1st week BLISS...

First week of the 2013-2014 school year-done! Yes, success. A whirlwind of lost everything-sweatshirts, shoes (for the wee ones...and actually one goofy 4th grader), lunches (the anxiety must have been high for kiddos, too-that nurse's line was L-O-N-G) and a few good teachers surely lost their minds for a moment...or six! So many new and returning faces; waiting to take in every moment with all 5 senses! Leaning in to listen to each word that comes from their teacher's mouth, touching and tapping (all surfaces-desks, walls, their seat neighbors), tasting lunches (chocolate milk excitement never gets old...never), and the wide eyes darting everywhere to take it all in. I looked at my principal at one point, with the sounds of excitable energy coming from every classroom and said "I love this place-I'm never leaving." My job-the place where 'WORK HARD-PLAY HARD' happens at the same time....feeling pretty FRESH!

apps-loving the learning!

What are your favorite apps for education? For you? For the kiddos? I have my Ipad sectioned off into categories; math, reading, character ed, organization, yoga & mindfulness, entertainment and just plain "FUN"! Some of my favorites? ClassDojo (BIG favorite of teachers that I work with to monitor specific behaviors and to provide immediate feedback to students), StickyNotes (paperless post-its), ZENSpace (rock/sand garden-take 5 minutes and you feel brand new!), TED (you can save your faves too!), and I never leave home without a device with a Kindle app on it. Some of the kiddos' favorites are: Math Zombies, BrainPop, RocketSpeller and really any math or spelling game that has creatures-lights and noise! It is always good to have that handy and engaging educational game, puzzle or silly cat noise piano to end a day of hard work. Every once in a while I will plant myself on the couch, turn on a mindless show, grab a tech tool (Ipad,tablet,etc...) and search for WHATEVER is needed to make the day better or brighter! The additional bonus and fun challenge? Find them for free-I haven't paid for one yet. What are your favorite apps? Any other engaging activities/ideas to share?

Kid President!

Have you seen this Kid? I love this kid. I love this site. I have a silly grin and often a few tears to wipe when I watch a new clip. I am always so overwhelmed with the goofy truth in everything he says and find myself wanting to quote Kid President or have any simple thought that he shares stitched on a pillow! My boys and I cheer with glee when a new video appears. We laugh, smile, dance-everything Kid President wants us all to do a little more. I have seen teachers show his clips during Morning Meeting or Character Ed lessons. K.P., I'll call him-reminds me of the great honor and privilege I have to work with children every day. K.P. reminds me to slow down and to listen more to the goofy, truthful little people in front of me. We forget sometimes that while we are plenty busy filling little heads with what is important, that sometimes the MOST important thing to do (usually at the MOST inopportune moment) is to let the kiddos do a little teaching. Go to kidpresident.com-you'll thank me later!