As a child, I was not a star student, and I struggled through most of school. My educational career did not "click" until college where I began to love learning. I graduated from the College of Saint Elizabeth in 2004, where I received my B.A. in Philosophy. After teaching gymnastic for several years, I decided to continue my education and receive my teaching certificate in Elementary Education. I never expected be a teacher, but somehow I was lead right into the classroom.
I have been teaching in Morris Plains, New Jersey for ten years. I have a Masters Degree in Elementary Reading. I have a passion for elementary literacy and innovation in the classroom. I'm obsessed with picture books, and I currently teach a class called Creative Literacy to PreK- second grade students.
When I’m not teaching, I stay active through obstacle course racing, GORUCK, triathlons. I also have a passion for animal rescue, and that has lead to a house full of critters great and small. I have a lab mix named Finn, an orange cat named Elliot, a princess named Benson Nugget, and a three footed cay named Munch. We also have a revolving door of foster kittens. Along with those fur babies, I'm also a momma to a rescued hamster, turtles, leopard gecko, and crested geckos. One of the crested geckos, Timber, calls the Library at Mountain Way School his home. Timber often makes for an interesting day.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
An Author Study: Yuyi Morales
First I want to start by saying I haven't blogged nearly enough. Last year, I began my first year as a Creative Literacy teacher, and I just didn't make blogging a priority. Now that I'm into my second year as a Creative Literacy teacher, I'm hoping to blog a lot more. I feel that my experiences and ideas could be helpful.
I've been participating in the Global Read Aloud for about 5 years now. Last year, was my first year participating as a Creative Literacy Teacher, who sees all the students (preK-2nd) in the school. Last year, I attempted to read the chapter book selection with my second grade classes. It proved to be too cumbersome. I was reading the same book four times, and we didn't get a chance to finish the book. This year I decided that the pictures books for all grades would be much more manageable.
Yuyi Morales was a great pick for the author study. I started with background on Mexico, immigration, and Spanish as a language. We read One is a Pinata by Roseanne Thong. This was a nice introduction to some Spanish words and Mexican customs. We also read I Pledge Allegiance by Pat Mora and Libby Martinez. This was an age appropriate way to introduce becoming a citizen.
Included in the author study were the books:
Dreamer
Just a Minute
Nino Wrestles the World
Viva Frida
Little Night
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books with my students. I especially enjoy listening to the videos of Yuyi reading her own books. In each video Yuyi provided background and meaning to each book. We used flipgrid to connect with a couple other schools. As with past years, the connects start off strong but as the month goes one the connection usually fades. We had a pretty successful connection throughout with a School from Indiana.
I had the brilliant idea to make pinatas with kindergarten and first grade. Then I decided to make masks with the second grade. I had committed to paper mache with the entire school.
A couple lessons I learned from my adventure with paper mache.
1. Way more kids than I expected DID NOT want to touch the gooey mixture.
2. I went through a lot more flour than I anticipated.
3. Make extras because some not going come right, and quite honestly they won't know the difference between the pinatas.
Looking forward to next year!
I've been participating in the Global Read Aloud for about 5 years now. Last year, was my first year participating as a Creative Literacy Teacher, who sees all the students (preK-2nd) in the school. Last year, I attempted to read the chapter book selection with my second grade classes. It proved to be too cumbersome. I was reading the same book four times, and we didn't get a chance to finish the book. This year I decided that the pictures books for all grades would be much more manageable.
Yuyi Morales was a great pick for the author study. I started with background on Mexico, immigration, and Spanish as a language. We read One is a Pinata by Roseanne Thong. This was a nice introduction to some Spanish words and Mexican customs. We also read I Pledge Allegiance by Pat Mora and Libby Martinez. This was an age appropriate way to introduce becoming a citizen.
Included in the author study were the books:
Dreamer
Just a Minute
Nino Wrestles the World
Viva Frida
Little Night
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books with my students. I especially enjoy listening to the videos of Yuyi reading her own books. In each video Yuyi provided background and meaning to each book. We used flipgrid to connect with a couple other schools. As with past years, the connects start off strong but as the month goes one the connection usually fades. We had a pretty successful connection throughout with a School from Indiana.
I had the brilliant idea to make pinatas with kindergarten and first grade. Then I decided to make masks with the second grade. I had committed to paper mache with the entire school.
A couple lessons I learned from my adventure with paper mache.
1. Way more kids than I expected DID NOT want to touch the gooey mixture.
2. I went through a lot more flour than I anticipated.
3. Make extras because some not going come right, and quite honestly they won't know the difference between the pinatas.
Looking forward to next year!
Friday, November 9, 2018
A Review of Anthill for Sale by Johnny Ray Moore
I had the pleasure of sharing Anthill for Sale by Johnny Ray Moore with my students. They loved it, but more importantly as a teacher with so many books to choose from I immediately thought of ways this could enhance a number of lessons throughout a school curriculum.
Check back for more book reviews from my students!
Alvin, the ant, is reluctantly putting his home up for sale. The ordeal ends as a charming lesson about life, family, and, memories. Besides being a heart warming tale, this book lends itself to opportunities for learning. To start, it rhymes, which is crucial to language development. It also contains complex vocabulary words. This is an opportunity while reading to expose young students to. After reading my wheels started turning about all the different writing prompts that could be used in conjunction with this story. So many possibilities!
Lastly, Johnny Ray Moore (Author) chooses to use a wide variety of insects as potential buyers. As a science teacher, you could use this as chance to get students thinking about types of insects and characteristics of insects.
Lastly, Johnny Ray Moore (Author) chooses to use a wide variety of insects as potential buyers. As a science teacher, you could use this as chance to get students thinking about types of insects and characteristics of insects.
Anthill For Sale would make an excellent addition to any class library.
Here's is what some of my students have to say.
Friday, May 11, 2018
Learning can be Messy
Thanks to a colleague putting in a grant request, the second grade was granted RootVue planters. They are planters that have a clear wall in order for students to see the roots as their plants grow. As I was opening the boxes and reviewing the directions, It dawned on me that the directions were pretty student friendly and students putting it together would be possible. I decided that my students were going to do this project from the very start to finish, including putting the RootVue together.
1. I sat them in predetermined science groups. I made these groups with a mix of abilities. My hope was that I would have a variety of thinkers to help this project be successful.
2. I gave them just the directions to read and understand. I emphasized that they were not just reading to read. They were reading to understand because they were expected to following these directions to put together their RootVue.
3. Once a group finished reading, I would ask them a few questions about the directions to be sure they read them.
4 I gave them what they need for the first 5 steps, and let them have at it. I should mention that I told them each group was getting only one kit. Since there was measuring and cutting string, I suggested marking it first and double checking their measurements before cutting. There wasn't any extra wick, so they had to make sure they were doing it correctly.
5. Once those steps were done, it was time to expand the dirt disks. I asked students as they were ready how much water it said they needed. The answer was 7 cups. I told them that a water bottle was 2 cups, and then they needed to figure out how many water bottles filled with water they needed.
6. We stopped at the dirt on day one. Then the following day we continued with steps 7 through 14. For some reason, it took a little while to get in the groove. Students spent time exploring the dirt, and figuring out the next step. This step involved putting the dirt in the planter and holding the wicks upright so that the wick would keep the soil moist. This step took a lot of understanding and team work. Dirt went everywhere, and I had to remind myself that we could clean it up. Learning can be Messy.
7. Once seeds were planted, we were ready to wait for seeds to sprout.
I thoroughly enjoyed students working through directions together. I think they really took ownership of this project because they built it, and I was really impressed with how well they were able to problem solve. I think too often we assume we need to do things for them to speed up the project. I think there was plenty of value in reading, applying, and thinking during the build. They needed to apply math measuring skills.
Our plants have begun to sprout. Hopefully we see some root vegetables begin to grow.
1. I sat them in predetermined science groups. I made these groups with a mix of abilities. My hope was that I would have a variety of thinkers to help this project be successful.
2. I gave them just the directions to read and understand. I emphasized that they were not just reading to read. They were reading to understand because they were expected to following these directions to put together their RootVue.
3. Once a group finished reading, I would ask them a few questions about the directions to be sure they read them.
4 I gave them what they need for the first 5 steps, and let them have at it. I should mention that I told them each group was getting only one kit. Since there was measuring and cutting string, I suggested marking it first and double checking their measurements before cutting. There wasn't any extra wick, so they had to make sure they were doing it correctly.
5. Once those steps were done, it was time to expand the dirt disks. I asked students as they were ready how much water it said they needed. The answer was 7 cups. I told them that a water bottle was 2 cups, and then they needed to figure out how many water bottles filled with water they needed.
6. We stopped at the dirt on day one. Then the following day we continued with steps 7 through 14. For some reason, it took a little while to get in the groove. Students spent time exploring the dirt, and figuring out the next step. This step involved putting the dirt in the planter and holding the wicks upright so that the wick would keep the soil moist. This step took a lot of understanding and team work. Dirt went everywhere, and I had to remind myself that we could clean it up. Learning can be Messy.
7. Once seeds were planted, we were ready to wait for seeds to sprout.
I thoroughly enjoyed students working through directions together. I think they really took ownership of this project because they built it, and I was really impressed with how well they were able to problem solve. I think too often we assume we need to do things for them to speed up the project. I think there was plenty of value in reading, applying, and thinking during the build. They needed to apply math measuring skills.
Our plants have begun to sprout. Hopefully we see some root vegetables begin to grow.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
The Power of the Read Aloud
This isn't news. You have all heard this before, but as I sit here thinking of a topic to write about- reading out loud to my students stands out.
As a student teacher, my cooperating teacher loved to read picture books to her students. And she was good at it.. the inflection and the voices. When she read, the books came to life. Her students' eyes fixed on her as she moved through the pages. Often the books went with some lesson, but sometimes the reading was for pure enjoyment. She made reading to her students a priority. In doing so, she introduced me to many of the books I continue to read aloud today. Reading to my students is and always will be a priority.
Now, my love of Read Alouds actually goes much farther back than 2005. I really fell in love with the Read Aloud in 5th grade. You see, I was not a strong reader, and I would even go as far as saying I hated to read. BUT each day in fifth grade my teacher read a couple chapters of a book to us after lunch. Now as a teacher, the thought of taking twenty-ish minutes to read to students in fifth grade might sound insane. What was she thinking? There are tests to prep for, and standards to get in. What was the purpose of reading to us each day? As one of her students, this is what I remember most. It was my favorite time of the day. So, a student who hated reading looked forward to the read aloud each and every day. This was almost the only time I would get to know some of those stories. It planted a tiny seed, and although I didn't instantly love to read, that seed grew. I know those students still exist.
Today, I read everyday to my class. We are currently reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. It was chosen as one of the books for the Global Read Aloud this year. I knew it would be a hit with my students, and I was right. They never want me to stop, and it was inspired some of my reluctant writers to write blog post about Roz, the robot. The text is a bit above grade level, so listening to it is the only access some of my students would ever have to this text. Not to sound cheesy, but a read aloud is a gift to those students who otherwise could not read the book.
SO read the books out loud... plant the seeds... watch them grow...
As a student teacher, my cooperating teacher loved to read picture books to her students. And she was good at it.. the inflection and the voices. When she read, the books came to life. Her students' eyes fixed on her as she moved through the pages. Often the books went with some lesson, but sometimes the reading was for pure enjoyment. She made reading to her students a priority. In doing so, she introduced me to many of the books I continue to read aloud today. Reading to my students is and always will be a priority.
Now, my love of Read Alouds actually goes much farther back than 2005. I really fell in love with the Read Aloud in 5th grade. You see, I was not a strong reader, and I would even go as far as saying I hated to read. BUT each day in fifth grade my teacher read a couple chapters of a book to us after lunch. Now as a teacher, the thought of taking twenty-ish minutes to read to students in fifth grade might sound insane. What was she thinking? There are tests to prep for, and standards to get in. What was the purpose of reading to us each day? As one of her students, this is what I remember most. It was my favorite time of the day. So, a student who hated reading looked forward to the read aloud each and every day. This was almost the only time I would get to know some of those stories. It planted a tiny seed, and although I didn't instantly love to read, that seed grew. I know those students still exist.
Today, I read everyday to my class. We are currently reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. It was chosen as one of the books for the Global Read Aloud this year. I knew it would be a hit with my students, and I was right. They never want me to stop, and it was inspired some of my reluctant writers to write blog post about Roz, the robot. The text is a bit above grade level, so listening to it is the only access some of my students would ever have to this text. Not to sound cheesy, but a read aloud is a gift to those students who otherwise could not read the book.
SO read the books out loud... plant the seeds... watch them grow...
Thursday, September 28, 2017
There is no tired like a teacher in September
It's almost October, and I've survived September with a broken leg. The very first word out of the doctor's mouth was surgery. I wasn't expecting that at all. So, I began this school year in a boot on a scooter. Being I had big plans for September, I was beyond bummed to hear that I was on the injured list until at least March.
The first day of school was one of the best I've ever had. Thankfully, my class was caring and concerned. It helped that I had a pretty rad scooter. We started the year being more responsible than usual because I was going to need their help. I should start every year with a broken limb. Our floor is spotless, because I have to roll around and if there's debris on the floor I'll tip right over.
I had decided I was "simplifying" my classroom before I broken my leg, but I'm glad I did. I'm trying to reduce the amount of clutter in my room. Last year, I gave away or threw out anything I haven't used in years. I increased the size of my library with an emphasis on space for students to read. I'm experimenting with flexible seating. I'm even going deskless this year. The rainbow table has become my space. I've tried to create a student centered environment.
I'm hoping to expand on these "new" things in future blogs. :) So, stay tuned!
The first day of school was one of the best I've ever had. Thankfully, my class was caring and concerned. It helped that I had a pretty rad scooter. We started the year being more responsible than usual because I was going to need their help. I should start every year with a broken limb. Our floor is spotless, because I have to roll around and if there's debris on the floor I'll tip right over.
I had decided I was "simplifying" my classroom before I broken my leg, but I'm glad I did. I'm trying to reduce the amount of clutter in my room. Last year, I gave away or threw out anything I haven't used in years. I increased the size of my library with an emphasis on space for students to read. I'm experimenting with flexible seating. I'm even going deskless this year. The rainbow table has become my space. I've tried to create a student centered environment.
I'm hoping to expand on these "new" things in future blogs. :) So, stay tuned!
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
How could it be August 2nd already?
I promised myself I wouldn't even think about school until August. I almost kept that promise. BUT- how can any teacher not think about school in summer? I love summer for obvious reasons, but it also allows us to imagine what the following year could be like.
For starters, I want to blog more next year. I just started blogging last year. I'd love to commit to once a week. If I could just write something short and sweet about the week on a Friday afternoon. Tune in to see if I keep that promise.
I'm going deskless this coming year. I'm not sure if I'll regret it or not. Honestly, my desk was just a place to keep carefully crafted piles to which only I knew the contents. I'm sure I can find a new place to harbor my organized chaos.
I'm going to "try" flexible seating. Which I haven't worked out all the kinks, but I'm pretty sure it won't be much different from what I was already doing. My students are usually able to work anywhere in the room as it is. I'm thinking this year, they will not have a desk that it their own. They will have a place to store their things, but desks will not be claimed. You are going to have to tune in to see how this works out.
So there you have it- I made it to August 2nd, and here I am blogging about my hopes for a fresh new year.
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