School your dresses!

Let your dresses make an appearance in class too! Dresses are great for school because they keep you cooler and you know cool is always appreciated if you've ever taught on a second floor of a school, with broken windows, and a blacktop roof level with your room in 90* weather. Heck... Even 70s and 80s is enough to get these students cranky. (Maybe even some teachers too!)

I am uncomfortable wearing a lot of my dresses to school without tweaking them first. However, that's for another post... these two dresses in particular I actually would wear alone later on in the day when it gets hot. Some people frown upon wearing sleeveless items to school, but I'd prefer my arms to be showing rather than sporting two sweat pools beneath my arms. Here's an easy solution: cover up the arms with a denim/jean looking button down. Button downs are lightweight for spring/summer mornings, but can be removed on hotter afternoons when you just can't breathe another second in the heat.

Here are two of my favorite stand alone dresses for school. The length and necklines are perfect and they're not clingy. They can also be used in a million ways. Here is just one of the ways to change it up with a jean/denim button down.

Alone:

Tweaked:

Alone:

Tweaked:

Notice how I re-used the same wedge! Stay tuned for postings on how I select shoes for school, how to make night dresses into day dresses, and how to accesorize black for spring/summer.

What's your favorite thing to wear to school in the summer when it gets hot?

What a suck up.

Sometimes students slack in some areas and try to make up for it in others. One of my students specifically asked me in the beginning of this week what my favorite kind of flowers are. Today their first 3 page MLA style paper was due (gasp they're seniors) and in lieu of a paper, I received tulips. Of course that illicited a chuckle out of me... Perhaps it was because he was also dressed as Darth Vader for decades week (70s day.) Mask, breathing ventilator and all. Yup.

You may be wondering what happened to getting your teacher a good ol' fashioned apple? Good question. The answer is because he already gave me an apple a few weeks ago.

Yes, this kid is all about theatrics. He once performed a one man show with no talking, only dancing, to pre-selected symbolic songs pertaining to Hamlet instead of taking his test. It was my challenge to him. I anticipated a 3 minute show. I received a 10 min drama. And although the flowers look fab in their new home, he still has to do this essay. Maybe I just won't take off the -10 point per day late penalty for him. C'mon... It's not every day a lady receives flowers.

Come to think of it, my favorite flowers aren't tulips. I'm more a lily kind of girl. That just goes to show how often I receive flowers;I actually forgot my favorite kind. "Smh"

What's the funniest suck up gift you've ever received from a student?

Manage Time Wisely

I am currently in a teaching position which is considered a 32 hour job. However, I don't see how my workload is different than the full time positions, but maybe it is. Either way... I try to complete everything I can during school hours. When I was student teaching, I remember spending an uncountable amount of hours on grading papers, projects, and developing lesson plans. As time goes on, it became easier. However, the best piece of advice I have ever received for teaching is: "Never do anything that a student can do for you."

Often enough there are students who are looking to raise their grade or just want to be back on your good side. Or, you have students who stay for detention. Don't have them sit there while you slave away. Make them not want to come back for a detention; give them work.

Some examples of student labor:

Delivering a note, book, etc. to another teacher in the building.

GOOD (As long as the other teacher is expecting the interuption and as long as the item being delievered isn't confidential. Choose the student wisely based on how long will he/she take in the hallway and can the student afford the miss class time.)

Manually stapling the packets for tomorrow's class because the copier once again is out of staples GOOD (As long as the packets aren't a test or quiz)

Organizing messy areas of the room/Labeling Folders/Hanging up projects

GOOD (This is usually good on half days or days with a messy schedule when few students are in the building. This helps students have more pride in the class because they were involved in making it look nice.)

Entering student grades into software program

BAD (No matter how trustworthy a student is, you never want to compromise another student's education. You want each student to know you take their work seriously and this is communicated by handling gradebooks on your own.)

REWARDS:

I try to reward based on the deed. In the past I gave students a "Good Job Ticket" (yes, even in high school). Once they collected two, they were able to select a prize out of a "prize box." The prize box contained dollar store items and perfume samples, makeup samples, key chain holders, fake tatoo sleeves, etc. Students laughed at the prize box, but they actually did hold on to their tickets in their back packs, wallets, purses, etc. and reminded me when they obatined two tickets.

I also gave extra credit to some students for putting in extra effort in English class.

Currently, if I like what a student does for me, I will enter their name in a raffle for the end of the year. The raffle will be for a movie ticket or two... depending on how funds are and depending on how long the list is.

Just recently, we re-organized a whole shelving unit! It's more practical now, I was able to raise a student's grade, and it just over all isn't an eye sore anymore!

What was the best thing you've ever had a student assist you with?

Kids say the darnest things.

Kids say the darnest things. We've all heard the phrase before. Unfortunately, when you're less than 10 years apart in age from your students, you sometimes are faced with laughing along with them, because you get the joke too, or forcing your stern face to make an appearance.

I just recently assigned a project in correlation with Arthur Miller's, The Crucible. The assignment was to write a one page MLA format paper which addressed the question: what did John Proctor die for? How did he want his name to be remembered? Which events led him to his ultimate decision not to "confess" to being a "witch"? Along with this paper I asked students to write half a page about themselves. How are they perceived by others? Do they portray an accurate depiction of themselves? In addition to the writing portion, I asked students to bring in a jar filled with items that represent themselves. There was a rubric and everything...

One of the best students was in front of the class presenting his project. He went all out and bought a large mason jar and crammed it with self artifacts. The first item he wanted to share with the class was "his woody". As you can imagine, there was no preventing the laughter that now filled the room. He continued to tug his woody out of the jar. (And for all you dirty minds that haven't realized yet, he was getting out his toy story woody doll!) Once woody was finally released from the jar, he said "I've had my woody for a long time." Of course that didn't help the laughter that never completely stopped.

What was my reaction? My first reaction was to look down and snicker. Not going to lie. But only for a second. I looked back up with a smile and assessed the situation. The student presenter was smiling in acknowledgement of his accidental word play, but was ready to continue with the rest of his project. I asked him to stop presenting for a moment, then asked the class if they were ready to continue and that reminded them that laugh time expired.

Why this worked...
The student presenter was comfortable to continue presenting in front of a calm class.
What the kid said WAS funny... No one deserved a punishment unless it was taken too far.
I hope that all students know that it's ok to slip up when you're talking in front of a group. I'll be there to make sure the class climate is orderly and is always conducive to a comfortable learning environment.

Should I mention the story of the kid with the peanut?.....

What is something one your students said and you couldn't help but chuckle too?

Why this pic?

"Why is there a pic of a sour cream container filled with rice?" For simple and great reasons I'd like to share with you. Teachers and subs don't make nearly as much as they should and are often left working with small budgets. I'm amazed at watching Extreme Couponers and rejoice with the people when they score their whole order for negative 30 cents. Although, I have not been successful in my coupon attempts, I am pretty savy with other techniques.

#1 The first cool hint that I'd like to share is that whatever is left from your dinner the night before, just pack it up and bring it for lunch. It could be noodles. Add some olive oil and seasonings and heat in the microwave on your lunch. Leftover grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms? Put it in a container (microwave it ot not) and eat with some crackers. Rice? Add some pre-cooked Perdue's chicken or other ingredients or do what I did and add some seasonings and butter in a container and microwave it at work.

Now, I'm not a fan of a microwave. I don't even own one in my own apartment, but I can't deny a warm lunch at work. Even, yes, if it's soggy re-heated pizza. Gasp.

Idea #2 We haven't addressed the sour cream container. I recycle all plastic or glass containers with lids and re-use them to store leftovers. I have recycled sour cream containers, butter containers, cool whip containers, salsa jars, snapple bottles, etc. Caution: If you plan on using these containers for lunch and are going to re-heat directly using the container, some of these containers may not be microwave-able safe. However, I have found that almost all of the plastic containers listed above hold up well for at least a minute in the microwave.

Idea #3 SHOP AT ALDIS... but that's for another post.

Morning Routine

Waking up in the early morning can be tortue for me! I think it's cruel and unusual punishment to have to wake up at 5:45 am. Oh the joys of teaching. Ever wonder how much time another teacher spends getting ready in the morning? Here's my routine:

5:45 first alarm

5:55 second alarm

6:00 third alarm

6:05 fourth alarm

6:10 fifth alarm

6:13 finally wake up. (yes, exactly 6:13)

6:20 Hop in the shower

6:30 Done with shower... lotion, deoderant, etc. Get dressed.

6:40 Make-up time

6:50 Hair time/scramble around like a crazy woman turning off the heat and making sure my lunch is packed. (I pack lunch the night before)

7:00 Leave for school

And yes, in case you're wondering, in the winter I am constantly looking for closings or delays before I drag myself into the bathroom.

What time do you wake up in the morning? And how much time do you give yourself to get ready?

Scarves

School temperatures can be unpredictable. They can be freezing in the early winter mornings or they can be 90* by the end of the day with the hot afternoon sun gleaming in your second floor classroom through the blinds that are crooked and don't work. I have found scarves to be my fbf (fashion best friend.) They are so cheap to buy. I bought most of mine in china town for 3 for $10. That was for the basic colors such as black, purple, and royal blue. I might have shelled out a bit more at the time for a checkered ivory and brown one. (I bought these a couple years ago!) During my most recent trip to NYC, I spotted a cheetah print scarf that my boyfriend was gracious enough to buy for me. Hey... $7 was hard to come by for me around Christmas time! My rule of thumb has been: If I'm cold, I'll wear a scarf and it will match whatever outfit I wear. So far it has worked. Or at least I think so.

Below I am wearing a cheetah print dress purchased from Francescas for $50 in the summer of 2011. A puff 3/4 sleeve gray/purple scoop neck shirt purchased from Charlotte Russe for about $10 a couple years ago. I layered the dress over the shirt and paired it with black stockings and ballet flats. (More on my special ballet flats in a different post.) The scarf works so well today because I am displaced in another classroom, due to CAPT (standardize testing,) which is probably about 45*. The joys of teaching.