What Worked and what Didn't--Two Weeks in One!

Part 1: Reflective Journaling.
What a complicated two weeks. My school district's teachers have worked without a contract since the end of July, and the stress is starting to show in my face. I'm glad I was able to find a few days to smile in my teaching-ware photos despite the stress and turmoil that is going on in my mind. 

The stress of the economics of my job are easy to keep out of the day-to-day lessons though. (Despite the bags under my eyes...) In fact, I've prepared my next few weeks out to the every-minute-detail. This helps. With the chaos (that I love) of NaNoWriMo and the Tuesday/Thursday night scholastic bowl matches (of which I am the HS coach), it's hard to find spare time in November to get anything done outside of the school day.

What DID work: On Sunday, I went to the school and copied everything I need (or anticipate needing) which frees me up to working one-to-one with students and other teachers during my prep time. It was nice not to worry about what I still needed copied or what materials I needed to set aside or pull from the cabinet.

I changed the project my 7th grade students have completed after reading "Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvaraz and I LOVE the results! In the past, we made computer-generated name splashes. This year, I wanted to ditch the computer (yes, I ditched electronics for crayons!) The projects were great! The sight-impaired student in my class was able to complete the assignment by making bookmarks with his six nicknames in braille for each student. It was a huge success and a great way for him to share his nicknames as well.

"Names/Nombres" Names Project

What DIDN'T work: In all my pre-preparations, I failed to notice that this was a short week. Essentially, I had to drop a lesson that I had planned and modify a quiz at the last minute. Really, a small "fail" in the great scheme of things.

Part 2: Teachingware.
I'm behind a week or so. But I WORE the SKIRTS! Last week was a short week and it was COLD! I resorted to leggings a lot and at the beginning of this week it looked like I may not make it (I'm missing my pants in this cold November!) Thankfully, the weather has warmed up a bit again, and next week might be the last week I'm able to "bare" leg!

Week 7 (November 4th-7th)


 <= Monday--This is a perfect example of why I'm doing this. I loved this skirt....until I saw this picture. It's too long for my short little legs. Maybe it would work with a different shirt and boots, but since I can no longer wear high heels, some of these skirts just won't work anymore.

My rating: 3 Sadly. I will miss this one... (replacement search!)

<=Tuesday--Awe, drats. I really liked the idea of these two colors together, but the shapes didn't work together. I love the comfort of this dress (I have already worn it in brown) but if I wear it again, I need to rethink the shirt.

My rating: 4 (skirt) 2 total outfit....Might need to take pictures BEFORE I leave for the day!

<= Wednesday--YES! Don't I look happy! This is what a good skirt and the right shirt for the right person looks like! Once I realized I needed more patterns and colors in my tops, i ran out to the local thrift store and picked up this VeraWang shirt sold at Kohls. LOVE it! and the skirt is perfect! 

My rating: 5! No pockets but this one has lace trim on the bottom edge and just enough detail in black fabric to make it different!

<= Thursday--Some days have just become too hectic at school to find the time to sneak into the bathroom at school to take a photo. Unfortunately, neither the top or skirt/top combo nor lighting is flatterning. Good thought, bad execution!


My rating: 4 for the skirt. I want to try this one again. The length is right, the shirt is not.



Week  8  (November 12-14th)
Monday--VETERANS' DAY!

<=Tuesday--Again, another busy day w/o opportunity to snap a picture. This was a completely comfortable skirt/shirt/sweater combo for a freezing cold day, but I felt a bit "too comfy" for school. Maybe for a winter stroll in a park, but the sweater (as much as I love it) didn't work and made me look old...not good.

My rating: 4 This is not a good picture, but I wore this skirt comfortably until 10 p.m. that night! If I can make it that far without a complaint, it deserves a 4!

<=Wednesday--KICKED IT! Love, love love this skirt! It was a last minute pick from the "winter" storage container. (Yes, there are MORE skirts in storage...) I completely forgot what the detail kick-pleats were like on the back. I will buy another skirt like this!!!

My rating: 5 Such a different skirt! Spices my wardrobe up and despite the lack of pockets, it was a dream to wear!

<=Thursday--This one makes me happy because I made it! (Well, actually, I combined a black skirt w/a red skirt to make this one.) And despite the mistake I made by not seaming the pockets, the skirt was really comfortable. It was mostly cold throughout the day though, so I kept the jacket on 80% of the time. (Or the "robe" as one student called it...guess it might not be as great as I think...)

My rating: 4 Nice and warm (almost 2 layers!) and very LONG pockets! Plus...the color blocking worked!

What Worked and What Didn't-- Busy Halloween and NaNoWriMo

Part 1: Reflective Journal
Wow! That was a fast/busy week! With all the anticipated energy of Halloween and Trick-or-Treat nights and a few extra pep-assemblies thrown in for playoff season, it was BIZ-E! Then add in the beginning of NaNoWriMo and you have it! It's officially my favorite month of the year! Lovin' my job!

What DID work was taking a step back and realizing that some of the "heavier" tasks and topics I had planned for the week were simply not going to cut it. For example, in 8th grade we traded a week of in-depth work on foreshadowing for a day-by-day study of suspense filled Gothic poems. FUN!  "The Raven" by E.A. Poe, "The Bells" (also by Poe) and "The Cremation of Sam Mcgee" by Robert Service... helped make this holiday fun and educational for my students. 

What also worked was using time today (the day after Halloween) to finish bigger projects and use my established "WORD PLAY DAY" centers. We've only used them three times this year but the students really enjoy the time and play fairly.
The four "centers" I used each time (the students rotate through these every 10 minutes) are:

1. Computers or Nintendo DS Word Games
2. Blurt or Boggle (board games)
3. Slurp or Sentences (board games)
4. Dry Erase Pockets or Word Game magazines

What DIDN'T work was juggling too many "project-based" lessons in one week. The 8th grade literature students were working on Comic Strips, 8th grade Language Arts students were writing mysteries, 7th grade literature students were making puppets and performing scripts they created AND NaNoWriMo kicked-off!

Part 2: Teaching-wear (Week 6)
I didn't think it would happen so soon, but this week I actually had a "shoot...I'm getting tired of wearing skirts" moment. It passed. I still have a full closet's worth of skirts left to go!

<=Monday--I went full-out dress again. The day was oddly warm and the dress has cap sleeves. I definitely took the jacket off early!

My rating:  4  Comfortable and easy to move in, but NO pockets! 
:( 

<=Tuesday--This was one of the newer shirts I bought when I realized that I didn't have enough color or pattern to go with my drab colored skirts. I own this skirt in brown and a teal corduory. I think I wore it crooked all day! LOL!

My rating: 4 Versatile. 

<=Wednesday-- A Burberry skirt. Nope, not really, but the pattern is the same. I tend to stay away from straight patterns like this on skirts. Notice how wide it makes my hips look! (And they are wide...I just don't want to emphasize that!)
The top was a trick of mine to mix it up a bit. It has metal bits on it. (A preppy rocker look?)

My rating: 3 Although the skirt is comfortable and I like the style/cut, I don't like the way the pattern looks on me.

<=Thursday--HALLOWEEN! and "Hello-Kitty Thursday"! Image that! It was a two-for-one kind of day. The skirt is actually a plum (which helped the purple streaks in my hair show up!) I was incredibly comfortable in this skirt. I do wish it had pocket though. :( 

My rating:  4 I'll wear this one again for sure. It's light-weight yet warm. 

What Worked and What Didn't-- Parent Teacher Conferences

Part 1: Reflective Journal
This past week was full of stresses out of the classroom. Between preparing for evening Parent-Teacher conferences (on Tues/Thurs nights), a scholastic bowl coaches meeting more than a hour away (Monday) and mediation between our teachers' union and our local school board...

Whew...

It makes me tired again just reflecting on it.

However, I tried to make the most of our strange, short school days. As it was also the first week of the new quarter, it worked out pretty well.

What DID work was that all my classes were able to get into the lab for STAR assessments. New reading goals are being set and the students are clear about the expectations for this quarter's reading. I had to move around a few lessons and modify the assignments due to the shortened class times, but learning took place. In fact, it was nice to focus on the basics and not feel "pushed" to cover an entire week's lessons in a short time span. It's important to always remember that pacing can be everything...

Part 2: Teaching-wear (Week 5)

Monday--I wasn't at school. 

 <=Tuesday--It was red-ribbon week so during the day, I celebrated by being a "Jean"ious along with the students. At night, during the parent-teacher conferences, I carried on the theme! As much as I like this snap-front dress, I had to prepare for disaster. I wore a tank underneath. Unfortunately, it wasn't the top, but the bottom snaps that kept unbuttoning when I would cross my legs. This one will probably make it to the Salvation Army bag soon.

My rating:  3 Looked good, easy to accessories, but an on-going stress to wear!

<=Wednesday--The red ribbon theme was "Rockin' a Drug-Free Life". I modeled my clothing choice after the fabulous Madonna (from her "Borderlines" days).

My rating:  5 Wish I could do this everyday! Fun and easy to dress '80s!

<=Thursday-- Red ribbon week ended for us with a favorite sports team theme. I simply wore jeans and our local High School team shirt. For parent teacher conferences though, I chose a simple jersey dress. I didn't want the frustration that I had to deal with on Tuesday evening to distract me again during the 3 1/2 hours of conferences. 

My rating: 3 Sure it was comfortable, but it really isn't "me". (I like skirts better than dresses!)


Thankfully, next week should be back to normal. Five full days, only one holiday!

What Worked and What Didn't (Only a Two-Skirt Week!)

Part 1: Reflective Journal
The end of the quarter always puts students and teachers into a frenzied state. Add the local baseball favorites in the playoffs, high school senior nights and the preparations for a week of parent-teacher conferences and after school meetings.... Well, you get it. To say I'm tired is an understatement.

A large part of writing this blog is to help me keep my sanity and stay positive; I almost lost sight of the "positive" this week...

What didn't work this week was an opportunity that slipped by me to help a student get "things" under control. He had avoided work, avoided groups, avoided assignments and when it came to needing my assistance to FIND his materials, all I FOUND was a complete and total disaster encased in  2'x 2'x 4' metal. Like all things, this was at the end of a class period and the bell was ringing. 

I'm sorry to say, his locker still looked like this at the end of the day today. 

Next week, I'm going to put this high on my list of "Things to Turn Around".

What DID work though was the student book talks and reviews. Every quarter my students report on what they've read in some way. We've used Power Point presentations, e-movies, book dates and the traditional book report. This time, I gave students a choice: a book talk or a written book review. The checklist and rubric were spot-on and the students did a fantastic job. This "option" is definitely a keeper!

Part 2: Teaching-Wear (Week 4)
This week was one of those "rare" short weeks with a "free-jeans" day thrown in. Next week will be like this as well due to Red Ribbon Week (but I'll dress the theme and post the pics anyway)!

Monday- No School (Columbus Day)
Tuesday- Jeans day (Volley-for-the-Cure T-shirt day)
Which left only Wednesday and Thursday for my challenge:

<= Wednesday I changed from a heavily patterned skirt to a pinstriped brown one. It was a comfort thing. The morning started out chillier than I had expected so I also went for the brown tights. When I took my first picture, I had to laugh! I had left my sunglasses on top of my head and the image of myself made me think of one of the Monster High Dolls--Catrina DeMew (pictured here available at WalMart.com ...) The glasses and the scarf must have done it... 
     
                                                  My rating: 4 Really comfortable (but no pockets)  

<=Thursday, I went for the "dress" part of the challenge. I did include in my original oath-to-myself that dresses counted too! This is a one-piece black cotton with a zipper up the back. It has a peplum (which some friends pointed out DOES make the silhouette more hourglass!) and I was cold again so I chose grey tights with my comfortable black flats. (Ha! I was on my way to the cafeteria...$2 for biscuits and gravy--Thursday staples!)

My rating: 4 (Although I really liked this, the skirt with these tights were "tight" and I felt like the skirt was "stuck" or rising most of the day. Not sure I'll wear this combo again.)


By the way, in both photos I'm wearing my octopus/squid mascot for NANOWRIMO. If you are not sure what NANOWRIMO is, keep following this blog! (The insanity starts in 13 days!)

What Worked and What Didn't

Part 1: Reflective Journal
It's that time of the quarter: Unit Tests and large-content quizzes occupied the beginning of the week.  At the same time, in Language Arts (8th grade) we moved forward with writing mysteries. 

This group loves the routines, and like all students, they crave the knowledge of "where is this lesson going". We started with brainstorming three places that they were interested in. Then, we moved on to the "things" that were probably found at these locations. 

Today, a student confessed to me that she was really disappointed because we weren't writing about the "people" until next week. She's excited to continue her writing and so are many other students. They see where we're heading and they are anxious to get there. I'm thrilled! I have high hopes for this project!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm always searching for new and better ways to address the needs of my struggling readers. I'm pushing my older students on vocabulary drills. The most encouraging teacher-moments happened this week when I left one of the students with a stack of vocab. cards and he began, without my direction, to sort, repeat, and use strategies he's used before to learn the words. Anyone who thinks students don't want to learn, hasn't met these kids! Within the next week, I'd like to set some short-term goals with these kiddos.

Part 2: Teaching-Wear (Week 3)

I still have around 20 or more skirts hanging in my closet, but what's left is harder to match to the rest of my closet. I've also come to the conclusion that I need more patterns in my life! (Time to go shopping?) However, there is a plastic tub in the basement that I haven't opened yet...

<= On Monday, I wore boots. That helps me feel better 100%. Shoes are my enemy after breaking my foot but boots always look good with a skirt. I love the comfort of this skirt and it's brown tweed pattern is a good base for any color. It's a keeper!

My rating­: 4(Sadly, no pockets...)

<= Tuesday, I didn't plan ahead. I grabbed the closest skirt I found and matched the top to an accent color in the skirt. Although the skirt was a rayon mix that was super comfortable, it was slightly too big and kept "twisting" throughout the day. It has two side-slits and as a Junior High teacher, the twisting isn't a good thing at all! It's already in the discard pile!

My rating: 3 Even though I hated the slipping due to the size, I liked the pattern and the browns/blues.

<= By Wednesday, I was beginning to realize that I'm subconsciously picking out skirts I definitely "like" to wear to school. This has always been one of my favorites. The grey skirt is stretchy with a random "scrunchy" pattern throughout. It's perfect without tights and will be wonderful with them!

My rating: 5 (Still no pockets though...)

<= Each Thursday, I try to wear pink. (My self-proclaimed "girlie" day.) But in the a.m. when I put on the shirt/skirt combo I had set out, I quickly noticed that this skirt DEMANDED a shirt that was tucked in. Not sure about the top, but I love this skirt. It's a heavier material, a soft cotton. AND IT HAS POCKETS!

My rating--5 Easy style and comfortable.

What Worked and What Didn't

Starting with this past week, my "Friday" posts will be A REFLECTION on the previous week. 

Part 1: Reflective Journaling. 
This might get a bit personal and one-sided, but I've found after 18 years of teaching that being reflective helps me to identify strengths and weaknesses in my teaching. 

Part 2: Teaching-Wear. 
One of my personal goals this year is to wear a different skirt or dress that I own each day. When I complained to friends that I had more clothes than I actually needed, a friend suggested making the most of it on Monday-Thursday as a challenge. Hopefully, once I've made it through the 50+ that I have horded, I'll be able to decide which ones I can purge from my closets forever!

              So here it goes! ~Mrs. Caveny

Part 1: Reflective Journal.

With Common Core Standards in the back of my mind every day of the week, I knew at the on-set of this week that opening up my Gothic Literature Unit for 8th grade with my PPt presentation and previewing of the classic Frankenstein movie wasn't going to cut it. I needed to make every minute count and establish the connections that my students will need throughout the unit. 

I remembered reading somewhere about a teacher using Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events with E.A. Poe, so I traded Frank for the frightening Count Olaf. 

One thing I love to see is how the process of learning takes shape. This year's intro went smoothly! The setting, characters, symbolism, and mood that I had presented in the PPt were easy for the students to identify in the opening of the movie. This was one of the best "trades" that I've made so far in my lessons. 

As the unit progresses and my students read Poe, Serling, Fletcher's "The Hitchhiker" and a few dastardly poems such as "The Cremation of Sam McGee", I plan to connect the traits of Gothic Literature between these stories and the movie in preparation for a cumulative reading response. Feeling Positive!

Part 2: Teaching-Wear

This past week my mood was down. I woke up every morning, thankful for this challenge, because honestly, I wanted to teach in my comfy robe and fuzzy slippers. Knowing that I was dressing the part helped me put the rest of my "personal" problems aside. 

Please feel free to comment on this week's choices. That's the point. I need to weed my closets and I obviously am not able to do this on my own!

<--- On Monday, I went a bit more causal. It was the beginning of a long, emotional week. I forgot that I had planned to wear my leopard print shoes. (Note: I have limited shoe choices due to breaking my foot in the past.)

              My rating (scale 1-5) -- 3 comfortable, but not real pulled together.

     
<--- On Tuesday, I felt worse. But this skirt is incredibly comfortable. It's a soft corduory and has dark-metal details and *POCKETS! I wore a long blue necklace and matching metal earnings, bracelet.


               My rating: 4 (Pockets always add to the rating!)

<---On Wednesday, I changed my mind 10 seconds before I left the house. I originally had a bright yellow blouse but I could not find the belt I wanted to wear. The grey blouse and matching leopard print belt did not come together. the belt is from a matching jacket. (Believe it or not, I actually have a large collection of jackets too! Unfortunately, my school building is too warm right now to wear jackets... ) This felt overly dressed, but it was the one that garnished more positive comments from the 8th grade girls.
               My rating: 4 (No pockets... sad.)

<--- Thursdays are "Hello Kitty Thursdays" which means I wear Hello Kitty accessories and pink. (It's a girl thing.) the skirt is super comfortable. It has copper rivets along the bottom and so my pink loafers (with copper rivets) were the perfect shoe choice! At first, I had only the weathered-orange top but decided last minute to throw the light-weight pink sweater over it. I like the combo of colors. 

               My rating: 5