rule, but will not question your judgment. My older kids still love this idea, and I actually look forward to this day of pizza, ice cream, cotton candy, and fries!

Those are just two of my fun days. The idea is to do something that you enjoy for fun!

5. Watch To Sir, With Love (or your own favorite teacher movie)

I watched To Sir, With Love before going back to school for nearly all my teaching years. It's an oldie but a goodie starring Sidney Poitier. You will laugh, you will cry, and most likely be reminded of just why you became a teacher. 

So, as you get ready to go back to school, I want to wish you all the best! May you have understanding administrators, cooperative colleagues, delightful children, and days full of learning and discovery. 

And as the butterflies turn in your stomach as they do each and every year on that first day of school, just remember this.....Summer will be back! 

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Best Field Trip Ever!

"Best field trip ever!" declared nearly all 96 Fourth Graders as we trudged out of the quarry...

For the first time since its opening, our grade level/school/district secured a coveted time slot to visit Rowan Fossil Park in Mantua, New Jersey. (Recently renamed Edelman Fossil Park)

After months of planning, a glorious fall day presented itself for our one and only field trip of the year.


Students spent the first hour of our visit rotating through stations learning about fossils in general and the specific types of fossils that have been discovered at Rowan Fossil Park.

Finally, it was our turn to head down into the quarry!

And guess who we met down in the quarry?! A real live paleontologist!

Dr. Lacovara told us that if we were alive 66 million years ago, we would have been standing in the ocean!



Then Dr. Lacovara set us loose to go and dig for our very own fossils! We were even allowed to sit and dig in the mud! No worries about getting wet and muddy....we all had a change of clothes back at school.

The best part of the trip was that we could take home all the fossils that we found! How cool is that?!

We are so very fortunate to have Rowan Fossil Park right in our backyard! We are grateful to Rowan University for making this educational experience possible.

Best field trip ever?....Yep!

Sound interesting to you? They hold events open to the public...but sign up for their emails because the slots fill up very quickly! People from all over the world have visited, and plans for expansion are underway. I am not an affiliate, but I have volunteered at the Fossil Park!

Edelman Fossil Park Website

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How to Yard Sale Like a Boss: A Teacher's Survival Guide

You need cool things for your classroom, but you don't want to break the bank. Have you tried yard "sailing" for some great bargains and interesting finds?

I was introduced to flea markets and yard sales at about age 7. The kids across the street always had "new" and interesting toys to play with that their parents picked up at yard sales. I had so much fun playing at their house. I remember that one time the family even took me to an auction and bid on a box of toys that they gave me. At the risk of dating myself, I must say that I was one happy camper driving home in the back of their station wagon! My mom caught the flea market bug, and we started a weekly trip with my cousins. Talk about fun times and memories! Our trips to the flea market expanded to yard sales, and as I got older they were a teacher's dream come true. I've picked up some tips over the years that I'd like to share. If you have never tried yard "sailing" before, grab a friend, and give it a try!

Here are some of my latest yard sale finds. I hit the jackpot when I found a teacher who had recently resigned to stay home with her own kids. Once she found out that I was a teacher, she was practically giving her stuff away!

Fun Stamps for Stamp a Story

Brand New Markers

Prize Box Items

Math Station Game

Magnetic Labels 

Emoji Stamps

Here are some steps to follow:

1. Find out when and where the yard sales are. Some are still published the old-fashioned way in the local newspaper, but I usually use sites like Garage Sale Finder. (Not an affiliate!) You can also look for signs around your town. My favorites are church yard sales and neighborhood yard sales as there is usually great participation and selection. Don't overlook estate sales! You may think that everything is old and collectible type stuff, but many people who are simply downsizing have estate sales too. Most sales are held on the weekends.

2. Plan your route to make the best use of your time.

3. Get up early, and head out!*

4. Smile and greet the seller. This sets the stage for good communication. They may ask you if you are looking for anything in particular or mention some items and prices. The last sale I was at, the seller said, "Books and stuffed animals are free!" What?! Just in time for updating my class library!

FREE!

5. Consider stating that you are a teacher. I have gotten many good deals this way as sellers are usually delighted that their items will have a new life with your students.

6. Negotiate prices. You are not being cheap...sellers expect this! For example, if the price of an educational toy is $5.00, you might say, "Will you take 3 for this?" The worst the seller can say is, "No." Usually, sellers accept reasonable offers. Sometimes, they might counter an offer back like, "How about 4?" So go ahead and make offers.

7. Pay for your items, say thank you, and head to the next sale!


*Hint: Heading out early gets you the best selection. Arriving later tends to get you the best prices. After all, sellers don't want to have to put this stuff away!

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3 Sister Mosaics

These 3 Sister Mosaics are a huge hit every year with my class. So what are the 3 Sisters? Native Americans considered 3 crops to be most important: corn, squash, and beans. These crops not only provided a healthy diet but also kept the soil fertile.

These mosaics are easy and inexpensive to make! 

Materials: 

Various colors of 5" by 5" construction paper squares

6" by 6" neutral color card stock squares (I used dollar store file folders!)

Dried pumpkin seeds

Dried corn seeds

Dried bean seeds

Small cups to hold the seeds

Glue

Directions:

1. Students glue their construction paper onto the neutral card stock background.

2. Students make a design with their seeds and glue them in place.

3. Allow to dry overnight.

Are you studying about the Lenape? LENAPE LIFEWAYS shares videos that are quite informative, and the students find them interesting. The video titled Gathering and Cooking mentions the 3 Sisters, and I use it as an introduction to the 3 Sister Mosaic activity. 

You can click HERE to get to the YouTube videos.

You may also like additional Lenape activities that are great for integrating comparing and contrasting skills.

This resource includes a sorting activity that is perfect for small group use with a Hula-Hoop Venn Diagram, a Venn Diagram recording sheet, a sample compare and contrast essay, and essay writing paper.

You can click HERE to get this resource.

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Author Visit!

Have you always wanted an author or illustrator to visit your school?

Finding an author to visit your school may be easier than you think! 

The following list contains the steps that I followed for our author visit. It may look like a lot, but it's really just broken down into small, manageable steps.

1. Start by Googling children's authors in your area. Make a list of possible visitors. Searching out of the area is fine too. Some may travel.

2. Narrow down your search to a few that appear to be grade-level appropriate.

3. Go to the local library or bookstore to browse the authors' books. Keep the authors on your list who appear to be a good match.

4. Contact the author(s) directly by email or phone to get details about price and availability. (Those in your area may provide a discount because no travel is involved.)

5. Discuss your plan with your administrator. It's always good to keep him/her in the loop!

6. Arrange to obtain funding. I applied for a grant from our Educational Foundation and won! You can also check with your PTA or local American Legion to see if they would be able to help.

7. Once you have funding, set the date for the visit. The hardest part is over!

8. Order some books by the author if funds are available.

9. Email the staff a Save the Date for the visit. You know we are planners and like to know everything ahead of time! I simply sent out a brief email stating that an author would be visiting and approximately how much time should be allotted for their students' experience.

10. If you order books, distribute them to classes when they arrive so that teachers and students have access to them prior to the visit.

11. Make a schedule. I grouped grade levels together in 3 meet and greet sessions. Plan what works for your school and the author's schedule.

12. Plan details. Our author/illustrator offered to sketch 10 reluctant readers/writers between sessions and to have lunch with 10 other reluctant readers/writers. I had each grade level chose students to participate, and had the names emailed to me. I then made a master list for the sketches and the lunch.

13. Contact the author three to four weeks prior to the visit, and finalize details such as equipment needed.

14. Secure the equipment and facilities needed within your building.

15. Send out final schedules to the staff one to two weeks prior to the visit.

16. Confirm with the author one week prior. Go over any last-minute details.

17. On the day of the visit, greet the author. You may want to have a few students with you for this greeting!

18. Have fun and take pictures!

*Some authors may provide order forms for signed copies of books that students may purchase.

Here is author/illustrator Michael Dooling. He visited our school this past spring, and the reviews from both staff and students were two thumbs up! We all learned about the process he follows when he writes and/or illustrates a book. Would you believe that he begins the process in an actual library?! He makes sure the kids know that it is okay to make mistakes. The experience was a huge hit. He is local to my area, but I believe he travels!

Here is a picture that one of my students helped Mr. Dooling draw:

Didn't she do an awesome job?!

Check out his site HERE.

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Boosting Staff Morale at School

There's no doubt about it....teaching is stressful!

Here are some fun and easy ways to raise the spirits of your staff or colleagues:

1. Have random drawings at staff meetings for free and inexpensive prizes such as a preferred parking spot for the week or a new set of markers.
2. Distribute bubble wrap during testing week or other stressful weeks. Include a note saying, "Pop 3 capsules every 4-6 hours or as needed for stress."
3. Place a bowl of fresh fruit in the teachers' lounge.
4. Write positive notes, and slide them under classroom doors.
5. Plan and implement a staff member exercise group.
6. Have students sing Happy Birthday to each staff member on their birthday.
7. Check with local businesses for donations of coupons towards freebies and discounted services and products. Distribute in mailboxes or at meetings.
8. Have a jeans day just because.
9. Compile and distribute a list of businesses that provide educator discounts.
10. Have a staff shout-out board! Read the shout-outs at monthly staff meetings.

Click HERE to get started for FREE!

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Teacher Hack: DIY Test Blockers

You have seen them in catalogs or maybe even bought them....test blockers to stop wandering eyes and increase focus. Our kids love these whimsical mini blockers made by my creative co-teacher with diaper boxes and Duct Tape. She simply cuts the boxes and adds random strips of Duct Tape, mixing colors and designs as she goes along. Many of us have Duct Tape left from some previous project. Why not ask the kids and your colleagues for leftover Duct Tape, and start making these blockers for yourself!? If you get the tape donated, your cost will be free!

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