The Destitute Teacher

Countdown supermarkets in NZ recently had a promotion. For every $20 spent they would give you one 'free' collectible domino. So I put the word out to friends and family. I put it in my class newsletter, on Facebook, everywhere I could think... I would trade handmade goods for dominoes. Due to the generosity of my friends and family I had a surprisingly large collection of dominoes by the end of the promotion. So now I am putting together some Math resources for my classroom that use dominoes as the main material. I am sure that I have come across the idea of Domino War somewhere in the wilds of the internet, but when I went to print it out for my classroom, do you think I could find a source? No way Jose. Tried and tested, this game is much loved by my year 2 students at the moment. The craze of the promotion may be contributing, but they are enjoying this relatively fast paced game. The idea is quite simple. First, turn all the dominoes so that the dots are facing do...

Pintrest provides so much inspiration, but I sometimes struggle to find equipment in NZ that is featured in some classroom makes. It seems that the USA etc have access to some cheaper resources in many respects, and trying to replicate some things is a bit expensive. I have been on the hunt for some affordable alphabet stamps in NZ for a while now. I have scoped auction sites, emporiums, dollar shops, but most places seem to expect more $$$ than I am willing to pay. Particularly as I predict that stamps will go missing/ get lost very quickly. I recently found some foam letters in a local emporium for $1.50 a set. Of course I snaffled them up- I would be silly not to! So off home I went, and my husband sighed in dismay as out came the milk bottle top collection! A spot of hot glue and some milk bottle tops, and I quickly had two sets of alphabet stamps! Some tips/ points I thought of as I made them: I used red tops for the vowels and blue for the consonants. I figure t...

So yesterday I started telling you all about how I organize my writing program, and explained one of the independent activities that my writers go on with while I am working with a group/ conferencing. The second independent activity is greatly loved- Boggle. I have a range of Boggle sets organised, and try to present it in a variety of formats. We have laminated Boggle letters attached to our whiteboard with strips of magnet tape... And we have plastic baggies pinned to our wall with letters in them... In the plastic baggies you might find cardboard tags with the letters written on, or printed and laminated letters, or milk bottle tops with the letters, or even some plastic letters (that I found for 50 cents at an emporium one day). I place importance on making sure the children can take the set back to their table and physically manipulate them to make as many new words as they possibly can. They then record the letters on their whiteboards. Sometimes we ha...

In my class we use Math and Reading rotation boards to manage independent work while I am working with small groups. It is an incredibly effective system, once you have got all your resources up and running etc. Writing is a little different. At the moment I have four writing groups. We start with a whole class lesson/ explicit teaching, then go back to our tables to write. My teacher aide (I get a small period of time 3 times a week) works with the 'slow starters', helping them get their ideas on paper. I work with another group on a teaching point. I then conference with the third group, and mark the last group overnight. Then it all changes the next day, enabling me to see as many students as possible. But there are always some fast finishers in our class who complete their tasks... and then what? First they are expected to edit their writing with a green pen, correcting capital letters and full stops. Some groups are beginning to use the dictionary or classroom resources ...

This mothers day we created some "I love you to pieces" photo frames to give to our mothers. In the past I have used Popsicle sticks to create the frame base. There is a previous post outlining the process. This year I updated how we went about it. First of all, we took photos of our partner and edited them on the iPads. I then printed them and laminated them for the students. We cut them out and hot glued the puzzle pieces straight on. It was so much easier than creating the frame, which invariably never fit the photograph. We popped a magnet strip on the back and had a lovely gift to send hom for Mother's Day.  

It has taken me a while to hit my stride when it comes to school holidays. There have been holidays completely wasted doing endless school work, holidays spent doing things for other people... and now I think I have worked out a formula that works for me. So, here is my list... a 'to do' list... of things that make up my school holidays. 1. Turn off the alarm and wake up naturally each day. During term time, I get up at 5.30 each morning. In the school holidays I wake naturally by 8am, and feel much better for it. I try to keep my bedtimes regular, and no more than an hour later than my school bedtime. This means I get the best out of my days, and don't struggle as much with re-setting the body clock. 2. Have at least one day in bed. I spend at least one day of my holiday in my pj's, mooching around the house. I read in bed. Eat junk food. I spend the day alone (no kids of my own). Its brilliant. And needed. Do it. 3. Revise your ward-robe. Catch up on the washing, sor...

Specifically, 10 things I wish I knew about setting up a classroom as a beginning teacher. 1. It will take far longer than you think. You may have it all mapped out in your head, but you will need a large amount of time to put it into action. If you can, get into the classroom at the end of the previous school year. Map it out in your head. Take the staples out of the wall if you can, and hang backing material. Trust me, it is far cooler (and easier) in December, rather than sweating it out late January. 2. Bring a bucket of hot, soapy water and cloths. Chances are those tote trays, maths equipment and book boxes are going to need a really good wash out. They are disgusting, and if you don't want to touch them, then neither will your students. 3. Bring needle nose pliers, music and something nice to drink. There is likely to be many, many staples in the walls. Even if you hang backing fabric, you will need to take them out so they don't ruin the effect of your display. 4. Don...