Best Times to Pin: Get the Timing Right

I am making an effort to be a more effective pinner. I have been under-utilizing Pinterest and my realization prompted some research.

I was planning on pinning this article, but I wasn't able to find a picture that I deemed pin-able.
http://www.geniusstartup.com/best-time-to-post-on-facebook-twitter-and-pinterest/

Here is another:
http://moz.com/blog/going-viral-on-pinterest-driving-big-traffic-and-making-pinterest-a-real-marketing-solution

This article has an infographic, which I like, but has some conflicting information.
http://socialmediatoday.com/brianna5mith/1453951/best-times-post-social-media-infographic

Like anything you research in the interwebz, I expected some variation in the times. Some articles said to pin between 2 and 4pm, some said the high traffic times were between 5 and 7 and to pin about an hour before that, and others said that the 5 to 7 time was the kiss of death. Clear as mud, right? I did notice a time they all agreed was prime time to pin: Saturday Mornings.

Here is what I am thinking, and I would love to hear your opinions, teacher friends. Teacher pinners may be a subset in the Pinterest world. To know when to pin education content, I plan to do some research.

I will start pinning at various times in the day:
2pm to 4pm weekdays
4pm to 6pm weekdays
5am (let's be honest, this one might not happen!)
Saturday Mornings

After a bit, I will know which times worked best for me. I will let you know.

If you have been working out the best times to pin, I would love to hear from you!

Toodles,

Amazing Teachers=Fun Spelling Activity

As an instructional coach I see things. Lots of things. Things I can't unsee. We won't go into those things today. We will, however, see a really fun activity that you can do NOW!

A little background: We are implementing a new spelling system this year. It is called L to J. The program takes away the permission to forget the spelling words. Anywho...it is new. And with new learning systems, comes a new set of challenges.

A challenge our teachers are facing is how to help kids get meaningful spelling practice in throughout the day. I am focusing on this exact topic this month in our coaching sessions. So, it made me very happy to see this:

At first, I was pretty sure this little guy was just another picture of a bug. Our school is out in the country. Scorpions and other critters are commonplace yucky culturally embedded. Ahem, we even had a student use giant scorpions as a marketing hook in his student council speech. And everyone got it! 

Then, I looked a little closer, which was was tricky since it was displayed on the back of the door and I could have been knocked out at any moment. I know, my blogging bravery is unheard of. HAHAHA!

But I digress. Look, it is a spelling activity!! WHAT?! 

pardon the blurry iPhone picture, but can you see those little word-legs??

 Can you see the words? Know what the best part is? It is a coloring sheet! The kids just flip the sucker over and "trace it" with their spelling words.

Know the other best part? The kids love it. Can't get better than that, right?

Wrong! Know the other other best part? That little millipede is a science connection. Yep. Cross-curricular, baby!

Okay, I am done gushing. Sherri and Shannon, Fourth Grade Teachers Extraordinaire! You rock, but please, choose kitten next time. These creepy crawlies are freaking me out:)

Try it and comment what your favorite spelling activity is!

Toodles Teacher Friends,

Time Management

Hi Friend,
The age old teacher question...How are you going home already? For years I said it. And meant it. I would arrive at school around 7 and not leave until close to 6 regularly. How does that compare to the hours you keep at school?

And then I had a baby who refused to drink from a bottle. I knew I was NEVER going to be able to keep the hours I was accustomed to keeping at school again. She needed me to leave on time to feed her. After we got home, I would want to play with her, read to her, make dinner. You know, all of the things that people want to do when they leave work. I would not be able to grade a huge bag of papers. Plus, I didn't want to.

None of us enjoy staying late daily to accomplish our goals at school. We just don't realize that we *could* be mismanaging our time.

After a moment of panic, I made a phone call. I talked my fears out with my bestie. She is a nurse. She admitted to spending hours charting at home after regular working hours. It made me feel better, just knowing I wasn't the only one. That even non-teachers are in the same boat.

We hung up and I made a vow to myself. I would leave no later than four o'clock. That means I would still have over three hours of time to work past my contract time each week, but at least it would be an improvement over 10-20 additional hours a week.

But how?

It has been a couple of years, but here are a few things I changed in my day.

1. I tried to eat in my classroom. By eating in my room and giving myself a few minutes to eat and relax, I was more focused on the tasks I needed to complete. Grading papers is better on a full tummy. I was nicer and more thoughtful in my grading and I got more done.

2. I planned multiple weeks of instruction in at a time. I filled in as much of my plans and made as many copies in advance as I could. By planning in advance, I felt more secure in my daily plans. I was a more consistent instructor because I always knew what was coming up in the next days and weeks. I also spent way less time planning because I had all of my planning materials, teacher guides, standards, and my curriculum map out one time for multiple weeks of planning.

3. I stayed in my room. This one was the hardest. After reflecting, I realized a spent a lot of time out of my room chatting. Having friendly conversations with my school family was important to me, so I was worried about this one. Once I gave my new plan a shot, I found that the conversations I did have with co-workers were more meaningful and of better quality. I think it was because I valued the time I spent visiting more.

4. I used my planning time to collaborate with my team. By working together and talking through issues, I saved lots of time and effort I would have wasted figuring things out alone.

Did I reach my goal? Mostly. A few days I was forced to stay later than 4. I also left at 3:20 at least a couple of days a week.

Another teacher friend of mine noticed how early I was leaving and asked me how I was doing it. I told her my plan and she gave it a try. Guess what? She started leaving on time too! I think the best part about this entire process is knowing that to this day, over two years later, she is still leaving on time.

What do you do to honor your life away from school and leave school on time?

Toodles,

So...You Want to Be an Instructional Coach?

I am not sure if I have said it formally, but I am officially an Instructional Coach. I should probably update my blog information, huh? I am so very excited about this new chapter in my school life.


So, you are considering a career as an Instructional Coach?

Consider this post a gentle reminder to myself. As a new (emphasis on the NEW) Instructional Coach, I may need to reread this. And reread this. And reread this.

Here are a couple of things that you (I) should know:

1. It is not about you
It is about increased student and teacher outcomes. It isn't about your ideas being adopted. Your ideas are the opposite of what you need to push. You should be striving to guide teachers to understand their teaching and how to improve it.

2. It is about you
It is your responsibility to cultivate trust with teachers. Being vulnerable and putting yourself out there are crucial to leading your teachers to take risks. Building a climate of trust and risk-taking may require you to be uncomfortable. Get over it and get to work.

3. More with the listening, less with the talking
I have a teacher friend who says, "Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket." Nuf said. Allow the teacher to talk. Bring it the conversation back to focus when needed.

4. Use your data
When you are in the beginning, middle, and end of a preconference...look at the data. Refer back to it. Make it easy to manage.

5. Collaboration, Collegiality, and Celebration
This job is all about the relationships. Collaborate often, value your colleagues. Teachers are the key to all success you experience as an instructional coach. Teacher success equals higher student outcomes. Celebrate any and every success!

My question to you is...do you work with an Instructional Coach? Can you tell me more about your experiences?

All the very best,

August Currently and My Back to School Dream

Hey Teacher Friends,

Another Currently in the books for Farley over at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade. This summer has really been a slow blogging season for me. I have had a couple of extra summer jobs that have kept me out of my teacher frame of mind. Now I am back in teacher mode. I know because the school dreams have started (more about that after Currently) and I have a strange urge to wear cardigans and break out the teacher wardrobe. I bought a couple of new pairs of pants at the Gap and I have the "new school clothes" blues. My mom would NEVER let us break into the cache of new clothes until the first day. I hold myself to the same standard and it. is. torture!

 

Any-who. On to my Currently. 

 

Listening: Nothing exciting on this front. Toddler shows. It could be worse, right?

Loving: I have refinished TWO dressers this summer. The second one went into our guest room. The ugliest room in my house until recently. It was a catch-all. Used for everything and nothing. Not anymore! Maybe when I get it all done, I will post a picture.

Thinking: Big things are going down in my teacher life. BIG THINGS! I won't feel comfortable until a couple more days pass, but I am so bad at keeping things quiet. Hence this awful spoiler. Tune in later for all of the deets.

Wanting: We are heading to Branson and then to Lake Tenkiller to visit friends. We leave on Tuesday. I will likely be packing right up until the bitter end! Where are those magical creatures when you need them? It would be nice to blame them when I forget the hubbies toothbrush/my lotion/other essential item. Any Branson advice? I love that cheesy town, and we always find something new to do.

Needing: Isn't it funny how True Blood is a "need"? I love that show and I look forward to it every week. It is one of my only times to watch anything but toddler tv. Eric is my favorite. And Sookie. I have read all of the books too. I promise I read things other than fantasy romance...really.

B2S must haves:
1. Flair pens by Papermate. The best pens for grading, making notes, doing your color-coded toodle do list...you sooooooo color-code your list. I just know it.

2. Haircut. Wouldn't want to go back to school looking like a wooly mammoth and scare the littles. Pre-K and K kiddies have plenty to worry about with you scaring them right off the bus.

3. Tylenol. For **those** days when you might not make it through. For when you are forced to go over bathroom procedures for 4th grade boys. You will say something like, "Go. Wipe. Flush. Wash." And you will die inside a little. Tell yourself that it is for the children and for the sanity of the custodian and pop a Tylenol.

TPT B2S Must Haves

Here is my pick for a TPT item...I love these suckers. Keep all of those sticky notes organized and off the floor with these handy comprehension tools.

Sticky Note Jot Spots by One Extra Degree

Here is my self-promotion moment. If you get it now, you can start planning for student-led  conferences from the get go. Having work from the first week of school to share makes for a great comparison.

Rockin' Student Led Conferences by me

 

 

And now on to the next item on my bloggy agenda...

 

It only seems fitting to share this with you all, since you were in it! 

I had a school dream. School dreams always herald in August and the close of summer like one of those fancy guys who trumpets and announces your name and title. Okay, I may have watched waaaay too much "Sophia the First" on Disney Junior recently.

This dream wasn't my normal "What-principal? I-must-share-tiny-classroom-with-another-35-student-5th-grade-class? And-the-floor-slides-drastically-to-one-side-so-we-will-need-to-constantly-push-our-desks-back-in-place?-dream." This one was different. No ghosts of former challenge students. No me rushing in late to the first day.

I was standing on a stage. I was looking out at all of you. This is what I said (well, as close as I can remember):

Look at all of you! Ready to start a new year. With your new pencils, (Mechanical for the high school teachers, pre-sharpened and super pointy for primary.) big new plans to make sure ALL papers are turned-in on time, lamination film running dangerously low...already, bulletin boards with their brand new paper, and countless hours already logged in preparation. I can just imagine all of the chevron print out there! And owls. Oh, the owls!

I read a book written by teachers this summer. The ever-so-popular genre, Supernatural Teen Romance, may cause everyone except middle school librarians to cringe, but hear me out. In the series, Beautiful Creatures by  Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, a character (no spoilers here) has the superpower I covet. He has the ability to absorb and keep another's power just by touching them. You have heard the popular phrase, " I teach, what's your superpower?" If only I could absorb YOUR powers!

I would have the power to make a wrong answer seem like a gold medal.
The power to know if a kid REALLY has to go to the restroom.
The power to make an eleventh grader want to talk about Shakespeare instead of texting.
I would be able to speak multiple languages.
I would never have to worry about how to sync the dongle on my Interwrite board.
I would always know what to say to that disgruntled coworker/student/parent/attendance secretary when my attendance is late.
I would know how to calm a media center full of cranky teachers with only lukewarm water and a bowl of spicy crack pretzels.
I would have patience.
I would be organized, labeled, color-coded, have all of my copies made, and never have broken a sweat.
I would enjoy my students. Every.Single.Day.
I would listen.
I could make perfect and Pinterest worthy anchor charts.
I would have every Marzano design question/element/protocol/form perfectly memorized.
Meaningful data would cover my walls and MAKE SENSE TO THE KIDS.
I would have perfect handwriting.
I would know all about Daily5/World War 2/5 paragraph essays

In short, I would hijack the best part of your teacher soul. And then do you know what I would do?


THIS.
Exactly what I am already doing. Teach. Like my hair was on fire, like it was my oxygen. You get it. It is what you would do too. It is what you are already doing.

We can all have the power. Not instantaneously, although that would be nice. But slowly, you can absorb teaching superpowers. Take the time to talk about what you do. Find a way to get into that classroom across the hall. Plan as a team. Collaborate with someone. Read. Apply. Fail. Try again.

Let me clarify. Not a single one of us is perfect. We see the pictures online and the posts about organized and clutter free classroom utopias...but secretly, out of frame, is a pile of ungraded papers and about 137 unread emails. It's okay. Connect with people. Real people. Virtual people. You WILL learn something.

And if I happen to brush against your arm as we trudge out into the August heat, just know, it was only your imagination.


Go get 'em, Teacher Friends,

July Currently...Warning: Boy Bands Ahead!

Hey Teacher Friends!

 

Here it is, JULY!! I am enjoying some mild and unusual weather here in Oklahoma. I am jumping on board for Farley's Currently this month. It is my favorite linky and I have lots to share today. Here is the run-down.

 

Listening: I am getting my jam on with some 80s and 90s boy bands. Don't judge just yet...I am still in BBL (Boy Band Land) after my adventure on the town this Saturday. My pal, Michelle and I headed to the Peake in OKC to see three amazing bands. The Package Tour included: BoysIIMen, 98 Degrees, and My favorite of ALL TIME, New Kids on The Block.

We had seats in Loud City (the upper level 300s), but it didn't matter a bit! We heard all of the hits, including my favorite "Hangin' Tough" and more skin from NKOTB than I was expecting! I saw my childhood crush, Joey McIntire, and may have a new grown-up crush on Donnie Wahlberg. It was a GREAT night and one of the most fun concerts I have ever been to.

Loving: Here is "French Pale Gold" by Behr. I am refinishing a dresser for my bedroom with chalk paint and wax. I have to admit, I am nervous. I have never tried this method before. Hopefully it turns out like I want!

Thinking: I  should get this dough made so Dahlia and I can bake these yummy cookies tonight. I am excited to let her use a fork to make the crisscrosses, like I always did with my mom!

Wanting: To go to the waterpark. With Dahlia being as big as she is now, 2 1/2, she can play happily in the kiddie area. She is such a water baby!

Needing: To do some scrubbing on my kitchen. UGH! I never seem to be able to keep it as clean as I like, but alas, that's life!

Tips, Tricks, or Hints: Get some work done, or don't. Take a nap or go on a trip. Make it count people!

Toodles,

BlogLovin

After a looooong blogging drought, I come back to see all of this upheaval!

I did it, and with me being as out of practice as I am, it had to be easy. I see about half of you have signed up for BlogLovin. At least I didn't wait until July 2nd to come back to my blog!


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