Little Miss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Potpf_Xqbh0

The song "Little Miss" by Sugarland is meaningful to me because it reminds me that no matter how hard life can get, things will be alright. It reminds me keep my head up and keep trying even when things aren't going my way. This song helps me put my life into perspective, stay positive and inspires me to get tough and keep fighting through the daily challenges in life. 

STOP saying "Good Job"

   

How many times do you tell someone "good job" each day? I know I repeatedly say it multiple times every day to the point that it starts to become MEANINGLESS.  I started to think....

What kind of feedback does this give to my students?

 Does this actually make them proud of their work? 

NO! The only thing that "good job" is telling them is my approval that it is good enough. The students leave with no information on what specifically they did well or what areas they could work on. "Good job" has become one of those cliche phrases that we use on a daily basis when our kids are really asking for more. We are not appreciating the hard work that our students are putting in, instead we are only recognizing it. I do not believe that we will be able to entirely get rid of saying "good job" and I think that is okay. We just need to provide specific feedback more often and not over use the phrase. 

I plan to continue to be aware of my word choice and correct my feedback as much as possible. I have been finding it easier to give specific feedback when I am writing it on their assignments. When I am speaking with students, the phrase just seems to slip out. I want to take the time to correct my feedback when I catch myself saying "good job"and am hoping I can break my habit and start a new habit of giving proper, specific feedback. I want my students to feel appreciated instead of just recognized. 

I am going to be honest that this has been a hard thing for me. Just today I was talking to a student about their reading homework and it just slipped out! Inside their reading homework, I took the time to write specific feedback, but then when I gave it to them and we were finished talking, I told them good job! Immediately I was thinking, I can't believe I just said that! Then I corrected myself and gave that student a compliment on something specific that they did. I believe the first step to breaking this habit is to become aware of yourself using the phrase. Now that I am aware, I tend to correct myself shortly after with something more specific. From here, I plan to keep trying to phase "good job" out of my regular feedback talk. I believe that I am getting better at this every day but still have a far way to go! 

I AM ENOUGH

 

One of the hardest things for me to do, in every aspect of my life, is know that I am enough. I tend to lack confidence or second guess myself because I am worried about what others think. I am scared to not be good enough as a friend, sister, daughter, teacher, coach, etc. and I don't like to let myself fail. When I do, I instantly think it is because I am not good enough.
As a society, we always want more; money, toys, clothes, time, etc. We focus on what we don't have instead of what we do have. I find myself struggling with this because I compare myself to others constantly. This quote inspires me to stop comparing myself to others and realize that I am enough as I am. We don't need to prove anything to anyone. We just need to make the most our of the life we are given each and every single day.
This quote inspires me to step out of the box and take risks to be myself in my personal and professional life. I want to start believing in myself more and teach others to do the same. This is a critical belief that everyone needs to learn to believe and I think it's important I get the message across to my first graders that they are enough.

Art Fun for Everyone!

Do you need some fun new art project ideas for your elementary students? Deep Space Sparkle has great ideas that relate to the elements of art and holidays we celebrate. You can search for lessons by grade, subject or technique. You will love the fun ideas that are laid out step-by-step so it is easy for you and the students to follow! One of my favorite art projects is the Night-Time Pumpkins lesson about colors. We make this project at the beginning of the school year after we learn about primary and secondary colors and hang up during the fall season. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/