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Monday, June 22, 2015

Money Poem

Penny penny

Easily spent...

Copper brown

And worth one cent.


Nickel nickel

Thick and fat...

You're worth five cents

I know that!


Dime dime

Little and thin...

I know in cents

Your'e worth ten!


Find this awesome money poem and test to help your kiddos with real world applications like counting money on another blog I follow http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/freebielicious



Thursday, June 18, 2015

100 Acts of Kidness

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I saw an awesome character development project on Pinterest. I love this idea for my classroom! It's a classroom project that challenges students to complete 100 acts of kindness, by doing so they receive a special treat upon completion. Of course we want our students to do random acts of kindness on their own, but the purpose of this project is to show students how good it feels to help others and hopefully inspire them to carry out these actions even after they leave the classroom.This activity can also be found on minds-in-bloom.com

I really like the idea of this project called Random Acts of Kindness. Students goal is to have at least 100 acts of kindness by the end of the year in order to receive a special treat.  This will encourage students to  be kind to others and then ultimately see the end result.  It will teach them to be good citizens by always treating others the way they want to be treated.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Smallin Civil War Cave

Smallin Civil War Cave

Our Earth Science for Teachers class visited Smallin Cave, located in Ozark, Missouri. Our guided tour included an educational tour of cave drippings of stalagmite and cave formations of stalactite. This tour also included civil war history, and native plants and animals that are native to Ozark caves.

Enjoy the following pictures from our field experience.








 Also, check out the images from Sequiota Park, which is a great place to take a class during this field trip for a picnic.

http://www.springfieldmo.gov/2140/Sequiota-Park








I also found a neat crossword puzzle and other worksheets to incorporate into your lesson plans on the following website http://www.acoolcave.com/lesson.html




Monday, June 15, 2015

Math Scavenger Hunt

I found this fun and  educational math scavenger hunt on TPT. Here is the link in case you would like to do this in your classroom or with your kiddos at home.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com

Beginning of the Year/ End of the Year Math Scavenger Hunt

Bennett Springs Nature Center & Hatchery

Bennett Springs
I'm taking a Geography 240, Earth Science for Teachers class at Missouri State University's, Lebanon campus.  Last Wednesday, June 10th, 2015, we went to Bennett Springs Nature Center . The reason for this field experience was so that as pre-service teachers we can survey the area before taking our students on an educational field trip. Some of the activities and lesson plans discussed during this field experience were creating and planning lessons on nocturnal creatures, Missouri wildlife, fungi native to Missouri, and then tying in a scavenger hunt activity for students to discover more about the wildlife they learned about.

We also visited the hatchery, which informed us on spawning and how they are able to keep the spring full of 400,00 rainbow trout and anglers year round.

I took my family on this outing and they absolutely loved it. My kids ages range from ten to fifteen so a trip to Bennett Springs would work for elementary students all the way to high school students.

Please enjoy these pictures from Bennett Springs.





Saturday, June 13, 2015

My Philosophy of Education

Shipman Philosophy of Education
                One of the most important jobs of an educator is to inspire children to want to learn and to look forward to coming to school every day. One way to do this is by creating a classroom environment that gives children opportunities to explore through writing, reading, and especially through hands-on activities where they get to work with their friends. Learning is a continuous process that evolves throughout one’s life. Teachers should seek to create lifelong learners in their students and teachers should also seek to improve their professional growth in continuing their own education.  By developing yourself professionally as an educator, you improve your depth of knowledge, and you also enrich students’ lives by introducing fresh ideas and new information into your classroom. We must provide our students with all the tools they need to help them achieve their full potential.

                Children have different learning styles, which necessitates teachers to use a variety of instructional approaches. Working in cooperative groups allows children to learn together and gain a better understanding of each other and the content they are working on. A comfortable atmosphere in which children can express themselves freely, exchanging ideas and questioning concepts, is essential for authentic learning to take place. Teachers should strive to create a safe and comfortable classroom environment for their students.

                Students should have a clear understanding of behavior expectations, classroom rules, and the weekly schedule. A strong classroom management system must be in place and implemented consistently. The true way to teach a child is by teaching the whole child. This means that we must teach the content well and teach character development as well. Love and logic encourage good decision-making and problem-solving skills, enabling children to make better choices in the future. As educators, we must always protect each child’s dignity while also encouraging sensitivity and respect towards others because we are teaching the future leaders of America.