Tales of a Caffeinated Teacher

In an attempt to be the best communicator possible, I have embraced technology as an output, just as I am sure many teachers have as well. I have found that emailing, is now a better form of communication for parents. Smartphones allow parents to be in the know with what is going on in their child's classroom and school. Parents are having their kiddos practice spelling words at the grocery store, increase math and reading fluency with apps in the car, and they are asking about missing assignments and grades in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Imagine my absolute joy at finding out about a free website/service that allows me to text my parents with reminders, upcoming events, and curriculum tips without giving out my personal cell phone number.... Well let's just say I haven't been this excited since I found out I could order a Peppermint Mocha all year long at Starbucks!  This website/service is called Remind101 . It's free and easy to use. They provide a...

Well it's official...I'm losing my mind over Common Core and Learning Targets a.k.a I Can . . . Statements. There is not enough Starbucks and hours in the Tri-State Area to keep my head above water. I need to create an I Can . . Statement-inator. (We may watch a little too much Phineas and Ferb in my household.) So to begin my adventure back to sanity, I created a little Check-O ff Class List. In the top corner you can list the domain, and across the top the corresponding clusters or I Can . . .Statements. Of course, since I am the differentiating to meet the needs of my Firsties my checklist is broken into 2 groups. This checklist allows me to see if my students are mastering the I Can Statements, which in turn means they have mastered the domain. We shall see how this attempt at formative assessment works. You can grab my checklist on my Teacher's Notebook Shop . Let me know if it's working for you, I would love feedback!