In The Middle School Classroom: Rx for Success, I include a chapter called "Laying the Foundation." The purpose of the chapter is to outline every conceivable task teachers take on prior to the start of school. This year I felt it was only natural to use "Laying the Foundation" myself when setting up my own classroom. It would allow me to see the chapter through the reader's eyes while at the same time, provide me with a foolproof way of getting everything done.
And it did exactly that. I just got home from setting up my classroom, and have done so in record timing. Most years, it takes three to four days...decorating, running copies, "nesting." Not this year! In just one-and-a-half days, I am ready to go. I honestly will not know how to feel on staff development days. It will be the first year I can be mentally and physically present, instead of thinking, "When will this be over so I can work in my room?"
OK, so I haven't done everything. But I have done all I can do to this point, without my student rosters. And it feels good.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
I Heart PowerSchool.
Many teachers cringe at the mention of the word, but I love in-service. I really do. I guess I'm just a big nerd; always have been, always will be.
I love the interaction with other teachers, and meeting new people. More than that, I love learning new things.
Yesterday I attended a PowerSchool In-Service, and had more "wow" moments than I can count. This program has so many bells and whistles. I could choose to be overwhelmed or amazed. I went with amazed, and I am honestly excited about how much it is going to simplify all of the tedious little tasks required of a teacher on a daily basis.
For one, we can click on absent students and send attendance electronically. Awesome. The only bad news is we now must send attendance to the office after every class, not just first period. That will take some getting used to...hopefully I will remember!
The amount of information it provides for parents is unreal. They can log on, and actually see their student entered as present, tardy, or absent as they move through their daily schedule. (Kids are going to hate this.)
The gradebook makes our previous programs seem antiquated. Parents can see their child's current grades, as well as missing assignments, late assignments, and due dates. Teachers can choose to post immediately or set a future date and time for them to post. We can enter reasons justifying grades, comments, upcoming assignments, notes about behavior - all of which can be viewed by parents. I believe this is going to cut the number of parent conferences we have in half (at least!)
As a club sponsor, I really like the bulletin feature. In the past, whenever I wanted to post an announcement or event for Student Council I had to walk all the way to the office, fill out a form, and get it approved by administration at least 24 hours prior to its posting. Now I can just send it electronically. Oh how I love anything that saves time.
Wait, there's more! (I heart PowerSchool. And parenthetical commentary. Can you tell?) Student emergency information and class schedules are at our fingertips. We can also see grades, assignments, and attendance in other teachers' classes. Some teachers are going to hate this, but I think it's great. It will allow me to see what my kids are learning in all of their classes, and to see if other teachers are having the same issues I am with a particular student.
I haven't used it yet, and I'm sure we will all go through the inevitable learning curve - that love/hate relationship we all experience when faced with new technology. For me, I am motivated by the mere potential of something to revolutionize my life. I think PowerSchool has that potential.
I love the interaction with other teachers, and meeting new people. More than that, I love learning new things.
Yesterday I attended a PowerSchool In-Service, and had more "wow" moments than I can count. This program has so many bells and whistles. I could choose to be overwhelmed or amazed. I went with amazed, and I am honestly excited about how much it is going to simplify all of the tedious little tasks required of a teacher on a daily basis.
For one, we can click on absent students and send attendance electronically. Awesome. The only bad news is we now must send attendance to the office after every class, not just first period. That will take some getting used to...hopefully I will remember!
The amount of information it provides for parents is unreal. They can log on, and actually see their student entered as present, tardy, or absent as they move through their daily schedule. (Kids are going to hate this.)
The gradebook makes our previous programs seem antiquated. Parents can see their child's current grades, as well as missing assignments, late assignments, and due dates. Teachers can choose to post immediately or set a future date and time for them to post. We can enter reasons justifying grades, comments, upcoming assignments, notes about behavior - all of which can be viewed by parents. I believe this is going to cut the number of parent conferences we have in half (at least!)
As a club sponsor, I really like the bulletin feature. In the past, whenever I wanted to post an announcement or event for Student Council I had to walk all the way to the office, fill out a form, and get it approved by administration at least 24 hours prior to its posting. Now I can just send it electronically. Oh how I love anything that saves time.
Wait, there's more! (I heart PowerSchool. And parenthetical commentary. Can you tell?) Student emergency information and class schedules are at our fingertips. We can also see grades, assignments, and attendance in other teachers' classes. Some teachers are going to hate this, but I think it's great. It will allow me to see what my kids are learning in all of their classes, and to see if other teachers are having the same issues I am with a particular student.
I haven't used it yet, and I'm sure we will all go through the inevitable learning curve - that love/hate relationship we all experience when faced with new technology. For me, I am motivated by the mere potential of something to revolutionize my life. I think PowerSchool has that potential.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Printastic!
Well, last week marked several milestones in the life of my little book. It's cover is officially complete and looks great (see image, right). The bound galleys arrived and have been sent out for review, and I met my deadline to apply for IPG, the distributor for self-publishers (wish me luck!) The galleys are "printastic;" all of my hard work now looks and feels like a real book.
Finding the right printer hasn't posed as much of a challenge as I imagined. In fact, all the folks I've corresponded with so far have been more than helpful, and I'm learning something new everyday.
Once I decide on a printer, it looks like the smart thing to do is a run of 500, and see if those bad boys sell. Then, I will do a larger run of 3,000 or 5,000. I understand this is pretty much standard for a new book, especially a first-time self-publisher.
Next comes the scary part...sharing the book with other people. Yes, I do recognize that's the whole point of writing a book in the first place, but I do feel vulnerable - putting my ideas out there for everyone to see. Vulnerable...and excited.
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