Week One. It's Done!

This week was the first week of school! I'm not even sure where it went, but I am so glad it's done and it was a great success! Here are some of the major points of each day.

Day One: Paperwork

Paper work. Paperwork I need to do, collecting paperwork, reading paperwork. So. Much. Paperwork. Next year, better management system for the paperwork. The rest of the day was incredible. I have fantastic, respectful, completely manageable kids. I am very lucky.

Day Two: Procedures and Expectations

I spent the first day doing a lot of getting-to-know-you activities. The second day was very heavy on procedures and expectations I have for everything from how they put their backpacks away in the morning to how I expect their science notebooks to be organized. It's tedious both for them and me. Even more paperwork.

Day Three: The Rules

My kids "make up" the classroom rules. I ask them to think about last year and to share the most important rule their teacher had. Those all become the classroom rules. They come up with them so they all need to abide by them. My most important rule: Be Respectful. This applies to themselves, others, materials, and me. It's the hardest rule to follow and the one I crack down on the hardest.

Day Four: Formal Math and Independent Reading

I started doing formal math technically on day three, but we got into the real meat of recovering all of those addition and subtraction strategies they learned last year. The first unit is always a spiral back to what they learned last year and tends to be a strand that we work on all year round. Unlike when we were all in school, you can't forget what you learned because you have to use it all year. We also started independent reading time. We are at fifteen minutes at a time and my goal by January is forty-five. I will be pleased if we get to thirty.

Day Five: What Cleans Pennies Best?

We did our first science experiment on Friday. We were testing to see if rubbing alcohol, vinegar, soap and water, or regular water will clean pennies best. Controls are almost impossible with pennies between dirtiness, wear, etc., so we were all surprised (well, not me) when the "cleanest" pennies were the ones in the soap and water. Monday is a discussion about experimental error and the difficulty with controls. I will find more kid-friendly words for those terms :)

I am thrilled to say this was a successful week. Everyone who reads this knows that last year I was pretty miserable by the end. I'm so happy to say that I love where I work and who I work with. It makes all the difference at the end of the day.

Best,

Becky

Coffee, or Lack Thereof

It's the end of August and the heat is still going strong. This isn't a huge change coming from DC. However, mixed with the significantly higher humidity, it's enough to make you never want to be outside. 

For whatever reason, I have had a really hard time adjusting to the weather. While I watch older women taking brisk walks and others running at the peak of the day, I get lightheaded walking Smiley for five minutes. Not to mention that one time Nick had to pick me up at 8AM from a run because the world was spinning. Something had to give.

I tried more water, that lead to more frequent trips to the bathroom. I stopped walking to barre and to the shopping center behind my house and that just made me feel lazy. It's less than a mile away after all! I stopped soda and all drinks that weren't water. Nothing. Worked.

It was time to face the last thing that could make a difference. This will make most of you keel in disbelief.

I. Gave. Up. Coffee.

No, not forever!! Now that would be just disrespectful to my family! But the cup of coffee I used to have religiously during the school week? I was strong all through in-service week and tomorrow won't be any different. 

I have switched over to a simple cup of green tea and it has seriously changed my life. I found that it's not so much the jolt I need, but the ritual of having something to drink on my way to work that kickstarts the day. As for coffee? I'll save it for the sake of enjoying it on the weekend and not as something I toss back like a shot on my way out the door. I think the former is how it was originally intended to be had anyway.

Best,
Becky

My Classroom! Before and After

It's finally done!

About three weeks ago, I walked into my classroom for the first time. I found this.

As said, the room was huge! It was also covered in dust and was completely undecorated. Last week, we were given four full days to come in and set up our rooms. These days were optional and I am so glad that I went. It gave me a chance to really get to know my amazing team lead, talk to some of my new colleagues, and get my room to about 80% ready before all of the serious meetings got started. Today, I put the final touches on the place and I now feel ready to receive the kids!

The Tables are ready for open house! I use table supplies as opposed to individual supplies. My school receives Title I funding so I never want a student to be unable to participate because they can't afford supplies. 

It's hard to see in the picture, but these plates are the behavior system we use at school. This is probably the craftiest thing I've ever done. The students start on "great" and move up and down throughout the day. The order goes "phenomenal," "super," "great," "warning 1," "warning 2," etc. At first, I thought it was nuts that there were so many steps. However, I realized that the levels below "great" give the students time to really stop and think about what they're doing and how to change their behavior. Best yet, the students have the chance to move up even at their worst point and everyone gets a clean slate each day.

Class jobs and anchor charts for math and reading. My class jobs are all mildly inspired by my time at Camp Nock-A-Mixon... That's right, we have a grounds person!

Building a classroom library is incredibly difficult. My awesome teacher friend, Alicia, started building her classroom library sometime around her freshmen year of college. I thought she was nuts. In retrospect, she was brilliant. Thankfully, most of those books were in the room when I got there. Otherwise I would have nothing!! Those inflatable ice cream cones are in lieu of pillows. Much easier to clean and most importantly, LICE PROOF! I should probably toss the deflated one though... I've inflated it three times since last week.

My desk and table for small group instruction

My school is not a Responsive Classroom school, however, Hopes and Dreams are goals the students come up with that guide their entire year. After the first week of school, there will be a whole post dedicated to Hopes and Dreams. The books on the table are some of my favorites.

My word wall for vocabulary. Those cupcakes have clothespins behind them to display student work without having to tear things down and re-construct every time!

Enjoy!

Becky

Some Inspiration On My First Day

Today, I want to share with you all an amazing speech I heard from an incredible eighteen year old young man. A recent CMS graduate, the student shared his school experience with our faculty and staff. From the second this young man opened his mouth, it was clear that he was an exceptional, exceptional.

I did not mis-type there; I did mean an exceptional, exceptional. What this means in the teaching world is that the student has a learning differences that impacts his ability to learn and thrive in a traditional classroom setting without additional support or modification. The double exceptional however, implies something more. It means that while he has differences that impact his learning in the traditional classroom, he is of incredibly high intelligence. While I never saw his IEP, it was clear this was the case as indicated by his incredible test scores and speaking skills. The kid scored in the top 1% in the country on the writing section of the ACT!!

Then the young man said something incredibly important

"Be open minded and let your students teach you how to teach them"

What an incredible, yet fundamentally logical statement! Once he finished speaking, my principal, Ms. Davis, asked us to discuss with the people around us what our takeaway was from this speaker. As an educator, it is much more important to me that my students learn how to be good citizens. In fact, if I had to lay out my teaching objectives for the school year and re-write the standards, they would go a little like this.

At the end of the school year, my students will be able to tell a stranger how they learn best and why using specific examples of when they excelled under stated conditions.

At the end of the school year, my students will be able to advocate for the well-being of themselves and others both inside and outside the classroom

At the end of the school year, my students will be able to understand that learning is an experience and not something that comes from a textbook.

But Becky, they're just kids! What do they know about how they learn or what's best for their education. Well, the truth is that most students will not inherently know how to advocate for themselves. They always won't be able to tell you that because they have difficulty reading, they need a multi-sensory approach to phonics. They won't always be able to tell you that they need to experience history through simulations because imagining it in their head is just too abstract. It is my job to help them understand how and why they learn the way they do so that they can have the confidence and evidence to explain to others how they will help make them as successful as possible. This is sometimes more than a year long process.

That is OK!

Being reflective and thinking about why a concept finally made sense when it did and why a concept doesn't make sense when they are confused is hugely important to helping them become better students, and their teachers to become better teachers. And it's the job of the teachers to listen to what the students are saying, even when their initial message isn't entirely clear. 

While I admittedly do not remember this young man's name, I will never forget him or the powerful message I knew, but will always need to be reminded of through my years of teaching.

Yours,

Becky

My New School

This is a huge year for my career. After two years of interning and a year of being a reading specialist, I am finally taking on my own class room! I am thrilled to be a third grade teacher at J.H. Gunn Elementary School. Now an integrated, full school, it was not always that way.

In the early 1920s the school was a high school called Clear Creek Colored Union High School. It was a really small school that ran all year around, closing only during August and September so the students could pick cotton. In 1936, Mecklenburg County decided that colored high schools needed to be created in the rural areas of Charlotte, thus a full high school was created. After integration in the 60s the school would be re-opened as an Elementary School named J.H. Gunn in honor of a former math and music teacher in the high school. 

source

The school is interesting for several reasons. First, while it is, of course, fully integrated, the population is mostly minority to this day. Second, the school was created to serve students in a rural area, though there is no evidence that this part of Charlotte was ever rural! I am coming to find in general that most of Charlotte has been built up in the last twenty years or so. For example, everything in my immediate area by the lake is new within the last five or so years. Everything is crazy new!

Back to my school, I have been very busy the last several days setting up my classroom. The first impression when I saw the school was that it was HUGE.  Coming from Seely Place Elementary School, J.H. Gunn was a shock! While the school is significantly bigger population wise, it is also a big building because the classrooms themselves are quite big. This is fabulous from a teaching perspective, but also means a lot of work to prepare for the students' arrival!

Finishing touches are being done and books are being leveled for my classroom library. I don't want to do a big reveal until it's all done, but I will show you the "before" pictures!

Kids' cubbies and supplies storage

I HAVE A SMART BOARD!!!

I need to learn how to use it... good thing Nick is Smart Board certified ;)

More room... It's SO big

Back of the class and kids' computers

I will probably post the full room next week. I have a few more additions to do to the class library and names to write once I get my class list. Stay tuned!

Best,

Becky

Smiley's Adjustment

When I talk to people from DC or family about how Nick and I are doing in Charlotte, the follow up question always is, "How's Smiley(j) adjusting?" It cracks me up every time, but then again, I'm glad everyone asks. He is a very important part of the family now.

Smiley was great on the long car ride down. He doesn't bark, but like a child, he whines when he wants or needs something. So picture a two year old in the back seat of the car and that's what the last three of the seven hour trip was like for Z and me!

When we got here, Smiley was instantly in love with our new place. He was bounding around in the completely open space, loving that there was nothing to get in his way. His life only got happier when he discovered that we have a terrace. Better still, the shade on the window to the terrace raises enough that he can "sun" in the corner while still laying in the cool comforts of the apartment! 

It kills me every time when I find him like this. He looks so regal.

He even found a thunder spot when the Charlotte storms roll in. Smiley is really scared of thunder and goes into "lock down" mode when they come. No windows, dark place, and pillow and blanket are always necessary!

Now many people have seen the cone picture. Smiley has so much fun walking and running around our building. It's well paved and kept so we rarely need to worry. Well, Nick and Smiley had a little spill the other day. Both are fine, but Smiley now has a few staples and a cone to show for it. 

He was such a brave boy in at the vet and made all of the nurses instantly fall in love. Well, how could you not with a face like that!

Best,

Becky

The Charlotte Motor Speedway

In case people like my Uncle Darren didn't think I was enough of a hillbilly already, it's about to get a whole lot worse right here, right now. I'm about to talk about my first experience with a NASCAR-related event.

The Charlotte Motor Speedway is a huge racetrack. There are people of all financial backgrounds who own tickets.... It's a big deal for all types. According to Nick's background research, there are several people who finance their seats and take out loans because, well, NASCAR is king.

To the speedway's credit, it was pretty cool. I was astounded by the number of children (and adults) who weren't wearing ears. I was even more astounded by the children to adult ratio. Apparently they start them really young here!

Anyway, we went for a really neat event there a few weeks ago while Emily and Z were still in town. The Bojangles Summer Shootout Series goes on all summer long and features a range of different showcases. The one we saw was especially cool as it featured these old, beaten up, school buses driven by local EMTs and Firefighters. You can see my videos from the night below! 

I am wearing "ears" in this picture because unlike some of the children there, my Northern ears aren't used to loud motors.

Yours,

Becky

Sweet Tea and Fried Pickles

Southern BBQ is something I have always appreciated. There are few things more satisfying than good pulled pork, cheesy mac & cheese, and a scratch made Arnold Palmer. Craving some good BBQ but not wanting to return to any previously visited places, I happened upon Lancaster's BBQ.

Photo from: Lancaster's BBQ

Before I even get started on the food, I have to say the most note-worthy aspect about the place itself. There was not a single television in the place! This is shocking for a BBQ joint, or really for any other restaurant these days. I appreciated that there was no looking around for a score, asking to change the channel to a different game, or general distractions about the place.

Then came the awesome drinks and food.

The sweetest sweet tea I ever tasted in my life for Nick, and Arnold Palmer for me. The lemonade was just tart enough to cut the sweet. These drinks were coupled with fresh fried hush puppies. For all of you Northerners, hush puppies? Basically a chicken nugget of the corn that wraps around a corn dog. It's interesting. I still don't know how I feel about them.

Dinner was the sampler. We chose fried pickles, wings, and mozzarella sticks (duh). The wings and mozzarella sticks were awesome, but the fried pickles were easily the best I ever had. Don't knock it until you've tried it. They're best when they are in "chip" as opposed to "spear" form as they appeared at some restaurants in DC. Dip in some ranch and you have the greatest appetizer in the world. Or dinner... Sorry mom and Kim, there was nothing nutritious about this meal except for the pickles. Pickles are fruit after all!

Yours,

Becky

How to Put Yourself Out There

I have always been pretty good at making friends. In high school and college, I always had a conglomerate of friends between track/cross country, classes, camp, my Israel trip, sorority, teaching, friends of friends, you get it. It was always easy because most of the people were simply, there.

Now I've moved and I'm essentially starting fresh. It's neat because I have the chance to really meet some cool and interesting people, but it's also intimidating at the same time!

After being here for going on three weeks, there are a few things I have learned (ok, accepted) about "putting yourself out there." These won't necessarily lead to making life-long friends. However, until you can find "your people" these are some reminders for myself that I think are pretty helpful in transitioning to a new place.

In The South, people are much friendlier. 

Gone are the days of ignoring people at 7AM while walking the dog. You need to walk out the door ready to greet others, because people will definitely be greeting you! These aren't "friends," but they are kind people who will make your day a little brighter.

It's OK to "awkwardly" insert yourself into a conversation 

So long as it's appropriate, insert away! Hear someone talking about a great restaurant before barre class starts? Ask them about it! Hear that someone needs a break from the kids and you're a teacher/babysitter? Say so! People receive you a lot better than you think. On a similar note, it's not strange to talk to someone while waiting to check out at the supermarket. Commenting on the weather will shockingly lead to a conversation in The South, but in other places to... assuming you're anywhere South of DC ;)

Show up to events in your area

Charity events, concerts in the park, Meetup groups, and cooking classes are all great ways to meet people. You may not feel comfortable just talking to people right away, but you never know who will sit next to you or comment on your outfit, or notice you're new! Remember what I said about "awkwardly" inserting yourself in a conversation? It's a start!

You will not make friends sitting in your apartment

This sounds obvious, but the number of times I have had to remind myself this. Whew! It's important to acknowledge that while real friends take time, it will take much longer if you only stay in watching Netflix and talking to friends from home. Stay in touch and do it often, but call them after you've gone out and tried something new. Similarly, you will not make friends sitting on your phone out at a event. Share all of your good times once the event is over.

Smile!

This is probably the most important. You're new and no one else knows you yet. Even if you have a neutral to intense resting face, give yourself the best natural smile possible when walking around. You never know who will choose to speak to you!

Yours,

Becky

DefyGravity Date Night

One of the major perks of living in a new place is that everything is new. Nick and I were in such a routine in DC. We ate at the same few places, went to the same few places, and had very little intent of shaking things up. Now that we're in Charlotte, we don't have that opportunity anymore! Everything we try is new and as much as we may love one restaurant or one activity, we know we can't go back to it for awhile because there's still so much else to try! 

Recently, Nick and I have started to attend Meetups. If you don't know what Meetup is, it's a great website where you can connect with people in your area based on age, common interest, and more. It was through Meetup that we found DefyGravity. Greatest. Date. Ever.

He loves, me I swear ;) 

If you didn't selfie, did it happen?

DefyGravity is a huge trampoline gym complete with a Nija Warrior course, dodgeball pit, flip pit, and open jump area. We had so much fun trying the Ninja Warrior course (and failing most of them!) and watching some of the people who use the trampolines to work out. It was pretty cool!

Check out my flip! 

Like my mom said, "If teaching thing doesn't work out, you can always join the circus." 

Yours,

Becky

Fun Facts About Me

I was so eager to share the big questions I had, that I neglected to do any of the "fun facts" about me that could be fun for others to read. Here are some of my top ten.

T, Z, Me, Nick, and Smiley!

Photo by Michele Gordon (aka, Mom)

I am engaged to a wonderful man. His name is Nick and we live together in Charlotte with our adorable adopted (#adoptdontshop) foxhound, Smiley.

I am the oldest of three kids. My sister is a rising senior at Brandies and my brother is a rising freshmen at Endicott! Yup, they're way up North, and I'm down South!

I studied Elementary Education at American University. I also received my masters in Special Education Learning Disabilities. 

This is my first year with a true classroom! I cannot wait to have my own room, kids, and team!

I grew up in New York, but never truly loved the city. GASP. Yes, I said it out loud! DC was always my place. Much more my speed.

I run, but don't really love it. What I really love is barre. I am actually certified to teach barre through barre. [d] studio in Charlottesville, VA!

I tend to eat healthier, but fall to pieces over chik fil a and anything sweet.

I am terrible with aesthetics. Thankfully, Nick is fantastic. Our wedding would be scary looking otherwise!

Speaking of weddings, our wedding is going to be at The Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC!

I am addicted to Dunkin Donuts, and have yet to find one close to my apartment! Le sigh.

That's all for this one, folks!

Yours,

Becky

The New Southerner

Welcome! My name is Becky and this blog is something I always imagined doing for myself. Maybe others will read along too!

As the blog title suggests, I am now a Southern Yankee. What does this mean? I interpret it to mean that I am a transplant. I was born and raised in Scarsdale, NY and am slowly making my way down the East Coast, below the Mason Dixon line. At this rate, I will wind up in Boca at the ripe age of 65. Just kidding, but seriously. 

My fiancé, Nick and I moved from Washington, DC to Charlotte, NC after finishing school at American University and taking a year to work in the city where we met and fell in love. My Southern born and bred fiancé has been done with DC for years. When suggested we try Charlotte, there were a million questions. Let's start with the top 5:

The South?! I have never lived in THE SOUTH! How will a New Yorker, with the accent, sports teams, and road rage, to prove it, survive in THE SOUTH?!

The South?! I don't know a single soul in The South. How will I make friends?

The South?! I have no professional connections in The South! This one ended up being irrelevant. I got a job with CMS pretty quickly as a third grade teacher!

The South?! It's even hotter than it is in DC! How will I survive? Well, according to Weather.com, it didn't dip below THIRTY DEGREES more than a handful of times last year. DC people know how big a deal that is!

The South?! That's a big move and I've never truly moved before! How will we make it happen?

Lots of questions, some of which were answered. The move itself was interesting. Lucky I had my awesome little-big brother, Z and Nick's fantastic cousin E to help us... and some wonderful people from UHaul. As for the heat, well... it's pretty rough. We moved during the worst week of the summer and I made some questionable decisions about exercising in the heat. Hello Heat Exhaustion! As for the other questions, many I am still figuring out and probably will be for a long time. Stick around and find out more as the time unfolds!

Yours,

Becky