November Goals Linky!

Happy Long Weekend (hopefully),

I am SO thankful for this long weekend. It has been a bumpy road this year, so each break I can get is a  blessing!

Last week, our DonorsChoose shipment came in! We are so elated!

I posted this gem on Instagram when I got the packages

I couldn't wait to get our Listening Center in order so we could start benefitting from the generosity of those who donated!

Our amazing new hanging organizer for our books and CDs, book bags, and set of headphones!

We also got a headphone splitter! Pretty in purple!

I dreamed this idea up just before I took some pictures of our Listening Center space. I was embarrassed by the chipped paint and ugliness of the wall. So, I decided I wanted to put something up there - but didn't just want it to be some meaningless poster. Because this space was designated for literacy through listening to stories, I wanted this center to provide meaningful resources. Thus, the interactive anchor chart was born!

If you notice in the above two pictures, I have my Comprehension Posters hanging on the wall as well. On our Interactive Anchor Chart, I included 4 of the commonly used comprehension strategies for students to jot down their ideas and visualizations while listening to their texts. We practiced these strategies using this system before I hung it on the wall. The purpose of the Interactive Anchor Chart is not to assess student comprehension, but to hold students accountable for their learning and analyzing. I  include a blue cup with sticky notes and pencils to jot down their notes about the text. They then stick it in the corresponding column. For my non-readers, I have decided I need to add pictures to correspond with these columns - most likely I will add mini-versions on the images from my Comprehension Posters. This will be added this week.

I plan to change the sticky notes periodically - not on a set schedule. Again, the purpose is for students to track their understanding in a meaningful, and functional way. I want to keep some exemplars up on the chart for reference, especially as students are still learning which notes and comments are relevant and meaningful.

So, again - A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated to my classroom, as well as anyone who has ever donated at ALL to one of these great projects! A million thank yous!

In other news, I sprained my shoulder. Yesterday (Sunday), I was playing in our last soccer game of the season, when BAM. I was fouled. No big deal - I tend to get fouled constantly (that's what happens when you play Mid). This time however, as my right shoulder slammed to the ground, absorbing all of the force from the unapologetic dirt from the field, I knew I did something more than just tumble. It felt like my shoulder popped out of it socket. Maybe it did, then popped back in. I'm not sure - all I know is it was immense pain, followed by tingling and numbness. Being as stubborn as I am nontraditional, I decided to forgo the doctors visit, especially since my insurance from my new job has yet to kick in (ludicrous right?). I was able to drive home, and put some Tiger Balm on it. As the day went on, I discovered tightness and pain in my back, neck, and elbow. Time to break out the Tiger Balm and heating pad (my version of alternative medicine) again. While I have full-range of motion in my arm, its quite painful to attempt to rotate, so I just stick to keeping it close to my body. I don't think this is a lasting injury and it's certainly not going to stop me from my healthy lifestyle I've been working so  hard to maintain! But, the good thing is that I have several months to rest from soccer, which I think my body will appreciate.


Now, time for some fun! I LOVE the Rhonna Design and A Beautiful Mess apps for my iPhone. They beautify my pictures and can create some fun images, like the one below.

I created one of these for October as well. It was strictly for Instagram. I posted my November Goals in Instagram as well. I thought this time it would be fun to create a linky on my blog as well.

I used Rhonna Designs for the above image, but you can create your goals in ANY format - even just by typing them in your blog post! I would love to read others' personal and professional goals for the month of November! If you create this and post it onto Instagram, I would love for you to tag me (so I can check it out! - @mindfulrambles) and include the hashtag #novembergoals. Spread the love and share the motivating by linking up your November goals below!