Christmas Program 2014

Typically I hate themes, but I saw this idea in a Facebook Group and it became stuck in my head. This year I am going to do "A Night at the Movies" for my Elementary Christmas Program.  There are so many great choices for music so I am very excited for the program.

Kindergarten
All I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Teeth from Alvin and the Chipmunks

Jingle Bell Rock from Home Alone

Kindergarten & First Grade

Feliz Navidad from Feliz Navidad

First Grade Scarves- Dance of the sugar plum fairies from the Nutcracker
White Christmas (with unpitched percussion) from White Christmas

Second Grade
Do You Want To Build a Snowman? (with boomwhackers) from Frozen
Carol of the Bells (on Boomwhackers) from Home Alone
Somewhere in my memory from Home Alone

Third Grade Silent Night (chimes and singing) from White Christmas
Jingle Bells (chimes and singing) from White Christmas

Fourth Grade When Christmas Comes Around from Polar Express
Little Drummer Boy (on Recorder) from Little Drummer Boy
Buckets to Trepak from Nutcracker

Choir
Where are you Christmas? from How the Grinch Stole Chrismas

Thank You

This blog has been a wonderful journey. It has transformed a few times and has taken different paths (I presume it will transform even more in the future.) I write for me and for my well-being but it is wonderful to know that others read it; plus knowing others can see it helps me keep some of my ideas in check.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and to comment and share your ideas. I truly appreciate your time and I hope that this blog will continue to be a place to share ideas and thoughts and that you will consider it worthy of your time.

Thank you!

Lessons From Observation #1

Two weeks ago I had my first formal observation of the year. As a non tenured teacher (Illinois does not have tenure in the traditional sense but it impacts how often a teacher is observed). According to my district's evaluation tool, I was rated an excellent teacher. Some days I feel like I deserve this title and others (like today) I feel like anything but an excellent teacher.

Do you learn from your observations? I am a busy person and I hate feeling like my time is being wasted. I have decided to make myself learn from this experience (even though I want to feel like it is a waste of time.)

I was complimented for getting to my students level and correcting them individually. I realized I don't do this all of the time and I need to make more of an effort to jot take the "easy" way out.

I was complimented for being organized and using technology in a positive way. I know I am not always as organized as I could be and this was a reminder that I need to be.

Observations are a snap shot of me as a teacher. I need to remember this feelings and and use it when I relate to my students. A class, project or activity is only a snapshot of their achievement in my class. I need to make sure I do not let a small piece of data to define them.

Thank you for reading.

Are You Right?

Since my daughter was born four months ago, I admit I have had more thoughts about what would happen if something bad were to happen to her, my husband or myself. I think it is a normal cycle of me realizing I am now responsible for another person.

This morning I was surfing Facebook and one of the first articles I saw was that the police chief in my town (who is also related to one of my coworkers) passed away yesterday. It hit me particularly hard. I saw this man sitting across from the high school yesterday afternoon. You always hear life is too short, enjoy the time you have, babies grow up to fast and these are all true. The thing that really jumped out to me is Am I Right?

For me as a Christian,  am I right with God?

Am I right with my family? Have I truly forgiven those who have hurt me?

Am I right with my friends and those around me?

Do they know how much I care about them?

Life is too short, babies do grow up too fast and bad things happen to good people.

Spend time doing the things you know you should do now (for me that means praying and opening my Bible) so you can go to bed each day knowing you are at peace with those around you.

Thank you for reading.

I Failed

Last September I started a daily blog challenge and I failed miserably. I learned a lot from this experience and the biggest lesson is things won't happen unless you make it.

It was a great thought: I will write a blog everyday. Sadly, I never did anything to make sure that it was accomplished.

Whatever you want to do, make a plan on how your going to achieve it because it won't just happen by itself.  This failed project was a great reminder for me and a great lesson for all people to remember.

What do you want to achieve? How are you going to get there?

Thank you for reading.

My Problem with Student Growth

I love watching my daughter learn new things. At four months old she is just now realizing what surrounds her.

Children (people) learn and it does not always matter who is around them. Yes, great teachers help, but kids are going to learn because that is what kids do.

My problem with Student Growth being tied to teacher evaluation is that it makes it sound like teachers are the only one in control of students learning. If you take a class of students who are from stable healthy families, eat filling meals and are nurtured; they are going to learn more if they have a great teacher rather than an average or bad teacher. Sadly, not all of our students live in this environment.

Students will learn and they will grow as they are ready. Yes, we should aim to put high quality teachers in every classroom, but please realize that teachers are not in complete control.

Thank you for reading.