Get Organized

When you work out of your home, AND have a family to take care of, its pretty easy to slide into a state of chaos. At least, it's pretty easy for me! I've been under the impression that once you get your life/business/classroom organized, that's it! You're done!    WRONG    Life get's in the way. Kids get sick, you get sick. Some major life event takes place. You take on a larger workload. It happens to all of us, so don't feel guilty. That's what happened just before I snapped that shot above. Yes, that is a real life photo of my office (embarrassed emoji).

That's why it's important for us all to remember that, just like education, organization is a journey, not a destination. That was a huge epiphany for me.  I would spend days, weeks working endless hours to get everything in order, just to have it all come crashing down around me days later. Then I beat myself up over it and it would take months before I spent the time again. 

PSA: This is a vicious cycle that we need to end now!

So what's so different now? Let me be clear. I am a work in progress, we all are! So nothing is really different...YET. That is, except for my mindset. I just spent a week working with a group of fantastic Mom Bosses on an Organization & Declutter challenge. It was fun, scary, and exciting. But all-in-all, I learned a few things about myself that might help me break this vicious cycle of regret and embarrassment. Over the next few days (or maybe weeks) I'm going to share my takeaways, and how I'm changing my perspective and focus moving forward on this journey to become a more organized tutor, mom, and business owner. 

Phase 1: Recognizing You Have a Problem   

If you are anything like me, you pretty much live in Phase 1. You look around every day and see the stacks, the piles, the overflowing bins, and you think, "where can I put all this?" There are basically only two options here: 1) live with it, or 2) do something about it. If you chose to live with it, that's fine, the rest of this article (and series) won't be of much help to you. But if you are ready to do something about it, then let's get moving on to Phase 2. 

Phase 2: Eliminating Unnecessary Things

"Wait!" "No, not that!" "I'll use it someday." Sound familiar? I know I'm guilty. As a tutor who works with a wide range of students, I have TONS of books, games, manipulatives, and other resources. I could probably teach math for the entire year from preschool through Geometry without ever purchasing another resource. (OK that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but remember I create most of my own resources, so it's definitely plausible!) On that note, since I create most of my own resources to meet the specific needs of the students I'm working with right now, WHY am I holding on to all this "I'll use it someday" stuff? You get the point? Just get rid of it! 

But how do you decide if it's necessary or not? Ask yourself three questions. 1) Has it been more than 6 months since I used it? 2) Do I have, or know of, a much more effective resource or tool that can meet more needs? 3) Is it broken, damaged, or out-dated? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time to get rid of it. If it's not damaged or out-dated you could gift it to another tutor/teacher/or homeschool family. Or try to post it on a resale or swap page. Just because it's no longer working for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else!

Even after you've eliminated unnecessary items, you may still be swimming in a sea of disorder and chaos. Don't worry, you are on your way to more organized work space. It's going to take time. Before moving on to Phase 3, spend some time just clearing off your space. This was the first day of the challenge I talked about. And let me tell you, it was motivating! Take a look for yourself. 

    

Phase 3: Obtaining Tools to Organize Your Things

You don't need to run out to Ikea and spend $3,000 to organize your office this weekend. I know a nice little shopping spree sounds fun (to some people, NOT me) but it just isn't necessary. Anyone can get the tools they need, no matter their budget. That black crate you see on top of my file cabinet, $5 at Big Lots. It has ridges so the hanging files sit just fine. I like that there is no drawer in this one because it holds all of my go-to resources for math. Grade level assessments, games, take-home practice pages, Interactive Notebook pieces...Basically everything I've ever created, and/or purchased that needs to be printed and can help me teach math. 

Also notice that my pens and markers are all neatly organized and displayed in cups and mugs I've collected throughout the years (most are gifts from kids/families that I just couldn't bare to see get chipped or broken from daily use. Check out my Pinterest Board for more ideas on DIY organizational items.

 

**Also, watch in the coming weeks for a tutorial on how to make an AWESOME tutor desk when the market around you just doesn't offer what you need!

Phase 4: Implementing Tools to Organize Your Time

This phase is the ABSOLUTE hardest phase for me. I am a self diagnosed "multi-tasker" by nature. I want to do two or three things at once to maximize my time. Which means I'm literally writing this blog post while doing the dishes. Yep! When I get stuck on words, I hit save and walk into the kitchen and clean a sink load of dishes, or put a stack away. It's terrible, I know! It's terrible because I rarely allow my brain to focus on one task at a time, which means I'm constantly shifting gears. Ever tried to ride a bike up hill while changing gears? It's more difficult than if you just get off the thing and push it up the hill. Which is what my "productive time" usually feels like to me, switching gears up a LLOONNGG hill. 

This is my current area of focus, which is odd, because it seems I'm pretty good at helping others organize their time. My Tutor Planners are among my best selling resources in my TeachersPayTeachers store. Go figure! One thing I'm currently looking into, through Color Connection, is block scheduling. Suzanne mentioned it during the challenges after asking me a couple of hard-hitting questions. She asked "1) How do you schedule your time?

2) Do you work on everything at one time?" Then she said, "If your answer to #1 is I don't and your answer to #2 is yes, then your first step would be to organize your time." I was like, what-the-WHAT? How does she know me like that? Haha. 

As I improve on this phase, I'll share what I learn. I'm ready to tackle tasks and feel accomplished at the end of the day!

Phase 5: Maintenance

Remember, Organization is a journey, not a destination. Life is GOING to happen, we can't stop that. Things are going to get busy and stuff will pile up, no matter how on top of things we think we are being. With that being said, the key to enjoying the journey is regular self checks. If you start to feel a little bogged down, or unproductive, look around your office. Are there a few stacks piling up again? Some tools or resources clogging your shelves? If so, don't stress. You know what to do, you are at Phase 1, just admit it and move on to Phase 2. And I'll see ya again at Phase 4 because I'll likely be there a while (wink emoji)

Fall Fun

I know I'm not alone when I say that Fall is my favorite time of year. The back-to-school mayhem is finally dying down, the scenes are changing with each new day, I can wear my favorite comfy sweaters and hoodies at last; and over the past 5 years, some 40 or more teacher authors have gotten together to bring us all $1 Freaky Friday Deals throughout the month of October. Who could ask for more than that!?

I've worked along side these teacher authors as we have all grown in our craft...and I have to tell you they all have become some of my teaching superheroes! This group includes several elementary classroom teachers, reading specialists, tutors, special education teachers, a handful of middle and high school teachers, art teachers, clip artists, and more... When I say these Freaky Fridays have something for everyone in education, I'm speaking the Truth! And this year is no exception....check these stores out!

http://j.mp/2MV5NDk

There are 4 Fridays this month, so mark your calendars now...The deals change each week, and only last for one day!

Maybe you all can help me. I know many of my younger students start the year off working on place value, so I know the first resource I add to this sale will be one of my Place Value activities. If you could chose, which one would you have me include?

 

 

 

 

 

Math Memes and Order of Operations

Ok guys, you've seen these, you've likely commented on them...and every once in a while you actually hoped that the majority would get them right, only to be disappointed. What am I talking about?

Math Memes that broke the internet. They seem to be everywhere, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and the rest. And they always seem like a simple math equation or expression that everyone (at least everyone who made it passed 6th grade) should be able to answer with ease...but they DON'T. I even recently saw one posted in a Math educator's group, and even THEY couldn't agree on the right answer.

I have no idea who the original poster was, but it's on Facebook somewhere!

Most people today blame the "New Math" or "Common Core," they say things changed...But we all know they didn't. SO what really is the problem? Why do some arrive at the answer 24 while others get 6? And more importantly, how can we nip this problem in the bud before no one can get to the right answer?

We all learned the acronym in school, we know how to do this! The letter stand for: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction....That means we just work the problem in that order. So it look like this:

60/5(7-5)

P first = 60/5(2)

M next = 60/10

D last = 6

Problem Solved!

Not so fast! Remember, some got the answer 24...But how? These math minds are remembering a part of the rule that many tend to forget. We drill that acronym into students  minds, so they think its static...but it's NOT! No. The sub-rule is a left to right order...Yes, the inverse operations are worked TOGETHER in the order they appear in the equation/expression. So Multiplication and division are worked together and addition and subtraction are worked together. So for this particular problem, the acronym would be more accurate if it were written PEDMAS. Sometimes you might even do multiplication, division, then multiplication AGAIN ;) Here's a more accurate image to help sort this out: 

60/5(7-5)

P first = 60/5(2)

D next because it's first = 12*2

M last = 24

That's it! Now we have it!

Here's another one that blew up the internet about 3 years ago...

Again, no idea who the original poster was, but this is everywhere now.

Can you solve it? Leave your explanation in the comments.

Have questions? Ask them in the comments and I'll try to help you sort it out. 

Want to help me clear this confusion up, once and for all? Download the free poster and practice page by clicking the image above. OR, head over to my store and grab a copy of the full unit. It doesn't matter what age you are teaching, or tutoring, no one is "too old" for this lesson. Clearly, otherwise the internet would have solved it years ago! If you and your students would like a little more practice you can pop over to my store and gab a copy of How to Use PEMDAS. Thank you for your support!

Virtual Field Trips For Middle Schoolers

Budget cuts. This time they hit you personally. Those fabulous field trips your students used to look forward to are now off the table. How are you going to replace them?

Thankfully, we live in the digital age. Virtual field trips are not a new concept, but the options and availability are growing and changing as I type this. As a thrifty homeschooling parent, virtual field trips have always been a part of my teaching world, but I realize that the idea may be new for some. SO. How about I share with you 3 of my top picks for virtual field trips perfect for Middle School classrooms. I also am just learning how to use Google Earth to create my own virtual field trips that I can share with my tutoring students, so I'll share what I've learned so far. 

Oh, and btw, this post is linked with a little group of teacher bloggers who are all sharing fresh ideas for teachers, and we are giving away a camera to one of our readers to use in his/her classroom!

1. History/Geography: Beringia

7th and 8th grade students across the country learn about the Beringia Land bridge and how it allowed the first people to find the North American continent. But it seems like ancient history, and no one cares! At least that was the song my 8th graders were singing this year. What if we could bring them there today? What if they could interact with the people and see their customs? Ok, we know we can't, but we can bring the Iditarod Dogsled Race to them!

Start the field trip off with a little geography overview, and add in a little math while you're there! 

Under the "Curriculum" drop-down menu, you chose which direction to take this field trip. Learn how the Iditarod race route has been changed and shaped over time by selecting "Breaking the Trail." Help your History students connect their geography brain to their math brain by clicking "Fastest Team Ever." Or, you may want to help your students personally connect by discovering how people develop a connection to their homeland, by choosing "A Sense of Place."

Each of the pages under Curriculum will provide questions for discussion and extension activities, projects, or videos to help your students dive right into the subject.

2. STEM: Architecture and Design

Students of all ages constantly bemoan math, wondering, "When will I ever use this?" A virtual field trip into the world of various designers and architects quickly answers the question and may open students eyes to some interesting careers. 

You can organize this journey in a number of ways. I start off on the road, at http://mathbydesign.thinkport.org/ This interactive website allows students to explore several careers, but it also provides teachers with tools to promote discussion and extend the experience with activities. Once you've "entered the building" you can decide whether to view videos (each are around 4-5 minutes, covering careers such as a cake designer, sculptor, architect, urban planner, and landscape architect), or try your hand at designing either your own park or environmental center. 

3. Geology: Explore the layers of the Grand Canyon

Our budding scientists either love geology or hate it, I haven't figured out why but there doesn't seem to be much middle ground. Bringin the layers of rock to life will help those disconnected students engage, if even only for a few minutes at a time. And being right there at the base of a 3,000 foot cliff will no doubt encourage your geology-loving students to dig deeper.

This interactive virtual tour offers 3 options. Each option includes pictures, video, and audio. The two guided tours also included quiz-like questions along the way.

DIY with Google Earth

There is a definite learning curve to using Google Earth to create your own virtual field trip. I already said I am just figuring this out, so I'm not quite there yet, I will absolutely share with allI learn along the way!

The first thing I've discovered is that it's really all about the story. The "tour guide" really has to have a definite plan, and be willing to spend some time recording ahead of time. A key component to setting up your virtual field trip is knowing where you want to "pin" your images. There's a tool that looks like the Pinterest pin (only it's yellow), and when you insert the pin you are given a box to label and describe the location. You can include as many images as you'd like at that location. 

Once you've added all of the locations, you can reorganize them into the desired order, and then start moving along the route. As you move along the route, you'll record your commentary (if you want to include it in the tour). As I was playing around with this, creating a field trip of a recent vacation I wanted to share with my extended family, I thought that this might be a great way to prepare for a lesson you really want to teach, but know you'll be unable to teach yourself. A homeschooling, tutoring momma has no need for sub plans, so if any of you have ever done this, or venture in this direction, I'd love to hear all about it!

Do you have a favorite virtual field trip you've used before, and plan to use again? Please share it with the rest of us in the comments below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway