Do-able Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas!

Ahhh, the end of the year! This is always the oddest part of my year- time is all warped out of context- one moment, it seems so long until it is here, the next moment, it is 8th move up ceremony/ high school graduation and then they are gone!  

Once the final days hit, and I have a moment to breathe, I start thinking about little appreciation gifts for my teacher peeps. We made it through another year of battle, I think a little something is in order! 

All throughout the year, I am constantly finding these awesome ideas of things I want to do, and I set up a Pinterest board (because, of course!) for everything I find!

Here are a few of my favorites- now I just have to decide which ones to do!

I love the idea of themed jars (maybe not this big)- I would do ones with maybe self-care stuff, like nail polish and masks, or tea and mugs. This idea is super adaptable!

There are so many great ideas here!!!

Here are some more adorable tags for gifts- for free!

Of course, everything I do comes down to baked goods as well, so I will make sure to have cookie and brownie trays ready for all the teachers on the last day!

And this last one has some adorable jars that I think I will make for my daughter's daycare and pre-school teachers, because, seriously, they have to deal with my crazy girls all day! (now that I think about it, maybe I will throw in an extra Target/Starbucks gift card...)

What fun stuff do you (or your administrators, you lucky teacher!!!) do for your teaching/battle peeps???

How I Prep at the End of the Year for Next Year

We are in our last 2 weeks of school, and the final full days! The last official assignments are being turned in, desperation extra credit and make-work are being emailed at all hours, and my thoughts turn to next year.

My big goals for the next couple of weeks will be to get my room cleaned and organized, as well as setting up my procedures around the room.

In my first year or in new rooms, I do not throw anything out- you never know what you might need! Especially when there is not curriculum or guidance, anything and everything might be useful. Now that we are at the end of the year and I have a plan and direction for next year, I am willing to part with/toss out all the junk I have been hanging on to, or pass it along to another teacher. 

Cleaning out cabinets and organizing is a great activity for the students to help with. As much as they profess to be excited to have "nothing" to do, a full 8 hours of nothing gets pretty old, so I make a list of tasks and chores that I can hand out to students to complete. 

My list usually includes: 

• clear out cabinets and wipe them down 
• check expiration dates on chemicals and materials
• sorting and organizing small parts (ahem, all my stem stuff!)
• printing out new labels and attaching them to the boxes
• dusting and wiping down the entire room
• updating worksheets with my notes
• cleaning out old papers and student work
• finishing little projects and models for next year
• even sharpening colored pencils and checking for dead markers!

My big task for myself is to organize my paperwork! Although we are a 1:1, I like to keep it old school, and print copies of everything we do, and of projects I find, or inspirational labs and activities! As we go through the activities, I write notes to myself, and I keep everything in a big pile a file to refer to later. I am now tackling the huge job of sorting the papers into which class, which unit and which project. 

Original Pile With My Notes 

After I sort them, I read through each of the mini-piles, taking a look at my notes and additional materials I may have attached. I then take a clean sheet and summarize what I want to do with the materials and any new ideas I have, and put it into a file with a post-it tab.

Different Project Ideas Filed

Finally, I create a schedule of when to work on develop the materials for each class, unit and project, so that everything is prepared for the beginning of next year. I usually start with my introduction units, since they will be needed first. Looking at my planner, I write each topic into a week, so that I know what to pull out to work on, and just go from there! It takes a lot off of my mind, knowing that I can just pop open my planner, see what is scheduled and get to work- I get too stressed out and paralyzed with too many choices otherwise! 

How does your end of the year go? Do you have a plan to use your end of year helpers and prep for next year? Share your methods below! 

How to Turn Ordinary STEM Students Into Innovators

We are heading into summer, and like most teachers, I am starting to reflect on my year, and beginning to plan for next year. 

If you have read any of my other posts, you know this year was a BIG learning year for me! 

One of the things I started out the year gung-ho to do, and was not able to incorporate as much as I wanted, was to introduce my students to stories of other young people doing big changes. I had visions of my middle school students finding a deep passion that drove them to create inventive new ways to solve the world's problems! (no, I am not a first year teacher, just super optimistic!) This idea slowly crashed back to Earth, but I have not let go of it, so I am brainstorming ways to more fully incorporate awareness and critical thinking skills in my students next year. 

I feel that one of the biggest ways to get students to think outside of the box and find their passion is to expose them to other young people doing big things. Many of my students are urban, and have not had much exposure to anything other than their own neighborhoods. And Fortnight, but that is a whole other post.....

As I watch the Facebook and YouTube videos of incredible kids, I notice that their stories start out very similar- the young person had an experience that jarred them out of their everyday life. They experienced something that touched them deeply, caused them to start to look into it and thinking of solutions. They noticed a problem, and decided to solve it.

So, how can I offer that to my students? How do you manufacture a life-changing experience? 

One of the things I have decided to do is expose my students to more stories. I have been collecting short (and some long) videos on different topics that are related to our main unit topics. I have some articles as well, but my school is 1:1 iPads, so the students are used to having visual content to analyze, so I feel that will make the most impact. This would be a bi-weekly or possibly monthly assignment that students would need to reflect on, possibly do additional research, and then give a quick presentation on the video and the impact that the young persons solution had.  

I am also working to make sure all of the projects we do have a wider audience than just the classroom, so I will encourage students to think about how their projects can make a difference. This could be from a social activism angle or an environmental angle, as long as there is something the students must take into consideration when designing or creating their projects. Their project could look at addressing a problem within the unit topic, or even just making sure all materials used are recycled/re-purposed. 

I am really looking forward to adding more inspiring content into my curriculum next year! How about you? What did you want to do this year that maybe fizzled out, but that you plan on revisiting next year? 

Creating STEM: an Electricity Unit

This term in my 8th grade STEM classroom, we are moving into physical science. I am focusing on teaching an Electricity and Circuits Unit, and a Simple Machines Unit, with the final project for the term to build carnival and table top arcade games for the end of the year celebration.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have never taught a STEM centered class before. (That is probably about to become REALLY apparent, lol...) This year has been a lot of a hot mess- I have been trying to find my bearings, but I am starting to feel pretty confident, so what follows is my own personal musings on how I am planning my units, lessons and projects. Feel free to disregard at will...

Let me first say, that I have not applied any standards to my class this year. Not state standards. Not NGSS. This year has been all about design, engineering and learning how to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. Because i teach STEM, I am kind of outside the normal realm of academics in our school. I plan to spend some time this summer looking at the desired outcomes of my lessons and aligning them to NGSS. But ain't nobody got time for that right now- I am doing my best to stay one step ahead of the students.....

When designing units, I look at what I want my students to be able to do, or a project I want them to complete and think about what skills/knowledge they will need to have. Often, during the middle of a project, I will realize there are better ways to do what I am doing. Sometimes I will adjust; most of the time, I take notes for next year...

My overall end goal/desired outcome for this unit was that students would be able to use basic circuitry  and knowledge of simple machines to construct carnival games and table top arcades.

These kids have had STEM since 5th grade, but this may be the first class where they were truly thrown out on a limb and told to figure it out (you know, GRIT) so it has been an interesting learning curve (for everyone).

I started with basics- making paper circuits, and then beginning a circuits challenge, and ending with creating an electronic game. Some of them had done paper circuits before in earlier grades, but luckily, they remembered nothing, so we were starting from a clean slate.

I started with paper circuits to give them an gentle introduction to circuits and electricity flow.  By completing the basic series and parallel circuits with batteries, aluminum foil (none of your fancy copper tape, THANKYOUVERYMUCH) and Christmas lights, they were expected to come to an understanding that electricity will always flow along the metal (or I called it the path of least resistance). So if they did not leave a break in the foil and insert the light, no luck-no light! I also wanted them to start making a connection to the number of batteries and the number of lights (Mrs., it works really well with one light, but more than one and it doesn't work/gets really dim! REALLY? Fascinating....) My final expectation for this challenge was that they would have a working knowledge of series and parallel circuits.

This was an interesting challenge- some of them got it right away, some struggled to the end.

After the paper circuits, we moved on to something a little more common- using batteries, lights, switches and copper wire to create circuits. I created a 10 part Circuits Challenge that started with  simple instructions and amount of materials (for example: create  a series circuits using 1 battery, 1 light and 1 switch) and got increasingly harder, until they were building mixed circuits. For each of the challenges, they had to diagram the circuit, build it (and get it working), experiment with it (such as opening and closing switches or unscrewing a light bulb) and then record observations. Some of the circuits had them adding more components, and then observing the changes. 

This was an amazing exercise in grit for some students! As the challenges got harder, there was a lot of frustration, followed by triumph and success. Some got a few challenges along, then realized they were mixing up series and parallel (middle school student heartbreak). There was a lot of interesting observations, especially when adding switches into the mix. 

The desired outcomes of the Circuit Challenges was to fully understand flow of electricity, the importance of connections, and the function of switches and their effect on current. During the process of building the circuits, they had to learn how to test for current, using multimeters, and calculating voltage requirements. 

After they completed the Circuits Challenge, they were tasked with creating an electric game. For this final project, they had to create a working electric game, with 12 activated points. Many opted for making an "Operation" style game, or a matching quiz game. I have several who created sports games and mazes- I even have a mini-golf game! 

This unit was a lot of fun for my students. It even got a number of students really involved and thinking critically, as well as problem solving and trouble shooting. 

It also got them really excited about our final unit of the year- Carnival Games! We will be exploring simple machines, with a final project to create a working carnival game for our end of the year carnival! I cannot wait to see what they come up with!

Welcome to My Classroom! A tour around the Aquaponics Lab

I post a lot of pictures around my classroom- fish, plants, lumber, student projects. I thought it would be fun to give you a quick video tour of my whole classroom, so you can see how I get so much stuff squeezed into a room (spoiler alert- my room is HUGE!)

Comment below about your rooms- what do you love about your teaching space??

Beginning a STEM class- My Journey

I recently posted about my excitement in teaching a STEM program using the PBL method.

Since we are now in our second semester (third term) of the year, I figured I would check in with how it has gone so far and what I have learned during this experience.

Luckily, I have been very open and honest with the students as I have been building my courses, and they have been able to put up with the craziness with good humor.

So- how do you start a STEM class from the ground up?  I would like to share with you my beginning of the year planning, what happened, and what I plan to fix for next year. This is obviously not the end-all-be-all of STEM class planning, just my process.

Beginning of the year-

My original idea was to break the year into each of the major branches of science, with the end of the year dedicated to a genius project. It looked a bit like this:

First term- earth science/environmental science
Second term- life science
Third term- physical science
Fourth term- genius project

Actual year so far-

First term-I did start with an life science/earth science unit on ecosystems. I had them create a biome, complete with plants and animals adapted to it. I had them create infographics on invasive species. Come to find out, this was almost exactly what they were doing in their regular science classes.......

Second term- this one was dedicated to my passion- saving the Earth! We did a research project on recycling in our school, made recycling bins, (attempted) to make bioplastic, and they created presentations to be given to the administration to make a change in the school- either increased recycling program, switch from plastic to biodegradable plastic in the cafeteria or install water refill stations for the broken water fountains. At this point, they are thoroughly burned out on Earth-saving, and I am learning that they do not have enough skills to really complete the work I want them to do.

Third term- we are working on electricity/energy, circuits and possibly coding. I have dialed it waaaay back- their activities are much more guided and my expectations of their work has come down a bit. I am giving more time for them to complete projects, much more guided worksheets to try to dig out deeper thinking answers and I an not expecting them to be able to research or to have intrinsic motivation to search for answers.


Plans for next year-
I have learned that my STEM class will actually be more about teaching them 21st century skills than about strict science. I am moving to have all of my classes have a more "internship" type quality, where the students are stepping into a role in a business, and will be taught the skills needed. This means I will move toward more of the basics- researching, problem solving, presentations, group work and peer reviewing, critical thinking, global and personal awareness, and a sense of being able to do something that makes a difference. I will try to line up authentic audiences for the work that my students do, so that they get a real sense of accomplishment beyond a grade. Here is how my plan for next year is shaping up so far:

First term- introduction to engineering and design (grit, problem solving, global and societal roles)

Second Term- Life/Earth science- we will work on an environmental impact projects, and human impact/ resource use (researching, global and self awareness/responsibility, critical thinking)

Third term- Physical Science- electricity and energy, circuits, simple machines, engineering (problem solving, critical thinking, presentations, real life applications)

Fourth term- I am still planning on Genius projects, but we will see.......

As we move into the second half of the year, I am becoming more comfortable with my plans and designs. I am getting better at guiding the students to create the kind of work I want, and that I know they are capable of. I am also getting better at not being a main science- I am getting used to not having pressure behind anything I do, or having to meet standards, or give out tests, which was a big one!

I can honestly say I am very excited for next year! I can't wait to share my end of year reflection with you- Stay tuned! Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in building a STEM curriculum in the comments below!

Focus in 2018

New year, new you, amirite?

I wanted to pop in and write a quick post about my goals for the year.

I have been seeing all over the internet the idea of choosing a word for your year instead of resolutions, and I absolutely love it!

Of course, that is not enough- I have also been working on goal setting using the S.M.A.R.T. technique.

So for 2018, my word is FOCUS.

Being a mom, teacher, wife, scientist, runner, PERSON can get overwhelming. After my second daughter was born, people would ask how it was going. My word then was relentless. The demands were never ending; a constant wave after wave of everyone else's needs.

But I did not choose that word, life, at that time, had chosen it for me.

Now that my girls are older, I am able to move back into making myself and my goals more of a priority.

In choosing the word FOCUS, I am making the decision to intentionally work on my goals.

Next, I tackled my goals for the year. 

S.M.A.R.T goals are ones that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timed. This makes you have to be more accurate than just saying "I want to be healthier".

Bear in mind that the more time and thought you put into making your goals S.M.A.R.T., the more likely you will be able to reach them.

I separated my goals into 3 categories- personal, school and business, and limited them to no more than three in each category.

Personal -
1) Run Broad Street 10 miler in May and the Half Marathon in November
2) Lose 15 lbs
3) Run a 5k each month

Business-
1) Reach and keep a minimum income until the beginning of next school year
2) Get my business parts streamlined

School-
1) Create a cohesive yearly curriculum for all classes that incorporates my values
2) Create a classroom that feels like an "internship" style room that encourages students to become problem solvers and inventors
3) Create a more interactive system of work using the digital tools I am required to use

My personal goals laid out in my bullet journal

For all of these goals, I went through and identified how I will measure success in each one, what steps I will take to achieve them, why achieving that goal is worth it and a date when they should be completed.

This took me a few days- I kept writing and revisiting them over and over until I was satisfied.

The toughest ones will be the school goals- this is my first year in this school and with this subject (STEM  taught in PBL manner) so it was hard to put into words what I wanted. For a couple of my goals, I am still unsure how they will be measured, so that is still a work in progress.

I also created pages in my bullet journal for tracking the steps to my goals, and check in points where I can re-evaluate as I go. Because, life...

So far, I feel empowered and on track! I have an incredibly positive feeling about my goals and the steps I have already taken, that at times I almost have to hold myself back from rushing forward to complete the next step!

But, then, I focus. 

I take a close look at the step I am at. Am I on track?

Am I completing this step to the best of my ability, or to it's full end, before rushing along?

I remind myself, I took a lot of time and careful thought to ensure that I have time to complete everything.

I think this year will be good.

What word, goal or resolution did you make? Do you have a plan to achieve it?

Comment below and share it with us!

Teaching STEM using PBL in 2018

Well, it has been a bit since I posted! This year, I started at a new school, teaching 8th and 9th grade STEM, along with an Urban Gardening class. While I am super stoked to be at my new school, as you can imagine, I have been a little overwhelmed!

When I was hired on, I kept trying to get a handle on what I would be teaching. 

"You will be teaching 9th grade Life Sciences/ Biotechnology- but it isn't biology!" 

"Teach your passion!"

"Just teach STEM!"

Here's the kicker- because my class is in addition to the regular science classes, I have to basically avoid the major topics for those grades!

For example, I was going to do a study on GMO and genetics with my 9th graders- nope, they are doing that in their other science classes.

I started my 8th graders with an ecosystems/ invasive species unit- surprise!- they are learning the exact same thing in regular science! 

I also decided to teach STEM using project based learning (PBL) method. 

I have never done this before. I don't know anyone else who has done this before. 

There has been a bit of a learning curve...

So, for the first half of the year, I have been focusing on putting together meaningful learning activities about topics that I feel strongly about- environmental impact and personal action. 

I have also been learning as much as I can, as fast as I can, about teaching STEM, PBL and grading based on standards and rubrics. 

Now that I have a plan for the rest of the year, I am looking forward to sharing with you everything I have been learning, as well as working on new products for my TpT store!

My resolution for 2018 is to write about once a month on the various going-ons of the classroom and about my journey into STEM and PBL. I will still be sharing recipes and fun kids activities as the come up as well.

Thank you so much for coming along on this adventure with me! Stay tuned for my next post about STEM!

3 Places to Practice Teacher Self-Care

This year I am making it a focus to take good care of myself. I started practicing intentional self-care last year, and it was by far my best teaching/mom year yet! I avoided feeling overwhelmed, I managed to take less work home and my class routines and management seemed to flow more smoothly! I wanted to share with you some of the things I did, along with some other ideas for self-care. 

I broke down the ideas into three places- your desk, at school and at home. No excuses this year!

Want a handy printable? Grab it here!

At Your Desk

I love keeping something special in my desk or filing cabinet for when the going gets rough! And since I am known to hoard treats, other teachers often come to visit! Here are some of the things I like to keep:

• Tea or hot chocolate (I have the whole set up- teas, electric kettle, sugar, creamer, extra mugs!)

• Chocolate (usually Hershey kisses, but sometimes mini-candy bars)

• Healthy snacks (granola bars, goldfish, dried fruit packs)

I also keep things that make me happy on my desk in a special space. Pictures of my kids, a candle, potted plants, little science-y knick-knacks. It makes a little calming space for me to rest my eyes.

At Home
Make sure to schedule some time for your own hobbies! I dedicate time 3 days a week to run (about an hour total), then the other 2 days are for cleaning (this only takes about 30-45 minutes and it makes me feel better!) I also want to set aside time this year for sewing and baking (my two favorite hobbies).

Spend time with loved ones/ animals- or both! Take your kids and dogs for a walk! Go to the park, play a game. I like to do mini projects with my girls or walk around the block to get my 10,000 steps in. I actually have an app on my phone (Offtime) that blocks other apps, so I can focus on what I am doing. I set it for when I go to pick up the girls, to right after they are supposed to be in bed. I also set it for bedtime to after the girls have been dropped off, so that I am not distracted in the morning.

If you have time- volunteer! I rarely have time, but I do like to give money and goods to different charities. I donate in person or I write a paper check- it makes me feel more connected. I do a sweep of our house, toys and clothes every 6 months and donate them to a children's charity and Goodwill. Good karma and a clean-ish house!

Relax and do nothing! Watch mindless tv, read (non-pd!), listen to music, take a long soak! 


At School
Connect with other teachers! Don’t get stuck in your room- make the effort and go visit! I have social anxiety so this is hard for me, but I try to pop in and be non-intrusive. Usually I bring something by the first few times (hey, I made cookies, would you like one?), and occasionally afterward. Also, invite them on walks as well!

Again, social anxiety, but making positive phone calls can be relaxing and bring on a rush of endorphin! Parents are always surprised and delighted by positive phone calls. Bonus points if it is a usually “bad” kid!

Get something crossed off your to-do list! I don't know about you, but I have Post-its stuck all over my desk of things to do! I find one that can be done pretty quickly and cross it off! The good feeling of getting something done (usually a boring, mundane task is awesome!

Keep special notes in an accessible place- I usually pin them onto a bulletin board behind my desk. Seeing the wall fill up over the years has been very heartening!

During a prep or at your lunch, take a few moments to do some yoga or stretching. Or take a walk around your school (inside or outside!) There are many different apps for short yoga- I have been using a 7 minute Yoga app, and it is the perfect amount of time! 

So there you have it- all my tips and tricks that have helped me take better care of me! Now, just make sure to take care of yourself this year!

Let me know what sort of self-care gets you through the year in the comments section below!

Lesson Planning: Scientific Method Unit Outline

I have been teaching for 7 years now, all different science subjects, in both middle and high schools. The one thing all of my classes have had in common is that I always start out with teaching the scientific method. Yep, even my high schoolers.

I like to start out with something as basic as the scientific method for a few reasons. First, it is an easy introduction to science, a topic that pretty much all students have seen. This guarantees that they will be successful and helps to boost confidence in my students. It also keeps them pretty engaged because they "already know this".

The second reason to start with scientific method is because it is a good introduction to my method of teaching. That way they are not learning two things at once!

I would like to share with you my Introduction to Science Unit outline. It takes me about 5-7 days to teach this unit, depending on the students and how much they participate. I end each unit in a station review that includes 5-6 stations of task cards, practical activities and sorting activities and a unit test. Click on the picture to download a PDF of my unit plan; I have linked the resources below as well.

Scientific Method Unit Resources

Day 1- Introduction to Science Lesson
Day 2- Observations, Questions and Hypothesis Lesson
- Quantitative and Qualitative Observations Activity by Elly Thorsen
Day 3- Variables and Experimental Design Lesson
Day 4- Data, Graphing and Conclusions Lesson
-Data Collection and Graphing Activity
Day 5- Alka-Seltzer or Gummy Bear Lab
Day 6- Scientific Method Stations Review (usually takes 2 days)
Day 7- Test


Additional Resources- I like to have resources on hand, depending on the class.
- Scientific Method Task Cards by Amy Brown Science
- Scientific Method Stations by Elly Thorsen
**I have not used this particular one, but I have use Kesler Science Stations before, and they are generally good quality- Scientific Method Stations

I hope this unit outline has been helpful for you! Let me know what you think below in the comments!

10 Easy Make-Ahead Dinners for Back to School!

If you are anything like me, the looming, overwhelming, impending BACK TO SCHOOL is starting to freak you out. It is everywhere right now. Heck, even my Target has put out back to school stuff, discounted it, and cleared out the area for something new!

SLOW YOUR ROLL, TARGET! ahem

Anyhoo, since it is "that time", I have started to think about preparing for "it". One of the biggest things I have done to make the school year easier is to prepare dinners ahead of time. Yep, totally non-school related, and yet, so helpful! It takes a huge load off my mind, and one more decision off my plate. (pun intended!) By making dinners ahead of time, it forestalls the inevitable "what's for dinner?" question, saves us from nightly fast food and keeps our grocery bill (and portion sizes!) in check.

In the past, my husband and I would spend Saturday or Sunday entirely on making our pre-made meals for the next 2-3 months. Now, with two little "helpers", we don't have an entire day to spend on it. Usually, we will make one or two pre-made dinners every weekend- one serving to eat that night, the rest to freeze. We will do this over a couple weekends, and fill our freezer that way, and then be good to go for a few months!

Our weekly meal plan normally looks a little like this-
Monday- baked chicken and a vegetable
Tuesday- Pre-made dinner
Wednesday- Baked pork chops and a vegetable
Thursday- Pasta night
Friday- Pizza Night
Saturday- Takeout or pre-made
Sunday- Takeout or pre-made

Obviously, this menu is not the same all the time, but those are our basic go-to meals. For the girls, we also always have on hand chicken nuggets and fish sticks, frozen pasta, and box mac and cheese, for the nights when they are not feeling what daddy and I are cooking.

I have linked the recipes that we use the most for pre-made, along with my tips and tricks-Enjoy!

A little note about preparation- in general, we use the 1 lb foil loaf pans for most of these recipes; for the soups we use the quart sized plastic containers. They are the perfect 2 person serving size (or 2 adults + 2 littles under the age of 4)- add on a side of vegetables, and it's a meal! Sometimes the girls surprise us and devour our portions, sometimes not.

When you are ready to eat a meal, you can pull them out of the freezer either the night before (you early planner, you!) or the morning of (whoops!) and they are ready to cook that evening. Pretty much everything will cook in under 30 minutes-pop it in the oven as soon as you get home, and hey-presto! dinner!

1) Cajun Meatloaf by Paul Prudhome -This meatloaf is beyond just a baked loaf of meat! Delicious as-written, but I only ever use about 1/4 of the seasoning mix. Prepare the recipe up until the final bake. Cover with foil; when ready to eat, put in fridge to thaw for about 8-12 hours and follow cooking instructions. This makes about 4 to 5 one-pound foil loaf tins.

The great chef, Paul Prudhome! 

2) Shepard's Pie by Paul Prudhome -Yes, this recipe is different from the meatloaf. I love this one because the veggies come with it! Again, I cut WAAAYYY back on the spices, and I up the amount of veggies and potatoes. You will cook the meat first, and I usually drain it before adding the veggies and potatoes. Prepare these up until the final bake as well. Cover with foil; when ready to eat, put in fridge to thaw for about 12 hours, then follow cooking instructions. Depending on how much extra veggies you add, this can stretch from 4 to 6 one-pound foil loaf pans.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe Baked Pasta

3) Baked Ziti by Mel's Kitchen Cafe -This one we make pretty much every time we prep. Beloved by both girls, we usually up the amount of veggie sides we make with it, and serve bread. I always add extra cheese on top and use chicken spinach-parmesian sausage. Boil the pasta for less time than you think- it cooks more during the final bake; boil too much and it gets mushy. I also like to use fresh spinach, although frozen does work. Prepare these up until the final bake. Cover with foil; when ready to eat, put in fridge to thaw for about 12 hours, then follow cooking instructions. Makes about 4 to 5 one pound foil loaf pans.

4) Stuffed Shells -Another good pasta recipe, although a little more time consuming. Boil more shells than it says you need (they always rip). You will want the flatter trays for this. The foil loaf pans work, but it is a pain to serve (they are all stacked on each other). You can dress these basic shells up a number of ways- I usually add chopped up chicken spinach-parmesian sausage and spinach. It's a thing... Prepare these up until the final bake. Cover with foil; when ready to eat, put in fridge to thaw for about 12 hours, then follow cooking instructions. Makes about 5-6 one pound foil flat pans.

5) Pastry Wrapped Salmon or Chicken -This one is a bonus meal! You can prepare it with salmon fillets or chicken breasts-delicious either way! This is a fancy recipe, but it doesn't have to be. We sub out the prosciutto for deli sliced ham, and the __________ cheese for pre-sliced Swiss. Is this as delicious as the original recipe? Meh... Is it still darn good, devoured by small children and a fraction of the price? You betcha! We use about 1.5 lb of salmon or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded flat-ish) and cut the puff pastry sheets into 2 pieces (for 4 total) after rolling out. Prepare up until the final bake; wrap in foil. You get about 4 servings.

Karrie Truman's Lasagna

6) Lasagna by Karrie Truman But, of course! I really like this recipe- it is not too fancy, but not too processed. She also has really good instructions. Again, cook extra sheets. Cut them to fit perfectly into the 1 lb foil loaf pans. Prepare these up until the final bake. Cover with foil; when ready to eat, put in fridge to thaw for about 12 hours, then follow cooking instructions. Makes about 4 to 5 one pound foil loaf pans.

7) Bean soup- I like to use the dry bean mixes (don't forget to soak overnight and rinse well!), and cook with a ham hock. Feel free to add veggies (onion, celery, carrots) to make this soup even a little more hearty. Makes about 3 to 5 servings.

8) Cheese broccoli soup by Ree Drummond- I use this recipe, with very few changes. I don't toast the broccoli (ain't nobody got time for that!) I use an immersion blender to make it a bit more creamy, but I don't blend it all. I like the broccoli chunks! This is really good with some crusty bread. Save some shredded cheese for topping fresh! Makes about 4 to 5 servings.

Corn Chowder by Ree Drummond

9) Corn cheese chowder also by Ree Drummond (can you tell I am a fan!) I also like to use an immersion blender for this one as well. I have added salmon chunks to this, and it was a huge hit (sort of a mash up of corn-cheese-seafood chowder). Again, nice, fresh crusty bread! (bonus points for bread bowls!!) Save some shredded cheese for topping fresh. Makes about 4 to 5 servings.

The Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese!

10) Mac and cheese again by Ree Drummond (like, seriously, a big fan!) This linked recipe is for when you are feeling extra fancy to make a sauce from scratch. In her post, it links to a non-sauce from scratch recipe. I have done both- I like this one better, but the other one is just as delicious. Depends on your skills and time frame! You can make this a meal, or you can use it as a side. We eat them as meals with a vegetable side. Makes about 4 to 5 1 lb foil loaf pan servings. I have also seen where people freeze them in muffin tins, and then put all the individual servings into a freezer bag and freeze that way for individual servings- seems like a good idea!

So there you have it- 10 easy recipes to make ahead for the school year! I hope they are helpful for your family and sanity as they have been for mine!

Lesson Planning: Back to School-Teaching Rules and Procedures

Well, teacher friends-it is just about back to school time! We start school on September 5th this year, and I am in full new-year mode! I have ransacked the Target, Walmart and Staples for supplies and I have been working on completely planning the first semester.

I try to have at least the first month mapped out completely. This helps calm my over-anxious teacher-brain, but is not so planned that I feel I can't change it after the month is over. I usually find that the first month is a sort of settling in period for me. I get to know the students, and they get to know me. I get a hands-on practice of how my systems and structure will work and what will and what won't need to be adjusted.

During the first week, I usually do a mini-unit on rules, procedures and expectations in my class, followed by my Introduction to Science Unit. These are both nice easy topics to learn and keeps the students (and me, tbh) from freaking out too soon. (I like to ease them into the freaking out part, lol!)

My mini-unit on rules, procedures and expectations usually takes about a 3 to 4 days of 50 minute classes.

Here is my schedule:
Day 1- Personal introduction and begin Back to School Stations
Day 2- Complete Back to School Stations
Day 3- Fun lab
Day 4- Mini Research/Poster Project

My Back to School Station activity is usually about 5-6 stations of different activities that I pull together, including:

• a Syllabus Scavenger Hunt, where they have to read the syllabus and find the answer to questions
• Getting to Know Your Group Dice Game, a school friendly version of "never have I ever"
• an Around the Room Scavenger Hunt for locations of different materials and bits of information
• a couple of group challenges (usually working as a group to stack cups or write with a single marker) 
• setting up notebooks
• and a station for logic puzzles 

These Station Activities can take anywhere from one class period to two. Sometimes, I will save the group challenges for the second day entirely and talk about how they will need to work together in groups. For that, I will try to have a couple more activities on hand, in case they really work fast! 

I have also had them spend a class period getting notebooks in order, depending on how I use them. If they are using regular binders, then the station will just be coloring a cover page and labeling their tabs for the binder. If I am doing full-on interactive notebooks, then I will spend an entire class period going over how to set them up, and pasting in rules and expectations, showing them examples of good and bad work.  

I like to do a mini-lab on the third day, just to get a quick assessment of how they work in groups. Everybody is still fresh, so no one has fallen into their "role" in class yet. This will usually be the marshmallow/spaghetti stack, or the saving Sam activity. (This is also a great introduction of how to complete classwork and turn it in, whether I am using a binder or INB.)

A mini-lab setup with the rolling lab tables

 **Just make sure that if you do this, you check with other teachers to make sure you are not repeating each other (that was awkward-Mrs!- we just did this in miss-so-and-so's class!)**

And finally, depending on how bored I am with introduction stuff or icebreakers, I will either have them complete a mini-research project to make a poster for my bulletin board or I will dive into my "what is science?" lesson and get started!

This year, I am looking into finding some new activities that are not quite so played out.

I have listed a few things on my wish list below! 

All About Me Back to School Ice Breakers by Getting Nerdy  -this looks like a great icebreaker and INB practice activity in one! Plus, I love their stuff!

Four Brains are Better Than One by Tangstar Science - I already own this one! It is quick and a lot of fun. I have used it and many of her articles as substitute work!

Back to School Science Activities for Middle School by That Rocks Math Science and ELA - This looks like a great collection of 12 activities that focus on different science skills. Geared toward middle school, and looks to be not your typical activities.

Back to School Beginning of the Year Activities: Science Edition by Martina Cahill, The Hungry Teacher - this looks promising. It includes different activities, along with getting to know you and questionnaires. Suitable for lower middle grades (think 5-6, maybe 7)

Take Notes the Cornell Way by Mister Science- I am still thinking about how I want students to take notes. I have done modified Cornell before and this looks like an interesting lesson to teach it more effectively.

So there you have it- my general back to school method! What do you guys do for back to school? do you have any special ways to introduce you rules and procedures? Anything new you are trying this year? Leave a comment below and share!

5 Tips and Tricks I Have Learned on Family Vacations

Ahhhh, summer! That beautiful time of year when teacher-moms are planning to take a much-needed vacation. It will be family-friendly (and won't break the budget)! We will all get to relax and enjoy each other's company(you tell yourself)! The kid's will all get along perfectly (HA!)!

This is the second year in a row that we are taking a family vacation with my husband's family. Last year they rented a house on the beach for 8 people (hubs, myself and our two littles, sister-in-law and boyfriend, and grandma and pop-pop) for 7 days. We did have a lot of fun, but we also learned a few good lessons! I wanted to share some of my vacation tips, tricks and truths with you as we embark on this year's adventure to the Poconos!

1) Figure out the right length of time for your stay!
For us, 7 days is toooo long! We actually already knew that from visiting my mom in Texas, but ignored it because VACATION. Not sure why we thought that would make a difference.... We have discovered that 5 days is our vacation sweet spot- long enough to really get to enjoy a place, but not so long that everybody is getting on everybody else's nerves. Figure out what works for you and don't feel bad!

2) Be honest about what you will cook/eat.
My in-laws are usually the first ones to arrive at the vacay house, and they will ask us what we would like from the store. Last year we hesitated to give them a list; it was SUPER long, and we felt bad about having them do all the shopping. Consequence-when we first arrived (right about dinner for two squalling kiddos!) no food kiddos would eat! Whoops! This year, we went ahead and sent the entire grocery list (mostly frozen pasta and chicken nuggets) and will pay them back when we get there. I have a basic plan for meals for myself (diet based) and the girls (picky) already thought out, so I am ready at any time. We are also bringing along a bunch of snacks from our own pantry for the trip and for any delays in supper time upon arrival.

3) Bring toys and activities.
Yes, we were at the beach for 7 days. My then-1-year-old was terrified of the ocean on day 1, and was sick of playing in the sand by day 3. The then-3-year-old was good at the beach until day 4. That meant we spent a lot of money at the local boardwalk and aquarium, taking random, really long walks and being cooped up in the house with tablets. On day 6 we discovered a local park, and the girls had tons of fun and made new friends! This time around, we made sure there was more than just one local feature (that was not too expensive!) There are 2 local playgrounds, woods to walk in, a splash park, mini-golf, movie theater and a little downtown. Plus, I am bringing more books and toys, and a few little arts and crafts activities. (Who wants to make slime and nature pictures!!!)

Making nature pictures after our nature walk!

4) Make a list of EVERYTHING!
And I do mean everything, right down to the mattress covers, night lights, and noise machines. No, we aren't traveling to the middle of nowhere, but last year I forgot my swimsuit (for a beach vacation. Yeah). I had to spend a couple hours trying to find a swimsuit at the end of the summer season. This year, I have been working on my list for 3 days! I keep it in Evernote on my phone, so I can add to it when I think of something. I feel pretty confident that we have almost everything! Bonus points- I also use it to make sure nothing gets left behind when we leave!

5) Try to relax!
This one is for the moms! I know that I always feel a bit bummed out on vacations. They are not really vacations for us, are they? Now, instead of keeping just my own little family on their schedule (naps and meals need to be on time to avoid meltdowns, amIright?!?!?!), but I am also trying to get 4 other grown adults on it as well. Mostly, moms spend their time trying to keep little people from falling into tantrums, but it is important to remember to communicate honestly and openly with the people you are on vacation with. And don't feel bad to ask them to take the kiddos for a bit! I had a bit of a meltdown myself, and I really plan to avoid that this year!

The daily view from our deck!
The babies were "dropped off" at our house two days in a row while mama foraged!

Okay, teacher-moms, there are my 5 tips and tricks that I have learned! Is there anything I missed? What lesson have you learned on vacation with your little ones? Share in the comments below, and enjoy your last days of summer!

Teacher for Hire! Tips from my Experience Searching for my Forever Home

I am one of those unfortunate teachers who has not yet found their "forever home". I have been teaching for 6 years now, and I have taught in 4 different schools. I taught for about 3 years in my first school, and then I have been to a new school every year.

When I interview, it is getting a little awkward. Thankfully, there is a darn good reason for having left each school, and I make sure to get a recommendation from the principal each time! The reasons range from truly awful principal, embezzlement and fraud, just not being a good fit (and wanting to return to high school) and the newest (the one I am currently looking to leave) is because they did not represent themselves accurately when I was hired. I assumed, and this was my fault, that they had certain benefits in place, which they did not! Rough surprise...

So this post is for all the other teachers, looking for our forever homes. This post is for all the other teachers looking to leave a bad situation and worrying about how their resume will look. This post is for the teachers who have found their forever home, so that they can get a glimpse into the life of a nomad teacher.

If you are also looking for a new position, or are a new teacher, here are some helpful tips from a "seasoned pro"!
**Please understand that these tips are not for everyone! I teach science for middle and high school grades in a city that has a crazy high number of charter schools, so I can interview in many different places. I am also lucky enough to have a partner who makes the majority of our income- my income is usually sent to daycare, fun spending, home repair and savings/retirement. We CAN live without my income, the only problem is that money would get tight (and I might go crazy from being stuck with my own little ones all day!) **

1) Don't go for the first offer, just because they made it. Schools are almost always hiring-I interviewed with the public school district here, and did not hear back until literally a week before school started. I wish I had held out for that position! I took an earlier offer because I was afraid of being without a job.

2) Don't be afraid to negotiate! Know what you are worth- research the salaries in your area and plan accordingly. I have negotiated my salary every year, usually up around $3000-5000.You will seem more knowledgeable and experienced, and I swear the principals I did this with seem to respect me more as an expert in my field.

3) Know what benefits you want and ask about them! Do not be shy about asking in the first or second interview- don't wait until you have signed a contract to realize that they do not pay into the state teachers retirement fund, or that you only have 5 sick days (and you expected 10)! If I had known this ahead of time- it would have been a no-go! Now I jokingly, but really, ask about them in the first interview! (obviously, this depends on how the interview is going...)

4) BE HONEST! If they are asking you about things that you are not interested in, or in activities you would not be willing to do- be polite, but be honest! Lots of schools have asked about teachers doing after school activities, so I tell them what I would like to do or join. Science club- cool! Mathematics and Robotic Club- nope!

5) Ask about the school day- how many classes, what does a typical teacher schedule look like, and extra activities (hall monitor, before or after school monitor, sitting in the lunch room). All these little things will eat your time during the day, and it is better to be prepared upfront. This can go into pro/con lists when you are deciding! Trust me, the difference between being expected to be at a post at 7:15 and just in you room by 7:30 is huge!

and finally
6) Be yourself! I am an odd, slightly abrupt and weird kind of person! I tend to say what I am thinking, without a whole lot of filter. I find that principals either love me at first sight or do not. I have become really okay with that! If they do not like me for who I am in an interview, then we probably will not work well together, and that makes for a rough school year. Or they love me and the interview turns into a 2 hour talk and an offer on the spot (that drives my husband nuts!lol)

Just remember- you are an awesome and unique person who is willing (and able) to teach little humans! This is a special gift; not everyone can-or should-do this!  We should make sure that we are being compensated and have found the best position for us. So go forth and interview boldly!

Do you have any tips you would add to this list? Are you still searching for your forever home? Comment below!