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Weekend

Teacher's log 8.17.13 Summary of today...Up at 10:00 am, walk at 10:30, nap at 11:30, car washing and detailing 1:30, 2:00 dinner prep., rest of the day lazy! Thank you weekend!

Back To School

Ready to walk in for the first day of school. For those who don't know...The license plate says SNOW DAY!

I am pretty sure this is the first year that I did not worry about the first day of school. During the summer I kept busy here and there preparing for the year. Boy, am I glad!
The first week, although a bit stressful with the adjusted schedule, was good.
The biggest problem was my need to be more actively involved.
As a resource teacher, I am responsible for progress monitoring. But the first week is not the time to find baselines. There are too many "get to know you" and classroom procedure lessons to pull for assessment.
Another very cool part of the beginning of the year is my student teacher Kyle. Saying he is hitting the ground running is an understatement. If first impressions are true, he will be in high demand in December. He is spot on. Yay! His only demerit is that he is over a foot taller than I am! Oy! We are quite the pair in the hallway!
So now it is Saturday. It was so wonderful to sleep in and have a lazy day. Looking forward to one more night of no alarm clock.
Here's to a GREAT year!
Lori

Another Version of Lesson Plan Template

I am still playing around with lesson plan templates for this school term. On the "Other" column I will add meetings, spelling lists, upcoming tests, etc. Can't believe we report back Wednesday! Not sure what I will stick with, but here is my newest (and cheapest) to date!
































Link to document download

New Technology

Today I received my LeapMotion in the mail. I had ordered it in April during our state technology conference NETA. I attended a session (actually multiple) by Leslie Fisher. Her topic was "Technology Time Machine" which showed where we have come from, and were we are going. I remember sitting in the audience and listening to her talk about a device that allows you to control your computer via hand motions. I know, I know, that's what game systems do. But this is different. You can plug in the device via USB to your computer and instantly begin controlling some apps. I sat there in the back of the session and put in my pre-order right away. The device was not to be launched until mid July. Why would I jump so quickly? STUDENTS! I started thinking about how I could use this at school. It could be used as assistive technology. Maybe a different form of communication. Another thought is for motivation. It is pretty cool!
Now that I have it I will need to play around with it to see its possibilities. There are some free apps to help me see what it can do. I hear there is already Angry Birds preinstalled. Haven't tried that yet!
Hopefully I will have time soon to put it in to action and report back.
In the mean time...Below is the promo video showing some of the uses


Positive Reinforcement Idea

I saw this idea on Pinterest tonight...
Take a white crayon and write sight words on a worksheet and have students use a marker to reveal the word. You can find the originator of the idea on Mary Tasch's Teachers Pay Teachers page. Very cool.

But being a resource teacher, I am thinking of taking blank business cards or cutting card stock to the same size and use the idea for positive reinforcement. Maybe extra privileges, treats, etc.

Let me know how you would use this idea!


Lesson Plan Template

I am thinking about making my own plan book for the new school year.
I like the idea of having it personalized specifically to me. I have seen many templates online by looking at other teacher's blogs and on TeachersPayTeachers site. Who knows, I may end up going this route...
Below is a picture of my template as of today. If you click on it, you will be able to download the Excel file from my Dropbox. Let me know what you think. I realize I have not added space for listing modifications and accommodations. I will add that to my list!
Maybe we can trade files for the rest of the plan book?


To Do List

I like the idea of using a "currently" post once a month. I have not found an editable template yet. That is why it is on my "to do list".

Pinterest Marathon


I have been busy "pinning"  some things that caught my eye on Pinterest.
Some of my "boards" are general classroom, organization, tech, and of course, special education. Feel free to share your pins as well!



Welcome to my blog!

It is the first Monday of summer, and what am I doing? Starting a new blog. After 10 or so years as a resource teacher I have decided to blog about it.
Some days are funny, some not so much...
Check back for updates!
-Lori