The Teacher Dance with Linda Holliman Blog has moved. Please visit lindaholliman.com/blog for my new posts full of practical ideas for Math Centers, Literacy Centers and Classroom Management and Organization.
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Monday, November 8, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
We Are the CEOs of our Classroom
Management and organization is such a broad topic that I hope you will guide me in what YOU want to hear about on the blog. I welcome and encourage your responses and questions to the things I am talking about. This “blog is for you!” (I took that from the beer commercials.) So get a beer or a glass of wine or a drink of your choice and think about the things that make you crazy with management and organization.
We really are in a great profession. It is hard right now and there are many changes taking place but it is still a great profession. We are the CEOs of our classroom. We are in charge and have many decisions to make on a daily basis. The good news is...when we mess up we can blame the children and after that we can blame the parents!!! THAT IS A JOKE!!! Although seriously, I think it happens way too often. As teachers we must be thoughtful, reflective, and honest. Sometimes, we own the problem and we have to look it square in the face and ask ourselves, “What are we going to do about it?”
Some of the things I have witnessed or experienced myself might be...loud children and children running from one end of the room to another. We have to take a look at why these things are happening...my children were loud in the classroom because that is what I modeled. Yes, loud is one of my best qualities. I am loud, therefore, my children are loud. I had to change me before I could change children. Not their problem, my problem.
I witnessed children in a long, narrow classroom running from one wall at one end of the classroom to the other wall at the other end of the classroom...fast, furious, crazy, loud, laughing. The teacher looked at me in horror and asked what to do. I simply moved tables to block the “race track” and the running stopped. The problem wasn’t the children, it was the room arrangement. So many things to think about and reflect on...and we will.
See you next weekend...and keep on doing The Teacher Dance!
We really are in a great profession. It is hard right now and there are many changes taking place but it is still a great profession. We are the CEOs of our classroom. We are in charge and have many decisions to make on a daily basis. The good news is...when we mess up we can blame the children and after that we can blame the parents!!! THAT IS A JOKE!!! Although seriously, I think it happens way too often. As teachers we must be thoughtful, reflective, and honest. Sometimes, we own the problem and we have to look it square in the face and ask ourselves, “What are we going to do about it?”
Some of the things I have witnessed or experienced myself might be...loud children and children running from one end of the room to another. We have to take a look at why these things are happening...my children were loud in the classroom because that is what I modeled. Yes, loud is one of my best qualities. I am loud, therefore, my children are loud. I had to change me before I could change children. Not their problem, my problem.
I witnessed children in a long, narrow classroom running from one wall at one end of the classroom to the other wall at the other end of the classroom...fast, furious, crazy, loud, laughing. The teacher looked at me in horror and asked what to do. I simply moved tables to block the “race track” and the running stopped. The problem wasn’t the children, it was the room arrangement. So many things to think about and reflect on...and we will.
See you next weekend...and keep on doing The Teacher Dance!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The 6 Components of Literacy
There are six components to literacy. They are Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, Media, Thinking.
In our classrooms we have a tendency, for a variety of reasons (testing pressures), to focus on Reading and Writing. I will be sharing with you many ideas for Reading and Writing but I will also be sharing ideas for Listening, Speaking, Media and Thinking!
See you next Thursday for more Literacy...and keep on doing The Teacher Dance!
In our classrooms we have a tendency, for a variety of reasons (testing pressures), to focus on Reading and Writing. I will be sharing with you many ideas for Reading and Writing but I will also be sharing ideas for Listening, Speaking, Media and Thinking!
See you next Thursday for more Literacy...and keep on doing The Teacher Dance!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Where Did I Put Those Math Manipulatives?
Tuesdays will be Math day on the blog. We will be talking about math materials, manipulatives and activities to use with your children. I will try very hard to have a variety of activities that can be used with a variety of materials and grade levels.
One of the hardest things about math is the stuff. Where do I keep it? How do I retrieve it when I need it? How do I organize it? These are just a few of the issues with those pesky math manipulatives.
One of the hardest things about math is the stuff. Where do I keep it? How do I retrieve it when I need it? How do I organize it? These are just a few of the issues with those pesky math manipulatives.
And I have the answer for you! Alphabetical order!
I discovered this at a frustrating moment at Walmart when I couldn’t find something I was looking for. I thought if they would just organize this store in alphabetical order then you could find what you were looking for! And then it hit me...Linda, if you would organize stuff/manipulatives in alphabetical order you could find it too.
So, I hunted and gathered 26+ pull out drawer tubs and labeled them with each letter of the alphabet. Some letters can be combined and other letters need more than one tub. You know your stuff the best so you have to make those decisions. Collect the containers and then start sorting. You have to sort how YOU WILL FIND IT. It has to make sense to YOU! That is the only way it will work...and it is a miracle. Now when I need buttons, balloons, bubbles, or beans I simply go to the “B” tub and there they are!!!
See you next Tuesday for more Math...and keep on Doing the Teacher Dance!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Under Construction!
The Teacher Dance blog is undergoing a redesign.
We will be launching a new and improved blog the beginning of November. Please check back to see what exciting things we have in store for you.
In the meantime, keep on doing the Teacher Dance....
Linda
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