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!

BTS 2015: Engage & Interact

This summer has been full of professional development in ways I would have never thought possible. Through the use of Edcamp Global, Twitter, Google Hangouts, Periscope, and Blab I have been able to connect with educators from all over the world. I have tried to take in their plethora of information for the beginning of the school year but it can become overwhelming. I decided to focus on one main topic at a time and today my focus is:

Engagement & Interaction

Much of the PD was about making kids excited for school and keeping them engaged all day, every day. I don't know about you but that seems like a daunting task! However, I know it's necessary because students don't connect to boring worksheets or mindless tasks. I am making it my mission to make every lesson as engaging as possible. 

I'm not saying that everything we teach is mind blowing fun, but after listening to Hope King's exciting Periscopes, I know I can add attention getters, songs or chants to celebrate learning even in the most boring of lessons. These simple attention grabbers can keep kids going and make learning exciting. Check out her blog at Elementary Shenanigans for more chants & cheers! She will be posting her Periscope & information soon!

I also want NEED to make New York Engage math lessons much more interactive and fun. While I believe that the curriculum pushes students to think deeper, the workbook pages are dull, boring and not kid friendly at all. I dreaded teaching math last year because my students would turn
into globs of jello and melt into their desks. I would literally watch as they slipped down in their desks and the life went out of their eyes. They knew math was full of blah, repetitive workbook pages and I didn't know how to fix it until now. I am going to start math workshop where we will work for four rounds on different math activities related to the lesson.

1. Students will work with me on New York Engage lessons in small groups.
2. Students will get hands on learning using manipulatives.
3. Students will play math games on the iPads that focus on second grade standards.
4. Students will complete interactive workbook pages that allow students to reflect on what they learned.

I will be using the Second Grade Common Core Interactive Journal Bundle from Common Core Kingdom on TPT. It has everything you need for a full year of interactive math journals!

For reading and language I am also adding the interactive notebooks. This will allow them to collect their thoughts and have a fun book filled with their learning that they can reference all year. I will be using the Second Grade Reading & Language Interactive Notebooks from Nicole Shelby on TPT!

Finally, I am going to make learning fun by showing my own excitement! I fully believe that you have to sell what you are teaching. If you are excited about learning, your students will be too. I agree with Hope King when she says you have to be willing to make a fool of yourself for the sake of learning!

GOAL: I want this year to be a blast! I want my students more engaged than ever before!