Big Things Come in Small Packages: Kid President

 

Are you familiar with "Kid President"? If not, you don't know what you're missing. Kid President, 10 year old Robby Novak, is a Tennessee homegrown bonafide celebrity. So much so that he'll be hosting and reporting at the Google-Netflix pre-party for the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on May 2.

 

Robby is an accidental superstar from Henderson, Tennessee who has recorded a series of pep talks ranging from "An Open Letter to Moms" to "Twenty Things We Should Say More Often" which have garnered interest from Barack Obama himself.

 

Here's the video that was played during one of our teacher in-services which introduced me to the "Kid President" phenomenon.

 

  

What is even more amazing is that Robby has a genetic disorder, osteogenesis imperfect, which is characterized by brittle bones that break. He has suffered more than 70 broken bones and 13 surgeries. Robby has steel rods in both of his legs.

 

However, Robby rather not focus on his personal dilemma but instead be a motivator and cheerleader to anyone he thinks he might be able to reach. In his words, "I don't want to be IN a party. I want to be THE party."

 

For more information on Robby click here, and for more "Kid President" videos visit SoulPancake on YouTube.

 

I adore Robby and his "Kid President" videos! What about you?

 

*Thanks for dropping by!

Easter GIFs After a Long Week

My name is Wendy, and it has been too many days since my last post. It's that time of the year when public school teachers start feeling just a weeeee bit worn thin. Reviewing and preparing for high-stakes state testing, awaiting year-end unannounced performance evaluations, completing lengthy professionalism rubrics...and so on and so forth. All that along with allergies and an upper respiratory infection has not given me any motivation to delve into a new post.

However after the below freezing temperatures earlier in the week, could it be that Old Man Winter is throwing in the towel and resigning to the inevitability of Spring. I believe so because the last few days here in southwest Tennessee have been fabulous!

Here on Easter's Eve, I've decided to comprise my own little springtime tribute through GIFs. As you're sitting there thinking..."Uhmm really?", let me explain. I'd just logged in to Photobucket to upload some pics for future posts and I saw several cute and relevant GIFs, so I decided to roll with it.

I really have no idea why, but for whatever reasons, I really like these little graphic image files. I hope you do too, or this post isn't going to go over very well.
 

Happy Easter everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Thanks for dropping by!

April Fool's & the Big Brownieeeeee

As many of you already know, I teach second grade and have for 15 years. Each year on April Fool's Day, I get the typical "Ms. Orman...There's something on your shirt." or "There's a bug in your hair!" You get the picture. However this year, one of my students, Abby, deliberated and very consciously planned her April Fool's prank out...to a T.

She set it up the day before, totally unbeknownst to me. I took the bait...hook, line, and sinker. Sometime during the day on Monday, Abby announced she was bringing me brownies to school the following day. I've got to say...my mouth was watering even then.

When Tuesday morning rolled around, the kids lined up just outside our classroom door as usual after being dismissed from the early duty room. When I walked out to greet them, Abby very eagerly and excitedly proclaimed that she'd brought me brownies just as she'd said she would and held up a little white container with its red lid. My mouth was really watering. I hadn't eaten breakfast, and warm brownies and milk were sounding divine at that point.

She handed me the container while simultaneously stating, "I brought brownies, and Ms. Orman...you have a BIG brownieeeeee! Once we were inside the classroom, I popped the lid off. Abby was laughing as though she'd just, hands down, played the best joke ever.....and....she had!

I let Abby carry her brown e's to all her other classes that day. Well...I didn't want to be the only dupable one. Hope you all had a good laugh on April Fool's as well.

*Thanks for dropping by!

Teachers Be Like .......

After teaching just a couple of years, I realized that by mid-way of each year teachers look like the walking dead. It's true! Keeping kids engaged and making magic happen is hard work. For more on this, take a look here. We start out the year looking fresh and rested. However by the time May rolls around, we look like:



via: http://theonlycureisdying.tumblr.com/post/50369190012

I'm not gonna lie...I wrote this post around a graphic I happened to see on Facebook. I couldn't resist because it completely confirms what I've been saying all these years, and those little yellow minions are so stinking cute! Mrs. Snaggle in the middle...not so much.

All joking aside, a huge professional advantage teachers have is the opportunity to start anew each year with a clean slate and new, improved ideas about creating even better magic than the year before.

*Thanks for dropping by!

 

5 Keys to Keeping Elementary School Kids Engaged: What 15 Years in the Classroom Has Taught Me

 

 

Yesterday morning, I was unexpectedly approached by Rebecca at The Bloggers' Lounge about the possibility of me participating in their competition in conjunction with World Class Teachers to write a blog post on my top 5 tips for keeping kids engaged in the classroom. I was so excited about being asked to participate and eagerly accepted her invitation. I pondered the theme of this competition off and on all yesterday as well as picked my 18 year old son's brain about what his favorite teachers did to motivate and engage him. The following is the outcome of that pondering and prodding investigating.

 

en·gage

/enˈgāj/

verb

1. occupy, attract, or involve (someone's interest or attention).

    "He plowed on, trying to outline his plans and engage Sutton's

     attention."

synonyms:  capture, catch, arrest, grab, snag, draw, gain, win, hold, grip, captivate, engross, absorb

So....you ask, exactly how does a teacher

occupy

attract

involve

capture

catch

arrest

grab

snag

draw

gain

win

hold

grip

captivate

engross

 

a

n

d

 

absorb

 

the interest or attention of a child?

 

Sounds like a TALL order.

 

 

 

 

And at times, might seem like performing magic...but when you really think about it,

that's exactly what it is. 

 

So, here are five key (and actually fairly easy) strategies for filling that order and making magic happen. 

 

#1

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what you do.

Your excitement and eagerness will be contagious. It will have a spiraling positive effect on your students. Even if they don't understand why you're so happy about a lesson, task or assignment, they'll wonder why and think they should be too.

 

 

#2

Be real.

Establishing a sense of trust is essential. If students sense you are disingenuous, they will mistrust you and not put stock in what you're trying to accomplish or get them to.

You want them to "go all in". To do that, they must believe in and trust you.

 

 

#3

Have high expectations for your students and believe they all can attain them.

Be the first to tell them what they're good at and what they get right.

 

 

Warner Bros / Via poznachowski.com

 

#4

Allow your students choice.

Empower your students with decisions. This will further emphasize your trust and faith in them. In turn, they will want to please you with smart choices and good work.

 

 

 

 

 #5

Make learning fun and intriguing

(or "not boring" as my son, Weston, said).

 Allow your class(es) to explore, be hands on, converse within groups or with partners, do projects, use technology........all the things you would like doing if you were in their position. Never be afraid to get downright goofy.

 

 

Disney / Via threepenniesforourthoughts.wordpress.com

 

Well...for what it's worth, this is my 2 cents worth on how to keep the kiddos in an elementary school classroom motivated, engaged, and therefore

successful.

 

*Thanks for dropping by! 

Five Ways to Rock a Day at the Memphis Zoo

 

First of all, get the Memphis Zoo app if you don't already have it. It's like having your own automated mini-tour guide...fanTAStic!

 

Here's what the initial screen looks like.

 

 

Of course, the Zoo Map is helpful especially when a paper one would keep flying away or getting crammed into the bottom of your bag.

 

However, the two coolest parts of the app are the Daily Schedule and the Photo Booth. The Daily Schedule lists all the special shows and times such as Giraffe Feedings, Panda Keeper Chat, Sea Lion Show, Grizzly Feeding, etc. The Photo Booth is by far the most fun and unique section of the app. This section of the app provides a bunch of overlays for your zoo photos, and they really do turn out so stinkin' cute! All the kids (16 to be exact) loved it and wanted me to take their pictures over and over again. These are the Photo Booth options:

 

 

...and some examples:

 

 

   

 

 



The second way to rock the zoo is to take sixteen 7 & 8 year olds. There is definitely never a dull moment.

 

As you can see, attending a class also raises everyone's interest and is the third recommendation for having a fabulous experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing a show is my fourth suggestion.

 

 

Choosing a day that's just right (...not too chilly and not too warm) is key and the fifth way  to ensure having a blast.

 

I recommend this for reasons other than human comfort. The right kind of weather makes the animals frisky and active as you can see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd never seen a pheasant before. I thought these were gorgeous!

 

 HA...these guys weren't feelin' us at all though...perfect day or not.

 

 

My second grade class had a rockin' good time at the zoo.

 

Hope you do too on your next visit!

 

*Thanks for dropping by!

Best New Elementary Educational Website

Just recently, I ran across a fantastic new (…at least to me) educational website. No matter who you are, this will be beneficial as long as you know a child (personal, grandchild, student) who is in kindergarten to fifth grade. It is completely free…no account to be set up. The kiddos can just get on the site and go to town. The activities address relative standards and lessons they’ll be learning about at school. The site contains an enormous amount of activities in all K-5 subject areas (even keyboarding skills) covering the Common Core Standards you’ve been hearing so much about.

“Keyboarding skills???”....you ask. Ladies and gentlemen keyboarding is quickly becoming an essential skill for upper elementary school-aged children and possibly lower elementary later on. With full implementation of Common Core and its high-stakes testing component, PARCC, keyboarding knowledge will be important since the test is taken on the computer. Children need to know how to type, drag & drop, copy & paste, etc. In spring 2014, the PARCC Field Test will be administered to over one million students across PARCC states.

Also over the past few weeks, the fourth and fifth graders at our school have been taking the state Writing Assessment administered through the new Measurement Incorporated Secure Testing (MIST) platform which is also on the computer. This platform contains Common Core-aligned writing assessment tasks that are geared toward determining students' literacy skills across other subjects. This component counts as a portion of their over-all state testing composite score. Even though a child might do well academically, it's possible to make mistakes or flub the test due to poor keyboarding skills.

RoomRecess has lots of engaging activities to help children in this area as well as many others. It's a truly worthwhile site for the little people in your life. Check it out.

*Thanks for dropping by!

 

6 Ways to Have a Blast at the Zoo (Minus the 5 Stitches)

It was field trip time for the 2nd grade at MES yesterday. To be honest though, we teachers were not at all enthused over the pending forecast considering it included a cold, overcast day with the possibility of rain...and, our trip was to the zoo. However after all was said and done, I think this trip could possibly go down in the book of epic field trips.

First, let me not forget to mention that we had approximately 120 2nd graders with us. Honestly, is there any better way to explore the zoo than with a slew of curious and inquisitive children and some wonderful parents? 

It is springtime, although it's hard to tell, and love was definitely in the air - for the animals that is, especially the giraffes. There were several times we had to shoo the children away from the giraffes exhibit to keep from having an inopportune birds and bees discussion or, at least, coming up with some story as to why the giraffes were trying to "play leapfrog". Momma giraffe had plenty to say about that!

Another way to have an awesome time is to interact first-hand with the animals in some way such as taking a class or attending a show. We signed up for an animal classification class and were able to get up close and personal with some of the animals. Say hello to a sweet little Mexican Burrowing Python named Val.

We also got a lesson on how to convincingly strut our tail feathers from Clyde, an impressive Mexican Serama Rooster.

Coming nose to nose with a neurotic, bee-bopping polar bear is another amazing way to make your trip to the zoo a success. He had that head flip action going on and couldn't get enough of us. Of course the kids loved him too. The chilly overcast weather was right down his alley I'm sure.

The flamingos were a sight to see. I'm not sure where they were headed when I took this picture; but when I saw it, they reminded me of a group of women speed walkers, especially the three in the middle. They have such good form and leg extension.

Yep...this is us, Mutt and Jeff (my student teacher, Mallory, and me).

See the resemblance?

Now about the stitches...my class arrived a little early for the sea lion show, and we were actually the only people in the little amphitheater (a definite benefit of going on a chilly, overcast day). So naturally, the kiddos were playing. One of my boys tripped and hit his right brow bone right on the edge of one of the wooden bleachers causing about an inch long gash. It looked like one of those cuts boxers get above their eye and bled like one too. Poor thing looked like he'd been in a brawl. All I had was a travel pack of tissues in my purse and a zip lock bag of ice in my lunch bag. Well, I placed a thick pad of tissues on the cut, wrapped the ice bag in a scarf, and put it on top of the tissue. I thought this would cut down on the swelling and possibly help stop the bleeding. Then, Beau and I had to make the trek from the back 40 to the only first aid station in the whole zoo which was all the way back at the front entrance. Beau was a trooper! They cleaned and bandaged him up, and he was good to go. I called his mother from the zoo and provided the details as well as suggested they meet us upon our return to the school cause I suspected he might need a few stitches. They did, and he did...5 to be exact. All's well that ends well. And now, Beau has his war story which all little boys need.

Have you had any exceptional experiences at the zoo or on a field trip? If so, I'd love for you to share them.

*Thanks for dropping by!

It's My Blog...And I'm Sticking to It

Well, I'm finally finished with all the tweaking, changing, and tweaking again! I've been using bits and pieces from different places to construct the "face" of my blog. Since different components were coming from different sources, they didn't all ge-haw a lot of the time which caused all the tweaking and re-tweaking. Finally this is it, and it's gonna stay this way...at least for a good little bit.

I want to give a HUGE shout out to Casey at Hot Bliggity Blog for all her tremendous help and patience. Look for Hot Bliggity's button in my sidebar. She has fabulous free backgrounds and also does custom work for very reasonable fees. 

As I was walking out of work a couple of days ago, I had this overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and contentment. I wasn't sure exactly why. I think it was because I'd had some great interaction and exchanges with my students. I'd also received a little "happy" from some classroom grandparents, Meme and Hoddy, who volunteered in my class last year. Even though I no longer have their grandson in my class, they're still always leaving me little treats to brighten my day...and fatten me up. They're both retired Memphis City school teachers and understand what it's like to be "in the trenches". They are also the sweetest couple ever! Here's the little treat I found on my desk that day.   

 

Our school also has the cutest Spring bulletin board up in our front entryway. It helps me make a cheerful entrance and exit each day. Isn't it darling?



Time to wrap this up. Have to get my behind in gear. I've got a Memphis Tiger's WIN to watch this afternoon!

 

** Be sure to stop by tomorrow. I will be unveiling the details about my first big giveaway

(a Piperlime $200 giftcard)!

 

*Thanks for dropping by!