Dear New Teachers

Dear New Teachers,
    Please take a tip from this experienced teacher:  Sometimes the best lessons of all are those that

epicly fail! Sadly, I was almost happy when our first attempt at making a  tornado in a bottle failed! You see, we are studying both weather and the scientific method. We had stated our question, done our research and hypothesized that "We can make a tornado in a bottle"!  WRONG!! Oh no!! This can't be, these students trust everything I do and yet we have, "NO TORNADO IN OUR BOTTLES!!  How Disappointing! We read the directions, we followed them exactly, or did we? This is the question! Who says my students don't listen?  Clearly they do! Sweet Skip suddenly said, "Mrs. Aubin, we forgot to tape the top of the bottle and poke a hole in it"!  I yelped with joy, "Yes Skip, you are exactly correct! What a great scientist you are!"  You see, we tested our hypothesis and then it failed. Skip analyzed our data just like a real scientist! I was so proud of him!  I couldn't have planned this lesson any better at all, failing was the best part! We carefully took our bottles apart, dried the tops off, fitted them with duck tape, poked holes in them, taped them back together, and voila we had tornadoes!!! Well to be honest, not exactly! We only kind of had tornadoes. We concluded that our mini-bottles were too flimsy! We let the wind out of our sails and went on to plan B.  My dear readers, you will probably hear about plan B quite often because giving up is never an option! So.... the next day.....

We tried again with big bottles!!  We filled one 3/4 the way full with water add a few drops of food coloring and glitter, taped them together with duck tape, poked a sizable hole between the two bottles stacked one atop the other, added more duck tape, swirled them furiously and....Voila!!!! we had the finest tornado in a bottle that any of us had ever seen!!  We


danced for joy!  We had success! We had success on making a tornado in a bottle!  I had success on teaching the scientific method just like real scientists do with trial and error finalized with over-all success!  Our hypothesis was correct we can make a tornado in a bottle!
    So new teachers, triumph everything the great lessons and the not so great lessons because in the end we learn something from them all!

Links for Educators:

What's the Weather
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/WHATS-THE-WEATHER-A-UNIT-POURING-WITH-FUN-490805

Five Ways to get Connected
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHUC2oAgzs&feature=youtu.be

Links for Parents:

What is Oracy and Why Should Every Child Be Taught It?
http://schoolsimprovement.net/what-is-oracy-and-why-should-every-child-be-taught-it/

Parent -Child Opportunity:

Baby Steps to Literacy (BSTL) is a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy by giving babies their first book. Baby Steps to Literacy is currently looking for babies under 28 months and their caregivers to be part of a simple and convenient reading study. If interested, you may contact BSTL at:   http://babystepstoliteracy.com/dissertation_study_-_infant_reading_study

Mitt Aubin's Book Review: 

     This book is recommended for grades 4-7.  The stories included are a cross-curricular set for upper elementary and middle grades. Included are a variety of natural and human-created 
disasters.  The stories make use of society, the environment, English, science, mathematics, personal development, health, technology and enterprise. I will be using the informational text in the story titled, "Natural Disasters" to go with our weather unit. 

Why are Some Children called "Exceptional"?

      While all children are exceptional for just being themselves, those identified as exceptional in terms of education are those who differ from the general population to such a degree that they need specialized services in the form of an individualized school program in special education or related services. Exceptional children includes a range of students who experience learning, behavioral, sensory, and physical difficulties as well as those who are gifted in a superior range of learning and require modifications in the school curriculum in order to achieve optimal performance.  I'd be remiss to not mention that while all children are more alike than different, those who are identified as "exceptional children" need to be identified in order to benefit fully from their education. The ultimate goal of all persons involved in a student's education is to give every child a chance to thrive by providing learning situations and environments suitable to the child's unique needs.

Educator Links:

Identify Narratives:  Inspiring Students to Take Control of Their Stories

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/identity-narratives-control-own-stories-amelia-clune

Encouraging Courage- What Courageous Educators Do
http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/alfie-kohn/encouraging-courage-what-courageous-educators-do/

Parent Link:

Ten Sanity savers for ADHD Parents

http://www.additudemag.com/slideshow/125/slide-1.html

Parent -Child Opportunity:

Baby Steps to Literacy (BSTL) is a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy by giving babies their first book. Baby Steps to Literacy is currently looking for babies under 28 months and their caregivers to be part of a simple and convenient reading study. If intersted, you may contact BSTL at:   http://babystepstoliteracy.com/dissertation_study_-_infant_reading_study 

Mitt Aubin's Book Review:

The Mystery at Jamestown: First Permanent English Colony in America! , is part of a series written by Carole Marsh. These books are historical fiction set in real places.  The novels are mysteries with living characters, Christina and Grant are Marsh's grandchildren. Other characters come from the Carole Marsh Fanclub where kids can apply to be a character in a future novel. There is also an on-line scavenger hunt and map for kids to track their adventures.  I will be using this novel to review an unit on Jamestown that my 7th/8th self-contained students did last year before moving forward in American History. I will also tie in an unit on archaeology since artifacts from Jamestown are discussed in this kid gripping novel. My students love our mini archaeological digs!