Life Lessons

Image from The Six Steps to Overcoming Adversity

The Internet is down at our house (we're switching plans) so I decided to go to our local coffee shop to work on lesson plans for the week and enjoy a Passion Tea Lemonade with a Peppermint Bliss Bar (compliments of my sweet class).  As I was sitting in one of the comfy chairs a young lady walked up to me and asked "Do you mind if I sit here?"  and I replied "Of course not!  Please, have a seat!"

This immediately made me think of what I am trying to teach my students on a daily basis - lessons they can use throughout life.  Instead of having a designated door holder, I teach my students how to hold the door for the person coming behind them and to say "thank you" and "you're welcome"  as they take hold of the door before going through.

Another life lesson we work on is choosing our seats.  I have a couch and ottomans that students can sit on during our whole group lesson. Needless to say, these are popular seats in my class. While students are gathering for our group, it is inevitable that someone will need to go back to their table for a pencil, a book, or something.  So as others join the group they should ask if someone was already sitting in one of those spots before they sit down. We practice saying things like "Excuse me, is someone sitting here?"  before taking a seat.

My goal is not to control who sits where, but to help them understand that kindness and respect goes a long way.   Do they always get it right?  No!  But we're working on it.

Now, thanks to a very polite stranger, I have a new phrase to share next week, "Do you mind if I sit here?"  I think that one will work well with choosing seats in the lunchroom, don't you?

A Poem About Reading: Today Was a Good Day!

I looked around my room today and what do you suppose I saw?

Children deeply engaged in reading. I was totally in awe!

Is it always like this, you might ask?

No, they're children, at times they get off task!

So exactly what do I do?

It's simple, I give them the freedom to choose

which books they want to read 

and where they want to sit.

Do I have to redirect them?
Certainly!

But on days when I look around and this is what I see,

I smile to myself and then I say . . .
Today was a good day!

Trust them to choose!

Don't judge my poetry skills. :-)

In Search of the Perfect Room Arrangement

"Teacher" Desk

When I moved to my new room, I also inherited a teacher desk, a nice new teacher desk by the way. . . with nice drawers.  I haven't used a traditional desk for years, but it was nice to have the drawer space.  So I kept it. . .  and felt guilt about the enormous amount of space it took up.

Then one day it hit me!  So I swapped the desk with one of the computer tables.  I put the student desktop computer on top of the teacher desk and it became a shared space.  The sign-out sheet is there and students use the desktop computer when they need to.  I have a little space on the left side plus I get to keep those drawers! Problem solved.

Now what to do with that extra computer table?  I couldn't just toss it. So I moved it to the front of the room (where I had my trapezoid table). Now I have enough space for both my laptop and my document camera.  I also gained extra space to work one-on-one with students at this table. Sweet!

Computer table

This is where my desk used to sit

I have 2 couches. I love the comfy feeling they give my room. Students are free to choose these spaces to enjoy a book or to complete assignments. One is in the whole group meeting area and the other is in the class library.  I thought I might have to give 1 away when I moved. As it turns out I was able to keep them both.

Reading Corner, but not really a corner

Whole group meeting space

Waiting Spot

I almost got rid of this worn out well loved puzzle seat.  I am so glad I didn't.  It is now the official "waiting spot". Let me explain.  I am adjusting to the fact that my little darlings are a bit more needy than my fifth graders.  I've even tried "Ask 3 before me", but it seems there are a few that always have something that needs my personal attention.  So now, when I am working with a group or an individual student and another student is "puzzled" and needs my attention, they sit on the puzzle piece and patiently wait.  I call them over as soon as I have a break.  This helps them and me.  I haven't been interrupted once since we started this.  It's only been 1 day, but what a difference a day  makes!

These are the major changes I've made in my room since school started.  Anyone who knows me knows I am always looking for the perfect room arrangement.  I think I may have found it . . . time will tell!

Update: I went to my room the other day (yes, it was during Fall Break) and moved a shelf to the end of that table behind the puzzle.   It made the writing supplies more accessible to the students and it gave me a little more space near that chart tablet to the right of the puzzle. I'll have to see how it works when the kids come back tomorrow.  I guess there is no such thing as the perfect arrangement after all!

Please tell me I'm not the only person who is always looking for a better solution and changing their room around?  Leave your comments below.