Imagination Sparkles

I have had many students over my years of teaching and I have had some with similar names.  Some of my students have had unique or less common first or last names, regardless they are those students' names and my first job is to pronounce it correctly.   If I am going to foster a relationship with a student, my goal from my first encounter with the student is I must get their name right.  Being a culturally responsive educator is one who values all aspects of that student and there is a lot in a name.  Over the years I have witnessed educators casually make mistakes with student names, the intention was not to hurt the child, but it can.  I am by no means an expert orator or a master of various languages to better pronounce words.  My students hear my mistakes but they also see my desire to ensure I say their name correctly because what I ask for is their feedback.  I don't want to take a mispronunciation and run with it for the year because...

Closing a lesson...this was one of the essential skills you learned in your teacher preparation program.  I would bet we can all do it effectively, but I wouldn't be surprised if you sometimes quickly close a lesson because of that darn schedule (kids are leaving for intervention, lunch, end of day, next subject, etc.).  Oh you don't....okay then its just I who does that sometimes.  So for people like me, I love to find new closing activities when they look like a. something I can use for formative assessment and b. aren't going to eat up a bunch of time.  So I was really encouraged when I stumbled across this fun little Teachers Pay Teachers freebie .  Don't assume because it is made by Mr. Elementary Math that this will just work for math.  These activities can be utilized in any subject.  So I hope this helps to slow things down or gives you another way you can still close your lesson with limited time.  

Just this year the district I teach in became a Google district, with simple changes such as we are now all using gmail, also came some new applications for our practice.  Google has, what can feel like at times, as endless sites to use in your teaching, planning, and with students directly...but many times as resource is needed.  Something so you can quickly look up an answer, which is why I was so happy to recently find a list of tutorials  . So my teaching friends, or parents who are trying to learn more about what their students may be using or anyone interested, check it out, use it and spend this summer learning a little more or save the link for the future!  What kind of ideas can this stir up in your planning imagination?

 <---- Take this Make this---> How?  Why let me show you... You'll need the following: scissors tape 2 pieces of 12'' by 12'' scrapbook paper  a magazine holder,  I got mine from Ikea black cat (optional) :)  1. This works best with thinner scrapbook paper (that is the tan in the pics and the blue is super thick and was hard to work with), begin by meeting two pieces in the middle of one of the sides.  I have moved them to different sides of the box depending on the pattern and how I want it to look.   2. Now cut down the shape of the magazine holder and you'll get some extra paper, cut this so you have as big of chunk as possible, if you cut it just right you can wrap that piece around so that all of the pieces meet.  Then tape on the bottom and tops of the paper so the tape is wrapped around the holder.  If you want the holders to have a circle (it is already in the cardboard) for grabbing the racks then I...