2012 Resolutions Linky Party

There are a TON of Linky Parties going on right now!  I think it's because all of us teachers have to stay busy with SOME type of assignments over our Holiday Break!

Mor over at a Teacher's Treasure is hosting the 2012 New Year Resolutions Link Up.  You need to have 3-5 resolutions, both personal and professional.  

Personal:

1. Run more!  I'm currently part of a super cool fitness group on my Facebook that was started by a close friend this year.  He's lost over 75 pounds on his own and goes running EVERY SATURDAY at 6am (yes - that's AM) sharp.  I try my best to go every week, but sometimes I skip out and sleep in.  So my resolution is to go more often AND fit in some running during the week.
   
2. Eat Healthier!  I eat horribly right now, which goes to show why I've packed on the pounds.  For being a shorty (5'3) it's really unwise to weigh as much as I do.  So, starting back on January 1st I'm going back to not drinking soda (my one true weakness) and staying far AWAY from the evil fast food places.
   
3. Take Better Care of the House! I feel SO SO guilty when I don't have the house clean.  We bought our first beautiful house in 2010 and I HATE when I'm so tired that it looks awful.
   
4. Continue being an Awesome Mommy and Wife!  I just don't want to slack on my family either.  I mean, look at these two cute guys I live with!

Professional:

1. Tame my 4th Period from HELL!  When I interviewed to transfer back to my current school, I was warned about these guys.  They are a ROUGH group of kids that want to do NOTHING.  Even watching videos aren't good enough for these chuckleheads.  I have to develop and MAINTAIN some killer strategies so I don't lose it with these guys.
   
2. Go Back to Rotations!  I ♥ using Rotations in my classes.  (Language Arts, Math, whatever)  Now that I've weaseled my way into getting classroom tables again (GOODBYE evil single desks!) I can try and teach my stubbornly low students how to learn while doing rotations.  Rotations mean that I can use my 8 class computers more frequently by putting my kids on XtraMath twice a week and I get to have small group instructional work.
   
3. Stay on Top of my Grades/Grading!  I hate it when I slack off and I have to grade HUGE stacks of papers!  My goal is to get all my daily stuff graded - Daily! ;)  I want to have my grades available for my kids so we can instantly know when they are not doing so great.

Teacher Presents!

Two posts in ONE day! Yes, I'm finally finding the time (or forcing myselfto stop being a lazy bum) and post about the Teacher Presents I made a few of my friends this year.

Thanks to Pinterest, which I'm sadly addicted to, I discovered this cool pin for a Teacher Clipboard.  I liked the idea so much that I thought that I would make three of these clipboards for my friends at my school.

I decided I would take pictures of my process to show you all and give some helpful hints!

Items you will need:

• Clipboard
• Scrapbook Paper
• Glitter Letter Stickers
• Paint
• Brush
• Mod Podge Glue
• Any other stickers, ribbons, etc.

First step, youwant to paint the edges of the clipboard. This allows you some wiggle room on your paper. You also don't have to worry

about taking the papers right to the edge of the clipboard. I discovered that in the scrapbooking aisle, you can by the 8.5 x 11" paper instead of the 12x12" and save 50 cents per sheet.  (Yes, here at LIMS, we are all about the savings.)

Next, you want to positon down your paper with sticky squares. I used my left over scrapbooking squares. This just helps you keep your paper in place for the glue step!  As for the measuring part, by using 8.5x11" paper, I only had to determine how much of each paper I wanted to use, then cut once with my paper cutter!

If you use 12x12" paper, then you have to measure the paper to the exposed section of the clipboard, then make your cuts as necessary!

This is the tricky step.

You want touse ModPodge and glue down the paper to the edges. The person who's pin I used said that she glued the paper to the clipboard and then added an extra coat on the outside too. I just coated the entire paper on top to form a seal. A word of caution... the glue caused my paper to get wavy with the dampness of the glue. I was starting to worry and stick extra sticky squares where the paper warped up. All my worrying wasn't necessary because by the next morning, the paper had completely dried flat to the clipboard. (Points to the picture... see how it's kinda damp and shiny? You have to really wait until the morning!)

The last part - the FUN part is decorating and adding in the teacher names!

Here are my finished products!

(Edited: Mor over at a Teacher's Treasure pointed out that I missed the paper cutting step.  I didn't do anything fancy to cut the paper, just eyeballed the amounts I wanted to use and then lined them up.) Thanks for the catch Mor! :)

Middle/High School Linky Party!

Thanks to Kristen over at Secondary Solutions, she personally invited me to join up at her Middle and High School Linky Party! Based on the fact that I have my devoted readership of... 10 people (Waves! Thanks loyal, yet small following!) maybe I should you know... blog more... link up more...

Maybe that should be a 2012 resolution. (heehee)

I'm seeing some favorite blogs of mine already signed up...

Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher

A Teacher's Treasure

Middle School Math Rules!

Runde's Room

But... There are still a few that I know need to be signed up... I'm looking for Kim from Joy in 6th Grade and Middle School Survival Guide. You guys are awesome!

Help

Okay blogging friends - I need your help!

Does anyone use an online classroom seating chart maker? I'm not having much luck through Google... (Other than make an Excel Spreadsheet, uh... thanks. You mean, handwrite names in boxes - amazing! /sarcasm)

I'm hoping that someone out there has a great resource.

Teacher-Student Pairs

Teacher-Student Pairs is one of my favorite strategies to use in my classroom!

First, I divide my students into two groups.  I have a "Teacher" group, the students that I know are really understanding the concept and can demonstrate their knowledge to another student.  Then I choose my "Student" group, the students that are still struggling with the concept.  When I'm making my lists, I always start with my most capable students for the teachers and my most struggling students for the students, then I work my way towards the group of kids that could go either way.

(My goal is that the teachers are not allowed to write down the problems on their shared paper.  I want them to show their steps on their whiteboards to their students and discuss the problems together.)

Then, I present the lists to the students and explain the activity.

• Teachers and Students must partner up.  You can choose ANY teacher or student to match up with.
• Teachers must use their whiteboards to help their students with the problems.
• Students must write all their information and work on their papers.
• Teachers will check their student's work.
• The teacher and students will receive the same grade on the assignment, so you must work together to make sure that all the answers are right.

Becoming a "Teacher" gives a huge boost to the students that are really getting the material.  I have to explain carefully that being a Teacher or a Student does NOT reflect their grades and it's also a list that's NOT set in stone.  I tell everyone that you can have the same chance to become a Teacher next time.

My students have fun doing the activity!  I always get a kick out of the students that will tell me that they never knew how hard it is to be a teacher or the ones that will ask their new "teacher" for permission to go to the bathroom.  Also, I like how my students sometimes will teach their own math strategies to their students.. I figure that for some kids, listening to how one of their peers completes a math problem might "stick" better than their regular old teacher.

(Here's a picture of them, hard at work with their "Teachers")

12 Days of Christmas!

Oh Boy 4th Grade is having a super cool giveaway over at her blog! She's bringing in 11 fabulous bloggers to post about their Christmas giveaways that you can enter too.

Say it with me....

FAB-U-LOUS PRIZES!!

(I always tell my kiddos that they can win "Fabulous Prizes" when they win my Math Games... We have differing opinions on Fabulous, but whatever!)

So, head on over and enter her giveaway!

(On the Life in Middle School front, I have a blog post ready to go about my Teacher-Student Pairs activity (with a Picture - GASP!) and some thoughts about possibly hosting a Lesson Plan Book linky party.)