Reflecting on Another Year

Well, Year 2 is in the books.

I remember starting this year thinking it would be my best yet, and in many ways, it was.  The team I worked with became a strong group of colleagues and friends.  We worked so well together, and always supported each other.  My students were challenging, and the last weeks of school brought many frustrating tears.  But in the end, I loved each and every one of them and deep down, I could tell they loved me, too.  

It's funny how the course of one school year can bring about so many changes.  A colleague of mine shared the goal of being in a public school, and we had our eye on the same district.  In February, I attended a job fair, and by spring I had four interviews and two job offers.  So, I am pleased to tell you that next year, I will be making a jump from teaching 3rd grade up to 6th grade.

The last day of school was a bittersweet one.  My students had seen me packing up all of my things, wondering why I have to move everything.  It wasn't until the last day of school that I announced to my students that I was leaving.  As I was telling them, I started crying, which triggered many emotions from my students, including many tears.  Lots of hugs were shared and some students didn't want to let go.

 I will truly miss these gals!

It was a very weird feeling to turn off my lights and lock my door for the last time.  I will miss my first classroom, and my first school!

 As I embark on this new journey of 6th grade, I am both excited and scared.  But I know that everything I experienced in the last two years have prepared me for this moment.  So bring it on!  :)

End of the Year Gifts

I am so excited to share with you the gifts I gave my students at the end of the year!

It gave me so much joy when I gave them blankets for Christmas, so I wanted to give them something special to end the year.

First, I found drawstring backpacks here from Oriental Trading.  These were generously paid for by my parents... Thanks Ms. Teresa and Mr. Woodward!  I knew the kids would love having their own backpack that they could use through the summer and into next year.

Then, I used leftover notebooks and wrote each student a personal note inside.  I also included a little baggie of mechanical pencils (I went with mechanical because I couldn't count on the kids having pencil sharpeners at home).

I went to Goodwill and bought each student a book to read.  I made sure it was something they were interested in, and at their reading level.

Lastly, I gave them a stamped and self-addressed envelope, and encouraged them to write me letters.  All they have to do is write the letter, seal it, and put it in the mailbox!

We have only been on summer vacation for two days, and I have already received four letters!  One was even from one of my most difficult students, who struggles with reading and writing.  I am so proud of him that he wrote me a letter!

Until next time,
-Miss Woodward

Last Day of School!

Well, I survived my first year as a teacher.

Wednesday was our last day of school, and we had a very busy day.  After some cleaning, we played "Minute to Win It" games.  The kiddos loved it!  In one minute, students had to....

...move cotton balls into a bucket using chopsticks... (they were very good at this one, because a lot of them use chopsticks regularly at home.)

... use only one hand to sort a bag of M&M's into piles of each color...

... remove all of the tissues from a tissue box...

...move red cups one by one from the top of the stack to the bottom, to reveal a blue cup on the top...

...use an uncooked spaghetti noodle in their mouths to pick up four penne noodles...

...and stack 36 cups into a tower.

It really was a great last day of school.  

The best part of the day was as we were taking the kids out to the buses.  A crowd of teachers had formed, cheering for and hugging the students as they walked to their buses.  It was such a positive way to end a spectacular school year.

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward

Fun at Como Zoo!

Our K-5 classes took a field trip to Como Zoo and Como Town in St. Paul today!

We spent a little while looking at the animals in Como Zoo, and then headed over to Como Town, which is a small amusement park.

We totally lucked out with the weather!  It was forecasted to rain all day, but we didn't get a drop!

I had a special chaperone, too.... my step-mom, Ms. Teresa, came with us!

She had quite a bit of fun with her group...

After a long day, the kids were exhausted....

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward

Summer Math

I am excited to show you a big project we've been working on in math!  

We didn't want our students to lose all of the valuable learning they acquired this year.  The problem is that they have very limited access to materials and assistance at home.  We wanted them to create something that reviewed important concepts, that they would be able to use at home this summer.

Introducing.... the Summer Math Book!

For a whole week, we had multiple stations set up around the room.  The kids had to visit all of the stations, but could travel at their own leisure.  If they finished the stations and filled their book, they got to keep doing the activities for fun.

So, what was everyone doing for the entire math block?  Well.....

Some kids were finishing making their multiplication flash cards...

Some kids were finding and cutting out shapes from magazines...

Some were using magnets to write and solve word problems...

Some were writing and guessing number sentences on each other's backs...

Some were making clocks to solve elapsed time problems...

And some were making rubbings of coins and then counting the total amount.

At each station, the kids had to complete the activity (and show evidence of it in their booklets).  They also had to glue in a "How can I do this at home?" sheet, to remind them of ways they can complete the activity over the summer.

There was a lot going on in the room, but after a day or so of doing the stations, the kids knew what to do and where to go, so the classroom was a focused and calm environment.

When they leave school for the summer, they will have a neat little math book that will remind them of easy ways to do math at home.

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward

Talent Show

This past week, our school's middle-schoolers performed in a talent show.  A lot of my students have older brothers and sisters, so it was fun for them to see kids they know perform.

There were lots of singers, but there were also some break-dancers...

And even one of the staff performed!

It was quite a fun afternoon!

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward

Gettin' Crafty: Decorated Clipboards

I had a very productive weekend!  I was busy making thank-you gifts for the teachers I work most closely with.

It has been a tough year for everyone at the school, and I have had many hard days growing accustomed to being a full-time teacher.  I wanted to thank everyone on my team that has given me support this year.  I had seen a picture of cute decorated clipboards online somewhere, so I decided to make some for my colleagues.

Decorated Clipboards DIY

You will need:

• a clipboard (any size, I prefer the wooden ones over plastic)
• foam brushes
• scrapbook paper (try and find two-sided, so you automatically have two coordinating patterns)
• Mod Podge Matte adhesive (found at craft stores)
• pencil
• plain paper
• scissors
• cable ties (optional)
• rounded corner punch (optional)

1.  First, I used a cable tie to secure the clip open, so it was easier to work around the hardware.  Otherwise, you'll have to hold the clip open every time you glue or adjust the paper around the hardware.

2.  Next, used white paper and a pencil to make a template of where the scrapbook paper should fit around the clip hardware.  I'll admit it took a lot of playing around, but I finally got a template that worked (thanks, Dad!).

3.  Use your template to trace the cutout shape onto your scrapbook paper.

4.  Cut out the paper and make sure it fits around the clip hardware.  Trim your paper to the width of your clipboard.  I did not make my paper the whole length of the clipboard... I used a coordinating paper for the bottom.  Cut your coordinating paper to the correct width and length.

5.  To be extra fancy, you can use a rounded corner punch to make the corners match that of the clipboard.  You can also do this by hand if you do not have a corner punch.

After cutting your papers, lay them onto the clipboard exactly the way you want them to look.  Now is the time to do any trimming (before you glue).

6.  Now it is time to glue.  Using the foam brush, apply some Mod Podge to the clipboard.  I started with the bottom coordinating paper, before moving around the clip hardware.  I used an old credit card to smooth out any air bubbles.

(Do not worry about being super neat with the gluing.  The Mod Podge dries clear, and you will end up putting a top coat on.  So if you get a little messy, it's okay!)

7.  Work slowly and carefully.  For around the clip, I first put glue directly on the clipboard, and then laid my paper on top.  I glued small areas at a time, and smoothed out air bubbles as I went.

Occasionally, my paper would not lay nicely against the hardware, so I used a craft knife to trim the paper closer to the clip.

8.  Once you have glued and smoothed your paper, apply a generous layer of Mod Podge to seal the clipboard.  Make sure to get the edges and corners well-glued!

Once your clipboard is completely dry, cut the cable tie (watch your fingers!) and enjoy your new fancy-shmancy clipboard!  You will be the envy of your office place!

What are you doing to say "Thank you" to the people you work with?

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward

Memories, Memories...

Are you looking for a fun end of the year memory book for your students?  I found this one from Fourth and Ten.

Here are some of my students' memories from this year...

We went on a Field Trip to the Old Log Theater to see "Little Red Riding Hood".  

"My favorite memory of our field trip was when the wolf sat right next to us, and when we shook all of the characters' hands."

"Science was my favorite subject because we got to go to the Science Museum and we learned about bodies."  

(If you ever get a chance to see the Body Worlds exhibit, GO!  My students learned so much!)

"A lot of cool things happened to me in third grade, but one thing I'll never forget about third grade is when my teacher had bad luck!  She fell and had a big bump on her knee and her lunch fell and she touched a mouse."  (Yes, it's true... all of those things happened in one day!)

What are you doing to end the school year?  

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward

Carnival

Today was the Carnival at school!  

My class has been looking forward to this ALL year.  For a few hours in the afternoon, the kids had free reign of the school to play games and win prizes.  Parents and other family members came, too!

Kids could get popcorn and mini donuts... Yum!

 They could create Spin Art...

...get their faces painted...

...try to get a basket, shoot a goal in hockey, and kick a soccer ball...

...get their nails painted or get tattoos...

... And so many more fun games!

Does your school have any fun celebrations towards the end of the year?

Until next time,

-Miss Woodward