I Came in like a Rekenrek

Hi Friends,

A very happy Friday to all! Today I'm featuring a super simple and affordable way to help students with their mathematical reasoning. It looks like a simplified abacus, but the tool is called a Rekenrek and it's a great way to help students think of numbers in groups (subitize) and quickly see patterns. Now that the new standards in math are placing more of an emphasis on conceptual understanding, manipulatives like the Rekenrek can really help to build a strong conceptual foundation of numbers for primary students.

I was first introduced to this tool at a Common Core Mathematics professional development in-service provided by my district. Being on such a limited budget, however, I was worried about how I could actually get my hands on a class set. Turns out these bad boys are extremely easy to make and can be a fun DIY project that can be completed in just one day. Here is my quick and easy tutorial on making your own set of Rekenreks. I can't wait to use them in the new year with my kiddos!

Step 1: Gather your materials. You will need 2 different colored beads, pipe cleaners, cardboard (or any other sturdy and durable surface), an X-acto blade, and scissors (not necessary but helpful if you want to trim the pipe cleaners or have difficulty pulling the pipe cleaners through). After finding the cardboard in my school's supply closet and having already had an X-acto blade in my apartment, the total for all the materials came out to about $9. I have 20 students making the total cost of this project $0.45 per student. I'm telling you, it doesn't have to be fancy or costly people!

Step 2: Create a slit. Using your X-acto blade cut an 'X' in the cardboard a couple inches in from the side of the board. This will allow for you to easily thread the pipe cleaner right through and provide a secure placement for it.

Step 3: Thread the pipe cleaner. Send one end of the pipe cleaner straight through the slit as pictured.

Step 4: Bead. Add 5 beads of one color and 5 more beads of another color.

Step 5: Finish a row. After beading the beads, push the red beads (or whatever color you have chosen) to the other side where you would like your row to end. I just eyeballed it and created another slit using my X-acto blade where I wanted the other end of the pipe cleaner to go through. Push the other end of the pipe cleaner through the slit to secure and push the second set of beads to the very end (see picture). Repeat these steps for the second row.

Step 6: Tie a knot. Using the excess pipe cleaner ends you will want to fasten the two ends of each row together. Simply twist the top and bottom pieces to create a knot. I left a little bit extra so I could slip the metal part of the cleaner under the knot.

Step 7: All done! That's it. Turn it around and you have a fully functional and inexpensive Rekenrek.

Step 8: Ask students questions like: How many ways are there to make ___?, Show me ____, etc. In the pictured example you can see I made 12. Students can easily see 12 can be made up of 2 groups of 5 and 2 more or one group of 10 and 2 more. I love it! :)

I hope you enjoyed today's hands-on post and as always thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!

Three Days with Grams

Hello Friends,

A very happy belated New Year to all! I have had an amazing past couple of days to kick off 2014. In addition to still having just under a week left of my winter vacation left (got to love the year-round school schedule!), my grandmother on my mom's side is visiting from Korea for roughly three months. I haven't seen her in at least five years, but I reckon in actuality, it's a lot closer to a decade. Since both of my parents work and my brother is gearing up to start school again, I thought it would be nice to spend some quality time with my grandmother and maybe help her fight some boredom while waiting for everyone else to come home.

Upon seeing her, my heart felt very heavy. Not to the mention the precipitation collecting in my eye sockets was rather difficult to conceal. It was evident that time had taken its toll on her as she had visibly aged much from the memory that I had of her when we were travelling around and exploring Cheju (or Jeju) Islands together the last time I was in Korea. It was quite sobering. I think sometimes I get lost in the every day bustle between my career, relationships, and hobbies. So much so that I often don't realize how much time has really passed. At least her hair was as jet black as I remembered it to be.

I immediately caught my grandmother's hobble as she walked up to hug me. My mom had told me awhile back that she had been in a car accident, but I had no idea that it had affected her mobility this much. It was a struggle for her to walk and it quickly became evident that all the fun things that I had planned were probably not going to all happen. So I scaled back the itinerary and we spent our first day at the Rose Float post-parade viewing and our second lovely day at the South Coast Botanic Garden. At the very last minute I decided to hang around for an extra day and took her to the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. So you got a grandmother visiting from out of town? State? Country? Or maybe she's right there. Here's my guide for a fulfilling 3 days of adventure.

Step #1
Take her to see some flowers. Chances are your grandmother likes flowers and depending on what season it is, the aroma can be intoxicating. Given the timing of my visit, I took my grandmother to the Rose Float Parade float viewing on Jan. 2. Contrary to my own assumptions, as visually stunning as the floats were, my olfactory system wasn't nearly as delighted. Which I guess when I give some more thought to makes sense since the flowers have begun their natural process of decay by this time. Regardless, it was my first time seeing the floats in person and they were just astounding! The colors, the creativity, the attention to detail... I'm always amazed with what people can create with our hands and a little imagination.

Step #2

Take her to a garden. Still running with the presumption that your grandmother likes flowers, take her to a botanical garden and explore and learn about your local flora together. We visited the South Coast Botanic Garden located up the Palos Verdes Peninsula and enjoyed a nice stroll through their Japanese Garden, Vegetable Garden, Children's Garden, Rose Garden, and Meadow. Fun fact, I overheard the lady at admissions telling a co-worker that some episodes of Dexter were filmed here. I Googled it when I got home and discovered that the cabin in the Everglades (Season 2) was in fact filmed here. I was an avid fan for the first four seasons so that was an unexpected bonus.

Step #3
Take her to a museum, preferably a historic one. I don't know what it is, but in my experience, I've noticed that grandmothers really like presidents and anything related to them. I remember when I was little my other grandmother gobbled up Clinton's autobiography like it was her last meal on Earth. So I did some research and stumbled upon the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. In addition to various exhibitions, you can see Nixon's helicopter and birthplace (literally the bed he was born in!). Really fascinating stuff and a good brush up on some American history!

And there you have it! Go figure, my favorite thing about my entire little vacation with my grandmother was the way she held my hand each step of the way :).

As always, thank you so much for reading and do me a favor, give your grandmother a huge hug or kiss the next time you see her will ya!?

My First Month

Hello Friends,

Since my last blog post two months ago, I completed my long-term substitute job teaching fifth grade at a different school than the one I currently work at and signed a one-year contract to teach a kindergarten/first grade combo class for the rest of the year. If you read my previous post, then you know I had my doubts about having my own classroom this year, but as things tend to go for me, sure enough I was picked up and without a moment left to spare!

This Halloween marks the end of my first month at my new job working in a new district, at a new school, and with a primary combo class that had had 5 different subs over the course of the entire first quarter that I was not there. I have a couple of things to share from the past month and my new experiences.

1. Small tweaks can make the biggest differences. I can't quite pinpoint exactly where I picked it up but over the course of my attending a string of professional development opportunities and watching tons of videos of effective teachers teaching, I noticed that those teachers were calling their students 'scholars'. My go-tos last year were the tried and true: boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, class, kiddos, my dears, and my loves. "Scholars? That's awesome! I wonder if my kinders and first graders will get it," I thought, but I resolved to call my students that the very first day I met them.

Well, it's been a month and my kiddos, scholars have lived up to their sophisticated title. What has happened in the last month has been nothing short of MAGIC. We went over what it means to be a scholar when we created our classroom norms together at the beginning of the month. As a class we agreed that scholars listen and follow directions, do their personal best, respect themselves and each other, are kind, courterous, and polite, and finally, take pride in all they do. If these sound like every other classroom rules posted in most classrooms that's becasue they are, but as my scholars internalized these norms it was easy to add more and be more specific. Scholars are laser-focused, scholars don't cry, scholars never cheat their brains, etc. Bottom line, my students LOVE being called scholars and they totally own what it means to be one.

It's literally gotten to the point where they get offended when I call them boys and girls. "We're not boys and girls, we're scholars!" they'll tell me. If I catch them acting naughty I just remind them that they are acting like little boys and girls and immediately they show me scholarly behavior. It's incredible. I wish I would've done this my first year of teaching! (I'm also aware and thankful that I just have a really angelic group of children this year.)

2. I love teaching writing in K-1. I'm no Shakespeare but it's no secret that I get a deep sense of joy from writing. Although I find it's one of the hardest things to teach and teach well, man, oh man, I love teaching writing to kinders and first graders!! My school is using Lucy Calkins' Units of Study and I am a huge fan. Yes, I love Lucy. This is my first year implementing a writer's workshop and I am really pleased with the level of enthusiasm my students have for writing and equally as pleased with the caliber of work that they are producing. Right now we're working on informative writing via chapter books. The sample below followed a mini-lesson on how to write a "How To" chapter.

This is one of my kinders who wrote this and I thought it was hilarious.

Shark Pups

Mermaid drops a purse so the sharks have pups.

Pups turn to babies.

Shark pups turn to baby sharks with boosters.

And they grow up.

I toyed with the idea of letting him run with this, but then remembered we're working on informational text. His brain darn near exploded when I told him that sharks don't really have boosters. We shared a great moment.

I am counting down the days for our Publishing Party. I told my scholars I'd invite my friends and their families to come celebrate their chapter books once they are published. They are all working so hard and diligently to write the best chapter books anyone has ever read!

With that, have a grand evening and as always, thanks so much for reading.

Perspiration and Perseverance

Hi Everyone,

Gosh, it's been so long since I had some free time to type up some of my thoughts and general happenings in life, thank you Labor Day weekend. Thank you.

Being Pro-Active

Hey Friends,

I found out last Thursday that I wasn't going to be rehired by the district I taught for this past year. It was a really strange feeling because I had assured myself, after nailing my interview, that I would be returning for the upcoming school year. Oddly enough, I was on a phone interview with another district at the exact moment my old principal called to relay the unfortunate news (at least the greater universe knew it wasn't a good idea for me to put all my eggs in one basket).

Paint and Palate

Hi Friends,

My interview went really well today. I made the principals on my palette panel laugh and felt like I was able to give them a pretty good look at who I am as a teacher and how I teach. I have another interview for a different district tomorrow over the phone. We all know what happened the last time I had a phone interview. I'm very hopeful for another full-time position this coming school year and am getting less anxious and more excited about it as the days go by.

Stonewall Peak

Hey Friends,

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. It was my brother's birthday and he turned 21 so we had a great day with family and friends grilling up Korean BBQ short ribs and drinking adult beverages :). Here is a quick update before I go into sharing my latest hiking adventure. Yesterday I got called back from the district I worked for this last school year for an interview! I'm so excited for this opportunity to have my own classroom again. My interview is tomorrow afternoon so wish me luck!

Trampoline on Me

Hey Friends,

Over the weekend, I got to try something I've never done before - jump on a trampoline! I know, I know, 22 and I've never jumped on a trampoline before? Ludicrous, just ludicrous. Well I'm glad I got to bounce back from my "deprived" childhood and give Sky High Sports Trampoline Park a go.

High Five

Hey Everyone,

#1 Viva Las Vegas

Source

Last week I left for Vegas with a group of friends and had a blast. The real kicker was seeing people's reactions when I told them why I was going to be in Vegas that weekend. Many of them had just assumed I was going for the Electric Daisy Carnival, but my favorite reaction came from one of my girlfriends who cracked up when I told her I was actually going for a card tournament. She of course was thinking along the lines of Poker or Blackjack (and rightfully so) so when I revealed that it was actually a Magic the Gathering tournament she darn near fell out of her chair in tears laughing. Anyway, one of my buddies placed 161 out of over 4000 people that participated. Way to go and a literal high five for him!

Galleta Meadows Estate

Hey Friends,

No callbacks or update on my job status yet. I'm starting to grow a little weary of all the waiting but have resolved to enjoy my summer vacation in the meantime. A couple of weeks ago I managed to convince two of my friends that walking in 100 degree heat in the desert would be a lot of fun - and it was!

Life is Not Unfair

Hey Friends,

Thanks to one of the two Teacher Appreciation Days offered by the San Diego County Fair last Friday (the other one is this Friday), I got to spend a lovely day wandering the fairgrounds at Del Mar, pigging out on greasy overpriced fair food.

Father's Day

Hi Everyone,

I drove up to LA with my boyfriend over the weekend to spend some quality time with my family for Father's Day. Last year I treated my dad to a baseball game at Dodgers Stadium, but being on a much tighter budget this year, I opted for a cheaper and equally as fun outing - hiking at Eaton Canyon.

Well Done

Hey Friends,

Long time no post! I so badly wanted to post some end-of-the-year updates in the last couple of weeks but time really escaped me during that home stretch. I'm pretty excited to announce however, that I finished my first year of teaching on Friday, June 7, 2013. That's right I'm no longer a "first year" teacher! Don't worry, if you're wondering, I don't intend on changing the name of this blog. Instead, it will serve as a little keepsake and reminder that every year of teaching is kind of like your first year as no two classes are ever the same. Besides, now that my employment status is up in the air, who knows what grade I'll actually be teaching this upcoming school year (if I'm even able to land a job that is). I'm sure it will feel like I'm a first year teacher all over again.

I initially planned to write a reflective piece about my first year of teaching, actually I did in fact write it. The essay I wrote deeply looked at my past year documenting the struggles and challenges I faced with my overflow population, but after going back and forth, I decided not to share it. I made it a point to focus on the positives early on in the school year, at least when it came to this blog - a project I started for fun in grad school but have really grown to love and cherish as an on-going hobby and collection of unforgettable memories. I love reading back on old posts and remembering the special moments I shared with my very first classroom. I also love seeing the evolution of balance that I attempted to achieve while juggling a new career and trying to maintain a happy personal life. In keeping true to this spirit of the blog, I will continue to share my stories through a positive lens. After all, attitude is everything.

So in California, new teachers generally hold a preliminary teaching credential that they have to clear within 5 years (extensions can be granted). Although there are a few options available out there, I decided to go down the most well-traveled route via a two-year program called Beginning Teacher Support Assessment (BTSA) Induction. Taken from their website, BTSA engages preliminary credentialed teachers in a job-embedded formative assessment system of support and professional growth to fulfill the requirement for the California Clear Multiple Subjects credential. BTSA Induction programs are locally designed and implemented in accordance with the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Professional Teacher Induction Programs and aligned to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.

Insectsy and We Know It II

Hey Friends,

If you're coming here straight from part one, you're awesome! And if you're not, don't worry, you're awesome too :). I am starting to think I might have a crush on Mr. Eric Carle. This past week we used yet another one of his children's books, The Grouchy Ladybug as our focus text. Our sight word last week was 'look' and with the abundance of dialogue in the story, I thought it was a good opportunity to review the word 'said', 'you' and 'are' as well. Here are some student samples:

Insectsy and We Know It I

Hello Everyone,

It has been such a strange and overwhelming past couple of weeks, and I think if I had to sum it all up in one word it would be - bizarre. As many of you know, I survived my first case of food poisoning last week, but apparently it was a mere link in a chain of unfortunate events surrounding my bubble of friends. The reading specialist at my school recently got bit by a rattlesnake (he's doing much better now), the school psychologist was out for a couple of weeks due to appendicitis, and last night, my boyfriend also caught a bad wave of food poisoning. Bizarre, am I wrong? I'm bracing myself for a plague of frogs to fall from the sky next weekend. I'm serious. All these obscure and rather outlandish situations have really begun to bug me...

Fashionate About Teaching

Hi Friends,

So I had some undercooked chicken this past Saturday and I am going to assume that that was the cause of a major (at least in my book) episode of food poisoning - the first of its kind since I've been alive! For a foodie and person who literally grazes 24/7, I've determined that food poisoning is indeed a fate far worse than death. I hadn't eaten food for two days and at that point I seriously had to ask myself, "Self, what are you?". I felt neither human nor alive. Regardless, I'm doing much better now and although I am aware that I'm long overdue for a teaching post, I thought I'd celebrate my return to eating solid foods with a F.A.T. post. Do you see what I did there? ;)

Vasquez Rocks, Rock!

Hi Everybody,

My obsession with Vasquez Rocks first started when I discovered that it was the filming site of some Star Trek (the original series) footage back in the day. Admittedly, and I'll gladly call myself out before you do, the only Star Trek I've ever seen is the 2009 blockbuster so yeah, I'm not a die-hard fan or anything by any stretch of the imagination. However, the idea of hiking here with a vibrant yellow Star Trek shirt (shout out to my old roommate for making it happen!) was irresistibly appealing to me and it was a near instant addition to my ever so evolving Bucket List.

Banh Mi Birthday Dinner

Hi Everyone,

Today was my mom's birthday and in lieu of me sending her flowers on Mother's Day, I decided to slave away in the kitchen and create a flavorful birthday dinner for her (and me!) to enjoy. Growing up, my mom always cooked dinner for us. In fact, missing dinner was considered a cardinal sin in the Lee household. Everyone knew that dinner was synonmous with family time so you'd better be dead if you weren't there, and if you were alive and absent, then yikes, you might as well be dead. Suffice it to say I rarely missed dinner with my famiy and over time, thanks to this tradition, I grew to associate food with love. So what better way to show love for my mom than preparing her a scrumptious feast?

He Was Nuts About Her

Hi Everyone,

For all the fellas out there who think you've got the number one wingman, think again.
Meet Waldo. He's a walnut and I reckon his success rate is higher than your average wingman's.

I'll be posting an update with our metamorphosis unit sometime later this week, but today, I'm feeling rather whimsically nostalgic. In grad school, one of the classes we were required to take was a course on incorporating art into our pedagogy. Needless to say, this was one of my favorite quarters during my M. Ed. methods coursework taught by one of my favorite professors on the staff.  There was one project in particular that really roused my creativity and made a memorable and lasting impression on my otherwise somewhat forgetful and unimpressionable memory. Well, today also just so happens to mark the eve of my one year dating anniversary with my current beau. You might be wondering what an art project I was assigned in grad school has to do with me celebrating a wonderful year with my boyfriend right? Allow me to share yet another version of boy meets girl.

Earth Means the World to Us

Hi Everyone,

Last week we learned about the 3 R's: reducing, reusing, and recycling. We read a bunch of books about recycling and discussed what it means to take care of our Earth. My students especially enjoyed We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Lauren Child. The illustrations and characters (Charlie and Lola) are so much fun and the way the book covers the topic of recycling is just wonderful. Later in the week, after the concept of recycling was in my students' schemas, we sorted out paper, cans, and plastic on our Promethean Board by taking turns completing this short activity.