Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
5 Ways to make the most of non-teaching time
Time. It's the thing every teacher needs more of, and no teacher has enough of. Whether you wish to get deeper into student data analysis or want to spend more time with your own children, no teacher has enough hours in the day to do it all. But with very careful planning of their non-teaching time, I've seen thousands of teachers get more time back in their lives. Here are the top five ways you can make the most of your limited "free" time each week:
1. Start with a Detailed Plan
Whether you map out your week digitally in Outlook like Heidi Reed or on a paper planner like Hollis Hyland, start with a plan.
Both Heidi and Hollis, middle school teachers at the same school in Washington, DC, map out their weeks the Friday prior. Yes, you heard right! The Friday before the week ahead! As they plan their weeks, Heidi and Hollis carefully consider their non-teaching time and what they want to accomplish -- both personally and professionally. This way, they head into the weekend with clear heads and way less stress.
2. Batch Process Your Work
Most prep periods end up being a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and by the time you've used the restroom, filled your water bottle, and decompressed for a second . . . wait, who are those 30 children walking in the door already?
Try this instead. Look ahead at your entire week and determine which prep periods are dedicated to planning, to grading, to family contact, to student tutoring, and so on. If you do your "like items" all at once, you will get into an efficiency groove. And while you're at it, try packing your lunches for the entire week at the same time! Don't Kate from Denver's lunches lookamazing?
3. Consider Your Energy Levels
Let's be real. At the end of any teaching day, you're exhausted. Instead of staggering around your school at 4 PM in search of a cola or chocolate, become mindful of when you are capable of doing higher-level work and when you just need to check something easy off your list. Plan your lower-energy work, like data entry, quick emails, or erasing the whiteboard, for when you really just want to crash. There's just no sense in trying to write an awesome unit plan when you are dead-dog tired.
4. Bite-Size Your To-Do's
See those plans from Hollis and Heidi? See those teeny tiny to-do's, like print these documents or create those materials? Making a task specific and bite-sized helps ensure that it gets done. When to-do's are too big, they have a tendency to sit there like heavy bricks. Break it down and make it small. Yes, it will make your to-do list look longer, but it also makes it easier to take advantage of those teeny tiny five- or ten-minute pockets of time that materialize before staff meetings or when you're waiting for the copier (not to mention the satisfaction you get from all the checking and crossing off). And speaking of small pockets of time . . .
5. Use Small Pockets of Time
Since a half-day of time to plan, grade, and analyze data is not going to magically appear any time soon, be physically prepared to use those little blocks of time that do pop up in your day. One of my favorite teachers, Sue Harmon, has two nifty tote bags packed and ready to go at all times. Her first bag is full of grading materials, including sets of essays, stickers, her grade book, and her special grading pens. At a moment's notice, she can knock out a set of papers. Her second tote is packed with planning materials, like the book for an upcoming novel unit, Common Core Standards, and diagnostic data. When she has a moment to get some planning or grading done -- voila! -- her materials are right there waiting for her. And while you're at it, make a folder of everything you need to copy, and carry it with you at all times. You never know when you may see an opening in the copy line.
Teaching is a unique (and awesome) profession that doesn't lend itself to much "work" time. It's constantly changing, and we're always "on" with other people, be they students, parents, or colleagues. It's too easy to end every day feeling like the to-do list is never done. Take advantage of the tips above to get a few minutes back in your day!
Monday, December 29, 2014
Charter school with a special ed focus to teach social skills to all
Students at Neighborhood Charter School of Harlem sit on the carpet during reading time.
When the speech pathologist at Neighborhood Charter School of Harlem told her class they would be playing a game called “Pop-Up Pirate,” one student was not happy. He began to whine loudly and another teacher in the room quickly interjected.
“Lucas, can you help us fix this problem?” the teacher asked the student. “Because I’m thinking it’s just a glitch.”
A glitch is the most minor degree of difficulty, according to a chart titled, “How Big is My Problem?” posted in all of the year-old school’s classrooms. It aims to help students understand that some scenarios, such as not getting called on, are less worth getting upset over than other problems, like an earthquake.
This technique of managing behavior is useful for all young children, but it is especially important at Neighborhood Charter, where many students have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The only charter school in the city to have a special focus on serving high-functioning children with autism, Neighborhood Charter offers a program inspired by the ASD Nest model that the Department of Education launched in 2003 and now runs at 23 of its schools. One of the highlights of Neighborhood Charter’s program is the social skills class, where the school speech pathologist, along with those students’ teachers, show students how to take turns, work collaboratively, express themselves, and handle disappointment.
The rest of the time, students with autism and other special needs are integrated completely into classrooms with their typically developing peers, where teams of teachers hold all students to the same standards and curriculum, according to Principal Brett Gallini.
“We approach special education as a service, not a place,” he said, echoing a philosophy that the Department of Education has adopted in recent years.
NYC Collaborates, a joint program between the Charter Center and the Department of Education that encourages educators to share best practices, brought educators from across the city to Neighborhood Charter last month as part of a weeklong spree of visits to schools that have unique approaches to special education.
The visits were the first time that NYC Collaborates had focused on special education, which has long been a weak spot for the city’s charter sector. Historically, the charter sector enrolled disproportionately few students with special needs, and charter schools have drawn fire for not always adequately serving the students with disabilities who do enroll and for sometimes “counseling out” students who are hard to serve.
Aware of the criticism and under pressure from the state to serve their fair share of students with disabilities, the charter sector has made a concerted effort to improve special education services at its schools. In 2011, the New York City Charter School Centerlaunched a Special Education Collaborative aimed at helping schools learn to serve students with special needs. And some schools have made a special effort to enroll students with disabilities.
The “How Big Is My Problem” chart helps students identify the urgency and scale of their problems.
The city has one charter school, the New York Center for Autism Charter School, that serves students with autism exclusively. Neighborhood Charter offers a different model, providing services for children with autism but also offering instruction for children who do not have disabilities. Of the 120 kindergartners and first-grades at Neighborhood Charter this year, 30 percent have special needs, and about half of those students have autism.
The student makeup means that the school has to be attuned to issues that might not register as concerns at other schools. For example, since autistic children have certain triggers, the school makes sure to use light bulbs that don’t make noise and to set up classroom decorations that won’t over-stimulate students with sensory issues, Gallini said.
But for the most part, all students reap the benefits of having a school set up to serve children with special needs. In each Neighborhood Charter classroom, one teacher has general education credentials and the other is a special education teacher, and all the teachers are trained to work with autistic children.
“We make no distinction between the special education and general education teacher,” he said. “The dynamic duo transcends all groups.”
Teachers structure class time with specific instructions to account for every minute. In one classroom, students sat cross-legged with stickers on their foreheads and their cheeks puffed out. Gallini said teachers use objects such as stickers, colorful beads, and paper crowns as positive reinforcement. As for the blowfish faces, he said that to keep students quiet, teachers tell them to put a “bubble in their mouth” when they have something to say and then “pop the bubble” when it is their turn to speak.
“When kids misbehave or don’t do the right thing, it’s because we didn’t tell them what to do,” Gallini said. “We sweat the small stuff…When that structure is there, our kids feel safe.”
Responding to a teacher on the recent tour who asked how the school metes out consequences without punishing students for their disabilities, Gallini said discipline is tailored to each student’s needs and skills. As students get older, the school will loosen the reins and allow them to have more independence, he added.
The only time the students with autism are separated from their peers is when they attend their social skills program most days of the week with the school’s speech pathologist.
But that will change next year. The school found the social skills class so successful in its first year that it is expanding enrollment to all students, regardless of whether they have special needs, Gallini said. He said the school will train all classroom teachers to offer the social skills instruction, so students won’t have to leave their classes to get the support.
Neighborhood Charter’s program differs from the city’s ASD Nest program in other ways, too. It has a longer school day – running from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. — and year, with 195 days instead of the typical 180. Gallini said that as the school continues to develop, he’s not married to just one model of autism instruction. Instead, he said, he wants to pick and choose from the best models that exist across the country. This fall, for example, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s TEACCH Autism Program will provide on-site staff training in the “structured teaching” model it promotes.
The school will expand to include second grade next year and eventually add a middle school. Gallini said the school aimed for at least two years of growth for each student by the end of the year and the majority of his students are on track to achieve that goal.
“We don’t counsel people out,” Gallini said, alluding to the illicit practices that some charter schools have been accused of. “What do we say in kindergarten? We get what we get and we don’t get upset.”
He added, “Everyone says they’re accepting of students with special needs but we’re welcoming of it.”
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Food Hack
10 Singaporean food hacks - You will never look at Milo the same way again
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10 Food Hacks for Singaporeans
Everyone dreams of being a kitchen deity, but we blame the lack of time and skill to whip up a decent dish. There is no one true way when it comes to food, but the easier, faster way does exist. And that is what this list of food hacks is all about.
Here are 10 food hacks for Singaporeans that are extremely simple yet satisfying to prepare. They will save your soul and your stomach!
1. Chocolate Fondue from Milo Powder
Source: Pickycook
While it is simple and cheap to make Chocolate Fondue the usual way, sometimes you just don't have the time or ingredients. But most Singaporeans will have at least a packet or tin of Milo Powder. Make fondue the Singaporean way - it's just as good!
- 2 scoops of Milo Powder
- 3-4 drops of boiling water
- Stir constantly
Yeah, that easy.
2. Perfect omelette without a non-stick pan
Source: The Kitchn
An omelette is a brilliant dish on its own or a great side for most dishes. However, things get difficult when you don't have a non-stick pan - ingredients fall out and the eggs can get oily. Here's our solution.
- Beat your eggs well, add your preferred ingredients.
- Microwave on high for 40s - 1min (Eggs will rise really high. Make sure the bottom is cooked.)
3. The Two Ingredient Pancake
This simple pancake is not only all-natural but gluten free, dairy free, low in calories, and high in protein.- 2 bananas
- 1 egg
- Blend them for a smoother mix (add a pinch of baking powder for fluffier pancakes)
- Personalise it with your favourite add ons
4. Avocado-coffee milkshake
Source: Vivianpang'skitchen
Don’t be shocked by the name - it's getting increasingly popular in the Philippines and Thailand. This bold combination is your recipe for a quick and nutritious breakfast.
Despite the numerous disputes about the health benefits or hazards of coffee drinking, many Singaporeans wake up in dire need of their daily dosage of pre-work caffeine.
To offset my obsession with healthy alternatives, I blended fresh Avocado fruit with my coffee and milk, plagiarising this idea from my father, whose creation was featured in Her World Magazine in 2002.
The original recipe:
- Avocado
- Fresh milk
- Nescafe powder (I use grounded coffee powder)
- Gula Melaka
- Evaporated milk
5. Three-step Nutella bread pudding
Source: The Perfect Pantry
Nutella never goes wrong and never gets old.
- Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius / 300 Fahrenheit
- 1 piece of bread (add more bread if you prefer spongier pudding)
- 2 tablespoon of Nutella
- 1/2 cup of milk
- Put in oven for approximately 10 minutes, until the milk dries.
Feeds 1 to 2.
6. Three ingredient peanut butter cookie
Source: Domestic Bliss Square
The cookie recipe couldn’t get any simpler.
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 egg
- Beat constantly for a smooth mixture
- Preheat oven at 175 Degree Celsius and bake for 7 minutes.
Mix is for approximately 10 cookies.
7. DIY sin-free ice cream / sorbet
Source: The Kitchn
No ice cream machine? No kitchen mixer? No time? Ice cream is sinful, and sorbet can sometimes have even higher sugar content, so here's a healthy and easy way to make a sin-free ice cream at a low cost. Vegan. Gluten free. And you don't have to worry about sugar or dairy.
- Freeze your desired fruits, preferably stickier ones like durian, banana or avocado, until solid.
- Cut them into smaller cubes and blend them. If you like sweeter ice creams, you can personalise it with Nutella, peanut butter, jam, etc.
For sorbet:
- Mix sliced lemon into your plain water, sugar syrup and coriander
- Blend them with your frozen fruit
8. Ice Kachang / Slurpee
The best drink to cool yourself down in our sweltering country.
a. Ice Kachang
Source: BusinessInsider- 500ml bottle of water into freezer set at -24degree celsius for 2 ½ - 2 ¾ hours
- Keep checking and make sure they are cold but not frozen
- Slightly twist the cap open to release the pressure and turn the bottle upside down
- Add your own flavouring to your shaved ice
b. Slurpee
Source: WonderHowTo- 500ml bottle of soda into freezer, set at -24 degree Celsius for 3 ¼ - 4 hours
- Keep checking and make sure they are cold but not frozen
- Slightly twist the cap open to release the pressure and turn the bottle upside down
9. Healthy Chips
Source: RootsCSA
As paradoxical as it sounds, it is possible. Healthy home-made chips - a food that you are likely to find in most social occasions, high in sodium and fats but oh so irresistible.
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1 table of olive oil
- (sea) salt
- Wash and dry the kale and make sure each piece of kale is coated with oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 300F or 150C
Try this with local vegetables and see what happens!
10. Perfect poached eggs
I grew up with the kopitiam’s half-boiled eggs and am now going bonkers over poached eggs on toast in all the new cafes. But I'm not prepared to pay $15 for something that i can replicate at home.
However, it's easier said than done. I tried and failed to make the perfect egg-white envelope for the runny yolk. It’s the excess egg white that causes unwanted frills, so just drain your egg with a strainer to get rid of the excess egg whites, and you’ll get your perfect poached eggs.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
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