One Month To Go...

Exactly one month from today, my students will come to the classroom for their first day of third grade.  This thought is incredibly exciting for me, but also a little alarming!  I have one month left to prepare for the 18 (or so) kiddos who will begin their third grade adventure with me, and there is still so much to do!

I'd like to share a little about what will happen over the next few weeks for those of you who are unfamiliar with summer from a teacher's point of view.  At the end of each school year, teachers are asked to pack up their entire classroom so it can be thoroughly cleaned.  If you walked into my classroom right now, you would see some furniture arranged haphazardly around the room and lots of boxes.  My cabinets, which are usually highly-organized, are stuffed full of items.  Over the next few weeks, one of the many jobs I will have is to unpack everything and organize it for the upcoming school year.  This in itself is a huge job, and while it is fun, it is also very tiring. 

Besides preparing my classroom's physical appearance, I must think about the instruction that will take place during the first few days of school.  All summer long I have gathered ideas and materials to use during the beginning of the school year, and during these last few weeks, my job is to work to make it happen.  My third grade team and I will pull together resources and plans to make the beginning of the year a special and successful time.  During this month, my mind will likely be in overdrive as I try to implement all the ideas I've gathered over the summer.

Finally, I will put the finishing touches on my classroom.  Name labels will be placed on student cubbies, desks, binders, notebooks, and bulletin board pieces.  Eye-catching displays will be created to welcome the students to their year in third grade.  The class library will be organized and labeled so students can find what they are looking for as easily as possible.  In anticipation for the big day, I will spend hours making sure everything in my classroom looks as perfect as possible.  In short, there is still a lot to do before I am ready for my kiddos to come through the doors in my classroom in one month.

While I prepare for the upcoming school year as a teacher, it is also time to help your students prepare for the start of school.  Here are some tips on ways to start getting ready for the big day.

1. Go ahead and buy needed school supplies.  This goes more smoothly if done prior to the night before school starts.
2. Get your child back into their bedtime routine for school.  This will help students adjust to early mornings more easily.
3. Check and update school records.  Contact the office at DRE to check your child's school records and make any needed changes.  This will lessen the paperwork sent home during the first few days of school.
4. Brush up on academic skills.  Encourage your child to read frequently and practice those addition, subtraction, and multiplication (if they know them) facts.  This will prevent them from becoming overwhelmed at the beginning of the year.
5. Plan to attend the Open House at your child's school.  This lets you become familiar with the child's new teacher and gives you a chance to voice any concerns for or questions about the upcoming year.  Our Open House will be on Thursday, August 4th beginning at 5:00.

Good luck and happy preparations!

Supply List for Third Grade

As the new school year approaches, it is time to purchase school supplies. Attached below is the third grade supply list for the 2011-2012 school year.  If possible, please purchase the supplies prior to the start of school.  Supplies may be dropped off during the open house or sent with students on the first day of school.  The list includes all items needed for the entire school year.  I understand that you may have other students in need of school supplies, and I know that shopping can be expensive as well as time-consuming.  By providing this list early, I hope to minimize this stress.  Please feel free to discuss any particular issues with me or the Family Resource Center.


Only one month until school begins!


Click here to access the third grade supply list.

Turning Captions/Subtitles on in Windows Media Player

Microsoft Office has several options available to assist students who have special needs.  Recently, I discovered a way to help students who may have difficulty hearing listen to videos or media files.  If a Windows Media file or DVD has captions or subtitles, you can follow these steps to show them in Windows Media Player.

1. First, open Windows Media Player by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Media Player.
2. If the Player is currently open and you’re in Now Playing mode, click the Switch to Library button in the upper-right corner of the Player.
3. Click the Play menu, point to Lyrics, Captions, and Subtitles, and then click On if Available.
4. If the Play menu isn't visible, you'll need to show the menu bar. To do so, click Organize, point to Layout, and then select Show menu bar.
5. Begin playing a file or DVD that contains captions or subtitles. Subtitles appear on top of DVD videos, while captions appear below the video portion of Windows Media Video (WMV) files.

The directions can seem a bit confusing at first, so if you have questions, please ask me. I wasn't very familiar with using the new version of Windows Media Player, so it took a while for me to find the different areas. If you are having trouble with a step, first check the next step to see if it tells you what to do. For example, for some parts you have to change the view you are in before the buttons or menus you need are available.  Good luck!

This information was found at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Show-captions-or-subtitles-in-Windows-Media-Player

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Last night I went to Wal-Mart with a good friend of mine.  As we walked into the store, we almost exploded with excitement.  The school supplies were out!  I know it sounds incredibly dorky, but I LOVE school supplies!  When I see the school displays in Wal-Mart, it is a reminder for me that school will be starting before I know it.  Though I really am enjoying my summer break, a small part of me is ready to meet my new kiddos and start teaching again.

My friend and I meandered through the aisles, picking up crayon boxes, examining notebooks, and smelling crayons (you know you have done it, too!).  We were thrilled with the low prices of markers, pencils, and glue sticks, and commented on which pens we prefer.  It was like being a kid in a toy store.  Already, I was imagining students walking through my classroom doors, with backpacks full of supplies and nervous/excited smiles on their faces.  It truly made me happy. 

As if that experience were not wonderful enough, I stopped by a Michael's store today with my mom and sister.  We were in search of some crafts for our church's Vacation Bible School, but my attention drifted as I spied a sign reading, "Welcome, Teachers!".  Immediately, I headed in that direction and began looking at border, bulletin board displays, and stickers.  I found an entire section devoted to Dr. Seuss's books and characters, so I spent several minutes perusing through those items.  After spending quite some time looking through the various school-related items, I realized I was probably needed by the craft search committee I had deserted near the entrance.  Though I left the store without buying any supplies, I made a mental note to come back later when I was by myself so I could spend an adequate amount of time selecting needed items.  I'm already excited about the return trip!

So if you happen to be in a Wal-Mart tonight and notice a person staring in awe at the aisles of school supplies, please don't judge them...they are probably just teachers who have caught a little glimpse into their own personal heaven.

The Not-So-Lazy Days of Summer...

As an educator, I am accustomed to hearing comments about how we are lucky to have our summers off to do as we please.  While this is a great perk of this profession, it is not entirely true.  This summer has been full of relaxing personal experiences for me so far.  I've gone on vacation with my family to the beach, spent much-needed time with family and friends, and slept in a little as well.  Contrary to public opinion, however, I have not completely forgotten about teaching for a few months of complete relaxation.

A significant portion of this summer is being spent on "teacher" activities as well as personal ones.  I'm currently taking two graduate classes to work toward earning my Master's Degree.  Imagine the great struggle within me as I sat reading articles and posting to forums on my laptop while at the beach.  I only wish I had taken pictures to document... 

Besides working on my graduate classes, I am also continually preparing for my new class this fall.  I have already thought of dozens of ideas I would love to use during the next school year, and am planning the best way to implement these ideas into my classroom.  I am also beginning to determine the best layout for my classroom this year and numerous classroom decorations have caught my eye.  More than a dozen new, highly useful websites have come to my attention lately (due to one of those graduate classes I am taking!), and my mind is swirling with ways to use them for my students.  I cannot count the number of dreams I have had already where I am preparing for my incoming class, full of new students, challenges, and adventures.

My point in writing this is that every adventure takes planning time.  My adventure may only seem to take place from August to May, but the planning time takes up most of June and July.  In addition, planning occurs on a day-to-day basis for teachers, as we adjust to the many variables in our classrooms, including, but not limited to, unanticipated interruptions and differences in student abilities.  So the next time you hear a teacher talking about how hard he or she works, please remember that though they may have summers "off", they are still hard-at-work preparing for their next adventure.