From Pinterest to Twitter

By Twitter via Wikimedia Commons

 By Pinterest  via Wikimedia Commons

Of all the Web 2.0 tools we’ve used this semester I believe there are two that I will definitely be using as a teacher, Pinterest and Twitter. I will mostly like be teaching between 4^th and 8^th grade and Pinterest has different ideas posted daily on how to complete different projects, different links for resources on how to reach out to students, organize the school day, organize meetings with parents, etc, so I’ll be able to remain creative in creating my lessons and be proactive in communication with parents. As far as Twitter I believe that this will allow me to keep the parents informed on a daily or weekly basis depending on the changes that are made in my class. Twitter is a tool that can be accessed on the phone or through the computer, whatever is available to that person, then there shouldn’t be a reason for there to be a lapse in communication. This tool also offers the option of notifications on your phone or through email when something new has been posted; the availability of this tool is why I selected it as my resource for parents. Both of the tools I selected can be used for different reasons, which is also why I selected them. If I’m creating a major project I can post samples that are found in Pinterest for parents to get ideas on how to assist students. I we have a busy week coming up in class with several things going on at once I can tweet about and respond to parent questions for all parents to see and follow up on with any additional questions.

Relationships

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As a teacher, I think it will be very important to form a relationship with each of your students as well as their parents. When you know your students well enough, you know what is normal for them and what is not. When you know the parents, you know what their expectations are or if they even care. My youngest son has the same teacher his brother had last year; so while she is getting to know my youngest this year, she already knows what I expect because she met me last year. My kids generally stay on task with their studies and are usually really excited about school. I recently received an email about my son and his current progress in class, what I remember most about the email is that his teacher stated "I know you have very high expectations for your sons", this meant a lot to me because it shows me that his particular teacher in spite of all she has to take care of still has the time to remember how to handle each parent individually, as well as each child. I hope that when I become a teacher I'm able to be the same way, I think it shows the parents and students that you actually pay attention and you're not just going through the motions. Especially when the student's behavior changes or they start to struggle academically, having this relationship will make addressing the issue easier. You'll have a background on what works with approaching the child and his or her parents. Parent/Teacher/ Student Relationship

Encouragement

Wikimedia Commons

As time is drawing near I learn more and more about the different requirements that are needed for me to become a certified teacher. Sometimes just thinking of all the different tests that are required can be overwhelming especially when I calculate the time that I’ve currently had to study. Knowing that there is a change coming up for the rules of the test just adds even more pressure! It made me think about students that I may encounter in my class, who don’t have family that encourages them when everything gets to be too much. I have my parents, husband, children, and friends even at my age who encourage and uplift me because they’re just as excited about me completing my goal. As a future educator I wonder if I’ll be able to recognize those students and give them the extra encouragement that they will need.  As a teacher you’re probably already encouraging your students, but it’s on a generalized level and that might be enough for some students but not all. I didn’t encounter many people growing up that I could identify in that situation, but as an adult, a parent, a teacher, you become more aware of people in your surroundings. I hope that throughout my journey I’m able to be one those teachers who said few words that made great change a student’s life. Encourage Students

 

Sneeze, Cough, Blow Nose, Repeat

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It's that time again, actually from the first week of school it always feels like it's that time, Flu season! How do teachers make it a whole school year without getting sick? I know some teachers can't, but it seems like the majority of them never get sick. This week both of my boys were out sick from school but I didn't get sick. I usually don't catch what they have because it's just the two of them and I tend to contain the problem before it spreads to everyone in the house. Two is easy to contain, what about 15-20 kids in a class that are taking turns each week being out sick, how do you survive that? I remember when I was in school the nurse could give us over the counter pain medication for a headache or Pepto for a stomachache, what happened to that? Having a note for prescribed medication was always a  must, but what happened to the school nurse’s supply of over the counters? Even something as simple as cough drop has to be signed in these days, what’s that about? In preparation of entering the never ending zone of germs, I hope that several cases of Lysol and tons of hand sanitizer will do the trick, it works at home, so hopefully it’ll carry me through!Cold & Flu

Drug and Alcohol Free

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In support of Red Ribbon week at my sons’ school I’m blogging about being drug and alcohol free. I think that the time is now to talk to our kids about being drug and alcohol free. My sons are only seven and eight but the other night we had an in depth conversation about this topic. They were actually the one who started the conversation, they were curious to know what exactly drugs and alcohol are and how are they’re harmful. By the end of our conversation my boys were thanking for explaining everything to them and I felt at ease knowing that they came to me and I hope that they always feel like they can come to me. I have a friend of nine years who had an addiction to pain killers; when I first met her I didn’t know that she had this problem. About a year into our friendship I realized that her “knee pain” was an addiction. This was my first time seeing firsthand the effects of drugs in a person’s life, the saddest part of the situation were her kids. Everyone sees movies or new stories, but not everyone gets to see the issue up close and personal. It took a car accident that gave a broken back in three places for her to become clean. The outcome could’ve been worse and many don’t get a second chance, I hope that for more than one week out the year, that parent are able to make their children aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol.Drug Free World

What Day Is It?

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What day is it? This is usually my thought on Wednesday, Hump Day. Yes I’ve made it over the hump, but is it Saturday yet? Can I finally sleep in? I’m sure it’s a common feeling for anyone who works long hours or has a full schedule throughout the week. This is not my first semester working full-time and going to school full-time. I’ve been there, done that; the only difference is that now I’m required to travel to campus for my classes. For the most part I’ve always just had online classes which gave me the option to complete my classes when I had time during the day and go to the library when I had time. With three classes a week on campus I have to wake up at 4:30am every day so that I’m able to put in the hours needed at work to make forty hours and put in my hours at school. I knew that as time went on I would have a different schedule for school and I was mentally prepared to accommodate it, but I never thought it would be like this. Some days I wonder how I’m still awake at any hour in the day because it seems like sleep is nowhere in my daily schedule! I guess I should look at it as preparation for my Master’s degree. Once I finish my Bachelors I’ll be teaching and still going to school for my Masters; hopefully I’ll be able to return to a flexible schedule that doesn’t require such long hours every day. I will definitely need to find some balance especially with the workload that comes with being a Special Education teacher.Time Management