Top 10 Things Your Middle School Teachers Wants You to Know

We are now a month into school and I'm already ready for Thanksgiving break. Is that bad??

Actually I have to say I really enjoy my kids this year. Some of them really make me laugh...like the one who told me he needed to go to the bathroom to do #2. Mind you I teach 6th graders. I'll have to remind of him of that in a couple years!

But while teaching itself can be exhausting, a lot of the time it's the parents who require more attention than the kids do. So I've compiled a list of things that your middle school teacher wants you to know.

1. Make your child responsible/accountable for their work
Middle school is the time to give your child some independence when it comes to their work. I hate to break it to you, but in the grand scheme of life, the grades your child makes in middle school won't make or break them. So it is a good time to give them some wings. Making a low grade (even an F) on a single assignment isn't the end of the world. Use it as a teaching tool and find out why they think they got the low grade. If the low grades become a pattern, then it's time for a conference.

2.Ask your child.
When I get an email from a parent asking about why their child got a certain grade, my first question is always "have you asked your child?" Remember #1 above? Yeah, well THIS is where that comes into play. I promise we don't roll a die to get a grade for your child. THEY should know why they got the grade they got. If you could get into the habit of asking them, then they will begin to see THEIR grades as THEIR responsibility.

3. Partner with us.
While we want your child to be accountable for their work, that doesn't mean you should take a hands off approach. Help us by reinforcing what we're doing in the classroom. For example, in my classes we're studying rocks. Do I expect my parents to be geologists? No way. But walk with your child out in the yard and let them talk to you about a rock they found. Ask them questions about it. The fact that they're talking about it is good for them.

4. You may have to help more than you're comfortable with.
If you have a special needs child or a child that needs more support than the average student, it may require more work on your part. I had a conference with a parent of a student who requires extra support. The parent basically told us that she only wanted to help with what was convenient for her. I really wanted to reach across the table and strangle them. I will help your child be successful in the classroom, but I need your help in doing so at home.

5. Email during the day.
If it's well after the school day, then I will not answer your email. If you need something immediately, email me during the school day or no later than an hour after the school day...because chances are I'm still there. But believe it or not I do have a life and responsibilities I have to get done once the school day is over.

6. Stock up
One of the easiest way to help your child be successful is to make sure they're stocked up with school supplies. I can tell you right now that one glue stick will not last the whole year. One of my favorite lines I hear is "Someone stole my scissors" [or insert any said school supply]. But the problem is that kids think once their stuff gets stolen (or more times than not, LOST) they think they don't have to replace it. I do not have enough supplies to stock up 105 students. Please make sure they plenty of what they need and replenish when it runs out.

7. Encourage us.
Everyone loves an "atta girl" or a pat on the back. Teachers are no exception. An email or a post-it note just to say "hey, my child loves your class or they talked about this fun thing they did in your class" would totally make my day. I actually have a folder in my Outlook that's just for those kind of emails. When I'm having an off day I go straight to that folder.

8. Label your child's stuff.
If you're going to spend $100 on a North Face jacket, then please put a name in it because it WILL get misplaced. If they lose stuff at home, they will certainly lose it at school too. Label jackets, pencil pouches, lunch boxes, binders, jump drives, etc.

9. Schedule smarter.
If possible, please, please, please, try and schedule appointments on teacher workdays or half days (if you have them). I know it's not possible sometimes, but the problem is that when kids miss a day or class in middle school they miss a lot. In elementary, they are used to making up a day's assignments by completing a worksheet. In middle school, though, there is so much they miss in class discussions or activities that just can't be duplicated. For example, tomorrow my kids are doing a simulation activity where they are acting out the rock cycle and all the processes that happen to a rock. There's no way a kid can make that up. They miss the discussion that will take place and I will have to depend on them to read about it to make it up. It just won't be the same.

10. Take notes.
I'm just putting it out there...Christmas break is only about 3 months away. Kids still give gifts to their teachers in middle school (and, yes, we like them!!). But when a kid can have up to 8 different teachers, it can be overwhelming. I've already written a couple posts on ideas you could be thinking about.

Please know that you the parent and I the teacher are on the same team. We both want what's best for your child!

Now I need to go finish grading some lab reports!

Linked to Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday.

Quick & Easy Teacher Gifts

I'm just about to wrap up my 9th year of teaching middle school. That’s 9 rounds of Christmas & End of the Year gifts. Throughout that time, I’ve gotten some…um…interesting gifts!

These are merely some suggestions. Middle school presents a whole new set of circumstances. In elementary school kids have 1 or 2 teachers all day, but when they get to middle school they can have up to 8 different teachers! I know it’s overwhelming and can really add up…but it doesn’t have to!

Here’s a few tips to help you out:

* DON’T feel like you have to buy for every teacher. One option is to spend a little more money on those teachers you feel put a little extra effort into your child and something smaller for the rest of them.
* DON’T, for the love, give us a-noth-er mug!! (Oh, and filling it up with candy doesn’t make it any better!)
* DON’T give us a whole bag of candy or chocolate. Unless it’s a specific kind of candy or chocolate you KNOW your teacher loves, don’t assume we want to gorge ourselves on a bag of candy.
* DO consider a nice, handwritten letter. One of my favorite gifts I got at Christmas was from a parent who wrote me a note in a card about how much I helped her daughter ease into middle school and helped her self confidence in science. I treasure that validation as a teacher.
* For future years, DO study and take note of of your teacher … either at an open house, a parent-teacher conferences, or just volunteering in the class. If you’ve never seen her wear any kind of pendant or brooch, then don’t assume she’d love a cubic zirconium, purple bird pin. Does she wear bracelets? Bows or ribbons in her hair?

With the last week of school being this week, here are some quick and easy gift ideas:

1. GIFT CARDS
Honestly, you just can’t wrong with these. Ice cream card, gas card, grocery card, office supply card, iTunes, Target or Wal-Mart card. Honestly, any gift card you give will probably be spent on classroom anyways, so it’s an investment. My all time favorite gifts are Starbucks gift cards. Don’t feel bad for getting your teacher a $5 gift card. Chances are, someone else will too so they add up!

2. PAPER REAM
All teachers need paper. Why not spice it up and let your child pick out their favorite color.


3. KITCHEN GADGETS
Who doesn’t love kitchen gadgets? Why not put a bow on a nice grater with a note: Thanks for being a “grate” teacher.

4. EARRINGS
This one walks a fine line. If your child’s teacher is young and dresses fashionable, then a pair of earrings from Forever 21, Charlotte Ruse , or Charming Charlie would be a hit.

5. FLIP FLOPS
How cute would it be to dress up a $2 pair of flip flops from Old Navy with a bow tied at the top?  I keep a pair of old, ragged flip flops under my desk for those days that I just can’t make it in my heels!

6. UMBRELLA
There’s nothing worse than walking out of the building after a long day, seeing the rain and realizing you’ve left your umbrella in the car!  Between the carpool lane and the bus lane, we usually get stuck parking far away from the building, so on those rainy days it really stinks to forget your umbrella.  A teacher would love to have a cute umbrella that she could keep in her room for such days.

7. HOMEMADE GOODIES ON A CUTE PLATE
You can get some really cute, cheap plates at Crate & Barrell or even Target.

8. MAGNETIC BOOKMARK
Don’t negate practicality. I got one of these one year and use it to keep my place in my teacher’s edition book.

 photo source

9. PENCIL VASE
I got one of these my first year teaching and still put it on my desk every year. Using colored pencils would be a cute variation, too.

 photo source

 10. CLIPBOARD
 Here's a great tutorial for making an ordinary (and cheap!) clipboard look worth much more than what you actually paid for it. 

photo source

 I hope this helps and alleviates any stress or concern about those end of the year gifts.  Honestly, we will appreciate anything you get us. I certainly didn’t go into teaching for the end of the year gifts! I love what I do and want to be the best teacher I can be.  I won’t love your child any less if you get me a “World’s Best Teacher” mug filled with leftover Halloween candy…just don’t be surprised if you see it in a garage sale!

This post is linked to Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday.

Top Ten Tuesday

A few tried and true things I've used to occupy my niece and nephew. 

1. Create their own drawing book
Get an ordinary spiral notebook and some foam stickers (can get at any craft store) to decorate the front cover.

2. Nature scavenger hunt
Write about 10 or so nature items (pinecones, rock, flower, clover, leaf, etc) on a piece of paper.  I made a chart on Microsoft words and used pictures.  We walked around the yard and crossed off the items we found.  It was a hit!

3. Measure things
I pulled out a tape measure and showed my nephew (5 years old) how to use it making sure to line up the 0 with the end of the item, then we looked at what number it went to.  He loved measuring all kinds of things.

4. Hide the Heart
On Valentines Day, I made these heart shaped bean bags with them.  Then they hid them and I tried to find them and vice versa.  This was a HUGE hit! 

5. Bath
When all else fails, they love taking baths.  A good way to burn about 20 minutes!

6. Photo session
Just taking pictures (maybe even having them dress up) is always a hit.  I also use this at restaurants waiting on our food arrive.  Or once I used it waiting outside a store for his mom to get finished.

7. Ball & slide
This is so simple but I was surprised at how much they loved it.  We took an ordinary ball.  Kind of like a mid size ball...bigger than a tennis ball, but not as big as a kickball (does that make any sense?!)  Anyways, the goal was to roll it UP the slide and try to get it to stay at the top.  The slide was similar to this one, so it wasn't as hard at it sounds.

 

Photo source

8. Baking cookies
I mean this one goes without saying.  I just use the break and bake kind and let the kids put them on the baking sheet.  They think they're "cooking"!  Shhhh....don't tell them otherwise!

I haven't tried these two yet, but they are on the agenda for tomorrow while momma has a hair appointment!
9. Photo puzzle
I'm excited to do this with them!

10. Coke floats
A good ole fashioned coke with ice cream.  I hope they like them!

For more Top Ten Tuesday, check out Oh Amanda

Life to the Fullest

Who knew you could love so much about a plate? Well, you're getting ready to find out 10 reasons why I love this 16" Oval Platter from Dayspring

1. It's encouraging
   In the center of the platter, it has the verse "I have come that they might have Life, and have it to the full. JOHN 10:10 NIV".  I have mine sitting out on my counter and it's a constant reminder that God wants my life to matter.  He died so my life could be full!

2. It's a great conversation starter
   The next time you have to take an appetizer or dish to a get together, what a great way to encourage all the guests.  They'll pick up your bacon wrapped jalepeno thingies and slowly unveil this amazing verse.

3. It matches my kitchen
   My kitchen opens up to my living room which is blue.  It matches beautifully!

4. It's educational
   A plate?  Really?!  Yep...it features the word life in 15 languages!  Some of those languages are Afrikaans, Italian, Croatian, Polish, and French.

5. It's dishwasher safe
   Frankly, that's the only way to go.  If I can't put it in the dishwasher, then I don't need it!

6. It comes in another color
   It also comes in red if that's more your taste.

Photo from Dayspring

7. It has matching pieces
   It comes from the Life to the Fullest collection.  There are lots of other pieces that coordinate with it.

Photos by Dayspring

8. It's on SALE!!!
   I mean, that should seal the deal right there!!  It's regularly priced at $26.99, but during the month of March the whole "Life to the Fullest" collection is 30% off when you use the code LIFE30.  That makes the platter only $18.89!  What a great gift for someone...or for yourself!

9. It's a piece of art
   If you didn't want to use it as a serving piece, it would look great hanging on a wall or propped up in book holder.

*****************GIVEAWAY******************

10. IT COULD BE FREE!

   Dayspring has provided me with a $20 coupon code to offer to one of you!  Leave me a comment about what living life to the fullest means to you.  That's it!  Of course, you could spend it on whatever you like :) I will draw the "lucky" winner on St. Patrick's Day!

This post is linked to Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday & Incourage Me

Disclosure: Dayspring provided me with the platter to review and the coupon code to give to a reader. Shipping charges do apply to order.  All opinions are mine.

Top Ten Tuesday - 31 products

I've started a new business venture!  Which, if you know me, is so weird because I am the complete opposite of a business woman. 

I'm selling 31 products.  THE cutest bags and organizational products and I wanted to share with you my ten favorite.

About Town Blanket $39

Great for picnics or for days at the ball field.

Key Fob $5

Large Utility Tote  $30

This is great to leave in your trunk to put your groceries in to keep them from sliding around everywhere.

All in One Organizer $18

This has a TON of uses: holds files, diapers & wipes, cleaning supplies...and more!

Picnic Thermal Tote $28

This is one of their most popular items. It's a lined tote that could carry everything you need for a picnic.

Small thermal tote $12

A great little lined lunch tote.

Thermal tote $14

A lunch tote for grown ups!  I've also heard of nursing moms that keep their bottles in it.

Organizing Tote $22

This is the one I use the most.  I use it as my traveling file case.  It holds all my 31 paperwork.

Wristlet Wallet $22

What a practical item!  I carried this to the Blissdom conference a few weeks ago and was able to put my lipstick, camera, and phone in it.  Love it!

XXL Tote $60

This tote is small enough to store a small child! (NOT that it was attempted)  But it would be a great overnight bag!

See something you like?  Leave me a comment and we'll get it for you!

For more TTT, visit Oh Amanda.
All photos taken from 31 Gifts Online.  I am a consultant for 31 but all opinions are mine.

Blissdom Recap

You always want to develop and hone your craft.  And I got to do that this weekend by going to Blissdom, a blogging conference.

I love how going to conferences charges you up and rejuvenates your passion...and that's what happened to me.  I've got ideas swirling around in my head and trying to harness them into something manageable is going to be the challenge.

Here are some of my top moments of Blissdom:

Flashmob!

Please tell me you've heard of this...where people jump up in the middle of a crowd of people and break out in choreographed dance.  Have you ever heard of anything more glorious?  I got to be a part of that!  There were about 600 people at the conference and about 90 or so of us in this flashmob.  You can't really see me in the video, but trust me...I was there. The video quality isn't the greatest and in some parts the dancing doesn't match with the words. Oh well...it was fun!

 Watson!

 How cute is this little guy (and the little girl isn't bad either!)?  What's even better is that he is interactive.  I won him from Hallmark.  As you read the story, he responds to your voice and comments on the story.  Well, let me just say that we had some fun times with Winston at about 12:30 at night.  It's amazing how much fun grown women can have with a toy raccoon.

Roadtrip

I love me a good roadtrip with friends.  And believe me, my friends and I know how to rock a roadtrip with some old school road trip games.  Once again the Can O' Bliss made an appearance.  In the can were all different games.  Each girl pulled one out and we'd play it.  One of those was a mad libs.  It was a mad libs of the 12 Days of Christmas (Hey, I got it on the clearance rack at Target after Christmas).  

Fun surprises!

Some of my really sweet bloggy friends surprised me with treats!  All bloggy related of course!

Business card holder from Mary (made by Half Pint House)

Bag Tag from Hillary

Necklace from The Rusted Chain

Meeting & Connecting with Bloggy Friends

One of the best parts of Blissdom is meeting face to face the people you've been tweeting with or reading their blogs.  They are actually people!

I feel like I've known Mary (far left) for years.  In the middle is my real life long friend Amanda.

As sweet as honey, pretty as a magnolia, and as southern as high hair and hoop dresses!  Hillary is a gem.  She's also super funny (I just couldn't think of a southern way to explain it!)

Probably one of the only people at the whole conference who knows what it feels like to NOT fit into the "mommy blogger" category.  My single friend Leigh!  We've been reading each other's blogs for a while now and she was one of the first people I wanted to find at Blissdom.

I didn't get a picture with her, but meeting Lori Mahon was a complete surprise!  But turns out we have a lot in common.  Probably one of the best things we had in common was that we were both in the Sandi Patty Friendship Company pen pals club!!  Any other fellow members?

Some other new friends that I didn't get pictures with were Sarah from A Wife Loved Like the Church and Alicia from Alicia's Homemaking. Such sweet and fun girls!!  I really enjoyed spending time with them!

Famous People

If my friends know one thing about me, it's that I'm a huge fan of celebrities.  It borders on stalker-ish...in a healthy way of course.  

First up was Mat Kearney. (Well, there was actually someone else, but do they really count as a celebrity if you've NEVER heard of them?  Yeah,  I didn't think so).

Crystal Bowersox

And a blurry, backside picture of George Duran.

So maybe not A-listers, but celebrities in their own right (ahem).

My SISTERCHICKS!

Words cannot express my love for these girls!  They are friends through and through.

Fancified

Each night we got dolled up for cocktail parties.  I don't get to dress up that much anymore, so when I get a chance to wear heels, I'll take it!  I also like being the Official Jewelry Provider of room 4377.

Speakers

Only a few speakers (ok, well a couple) stood out to me.  Ryan Marshall from Pacing the Panic Room was one.  I always love hearing dads talk about their love for their family.  He was really interesting.

Scott Stratten from Unmarketing was the other. (Hmmmm....is it weird that both of them are men?!).  He was so engaging and practical.  One of those guys that make you sick, he's SO creative.

(What did I miss?)

Those of you that went, please fill in with your favorite part.  (Can you tell I'm one short and too tired to think of something?) 

This post is linked to the fabulous Oh Amanda.

Roomie Swag

In a couple of weeks, I'll be hanging with some of the coolest bloggers in the blogosphere at Blissdom. This will be my second year and I feel so much more prepared than I did last year. Being a newbie at a blogging conference can be overwhelming, especially reading all the posts leading up to it about what to wear and what to bring.

Are you kidding? I just scraped up enough money to pay for the room and registration! Now I've got to get new clothes, new business cards, and all these other trinkets??

NO!!!

You don't. Of course, it's a good excuse if you're wanting new clothes and such, but not necessary.

I found that it's all about connecting and making an impression. For this simply somewhat shy gal, I kind of found myself fading into the background and just observing. So this year is a little bit more exciting because I have a slight idea of what to expect.

Ok...on to the point of the post.

I love to give gifts! Small and large, I love surprising someone with the unexpected. So I'm combining that love with what I learned at Blissdom last year about making impressions to come up with "Roomie Swag".

One of the unexpected perks of Blissdom was all the swag from all the sponsors...I mean, it was unbelievable! In following the #blissdom stream I noticed a lot of the attendees are rooming with people they've never met or people they've known their entire life. Regardless of the relationship, what better way to make an impression than have a little "welcome" gift?!

I know...ONE more thing to spend money on, pack, etc. But I'm gonna share TEN super simple and cheap ideas for "Roomie Swag".

*These little button cards are cute!  Even though they're for Valentine's Day, you could easily change it to say "Welcome to Blissdom!"

Photo courtesy of Thirty Handmade Days

*Everyone loves a little snack!

Photo courtesy of Baked Bree

*Another simple little snack. Since there are so many colors and shapes, you could personalize it more based on your roomies' interests.

 Photo courtesy of Hostess With The Mostess

*Coordinate this before hand and have each roommate bring their favorite candy or a candy that describes yourself.  What a fun surprise and a great way to get to know your roomies if you don't know them!

*Cute pencil/pen - You are at a conference, after all, so who wouldn't need a cute, new pencil.

*Fruit - Weird, I know...but not with a little note that says one of these brilliantly clever quips:

             "ORANGE, ya glad we're roomies?!" 

             "I've gone BANANAS that we're roomies!"

             "You're a GRAPE friend and I'm excited we're roomies!"

             "You're such a BERRY sweet roomie!"

*Bottle of water with a cute bow tied to it.

*Check out Target's Dollar spot and make little goodie bags.

*Cute little mirror.  You know, to check your teeth after all those snacks and yummy meals!

Photo courtesy of Piping Hot Papers

*Charm.  You could choose a symbol that matches your roomie's blog.

Photo courtesy of Amy Jo's Creations.

What are your ideas?

This post is linked to Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday and One2One Network.

Top Ten Tuesday - Snow Day

We got hit with a winter storm today here in Georgia. The whole town virtually shut down. All the schools, government, malls, and pretty much every other business was shut down today and looks like will be tomorrow, too.

So since I was snowed in, here are ten things I got done today:

1. Finished my Christmas scrap book page for this year.

Each year, I make one page out of a scrap book and make a little pocket on the page. In the pocket, I put all the cards I got that year. Since most all of the cards I get are photo cards, I like being able to go back through them and see how everyone's changed over the years.

2. Folded and put away laundry.
Ugh...I HATE doing that.

3. Finished watching the movies I had rented.

When the predictions came about the snow coming in, I stocked up on some movies. I wasn't too impressed with any of them.

4. Made eggplant parmesan.

The actual recipe I used was given to me by a friend, but here's one that's very similar from Once a Month Mom.

5. Made snow cream for the first time.
I used this recipe from Family Fun. I'm thinking it would probably be better with whole milk or heavy cream.

6. Did a little decorating.

I bought these little wall art flowers for my college roommates for christmas. I also got myself one so that when I saw it, it would bring them to mind. I miss them so much!

7. Did some reading.

One of my friends at work lent me "A Bend In the Road" by Nicholas Sparks. I'm only on chapter 4 but I'm liking it so far!

8. Did a little home improvement.

I took advantage of Ikea's winter clearance sale. I have one of these little baggie holders in my kitchen and love it. So I got one for my bathroom because I use Target bags for my trash can in my bathroom. They're the perfect size!

9. Played in the snow...by myself.

10. ...and finally I wrote this post :)

For more Top Ten Tuesdays, visit Oh Amanda.