"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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A CHRISTMAS ELF CRAFT FOR YOUR CLASSROOM! - Looking for a new craft for December, my Christmas Coloring Pages now comes with TEN NEW PAGES of blackline outline needed to copy and create a Christmas...22 hours ago
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How to Get Kids Excited About Writing - From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Speech-to-text, audio, personal drawings and pictures, and writing about...1 day ago
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Poetry Sisters and Seven Ways of Looking - This month's challenge was to write in the style of Wallace Stevens' poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. Since 13 stanzas is a lot, we gave ours...1 month ago
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Modeling Multiplication as Equal Groups Hands on Activity - Would you like to help your students practice the multiplication skills of equal groups and repeated addition in a hands on way? Try this interactive m...2 months 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...1 year 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...3 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...6 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...6 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 ...7 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...7 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 ...8 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...8 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...10 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...10 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...11 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...12 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...12 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-share13 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...13 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...13 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...13 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...13 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:
- Janet Allen
- Laura Robb
- Harvey Daniels
- Lester Laminack
- Katie Wood Ray
- Rick Wormeli
- Kelly Gallagher
- Tanny MacGregor
- Debbie Miller
More PINTEREST Inspired Work: The Teacher’s Closet
For the past month or so, Pinterest has been inspiring me in both my home and my classroom. The ideas for my classroom are tremendous: centers, boards, lesson plans, and arts and crafts. The ideas for my home have been helpful: recipes for the crockpot, crafts, organization, and seasonal décor that is easy. Another great thing that I discovered are all the great clothing ideas that I pin for work outfits that are teacher and budget-friendly. I will admit to a clothing slump of late. My usual school unofficial school uniform is a polo or a plain tee-shirt paired with a cardigan and khaki pants with good hearty teaching shoes that are not always pretty. Pretty plain, boring stuff. Thanks to Pinterest, I’ve ventured into throwing on a vintage scarf or costume jewelry and fallen in love with a pair or two of new, stylish, and comfortable Crocs- one pair in animal prints! Jewelry and scarves were not my thing until I saw the many ways I could use the old pieces which belonged to my Mama who always seemed to be stylin’ especially before I came into her life .
My Mama had great style for the librarian she became and was always looking for a bargain.
The necklace she has on I now own. It was a present from her brother James when he was in England.
My parents on their honeymoon in Pinehurst, NC in 1956. Check out my Daddy’s shoes!
With style and thrift in mind, I decided to try my hand at making some scarves using some old clothing or as it’s called “upcycling.” Very budget-friendly to a teacher’s salary while fun to create and more fun to wear.
Here are the results:
A skirt that easily converted to a circle scarf.
A trendy fringe scarf from a well-worn polo shirt
Another circle scarf made from a pair of shorts with very little sewing.
Proof of how easy it is to do this if I can do it! The plaid scarves I really like for everyday. The fringe scarf I would save for a jeans day or weekend although it would be very easy to make one of these for school colors or some other fun day. Every time I look at this pink and green creation I am reminded of The Lorax!
You never know what you might see and be inspired by on Pinterest. Check out my boards here: http://pinterest.com/tabkatz/
SCHOOL NEWS THAT’S GOOD NEWS
Earlier this week I posted that Sarah Emerling along with her husband Chris Emerling were both teachers in Aiken County who were voted Teachers of The Year. ( I would like to point out that this is the second time Sarah has been honored by our school). Sarah “pushes into” my social studies classes to provide her special education services to our students. And she is also technologically savvy . In my haste ( well, it was 5:00 AM), I neglected to see the other story in the Aiken Standard: Busbee Corbett Makes AYP which mentioned my former teammate Tammy Swartz. Follow the link to find out how my school Busbee Corbett made AYP because of a shared vision of literacy.
One Family, Two Great Teachers
What I'm Reading Today: AWAKENED by Angela Watson
Today I will begin reading her latest book based on the blurb at Amazon:
Do the never-ending pressures of teaching drain you emotionally? Is a lack of resources and support stealing your enthusiasm? Are the small daily hassles adding up and overwhelming you? Effective teaching requires serious mental fortitude. This book will empower you to develop the resilient, flexible, positive mindset you need to:Yes, right now I do at times feel drained, emotional, and exhausted, but I am always quick to point out that often the strain of teaching comes not from the children but from the relationships from other adults we deal with- co-workers, parents, and administrators whether it is consciously done or not on their part. The beginning of school is ALWAYS an adjustment for both the families and students but also teachers. This year we have many new faculty members which means that many roles and relationships have ended or changed. I am the kind of person who loves routine in my work. I love going to the same place seeing the same faces year after year. I find comfort in this arrangement, and it's been successful and soothing to me when the past several years have been a period of great change in my personal life. It will take some time for me to adjust to what is new in a place that I am so familiar and comfortable with.
* Consciously challenge the negative thoughts that discourage you
* Raise your tolerance for frustration so you become less 'disturbable'
* Live beyond your feelings to stay motivated when you don't see results
* Change your perception of setbacks so they feel less stressful
* Let go of unrealistic expectations, standards, and comparisons
* Realize a sense of accomplishment in a job that's truly never done
Awakened provides simple steps to help you feel peaceful and energized, no matter what's happening around you. Drawing upon principles of stress management, cognitive behavioral therapy, spiritual truths, and personal experiences, Awakened helps you develop thought habits that produce an unshakeable sense of contentment, motivation, and purpose. Learn how to renew your mind and take a fresh approach to the challenges of teaching! (from Amazon.com)
I am one who is always looking for new ideas and inspiration so I will report back on my thoughts on Awakened . I am sure to be encouraged, renewed, and refreshed soon.
The Organized Classroom Blog
The “Back To School” Best Words To Motivate
A poem by Taylor Mali to inspire and remind teachers of what we do. Enjoy!
Back To School: Bulletin Boards
My summer is almost over ( sigh). Tuesday is my first official day back at work, but already I have been very busy preparing and setting up my classroom even doing what I can from home with a few quick trips to my classroom. Last week I put my desks into a very simple arrangement while keeping the basic setup the same from last year so there was no need to move the cubbies, computer tables, or my little corner with my computer, my professional books, and files. Because I lucked up and bought two rolling carts that were used in a video store that went out of business last May, I didn’t not have to move and sort my classroom library that has over a thousand books. ( That alone has sometimes taken WEEKS for me to deal with!) My carts have my books sorted into my social studies units so they are ready to go. When I got into my classroom, I started working on what will go onto my boards based on how I can use them in instruction. Because we use anchor charts in our classrooms throughout my school which are based on a balanced literacy model for reading instruction in my district, we do not plaster out walls with store-bought displays as I used to do in years past. My room will be decorative but not finished until the students arrive in about two weeks, and learning begins.
In the meantime, I've created some items for my two bulletin boards in my classroom, my dry erase board, and my door.Here’s how the door to my classroom welcomes my students:
When my class comes in each day, they will do a warm-up based on what we did the day before as pencils are sharpened and the restroom is used by those who need to. The warm-up is part of keeping a social studies interactive notebook. I’ve decided to use the middle part of my dry erase board as the place where we post our interactive note book work each day:
I have also decided this year to have a focus wall into addition to posting my standards as we are required to do. I have posted essential questions, word walls, and rubrics before, but I like the idea that I could use the bulletin board where my trade books which are an integral part of my history lessons to serve as both a meeting area and visual reminder and focal point for what we are doing that day in class. It is also in the corner away from the door so the students will be facing me so they truly will be focused as the lesson begins. Looking at my standards, I also see how the focus wall will insure that I include elements of social studies literacy such as timelines, maps, and diagrams:
Finally, I will have what I am calling a summary wall for the end of the lesson wrap-up. I chose the bulletin board near the door for two reasons: Here will be evidence of our learning, and because it is near the door, it will be easy to add post-its as exit slips as students line up and leave for the day. I have already posted a place where the rubric will be because this is also a requirement when student work is displayed.
Because I am the type of person that I think, reflect, and redo, I am already seeing some things I can improve. I am already realizing that are some other things that are needed and better ways to use these displays. I will share those improved displays when they are ready to go.
In the meantime, let’s enjoy these last few days of our summer.
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