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!)