Spring Break Resolutions

Well since first of year resolutions have been tossed and a more realistic idea is shaping up through Future Ready Librarians, I have decided hopefully this will help the blog grow more. We have a schedule to blog each week for the next 9 weeks of school. This is where we can share ideas, and learn more from each other.

I do know for this Month many are doing March Madness, but with STAAR on our campus, it will be tough for me to do that. So my BreakOUT your Reading Skills will continue in the library. Students were asking all about it last week before spring break. They love it. It has become so popular that I have asked my office aides to make /read/write questions from non-fiction text to help us have more choices in BreakOUT codes. They love this idea because they get to participate and try to trick their friends. One teacher came to me after school last week, and said, "Wow Mrs. Kistner, you really started something when my student Aaron came back to class with his snack!" It was right before lunch and all the students suddenly wanted to go to the library to see if they could win also. They love this.

Comments

Have a great day, by helping someone else's day be great!

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....

Mid-Week Reads

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,...

It's more than a device...it's empowering.

I saw a Tweet today linked to a blog that gave a teacher 4 reasons how technology can help with classroom management. ( I'm trying to find it again to give credit). But I thought about how my students react to having the Chromebooks in their classrooms. I have watched this happen in my own class, but when you hand a student a computer, iPad, or tech device, you send a message to this child. “You are worth it.” My campus is a title one district, some students deal with survival more than any student should. But to some, by having their own device, it sends the message you believe in them. They know you want them to be successful, and you can help them learn needed skills for today's world. It sends the message, you can be professional, you can learn, grow and we care. This is why students armed with technology are suddenly more engaged, they feel valued. A valued child can then grow confident and safe making learning easier. Less behavior problems happen wh...

Kistner's Kollection

Search This Blog