Current Read

Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well by Regie Routman is a book that I had previously begun to read but didn't get the opportunity to finish. The first chapter is titled: "Simplify Your Teaching Life." Who wouldn't want to do that?

Sometimes when reading a professional development book there is so much useful information in the book that it could be easy to go on information overload. I used to use Google Notebook(GN) to track things that I wanted to remember and put into place. I was frustrated when GN became obsolete. I think I lost all the information that I had saved on it. I have now decided to use a Moleskin journal to keep track of useful information. My goal is to write no more than three things from each chapter to implement and put into place.

How do you organize information from professional development? In what ways do you implement ideas from books or seminars in your classroom?

Theater in the Classroom

I love drama. I used to be a volunteer director for a youth drama group. Today I discovered some free theater curriculum while I was perusing a local children's theater website. I noticed that they had a professional development tab and discovered the curriculum on there. The curriculum was developed by the theater and a local school.

The theater is called Stages Theatre Company.

There are many benefits of using drama in the classroom including: building confidence in students, makes learning fun, and a way to get your kinesthetic learners involved and moving.

I have seen young people change and grow more confident by doing drama.

Have you used drama in your classroom? What resources have you used?

Organizing your Calendar as a Sub

I am going back to subbing for now. I haven't actually been back in the classroom yet this year. I have two more district sub meetings on the books right now and I have already attended one.

I prefer not to get calls in the morning or at night for that matter so I attempt to get my calendar full by watching the websites very closely. To help stay organized, I use my Google calendar to keep track of where I am supposed to be each day. I also block out days I am scheduled on all websites as unavailable so that I am not getting calls for days I am already scheduled.

Here is what I note on my Google Calendar:

• School
• District
• Teacher
• Grade
• Start Time
• Full Day (FD) or Half Day (HD)

Doing this not only keeps me organized by knowing where I am going when, it helps me to know who should be paying me what.

How do you keep yourself organized as a sub?

Update and Upcoming

Update:
I have been quite busy since I posted last time. Last school year I worked a job as a Library Media Specialist/Spanish teacher. It was a new position for me and a busy one at that. At the end of the year, I was notified that my position was cut due to budgetary restraints. I have spent the summer job hunting. I am still looking. I am also working on getting on the sub lists in my area. I am set to go in one district and have to attend meetings/turn in paperwork for three other districts. I have also applied to sub a few other places. I also got married this summer and am loving married life. So you see I have been a little busy.....working a new job, planning a wedding, job hunting.

Upcoming:

• Blog, blog, blog
• Current Reads
• Subbing Tips

I am going to be working on continuing to blog. I believe it helps my writing and communication skills.