Supermotivator's Blog
Tutorials (Bottom of this page), Ramblings, Reflections, Tips and Tricks I've learned along this teaching adventure.
Google Fonts QUICK Reference GUIDE!
A huge thank you to lifehacker.com where they have this quick reference guide you can print for yourself! I have been looking for this for ages, I was WAY too lazy to do this myself. I spend way more time than I would like to admit looking for the perfect font in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings! Download it from this site or message me on hangouts for access to my version! https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/08/make-your-own-quick-reference-posters-for-google-web-fonts/
Boredom
I have seen many conversations regarding children and boredom lately. Reflecting on my mostly technology free childhood, I remember feeling this way often. And it was in these times that I remember creating my most influential memories as well. If I stated I was bored, my mom would ultimately say, "Go outside," every single time! Unless it was raining. If it was raining, there was an unsubstantiated, yet deadly virus to be had while playing in the rain! "You'll catch the death of cold out there in the rain!" On rainy days, she would usually ask if I had a book to read. I rarely had a book to read when I claimed boredom because I read them all, thus the claim to restlessness! My mom, loved when I was preoccupied. She wasn't quite sure how to handle my constant inquisitiveness. Her answer to keeping me busy was to buy me every book I asked for, and she signed me up for every book club possible. I read every single book in every single classroom (except a particularly ugly covered set in my middle school room ((I am so ancient, there were only three rooms for grades 1-8 in my school) that I refused to read at first because of their cover) a later blog post to be sure!!!) But, let us not lose sight here, I was claiming boredom, I had to make my own fun. My brother was four years older, my sister was eight years older...they wanted nothing to do with my silly games, thoughts and ideas! Thus the road to creativity and sometimes massive mischief ensued.
For those of you who know me well, my response to boredom is books, of course. Smile. My children had a book we bought full of creative, problem solving fun just using stuff you had laying around the house when they were little! It was called Family Fun Activity Book by Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo, I loved him when I was itty bitty). It had everything from building towers out of recyclables to playing games and making crafts. I still use it for some of the creative problem solving activities in my classroom. My own children came up with their own ideas based on his activities using whatever we had at the house. The book is on Amazon, and I have seen it in used book stores.
Another activity from Peggy Pennington:
One of the kids favorite activities to do when we have an extra 10 minutes is to blindfold one of them (they now become the "listener" who cannot speak), place various objects on a small table (including, but not limited to: paper towel and toilet paper tubes, and anything else you can stand up that could be knocked down), several small pieces of wadded up paper, a cup, and sometimes we grab whatever is next to us; paper hole punches, staple removers, staplers, tape dispensers, anything works really and changing it up every single time is part of the fun. We wad up the paper, and place the wads all around the objects we've stood up ...the object of the game is to communicate to the blindfolded person (the listener) how to reach for, grab and move the wads of paper into the cup without hitting, touching or knocking anything else on the table. When they first begin this, it is TOUGH. As a parent/educator, you see how important communication is and have to guide them into doing it a few times before they begin to increase their leadership, problem solving, creative thinking, community building and communication skills (listening and communicating). I usually model it for them once with a student as a volunteer, then let them try it. The first few times of failure is super important for kids to learn it is okay to fail, but you must keep trying. We debrief by asking how they could have helped their partner, the listener, (the blindfolded student) do better. We ask the listener how they felt they did as well. We do not allow blame, only helping each other succeed which helps create a sense of community! We discuss "how" we speak is one of the most important parts of communicating effectively. Eventually, they do so well at this game participating as the communicator and the listener (the blindfolded) they no longer need my guidance. I just watch, video, take pictures of them and become genuinely impressed with how complicated they wish to make the layout of the game as they progress!
They beg to do this “game” all of the time. They would spend hours doing it if I let them! Smile. They have no idea they are working on valuable skills they will use for the rest of their life. Shhhh, that will be our secret! Smiles.
Challenge Class Spirit Day Dress Up Ideas
Please feel free to use these. We love new and different ideas for spirit days. If you have any others, please share them with us. We purposefully left out some we felt were overused! ~Hugs, Crystal
Preparing for the Year
Every new year, brings new students. New students who are used to hearing the same procedures and rules from every single teacher. Or are they? When you ask a student what the procedure is in a certain classroom, I often hear they have no idea. They could have been in the same classroom with the same teacher for multiple years and they are telling me they do not know what the teacher expects. I have been using the list below, since I first began teaching. I kept it inside my podium with the items I wanted to cover highlighted so I would remember each and every one of them. I do not always go through the entire list on the first day. This would be monotonous for students who have to listen to every single teacher regurgitating similar information all day long. I break it up into pieces. I highlight in yellow what I want to cover on the first day, highlight in blue the for the next day and so on. You do you, feel free to use it, modify it to fit you, or not. ~Hugs, Crystal
How many times do you go through the motions? How many days do you wake up not wanting to go to work or school? Ask yourself how you can reunite with your passions? What fosters passion? Why was the dad's color gray at work? Why was it blue later on? Why were student's color dull? How many times do you feel dull? Drained? Spent? Do you remember times when you were not emotionally and physically drained? As a behavior teacher for many years, I remember coming to school listening to LOUD, upbeat, "pump you up" type of music. I remember going home and feeling so drained, I had no energy to do anything. My kids were grown. I lived alone. And all I wanted to do was lay down on the couch. I was done. I knew...I KNEW this was not who I was. I KNEW I had given ALL of me during the day and had nothing left for me when I got home. I needed out. I applied for jobs at factories. I seriously considered leaving a career I was meant for. At one time, I felt I was MADE for teaching. That feeling was GONE. I couldn't find it. I was going through the motions. I was dull, I was drained, I was SPENT. It was painful. I knew in my heart I needed to find that passion again, to FEEL ALIVE! I couldn't take going through the motions one more second. I was sent to a conference and one of the speakers said to find him on Twitter. I did. It changed my life. I found me again. I found me in hundreds of thousands of other like minded, passionate individuals. I began following people who interested me. I began reading articles and blogs they posted. I started listening to podcasts about education. I found my PASSION again. It has been many years now, I still occasionally feel drained. It is bound to happen in a system where we are expected to change the world. The majority of my days are AMAZING. I feel empowered to change the world. I feel inspired to be that inspirer of youth I once was when I was younger. Twitter may not be your fix. Finding like-minded educators around the world helped me. What could help you? Find a way to get that passion back. You deserve that passion. It is your right to have and to hold and be an inspirer of youth again. Much love, Crystal
Translate Google Forms Into Other Languages
I love it when someone asks me a question I do not know the answer to. I will work to find a way to solve the problem. I am a problem solver. That's what I do. The last question was how to translate a page from English to another language. I created a quick video tutorial below to show you how. If you do not like an audio-visual tutorial, I have also included written instructions below!
1. Open a new Google Chrome window.
2. Click the waffle (nine squares on top of your normal laptop) or click the magnifying glass on the Chromebook keyboard.
3. Type "Google Translate" and check the box "Extensions" under the search bar you entered.
4. The first option should be Google Translate by Google.
5. Click Add to Chrome.
6. Open the page you want to translate.
7. Click on the Google Translate extension bar (beside the search bar at the top right below the tabs). It looks like a white G inside a blue paper or something ... I'm like 96 years old and I can not see like I used to. Feel free to correct me if this is a butterfly or something totally different ....
8. A small window appears in the upper right corner of the screen. In blue, under a search bar, are not the words Translate this page (which is very small, 96-year-old old eyes + = difficult to see). Click Translate this page.
9. On the top left of the page, below the search bar, you'll see the words "Translated to:" and a language will appear in blue next to the "Translated to:." Click on the language and choose the language you want to translate your page into.
10. Your page can be converted back by clicking the blue word you translated it into and choosing the language you want or click "Show Original" right next to the language.
Love and hugs,
~Ms. K
Mar 28, 2017 4:12 PM.webmMaking YOUR LIFE EAsier
Reasons 1, 2, and 3 why you should be using Google Keep...Okay, there are far more than three reasons in my videos...the intensity and reasons for using the app increase with each pitch. Who doesn't want to improve on their current practice? Who doesn't want to increase productivity? If you would like to make your life easier....watch the videos and see why. Enjoy, Crystal
Reflections
I have been reflecting on my lesson plans about the previous week’s activities. I keep an in depth time log of every single thing that goes on in my day. However, I am talking about my actual lesson plans. I write what works, what doesn't, what the students loved and hated. But, it has been there just for me...I am going to attempt to keep the updates of my reflections on here. My failures, triumphs, and experiences with my little ones. I will keep updating pictures on our Google+ page and just write the reflections here. If you have questions about my lessons, reflections or tutorials, send me a Hangout message. I’ll get back asap. ~Crystal
You Never Know the Struggles They've Seen
I sometimes forget that my student's actions can be a direct result of a situation they've been in or are going through.....I sometimes forget that my reactions to their actions can be a teachable moment in their lives they will never forget. I pray daily I will not fail my students. I fail daily. I will keep striving. I will keep apologizing to them for my shortcomings and keep attempting to be a positive and inspiring light in their lives.
Leaders vs Managers
What does a leader do? A leader is there for support, guiding, and inspiring you. A leader does not demand nor command. A leader will challenge you to improve and master the art of teaching. They will consider your input. They do not know all of the answers but are willing to research to find it. They utilize the expertise in their staff to problem solve. They go to bat for you. They never leave you hanging. They jump in and get dirty right along with you. A leader does not blame others, they make decisions. They do not avoid the conflicts, they help you solve them. Listen to your colleagues, they tell you who they are by their actions and their words. Be a leader. Lead your coworkers and your students into the future. You have the power to change the world!
Mindset
What is it? I talk about it at conferences, professional development classes I teach, I train my students to have it, I talk about it with parents, friends and colleagues…..it is how we think.
Do you think you know all there is to know? Do you feel you are perfect just the way you are? Do you exist day to day feeling your life is just where it needs to be, and you do not need to change, improve or do anything differently? Do you feel your students who are not achieving are lazy? Do you think that your non-achieving students possess fixed traits that cannot be improved upon based on their mindset, parent's influence, and/or abilities? Do you believe that it is talent which helps students achieve? That is a fixed mindset.
Do you feel like the world is so huge you could not possibly know everything there is to know about life? Do you have an insatiable desire to learn, grow, and be more than you were yesterday? Do you feel your current abilities are just where you are at this moment but can be developed through dedication, diligence, and training? And finally, do you believe your students are your responsibility. Their learning or lack thereof is solely up to you? Do you own the the learning taking place in your classroom; constantly attempting to improve, build relationships, expanding on your and their knowledge? That is a growth mindset.
Carol Dweck, a psychologist, from Stanford University, came up with this simple idea of mindset after researching achievement and success for many decades.
Dweck found that almost every single successful and accomplished person possessed a growth mindset. This simple idea has been proven to create motivation, improve relationships, and increase productivity.
Think of some of your favorite teachers. Why were they your favorites? I remember Miss Grindstaff like it was yesterday. She was amazing. For the first time in my life, I felt appreciated, loved, cared for, and intelligent. My best friend, Penny, had moved away. I was in a state of depression. I was only in fifth grade, and I remember breaking down in class bawling my eyes out on a number of occasions. We had been in the same class for five years straight. All of a sudden Penny was out of my life, and I missed her terribly. Miss Grindstaff would stop what she was doing and asks me if I was okay. I would nod, clear up the tears and continue to work. There were some assignments I refused to do. I kept telling Miss Grindstaff I just didn't understand it. I think she knew I did but didn't want to call me out on it. She let it go and gave me one on one attention for a short period of every class. I finally “got” the concept and moved on. I've never forgotten her, the particular math I pretended to not understand (conversions), nor the way she helped me feel so loved during that difficult time. To this very day, I still think of how I can be more like her in my classroom.
How can the way you think change the way a student thinks? How can our motivation increase their will to thrive and succeed? Again, think of the most influential teachers in your life. For me, they were passionate about what they taught. They didn't just sit at their desk and talk to us, they got up, moved around, had energy and charisma about what they were teaching. They. Were. Excited. They were so enthusiastic about what they taught it was energizing.
TUTORIALS
How to Translate a page into Another Language