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What to Do With That Awkward 5 or 10 Minutes of Class You Have Left

Last week in a Grade 8 class, I found the students getting the "back to school - start up your class" activities in far less time than anticipated. I used to teach summer camp and I was a youth worker AND I have been in a variety of classes of various grade levels over the past nine years. I have a very large 'bag of tricks' and don't mind filling 5-10 minute 'gaps' with activities, but sometimes I want to try new ideas and I know some teachers, especially new teachers and new TTOCs, aren't always sure how to fill these blocks of time.

When I started teaching I did my "short practicum" with a middle school teacher who called these activities "SPONGE" activities. There is debate over using these "time fillers" but I feel if they are educational, or serve a purpose (getting to know your classmates, team building, academic, etc.) then go for it.

Here are some ideas from WE ARE TEACHERS blog:

1) Show your students one of these videos and relate it back to your lesson/content somehow.

Video	Description	Possible way of relating back to lesson/topic
The Awareness Test	A fun test of student's awareness	The importance of paying attention
Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students	A young man's heartwarming pep talk	The power of positivity/goal-setting
Zombie Kid Likes Turtles	A reporter asks a boy a question, and ... well, you'll just have to watch it.	The importance of staying on-topic
The Power of Words	A short (fictional) interaction between a homeless man and a woman who understands the power of words	The power of words
Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation	Simonova uses sand as a storytelling medium. Amazing!	The power of visuals
Eric Whitacre: A Virtual Choir 2,000 Voices Strong	Whitacre creates a virtual choir with 2,000 submitted videos	The limitlessness of creativity

**I haven't watched these videos all yet, as always  -  a teacher should fully view any video before showing it to a class!!!

2. Play Trashketball
3. Play Reviewsical Chairs
4. Write down as many ### as you can (animals, provinces, states, vegetables, etc.)
5. Hold a limmerick contest

6) Create fun structured conversations. Give the whole class a sentence stem that they have to fill in themselves, and then make them go find at least 10 different partners to practice it with. The repetition of both speaking and listening will help cement it in their brains, and the not-sitting-in-their-chairs will make it fun. 

• "One thing I will remember to tell my future grandchildren about differential equations is _____"

• "I shall uphold the honor of my English teacher, Ms./Mr. _____ and never mix up 'you're' and 'your.' I will remember the difference by _____."

• "I'm going to go straight home and tell everyone on Facebook how the most important thing I learned about cells is ____."

• "If I made a modern-day movie about the Shakespeare play we read today, I would cast _____ as _______ because they are both ______."

Read more details and ideas at the source: http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/09/25/what-to-do-with-that-awkward-5-or-10-minutes-of-class-you-have-left

Never 'just a teacher'

I often say this to TTOCs who say they are "just a TTOC" - no, you are a TEACHER... be proud!
Happy Friday!

BCTF New Teachers' Conference 2014

This weekend I attended the BCTF New Teachers' workshop with hundreds of new teachers, TTOCs and student teachers from across BC. I was presenting two workshops over the weekend and had the opportunity to connect in person with teachers I know through social media. It was also a chance to check out some amazing workshops and chat with new and soon-to-be colleagues as well as touch base with teacher friends I only see a few times a year at such events.






I am very much looking forward to the BCTF AGM in a few weeks where a number of these teachers and more will come together for our annual general meeting.

You can also check out some tweets from the New Teachers' Conference.

I compiled a few here.

Bag of Tricks Brainstorm

This weekend at the BCTF New Teachers' Conference, I facilitated two workshops. One was "Reality 101; A Day in the Life of a TTOC"

Part of that workshop involves brainstorming ideas to include in your 'Bag of Tricks' and here is what the group came up with:

If they are tough to read, try clicking the photo to see the lager version.

Primary Science: Sink or Float

I loved this lesson. It would be easy to do as a TTOC or if you found yourself with some extra time and not enough planned. Of course, having the tubs, items and worksheet makes it easier, but students could also write out statements on lined paper.

First, they PREDICT if an item will SINK or FLOAT. 

Then, they put the item in the tub of water to OBSERVE.

Next, they write down their results - did it SINK or FLOAT.

After each student chose an item, the entire group would predict, then observe. Each student had a chance to choose an item to test. At the end, they all wrote sentences to explain why they thought things would SINK or FLOAT.

They were all engaged, it got a bit splashy at times, but they were reminded to be cautious not to get their DATA SHEETS wet and ruin their findings.

What a fun lesson!

TTOC Days: The boy with painted red nails

Today I was a Teacher-Teaching-On-Call [TTOC] in a Grade 2/3 class for the afternoon. Right after lunch we had science and as students wrote their predictions, I noticed a young boy with brightly painted red nails.

I said, "love the nails, did you see mine?" (I have pink flowers painted on mine and showed him) he said, "nice, I had red lipstick to match my nails on the weekend" 

another boy sitting nearby said, "my mom won't let me wear nail polish, or lipstick" I asked, "How come?" he said, "no make up for me or my sisters until high school" 

I smiled, "that seems fair, I have the same rule in my house" ha ha - love it!

Advice for New Teachers

Earlier this year I participated in in a twitter chat (#cdnedchat) discussing 'Advice for New Teachers'

You can read some of the highlights from that chat on this Storify Board:
http://storify.com/MsAmandaLong/advice-for-new-teachers

Here are some other basic tips:




Via: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/180636635027203901/

Presenting to Student Teachers: Perks of TTOCing

This week I am doing two presentations to student teacher groups. I love the energy and enthusiasm student teachers have coming out of their practicums, ready and eager to find jobs! The reality is, that many get hired, first, as a TTOC (Teacher-Teaching-On-Call) and my workshop looks at what life is like as a TTOC.

I also do workshops for the BCTF on Classroom Management for TTOCs, Work-Life Balance, Stress Management, Reality 101, and a few others. It is always a pleasure to present and today was no different!

Today's group had a lot of previous classroom experience as EAs or such and had some awesome ideas and knowledge to share. They just finished their SFU 405 practicum (Long practicum) and I spent the afternoon with them.

One part of my workshop looks at the benefits of being a TTOC.

We brainstormed some of the perks of being a TTOC and here are some of the things we came up with:

• Flexibility 
• Set schedule
• Variety (grades, subjects, areas)
• experiment with different instructional strategies
• develop professional connections, network
• no report cards
• minimal marking
• less "out of school day" work (prep, plan, mark, etc.)
• Gather ideas, resources, etc.
• try things out repeatedly

While teaching on call is often a stepping stone to contract teaching, many choose to teach on call because of the many perks it offers. Although sometimes unpredictable, many teachers enjoy the benefits of being a teacher-teaching-on-call.

What other perks are there to being a TTOC?

Secret Student

Fun behavior motivator! Great for a TTOC also!! Let the class know you are watching the secret student to see if they follow the rules, work hard and are on their best behaviour. Or don't tell them and make it a surprise!

Pick a student to reward. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/154881674658505690/

Spelling Dice Game

I posted the dice game for writing last week, this is another great activity to use to practice spelling words. As a TTOC this can be a fun way to fill time in an educational but fun way if you get through all the materials early.

http://pinterest.com/pin/4855512071925700/

Craft Idea: Treasue Chest Books

I just love this idea, it is so cute.... I wonder if it would work as well with a larger box and paper?

These small ones are just too cute though....

Treasure Chests

Our kids' art projects make it easy for children to create beautiful crafts all by themselves.

Here's a simple way for kids to store their collections: Accordion-fold a strip of paper, and glue the first and last pages to the inside of a box's lid and bottom. Keep some pages empty so the collection can grow.

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/275300/kids-art-projects/@center/276975/marthas-crafts-kids

#cdnedchat "What Advice Would you Give to New Teachers?"

Have you participated in #cdnedchat on twitter? This week the topic/theme was: Back to School

The final question was "What Advice Would you Give to New Teachers?" and since I work a lot with new teachers and TTOCs and since one of the BCTF leadership priorities is supporting and engaging new members, I loved hearing all the answers, which I have compiled here to share:

They also archive the chats on their site here: http://www.cdnedchat.com/

Classroom Ideas: Voice O Meter

I love this idea. I have used Red/Yellow/Green lights to indicate volume, but this cute homemade poster is clear on the expectations.

How might you adapt this as a TTOC? Maybe a small size that you can take with you to each class? Drawing it on the board in a classroom?

http://pinterest.com/pin/61431982390432623/

#BCTF2013 Summer Conference

I just got home from an amazing few days in Kamloops, B.C. for the BCTF Summer Leadership Conference for teachers.

This is my 5th year attending and my 2nd as a facilitator.

I went up early for Facilitator's Institute Training where I had the opportunity to review TTOC workshops with new and experienced TTOC facilitators as well as share the NEW SURT (for New Teachers) with experienced SURT facilitators.

It was an amazing few days working with incredible teachers and then even more teachers arrived for Summer Conference.

We had Linda McQuaig as our opening plenary keynote speaker, 3 elective sessions for workshops of our choice (I presented during one of those electives) and closing plenary from Joel Bakan.

We also had core sessions where we worked with our own locals and others to discuss the keynote, strengthening our union, and brainstormed ideas to help meet our Leadership Priorities for the year. One I am most interested in is New teachers/member engagement. I am hoping many locals will book the New Teachers' SURT and get their new members involved to help build capacity in our union.

My most favourite activity was the Drum Cafe where all the teachers gathered in a room with drums. It was a fantastic way to wrap up the conference.

 I really enjoy Summer Conference because it allows me to have a slow start back to school. It's a great way to be inspired and motivated for the upcoming school year.

Speaking of the upcoming school year, I am still on the "recall" list, and haven't been given an assignment for September yet, but hopeful something will come soon.

Anti-Bullying Picture Books

I often talk to new teachers and TTOCs about the importance of their 'Bag of Tricks' (not just a physical bag of "stuff" but also ideas, games, activities in their head to pull out when needed)

One item that is a must-have... a good picture book. I love picture books for all ages and especially ones with issues important to the students. Here are some great anti-bullying picture books that would be great to have for classes you are in.

The Recess Queen

A fresh & original twist on the common issue of bullying. Kids will relate, & parents & teachers will appreciate the story’s deft handling of conflict resolution (which happens w/o adult intervention).

Enemy Pie

In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipes for turning your best enemy into your best friend. Accompanied by charming illustrations, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

First-time author Patty Lovell’s message is clear and simple, and the theme is familiar enough to strike chords with every reader, young and old. David Catrow, illustrator of Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, Rotten Teeth, and other popular picture books, depicts a very weird-looking, very appealing little girl with warmth and cartoonish humor. Any child who is less than perfect will cheer with joy to meet Molly Lou Melon, a girl who doesn’t let anything–or anyone–shake her belief in herself.

Don’t Laugh At Me

For anyone who’s ever been bullied–or been a bully themselves–it’s time to change your tune. This is not a book for whiners, but a new language that will give you the words you need to take charge and stop the cycle of teasing. Filled with inspiration and celebration, Don’t Laugh at Me is the anthem for a new bully-free world. Read it, sing it, and cheer! A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Operation Respect “Don’t Laugh at Me” Project.

How To Lose All Your Friends

With exuberant pictures and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, the author of I Like Me! takes a light-hearted look at bratty behavior that will have children laughing in recognition while learning exactly how not to behave. Colored-pencil illustrations throughout.


Compiled by: http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/5-powerful-anti-bullying-books-students-should-read/

Inferencing with Photos

I use a lot of photos and picture books to do regular inferencing with my class and also as a TTOC it is a fun way to do a quiet write... show a photo, allow for some brainstorming or sharing and inferencing, then write..... a story, description, perspective, whatever.... for a photo.

This pintrest page has some great photos you could use to print, put on SMARTboard or projector and use in a variety of ways.

Here are two examples from the page....

Incentive Jar

 

Source: gingersnapstreatsforteachers.blogspot.com via Cynthia on Pinterest

As a TTOC you can easily draw this on the board and use for the day with a class. No materials really required.

Classroom Management Ideas for (mostly) Primary classes

This awesome blog lists some cool Classroom Management techniques that would work in a variety of classes.

1. Behavior Clip Chart

 All of kids start on green- Ready to Learn, and there are possibilities of them moving up and down. This chart has: orange (great choices), purple (excellent effort), and gold (super star)! blue (warning), yellow (slow down), and red (parent contact: think sheet). The students have individual behavior calendars and they color their behavior calendar everyday. Parents get to check the calendar daily. If a child has 5 red days in one specific behavior (correlated with behavioral standards), She marks that on the report card. 

 

*As a TTOC how might you use this? I was thinking of drawing a ladder on the board that students could go up and down? Thoughts?

 

2. Brownie Points

This is such a cute concept. I love that it is a baking sheet with brownies on it!

 

3. Brain Spray

This teacher blogger posted the following:

I purchased a $1 spray bottle in the toiletries section of Target and filled it with water. I sprinkled some multicolored glitter and ta-da! BRAIN SPRAY. Now... what can you use brain spray for? Anything that you want :) I primarily save my brain spray for testing and times where I really need my kiddies to "think". I literally will mist each of the kids with the spray and say that the magic spray will "activate their brain" and make them think better :) Works like a charm! My sticker label that I made fell off in my move, but I have made a new label that I am going to cut out and mod podge on the bottle. Click here for your label!

 

4. Power Pellets

 

She also writes:

This is a brand new trick that I just started and it is BEYOND genius! The original idea came from here and I basically I made a fun label (I thought power pellets deserved a "powerful" superhero type font and lightning strikes {you can't see my lightning strikes on the side, but they are there!} and filled with Skittles aka POWER PELLETS. Whenever my students are in the "power position" (aka "listening/focused" position on the carpet), they can earn a power pellet to help keep them attentive and focused. WORKS AMAZINGLY!!! Try it. ASAP. It is life-changing :)

 

5. Silent Sprinkles

This has rice and sparkles and a taped lid so it doesn't actually pour out. I used something similar when I used to babysit young kids and called it dream dust to help them sleep. I like this idea, the teacher blogger says she sprinkles it on students heads when they g4t too noisy.

 

6. Quiet Critters

Kind of like "Warm Fuzzies" Originally from here. Basically, you make the quiet critters with a pom-pom, heart-shaped foam piece (for the feet) and mini wiggle eyes. Tell my students that my "quiet critters" need a friend to take care of them, but they only can survive/like QUIET friends. 

 

7. Happy Rocks

This idea came from the Kinder Gals... Cute rewards and lot's of ideas on how to use them.

 

What ideas have you seen in classrooms, websites, or things you have tried yourself that work?

April Currently...

I

Listening: to 80s music.
I made the mistake of asking "where is our ghetto blaster?" today to my Grade 8 class on our first day back to school. They laughed at me and I realized, it isn't called a ghetto blaster anymore. I said, "So what do you call it?" they laughed some more... "a stereo?!?!" This is the first time in a long time that I felt really old. But it was a funny moment. I love 80s music, blasting on my ghetto blaster - so what?

Loving: the weather.
We had the most amazing weather over Easter long weekend. It was a perfect way to wrap up Spring Break, spend Easter and celebrate my daughters 10th birthday. Fabulous sunshine!

Thinking: About our new units at school.
Touching Spirit Bear novel study and Castle Building projects. I am really excited about both units because I have some fun activities planned to make them more engaging and fun for the students.

Wanting: A massage.
I am feeling a lot of stress in my neck and slept funny last night so my shoulder is sore.

Needing: A massage? ha ha I don't know if that is a need or a want at the moment. I also need to get more sleep. Isn't that always my need every month ha ha!

Advice:  Hmmm... Work-Life Balance.
After some R & R over Spring Break, I am appreciating being back to work, but taking it easy and trying to have better time management and learn to say "NO" sometimes. I think as educators we take on too much, too often, and need to set aside time to relax. I have started to take longer walks with my puppy and family, play candy crush to unwind, and delegate/pass on tasks and say no when I simply can't do it all.


If you read my blog regularily you will know I have started to participate in this monthly "CURRENTLY" blog post that originates from Farley's awesome blog here.