Kistner's Kollection

If you are in the classroom, you know what the pressure is like.  It is like a four-letter word pressure.  It is constant, every three weeks Test and Test, over and over.  The questions fly at you.  Do your students get it?  Are they ready, will they know?  How can you help them more, how can you work more to help them score higher?  What are you doing that helps them score higher?   It's all about Testing, must have extreme instructional time higher scores and banners.    This is the biggest obstacle - Time to read, principal buy-in to support students actually reading.  This is like concentrating on one smart student  instead of the whole school.  It is like working out one muscle group and ignoring the others.  We are looking at ONE score, one passing, one banner to fulfill our feelings of success.  To stop the pressure, of failure, we think we must work harder, and find better ways to help students pass a test.  I am asking you to step back, look at the whole studen

Sweet!!  Texas School Library Journal posted a blip about my program in the library on page 84.  So excited to be a real librarian now.  I love being in the room.  Favorite part of work, is when kids come in and say, "Hey, do you know that book, or have this book about ___"  and I can go find one for them.  It makes my heart dance a little!  Super smiles.  I love that students are really reading things for my library Rounds project.  This Friday, I had 12 pizzas to order, because students had completed 12 (8 books each) Rounds.  They love coming to pick up the pizzas and share with their friends, and they normally come back and get more books to read because NOW they are hooked into a series or reading for fun.  It isn't for the great pizza, it is the idea of sharing.  I love it.  So far since September 15 when I launched it, we have over 28 Rounds completed and that makes more than 224 books read, discussed, & written about.  I know most of these are 7th grade gr

Today was my 17th 'first day' in education. My 11th in public school at Everman I.S.D.  I am learning more and more every day.  The kids make it so much more fun though.  All summer I have been in and out of trainings, with some kids for summer school, and working the last two weeks with adults. Today was better because the KIDS were there. Some were scared and unsure.  Some were angry their sleep was disturbed.  Some were tired of the dress code already, but they were there.  I know in their heads they are saying to themselves, "this year, THIS IS the year I am going to be awesome, I am going to start off on the right foot, and make great grades.  I will be organized.  I will ace every class. Then there are the ones in lines with parents trying to just register and praying they have all the paper work required like at the D.M.V.  The constant paper work that ties us to places and people required to prove something.  I like the kids. I found some cool books today to

1. I might have to add this to my mottoes for teachers:   STOP TALKING, Start Listening. This article about BRAIN research from Kagan is awesome.  It tells teachers, that "Tellin' ain't Teaching" I wish I could YELL it to all teachers. http://www.kaganonline.com/online_magazine/spencers_thinkpad.php 2. Build Relationships First - Get to know them. http://www.bamradionetwork.com/edwords-blog/5-lessons-from-camp They are kids. They need consistency and love. They need to like school, just like Camp. "School is awesome."  I love playing games at the beginning of school to find the leaders, or shy students in the group, get them up, get them moving. Start with music something positive and happy.  Be happy to be there and love your content and they respect that. Make it about them, and their favorite things - then add in the content to those topics.  If they love video games, go online - grab some cheat codes and see if they can tell you how to score h

TWO BIG IDEAS this week: My two ideas that are growing in my head for my library and how I can connect the library to the classroom; are Reading Rounds, and Trade4Grades cards.   I am so excited about my plan for enticing readers to pick great books with Reading Rounds that I have already started cutting circles - I may need 100’s of circles. #snoopyfeetslapping here! My other idea is the Trade4Grades bringing my non-fiction section of the middle school library alive.  I am hoping to collaborate with teachers on activities that students could choose to do with non-fiction books about the topics they are teaching in class - then students could use these activities as a grade in class - hence Trade 4 Grades.  Giving student choice in the library & classroom - #sweetskillsgrowing Plus continuing building my Wonder posters for my windows and encouraging reading.

This summer there are so many ways that I have learned new things.  From classes with Mr. LeBeau to National Conferences, to Twitter, and blogs daily.  There is just so much that my ADHD is just wallowing in it all.    I have learned that EVERYONE you meet knows something you don’t. I have learned: I must limit my time on Twitter because I will be there forever and reading so many blogs my eyes will cross. google forms can be used for exit tickets reading choice matters tons of reasons to help kids read and why I need a way to keep up with all the blogs that I read so I can share with others: This morning I read - great ways to reword you questions. Ways to reflect and keep a great summer going - http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/11720 How to motivate your life to get what you want out of everything - TED Talk Stop saying you are FINE - say Amazing!  I am Amazing! Say it. Epic Reads 8 Quotes that will make your knees weak Rea

Great teachers are always learning, or so they say.  I have always been an extreme nerd because I have always felt behind and not smart enough.  So I read, but lately if you aren't reading, tweeting, posting, researching, updating, iPadding, podcasting, youtube-ing,  asking, adapting you aren't learning.   It is a major media overload for me lately. I have created (become) a  media monster.  My desk, has 5 books, 2 magazines, one computer, one iPad, one iPhone, and two controllers for TV's and one actual old school iPod.  Just the screens are overload, but this is the second evening I have had four going at once. I was in a twitter chat (or rather reading an twitter chat #txeduchat) I had my iPad book open, but got an email that I had a new book from NetGalley to review, so I really wanted that to download.  I was talking to my sister on my iPhone about a horse she has, while the TV was playing Big Bang Theory in the background.  Granted I was not doing any of those wit

I recently listened to Richard Wells at iPadpalooza 2015 in Austin. He was incredible and I can see why New Zealand is 20 years ahead of America in the education field.  He made me want to move there. His article this week  about changing the lessons http://wp.me/p2KVKA-C6 Made me think, YES. We need to think as if we are the student! Teachers tend to think, it's all about me and my subject, my scores, and my knowledge, right?  I know I did, it was my students, my classes, my "smart" lessons of course, making me feel like I was so smart. After reading this article, I thought about the student's next hour is filled with another whole topic, teacher another lesson, switching gears totally to fit some schedule.  Is it because we have always done it this way? Could we work together to combine lessons, and schedules so students reading skills are targeted while they are reading in history class, or vocabulary is mixed into math and extend the days into two parts.

I learn so much from Twitter! It is truly a constant PLN.  I have been overwhelmed by it in the past.  At iPadpalooza 2015 - it was stated WTF?  What's the FEAR? About Twitter, but I know the fear of being unable to read it all, that's the fear.  The fear of doing it wrong.  The fear of never finding the hashtag? But I've fixed that in my head, I don't have to read it all. A colleague of mine said he is limiting his to 50 people to follow so he only selects great Tweeters who have something to do with his content of History. So his is more specific, while mine is jumping all over the place, with great librarians, principals, school leadership, teachers, authors, magazines, writers. I am trying to read all the blogs, reviews, ideas, books, plus Twitter chats scheduled all the time is just crazy.  It goes so fast and changes so quickly. That's the FEAR! So this month my challenge goal is to calm down my own head about Twitter.  Just read what I want, and LET IT GO

NEVER NEVER I read NEVER Never by Colleen Hoover this week in the E-book version.  I love the story and was really hooked into these characters.... and then you are left hanging, so be prepared to buy book 2 for $2.99 to really find out what has happening to these two high school students who seem to have everything going for them, except wait they can't remember anything every 48 hours. Guess What Book 2 also leaves you hanging so I am waiting on the author to complete this series just so I can KNOW what happened.  I am torn about this new marketing strategy.  I wan to read the latest books, but do I want to wait a year while the author finished.  For avid reader it is hard. r 

iPadPalooza 2015  Beyond Incredible Spending this week in Austin was beyond incredible for me. The learning opportunities at this event were beyond my capacity.    I left Thursday late with such brain overload that I could barely form complete sentences. So, I am trying to put it all together because it went so fast, I am reading my notes and wishing I have voice recordings for all the amazing sessions, and people and just great information passed along. To anyone who knows me, they know I am a complete nerd and a workaholic. So these three days just fed my inner learner to gluttony status I am sure.  My A.D.H.D was just bouncing everywhere, as I was picking up new buzz words, and new apps, books to read, teachers to inspire and fun websites, and just the point of encouraging kids to want to think,  &  learn more,... was literally in every session.   So I am going to try to just post two tips a day, while I calm my thoughts and plan great ideas to use with our students. So

http://www.brilliant-insane.com/2015/06/12-things-that-make-you-smart-kind-and-tech-savvy.html?utm_content=buffer4b318&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer This is a super informative app.  You can download free books, free videos, or purchase your favorite, but it offers some wonderful learning opportunities at your fingertips.   I really liked the ALL IN - getting students to ALL participate!  Great quick tips, read for teachers.

I just finished Paper Towns by John Green.                                                                                                     I liked the story, and the drama.  I think students will like it.  However, this is my third John Green book and I am starting to see a trend. I noticed in Looking for Alaska the middle could allow for a mind to drift.  This book I found that happening also. I put it down several times.  Thinking the entire time, will he find her?  Do I really need to know?  So I kept reading because, Yes, I did want to know.  Plus I have just finished reading,  All the Bright Places and I didn't want the same outcome for these two friends. This story was a tear-jerk-er, and I was so hoping that Paper Towns would not end up the same way. And since I won't spoil either great stories for you, I will say both are worth the time to read.  I feel in love with the characters of  Theodore and Violet in All the Bright Places and you will too. Pa