"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." Helen Keller
About Me
- Fran Richardson
- Welcome to my blog!I'm a teacher in a beautiful, small, rural town. I moved here a few years ago, but I have taught over 20 years in this same small town that is now my home. My experience is in teaching second, third, and fourth grades with one year in sixth grade. I am always reading, learning, and reflecting on what goes on in my classroom. I love the work that I do with the parents, my fellow teachers, and most all-my students.I hope you will enjoy reading my blog.
The Scholar, Age 5
I'm A Lifelong Learner...
I Still Love Learnin'!
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My Blog List
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Are You Starting Division in Your Third Grade Classroom? You will Love These Center Games! - Finding time during the school day for your students to practice their basic facts can be challenging. You will love how easy it is to prepare these 3rd ...3 hours ago
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How to tell if teaching is still a good fit for you - From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Rob Donatelli's QUEST framework can help teachers determine if teaching ...2 days ago
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St. Patrick’s Day Craft Project - Your class will show gratitude for what they are lucky for during the month of March through this hands on St. Patrick’s Day Activity. It makes a fun and...3 weeks ago
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Poetry Sisters Write Epistolary Poems - The challenge this month was to write an epistolary poem in the form of a love letter or Valentine. I missed our Zoom on Sunday, so I have no idea what a...4 weeks ago
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Character Affirmation Posters: Purposeful Reading Decor for Your Upper Elementary Classroom - As I've said in previous posts, I love decorating a classroom, but those decorations need to have a purpose. I leave a lot of empty space on my bulletin...7 months ago
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ATTENTION TO ALL WHO SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL!! - image via Unsplash You will no longer be receiving email notifications for this blog because Blogger email subscriptions were handled by FeedBurner, whic...2 years ago
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My Latest BAM! Radio Show Is On Using Tech In English Classes - Ways to use Tech Effectively in English Classes is the topic of my latest ten-minute BAM! Radio Show. I’m joined in the conversation by Jenny Vo, Jennifer ...5 years ago
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Getting Started with Interactive Math Notebooks - I have been using interactive math notebooks in my classroom for as long as I can remember. Math notebooks are a great place for students to take notes, re...5 years ago
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A Look Back: ADHD Diagnosis, Bullet Journal, Cube Timers, Brain Dump, Growth Mindset, Katie's Teacher Tea, & Encouraging Words - At the beginning of 2018 I had the goal of trying to a monthly post, but I had such a difficult time trying to keep up with posting on the last day of t...5 years ago
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Four years after... - Hard to believe I walked away from this for four years. I love words. I love to write. It's cathartic for me. Somehow, I let four years slip by. There ...6 years ago
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The Mini Greg - It has been a long time but finally, a new lesson plan template. A colorful and organized approach to guided reading groups. Originally created for Mr. Greg...6 years ago
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Ten-Frame FUN - Helllooooo! Yes, I am still alive. Yes, I am BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. But yes, I am still here! I think about this little old blog often but lately it has had to ...7 years ago
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Celebrate The Last Day of School and Happy Teacher Appreciation Week - Happy end of the year to you, phenomenal teacher! Hats off to you and the hard work behind all you do. Finish out the school year strong - and treat yourse...7 years ago
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I've moved! - Click the image below to be redirected to my new blog! Friends, I've rebranded. Thank you so much for following along over the years. I made a new blog...8 years ago
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I'VE MOVED!!!! - Hi my lovely, loyal readers!! Please note that Mrs. Mimi has up and MOVED to a shiny new blog with fabulous new content. Don't worry, I took all the old s...8 years ago
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How to Get Started With Genius Hour for Elementary Classrooms? - I believe that every single child is gifted and that every kid has a talent which we as educators should help uncover. This is not easy when you have a c...8 years ago
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Making Poetry FUN - Poetry can be so much FUN! My kids and I enjoy reading poetry, and we recently dove into a poetry unit, which included learning more about figurative lan...9 years ago
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New School Year! - Dusting off the shelves of this blog for another school year. I'd like to use this more as a personal journal for my schoolteacher life this year so what b...9 years ago
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Looking Back - I’ve just spent nearly all of an afternoon looking back on all the INK blogs that I’ve written, trying to get a sense of what I’ve been doing, thinking, an...9 years ago
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Exciting News! - We are excited to share with you our newest adventures! We are both opening up our own individual Teachers Pay Teachers stores, as well as our own indivi...10 years ago
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Auntie Claus Preview and our Polar Express Day! - I wanted to give a sneak peek at our Auntie Claus unit that my friends, Michele and Elana (Lana) and I are finishing up for teacherspayteachers. We are ...11 years ago
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It's a Lifestyle - I have noticed that everything I do is not a career or an event or even an activity/ chore.... it's a LIFESTYLE. The problem is making sure my lifestyle c...11 years ago
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Calling all teachers!!!! - Alright, this is kind of a poll... I'm about to *finally *open my TpT store, but I'd like to know from y'all what kinds of things you'd like to see first a...11 years ago
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Tennessee's Teacher Evaluation - What a mess! http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/education/tennessees-rules-on-teacher-evaluations-bring-frustration.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&smid=fb-share12 years ago
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Five Friday Freebies - Week 22 - f you are not a TN member, membership is FREE. Here is a link to register so you will be able to download. *Teacher Notebook Registration *Click on log in...12 years ago
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Connecting Children With Nature: Learning About Trees - Our playground is surrounded by an abundance of beautiful trees, which always seem to captivate my very curious kindergartners. Who would have guessed that...12 years ago
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First WAS Fab...Second will be Super! - Thanks to all followers of this BLOG. I will be moving to second grade and will no longer post to this BLOG. I will, however, leave it active for viewing a...12 years ago
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Summer Book Club (for students!) - Our recent post on Teaching Blog Addict has me thinking.... I know I can't wait to read over the summer, but what about my students? How can I help preven...12 years ago
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New Year - New Plans - It's been a whirlwind end to 2010. My school was in the middle of a Quality Review when I received a call to take a position at another school. It was such...13 years ago
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Favorites:
FAN OF:
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- Laura Robb
- Harvey Daniels
- Lester Laminack
- Katie Wood Ray
- Rick Wormeli
- Kelly Gallagher
- Tanny MacGregor
- Debbie Miller
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Sunday, June 12, 2011
Learning Lessons
It doesn't take much for me to learn a lesson, but it often seems like I learn many things "the hard way." Such is the case of my blog.
My idea was to start this blog as a way to express myself as a teacher. I craved collaboration and cooperation, and all those warm, fuzzy feelings of sharing and having an exchange of ideas. ( Sigh).
Imagine my excitement then when I made my first post on my first blog. ( Okay, we aren't counting the blog that sat empty and waiting for a year that died from lack of attention like an unloved houseplant). However, being a visual person I didn't like the look and feel of the page. It was a template, and it didn't feel like me. It was very "cookie cutter," and while I tried to make it mine, something didn't quite fit.
I decided to go on a search for making my own template despite my limited knowledge of how to do this. After all, I am teacher, and I believe that I can read and follow directions. I read several reviews, and I decided on Aristeer's Home Edition. I downloaded the trial version, and I started playing around, and I came up with a better look that suited my style. Then came the big moment: seeing how my new creation looked.
Here's where I goofed: The trial doesn't have the back-up feature. Because I didn't read this needed information beforehand, I clicked, and everything on my blog DISAPPEARED!
I won't lie and say I didn't think of crying.
So back to work I went this time with the paid version, and a short while later, there was my new blog page which looked even better than either the lost original or the trial version. While it's not perfect, my new page does represent me better than the "cookie cutter" page. Because I was starting over, I could toss out the elements that didn't appeal to me. I had control over what became part of my new page. I was allowed to be free, creative, and expressive, and truth be told, the newness of it all made it fun.
This whole experience seems to sum up both my journey as a teacher and how I have crafted my own teaching style: I don't like "cookie cutter curriculum." I seldom use the textbooks in my classroom except as resources. I try to fill my shelves with good quality trade books. Doing without the textbook and endless workbook pages or worksheets forces me to be creative in how I teach. I know that children learn best by doing and seeing and experiencing. For those reasons, I try to use games that require movement, simulations, role- playing, and hands-on or manipulative organizers or study tools as much as possible. And like the experience of my lost blog, in the midst of it all, it becomes FUN.
See- an old dog can still learn new tricks. :)
My idea was to start this blog as a way to express myself as a teacher. I craved collaboration and cooperation, and all those warm, fuzzy feelings of sharing and having an exchange of ideas. ( Sigh).
Imagine my excitement then when I made my first post on my first blog. ( Okay, we aren't counting the blog that sat empty and waiting for a year that died from lack of attention like an unloved houseplant). However, being a visual person I didn't like the look and feel of the page. It was a template, and it didn't feel like me. It was very "cookie cutter," and while I tried to make it mine, something didn't quite fit.
I decided to go on a search for making my own template despite my limited knowledge of how to do this. After all, I am teacher, and I believe that I can read and follow directions. I read several reviews, and I decided on Aristeer's Home Edition. I downloaded the trial version, and I started playing around, and I came up with a better look that suited my style. Then came the big moment: seeing how my new creation looked.
Here's where I goofed: The trial doesn't have the back-up feature. Because I didn't read this needed information beforehand, I clicked, and everything on my blog DISAPPEARED!
I won't lie and say I didn't think of crying.
So back to work I went this time with the paid version, and a short while later, there was my new blog page which looked even better than either the lost original or the trial version. While it's not perfect, my new page does represent me better than the "cookie cutter" page. Because I was starting over, I could toss out the elements that didn't appeal to me. I had control over what became part of my new page. I was allowed to be free, creative, and expressive, and truth be told, the newness of it all made it fun.
This whole experience seems to sum up both my journey as a teacher and how I have crafted my own teaching style: I don't like "cookie cutter curriculum." I seldom use the textbooks in my classroom except as resources. I try to fill my shelves with good quality trade books. Doing without the textbook and endless workbook pages or worksheets forces me to be creative in how I teach. I know that children learn best by doing and seeing and experiencing. For those reasons, I try to use games that require movement, simulations, role- playing, and hands-on or manipulative organizers or study tools as much as possible. And like the experience of my lost blog, in the midst of it all, it becomes FUN.
See- an old dog can still learn new tricks. :)
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teaching,
teaching style
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Classroom Blog 2011-12
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