Red Day!

Red shorts, red socks, red shoes, red bracelet, red jersey, red pig tails, red bow, red safety glasses... and even red hair :)

Today is Red Day at School for Red Ribbon Week!  I'm excited to see what my students wear today. I have been talking about today all week and have been working on getting my class pumped about wearing red from head to toe! It's fun to step outside your comfort zone and wear silly things! I think stepping outside your comfort zone is one of the hardest things as a middle schooler...

Tip of the day: Be excited about small stuff (like wearing red) and your students will be excited too! It makes school more fun to look forward to events or special days!!!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Dun dun dun.... who's ready for Parent Teacher Conferences?!?!? Most teachers dread this day, but I'm rather excited! I actually didn't even think about it this morning (which is probably why I accidentally wore my "Hugs are Better than Drugs" shirt with a big teddy bear on it because it's red ribbon week instead of looking professional like every other teacher).

Why I enjoy Parent Teacher Conferences:
1) I let the students lead the conference (they are way harder on themselves than I would ever be and it's good for them to evaluate themselves).  I am more of a moderator :)  No extra work and I enjoy listening.
2) Gives me a chance to talk to their parents if something is wrong.
3) Gives students a chance to show their parents what they are proud of.
4)... and what they are not proud of.
5) FREE PIZZA IN THE TEACHER's LOUNGE :)

My classroom on parent teacher conference night.  My class was a little quieter than normal.

If you want a copy of what my students fill out in preperation for the conference, click here:
Student Self Evaluation

Then, please rate me on TpT :) THANKS!

Happy Parent Teacher Conference Day!

I'm too bright to do drugs!

This week is red ribbon week!!! I LOVE red ribbon week because that means... CRAZY DRESS UP DAYS!!! I am excited to wear a hot pink shirt, lime green pants, and hot pink/lime green knee socks!

TEACHABLE MOMENT: (I take every opportunity that is thrown at me to turn into something the students can hopefully learn from...) Today for journal they will be writing "descriptive paragraphs" about another student as if they were describing their outfit for a clothing magazine :)

Welcome!

I am so excited to post my first post on my first blog!!!! I am excited to share my math/LA/religion classroom with the world! This is my 2nd year teaching 6th grade math, LA, religion, 7th grade math, and 8th grade Algebra.  I LOVE my students and everyday is an opportunity to have fun while teaching.  There are challenges, for sure; but that's what makes our job as teachers even more meaningful!  To begin my blog, I would like to give a few tips that help me in my classroom:

1. NO WHINING (My students know from the very beginning that whining is simply not tolerated in my classroom. They know that they will be doing the work no matter if they choose to be grumpy or not. That also means I do not have the right to whine either.)
2. IF YOU ARE BORED, THE STUDENTS ARE PROBABLY BORED. 
3. GET UP AND MOVE! (I need to move just as much as my students do! We love to dance to youtube videos about math... fraction shufflehttp://www.youtube.com.s11.incloak.com/watch?v=6i5_EopdUGc... or write our spelling words with our bums... or anything get moving)
4. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SPECIFIC, POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT (middle school students strive to be noticed and praised... even more than elementary students!)
5. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF EMBARRASSMENT (just don't do it!!! You will never reach a kid who you embarrass). 
6. NO WHINING 
7. LAUGH (tell jokes, laugh when students tell jokes, have fun)
8. CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES (Some battles are just not worth fighting.  For example, if a student wants to slide down the railing.. let them! As long as they are getting to class, who cares.  Maybe next time you go down the stairs you can slide too! Focus on battling the bigger issues, like falling asleep in class.)
9. BE FIRM BUT DO NOT YELL (Our students are yelled at enough.  Let's learn how to stay calm and firm! Never lose your cool and your students will be less likely to rebel!)
10. ..and most importantly: NO WHINING (positive attitudes for both you and your students will make your classroom a TON more fun.. and productive!)