#SOLSC15 Day 24

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

                                                              
"Hi Marcie,


My name is Colleen Clark and I’m the editor of Reading Today. It’s nice to “meet” you! I loved your answer to our question on Facebook about advice you’d give to a new teacher, and I’d like to include it on the next In Your Words page of the magazine. Do you have a headshot you can send me?


Please let me know as soon as you get a chance. Thanks!

Colleen Patrice Clark


Managing Editor, Reading Today | International Literacy Association
800 Barksdale Road | Newark, DE 19711"






To say this message caught me off guard is an understatement. I guess I had forgotten that I had even thrown my "two cents" into a Facebook discussion question from the ILA. How many times have we all responded to questions on Facebook? I typically only respond to legit organizations and I had vaguely remembered responding to something from ILA, but I couldn't recall any details. 

Upon opening this email, several things ran through my mind.


What did I say?


                      Was it the advice about three positive calls home? (Always my #1 go-to.)


Headshot? Do I even have one?


                                                                   Is this spam?



I responded back to see if this was a scam. She responded within the hour and I received confirmation that it was indeed the real deal. So I did what any teacher would do when you are looking for answers. I went straight to the school secretary. 

"Do we have a photo that is has just a headshot of me?" Our secretary looked at me kind of looked at me funny. "Like a school picture or my ID badge photo?" I figured I should elaborate a bit. I went on to explain (in a whisper voice) and she responded in a not-so-whisper voice. "Marcie! That's really awesome! You have to bring it in when you get it," she proclaimed loudly. "Shhhh!" I told her. She was beyond excited about the possibility of my comment being featured in the Reading Today magazine and electronically sent my photo to me. So why was I whispering? I actually don't know why?! Maybe because it felt kind of insignificant on the grand scale of life- I mean, it isn't like I wrote an article, submitted a story, or featured a new strategy. 

It was just a small piece of advice. 
Just a few words of wisdom. 

Words of wisdom that had been passed on to me over 15 years ago from my mentor teacher in my first student teaching placement:

Be sure to contact a family 2-3 times with positive news before you have to contact them with an academic or behavioral concern.

Reading this page of advice, I couldn't but say "Oh good one!" or "Yes, that's so true!" There's so much advice to give new teachers. Narrowing it down to just one piece of advice can be kind of tough. It makes me think about all the advice we once received at some point in our career. 

Those words from my mentor teacher from over 15 years ago have rung true each and every school year. Not only did she pass that advice on, but I've followed it every year and have always felt so good about taking time to call for positive pieces of our school day. I'm thankful she passed that and other tidbits of advice on to me. Words are powerful.

I also know...
Our words can stick. 
Our words can sting. 

Note to self:
Be positive.

Be kind.

Be encouraging.

Be realistic.

Be understanding.

How will your words linger one day?

#SOLSC15 Day 23

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

                                                              
Thanks to a co-worker, my son received his first desk this weekend. My friend has given us so much of his boys' items over the last several years: toys, clothes, shoes, coats, swim wear, and more. This desk is extra special because he made it by hand for his own sons. Now both of his sons have outgrown it and we are the lucky recipients.

Or should I say, this guy is...

It got me thinking back to my first desk. I had a fairly large bedroom, but the wall space was a bit tricky. So I ended up with a white corner desk and boy did I love it. For some reason I have a great memory of me sitting at my desk one time with the Cocktail soundtrack playing my cassette player. On the soundtrack was Kokomo from The Beach Boys. Back then, I would sit for hours in my bedroom with my tape player writing the lyrics down to song after song. I had awhile spiral notebook full of songs. Isn't it crazy we can just Google lyrics now? Type, type, type and click... seconds later we have the entire song right there. But, I think I still prefer my way. Listen. Stop  the cassette. Write. Play. Repeat.

Even though Michael was not listening to a cassette player at his desk, he certainly broke it in over this past weekend. There were many pictures made, even a card for his friend's birthday. It prompted my hubby and I to clean out our old desk on the third floor of our home. So, Michael scored some extra office supplies that my hubby and I were hoarding.

Yup. The day came where my little guy got his first desk. I hope he uses this space for magical fun for a long time, just like I did back then. 

#SOLSC15 Day 22

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

                                                              
I've Started a Bad Habit

It all starts with a quick check of the time.

Then...click

Facebook

Twitter

Email

Sale?

Click

I should pin this outfit. Click

Pinterest

Pin

Pin

Pin

Back to email

"Oh the new slice email is out!" I think to myself.

Click

One slice, two slice, click...click...click

Oh great idea for school

Open notes

Type

Oh that reminds me

Back to email

Brain racing

4:15am

Ugh...I feel too awake

But then 4:30

Yawn

Yawn 4:45

Eyes close...zzzzz

5:35 alarm



I shouldn't have checked the time at 4am.

Maybe my phone shouldn't charge beside me each night.
Perhaps across the room is best?

#SOLSC15 Day 21

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

                                                              
This is also doubling as a celebration post!!
Ruth Ayers invites us to participate in a Celebrate Link-Up on Saturdays. Click here to see what others are celebrating and maybe join in yourself, too! 
                              

Teachers United

Today I celebrate the amazing feeling of being united with fellow educators. I'll get the same in a week when I show up to Columbia University at Teachers College for the Saturday Reunion.

Thursday night, I spent time with some amazing co-workers. In New York State we have a big mess on our hands with our governor. Public education across our nation is being attacked and we aren't siting around any more.

It was so incredible to be in the midst of a sea of committed, passionate colleagues.

Some I knew...

 And some I didn't.

But at the end of the day, we know one thing is certain:

#SOLSC15 Day20

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

                                                              

(Inspired by  Leigh Anne's post from Wednesday)

Yesterday I modified this to describe my best friend since it was her birthday. Today I thought I'd use it to describe me :-)

i am passionate about....well... everything 

i keep handwritten cards, mementos, and notes to myself

i wish i could document everything about my boys because I love this time in my life 
i love jewelry, shoes, purses, bags, my dog, books, and music

i dance whenever given an opportunity-or I will create the opportunity if it is not there ;)

i sing along to P!nk, The Script, Kelly Clarkson, Imagine Dragons, OAR, Keith Urban...

i think I'm spending too much time on work this year, but feel so addicted

i really must confess that I love to watch Mob Wives 

i need to get back to scheduling date nights with my hubby

i should put my phone down more often (I'm working on this)

i can see through the messy lines of conflict

i like to host game nights and have people in my home

i make a great Common Core 'tini 

i always wanted to join a hockey team

#SOLSC15 Day 19

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

                                                              

(slightly modified from Leigh Anne's post yesterday to fit my description of my best friend)

My Best Friend...

is my opposite twin

keeps me grounded

wishes we had less miles in between us

loves my family as if it were her own

dances into my day when I need it most

sings my praises 

thinks simplicity is best

really knows my roots

needs to be spoiled 

should be on her way to NY in about 10 days!

can predict my actions, thoughts, and words

likes to keep it real (which makes me laugh)

makes herself at home (something only true friends can do)

always will have my story

(and I'm adding one)

gets me

Today I celebrate Jessica, her birthday, and our 30 years of friendship. 

#SOLSC15 Day 18

Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers and the Slice of Life writing community for providing this opportunity to share our "slices." Thanks to Stacey, Anna, Beth, Tara, Dana and Betsy for creating a place for us to share our work. Check out the other slices and join in the fun!

 My Love/Hate Relationship with Technology

On Monday, a brilliant idea popped into my head on the way back from Kindergarten. I don't even realize it, but I'm always thinking of ideas to support our teachers even when I think I'm focused on other things. 

Each day I teach for an hour in our Kindergarten intervention program. As I walked down the hallway on Monday to return to my classroom/office, it came to me.

This year our district adopted a phonological assessment at K and 1 to be administered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. It is an area of our instruction that we've been working really hard at improving. We've spent some time professionally developing our staff, we've worked in a study group together, and we continue to meet as grade levels to work on Action Plans using data from our assessments. After our Winter scores came out, we were happy with the growth, but had not stacked up to well when compared to the other four elementary schools. Disheartening to say the least, but we didn't give up. Since then, we've kicked things up a notch and are tightening up our instruction. 

That's when the Movenote idea popped into my head. As literacy coach, I could use Movenote to send a demo lesson each week to our K and 1 teachers. Our district is in the process of piloting Fundations. Up until now, we've been using a combination of Words Their Way, F&P, Systematic Phonics and Making Words lessons. From now until the end of the year, we committed as a group to using the F&P Phonics Lessons. It is hard for some teachers to get into the mindset that this resource doesn't have to be so time intensive after all. We can work smarter, not harder. Before becoming literacy coach, I spent the last four years using it in my classroom and absolutely loved it. I've used the 1st and 2nd grade one and now this year I've gotten a chance to use the K one. Again, I love this resource.

So, in an effort to make things a little easier on the teachers, I decided I'd try to make a Movenote showing a sample lesson that supports one of our subsets on the phonological assessment. I set up an account and waited for an account verification email. Ten minutes later it arrived. I was a bit annoyed it was instantaneously in my inbox, but I carried on. (We are a society of instant rewards, aren't we? Yikes). Then, I videoed myself highlighting the lesson features and when I went to send it, it was gone. Frustrated I called upon my principal and Library Media Specialist to help. We couldn't figure it out over the phone so after misplacing my F&P book, I spent 20 minutes trying to regroup and look for my book.  I decided I'd have to video it all over. This time I couldn't get it to share or upload. After walking away, driving home, and trying it again I was able to make it happen. Finally I sent it out.  Phew!

Hoping this will be a helpful way to save our teachers time, model how to use a new resource, and support our efforts with improving our phonological instruction with the help of technology.

I love to take advantage of technology, but sometimes it requires a lot of patience. What I could of had done in 10 minutes on my iPhone video took me an hour to sort out.