Bring Your Welcome Letter from drab to FAB

How many of you get to send a welcome letter to your students before the start of the new year?  I was under the impression that this was a common practice, but maybe I am mistaken.  If this isn't something that your school does, I highly encourage you to suggest it!  It doesn't have to be letters that the school has to spend money on sending out, it could be an e-mail the teacher sends to the families.  Or if it's not a school-wide practice, maybe even ask if you could have your students addresses.  Seriously, I think it is one of the best ways to build students excitement before the year begins.  

I wrote last year about my welcome letter.  That post is {here}. 

Today, I'm going to give you a few suggestions to bring your letter from drab to FAB!  

 A drab welcome letter might look like this: (I'm going to go with a sort of "worst case" scenario with this letter here. For FABULIZING purposes - yes I just made up the word) This stuff is totally made up....

So, how do you take this letter from drab to FAB?

1. Instead of addressing the parents, address the student.  Not only will kids be excited when they hear "Johnny, you got a letter from your teacher!", it gives them the feeling of this is MY teacher, MY classroom and the anticipation and excitement begins to build for the new year. I imagine this is what my students look like when they get their letter from me.

2. Tell them a little bit about you.  What do you like to do in your free time? What about your family? Kids? Pets? Our students think we sleep at school! Let them know you are human and they'll be able to connect with you better.

3. Set up their expectations for the year.  Tell them what kind of year it will be.  What they'll learn. What they'll experience.  Your hopes for the year.  And I'm not just talking reading, writing, math, science, social studies.. I'm talking new friends, collaborating, how to use twitter, reading with classrooms around the world, skype - whatever will get them giddy about the upcoming year!

4. Tell them that you've been thinking of them or a little bit about the classroom.  Something that will excite them. Last year I told them I knew a little secret about them - that I had heard they were all geniuses and that the year was going to be EPIC.  This year, I told them a little bit about what it means to be a PIRATE (based on Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz- which I HIGHLY recommend). 

You can click the picture below to purchase the book (just a sidenote: This is not an affiliate link) 

5. If you can, invite them to stop by the classroom during a set time to say "Hello", meet you, see their classroom, and get even more stoked for the year ahead.  This helps relieve some stress and anxiety the first day of school.  

Here are my letters from the past 2 years:

I hope I've given you some useful tips that you an apply to your welcome letter!  And if this is not something that your school does, please SUGGEST it! It's worth the excitement and anticipation this one little piece of paper builds for your new students.

Happy Holiday Weekend

Wishing you all a fun-filled weekend of celebrations, family, memories, and sunshine!  Be safe and enjoy yourself.  

Hashtag Goals

It's only a few days before I begin my FOURTH year teaching! I can't believe 3 have already flown by.  We begin our teacher work week on the 6th and the kids start on the 13th.  Oh.Em.Gee.

Since I only have a few days left of summer I thought I would share my goals for the year.  Someone tweeted a picture that I think perfectly sums these us....

I've always taken risks in the classroom but this year I want to go even farther.  I want to build a student led classroom that thrives on learning, collaboration, and love of school.  I want students to seek out knowledge, to be able to solve problems on their own, and to take CHARGE of their learning. I want to teach kids how to connect globally, how to use their ideas to change the world, how to make a difference, and to always Choose King.  This is a big leap, to sort of "give up" control, but thanks to Paul Solarz, Dave Burgess, Teach Like a Pirate, and Learn like a Pirate - I think I'm pretty well planned to take the risk and give it a shot.  

Cheers to the new year! 

My {Summer}

When you teach at a year round school, you don't really get too much of a summer.  We got out on June 5th and are back on July 6th, just 1 week after summer has truly begun. This is why I so look forward to that September intersession.  Getting ready for a new year is tough, but to do it in 4 weeks is even tougher. 

This past school year I found out that I would be moving from 2nd grade to 3rd grade.  That makes enjoying summer even more difficult.  Changing rooms...changing curriculum...changing mindset. However, I did find some time to enjoy myself this summer. Enjoy a "tour of my summer" through pictures :)

I moved classrooms.  I had to move from my ginormous, wonderful,painted classroom...

to a much smaller, not so welcoming, plain ole boring room... No worries, I'll make it mine :)

I spent some time with the wonderful staff I work with.  Said "see ya later" to my awesome, amazing teammate who gets rids of spiders in my classroom when I'm too scared to. And took one last "Team Pic" with this AMAZING 2nd grade team! I don't know what I'm going to do without my teaching BFF across the hall.

I said "farewell" to a friend who was moving away. Sadsville.

I dropped this fella off at his Grammy and Grampys, and took his Grammy with me to NY.

Where I enjoyed my incredible bridal shower thrown by my mom, my maids of honor/sisters, my mother-in-law to be, and my beautiful flower girls.

                                           

Went jet-skiing on the lake and even tipped Justin and I off into the warm lake water!

Saved a turtle...

Spend some time with family...

Soaked up some sun by the pool...

And started getting ready for the year ahead. Teachers start back officially on July 6th and the kids start 1 week later, on the 13th.  Now I'm in full on school year mode!

Green Screen!

Hope you've enjoyed taking a peek at my summer and I hope you enjoy the rest of yours! :)

Being Real...

A lot of times, people read teacher blogs (I'm totally guilty of this) and it seems all puppies and rainbows in the world of teaching... like everything is just wonderful..and you think, "Why in the world didn't I think of that?" or "Why can't I control my class like that?" or "So jealous of him/her..." They seem like they've got this teaching thing all figured out, and you wish you could be more like them...

Well I'm here to be a little real with you.. (sorry if I'm long winded today) I promise you, even though it may seem like it....It's not ALL puppies and rainbows for us bloggers anymore than it is for you! 

I don't have many followers and I'm not sure if anyone's noticed but I really haven't posted much of anything this past school year - Want to know why?

Because this was the most incredibly challenging, trying, exhausting year EVER - (In my entire 3 years that's sooo many, right? :))  

Without saying too much, this group had A LOT of energy, many struggled to get along, they argued about anything and everything - (I mean really....The sky is Carolina Blue! NO, it's just blue! NO! YES! NO! NO!! MS G!!! ugh) .  I had students who showed their feelings in ways I've never had to deal with in my classroom before. Students who said they hated me. Students who couldn't control their impulsiveness no matter what I did to help them. Students who I thought I was failing.  Students that I spent less time with than others because I had serious behavior issues to deal with. Students that I wish I could have helped grown more but didn't because I struggled to keep up.  There were so many days that I felt like just giving up - thought that this wasn't for me (3 year burnout anyone?). I felt like I was sinking...drowning with an anchor strapped to my ankle. I felt like a horrible teacher and felt bad for my students, no matter how many times parents, teachers, admin, my students told me how wonderful I was, I just didn't believe them.  Now, this does not mean that I tried less - I still put my whole heart into everything I did - it just felt like everything I did was a failure.  But no matter how hard things got, I never gave up (And I have so many people to thank for that!).

I'm so glad I didn't.  Because by the end of the year, even though it was still difficult, I could see that so many of my efforts were beginning to pay off.  Arguments grew in fairly smaller numbers. Impulsive students were finding ways to be in control of themselves. We had fewer angry outbursts that ruined entire days. Those students who refused to even look at eachother could sit in closer proximity with fewer issues.  Students who came to me as shy, timid writers, grew into fluent, vivacious writers that took risks.  Students who would sit and watch us dancing like crazy people to KooKooKangaroo were up dancing and laughing with us.  That student that started at a reading level H? She grew to an N! And that student that said he hated me? That one came up to me and said "Ms. G, I hope I get you next year for third grade."

If that doesn't tell you why we do what we do...Honestly, I'm not sure what does.  While this year was far from perfect - I learned so many valuable things to take to my future classrooms, and I know there are so many teachers that have been in similar situations.

Teaching is hard.  Some years are harder than others - but no matter what, we are ALL important. We  ALL make a difference.  We ALL change lives. We ALL matter.  Blogger or not.

When is the "right" time?

I need to post this because it's been weighing heavily on my chest...

It's bothering me...

And something is telling me, "You NEED to do something, somethings got to change."

You ever just get that feeling?

Some people will be mad at me for this post...

Some will probably even unfollow me...

Whatever happens, I sure hope I get people to think...

I've recently been keeping up with a sad story about a teacher.  A teacher who was doing the right thing for his students.  This teacher was having some bullying issues in his classroom.  The bullying issued had to do with being "gay" and "acting like a girl."  This teacher did what any teacher would do.  He talked with the kids about it.  When that didn't work, he sought out a book that would teach children about differences and accepting them.  The lesson was tied in with fairy tales/ fables/ and being able to tell the moral of the story.  The book what given to him by his AP.  The book was "King and King."  This book is about a prince who's mother has told him he needs to marry and he is not happy about any of the princesses.  He only realized when a princess and her brother get introduced to him that he loved the prince instead.  The princes got married and his mom even shed a tear. The moral of the story: We need to accept people for who they are, no matter how they are different.

He did something I think any teacher would have done. Did his job to stop the bullying.  To help kids understand.  

Kids went home and told their parents what they learned in school and a few parents complained.  They said that they should have been notified about the read aloud... that their kids aren't "mature" enough to hear about something like this yet, that the students are not "the teachers children" and that "teachers have no right to decide what our students can hear in our school/classroom", that the teacher was just '"promoting his gay agenda", and that if we can't talk about God in school, they we sure as heck can't teach about being gay.

Well let me solve 1 of the issues right now.

Religion is a CHOICE.

Your sexual orientation is NOT.

Not everyone believes in God.  Not everyone believes in the same God.  When it comes to homosexuality, there's nothing to not believe.  Homosexuality, transgender, it's a part of our world, the world we live in - and whether you agree with it or not, it's there. 

So therefore, yes- it is completely appropriate and acceptable that we talk about people who are gay/transgender but not talk about God.  

Second...

When is the "right" time to talk to our kids about homosexuality?  And not just homosexuality- but other issues as well.  Racism, disabilities, transgender.  When is the "right time"?

The right time is NOW.  Children in this classroom were using words like "gay" and "woman" or phrases like"like a girl" in a hurtful and hateful way.  In order to stop them, challenge their thinking, and help them understand differences, they needed to learn about it.  It was the perfect time - I can't think of a better time.  And who better to teach them than their teacher?  The person they spend 7+ hours a day with.  The one who cares for them as if they are their own.  The one that hurts when they hurt, that cries when they cry, that worries for them when they are not with them, the one that believes in them more than they believe in themselves - the one that believes they are much better than the way they were acting. 

This book was absolutely necessary.  And it shouldn't just stopped there.  We need to be actively having conversations with our children - often.  We need them to understand the differences they will see in this world - and teach them how to open up their minds and heart to accept differences in this world.  We need them to understand that just because someone is different, doesn't mean they are wrong.  We need to build a culture of students that are open-minded and accepting - one that stands up for equal rights for everyone, because nobody should ever feel like they are wrong because of something like being homosexual, transgender, disabled, a different color.... nobody. 

The right time is now and we can't wait any longer.

*Side note: The school board reviewed this book and deemed it appropriate for 3rd grade.  The teacher, however, has been bullied/harassed and is now strongly considering resigning at the end of the year.  I have to commend him for his professionalism during this whole thing and want him to know that I stand by and support him every day.