Summertime Planning

My plans this summer?  Plan!

I don't plan to let my second year of teaching get away with the same punches it cornered me with this year.  My summer plans consist mostly of planning for next school year. Yes, just one huge planning session.  Since I will be babysitting the entire time as well, I figure that I will throw in some trial runs of various lessons to see how the kids respond.  I know that the little boogers (and I say that with love) that I am babysitting all summer long will be super helpful.  Can't wait to see what we come up with!

Tomorrow's Forecast for Florida...Snow!

Tomorrow is Read for the Record, a national event that tries to break world records for the most people reading the same book at the same time every year. This program is lead by Jumpstart, an organization devoted to tackling the literacy crisis affecting our nation. This year's book is Ezra Jack Keat's The Snowy Day. This beloved children's classic shows the fun of enjoying a winter's day of snow and ice. The main character is

Anyway, I'm SO excited about tomorrows lesson...I'm leading it! I've got SOOOO many ideas. But I realize that I have to remember time constraints. Still, I have to overplan rather than not have enough planned for the kids. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they experience snow, some of them for the very first time!

Here's a quick list of some of the activities I've got in store for the day:

Reading - The book of the hour, The Snowy Day

Life and Social Skills - Dressing for the Weather (PDF file)

Math - Temperature; Snowflake patterns

Critical Thinking - ... I've got something for this, but I've forgotten exactly what it is!

Science - Snow Experience (PDF File)

Social Studies - Where does it snow?

Music and Creative Expression - Snowy Scene Collage (PDF File); Snowflake Picture

Wellness - Snow snack

I've got some more about the experience on my site.

Anyway, I'm off to dream of snowflakes and ice to rest up and prepare early for the day's activities. How fun!?!

5 Reasons to Love October

1. Cool Days

Literally. After blazing Florida heat, we've been enjoying chilly days in the upper 70s. It's SO nice!



2. Special Days

October is pretty important month:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Down's Syndrome Awareness Month
National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Tackling Hunger Month
And the list goes on, and on, and on...



3. Colors

October is a time for bright reds, oranges, browns, and yellows. It's an excellent time for art projects using these colors and also for incorporating actual items from nature into projects.



4. Lots to Learn

It's a super time for science lessons about the change of the seasons, trees and leaves, harvest (where our food comes from), time, nature, preparing for the future, and all kinds of terrific things! Even math, language arts, science, music, reading, art, wellness, and drama can all be linked to the theme of autumn with some pretty excellent results. Here are a few great places for ideas.

Scholastic Autumn Lesson Plans and Ideas

Nick Jr. - Fall Into Autumn Lesson Plan (*Note: This page automatically loads video that starts off with a commercial.)

Education World - Awesome Autumn

5. Beauty!

Autumn is a beautiful time in many places throughout the world. While we don't get to enjoy the incredible silent fireworks of forests with leaves changing colors, we can enjoy photographs and video. Bringing in actual autumn leaves for crunching, pumpkins for exploring, and corn for popping (and perhaps munching) is an excellent experience for kids, no matter their challenges.

October is just a really cool month for working with kids.

I'm so excited!

Planning for a Lack of Planning

How stupid did I feel tonight, allowing myself to get left when my aunt drove away for Prayer Meeting and Bible Study, thinking that I'd take my truck, only to find out that the thing had a tire so flat the whole truck was "sittin' sideways!"

To make matters worse, I realized that I had slept through my little cousin's award ceremony that had taken place about an hour earlier. He rarely earns awards and was SO happy to know he'd be getting one tonight. I so love to see him feeling proud of himself because he rarely seems to experience this. So I was almost crying just thinking about missing him.

In a habit of looking at the makeup running down my face, I reached into my purse and flipped open my compact. But what I saw was not my own face.

Sir Coolman seemed to be eminating the very same look that I'd missed in my little cousin. Only, Sir Coolman looks like this all the time, and does so in an extreme way that I would say is arrogance. Anyway, the sight startled me and I almost dropped the mirror. "Stop DOING that, would you!"

He started right in on me. "You should have planned to see me. Even the most terrible teachers plan for the unplanned. They plan for a lack of planning." He inhaled. I don't know if magic mirrors actually breathe, or if it was done so that he'd have time to relish the fact that he was right. "Yes, yes, even the worse, child. So there's certainly a great amount of hope for you."

"Thanks," I said, realizing that this was about the closest to a compliment I'd ever gotten with him. "But I can't plan for everything. Some things just pop up."

He jutted his bottom lip, drooped a brow and stared off in contemplation. "Yes, child. Some things do pop up. And it is for this very reason that you must consider them before they ever occur." His classic face slowly faded away and was soon replaced by a seen of ....