It is the first day of the eighth month of the year 2020. I will return to work full-time next week. I plan to enjoy these last few days with very little planning for my day.
Mrs. Johnson <><
Tag Archives: Daily rant
Rumblings
I’ve started doing some work to prepare for returning to school. I attended a workshop on Tuesday, and yesterday found me starting to go through the curriculum updates. I will sit down later to go through more of the updates but am pacing myself. Next week will find me working on my classroom with out new furniture. It will be cool to do some decorating. More anon.
Mrs. Johnson <><
Distance Teaching 101
We’ve had to implement distance learning, and it’s not quite the same for me. I miss seeing my students’ faces, hearing their voices, and talking to them in person face-to-face. Most kids have adapted to the new system and taken care of assignments. I have used Zoom, Remind, and Google Classroom along with emails and daily videos to stay in touch. We can finish strongly! Take care, be kind, and do good!
Mrs. Johnson <><
Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later
We began working on our Elements of Culture projects by taking notes about the elements of culture encountered in our course study. Students were asked to write sentences about themselves. I sent a welcome email. Some students will be surprised when they have to complete a late work assignment notice tomorrow. I want it understood from the beginning: pay me now, or pay me later. If you complete your work, you pay me now. If you turn in your work late, you pay me later. The cost is higher. The stakes increase. It’s really quite simple.
Mrs. Johnson <><
Take Care of Yourselves!
Please take care of your health as the flu season strikes with a vengeance. Get your rest, take your vitamin C, eat chicken soup, and wash your hands. I do try my best to sanitize the desks after school during this time of year, but some germs are determined rascals bent on bringing you down. You have no homework from me this weekend other than to be kind, do good, and bring dog or cat items for Operation Kindness.
Mrs. Johnson <><
Stripes!
I asked students to wear stripes today since we were learning about latitude and longitude after organizing our social studies binders. Here are a couple of pictures I managed to snap. I apologize for not getting all of them immortalized. We have a test on Friday, August 31, and it covers information in their BOK unit 1, tools of geography.
From 2nd period
Some 6th period representatives (more stripes!)
Binder Tab Order:
- Introduction
- Americas
- Europe and Russia
- Africa and SW Asia
- Asia and Oceania
Items that should be in the social studies binder:
- Geography vocabulary (completed)
- Continents and Oceans map (completed)
- Themes of Geography (pages 3-4)
- Modifying vs. Adapting (page 5)
- Regions of the World (pages 6-7)
- Map Components (pages 8-9)
- Locating Places – Latitude and Longitude (pages 10-11)
Mrs. Johnson <><
First Two Days
Welcome!
Yesterday was the first day of the 2018-2019 school year. It went well. I only had to open about one dozen lockers all day long. That is a record! We completed a “getting to know you” activity yesterday and then covered policies and procedures today. We start working on essential geography information next week, so be on the look out. The students have learned that I like to talk about food and have a good sense of humor. They also know that we turn in work to Grumpy Cat’s basket. I sent home a syllabus for you to look at. Parents, please sign and send the signature page back with your student on Monday. Have a lovely weekend! Take care, and God bless!
Mrs. Johnson <><
Get It Done
Students, please complete your work in a timely manner. Make note of deadlines and due dates. Finish your work well ahead of them, and you’ll breathe and sleep a lot easier the night before. This makes your life easier, your parents happier, and your teacher deliriously joyous.
Mrs. Johnson <><
A Couple of Changes
I will not have team tubs in my classrooms any longer. Too many of my supplies were misused. Pencils went missing as though it was all right to just take something meant to be shared. My post-it notes were used as a means to write notes and comic strip style animation. I have a limited amount of budget to use for my supplies, and I do my best to use it wisely. This will be a life lesson.
Also, I will most likely not respond to an email sent after 6:00 P.M. unless it involves an emergency of some kind. One of the tasks I do in the morning when I arrive in my classroom is respond to email. This is after I turn on the lights, put away my lunch, and turn on my workstation computer. I look again to make sure I have the correct date, lesson target, and supplies needed written on my whiteboard. Once I settle myself in, I make sure my Google Slides with the daily agenda are ready, and then I check my email with my requisite mug of coffee in hand. To go along with that, I will endeavor to send my Remind texts no later than 6:00 P.M. unless it is absolutely necessary.
Mrs. Johnson <><
Catching Up – Second Week of School
In my social studies classes, we are working on the tools of geography. Students were asked to wear stripes if they had them to represent latitude and longitude. They looked darling! We will become spies and a part of the Internet Spy Network, an activity designed to help students master the use of latitude and longitude. Happy hunting!
ILA
We took notes on the first embedded assessment from our Springboard text today. We will be writing a personal narrative in a few weeks but working through the process one step at a time building skills and knowledge essential for success on the assignment. I have quite a few IVAN CAPP booklets to grade, and it will take a while to do that effectively. I look forward to seeing my students’ creativity on display.
Mrs. Johnson <><