Segregation Simulation

So we have transitioned from Dr. King and segregation into slavery gearing up for the Civil War next week.  Good times in third grade.

However, what I wanted to share with you was our segregation simulation from last week.  It was on Wednesday. 

Tuesday we read the book The Crayon Box that Talked. Before we started I had them each write their name on a piece of paper with their favorite color on the other side of the paper.  We read the book and related it to Dr. King and segregation.  Then I grouped students together based on their chosen favorite color.  The groups had to write a persuasive essay to tell me why their chosen color was the best.  I told them it was important they did a good job, because whichever group I chose would have special privileges the next day. (Social Studies/Science time is the last 40 minutes of the day.) They didn't have a lot of time, and only 2 of the 5 groups got done with their essays, which narrowed my choices down nicely.  I of course picked purple, because that was already my favorite color. (That's what my students told me I did ;) It had nothing to do with the fact that their essay was better than the other one.)

Wednesday started as most other days, except I gave the purple group, purple stickers on their hands.  I wasn't able to do a whole lot during math time, because my kids were being pulled out 7 at a time for their midyear DIBELS math assessment.  On the way to recess, was when I really started 'segregating' them. 
Here are some of the things I did, throughout the next hour, before I had anarchy and half my class decided they would walked out rather than be segregated any more, because I was being so unfair!

• Only purple people could use the bathroom at the same time as other purple people.  Everyone else had to wait patiently.
• purple people got to go at the front of all the lines, even though they weren't the line leader. 
• purple people got to choose our new read aloud chapter book. (we usually vote)
• purple people got to sit wherever they wanted
• purple people could tell other people to move so they could sit where they wanted
• purple people got less work then non purple people (you know, because purple people are smarter than non purple people)
• Purple people got credit for right answers, even if they came from a non purple person
• and the one that made my class the MOST upset, purple people got to use the drinking fountain first, and for as long as they wanted, while everyone else, barely got a drink as i told them to "Go" as soon as they touched the water. 

IT was powerful for my 17 third graders.  It gave them the schema they needed for Wednesday afternoon when we did our "just" and "unjust" activity.  By far one of the BEST most ingenious ideas I've ever had (last year we did something similar and on a shorter scale based on dimples or no dimples, this was even better).  

Now talking about slavery and having 0 freedoms, it's amazing to watch them and see how they are still relating things back to our simulation. 

Linking up with LOVE

 I am loving all of these Linky parties! So fun to have ideas to blog about and get to "meet" new bloggers, too. Today I'm linking up with Tessa from Tales from Outside the Classroom. 

Of course the main one that MUST be at the top of my list is John, he's the best thing that ever happened in my life. Hands down. We just celebrated the 11th anniversary of our first date, and I'm so glad he picked me!

Then of course, Tuffy. He's is the second best decision I ever made! Oh how I love this dog. Who knew one furry creature could be so loved?!?

Also, all of our family. We're so lucky to have such wonderful families!!! I mean, look at them, they're all adorable!We are lucky enough to have 1 niece on my side of the family

Our niece.  Quite possibly the cutest 18 month old on the planet!

and 4 nephews and a niece on John's side.

2 of our nephews and 1 of our nieces tickle attack Uncle John on Christmas Eve

Next, The Piano Guys. We were lucky enough to get to see them in concert 3 times last year! I've been a long time follower of Jon Schmidt (the pianist). We listen to their music every day during station time. My students know if the music gets turned up, they're too loud. We also have watched most of their music videos. They're great brain breaks, and it was a great time filler when music got cancelled a few weeks ago because we didn't have a teacher. It's also great motivation when a new video comes out for them to get cleaned up on time so we can watch it!

I'm loving the overcast weather because it is producing the most glorious sunrises and sunsets.  Proof:

Finally, I'm loving my silhouette cameo. Man I use that thing for everything. Technically, it's my moms. She bought it. But it's always lived at my house because she didn't want to take the time to figure it out. And now, she's on a mission for our church in TN and KY for the next 18 months, so it's for sure mine now!! Muhahaha!

Be sure to stop by Tessa's blog and join in the fun! 

Fabulous Finds Linky

I'm linking up with Christy and Tammy over at Fluttering through First Grade for their Fabulous Finds Linky Party.

My First Fabulous find is this coat from Old Navy. $20 for a pea coat that is PLAID!!! It is SO me and It makes me happy!! So yes, technically I bought it in 2012... but it was practically on the last day, and I'm getting the compliments on it all in 2013, so it counts, right? I'd link to it, but it says its sold out, now.  Sorry! (However, my local store has them for $14.99 now, in a variety of colors, still)

 

My next fabulous find is a HUGE purchase for John and I.  It also, was in fact, purchased on the last day of 2012, but we didn't start using it until this new year.  They are fabulous!! And who wouldn't want to do laundry when your washer and dryer sing to you when they're done.  Plus, they're SO pretty! They are the top of the line, LG Top Load Washer and Steam Dryer.  They are a huge upgrade from what we had and I puffy heart love them!

Finally, my must have fabulous find for my classroom this year, are these pens... (I happen to have a pen addiction.) I just got them last Saturday and they are already my new favorite!  They are super bold and write smoothly and perfect for grading all those papers! Plus, they're in super fun colors!

National Board Certification

I went through the process last year with the big blue monster (yes that's what I called National Board with its blue box).  I didn't achieve my national board certification by 21 points.  So, I'm redoing one entry and one assessment center.  I've chosen to redo my Social Studies entry (#2) and my Science Assessment. I guess my biggest thing is that I passed 2 of my entries with flying colors, but bombed the other 2 and with the assessment center i rocked 2 of the assessments, did alright on 2 others, but miserably failed 2 of them.  Any tips for me going forward??

I'm lucky enough to live in Arizona and we have this great resource, the AZ K-12 Center, who awarded me a full scholarship for pursuing National Board in the first place and is also providing me a scholarship to do both of my chosen retakes this year.  They provide a preview course, an introductory summer week-long session, monthly meetings while going through the process (mine were done virtually), as well as coaching Saturday sessions, and retreats.  They've got support for National Board Certification down to a science. 

How did you find support?  Where did you get ideas?  Did they just come to you?


So, how many of you are National Board Certified teachers?  What does it do for you in your district?  How many tries did it take you?

Winning!

I'm a firm believer in "if you don't enter, you can't win".  All my co-workers think I'm SO lucky because I win a lot of great products.  When I asked them if they ever entered, they say no.  I always reply with, "That's why people like me win, I enter EVERYTHING I see that I would want to win!"  

I know I used to think I was SO unlucky... until I realized I wasn't entering anything, so how could I win?   So now I enter EVERYTHING!

Lately, I have been the fortunate winner of some FABULOUS products! 

I wanted to feature the products, the geniuses behind them, and their blogs.  Reading teacher blogs has changed my life as a teacher for the better.  In fact, I think almost my entire $200 I get for my classroom next year will be spent on things from Teachers Notebook and/or Teachers Pay Teachers.  (Ok, so logically half will be spent on products and the other half on ink to print them out!)

Just tonight, I won this Line Plot with Fractions unit from Fourth Grade Flipper.  This is going to help SO much when we get to fractions next month! Plus its all about PIZZA, what more could my third grade class want!?!?

From The Schroder Page I won her Prize Coupons.  I can't wait to add these into our prize picks (or maybe even replace my box with coupons only) for returning homework all month long! 

From Hillary, at Rockin Teacher Materials I won her Reading Genre Posters.  So excited to hang these up in my classroom!  We have our writing genres posted, Reading Genres will be a fabulous addition!

From RUN! Miss Nelson's got the Camera I won both her Spelling and Word Work 101 and 102! I am SO excited to add these to our station time!  101 has a lot of activities that don't require many extra materials besides the words you want them to use.  102 is much more hands on, manipulative, needing extra materials (like play dough, newspapers, etc). I plan on using both in my classroom soon!  My kids will LOVE these!

From Rachel, at The Tattooed Teacher I won her Sweet Summarizing Literacy Pack.  I think I'm MOST excited about this product, because my third graders this year, just DON'T get summarizing.  So hopefully this will help!

From Nancy, at Third Grade All Stars I won her Shared Writing Journals.  My kids LOVE these and her pack had been sitting in my wishlist waiting to be purchased.  So thankful for winning this one!

From the Collaboration Cuties, I won their  Subjects and Predicates pack.  They broke their own rules to give this pack to me.  SO nice of them!  My kids are getting some excellent practice with this resource!

And Finally, (I think, if I won something from you and you're not listed PLEASE let me know.  It was an oversight on my part... I tried to go through all of my e-mails to double check but I may have deleted ones I was done with.)

way back in November  I won Jen's 600 follower giveaway at Hello Mrs Sykes! and she let us choose $20 worth of products from her TPT store!  I choose Cause and Effect Safari, Prefix and Suffix Game Collection, Author's Purpose Task Cards, Character Trait Task Cards, and her Out of this World Fact and Opinion Poster, Task Cards, and Game. These are all printed, laminated, and in use in my classroom already. 

I'm going to use a lot of the scoot games/task cards for whole group review as we get closer to test time.  My kids LOVE "playing games" because they're fun and don't feel like work! Ha! If only they realized how hard they were having to think.

As you can see I've been very blessed!  Thanks ladies for all of the wonderful giveaways and products! To all of you wishing you could win, DON'T FORGET TO ENTER!

Five for Friday Linky Party #2 for me

Linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching again for Five for Friday

1. Proud moment today as my kiddos spread out in random groups to work on various math concepts.  All thanks to bloggers like you that make and share your stuff with people like me!  They're all SO into it!

2. Cutest stinkin' MLK Art project I've ever seen!  I mean, seriously, could they be any more different if we tried!  LOVE THEM!

3. We have now ALL finished our autobiographies.  We revised, Mr. Hogg style, and they turned our FABULOUS!  Mr. Hogg was exactly what I was needing.

4. Icon Pop Quiz app on my iPhone.  Not gonna lie... It's taken up some serious hours of my life.  Beware, you must spell things correctly!  This Megamind Icon is my fave!

5. I LOVE to crochet.  I taught myself how to do it via you tube, after an older lady showed me at an activity.  But I'm pretty good, most days!  Love how this little hat turned out for the newborn it was being given to! For those that speak crochet: its half double crochets alternating front post back post done in the round.

January Bulletin Board

I LOVE this craftivity from fellow blogger Ms. C at Just Wild About Teaching

This packet has turned out to be a SUPER resource for me.  We used the New Year's acrostic poem as the writing piece for the bulletin board, All the pieces so they could make themselves, some of the other activities for 'work with words' during station time, and some of her stationary for final copy paper for their autobiographies (which are priceless!). 


I'm one of those lucky girls and my mom always comes in and does my bulletin board (ok so for 4 months she came in and did my board while she lived in the area before my siblings moved in)... but my mom is gone for the next 18 months to the Nashville area.  So you get no title and no background, but these are so cute they don't need any "fluff"!

I still have 2 kids not done, but i had to get them up and this posted before January was over!  It turned out super cute and my kiddos had so much fun doing it! Seriously, LOOK at all the personalities in these faces! There aren't enough words for how much I LOVE these!


I'm so thankful for talented teacher bloggers that share their ideas with the rest of us! I hope to contribute too, eventually. (When I stop using all of your ideas and make up some of my own!)