Every year I keep thinking that next year will not be so crazy.  Today I am forced to conclude that this thought is UNTRUE in every way.  I am applying for what will be an intensive masters program, I just signed up for a 2-credit graduate level class, will sign up for another 1-credit class tonight, and just found out that I was accepted as a member of our district's math curriculum committee.  Now granted not all of these things will be going on at the same time.  The two classes start next week and will only last a couple of months.  The committee starts next month (I think, I need to get more details on that) and will run for 18 months.  The Masters will start (if I'm lucky enough to get one of five spots) with an intensive 6 credit month of work in July and run for 2 and a half years.    When I saw the email telling me that I was part of the math committee, that is when it hit me.  Teaching is a crazy life that attracts more craziness to it.

Here is a site that I want to look closely at at some later date when I have time:

http://www.pepnonprofit.org/index.html

It is called the Positive Engagement Project

I want to see if Mark can cut some wood so I can turn milk-style crates into reading seats.  Idea from Mrs. Nelson's blog.  The picture is almost to the bottom of the page.  I have the crates and what a neat idea for using them.

Great job blogging.  *sigh**  NOT.

This year was crazy insane.

Maybe this coming year?

I've become addicted to Pinterest.  There are such great ideas for the classroom on it.  I appreciate being able to see what other educators are doing.  Thank you Erin for introducing me!  Living in an isolated village doesn't allow me to peek into my fellow 4th/5th grade class rooms and borrow ideas.  Pinterest allows me to be inspired by wonderful, smart people.   I'm only afraid that I will forget half of the great ideas..... 

(I have been making silly typos lately.  Like above I typed "ideals" and almost didn't catch it....)

One of my favorite ideas from Pinterest is the Post-It Note lesson plan book.  The idea came from
The Wise and Witty Teacher  http://wisewittyteacher.blogspot.com/2012/02/pinterest-inspired-presidents-and-diy.html?showComment=1329706324428#c2503987690813417597 who in turn borrowed from others (Thank you).   I do not do mine exactly like her's but have (of course) adapted it to fit my needs.  Our school district requires these very in-depth lesson plans.  Think of a regular lesson plan book one week spread for all subjects and now image that one week spread for only one subject. Now times that by every prep you have.  So I use it more as a quick-reference-easy-to-change-my-plans-check-list-of-things-to-do. 

I would love to get some small colored post-it notes this summer while I am out. Some color other than yellow!!  Also some more colored Pentel RSVP pens. 

This is mine.  I found the plan sheets somewhere on the net..... don't remember where......  I will continue to look so I can give credit where credit is due.  I only enlarged it on the printer so that the small post-its would fit.  Its still a tad too small but it works for me.

Playing with Photo Booth now.  This is a picture of the new sweat shirts that just came in.  Love that the pic is backwards.  I wonder if there is a way to turn it around? Naam.

Next Year -- Dual Language

I came into Bethel to work on the reading curriculum. After three days (I was scheduled to work at least five) it looked like we were going to have more worker bees than work. Dual Language training was just starting at the Cultural Center. Since I was told that we are doing DL next year I asked if I could sit in. It was approved and so I spent my day listening to Dr. Gomez give his spiel about why DL will work.

I must say that he convinced me. I can't say that I am excited about only teaching Language Arts and Math next year (Science and Social Studies are fun) but I am excite about what DL can do for the kids if done correctly.

The next two days will be on the actual practices of the Gomez and Gomez program. I almost, almost, wish next year was here already so that we may start.

Concerns: We do not have the advantages of other minority language programs. Not too many publishing companies have a call to publish the latest Yugtan book. We do have 30 years worth of material that has been created that may be used. Which sounds like a lot but is just a very good start on what is needed. Yugtan is an oral language that is not traditionally written. This comes with its own problems and concerns. One word is an entire sentence. Translations are not easily done on the same grade level which is part of the reason that Yugtan curriculum material need to be developed in its own right. There are not Yugtan words for osmosis, Senate or 100s of other subject specific vocabulary. This problem can be dealt with in two ways which has yet to be decided. I will need to learn some basic Yugtan. I do know several words but will still need to learn some more. I like the thought of learning but I am worried if I will be able to learn enough, well enough to do the job correctly. Yugtan is not an easy language to learn for someone who has trouble hearing the different letter sounds.

Concerns, yes but the advantages for the students far out way them.

Does anyone have a lance?

Ha! Ha! I figured out how to post pictures...


Here are 4 of our five new windmills. Only three are finished in this picture. We are lucky that it has remained as cold as it has. There was some doubt as to whether or not it would be possible to get them up before spring thaw.

Hehehehe!

I totally forgot that I have a blog! I was "spring cleaning" and found some old notes I had made for the class that required me to start it. I decided to see if I could still remember my password and WOW! I did!

Blogging has never interested me too much but I realize that many schools require class websites. Maybe I will use this blog as a testing ground. After all, as only 3, 4? people are "followers" (and are most probably not interested in this blog anyway) I will feel free to try without too many people seeing my mistakes.

???? hmmmm ???? More thought is required. Should check out other teacher blogs in my oh, so abundant free time.

=)