Active Parent Workshop...

Do you let your child manipulate you when you
are trying to discipline? Are you a pushover?
You could be a doormat.

Do you lose control of your emotions when you
discipline? Do you make it a point to win every
battle? You could be a dictator.

The Active Parent works WITH the child
respectfully, yet firmly, to avoid battles and get
desired results. Learn how in just two nights!

Click HERE for a printable flyer for this workshop.

5 Things To Do... Coming Back from Break!

Five Things to do when you 

come back from fall break:

 A. Reconnect. Our students have been off for over ten days and some have developed new routines now. They will need to reconnect to you and their fellow classmates. The first day back may be difficult for them to adjust back to the schedule and routine of class work. Everyone in the room should be aware of this and make necessary adjustments even as minor as letting them rest in between activities and in allowing the students to ease back into the class routines.

B. Re-teach rules & Procedures, especially. Some of the normal classroom rules and procedures may have been forgotten by the time the students return from break. Some may have not had to follow the same rules at home or at the sitters OR they may have learned different rules at home or at the sitters. They will need the opportunity to relearn the procedures of the classroom and of the school. So take the opportunity to re-teach, not merely re-tell. Practice the procedures just as if it were the first day of school. It will go so much smoother if you let them participate and achieve success early in their return back to school.

C. Routine. We all like routine, whether we will admit it or not. Our students especially like routine. They like knowing when to change from center to center, or when lunch will be, or when time for gym will be coming around. More often than not during the break they have established a new routine. One that may no longer fit in with the routine of coming to school and working in the class, so ease them back into the school routine. The first day may be okay, but it’s usually the second, third and fourth days the students will find difficult once the adrenaline from the first day eases. They may become sleepy or grumpy since they can no longer nap when they want or sleep in later in the mornings.

D. Relate. We have to begin teaching right away in order to make sure that we continue with our pacing guides and our lesson plans. But we can take the time to relate the lessons that are coming at the students to what they did on their break. The more we relate the material the easier the transition will be. If you are teaching math, then work into the lesson something they would have counted or computed during their break. If you are teaching English grammar then create a lesson with a writing assignment where the student could describe an event or activity he or she did on the break and would want to share it with you or the class.

E. Review. The material that was covered before the break may no longer be in the working memory of our students. Spend a few days reviewing and renewing the students’ mental functions by challenging them to retrieve the items they learned before the break. Make it fun. Redo a craft or an activity that you did just before the break to allow the brain to reset from that of rest to being active once again.

Returning from a break should be one of re-connection and returning to the mode of learning.

Let's make it exciting and keep everything going strong for the next nine weeks. Then it will be winter break and we can do it all over again!

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Fall Break - Relax, Refresh, Reflect and Renew!

One of the great parts of a modified nine and two calendar is that after nine weeks of instruction there is a two week of break for both the students and the instructors. Those two weeks are broken into intercession and professional development as well as time off. 

What will you do with the time? Will you relax, reflect or renew? Either way you and the students will be refreshed and ready for the next nine weeks of exciting instruction.  

Relax - Since school began there has been a constant pushing and pacing to get the material covered, the lessons taught and rules and consequences practice and in place, just in time for a two-week break. So take the time and modify your schedule. Do something that will allow you to relax. Change your routine around. Enjoy time with friends. Work on your hobby or visit places of interest that you can do as the autumn season allows us to enjoy.  The important thing is to make time for relaxation to clear the mind and to change the routine so that you are doing things differently. 

Reflect - Now that you are more relaxed, you can start to reflect on what worked, what didn't work and how you might do things somewhat differently in your classroom when school returns to session. This is a good time for self-reflection and for determining, without the pressure of a daily schedule, what really did work in the classroom over the last nine weeks and what didn't. If you are a list maker, then make a list of things to do again and things not to do again. Put the list aside for a couple of days and then look at it again. With fresh eyes and a mind that is clear you can then focus on what made the classroom work for you and for the students. 

Renew - You ask isn't this the same as relaxing? Not really. To renew is to "become new or as if new again," according to the dictionary. So, maybe you need to read over your lesson plans, your text book, visit some websites and see what others are doing in your area of expertise. Perhaps a renewal would be to personally recommit to be a life-long learner and to teach the students that same trait. To help them to understand that just because you are "out of school" we never really stop learning. What can you do to renew? Glad you asked. Here are ten great renewal techniques for all educators: 

      #1 - Laugh. Out loud. Completely and deeply find something that is funny and laugh out loud. This can be such a cleansing and laughter remains one of the healing mysteries. 

      #2 - Listen to music. Put your iPod, MP3 player or anything that you can listen to music with and turn off all of the other media inputs. Really listen to the music. Use headphones that totally cover your ears so that you can become engulfed in the music. Listen to how the music flows, get lost in it. Enjoy your favorites and get lost in your own concert. 

      #3 - Eat right. When we have time off we don't eat on the same schedule. Just because we can doesn't mean we have to eat those types of foods that will add additional sugars or fats -- those that taste so good. Instead, focus on eating foods that will help you to relax without adding to your waist. 

      #4 - Breathe. That's right, breathe. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly. For some of us we have been so busy that we've even been overheard to say, "I'm so busy with school I don't have time to breathe!" So, breathe!  Take deep breaths and exhale completely. The mind, heart and especially the lungs will thank you for it. 

     #5 - Exercise. Yes, even if it's just for a short time. Exercise doesn't necessarily mean power lifting at the gym or training for a marathon. A short walk around the yard or simply standing up to stretch during a break can offer immediate relief in a stressful situation. Getting your blood moving releases endorphins and can improve your mood almost instantaneously.

        #6 -  Sleep. Get some rest during this time. Unfortunately, lack of sleep is a key cause of stress. This vicious cycle causes the brain and body to get out of whack and only gets worse and worse with time. Make it a point to get the doctor-recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. Turn the TV off earlier, manage your time, and do your best to get into bed. It may be the most effective stress buster on our list. Don't try to make up for the lost sleep during the school year. Now is the time to start a better habit of time management and getting the proper sleep. 

      #7 - Change your attitude. When you have a positive attitude you will feel better, work better and see things in a better view. Over time you’ll learn to meet negativity with a positive reaction. A positive attitude will keep you from slipping back so easily into feeling overwhelmed. Don't let the attitude of a few make you join their negative ways -- keep the positive attitude and those with negativity will go away. 

      #8 - Plan. Plan. Plan. Yes as educators we do a lot of planning. But this is more time management and planning of our day. Since you have some time now to look back at your daily schedule, then make some rules for your day. Drowning in papers? We’ve all been there, and it’s not a great place to be. To the extent you control your daily schedule, make your workload work for you. Time-management skills are vital to planning, prioritizing, and completing tasks. Set hourly or daily goals, but be realistic. If there’s no way you will complete a project in two days, do not push yourself. If, in the end, you’re left with some extra time after completing your project, consider it a few spare moments you can catch up on email or get ahead on your next task.

     #9 - Just say no.  Don't over commit. Sometimes we are asked to serve and to do and to work and we feel that we should. But there are limits to our commitments. We have to have a balance of time with our students, with our families and for ourselves. If you have no time left for you, then you will begin to regret the time you spend with others and it will add that much more stress. Take this time to look at your commitment and prioritize those things that you really want to be involved with and those that you don't want, just politely disengage yourself. You never know, but there maybe someone else who wants and has the time to volunteer, but doesn't because there are others already in place. Rotation of volunteerism is good. 

     #10 - Don't sweat the small stuff.  Focus on the things you can change, you can do and you are prepared to spend resources (time, money and energy) doing. Then let the rest of it go. Identify what and who you want to be and do those things that support that decision. You will be much happier and your stress level will be reduced as well. 

Enjoy the time provided in the nine and two calendar. Our next break will be coming up after the next nine weeks of instruction and what you don't get done in this two week time of renewal and reflection you can continue.

Enjoy your break and don't forget -- "Laugh often, laugh deep and take care of you." You are a teacher. You are priceless!

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Coach G's Teaching Tips!

David Ginsburg (aka Coach G) specializes in instructional coaching, leadership coaching, and teacher training. He has three decades of experience in business and education, including 17 years as a teacher, instructional coach, and school leader. He invites readers to join him in sharing and discussing classroom practices and resources.

You can visit his blog in Education Week's online blog section: 

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/

Special Needs Parent Magazine...

Here's as great parents magazine for Special Needs Parents.... it's online and it is also available by subscription.

http://parentingspecialneeds.org/article&article=329

The above article is titled, "Managing Meltdowns 101"

Here's a great video on using visuals to teach students with autism....

Click HERE to get the link directly in YouTube....

Board Maker tutorial...

Here is a great tutorial on using Board Maker...

Interative Website from LiveBinder!

LiveBinder is a great new tool that educators are using to store material for retrieval from the internet. Some of the educators are sharing their interactive websites they have found that help students as an extension or enhancement of the lessons. Check them out HERE.

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Common Core Standards... from LIveBinder!!

Here is an interactive look at the new Common Core Standards that are available on Live Binder.

Be sure to check out all of the TABS at the top of the home link to get more and more information along with Lesson Plans and transitional planning as we all move toward the Common Core Standards.

http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=

20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships with Parents

A former teacher and instructional coach, Elena Aguilar is now a transformational leadership coach in the Oakland Unified School District.

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In honor of Edutopia's 20th anniversary, we're producing a series of Top 20 lists, from the practical to the sublime.

Twenty Tips for Developing Positive Relationships with Parents

In our busy day of juggling papers, lesson planning and managing sometimes more than a hundred students, we can easily forget the group that could lend significant support in our charge as teachers -- parents and families. Consider these tips for improving connections with this valuable group:

1. Smile When You See Parents
Greet them. Most parents only occasionally interact with teachers so make sure that at least 90 percent of your encounters with them are positive, warm, and friendly. The impressions left from fleeting encounters in the hallway last a long time.

2. Learn Their Names
(If you have a self-contained class.) Learn how they like to be addressed (Mr. ____? Señora? By their first name?) and how to pronounce them correctly.

3. Declare Your Intention
Tell them that you want to partner with them, that you appreciate their support, and look forward to working together.

4. Communicate Often and in Various Forms
Provide information about what's going on in your class (weekly would be ideal): what students are learning, what they've accomplished, what you're excited about, what they're excited about, and the learning and growth you're seeing. Suggest things that they might ask their child about: "Ask them to tell you about what they learned last week about meal worms," or "Ask them to read you the haiku they wrote."

5. Make a Positive Phone Call Home
If you have a self-contained class, call all homes within the first couple of weeks and then at regular intervals throughout the year. If you teach many students, identify those students who perhaps need a positive call home.

6. Lead with the Good News
Give positive praise first when calling parents or meeting with them to discuss a concern. Every kid has something good about him/her. Find it. Share it. Then share your concern. Adhere strictly to this rule.

7. Find a Translator
If you can't speak their language, seek a translator for at least one parent conference and/or phone call. (For obscure languages, you can sometimes find a refugee center or other public agency that can help). Reach out to those parents as well; do whatever you can to connect.

8. Your Language is Powerful
It communicates an awareness that there are many different kinds of families. Be careful not to assume a mother is, or isn't married, or even that if she is married, she's married to a man. Learn to ask open-ended questions and understand that sometimes parents/guardians might not want to share some information.

9. Ask Questions about the Child
"What kinds of things does he enjoy doing outside of school? Who are the special people in her life -- family or family friends? What do you think are her best characteristics? What was he like as a little boy?" Demonstrate an interest in knowing your student.

10. Listen to Parents
Really listen. They know a whole lot about their kid.

11. Smile at the Child When talking to a parent in front of a child, smile and make eye contact with the student to demonstrate that you care about him/her. Recognize what he/she has done well in your class in front of the parents. Then share a concern, if you have one.

12. Invite Parents to Share
Distribute a survey at the beginning of the year (if parents don't read/write in English, students can interview them and relay their answers). Find out what parents know about and what skills they have. Invite them in especially if it connects the curriculum and content. Let them share with you their cultural traditions, interests, passions, skills, knowledge.

13. Let Parents Know How They Can Help
Many want to help but especially as kids get older, parents aren't asked for help as often and don't know what to do. There's always some way they can help in the classroom.

14. Be Very Specific
Provide ways parents can support their child at home: "You can help your child with her math homework by asking her to explain how she got an answer," or "As you're reading stories at night, ask your child to make predictions. This strengthens reading comprehension."

15. Be a Broker of Resources
If they share a concern, be prepared to point them to a direction where they can find help. If you share a concern ("Your daughter spaces out and doesn't pay attention") be prepared to suggest what the parents can do.

16. Explain Your Instructional Decisions
Take the time to do this and help them learn about the education system if they're not familiar with it. Help them understand what you're doing and why.

17. Invite Parents to Participate in Making Some Decisions
Invite their input, give them information that will help them form an opinion, and listen to their conclusions.

18. Thank Parents
Both individually and publicly for their support, perhaps in your weekly newsletter. Recognize what they do to help your class and how it's impacting students.

19. Share Every Success
Let parents know what their child is doing well, what academic skills, social skills or knowledge he's mastered.

20. Invite Parents to Celebrate and Break Bread Together
Communities are strengthened when people come together in celebration. Start the year with a potluck. Share food and stories about food. We all bond over food.

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If you like this, you might also like

• Listen, Please, Ron Clarke: On Developing Partnerships Between Parents and Teachers by Elena Aguilar
• Sage Advice: Staying Connected to Parents by Edutopia