Something I LOVE: Growth Mindset Video Series

Happy Valentine's Day!  I know it's Sunday funday, and Valentine's day, and really the last thing we are thinking about is school.  Right?  RIGHT?  

I thought I'd share something my students and I are LOVING lately with you this day of love + kindness.  If you want to start your week on an easy breezy note tomorrow, Class Dojo has released a new series of 5 videos about the Growth Mindset and my class is l-o-v-i-n-g them!  So if you don't use Class Dojo on the daily, I thought I'd give you a little heads up.  These are great mini-lessons in the classroom and each video is only 2-3 minutes long (my favorite one so far has been about using the word "yet"- I don't get this "yet"... LOVE!).

Even if you don't use Class Dojo in your room, these videos are pretty great.  This year I have been using it, and my students like to look for their character in the videos.  The videos are posted on YouTube, so you don't even need a Dojo account to check them out.  The last episode was just released today.  

Here's the first of the series for you to check out.  

I've added the link to the first video over on the Classroom Management resources as well!  {below or click the "Websites and Resources" page up top- bookmark it for the future!}

I hope you enjoy a wonderful and relaxing Valentine's Day Sunday!  I'm planning to eat some chocolate and run a few miles...it all evens out, right?? 

 + 

LOVE,

            

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From Drab to Flocab {we rap in class}

I've been living in this black hole that is National Boards (I'm telling you, if I don't pass this, I will cry TEARS for YEARS).  

Also, I've been teaching.  And managing.  A lot of classroom management makes for one tired teacher.

One of my saving graces with my charming active and interactive group this year is my Flocabulary subscription.  I'll be honest... when my subscription was up, I really thought about whether it was going to be worthwhile for another year.  I'm usually a big fan of free online resources, but my students last year LOVED using Flocab for vocabulary.  I stuck mainly to using it only for our vocabulary instruction last year in 4th grade.  

So this fall when the time came, I did stop and think.  I tried it a couple times with my 3rd grade class to see if I had the same buy-in...and I did.  Then I spent a little while hopping around and discovered a lot of the videos matched my curriculum, so I forked over the cash yet again. 

WORTH IT.  My class LOVES it!  This year I branched out and we've been using videos for...

...Social Skills

...Digital Citizenship (hey this helps out with that required lesson for my district, yay!)

...Writing

...Reading

...Science (rocks & minerals is coming out soon and we are super psyched about it in 3rd grade)

...Math (multiplication facts, they love it)

So basically I just use it completely the opposite from last year.  Last year I used it strictly for vocabulary instruction, and this year I haven't used the vocabulary component but I've used everything else.  Isn't it weird how different classes require different instruction?  

We watch the same video MULTIPLE times.  I do this because once just isn't enough for students to really get the concept.  Particularly with content specific songs, I do a lot of teaching the content prior to showing the video.  The video is really helpful for reinforcing a topic or important words, as well as helping students to remember it.  

Here's one of our favorites for reading/writing this year:

This year I have even used the quizzes that go with the videos (some of them are pretty helpful if I'm teaching an entire unit).  

Flocabulary has a convenient little special happening right now.  If you sign up for a free 75 day trial (it's 15 more days than any other time of year...so this takes you to mid-late April depending on when you start, of course) and you can sign up your whole school for the trial.  That way you can check it out for FREE for a bit!  Last day for the trial is Feb. 29th, so you can even bookmark it and think about it until then if you want.  

We sing.  We dance.  Students feel like pretty hard core rappers.  It's hilarious for me.  So it's pretty good all around.

Disclosure: This has been written in partnership with Flocabulary; opinions, classroom uses, & money I paid for my own classroom subscription are my own.  

            

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Happy, happy!

The Iowa Caucus results are on, so I'm glued to the television (and computer), so here I sit ready to chat with you.  

Usually February is my least favorite teaching month, but my district has mid-winter break now, so February is pretty darn dreamy.  A day celebrating love and kindness, and a break?  I'll take both!  {I won't mention the pre-test crunch time, shhhh}

I got some new books that arrived on my doorstep today that I've been super excited about, plus a few special visitors planning trips to ME in the next few weeks and months that I get to plan and play tourist, so my free time is pretty wrapped up in wonderful happenings lately. 

But, I'm also in the midst of finishing my written part of National Boards and am working on the video portion as well, so my planning is out of control.  Or maybe that's my stress level.  Lots of pressure to do this right, and I'm trying to juggle it all.  I want more time.  Not just more time...but more time when I feel MOTIVATED.  I mean, I have TIME, but I don't always feel like working all the TIME.  Oy.  Balance, my friends.  It's a real need.  I hope you are taking time for you and your loved ones this month!

Check out Farley's blog for more teacher blogger updates!

Honestly,  I enjoy Valentines day in the classroom.  Or as I like to call it, Fun Dip Day.  I do love a day to share kindness and excitement in the classroom.  We get to decorate and eat treats and just enjoy.  

If you're looking for a few fun school ideas- Valentines from the teacher to fun heart themed activities for kids- you can check out my Celebrate the Holidays Pinterest board because I've been pinning like crazy lately!  

Follow Miss B.'s board Celebrate the Holidays on Pinterest.

            

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Need a laugh?

Well, this guy is my new favorite YouTube Channel...

Did I email this to my principal and assistant principal?  Yes, yes I did.

            

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I've almost made it to WINTER BREAK

Oh, hello!  I know it may seem as if I had fallen off the face of the planet, and I suppose in blog world I kind of have... I haven't taken pictures.  I haven't blogged in...awhile.  I haven't even attempted to create a blog post (if we're being honest here).

But enough of what I HAVEN'T done.  Here's what I HAVE done...

I piloted three math curriculums for my district in a 9 week period and wrote detailed reflections on each.

Survived conferences.

I taught my 4-6 week writing units for National Boards.

Then I wrote my first draft of 12ish pages of details/reflection based on my students writing samples.

Then I ate all the Christmas treats I made for other people all by myself.

I started lifting at the gym (two days count, right?).

I set up a (faux) tree and outside lights.  Then all my outside lights burned out 3 days later.  I bought new ones that are sitting on my kitchen table.

I went on adventures.

Example of one of my adventures.

There you have it.  This semester in a nutshell.  It's been a bit crazy and SUPER busy, but I assure you, the RTL blog is one of my new years resolutions and I'll be working on it!  

Even though it's December 14th, I'm still linking up with Farley...

I am ready for break!  READY!  I'm already planning the activities I'll be working on during my holiday flights (library books, some TpTing, and polishing that National Board draft...holler at me in the airport!).  

Our third grade team is working on a few fun things to send home for students to work on over break if they have some time on their hands.  One is a hot chocolate reading challenge, and the other is this SUPER FUN Snowball STEM challenge from Teacher's Clubhouse.  Check it out and download it since it's FREE!  My kiddos are going to love it!  

Happy Everything!  I'll probably pop back on here with a glass of wine (and so should you!) after this wild and crazy week of school!!  

            

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B.A.R.F. Time | Management

I know.  Gross.  But I'm not doing a blog post about throwing up.  I promise.  There are also little to no pictures in this post.  You're welcome.

Some years you just have a class that has a lot going on and at the end of the day you stumble into your house and climb into bed and suddenly the alarm goes off and you're like "what happened, how is it morning already, I didn't even look at that pile of papers".  And in those years, you are scrambling for every management tip you can uncover.

This year I'm breaking out every management tool I know and love.  I'm counting down.  Counting up.  Giving magic numbers.  Showing ever-y-thing I'm doing for my English language learners and special ed kiddos.  I'm dancing around the room.  Standing behind students.  Perfecting my teacher look.  Giving kind reminders that mooning the class isn't a great idea.  Also, we don't pretend to beat each other up in line.  Spitting in someone's face is not ok.  And please, stop hiding under your desk for the entire lesson.  Remember to keep your hands to yourself!  Be kind!  Good morning!

Oh, children.  I love my job.  (seriously, that's not even sarcasm)

I'm not a behavior chart person.  I don't like having all that up on my walls.  I don't like classroom economies.  I know, I know... they teach all kinds of great stuff for social studies, but I don't like the whole management of it on my part.  That doesn't mean they aren't effective.  They just don't work with my teaching style.  Easy is key for me.

I feel like I've probably tried every management idea ever invented (haha no way is that true, but still) at some point in my ten years of teaching.  Some work well for some classes and some don't work at all for others.  It really varies by class, so I have to tweak it a little each year.  I even started a Pinterest board just to collect ideas for my future classes.

Follow Miss B.'s board Classroom Management on Pinterest.

This year, we compete to beat the teacher with our great behavior, and boy is it tough to win as a class.  And while I love my whole brain competition, I really want those individual students who are following directions and being so wonderful to feel the love.  Plus I want some of those who sometimes struggle with great choices to feel the love, too.  So I started Class Dojo up for this group.  I don't do this for every group, because to keep track of a whole class (I have just under 30 this year!) is A TON OF WORK.  And it's constant.  I'd like to be teaching instead, thanks.  I don't like that my iPad goes to sleep and I'm typing in my school produced password and reopening the app to give sweet Glenda a point for "following directions".  But this year, it's necessary.

I like Class Dojo.  This year I may even love it.  They have really upped their game, and I'm actually pretty fond of the parent connection opportunities that are available.  I love a free resource, and this one is getting better and better.  If you haven't checked it out lately, hop on over to their teacher resources and be impressed.

Any who.  Back to BARF.  We compete daily to beat the teacher with behavior points.  The class does great, the class gets a point.  If the class isn't following directions, the teacher gets a point.  It's actually a pretty great system and does motivate students to help each other out and get it together.  I still needed a bigger carrot to dangle than just "be proud that you beat the teacher today".  Lots of teachers do it differently, but if my class beats me, they get BARF Time.  They earn 10-15 minutes of BARF time at the end of the day.  That means when it gets to that time of the day, I stop teaching and they get to it.

They.  Love.  It.

I wish I could take credit for this.  BARF was not my idea.  I learned about it from a professor in grad school, who shared it from a friend of hers.

BARF means Be A Reading Fanatic.  It's glorified silent reading time (this year I let them creative write if they want to as well).  If the class beats me, they earn BARF time.  They can pick a place in the room to BARF.

While silent reading time may not have gotten all students fully on board, BARF time has got it going on.  By October, it's just rolling off our tongue (haha, ew) like it isn't even a disgusting idea.

"Do we get to barf today?"
"Can we barf anywhere?"
"What time do we barf?"
"Find a place to barf!"
"Guys!  Quiet so we can barf!"

It's our little classroom secret.  Sometimes I'll say they earned BARF time and kids will scramble to close the door so nobody knows (the other teachers already know I do this, but the kids don't know they know, you know?).  I don't have a classroom poster for it.  Can you imagine if the principal walked in to observe me and on my front board I had a big BARF sign?  Not impressive!  We can't just walk around the school asking the teacher when we can barf, you know?  People will think we've gone crazy!  They might even think the teacher is a little strange.  Really, I'm trying to save face.

The added bonus of BARF time is that it's also a little extra quiet time at the end of the day and that is glorious.

Just another trick up the teacher sleeve.

            

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