Checking In

Hello Blogging Friends!!!

    I wanted to check in and let everyone know that I am missing my blogging world!  This weeks marks my third week back to school already!  We have been having a lot of fun and I have SO much to share.  Unfortunately, while I was at school my house was broken into and my house was robbed.  My computer was one of the items that was stolen from me :(  This means that I will now have to purchase a much better computer though.  So, I guess that is a good thing, right?  I look forward to sharing some of our learning adventures with everyone just as soon as I can!  For now I am doing my blog stalking via smartphone!  

DIY Story Case

This year I am teaching in a multi-age, project based classroom and am SO excited about this change of pace!  Our school year theme is "Rivers" and the first quarter projects will be based on river systems and body systems.  I am leading the body system projects.  

So, today I am working on making some felt body organs as part of my anticipatory set for the projects.  Using felt made me remember this super cute idea that I made for a creative story telling class that I took in college and I had to stop what I was doing and blog about it!  We made these story cases out of old VHS cases.  

I am thinking that I can also have my students use this same concept as book reviews, retelling of a story, making up their own story...etc.  

Start with an old VHS tape case.  {Does anyone remember these?)  You can have families donate them or even ask your local video store for donations.  You could also use the thin plastic baby wipe cases. 

Cover the outside of the case with felt for a background for the story.  This could be a great way to tie in "setting".  Students could make different props to change the setting.  They could make mountains, ponds, castles...etc.  

This is the one I made in college.  It is a simple blue for the sky and some green for grass.  

The characters and other pieces are stored inside the case.  

In a traditional classroom setting this could be a project that students could work on when they finish their regular work early.  Have the materials available in a work station for students to create their story case, characters and story pieces.

Some supplies to have available for students would be:

* vhs cases

* felt

* scissors 

* googley eyes

* glue

* feathers

* gems

Students can tell their story to a friend while placing the characters onto the setting.  Their friend could practice retelling the story trying to remember the important details.  They could make up different beginnings, middles, and endings to the stories.  You could have students practice all of the story elements with this one student made manipulative.  

You can keep all of the finished cases in one place and let the students use them throughout the year or let them take them home.  So fun!  

      

What other ways can you think of for students to use these story cases?

  

Crate Seat Makeover

Last summer I jumped on the crate seat bandwagon and my hubby helped me make six super cute crates.  The crates were donated and we had scrap wood.  I used a left over piece of plywood that my husband had.


One reason why I like the seat crates is because they are a simplified example of one of the permaculture principles which is "stacking functions".  Instead of only using the crates as storage you reuse some old plywood and make them much more versatile.  You can also use as seats, put them together and take a snooze on them, sit on the floor and use them as a little table, as a step stool...etc.


Last year I used regular cotton fabric and even took the time to sew cute little handle strips out of one of my favorite leaf patterned fabric.  This was a learning experience for sure.  DO NOT USE REGULAR COTTON FABRIC  The cotton fabric didn't hold up and I wasn't able to wash them very well.  Needless to say, by the end of the year they were pretty much disgusting.  They were filthy, someone even smashed a PB&J into one!  Yuck! 

So, I decided to recover them with a oil slicker fabric.  Yep, USE OIL SLICKER FABRIC INSTEAD :)  It's kinda like a cheap table cloth type material, which you could also use, you know how I like reusing!  I didn't have an old table cloth so I bought the slicker fabric.  It is slick so that you can easily wipe it off with a wet rag.  Then I used some ribbon for the handle to save on time and because the ones that I sewed just got all wrinkled and sloppy looking.  


I found the cutest owl fabric at Joann's.  Does everyone know that you can get a teacher discount card there for 15%?  I love those teacher discounts!!!

I have really low light in my house today because it is monsoon season here in the southwest.  I'm not complaining though, I have been LOVING these afternoon rain showers!

For a tutorial on how to make the seats go visit Rachelle @ What The Teacher Wants and see her post from last summer!

I think they turned out pretty dang cute, don't you think?!

In other news, my husband and I celebrated our third anniversary yesterday!  It is so nice to be living together again!  

  

Monday Made It

    Last summer I purchased this little hardware organizer at a yard sale for $1.  I bought it from a retired teacher who used it for word work.  I wanted to turn it into a supply organizer.  I finally got around to it today!  Yay!

This is not my original idea.  You guessed it, I saw it on pinterest!  Mrs. Rojas has a super cute blog and she wrote a tutorial for this project.  She is also sharing her labels.  

   

 Here is how mine turned out.  I love it!  I can't wait to put it in my new classroom!  

  

You can download the labels here.

I am linked up with Tara and 150+ other bloggers at 4th Grade Frolics for the Monday Made It!  Go check it out.  There are so many fun projects to see!!!

A Must Read

This is a must read for all teachers!!

Run, don't walk to your local book store or library to get your copy :)

My new partner teacher lent me this book:  

  

I haven't been able to put it down all day, until I just finished the last page.  Then, I rushed to the computer to tell my teacher-blogger friends about it!  I'm guessing a lot of you have already read this.  It must be a popular book.  I don't know how I hadn't read it already!  I was laughing within the first two pages and crying soon after that.  Rafe Esquith is an incredibly dedicated and inspiring teacher, not to mention an entertaining writer.  He is known for teaching and producing Shakespearean-Rock plays with the students at the elementary school where he has taught for many years.  The students in his classroom go on several trips and he does a great job explaining what his students learn from these experiences.  He wants his students to become Level 6 thinkers, which is when people have a personal code of behavior and they follow it.  He calls this the Atticus Finch Level.  He has been awarded many prestigious awards including the National Medal of the Arts.  He is the only teacher in history to ever receive this award!  Now that's impressive!       

Among many other things, he gives his students the opportunity to learn how to problem solve, manage money, become musicians, perform, and serve their communities.  I am so glad I read this book, you should read it too!

Has anyone already read this book?  What did you think?  Have you been successful at using what you have learned from it in your classroom? 

I made this little, tiny, mini-poster of the steps of problem solving that are in the book by Rafe Esquith.  I also used these steps with the Saxon math program!  

This is an excellent resource to teach your students the steps to problem solving.  Use it as an anchor chart, during small groups or at any teachable moment!

{Click on the picture to grab your copy for free!)

Fonts and graphics are from Diane J. Hook, djinkers.com

Peace Begins With Me {Freebie}

The last month has been full of changes and little miracles.  I accepted a job at a small school outside of Santa Fe and will be partner teaching with project based learning in a multi-age classroom!  I am so excited for this new adventure and feel very blessed for the opportunity!  My husband has been living in Santa Fe since September studying to become a Doctor of Oriental Medicine.  So he came home to Utah and we packed up my classroom (not a small task!) and home and we drove all of our stuff down to Santa Fe!      


As June was approaching I was searching for some kind of learning opportunity for myself.  Something that I could use to better myself, my family and my community.  For the last six years I have dedicated the month of June as a time for spiritual growth and have gone into the mountains of New Mexico with 2,000 yogi friends from around the world for a Yogic immersion.  This year I decided I wanted to do something a little bit different...




 I truly believe that.....

and was looking for another way to contribute to the healing of the people and planet. During my free time much of my energy during the last eight years has gone to living and breathing Kundalini Yoga in search of an inner peace/healing and spiritual experience.  I certainly did find that in my practice and am eternally grateful for the dedication and commitment I found through the process.     

Lately though the intellectual side of me has been leaning toward learning about sustainable practices.  I have been interested in sustainable living for a long time because I believe that a strong force in the disharmony of the world is in part because of the unsustainable culture that most, including myself, have bought into.  

I've wanted to learn ways that I can decrease my negative environmental impact on the planet and the passion for this knowledge lead me to a little/big intentional community known as the Lama Foundation.  

I spent two weeks at the Lama Foundation learning about Permaculture ethics, principles and practices and becoming certified in Permaculture Design.

What is permaculture?

Permaculture is an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human endeavor. It teaches us how to build natural homes, grow our own food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities and much more.  

This was the classroom at Lama that I shared with 25 other souls from around the country.

     Our teacher was Scott Pittman.  A very knowledgeable man who has been practicing and teaching Permaculture Design for many years.  I found out about the course through The Permaculture Institute.  His wife Arina has a beautiful and informative blog on sustainable living: lotsoflifeinoneplace.blogspot.com 

Each day began with a meditation practice in the prayer room.  At Lama they call this "The Sit'.  You are welcome to use any type of meditation practice that you know or you can just sit.  I chose to do the meditation for a Calm Mind and Strong Nerves that I have been practicing for a few months now.  They have a very beautiful space dedicated to the sit.  We also used this room for a special global meditation during the Venus Transit.    

The water for the shower at Lama is heated with a solar water heater and the grey water feeds a greenhouse.  There is bamboo and other plants growing in planters surrounding the shower.  It is a lot like showering in a jungle!

  

The residents at Lama were so hospitable and loving.  A big thank you to everyone at Lama for making my stay so spectacular!  

I learned SOOOOOO much during the Permaculture Design Course!  I am so inspired to integrate Permaculture ethics and practices into my life and teaching style and to be able to share this with you, through this blog, because together we really can make a change for a better future for all living creatures on this sacred Earth.

I have made some posters to use in my new classroom of the ethics of permaculture which are:  

* Care for the Earth.

* Care for the People.

* Care for the Future.

{Click on the picture to snag your FREE copy}

Leave me some love if you download the posters, and let me know what you intend to do and are already doing to leave this world a better place!

Oviparous and Viviparous Animals, A Creative Movement/Yoga Sorting Activity {Freebie}

I have been invited to guest teach at a school near Santa Fe, New Mexico tomorrow.  I am currently visiting my husband in Santa Fe.   Can you believe it is snowing here in April?!  I am SO excited to guest teach!  I was asked to lead the children's yoga part of their morning routine.  I wanted to to integrate some science and reading skills into the lesson since I only get a half hour to teach my new friends!  This is what I came up with...


Firstly, I was inspired by this book that I just adore.  I don't think I'll have time to read it to them but I am going to take it with me just in case!

I am going to talk to the kiddos about oviparous and viviparous animals.  Oviparous animals are those that lay eggs that mature in their environment.  Viviparous animals give birth to live babies.  


I bought some plastic eggs and made little animal tags to go in each one.  Some of the animals are oviparous and others are viviparous.  Each student will take a turn cracking an egg and reading the animal to the class.  Then I will show them the yoga move for each animal.  You can do this with your class too.  Even if you don't know the yoga posture for each animal you can just let your students make up a silly movement for each animal.  They'll love it and movement is good for the heart!

After we do the yoga movement we will sort the animal into either the oviparous or viviparous container.  My new friends will get to practice classifying!


I found the containers, eggs and the basket at Joann'f for 50% off today!  
Did you know that Joann's offers a 15% discount to teachers?!  I used that as well!

Of course I will need to use some management strategies tomorrow.  How else would I be possibly be able to choose one of my new friends to pick the next egg?  

I saw this idea on pinterest over the summer... from Kathleen at Growing Kinders!  Thanks Kathleen!

So I made these to go with my lesson for tomorrow.  My new friends will write their names on the tags and then I can pull them out of the little container.  

My little lucky duck stuffed animal will help me talk the kiddos through a guided relaxation.  All the kids will lay on their backs and I will talk them through a deep relaxation story.  Then lucky duck will go around with me and gently peck on their cheeks to help me wake them up!  So sweet :)

To begin the end meditation I will tell them some fun clues so they can practice their inferring skills.  They'll each get another egg with something inside.  I will tell them that it is light, comes from an oviparous animal, sometimes you tickle someone with it, they are sometimes stuffed inside a coat or pillow.  What is it?  

Did you guess a feather?  Then you were right!  You are so SMART!!

I will show them how to use a feather to help them with a breathing meditation.  You can see my post here to learn more about feather breathing!

{Click here to download the documents for this activity!}