Fun Fridays!

Our year started off weirdly amazing. No drama ever.

I had a dream class, and I still do in many ways. But as we became more and more comfortable with each other, the drama started.

We began talking over each other, getting out of our seat without permission, snatching things, not picking up after ourselves, not completing work, and other usual 3rd grade issues. So Fun Friday was born. When we fill up our marble jar we reward ourselves for hard work and behaviors that have contributed to our community's learning.

Fun Fridays are our favorite reward.

What's a Fun Friday? Well, it's fun activities for the last 30 minutes of our day that are focused on community building. Students pick 2 stations, then we rotate.

Last Friday's activities were:

1. Comic Book - Students use giant paper and work with a buddy to create comic books.
2. Peanutsized me- We are a Peanuts loving community. Students designed their own Peanuts character using the website. They then set them as desktop images.
3. Checkers Tournament - checkers in pairs, with a prize for the winner.
4. Music Makers - Students created music with a keyboard and their buddy. 
5. Halloween stories - Students picked a story starter, a laptop, and off they went to write stories in a Word document.

And that's how you do a Fun Friday. As of today we are back on track. Our behavior is empathetic towards others and we are focused on learning.

Technology + behavior management + fun = win, win.

Here are a few more FUN FRIDAY goodies from Pinterest.

Laptop cart?! YES, please.

Our tribe was honored with a laptop cart, 10 beautiful, properly working laptops. Just for our room. Not our grade level, but our classroom!! I almost died from joy.

But for 2ish weeks there the laptops sat. In the black cart, untouched. Every day I'd walk by the cart, avoiding eye contact with it. 

I knew there were classrooms in our district who would love a cart. I knew learning would be much more engaging. I knew the importance of giving students the opportunity to acquire digital literacy.

Yet I wondered, how to make time to teach the students how to use these laptops?! What if they dropped them? or accessed inappropriate content? What if the laptops weren't working properly like I was promised?!

I was so focused on getting us to lunch on time, making sure so-in-so got on the bus, reading all those emails, taking those forms to the office, filling out the other forms, still adding details to my classroom, asking the office for staples, prepping to plan with my team, making copies, prepping for the next day, going to the bathroom, eating food etc. etc.

...and so, this little cart that I once loved became a source of dread, anxiety, and stress.

Then one morning, enters one of my unofficial mentors (I'm lucky to have a few). She comes in just as I am about to teach and pretty much says, If you don't do it now, then when? I listened.

Make this your own, except step 1.

1. Stop and make students accessing technology a priority. TODAY.

2.  Model. Every. Step.

• getting up from their desks and walking over to the cart
• choosing a laptop (from the right always)
• forming a line and waiting in case there are two students at the cart
• using two hands when carrying it
• only opening the laptop when it's on a desk
• using one hand to hold down the laptop while they open the lid with the other
• sitting with the laptop on a desk not in their lap
• typing with two hands (right hand for keyboard's right side, left hand for the left side...teaching typing will come later)
• closing the lid when they're done and returning the laptops
• plugging the charger gently into the port
• what the cart should look like (organized, laptops plugged in)

3. Lastly, move to the innovation station with a laptop.

• Project the laptop's log in screen. 
• model where they find the school's log in/password
• model typing login info (gently)
• showing them where the passwords/logins live. You will need several copies of their logins (they will lose them) and these logins need a permanent home (they will still lose them)
• hitting enter gently ( 3rd graders can get crazy with the enter button!)
• double clicking the istation icon or whichever program your school uses
• exiting istation and shutting down the laptop

4. Now it's time to pass the torch. 
Have students try it! In partners, for your own sanity. There will be those 1-2 students who missed a few steps, then there will be those who missed most of what you did.

While you're floating around helping those who really need it, partners support each other with the smaller pieces.

WHEW! So much modeling. I know!

But, we're done! And we're online! And we're ready to integrate technology into our lessons! Operation Get the Laptops Out of the Cart is complete! FEELS. SO. GOOD.

This could be the only time these students have the opportunity to access technology. 

We are the spark that ignites curiosity or better yet, passion. So students grow up and design programs, prevent cyber attacks, become IT managers or Civil engineers or any of the other top tech jobs that are on the rise. Austin is #5 on the list of top cities for tech jobs. 

Therefore, the sooner their little hands are on the laptops in the scary cart, the better!

#preppedforlife #3rdgradetechies  #ohtheplacestheyllgo

28 days til' Halloween!

On our way to recess I over heard students saying, "it smells like Fall! It's so beautiful outside! I love the breeze!" It warmed my heart. I love Fall too. It reminded me that this is the perfect time of year to take them outdoors for learning. I am thankful that our school has several areas designed just for that. I'll definitely need to work out the logistics of our protocol to ensure their success and my sanity. We are a wiggly, talkative class.

Students took their first benchmark. The most difficult aspect was the length. They had been prepared to see content we hadn't covered and they knew the test would take several hours. They knew they would have brain breaks.

But still, 3 students shed tears. We powered through. And I mean POWERED. It was inspiring to see how dedicated and tenacious they were, and how they persevered through the rough patches. The ones who needed it took peace corner breaks and came back strong.

All in all, they did great. I am so moved by what they can do. I have a very cool class of amazing, young people.

A few things to consider for myself

• use more bubble sheets
• velcro under a few of their desks or a stress ball would have been helpful. I did take a colleague's suggestion to let one of them stand up to take the test and that was huge.
• use more Supplemental STAAR aids
• have snacks!!!

I am going to start implementing these things as soon as possible. Here's to an improved experience next go round! And to their only being 28 more days til' Halloween is upon us.

We are so excited. During writing and other quiet times we have been listening to the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. They are addicted. I am too.

Back to School Night 2015!

I imagined myself stumbling over my words, not having enough copies of something, forgetting to communicate something super important during my presentation, or even worse no one from my class showing up.

I was wrong (thankfully!)

Families came! My presentation went well (I used Prezi!)  Families were excited to see what their child had done so far. There was a beautiful sense of community and us working in partnership.

We did a scavenger hunt, we highlighted our learning journals, students shared their goals for the year, I met siblings, I shared info, I had enough copies, and it all went smoothly.

Some of my favorite student goals were...to be a good friend, be kind, get knighted, be respectful, help others, read 2,000 minutes for Corkie's club and so many other great goals.

I learned a few things too. Back to School Night is an awesome opportunity. I wish I would have gotten more insider scoop from our families! I was so busy signing families up for conferences, talking about my policies, making sure everyone signed in, helping with younger siblings etc.

During parent conference I am planing on taking advantage of getting time with individual families. I'd like to ask them about THEIR own goals for their child, their child's interests and accomplishments, strengths and challenges...and more! 

This year is shaping up to be pretty awesome.

#awesomedawson

PRIDE Austin

Wow! What an awesome experience. I know I'm late! But it's worth mentioning.

This is the first time that AISD participated. It was an inspiring and important moment. Teachers (and so many other communities!!) from all over, united to support and advocate for ALL of our students and their families.

It's incredible to part of this momentous time in AISD history. Even cooler, we had several people from our school participate in support.

#LoveWins

Here we go!

Library ready? CHECK.

Word walls? CHECK.

Peace corner? CHECK.

Giant 5 foot dolphin representing our school mascot? DOUBLE CHECK.

The first week of school has come and gone! And boy did it fly by.

As soon as students came in we began using technology. Using the innovation station we learned how to choose our avatars for ClassDojo. ClassDojo is a digital point system that teachers can use to increase participation, reward students, track patterns in their behavior, and communicate with parents (there's an app too!).

We created classroom expectations and then voted on the most important to keep learning at a high. We also voted on appropriate rewards/consequences and set point values to reach our rewards (exciting!).

One of the most important needs for our community is to agree on how we will govern our space and to get to know each other. We are having a great time doing that! 

Speaking of getting to know each other...last year I was hired in January. So it's been a totally new experience starting in August. I am so thankful for this extra time. I was a bit nervous to start at a new school, being the new kid is always challenging. BUT, my new team and school are both humbly supportive. I can tell that this is a place that will challenge and inspire me.

So, that's our story! So far. 15 sweet, eager, and wonderfully happy students and 1 teacher. I am so excited for what this year has in store for us!