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Get Ready: Planning for the Year Ahead!

It is getting to the time of summer where I am thinking about the new school year ahead of me.  In years past my focus was on classroom setup as I have moved rooms and grade levels many times. This summer classroom setup has shifted more to curriculum and planning! Don't get me wrong...I still love classroom setup, but I finally feel like I am in love with my room and I don't plan on changing much.

Developing a curriculum plan for the year can be intimidating especially after being in so many different grade levels. Within my district curriculum is always changing year after year. This adds another level of difficulty when it comes to developing a curriculum plan that my grade level team can stick to for any length of time. Now that I have finished my third year of teaching second grade I feel like I have a better grasp on what works best with my students and what I want to better develop for this upcoming year.

Curriculum we are currently using:

Math: Engage NY Modules
Reading: Making Meaning & MAISA Units
Writing: Being a Writer & MAISA Units
Science: Pearson Interactive Science 
Social Studies: MAISA Units

The problem with much of the current curriculum is that it is not kid friendly, engaging or all inclusive. I often supplement with lots of activities I have found on TPT from some of my favorite educators because they are much more exciting and engaging! I am a believer that learning should be fun because when students enjoy what they are learning they making greater connections to the content!

In the next few posts I will share my year curriculum plan and some of the TPT goodies that I will be working from this year to make learning within my classroom the best it can be! Before those posts please check out Amy from That Teaching Spark! She has wonderful tools to help planning on TPT!

I am currently loving her curriculum map and using it to help me plan my year!

 Check it out because I know that you will love it too!

More on planning to come soon!

MACUL Engage Learning Conference 2016

I am so excited to be attending the MACUL Engage Learning Technology Conference in Grand Rapid this year! I have religiously attended the Detroit conferences the past few years and can't wait to check out what Grand Rapids has to offer. If you are from Michigan and have the opportunity, I strongly recommend attending this conference.

MACUL Engage Learning Conference

The MACUL Engage Learning Technology Conference is one of my favorite conferences because there are so many amazing sessions to choose from. There is something for any level educator, technology coach, media specialist, administrator and even IT department. Often I find myself starring up to 5 different sessions during one time slot because I just can't bring myself to choose only one!

Here are some of my tips and tricks to making the most of the MACUL Engage Learning Conference!

1. PLAN AHEAD

Download the conference app because it will save your life! MACUL has created an amazing app that provides you a planner, session times & descriptions, and a note taking area so that you can keep all your thoughts in one place. Star all the sessions you might want to attend. You can always pare sessions down later. It's also good to have some extra options ready in case some sessions are filled. Also check out the floor plan maps so you have some idea of where you are going when you get there!

2. Get there EARLY! 

It is nice to be able to check in, get your bag and conference information, sit down and make sure you are ready for the day. During my first conference I wasted so much time figuring out my sessions that I missed the the opening Keynote and my first session slot. It can be very overwhelming your first time and If you are like me you like to be prepared!

3. Pack your TECH!

Before heading to MACUL, check that you have all your technology, charging cords and a portable battery charger. If you want to make amazing friends bring a small power strip to share with others around you! You will be a hit with the crowds around the power outlets.

4. Pack SNACKS!

The conference is a lot of great fun but you do a lot of walking! Bring snacks and water to keep you going during the day.

5. Make time for FUN!

MACUL has a lot of great experiences that you don't want to miss out on. The MAKERSPACE is a blast and much needed break during the day. You get a lot of great ideas to try with your kiddos. The EXHIBITS are also a lot of fun to walk through. You can chat with all the technology companies and gather some fun goodies. Also, check out the STUDENT SHOWCASE! It is a lot of fun to walk through and talk to the kiddos presenting.

6. NETWORK!

Chat with people that you see in your sessions or those around you in the Makerspace, exhibit hall or keynotes. You never know who you will meet or the connections you can make. I have never met anyone who isn't welcoming! I was shy my first few times around but I am learning to open up more each time.

7. Attend the MACUL PARTY!

Again, this is an awesome time to connect with other educators and have a wonderful time sharing your thoughts on technology and engagement in the classroom. I haven't been able to attend all of these events, but I am excited for this year's birthday party at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Thursday night!

8. Take in the RESTAURANTS OF GRAND RAPIDS!

There are some amazing places to eat right around the DeVos Convention Hall and hotels. I am excited to try some of the delicious food and take in the sites of Downtown Grand Rapids.

9. Take time to REFLECT!

You will be taking in so many great ideas during the conference that you can become overwhelmed by all the awesomeness. It is okay to take time out during a session to find a comfy place to relax and reflect. There have been certain times that I have found I wasn't as interested in a session as I thought I would be. I decided to take a break and let all the great sessions soak in, rather than run around trying to find another session. It's okay to walk out and relax!

10. When in doubt...VOLUNTEER!

This is my first year volunteering and I am very excited! I decided that I wanted to be more invested in the Makerspace this year because I am passionate about starting my own within my classroom. I will be volunteering on Friday, March 11th from 9-11 am. Come by and say hello!

I hope you learned a little more about the MACUL Engage Learning Conference and if you live in Michigan, I hope to see you there!

GoNoodle Detroit Meet-Up!

Last night I was lucky enough to be a part of the amazing GoNoodle Detroit meet-up! I was so excited to help bring some positive energy to Metro Detroit teachers!

 

Teachers often feel beat up here in Michigan. We have little support from our governor and have faced major loss of funds because of this lack of support. School districts are struggling and teachers feel that negative energy every single day.

GoNoodle is a huge highlight of our school day! It makes us move our bodies, act silly and laugh with our kiddos. It brings out students personalities and makes them comfortable to be who they are! The Detroit meet-up helped teachers celebrate these small moments of our day!

Hosted at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Woodward in Detroit, it was the perfect scene for a festive night mingling with fellow teachers. A fun industrial space with an artistic flair! Teachers from all over Metro Detroit came together to share their experiences using GoNoodle in their classrooms.

Of course there was dancing to Pop See Ko and the Nae Nae! Watching educators let loose what exactly what I hoped for. No one cared what they looked like, they just had fun!

Squatchy Berger made an appearance which made for great photo opportunities! My new friend Sitaara Jones who is Regional Community Manager for the Mid-West, came to my classroom on Tuesday and danced with my kiddos. They loved doing the Dino Stomp with her and were so excited to see pictures of us together with a GoNoodle friend!

The photo booth was the high point of the night! You could dress us with silly pops and become a part of GoNoodle in a whole new way! Sitaara and I made Squatchy Berger join us for a great memory of a fun night! I just want to get a big thanks to anyone who voted for GoNoodle to come to Detroit. I also want to thank Mary Corder Meagher for letting me help set-up and participate in the event! I felt so lucky to be a part of such a great event with a great company!

Do you GoNoodle? Check it out for FREE!

Free Blog T-Shirt from A+ Images

I was introduced to A+ Images by Jon from The Teacher Touch on a fun educator Blab. He had on his own blog shirt that he was able to have printed for FREE! Free shirt promoting my blog, of course I was interested! I checked out the A+ Image website to create my custom shirt. 

http://www.teachershirts.com/custom-teacher-blogger-shirts

It was so easy, especially if you already have images from your blogs setup! Since my graphic designer had given me copies all of my images, all I had to do was upload and position my graphics!

Check out my blog shirt!

I absolutely love how it turned out!

But wait...

A+ Images has even more cute shirts on their Teacher Shirts site!

http://www.teachershirts.com/

Last year I helped my school order these superhero shirts in the beautiful Cardinal Red and the staff loved them! We even ordered shirts for our principal and secretary!

Check out what A+ Images has to offer! They are very friendly, shipping was extremely quick and their shirts are high quality!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aplusimages

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aplusimages

Instagram: https://instagram.com/aplusimages/

GoNoodle Detroit Meet-Up!

I am super excited to announce that the GoNoodle Detroit Meet-Up is 

September 30th from 6-8pm
at the Museum of Contemporary Art!

Click the link below to register for the event! 

GoNoodle Meet-up!

I am excited to be helping set up the event and

I would love to connect with Michigan educators from all over the metro area. It will be a great opportunity to make positive connections and have some fun sharing our GoNoodle experiences in our classroom!

Back to School: Setup!

The last two weeks I have been working non-stop in my classroom to get everything set up. I feel like I have been out of the blogging, Periscope, Blab, Twitter world for too long!

While I wanted to keep up with everything it became too overwhelming! I had to take a step back and focus on my classroom, PD and work. I finally feel like I am in a great place to start the 2015-16 school year. Two more days of relaxation and planning before my wonderful kiddos show up on Tuesday!

I didn't want to leave my blog hanging, so I decided to give you some pictures as a quick overview of my classroom. I promise I will go over some of the areas in more detail as the school year begins!

I hope that you enjoy this little overview of my class. Happy new school year to all the Michigan teachers just heading back to school! I hope all the other teachers already back in school a wonderful September!