Social Media Generation
I just had a wonderful conversation with my students. They started it. It started with a student having his phone out. Kids know if texting in class, I have to take their phone. I have no problem taking up phones for texting because they are disrupting other classes and the texts are usually mean. But [...]
If We Couldn’t Laugh…
My first day of 2nd grade. I walked in and recognized a few faces. I could sense the people I knew were nervous. Some had even been crying. What did I do? The typical Amanda reaction, I went over to them, started talking to them and of course cracking jokes. My teacher then groaned and [...]
Too Late to Switch??!
Over a month ago during Spring Break I started the book Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Loved the book, but due to parenthood, teaching, and coaching I have not picked it up in a few weeks. Today I was laying out by the pool and picked [...]
WebLogs
So what is a blog? Who came up with that name? Just think, 7 years ago when I graduated college, if someone had mentioned a blog, I probably would have giggled at the word. Well the word blog came from shortening the word “web-log.” Yeah I know you don’t care, but I have a reason [...]
Yeah Here’s Another One…
Ok here we go again. Another blog post about poop. Sorry in advance. Yesterday I tweeted “How does my class discussion always end up with them talking about poop? I was teaching humidity/dew point. Now its on houses built of poop.” I got a few comments about it, even people sending me links about poop [...]
What Volcano?
I spent my Saturday this past weekend a IWB workshop. I wanted to become more familiar with software. I also wanted to see how teachers used their boards to teach their curriculum. (See previous posts about my obsession with this.) While there I decided to take a break from hearing about the software and go [...]
Still Obsessing Over IWB
I wrote a post w few weeks ago about getting an IWB and my obsession to make it “interactive”, not an expensive screen. Part of the PD, I had to come up with 2 ways to use it and/or it’s software and actually do it. SO I decided to share with you all my ways. [...]
Well That Explains It…but I Don’t Like it!
Oh golly geez (yeah I really say that). Had a meeting yesterday with teachers from one of our feeder pattern schools (the elementary schools my students attend before coming to us). The purpose was to discuss procedures and find ways to transition the students better. One thing we talked about was the kids not caring [...]
WWII, PBL, and a Bunch of Other Letters
I start teaching World War II next week. Love love love WWII history. My college American history professor was alive during the war and hearing his stories and seeing his excitment just sucked me in. No matter my enjoyment of the subject, when I teach a unit I have never taught before I get nervous. [...]
IDK
If I answer “I don’t know…” I pretty much have conceded. If you hear a long whinyish (lol spell check hated that word!) southern drawl “I don’t know” come from me it either means I give up or it has stressed me to my limits but I’m still on the case. Right now I’m in [...]
