My New Bookshelf!

I have to give a shout-out to my very-handy husband, Shea. He made me a custom bookshelf to fit a very specific space in my room. I love it so much that I've already asked him to make me two more (one more for more books and one for my math games). Isn't it awesome!?

The Gift of Dyslexia

It has been a nutty quarter and I found that I did not get a chance to post as much as I had hoped to. Needless to say, I wanted to make it a priority to post about this book I recently read called The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald Davis. We have all had students that have either been diagnosed with dyslexia or show signs of dyslexia. And while teacher education does briefly touch on the topic, I felt like I needed to know more about this condition that affects so many students and adults. A parent of a former student recommended I read this book, and I have to admit, it is the best explanation I've ever read about dyslexia. It is written by a dyslexic man who has developed exercises to help dyslexics control their disorientations. The exercises are outlined in the book for those looking to try them. He has a successful track record of working with both dyslexic students as well as with training facilitators who then go out into the world and help others. It is a quick read and is definitely worth your time. It will give you a new perspective about what is going on in the mind of a dyslexic when they encounter confusion. I hope you find it as insightful as I did!

Germany

March was a very busy month for me (and most teachers). Like in many schools, March is full of end-of-quarter duties as well as wrapping up units to prepare for spring break. Our school's spring break is two weeks long, and this year I was fortunate enough to get to spend it abroad. My school is working to build relationships with other schools around the world to help establish international partnerships, exchanges, etc. So I (along with a colleague from our Upper School) went to Hamburg, Germany as ambassadors to help build a relationship with a partner school. My colleague edited together footage from the trip and HERE is the result (this is a broadcast from our school's television network, so our part actually starts after the initial news is read). I've also included some pictures from the trip below.

It was an incredible experience, to say the least, and I am grateful to work for an outstanding school that offers these opportunities for faculty and students.

What's remaining of the Berlin wall.

One (of MANY) canal in Hamburg. 

Memorial at Neuengamme concentration camp.

A view from the incredible walk to a nearby theater (a field trip the class I was visiting took one day).

The original entrance to Lubeck, a medieval town in Germany.

A view as we walked down a street in a small Germany village.

I got to teach a lesson to a third grade class about Kansas City!

Student Valentine Boxes

Can you tell I love Valentine's Day? I've loved it since childhood. My mom would always buy us heart-shaped boxes of candy. I remember the school parties and fun love-themed decorations ... Needless to say, I love celebrating this holiday with my students.

Here is a cute idea for Valentine boxes. We've done them this way for the past two years. We just have kids bring in a cereal box and then let them cover them in paper, wrap paper arms from the front to the back and glue/tape down cut-outs of their own hands. We then print pictures of their faces and staple them to the back of the cereal box to complete the "Valentine hug" look. They're simple and the kids love them.

 

"Thank You Valentine" Cards

I always like to acknowledge gifts I receive, so this year I made a "Thank You" card to give kids who brought me a Valentine. I printed them in color, then hand wrote a message to each kid on them. I then laminated them and cut them out so that they double as bookmarks (kids in my room always LOVE getting a new bookmark). Click HERE for the "Thank You" template.

Enjoy!

Love, Splat!

For the past few years I have done a Love, Splat writing activity the week before Valentine's Day. I read aloud the book Love, Splat by Rob Scotton. We discuss what love means to them and do a class brainstorm about the different things that make us feel love, and the things we do to show others love. Afterwards, they write a paragraph on what love is, following this simple template for each sentence:

• I feel loved when ...
• I like it when ...
• To show others I care, I ...
• To me, love means/is ...

Then they use craft paper to cut out hearts and a cat head, paws, tail, eyes, nose and the insides of the ears. (I have them crinkle the tails with an accordion fold to make it look spazzy like the real Splat's.) It is a quick writing assignment that helps students think about love on several levels, and it creates a very cute Valentine-themed bulletin board.

 

 

Cute, Affortable Valentine Gift for Students

One of my teammates introduced me to a cute idea for Valentine's gifts for our students. This year, we made bracelets for them. It is super cost effective, simple and meaningful. She had done this with her kindergarten class before and said the kids loved the bracelets and wore them until they fell off. Here are the simple steps involved (the whole idea came from THIS blog post):

• Make bracelets (with string and a simple braid - VERY affordable, simple and quick)
• Print templates from THIS site with "Our class would knot be the same without you" message
• Glue the template to cute craft paper
• Cut holes with a hole punch and strung the bracelets through
• Sign each valentine (which I haven't done yet so it's not reflected in the picture, but the signature will be underneath the saying)

Here is the result!