My "Go-to Book" Linky Party

Teaching in Room 6 is having a linking party on the one teaching resource book you can't live without. I have a library of teaching resource books, like most teachers do. But, the latest book I read for professional development was one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Class Acts: Every Teacher's Guide to Activate Learning (K-8)

This book focusses on improving student learning though effective management skills and active learning. Most veteran teachers will tell you, the best teachers have the best management of their students. The students are engaged and on-task, and there is little down time, even during transitions the students are engaged in learning. I wish this book had been out when I was a beginning teacher! It is one I recommend for all teachers, both veteran and me, because it reminds all of us of the smallest details that go into great management and teaching. This book helped me, and I've been teaching for 15 years. 

There is only Love,

Rebecca

What Makes Your Day Great?

Education can be a stressful, overwhelming job on the worst days and it can be rewarding and joyful on the best days. Every day we have a choice, no matter what the circumstances, to make it a great day. I found this parable the other day that has this same message:

An old Cherokee is telling his grandson about a fight that is going on inside him.

He said it is between 2 wolves.

One is evil:

Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity,

Guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false, pride, superiority and ego…

The other is good:

Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,

Benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith…

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,

“Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one I feed.”

I sat down and thought about the things that make a day my best day.
My Best Day:
1. I laugh things off.
2. I use a soft, understanding voice
3. I listen and try to understand
4. I have fun, joke around, show my silly side
5. I smile
6. I try to do something nice for someone else
7. I compliment my students and catch them being good.

Those really aren't huge monumental actions or decisions! They are small and simple choices that actually have a HUGE impact on how the day goes. Even on my toughest days, I have a choice to let things bother me or to let it go.


My best friend usually says to me on bad days. "Don't give them/it power over you! You are giving them/it way too much power!" How true this is. When we think about the negative people or circumstances, just the thought gives negative power over us.


What makes your days great? What are things that you do in your own classroom to turn a not-so-good-day into a great one? We are all human, trying to do the best we can. I'd love to hear from you!

There is only Love,
Rebecca

New Blogs On The Block- Show Them The LOVE!

P.S. I added a new blog list to my side bar entitled "New Blogs on the Block- Show Them The Love!" It was just four short months ago when I was the new blog on the block, checking my followers to see if anyone had joined! We all remember that exciting feeling of reaching 20 followers, 30, 50!! Then 100 followers!! I've been wanting to have a more permanent spot on my blog where people would be able to see a list of newer blogs that they could check out. So this is what I came up with!

Now, I need a little help from all of you! If there is a new blog on the block that you'd like added to my list, just leave me the link in a comment below and I'll get it up there. Use your own discretion in figuring out what constitutes "new"!  =)

Thanks for your help!!
There's Only Love,
Rebecca

Twas the Night Before School Started....

Whew....You'd think it was the very first day of school today, for both my students and me! I'm exhausted!! I swear I was having first day of school jitters last night! For the love, I could not fall asleep!! I kept watching the clock throughout the night, going from 1:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.....I finally got up at 3:30 and did a little blog hopping to kill some time (might as well be a little productive if ya can't sleep, right?). I crawled back into bed around 4 a.m. and woke up with the alarm at 5:45 a.m.! I even had a crazy strange back-to-school dream in that short amount of time, too!! And it wasn't a good one!! I wish there was an app for knowing which of your friends can't sleep at night so you can just text someone and share your stress over not being able to sleep.

We were all a bit tired and puffy-eyed most of the day. Was it just my kiddos, or did any of you have kids coming up to you after lunch over and over asking when school would be out? Poor things! It was like I was having flashbacks to their first days of First grade when staying more than four hours a day just blew their minds!  I hope those of you who are back to school already are getting back into the swing of things! As for me, only three more days of school this week!! Yeah!! (I'm already counting down the days until the weekend!!) I'm going to bed early! ;)

Rebecca

Good Things To Come- Movie Clip Monday

I love the message of this video...especially the end...I couldn't help get tears in my eyes...We all need hope that good things are to come! (I don't post this to offend anyone. I post it in the spirit of sharing the journey of life.)
There is only Love,
Rebecca

Happy New Year!!! And the WINNERS are.....

I hope everyone had fun ringing in the New Year last night! I celebrated by taking a long hot bath, getting on my pjs and flipping back and forth on the tv between Ryan Seacrest in Time Square on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve and watching Anderson Cooper and Kathy Lee Gifford on CNN.

I have to admit I got hooked with the banter going back back and forth between Anderson and Kathy about how Kathy thinks Ryan Seacrest and Oprah are trying to kill her. Then Anderson started giggling and I couldn't stop laughing....It got really interesting when they started talking about their plans after they went off air and whether or not Anderson would stay long enough at Kathy's hotel room to order pizza or if he'd be bored and not be able to last 15 minutes.....Yah, it was an exciting evening!

I sure have loved reading the comments on my last post! Thanks for sharing your New Year's Eve traditions big and small! I loved reading where everyone is from, too!!

Congratulations to the following people for winning my Penguin Activities packet!

 If you'd like another chance to win my Penguin Activities Packet AND my Winter Wonderland Packet, head on over to Melissa at Seusstactic Classroom Inspirations! It's her 40th birthday celebration and she is giving away 40 packets from various bloggers! I'm at the very bottom of the list so scroll on down to see my packets.  Go check it out!

My friend Yvonne, over at Sassy In Second Grade also has a super cute Penguin Freebie! You'll want to go check it out at her blog!

Happy New Year, everyone!