Labor Day: Hooray!

Does it sound like I'm excited for the Labor Day holiday weekend?  

I am:  But for different reasons than you may suspect!  

In my book, Labor Day equals the pathway to Normalville.

Two weeks and two days under my belt.

Expectations:  Check.

Procedures:  Check.

Teambuilding and Classbuilding:  Check and check.  

Benchmark assessments:  Check, check, check, check, check! 

I finally feel like I can crack open my teacher binder and make some plans that I won't have to CHANGE tomorrow.    

Here's a little Pretzel-Unpretzel for you.

If you don't have Silly Sports and Goofy Games you are missin' out, y'all!

And...a pre-emptive link for Timer Tools in the background.  

Because people ALWAYS ask about it.  ALWAYS.

Apparently, there's a downloadable version these days...I've the CD version For.  Ev.  Er.

  

Now.  

We started math this week, don't get me wrong.  

There has been SOME semblance of normalcy.  

And miracle of miracles, we're getting our 10 minutes of multiplication fact practice in every day!   

However, in 15 years, there's  no point in breakin' the seal on my teacher binder prior to Labor Day. 

I just end up switching, changing, and rearranging!  

So...until Labor Day, my plans live on my computer, and I print them daily.

Cut and paste is my middle name.  

Have you seen everyone's super lovely teacher binders?  

Yeah.

(Insert audible squeal of delight.)

Me too.

I wish I could just click over to TPT and POOF!  

The perfect plan scheme for me.

Not.  Gonna.  Happen.

I'm a total weirdo in my teacher binder.

Seriously.  

When I do finally get the nerve to show it, you'll have one of three responses:

1)  "What the what!?!"

2)  "Huh.  Kind of weird, but it intrigues me.."

3)  "Honey?  We need to take stock in Post-It Notes.  Now."

So...either tomorrow or Monday I'll mosey on over to school and make the magic happen.

Then I'll snap a little pic of my plan scheme and share it.

Someday. 

Soon.

Maybe.

You're Killin' Me, Smalls...

While I prefer NOT to fly by the seat of my pants, there are just times when the BEST ideas come to me on my drive to work.

Can I get an Amen?

Well....this one came to me on the way to work on the FIRST.  DAY.  OF.  SCHOOL.  

"You're killin' me, Smalls."

Anywho...I was doing a quick run-through of my day, when my mind meandered to a training from my friends Larry and Angela Thompson of Responsibility Centered Discipline.  

How fortunate was I to work with them for 6 years!?!  

Training right from the mental judo master himself?  

Get.  Out.

And Angela?  

She just "gets me."  

Love her.  

So....

As I was driving straight into the sun (it was a little hot here that day,) I saw the face of an angel: Clint Stoppel.  

Larry had a life-size photo of Stoppel (a teacher/coach in our district) that was something nothing like this in ANY way other than the fact that it was a full-body shot.  

The original was completely dead-pan, grumpy and foreboding.

So...pretty much NOTHING like my super hippy-chick pic*.

That's my 3rd Grade Style Peace Sign!

Larry had us write down all sorts of crazy on sticky notes.  

It was about 10 years ago, and I can't recall if it was things KIDS say, or TEACHERS say, out of frustration.

Responsibility Centered Discipline is all about never GETTING to that boiling point.

If you haven't heard of the Thompsons, do yourself a favor and check them out!

Well...I decided to flip that on it's head and have the kids write down the characteristic they WANT in a "Groovy Teacher." 

We used a CL structure called "Picking Stickies" to accomplish this.  

 It shaped up like this!

And we all LOVED it!  

I tied it all together with the kiddos writing down characteristics of "Groovy Students!"

Pretty sure it'll be a 1st Day of School Keeper!

Jenn

*In case you are wondering...Our school-wide theme is "Reading is Radical."  I don't typically wear tie dye on the first day of school, and generally reserve the tie dye for day 3.   :)

"I like to call it 'My Little Circle of Trust'"

Can you name it?  

The movie from which I just quoted, that is?  

Don't worry.  

Not every post will have a movie quote...Only the ones worth reading.  :)

I've been using my little "Circle of Trust" for about 5 years now.
Not my own idea, of course!
Nothing good ever is...I like to refer to myself as "The Queen of Glean."
I like to take it all in...and then BOOM!  I make it my own.
This little gem was one I took from my buddy Mrs. C.
She shared the information with me she received from PrairieView, which provided youth services for kiddos in need.
One of the first things Deb ever said to me was "I like to work smarter, not harder."
But that's another story.
Sure do miss that lady!  (We moved away.  Deb is now in her first year of retirement.)
She's a keeper!
Team 2 had a TON of fun together!
Anywho.....This little Circle of Trust is only halfway complete.
Unfortunately, I ran out of adding machine tape!
On the INSIDE of The Circle of Trust are the behaviors our class "values" and are acceptable.
On the OUTSIDE of The Circle of Trust will be the behaviors that we do NOT accept in our classroom.
Their words.  Not mine.
Our hands work together to keep the bad things OUT, and the good things IN our classroom.
When I find more adding machine tape, I'll update this pick so you can see the things we DON'T like!
Plus, it's kind of fabulous looking, if you ask me.  :)
Mr. McSweetums today asked if we could add one:  "Joy."
You betcha!

 One of my favorite CL structures in action:

Talking Chips.

But more on that another day...

Tomorrow will mark day 6 of the school year.

I have a great class, but have still been doing a cubic ton of Teambuilding and Classbuilding.  

Never regret that time....

And I can always, ALWAYS tell when I neglect it.

Whenever the kids start getting persnickety (like that very official term?) I look back and evaluate the amount of time we've spent Teambuilding and Classbuilding.  

And the persnicketiness (Dude.  My computer JUST autocorrected that word,) is a direct result of my choice to forgo that focus for too long.  

It doesn't HAVE to take much time, really.

I mean, it can, by all means.

It just depends on what structures or activities YOU choose to use.

The benefits FAR outweigh the few minutes it takes.

So....I guess what I'm saying is...When the wheels start falling off, reflect.  

Or better yet, be proactive and plan for it.

Daily.

You won't regret it.

Jenn

3rd Grade Style 2.0

"For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it."
Isaiah 43:19

'twas the night before school started... 

You must understand that this post is...in MY case, quasi-new.  A do-over of sorts.  A re-boot, if you will....You see, this was how I started my FIRST blog post for 3rd Grade Style.  IN JANUARY 2014!   And, well, this sad little blog has been staring at my face since 2012, so let's get a move on!

Therefore..it is with great hesitancy that I unveil 3rd Grade Style, Part Deux, to my one and only follower, the FABULOUS Amy!  Amy is not only a famous math blogger (for REALS,) as well as a founding member of The Running Club*, but also my blog consultant.  She does ALL this for free.  FREE, I tell you!  Amy does all this from the goodness of her heart, because, well, "Appreciation is currency around here."  Fabulous, right?!?

So, this time around, I'm going to K.I.S.S. this blog (Keep It Simple, Sister,) or kiss it goodbye!
Wish me luck!

Happy "Back to School!"

Jenn

*There is no Running Club.