Technology and Value-Added Woes....

Boy, these two things have been taking up ALL OF MY TIME!!! It's hard to think that we only have 12 weeks of school left...the equivalent of SUMMER! Before I know it SUMMER will be here.

I have really been enjoying my students this year. We just received a HUGE donation from BP in which the Math and Science classes in 6th and 7th grades each received a BRAND NEW PROMETHEAN BOARD AND ALL OF THE DOO DADS THAT GO WITH IT!!! I am in HEAVEN! The activexpressions [or berries as we call them] are FABULOUS. My students are engaged 110% of the time now...always ready to come up to the board or use the berries to let me know what they do or don't know. Which is all fabulous since I am a part of the new teacher evaluation pilot program which will be linked to our value added score. JOY. I have been doing nothing but work, work, work for this. I tell you what, if I were just starting college I would NOT go into education. It is for single people only....no extra time to do ANYTHING [hence the long time it took for me to post again]! I do LOVE teaching though....would not do anything else. It's in my BLOOD! :)

Well, I will try to post more later. I'd really like to tell you all that my students and I have been doing in the classroom. We have some GOOD STUFF to share!!! Until then, check into writing a grant for the new Promethean board and the activexpressions 2....after all they are SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

PS...Shout out to Karrie Simons-Garner from Pinterest!!! Holla!!!!

Flower Pens in Cans...

Near the first day of school a friend of mine game me an ink pen that had a sunflower taped to it. I LOVED IT! Then it dawned on me after about a month of school with my students that my pencil-borrowing/sharpening procedures took up too much valuable class time. So, I went to Wally World and bought some cute fake daisies and some polka dotted duck tape that matched my room. I made enough pens so that each student could have one when they were in my class. The pens were placed in recycled and decorated vegetable cans in the middle of my tables. Well, that was three months ago last Friday and I still had all of them!!! I wound up pulling from my reward ticket jar and allowed those students who's names were drawn to pick one for themselves. They loved it and needless to say, I gained back those valuable minutes and learned that I could trust my students.

So, today I am making new Christmas themed pens and cans. These are much cuter and sure to provide great behavior/participation motivation to earn tickets in hopes of taking these home the day we let out for Christmas break. Here's a picture:

These are really easy to make: Just get a bunch of artificial flowers, cut them about an inch and a half below the flowers. Use the duck tape to tape them on the opposite end of the point. VOILA! I used the left over tape to tape the cans, the top edge also. I also added ribbons and those sticky/reflective mailbox numbers [to identify tables]. Imagine how CUTE my room will look with these!!!

Go ahead and make some....after all, they are SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

Mr. Parr...YOU are the Science King!!!!

I have stumbled upon a science song master! About a month or so ago, I was looking for a song to use with the ABC Brainstorming Method at the start of my states and changes of matter unit. [I love using songs in class especially songs that lend themselves to content related lyrics!] Anyway, I went to YouTube as I usually do and found this AMAZING 6th grade Science teacher named Mr. Parr who apparently over the summer penned and recorded MULTIPLE science content songs to current song instrumentals. He even sounds like the original artists!!! I think I went on a favorites marking spree so that I don't lose the links!

Mr. Parr, if you happen to follow this blog, check out my density song to the Barbie Girl tune...I'm sure you can do WONDERS with it!!!

Go ahead everybody, check him out...after all, Mr. Parr is officially SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

WOW....TIME FLIES when you are REALLY BUSY!!!!

Jeez! It seems like forever since I have blogged and I guess I need to do it a little bit more! It's just that I am sooooo busy [aren't we all?!?!] !!!! Anyway, the past couple of months have been very productive. My students and I have been observed constantly by school and district administration, other teachers, a consulting group, AND myself [I have a funny to share when I get to it!]. My school is going through what is being called "the 2nd Cycle" of consultation. This is not by all means because we are in need of assistance....our scores have consistently improved by LEAPS AND BOUNDS since 2005....YAY! Our district just decided they would get a consulting group to observe and let us know what needs to be improved. So, we have someone coming into our school about 2 times a month to formally observe various classrooms and complete walk-throughs to make sure we "walk our talk" ... which we do FABULOUSLY!

I'm also in the final stages of completing my Master's degree in Educational Leadership which finds me having a lot of reflections, power points, and paperwork to complete. Here is where the funny comes in. I had to video myself teaching to conduct formal observations of myself from a leader's point of view. After watching almost 5 class periods of very engaged students, I get to the end of my last class and what do I see????? As my back was turned [I know....NEVER TURN YOUR BACK] a student walked up behind me, did the booty-slap dance....you know motioning he was "slapping that ____" back and forth with his hand and body swaying as if music were playing, and I never noticed!!!! The other students from his table & the rest of the class for that matter didn't even respond to it!!!! Man....what happened to the eyes behind my head????? LOL....I know, it IS funny....but very inappropriate....LOL!!! Of course it was handled and I don't think he will be acting up in my class again. Also....that was not so SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED....LOL!

Also, I did take the school leader licensure test and PASSED with a better score than I could have ever imagined!!!! I was so worried because I had to hand write 7 constructed response answers that were very VERY detailed with handwriting I will describe as "chicken-scratch". LOL! Anyway....I am graduating in December....YAY!!!!

Ok....I promise my next entry will be soon....I just had to start with all of this since it was taking all my time!!!

No....I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth!

I am here. I have been so very busy with school, grad school, foot issues, and my overwhelming sadness due to the loss of a most BELOVED brother-in-law. Let's just say there is not enough time in the day to do all of the things that need to be done. Needless to say, I am hanging in there.

I have however, for the past few weeks, been teaching Unit 2 of our comprehensive curriculum which finds me and my students having fun with matter....measuring it in all sorts of ways. I think my students are mostly enjoying the fact that each day brings out new equipment and instruments to master using. They have especially loved using the triple beam balance....mainly since I so desperately wanted to make certain they could explain thoroughly how and why it is used that I had them write letters to our assistant principal explaining so. They did a FABULOUS job and he sooo got a kick out of the letters.

We have also been visited by he-who-will-not-be-named a few times. Just for the record, he..... is visiting our classrooms this year to make sure we are teaching well and that the students are constantly engaged. Which equates to my sore feet and early bedtimes. None-the-less, I am having more fun this year than ever.

One of my new SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED management procedures is the use of wonderful little cones I found at the Dollar Tree as recommended by my AWESOME friends from http://www.proteacher.net/. I have 7 orange cones and 1 yellow cone that all have a positive message like "Great Job" and "Fabulous Work" on them. Well, as my students [who by the way sit 4 to a round table which I know I have yet to post pics of my classroom] work in and with their groups on various activities and projects, I walk around monitoring and questioning as all good teachers do with these in my hands looking for the teams that are  Cooperative, On-task, Noiseless, & Efficient. Their main goal is to earn the coveted lone yellow cone to be recongnized as the CONEiacs. The coniacs of course earn a prize, too, which is usually some sort of treat to eat right there in class. I must admit that I really love this even more this year because the first time he-who-will-not-be-named visited our room with my three administrators they were all impressed by how well this worked. YAY US!

Well, it is really past my bedtime....I have the big SLLC test this weekend...wish me luck! :)

UPDATED....YAY!!!!

Well....after 5+ hours, I thoroughly updated my class site...especially the SCIENCE FAIR page. In the past I think I just found stuff on the net and tweaked it to my needs and just slapped it on there. This go 'round, I actually took the time to walk through the whole entire process as I would teach it to my 6th graders...really, really tweaking it to fit just right. I've even included a WHOLE [made up of course] dummy project down to the graphs and conclusion. Also included are new downloads and links that specify and clarify HOW to do certain parts. I must say I am proud of myself!

Now, crossing my fingers and hoping that my little scientists take advantage of all my hard work and complete their Science Fair projects like Science Fair projects are meant to be done....with the UTMOST FUN possible!!!! After all....Science Fair project FUN is Science Diva Certified!

Science Fair Prep....

Well....let the Science Fair lessons begin! Actually, they have been going on for quite some time. Teaching 6th graders the steps in the process is very fun, but kind of like pulling teeth. They really haven't had any experience thus far making my "play dates" even more challenging. But we are all up for it! Of course I am using the scaffold that I blogged about earlier. It really breaks the Scientific Method down for them. This past week it seems like I dreamed about qualitative & quantitative observations/data, controls, independent & dependent variables, purposeful question construction, and writing awesome hypotheses every night! I certainly hope that my teaching efforts and my students practicing efforts pay off!!! I certainly can see the little gears in their minds churning and their parents scratching their heads wondering how the heck to thelp them!!! LOL!

So, with the help of each class, we created simple guidelines for writing purposeful questions and good hypotheses. Hopefully you all can use these, too. I did tell my students when "we" were writing the quidelines that they were not for them, of course, but for their parents. They LOVED that!

I know that I have yet to post pictures of my FABULOUS new classroom which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I will attempt to remember to take pictures this week and include them in one of the next posts.

Until then, be the spark in your students' minds to have them think Science all the time! :) Oh, don't forget the two guidelines...after all, they are SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!

Sorry that I have been gone so long, but school started and I have been on my feet teaching, teaching, teaching! I have been so tired from using up all of my energy that I come home and zonk out! BUT....I absolutely LOVE what I do so it's all good! My goal is to post at least twice a week from here on out! Keep your fingers crossed!!!! :))))

List is Shrinking....

Ok, so the other day I posted a list of over 25 things that I needed to do in/for my classroom. Well needless to say I did get there at 7am on Friday and was able to knock out a few things after having been sidetracked for about 2 hours doing other things [which by the way were very important!]. I still have a lot to do....jeesh! BUT I will get it all done...I think I will lock myself in there on Monday.:)

1. tape cords to floor/secure to wall
2. organize books and junk on tables
3. clean tables and shelves and board, etc...
4. bring needed bins from old room
5. place big bins on ledge
6. print out rules/consequences and make posters for display
7. make signs for cougar cards
8. request and organize team supplies
9. make and hang team number signs over tables
10. finish covering tin cans with polka dot tape
11. stick curtains to window/carts/shelf
12. hang bulletin board and periodic table
13. decorate 8 bulletin boards [scientifically speaking, scientist of the week, science fair]
14. hang banner above door
15. decorate door ???
16. hang string/clothes pins on outside wall and blank wall in class for student work display
17. make homework and i can signs for white board
18. finish updating website [www.tinyurl.com/jnaccio]
19. update welcome power point and convert to flip chart
20. play with activ board [gotta have some fun somehow!]
21. write lesson plans
22. move important binders to shelf behind teacher cart
23. run off needed materials
24. make inside covers for yellow folders
25. edit test folder/conduct sheets
26. ???????

My name is The Science Diva and I'm a Procrastination Junkie!

Wow....where has summer gone???? Right now I am sitting in my big comfy chair in my house instead of working in my classroom that so desperately needs it! Just look at this mess:

Is it a lack of motivation? No. Is it a profound sense of laziness? No, not really. Well what is it you ask? I really can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's that I'm so used to procrastinating that I have to feel rushed to get it done and feel good about it. THAT'S IT...I'm a procrastination junkie!!!! I know I have to clean it...it is very dusty and grimy in there. The chairs are around the tables, not on top any more. BUT, the tables are piled HIGH with stuff I don't want to just shove anywhere and will probably just get rid of because I haven't used it in years! I've already gotten rid of a file cabinet and the junk in it, some carts, a chair, and even a metal cabinet that I used to store my fun stuff in.... I DON'T WANT THE CLUTTER! 

But now, here I sit blogging in my big comfy chair exactly 1 week before I have to report for duty to sit all day and listen and learn. I guess my derrier will be up with the roosters tomorrow so I can get in there and knock something off of this  LOOOOONG list of things that still need to be done:

1. tape cords to floor/secure to wall
2. organize books and junk on tables
3. clean tables and shelves and board, etc...
4. bring needed bins from old room
5. place big bins on ledge
6. print out rules/consequences and make posters for display
7. make signs for cougar cards
8. request and organize team supplies
9. make and hang team number signs over tables
10. finish covering tin cans with polka dot tape
11. stick curtains to window/carts/shelf
12. hang bulletin board and periodic table
13. decorate 8 bulletin boards [scientifically speaking, scientist of the week, science fair]
14. hang banner above door
15. decorate door ???
16. hang string/clothes pins on outside wall and blank wall in class for student work display
17. make homework and i can signs for white board
18. finish updating website [www.tinyurl.com/jnaccio]
19. update welcome power point and convert to flip chart
20. play with activ board [gotta have some fun somehow!]
21. write lesson plans
22. move important binders to shelf behind teacher cart
23. run off needed materials
24. make inside covers for yellow folders
25. edit test folder/conduct sheets
26. ???????

OMG....25+ THINGS TO DO!!!! I do believe that is all I can think of for now...WHEW.....all I know is that once I am done I will blog about it and post pics and things I find from my school computer that are SCIENCE DIVA CERTIFIED!