Post by stephm0188 on Feb 10, 2021 17:07:01 GMT -5
Back off for now, but revisit in a month or two.
We did a sticker chart for a toy he really wanted. But we also did a sticker chart for both of us, too. We'd give each other stickers and make a big deal out of it whenever we'd use the bathroom, and the FOMO made him crack within a weekend.
Post by stephm0188 on Jan 27, 2021 12:01:05 GMT -5
Appropriate funding. I'm in Ohio, where the bulk of school funding comes from local taxpayers. I've watched our district dismantle everything that makes it great because the taxpayers here keep voting against the funding the school desperately needs.
Elimination of standardized testing in it's current form. Who is truly benefiting from those tests?
Free public preschool (and free full time kindergarten, too!)
Reduced class size down to 18-20 for elementary and 25 for secondary.
Year round school, but shorter school days. Subsidized before and aftercare.
Expanded art/music/PE/STEM/world language education.
Fully funded school libraries with full time certified librarians. It's usually one of the first things cut.
More options for high school students. College isn't appropriate for all, and having opportunities for career prep courses is important.
More social-emotional support, in the form of social workers, counselors, and professional development for staff.
and FFS, pay them. Just pay them and treat them like professionals.
We have a Whirlpool Gold model that we've been happy with for the last 10 years. The ice maker quit working recently, but for being 10 years old, I'm not even mad.
"I'm just a normal person who tried to overthrow the government and I shouldn't have to go to prison or lose business because the president told me to come and overthrow the government!"
C25K is a great way to get started again! Once I finished it, I was able to move to other running plans to work my way up to a half marathon.
I discovered Jeff Galloway's run/walk/run method after my first half marathon and never looked back. It's cut down on the fatigue and soreness but I've been able to improve my times.
Popular middle grade fiction in my school library. Some may be repeats from others.
The Land of Stories is a series about kids who end up in a fairytale world. It's fantasy, but the recognizable characters like Captain Hook and the Queen of Hearts make it appealing to kids who typically don't care for the fantasy genre.
The Parker Inheritance is a fun mystery.
Unicorn in the Barn- realistic fiction with a splash of fantasy. It's main character is a boy who discovers that the vet next door is harboring a unicorn in the barn.
A Wolf Called Wander is a fictional tale inspired by a real wolf that migrated several hundred miles. Told from the wolf's point of view.
Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a series that is part Westing Game, part Willy Wonka. It's a lot of fun.
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone is excellent.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a must read. The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob are, too.
13 Story Treehouse is fun and lighthearted, and part of a series.
And lastly, a Boy Called Bat is the first of three books about a boy who has autism, but the story isn't centered around that. It covers his feelings regarding frustrating situations in a really empathetic way.
Growing up, presents from family went under the tree, and Santa presents were left unwrapped.
For us, presents to one another are wrapped in fancy paper that matches the tree prior and placed there before Christmas. Santa gifts are wrapped in fun character paper.
My 1st grader is blowing through all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I get a new one from the library for her each week.
Of topic slightly... I got Diary of a Wimpy Kid for an angel tree kid present. Said kid is 11/in 5th grade. Will it be super below his reading level? It was recommended to me for school age kids by a librarian fwiw.
Intended audience for Wimpy Kid is grades 3-7. They're super popular with my 4th and 5th grade students at school (I'm an elementary school librarian) and even my 7th grader is still into them.
OP- Agreed with the recommendations for Scholastic's Branches series. Press Start is wildly popular, as are Eerie Elementary, Dragon Masters, Notebook of Doom and Binder of Doom. I can't keep The Bad Guys on my shelves, either. A-Z Mysteries and Magic Treehouse are series that some kids like to work their way through.
Graphic novels along the lines of Dog Man that I'd recommend are The InvestiGators, the Lunch Lady series, and HiLo. Pilkey has a new spinoff series coming out in a few weeks- CatKid Comic Club.
Post by stephm0188 on Sept 11, 2020 10:12:40 GMT -5
I’m flying through pencils as a special teacher. Once I give one out, I can’t ask for it back, and I have entire classes showing up empty handed. I’ve gone through more than 300 in my first three weeks.
Post by stephm0188 on Sept 5, 2020 17:08:26 GMT -5
Old Navy's Pixie pants are my go-to for school. I wanted to order more, but they changed the fit to high rise and now I'm a sad panda. I don't like high rise.
Post by stephm0188 on Aug 17, 2020 13:20:04 GMT -5
My first day of school is tomorrow. I'm not usually nervous about such things, but it's a new district and I don't know anyone and there's still a pandemic happening, so... it's fine. It's all fine.
Post by stephm0188 on Aug 14, 2020 19:07:18 GMT -5
Yeeeeah that was a rough stage with our lab. I lost some of my favorite clothes to his sharp puppy teeth. We'd yelp, turn and walk away, and then redirect with a toy.
We kept toys out everywhere all over the place because he would chew on everything... baseboards, furniture, shoes. It was easier to redirect his attention to a toy if we had them readily available. We combined that with clicker training and treats. Once he started chewing the toy instead of us/furniture/object, we'd click and give a treat. Once he started associating his toys with a positive reward, he tapered off on the chewing and biting.
And for the record, I am nearly universally Team Teacher, but that was ridiculous given the newness of this all, the age of the kids, and the tech difficulties popping up all over.
Post by stephm0188 on Aug 12, 2020 15:32:53 GMT -5
Yesssss! Totally worth it. I love that the ink just shows up when I need it. The pages roll over month to month, too. I had enough referrals that I didn't pay anything for the first two years.
Post by stephm0188 on Aug 12, 2020 15:26:58 GMT -5
Thank you HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan for the gloves and book. The gloves are much needed so I can handle books that need to be checked in and quarantined, and the book is one that I felt was a must have for social-emotional skills.