Sunday, December 30, 2012

Holiday cupcakes for the students (and teachers!)

When I was thinking about what to do for the students for Christmas, I looked online for ideas. I found a cute cupcake idea at Bakerella.com that I tweeked a bit to work for my students.

Luckily, I saw some of these spherical bottles at a local store for a really great price. NPS, which has lots of cheap items (some food is past the expiration date, hence the low costs), had cases of this fruit punch sports drink in the shape of a baseball.

They were about 6 months passed the expiration date but they weren't for drinking so it was perfect. And at only $.33 each, I wasn't going to go broke. :)




I followed the same steps to make the globe and "snow" in it, but I used Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix and Pillsbury whipped vanilla frosting for the snow that the characters "sit" on.





I also knew I didn't have enough time or money to make fondant polar bears for 40 cupcakes so I went to Target and the dollar store for ideas. Lo and behold I saw the perfect thing!






I found a pack of 5 Christmas character ring pops at the dollar store. I bought 9 packs (back-ups or treats for my kids if back-ups aren't needed!) and I was ready to go.



These rings are from two cupcakes that fell at school. I totally forgot to take pictures of the cupcakes while I was making them so I'm using these "causalities" for the post.







They actually turned out pretty well and didn't take a lot of money or time(except the cutting of the bottles; that part was kind of a bummer).


The students thought they were "so awesome" and couldn't believe I made all of those for everyone. I think they are starting to understand how much I care about them! :)

Thanks to one of my fabulous 6th grade teachers (and friend), Mrs. Swingley for modeling with her personal cupcake.
I may make a poster of this saying and put it on the wall in my classroom.

Found it on Pinterest and it is SO PERFECT! I've worked with students from different walks of life and different ability levels and it applies to every student, including the adult ones!

Cheers!

Classroom website is active!

My new class website is up and running and I am VERY excited about it!
I know I am super busy with teaching, working on my Masters, keeping up on my entertainment company, and raising three wonderfully amazing children, but I wanted to make sure my awesome students and their parents can access assignments and announcements easily even when they aren't in school.

I understand the meaning of busy and hope the website will help those busy students to keep up on their work and make them successful.
Stop by and let me know what you think.
http://edutainer.weebly.com/
Happy surfing!

Christmas visitor

So I found this great idea on pinterest and I had to make my own and share with the family.
This would be great for a Sunday School teacher or just for teaching about Christ at home. Thank you Latter-Day Homeschooling for the idea.

It's basically the idea that we are good throughout the year because of Jesus and not because we are wanting gifts from Santa. Jesus in our lives is the greatest gift of all and this project helps to demonstrate that.

I started with this picture of Christ that I found here. You can also find other pictures of Jesus in red and white by googling "Jesus/Christ in red robe", "Christ and children around the world". You just have to use a picture that has Christ in red and white for the full effect.
Then I found this picture of a door at deconstruct the girl blog. You can use any type of door, but I really liked the way the two doors opening looked after I said all the clues.
I then printed both pictures and cut through where the two doors close. Then I cut the tops of the door so they would lie flat, but open like doors when I pulled on the paper.
Then I took the door photo and placed it over the photo of Christ. I matched the pictures up so that you can see Him when the doors are opened.
Finally, I taped the photo of Christ onto the photo of the door. I will be making a more permanent display with wood for next Christmas so I can use this lesson for church and other teachable moments during Christmas time. (I will post those when I get there.)
And thanks to Tami Greene at Latter-Day Homeschooling, I used the clues below (with a few differences in the order of the clues.)

• He has spent his life giving to others
• He loves little children
• He gives us a wonderful, special warm feeling
• He has special, wonderful powers
• He can get into our homes even if the doors are locked
• He gives the very best gifts
• We want to give gifts back to him, but He doesn't need anything we could buy; He just wants us to give to other people
• He has a beard and a kind face
• He 's often pictured in red and/or white clothes
• He sees you when you're sleeping and He knows when you're awake.
• He knows if you've been bad or good.
• And He encourages us to be good so we will be ready when He comes.

I showed this to each of my three kids (one at a time) and two said Jesus and one said Santa! When I opened the door and they saw the picture of Jesus, their eyes lit up and they smiled. The kiddo that said Santa, was even more happy to see the picture of Jesus and had tears in her eyes.
After I showed it to them, we talked about how Christ and Santa are similar by going over each clue and then talking about the other symbols we have at Christmas that are reminders of Jesus. I gave them a candy cane (red & white striped; not the colorful kinds), and talked about the meaning of giving gifts, the star on the top of the tree, and the nativity scene itself that we have on the mantle.

Although my kids are older now, 12, 13 and 14, they thoroughly enjoyed the discussion. This would be great for younger kids so they can appreciate the similarities and the true meaning of Christmas.

We donate gifts every year to Toys for Tots, the Giving Tree, or the Road Home but this year we got to make it a bit more personal. (Please donate all year long to places like the Road Home, the Utah Food Bank and other charities because homelessness and hunger don't just happen at Christmas time. Click the links to help the Road Home, Utah Food Bank, American Red Cross and the United Way just to name a few.)

Well, I have a lovely student in my class who's mother works very hard and loves her children very much. Being a single mom can be very hard especially around Christmas time, so Iggy's Sports Grill graciously allowed us to buy some gifts and clothes for the family, along with inviting them to lunch or dinner at the restaurant.
When my kids, my husband and I arrived at the house on Christmas with all the gifts in tow, the family was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy. Mom cried and hugged us, along with the kids, and we left the house with a feeling so amazing, it cannot be put into words.
I would highly recommend finding a family, child(ren), or anyone a bit down on their luck, that you could give the gift of Christmas to. Because it's not about the new video game console or power tool at Christmas time, but the feeling that someone knows that you care about them and you know that Christ cares about you.

Merry Christmas to you all; all year long!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Funny stuff: A fun "e-card" I found on, way for it, PINTEREST! Enjoy your summer. :)
Totally Terrific Teacher Tip: Place the names of your students on the back of your id badge. Then you have a handy list to use in an emergency like a firedrill, when going on field trips or at recess time. If you have a clear back to your badge, you can place the list inside the badge, then use a dry-erase marker to mark off names as you call them.
Too fun!!! Great teacher stool idea from pinterest. Teachers can use the stool for reading, q&a, whatever! You could also use the stool as a reward for students. Sitting on the stool can be a privilege earned by good behavior, grades, etc. The cooler the stool looks, the more tantalizing it would be to earn a seat in it.
Great idea! These "bathroom passes" can be placed on a student's desk when they use the restroom so you know where they are. When they come back, they have to sanitize their hands in addition to washing their hands in the sink. We all want to believe every student washes their hands in the bathroom, but we know better! This will give the teacher a heads up as to where the student is, and a little piece of mind about their germy hands!

Organization Board

Totally Terrific Teacher Tip: Teacher's organization board - A great place to keep your receipts, to do list, calendar and more. Use this for items only related to your teaching life to make your day-to-day easier.
Source: indulgy.com via Valerie on Pinterest
Low cost student gift idea or prize Bookmarks made from paint sample sheets found in hardware stores. These "bookmarks" are made with a small amount of ribbon, a regular round hole punch, and a fun heart shaped punch. You can also add stickers or a name for a personal touch. I went to a few Home Depots in the area when I got my samples so I didn't deplete their stock! I also purchased a few items so I didn't feel guilty grabbing these. :)
Totally Terrific Teacher Tip: "A place for everything, and everything in its place." Great idea from pinterest on how to organize some of your smaller classroom supplies. I will probably change up the labels, but it's such a great idea when you don't want to spend your time searching for these items in your desk!
Phases of the moon using Oreos! FUN!!!
Just found out I will be teaching 6th grade in the fall and we will be working on the phases of the moon. I thought this would be a fun culminating activity. Thank you pintrest!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Done with Student Teaching!

Last Friday (April 27, 2012) was my last day in the classroom for my Demonstration Teaching placement.  I had an 8 week placement at Evergreen Junior High in Salt Lake City followed by 8 weeks at Jackling Elementary in West Valley City.  The split placement facilitated my dual-certification in Special Education and Elementary Education.  It was a LONG, HARD road, but it was a WONDERFUL experience. 

I have met some amazing teachers, administrators and school staff who have helped me along the way.  But it was the fantastic students that have made my experience the most pleasant!  I truly believe that EVERY child is important, should be loved, and can be taught! 

I have over 10 years of substitute teaching under my belt which, added to the plethora of experience gained during my DT and my Pre-Clinical experience,  will help me to transition into my own classroom. 
 
I am excited to start the next part of my journey and hope you will come along.