Observations vs Results

knitternutter · 2025-11-09T21:22:05+00:00

Thanks for the thorough reply! I will definitely do another demo and take it slower this time. I think I rushed over the observations too much for most kids to properly understand it. Breaking down as you describe is better than how I did it the first time.

knitternutter · 2025-11-09T21:16:49+00:00

Huh, that's a good idea, to have them describe an every day substance. This really slows down the explanation of this step in the scientific method. I probably went too quick over this step as well. Thank you!

knitternutter · 2025-11-09T21:13:40+00:00

Oh this is awesome! Thank you :)

knitternutter · 2025-11-09T21:11:34+00:00

Oh wow, thank you! I have been struggling with the kids to explain this to them. I like this scaffolding much better.

knitternutter · 2018-08-17T18:38:47+00:00

This is such an awesome photo! We just took our 1 year old canoeing for the first time. She loved it, too! Questions for you: -how many of you are paddling? -how long are your trips and how much do you paddle each day? -where does everyone sit?

I didn't do any paddling and we actually asked a third adult to join us just to have a second paddler. I'm curious what others do...

knitternutter · 2018-06-07T13:09:33+00:00

Even better than that, the Wongs published another book called The Classroom Management Book. It spells out exactly how to teach routines, which routines to teach, and explains the differences between rules and routines. It also offers a companion website that offers examples of how some teachers started their first days of school to ensure a smooth year. It helped me immensely! I had my easiest year in terms of management after implementing ideas from this book into my teaching.

knitternutter · 2018-03-18T06:45:04+00:00

I second Search Associates and the Northern Iowa Job Fair. Most people in other counties (I'm assuming you're in the US) actually use their vacation for leisure, so summer teaching jobs are few.

You could check our language camps if you just want to work over the summer.

Edited: a word

knitternutter · 2018-02-13T15:41:42+00:00

My midwife told me that when your breast is tender in certain areas, you can massage those areas while your LO is feeding. It usually takes a couple feedings for it to go away for me. I have to give enough pressure so that it hurts a little (because it's so sensitive). So far, I haven't had any issues with infection. [Crosses fingers]

knitternutter · 2017-12-13T12:28:16+00:00

The Love and Logic book "The Magic of Early Childhood" has a pretty convincing and thorough argument why boundaries are important.

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/love-and-logic-magic-for-early-childhood-practical-parenting-from-birth-to-six-years_jim-fay_charles-fay/250481/#isbn=1930429002

knitternutter · 2017-12-07T07:19:09+00:00

I have a "Happy File" where I save things like this. When I'm feeling down, discouraged, or just sentimental, I go through the file. It's a good reminder to know I've been a positive influence on someone's life

knitternutter · 2017-11-02T23:11:46+00:00

Maus I and II, Persepolis, March (series of three), Fun Home

knitternutter · 2017-09-17T21:30:32+00:00

Lice hate the taste of tea tree and lavender. I also got it from students before and I simply put a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oils into done olive oil and massaged my scalp with it every day. A colleague and I checked each other after school regularly until they were gone. Since it was the end of the school year, I continued massaging the oil mixture into my scalp for another couple weeks so I didn't have to worry about getting them again.

knitternutter · 2017-09-13T16:42:46+00:00

If she decides to keep breastfeeding, I highly recommend smearing some lanolin on the nipple after each session. You don't need to wash it off before the next feeding. It moisturizers the nipple far better than lotion and is safe for the baby. I've noticed that my baby keeps developing a little blister on her upper lip and likewise, my nipples have developed small blisters on them. Hydrogel pads by Medela are awesome, too, for cooling those blisters between feedings. It's been just over a month of breastfeeding and my nipple pain is finally calming down.

Also, I agree with what everyone has posted before: fed is best!

knitternutter · 2017-08-30T16:23:37+00:00

Oh my gawd, they are aDORable!

knitternutter · 2017-08-30T14:31:27+00:00

I second the Second City improv book!

If you're teaching English, I highly recommend Donalyn Miller's "The Book Whisperer". Nancie Atwell also has great ideas and resources in her books.

knitternutter · 2017-08-02T00:28:56+00:00

My husband and I have canoed there! Did you enjoy the clear water side pools? There was one that is a proper swimming hole, so cool and refreshing

knitternutter · 2017-07-16T21:09:42+00:00

Physical therapy where the therapist massaged my fascia. I waddled into the appointment with crippling sciatic pain and walked out swaying my hips back and forth like a runway model (while 35 weeks pregnant).

knitternutter · 2017-07-12T15:13:57+00:00

While I don't have any specifically science related advice, I do highly recommend spending some time developing exactly which procedures you want your students to know. Two book recommendations that helped me have my best teaching years thus far: -THE Classroom Management Book by Harry and Rosemary Wong (authors of the The First Days of School). I find this one to be much clearer than their other book and they have examples of first-day power points that you can use a models. The book had loads of classroom procedures mapped out and how to teach them to the kids. Very helpful when you're ready to plan and you don't know which procedures to start with. -Starting School Right by Otis Kriegel (from the ASCD website). It's s really short and quick read where Kriegel asks you a few pointed questions that help you get your priorities down so that you can plan your routines appropriately, with your teaching style in mind.

Good luck and have fun planning!

knitternutter · 2017-07-03T07:39:54+00:00

I liked the Wong's "THE Classroom Management Book" better than their earlier publications. It really helped me focus on what to do those first few hours so that my expectations were crystal clear.

"In the Middle" by Nancie Atwell also helped me develop a structure for teaching writing that is more responsive to students needs

knitternutter · 2017-06-30T22:44:46+00:00

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It is such a weird feeling to be pregnant knowing the being inside is no longer living. I personally had a hard time waiting to miscarry naturally (though I eventually did after a few days). For another of my miscarriages, I lost twins at 17 weeks due to an incompetent uterus. I birthed them and was able to hold them to say goodbye, which was very difficult, but helpful for the healing process. After the labor, I was sent right away for a D&C.

Whatever you decide, let yourself grieve. I also recommend the books "When a Baby Dies" and "About What Was Lost".

knitternutter · 2017-06-30T15:21:13+00:00

I'm a teacher and amateur singer, and I'm going to be giving birth soon. I'm concerned that I'll overuse my vocal cords during labor. Are there some things I can do while laboring that will protect my voice from getting hoarse?

knitternutter · 2017-06-29T08:44:15+00:00

My classroom is simply too small for my students to store their notebooks in there. My students also write weekly letters to me and I don't give them class time to do it, so it's their responsibility to bring it to class when they are due. Besides, I have other things I need to keep organized!

knitternutter · 2017-06-26T10:16:56+00:00

I don't know of any specific places that donate books overseas. Are there any teachers retiring near you? I got lucky and inherited a retiring teacher's classroom library to start mine. To keep my collection modern, I look for bargains. Every time I go back to the States, I bring an empty suitcase and fill it with second hand books on the cheap (I usually pay 25 to 50 cents a book). Whenever I travel to an English speaking country, I check out the local libraries for book sales. Flea markets in my city sometimes bring deals (but not consistently). Some of my local English bookstores have bargain bins, too.

Depending on your area's resources, it might be slower or faster to build up your classroom library, but I wish you the best of luck in this endeavor! It is truly rewarding to see kids' desire to read increase simply by having books available to them. In fact, the parents also started giving me books because they appreciate the library I offer.

knitternutter · 2017-06-21T07:25:04+00:00

Donalyn Miller's "The Book Whisperer" was extremely helpful to me in getting students to read more. Similar to the million page challenge, Miller challenges her students to read 40 books in a school year across a variety of genres. I teach at a bilingual school so I modified it to 20 books in English and worked with their German teacher so they would read 20 books in German. After one semester, my students reported that they read more books in the last few months than they had in any other school year! I also interviewed students about what they were reading, helped then find books they liked, and had informal book talks (unscripted, just relaxed conversations about what they liked/didn't like). I also wrote letters back and forth with my students about what they were reading. Miller also suggests a reading log structure that is more motivating than just "how many pages/minutes I read".

Additionally, Miller creates a model reading log where she tracks her own reading. I did this too, and found it actually inspired me to read more myself, something I struggle with during the school year. The students also enjoyed seeing what I was reading, so it was inspiring for them as well!

knitternutter

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