Friday Favorites

School Spirit

We had our first assembly of the year this morning and introduced a new character to our Beverly Bobcats. Meet Bob...

So, I know you are thinking that this is a pretty cute bobcat. Here's what makes it even better...our amazing art teacher, Mrs. Morley made the entire thing herself. She tried to explain it to me once, but I was so mesmerized I don't think I understood a word of what she was saying. Let's just say that if I had tried to make a bobcat head, he might look more like a Blob than a Bob. Check out this Flipagram to see the progress from start to finish...

Kelso's Choices

Kelso is a cute little frog that helps kids make good choices. It is a conflict resolution program that our school has used for many years.

 By 5th grade, the kids can pretty much name all the choices and tell all about Kelso. For their lesson this week, I had them create some sidewalk art with chalk. I told them that the younger students in the building would really be looking at their art during recess, so they needed to do a really great job. I took this time-lapse video of one of the frogs being drawn. What a great example of collaboration.

Everything Pumpkin! 

First grade has celebrated "pumpkin week" for years. They weigh the pumpkins, graph, estimate, explore, write about them, read about them. If you could pumpkinfy an activity, we did it. We always carve a pumpkin after graphing which face you would want to see on the pumpkin. We also estimate how many seeds are going to be inside our pumpkin. 

My first year of teaching,  I set out to carve my pumpkin with a basic kitchen knife...left handed. My mom (our instructional specialist at the time) walked by and looked horrified. I guess I looked like I was about to cut my fingers off in front of my class? She quickly came to my rescue and carved the pumpkin. It became quite the tradition.

As you know, carving a pumpkin is no easy task. So one year she got creative...

If you've never carved your pumpkin with power tools, you are really missing out. The kids got the BIGGEST kick out of it too! 

Dry Shampoo

I saw this on Facebook the other day and could totally relate...

I use Dry Bar Triple Sec pretty much daily, even on clean hair. It's a great volumizer and texturizer. Plus it smells delicious. 

Kickball Thursday

I have played kickball for about 5 years. I look forward to Thursday every week to get my kickball fix. Right now, we are in playoffs. We didn't have the best regular season we've ever had, so we went into playoffs as the 16 seed. And let me add that there were only 16 teams in playoffs, so we were playing #1 last night. We won that game and the next and are on to the next round. This team is awesome! They make me laugh and we all support each other.Win or lose, it's always a good time. #butletsgetrealiwanttowin #cinderellastory

This pic is from two seasons ago when we won the championship...

Teacher Tuesday: Whitney Truong

Caffeinated Counselor Introduction
I met Whitney six years ago and just a few weeks after the school year had started. We were a few kids over on our numbers and needed to hire a fifth teacher for first grade. It was already October by the time she started, so Whitney was hired to be our "floater" teacher. She pulled small groups all day, came up with unique lesson plans, and you really couldn't even tell she was a first year teacher. 

I remember during her interview, we all agreed that she was professional, well spoken, sweet, and had a genuine love for students. I love all of those things in a teacher, but I was also thinking, "Is she fun? Can we be friends with her?". Your team is like a family and the four of us had been together for 6 years. The other three had been together for about 12 years at that point. Good news, people. Yes, we could be really good friends with her. Here is a picture of some of the current and former first grade teachers at Whitney's wedding last year. 

Whitney is witty, she sees the humor in situations and keeps calm under even the most stressful conditions. For example, when I was absent one day of the entire school year because I had woken up with a really bad fever, I just called Whitney and asked her to cover my class for the day instead of pulling her groups. Well, it just so happened to be the day there was a tornado outbreak in North Texas that had the teachers and students sheltering in place well after the school day ended. Frantic parents, panicked teachers, crying children, and Whitney was as cool as a cucumber. Well, probably not on the inside, but everyone was so impressed with how she had handled that situation as a first year teacher.  

The next year, we were down on numbers again so Whitney did a quick stint in 4th grade. That is a big jump to make, but she handled it like a pro. And then, we promptly stole her back the next year when two of our teachers retired. #sorry4thgrade #butnotthatsorry


Teacher Interview

How long have you been teaching? 

6 years

What is your classroom decor? 

Bees

Now read her reasoning for BEEing all about bees...

I think that bees are super cute and great for the environment, but my love of bees goes so much deeper. There is an inspirational quote that paraphrased basically says that bees should not be able to fly, but they do every day. I have seen recent research that disproves this theory. Regardless, I love the idea of bees overcoming the impossible every time they take flight. I teach this to my kiddos at the beginning of every year by reading a book called Buzzy the Bumblebee. It is all about a bee who reads that he should not be able to fly, walks home, cries to his parents, and is reminded by them that labels and limits should not hold us back. I designed my classroom around the idea that my kiddos will face struggles, but if they put their minds to it they can get through it! I tell them at the beginning of the year that I am going to teach them to fly. I love to see them soar throughout the year and even beyond my classroom.

What is your favorite story about a student? 

My first "official" year of teaching was when I taught fourth grade. It is overwhelming to be a new teacher. You have so much passion for what you are doing, but you realize you have no idea what you are doing. You feel kind of insecure and unsure of yourself. I was feeling all of these emotions and more on Meet the Teacher Night UNTIL one of my kiddos came in wearing a tuxedo t-shirt and carrying a bouquet of flowers for me. I knew I still had a lot to learn as a teacher, but I also knew that I fell in love with my fourth graders that night and because of that love for them and my passion for teaching, we were all going to be ok.

This is a pic of Whitney and her awesome 4th grade team.

What is your favorite lesson to teach?

I don't have a favorite lesson, but I do have a favorite subject. I love teaching MATH! There are so many great resources out there for awesome math activities, that it makes it easy for me to teach and fun for the kiddos. I love helping them find math in the world around them and apply what we are learning in the classroom to their everyday lives.

What inspires you? What is your strong?

I want to be a lifelong teacher for my students. I tell them they will always be my kiddos even when they leave my classroom. Nothing makes me happier than when a kiddo comes back to visit. I feel like I have made a difference. After all, most of us are in the profession to make a positive impact in our students' lives. My kiddos are my inspiration and my "strong".

What is your favorite Techy Tool?

I love OSMO! It is an iPad app that creates an awesome basic skills foundation based on number and letter combinations. It keeps the kiddos engaged and makes learning exciting!

Also, Whitney has her own amazing blog that I love reading. Check her out at http://buzzfulthoughts.blogspot.com/

What is your favorite Caffeinated Beverage?

Coffee with milk and a little hint of flavored creamer.

She even has the perfect mug to go with it! 

What is your favorite school celebration?

I love all of our special days, but the 100th Day is my favorite!

Who is your favorite author?

I loved Roald Dahl growing up and still do! His books are a little too high level for my firsties, but I hope they will fall in love with Matilda and Willy Wonka just like I did in upper elementary.

Tell us your best classroom management trick.

Bees! Who would have thought? It really isn't bees, but table points. I have these soft bees that I "throw" to a student/table for good behavior, answering a question, etc. At the end of the day, students get to count their bees and the table with the most bees at the end of the week gets a reward.

Favorite teacher you've ever had?

Coach Wirwhan was my high school government teacher. I had no interest in government, but I love how he had a solid personal relationship with all of his students. He had a large windowsill in his room and it was full of senior pics of his students from over the years. It let his current students know that he will never forget them. He also encouraged me to go to TCU when I decided to move back to Texas in the middle of my freshman year of college. I will never forget him.

Student Interview

Connor and Maddy helped me out with this student interview. My only wish is that I could have recorded the entire interview. They answered these questions very seriously. When I explained what a blog is for and that other people would be reading it they said, "So, we are gonna be FAMOUS?". So if you see them around, make sure you treat them like the celebrities they are!

1. How old is your teacher?

Connor-27
Maddy-31

2. What does your teacher do for fun?

C- Thinks about lessons for our class!
M-Watches TV! The show is Cosmos so she can learn about space.

3. What would your teacher do with $1,000,000?

C- Make Beverly bigger. It is the best school in Plano, so she wants lots more kids to come here.
M- A school full of diamonds.

4. If your teacher wasn't a teacher, what would she be?

C- A Scientist
M- A bee catcher with a net

Speaking of Scientists, look at this precious science KWL word wall I found in her room...

                

5. If your teacher was a fruit, which one would she be?

C- A honeycrisp apple. She loves bees and bees love honey.

M- A watermelon because she is sweet and she loves red.

6. What is something your teacher doesn't like?

C-People that aren't having fun.

M- She doesn't like for her students to be bored.

This is perfect! People that aren't having fun are the worst haha!

7. If your teacher could teleport, where would she go?

C- I think she would go home because she's probably exhausted. #teacherlife

M- A beach. With bees.

8. What makes your teacher so special?

C- She loves to learn!

M- We both love insects.

Other fun facts:

Maddy-Did you know she is married to Mr. Truong?

Me- Yes, I did know that. What do you think Mr. Truong's first name is?

M-Truong

C-That doesn't seem right?

M- Yea, maybe it's Nick.

C-Yes, Nick is it!

Ok Duke, I'll just be calling you Nick from now on!

I hope you all loved learning about the amazing Whitney Truong!

What's Up Wednesday

What I'm Working On

Red Ribbon Week is just around the corner. I am so excited to bring in some new themes this year that our school has never done before. I am also VERY excited to get creative with my costume ideas. Here's a little look at what we have coming up later in October:

Monday: Celebrate Red Ribbon Week
We will all be decked out in red from head to toe!

Tuesday: Be a Hero, Don't Do Drugs
This theme day will have our students and staff dressing as their favorite superhero. For this theme day, I found this awesome Wonder Woman shirt at Target...

Wednesday: A Minion Reasons to Be Drug Free

I am so excited for this one. I found this amazing onesie at Target as well...

Thursday: Elect to Be Drug Free

We are all dressing up in Red, White, and Blue. Now I am really glad I kept all of my leftover 4th of July props. I had big plans to wear my Texas Rangers red, white, and blue to celebrate the World Series, but I guess I'll have to find another plan. #bitter

Friday: Have Character, Don't Do Drugs

We are all dressing up as a favorite movie or book character. I am having the hardest time deciding on one, so this might be a last minute decision.

Heard Around the Halls

I taught a lesson in 5th grade and we read this book...

We discussed point of view and perspective. These kids really had some great thoughts about why people see the same event and have two different stories. One girl said, 

“Their experiences, emotions, and desires make them hear only the part they want to hear. They can’t even see the other side of the story, but also I don't think they are trying.”

Yes, ma’am. Please run for president!

We did an activity where they had to take on the point of view of one of the characters. They were either the 3 pigs, the wolf, the wolf's granny, or the media. They had a few minutes to discuss their POV with a group and then were supposed to share their thoughts. The media representative was pro-wolf. The group discussed the cheap construction of the pigs' houses, the poor wolf just wanting some sugar, and the wolf's unfortunate cold. It was great. As his speech was ending, I noticed his shirt. I asked if he thought the media was ever biased. Of course not, he replied. But y'all look at his shirt...

He was such a good sport and we got the BIGGEST kick out of it. 

A Counselor's Life

In 3rd grade last week, we read this book...

I had the students write a recipe for Enemy Pie and then...I got carried away. I do a similar lesson in first grade during friendship week using a video called "Friendship Soup". I am just going to change the title and make this cute craft with the firsties later this year.

Technology Tip

This is a pretty big tip, but if you are in the market for a new computer I highly recommend this one...

I have needed a new computer for a few years now and really thought I wanted a MacBook Pro. I loved my last one, but the best part might have been that my parents bought it for me to use during grad school. Turns out, they are not cheap at all and I was not prepared to put down that kind of money. I did a lot of research, bothered a ton of sales people with silly questions, and wound up with an iMac. I LOVE it. It is the best computer I have ever owned. It makes blogging, designing products, and storing data so easy. It was still pretty pricy, but has so much more memory for about half the cost of the MacBook Pro. 

Something I Am Reading

I love to read before bed and right now I am totally into Erin Hilderbrand books. My latest pick is called Winter Storms. All of her books are great. They are easy reads and I haven't found one that I haven't enjoyed.

UPlifting Inspiration

That's What's Up this Wednesday. I hope you all have a great week.

Teacher Tuesday: Leslie Roten Edition

Trying to decide who would be the Teacher Tuesday celebrity every week was giving me serious anxiety. I'm telling you, I work with the best. It is impossible to choose. I decided it would be fun to start with a Kinder teacher, then go to 1st grade, and so on until I get to 5th. Then I will highlight some of our specialists and we will go right back to Kinder to start the fun all over again.

So get your Kinder love ready and let me introduce you to the amazing, Leslie Roten.

Caffeinated Counselor Intro

People say Plano is a pretty big city. I don't buy it. If you've been around for a while (you know, like since birth) everyone knows someone, who knows someone, who knows your family.  When I first started at Beverly I heard the name, Leslie Roten a few times and people thought I knew her.  By the time I started teaching, she had taken some time off to stay at home with her sweet kiddos. So to me, she was just a Beverly celeb that I had never actually met. We were lucky enough to get her back a few years ago and our school is better for it. Here are just a few of the ways we are connected...

My mom was her PACE Teacher at Thomas Elementary

Leslie's mom was my 2nd grade teacher one of my favorites EVER!! Now I get to see her at school all the time. I am working on calling her Polly instead of Mrs. Tallas.

When  I was student teaching, Paige O'Kelley would always talk about her AMAZING friend who watched her kids while she was at work...you guessed it...Leslie. These two are still best buddies and it is so cute to see them at work together.

I feel so lucky to know Leslie and to see all the amazing things she does on a daily basis. 

Teacher Interview

How long have you been teaching? 

16 years

What is your classroom decor? 

Monkeys

Look how cute her room is...

What is your favorite story about a student? 

One of my kiddos had been working hard to complete station work before his timer went off, and one day, he finally accomplished his goal. He yelled out, "Hallelujah, my brain finally got it together", and then he proceeded to do a victory dance!

What is your favorite lesson to teach?

I love to teach kiddos character traits and problem solving. Obviously, this is something we ALL teach all year long, but it is SO important that I love teaching and helping my students to be kind human beings who are able to solve their own problems.

Leslie is also amazing at teaching kids to read. She works hard with every kid and meets them on their level. Her teacher table is a fun place to be. She teaches important literacy skills, but also makes it so fun. Look at these cute eye pointers her students wear as they are reading. It reminds them to look at the word and think about its sounds and what makes sense. So fun! 

What inspires you? What is your strong?

I LOVE gaining new ideas from the amazing educators around me so that I am able to do what I can to meet the needs of every kiddo I teach!!

This team sets a great example of effective collaboration. They are all amazing!

What is your favorite Techy Tool?

Osmo on the I-PAD, QR codes, and the green screen app! Still learning . . .

What is your favorite Caffeinated Beverage?

Diet Coke (I know . . . not good for me!)

What is your favorite school celebration?

Kindergarten Friendship Feast!!!

Look at these sweet Kinder  friends acting like a couple of turkeys :)

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

Hang with my daughters and scrapbook.

Ok, here is where I am going to interrupt for a second to show you all how CREATIVE this chick is and not just with her scrapbooks. Her family went to Disney over the summer and she had all these festive countdown days to get them all hyped up. Look at the cuteness...

 Oh, and let me mention, she was doing all of this in the last two weeks of school. You know, when the rest of us were crawling to the couch at the end of the day, curling up in a ball, and maybe changing into PJ's before bed. Maybe. She is awesome and has endless amounts of energy. Even when I know she HAS to be tired, she puts on her peppiest, happiest face and gives her kiddos her best every single day. 

Tell us your best classroom management trick.

I have lots - Attention-grabber sounds and chants, positive behavior awards, clean-up songs, etc.

Look at her teaching in her monkey hat! So cute

Favorite teacher you've ever had?

My mom (Polly Tallas) and Mrs. Hays (Debbie Hays is our PACE specialist. She and Leslie get to work together every day. So cool)

Student Interview

For Mrs. Roten's student interview, I got to spend some time chatting with these two cute Kinder kids, Sophia & Jacob.

I just loved hearing their answers because they really range from sincere and sweet to flying cars. #Kinderlife. Enjoy...

1. What does your teacher do for fun?

Jacob- I don't know, like do some work and stuff?

Sophia- She takes care of her kids.

2. What would your teacher do with $1,000,000?

J- Buy a flying car! They are REALLY expensive!

S- She would save it!

3. If your teacher wasn't a teacher, what would she be?

J- A fly car sale person

S- A house seller lady like my mom and like me.

4. If your teacher was a fruit, which one would she be?

J- Watermelon because I LOVE watermelon and I love her!

S- A strawberry because they are so sweet.

5. How old is your teacher?

J- uhhhh...49?

S- I'll say 59. That's a high number, but not that high. She's young.

6. What scares your teacher?

J&S in unison- SPIDERS!!!!

7. What is something your teacher doesn't like?

J- Yuck Soup- with socks and old tires.

S- Yea, she doesn't like Yuck Soup, but she loves Yum Soup.

This is the book Yuck Soup.

The Kinder classes make something that looks even more delicious than this. 

8. If your teacher could teleport, where would she go?

J- To Monkeyland...with her flying car.

S- To China!

9. IWhat makes your teacher so special?

J- I love her

S- I like her teaching and she teaches us funny stuff.

Other fun facts I learned about Mrs. Roten during this interview:

These are the members of her family...

Sam and Samantha. You might have guessed, but Leslie's oldest daughter is Samantha but she goes by Sam. These two were CONVINCED that these are two different people. Here is how the rest of the conversation went...

Me- Wait, doesn't she have two daughters?

J- Yes. Sam and Samantha. Remember, we told you their names a minute ago.

Me- I thought she had a daughter named Avery?

S- I have met Samantha. She is really nice and pretty.

J- Me too. She is so nice.

Me- So, what about Avery?

S- We haven't met her, so I don't know.

J- Yea, her other daughter is Sam.

-I'm gonna let that one go-

Me- Is Mrs. Roten married?

J- No.

S- I don't know. But she does have a mom named Mrs. Tallas.

Me- But what about her husband? Does she have one?

J- I don't know because we haven't met him. (Cue the hand to the forehead. They seriously don't know why I am not understanding this.)

So, just so we are all clear...

From the left- Sam, Rodney, Avery. They all exist. And it kind of looks like they might be checking out flying cars in this pic!

Until next time! I hope you loved this Teacher Tuesday as much as I did!