Thursday, March 3, 2011

Doodle 4 Google

My students have been working on the Doodle 4 Google contest. I had all 5th graders working on it as a grade in class. They could fill out all the paperwork to have me send it in to the contest if they wanted to enter. 3rd and 4th graders could take the template and do one on their own. The theme this year is What I'd Like to do Someday...
Each entry must have a supporting paragraph to go along with it. I just love reading student's writing, it gives me more insight to their personalities.
Here are some of my favorites:
5th Grade:









4th Grade:





There will be no shortage of teachers or veterinarians in our future! Students really enjoyed this project and I think they had a real connection to it as well. I showed them the winner from last year and explained she was a 3rd grader. I was disappointed to hear a few say - well I'm not going to enter mine won't win anyway so I emphasized that the winner was not the best drawn or most skilled artist - that it was a combination of the statement and the execution of the idea.
I can't wait to see the winners!

Posted by tishalou at 9:11 PM 2 comments
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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

What... What did you say??

I have been fighting off the usual change of season crud which has resulted in a long bout of laryngitis. It makes it pretty interesting for someone whose job it is to talk all day. We had last Monday off then a rather odd 'snow day' on Tuesday so I was getting some good rest - but when we went back to school on Wednesday, by lunchtime I was getting scratchy and by the end of the day any sign of my voice was gone!
Thurday came and I got a sub after my first class and stayed around to take yearbook photos while the sub took my classes. It was great because I could be there to make sure she was doing what I needed without leaving 'sub' plans. She was still basically keeping me on schedule with what I would have been doing with my classses. Since I see every grade each day she was now well trained to take my Friday too so I stayed home.
So I whispered my way through the weekend and Monday was still horse. Here it is Tuesday and still not back to normal.

I have however learned some interesting management techniques to try to save my voice. Like:
  • >Writing out the steps on the board - which I usually do, but have the students read them.
  • >List out clean up jobs and assign students to be in charge. (seems really DUH! as I write it but I am usually barking out orders at clean up time - this runs so much smoother!)
  • >Had students take turns reading Camille and the Sunflowers to intro 2nd grades sunflower paintings.
  • >Gave myself persmission to show an art video (the I Can Fly Kids & Creativity series) while I saved my voice and prepped materials for upcoming classes.
  • >Show colored tounge depressors to call table colors for dissmissal.
It was just enough of a change in the norm to force me to find some new ways of doing things.

Posted by tishalou at 8:32 PM 0 comments
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