Classroom Theme Reveal!

Superheros. Crayons. Disney. You name it, I have probably used it as a theme for my beginning-of-the-year classroom décor! Before we meet our students, we do our best to set up an inviting environment. From first-day-welcome-packs to bulletin boards, we strive to find a theme or scheme that ties everything together and shouts “I am happy you are here! Check out our cool space for learning this year!”

Once we get to know our students, the theme falls to the waistline. Sure, the Hulk saying, “Look at our incredible work” sign might stay pinned up, but the meaning is lost. It comes something cool to look at, but is most likely going to be taken down once the sun makes it fade or the edges curl up and no longer looks cute. I want to have a theme that will last. I want to have a theme that means more!

I realized what I want is not a theme at all… it’s a concept! 

I was inspired by the PYP Approaches to Learning (ATLs). They list five ATLs (formerly called transdisciplinary skills): research skills, thinking skills, communication skills, social skills, and self-management skills. These skills (and their subskills) are transferable across all learning contexts. They are not domain or subject specific. They are conceptual! For example, one of the subskills for research is “formulating questions.” This means students identify something they want to know and ask a compelling or relevant question that can be researched. You can see how this skill will be beneficial in any number of contexts: a job, in math class, at a social engagement, etc.

This type of relevance and flexibility is just what I am looking for in my classroom. So, without further ado, I would like to share my 2018 classroom theme…

…drumroll please… 

Taking a Closer Look

“Taking a closer look” is focused on developing my 5th grader’s thinking skills. At this age, they are coming into my classroom with a wealth of prior knowledge. I want them to think about their thinking and take a closer look at their ideas, sense of self, and cognitive abilities in order to truly understand their skills and find areas to develop. This will ensure their education is not “an inch deep and a mile wide.”

Taking a closer look is based on three ATL subskills: observing, analysis, and synthesis. I will ensure each student is able to use all of their senses to notice relevant details (observation), take ideas apart in order to see relationships and find unique characteristics (analysis), and combine new parts in order to create, design, develop, and innovate (synthesis.)

Now that I have the idea ready, I will get to work on how I am going to make this concept come alive in my classroom! Stay tuned for future resources to support this idea! In the meantime, check out the color scheme I am going to use to support this idea: BOLD AND BRIGHT!

To truly put the focus on the concept of taking a closer look, I want the visuals in my room to be consistent and non-distracting. For this reason, I am going with a "bold and bright" scheme. I will be using black banner paper to back all of my boards and make the content stand out with bright colors. I created some labels, inspirational quotes, desk tags, and the like all in this bold and bright scheme. Even though I am about to teach 5th grade, my early elementary experience kicked in and I even created some center labels and center management aids. There truly is something for every classroom in this huge, bundle pack. There are over 143 pages! Check out a preview of the the bold and bright bundle by clicking here. 

I'm curious... what is your classroom theme this year? Or what was your favorite one from when you were a student?

Educational Philosophy

In college, I remember sitting in what my professor called "the northwest quadrant" of the room. That is because my five friends and I always sat in the same space for every class. We were lucky to have the same course schedule. As I reflect back on being an undergrad, these are the memories that come to mind first: time spent with friends... time spent traveling... and time spent eating! I can still feel the brain freezes I got from the smoothies at Neptune Hall...

Isn't it a strange thing that the "learning" part doesn't come to mind first? College exposed me to a lot of material, theories, and knowledge. But most of it did not click until I got my first job as a teacher. That is when I was reaching back for my textbooks, looking through my notes, and trying to remember that one thing that my professor kept saying over and over again... whatever it was, it didn't stick like real experience has stuck.

This lesson became crystallized for me when I undertook my Masters degree. I was studying alongside my career. I found that learning with an immediate application into my job is the winning combination. I am not the only one who thinks this way. Taylor and Kroth (2009) break down the concept of andragogy, the study of how adults learn. As kids, we are good with "postponed application," but as adults... we want to use it now!

This realization is what led me to create this post; I have decided to re-write my educational philosophy. I remember doing this as an undergrad for an assignment... but I have so much more to say now! With almost 10 years of experience since graduating, I have decided to re-do this task. 

In preparation for the 2018-19 school year, I updated my educational philosophy. I am sharing it with you in hopes that it will bring inspiration for your teaching practice as well!

I plan on putting my statement in a prominent place in my classroom to remind me of my goals and responsibilities as an educator. To do this, I turned my educational philosophy into a poster that I can keep at my desk!

Here is a preview of it. Though the full document has much more detail, the poster includes the topic sentences for each of my paragraphs. I think it makes a great reminder of what I believe to be important.

If you're interested in reading my full philosophy or printing the posters for your classroom, it is available by clicking here.

Reference:
Taylor, B. & Kroth, M. (2009) Andragogy's transisiton into the future: Meta-analysis of andragogy and its search for a measurable instrument. Journal of Adult Education, 38(1)

Let me know! What do you believe to be important about education?

My First Post - Welcome!

Wahoooo! Happy "launch" day! I have spent the past few weeks preparing for this very moment, and now the time has come. Mary Had A Little Shop has officially launched!

I have been all over the world. I have drank wine in Tuscany, eaten a scorpion in China, camped in the Okavanga Delta, and swam with dolphins in the Indian Ocean. And yet... somehow I feel as though this endeavor, starting a blog, will be one of my biggest adventures yet! 

My goal for starting this blog is to:

• reflect on my experience as a 5th grade teacher in Chicago
• share relevant resources for the classroom and give my readers a chance to use them too!
• stay current with educational issues and curriculum
• inspire teachers around the globe

In summary...Mary Had A Little Shop is more than a store; it is a daily source of inspiration! I am going to share weekly posts and resources for elementary teachers because I believe we are more alike than different. If it is happening in my classroom, then it is happening in your classroom too! My goal is to shoulder the work by sharing resources and ideas with one another. Regardless of where we are teaching, we are all living in the same world and share a common goal: to teach and to inspire our students. We can avoid reinventing the wheel by learning from each other.

I hope you enjoy checking out my channel trailer (that's the video above!) While you're waiting for my next post, check out on my other sites:

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Teachers Pay Teachers

I'm interesting in knowing who are among my first readers. 

Don't be shy - leave a comment! 

Welcome to my blog!

Stay tuned for my website launch on Sunday, July 22, 2018!