Social Emotional Learning Slides

Do you ever have a picture in your mind of something that you want to use, so you scour the internet, Teachers Pay Teachers, blogs, etc. and still can't find what you are looking for? This happened to me with my SEL lessons. I was not happy with the program that the county I worked for at the time used. I wanted something that was going to follow the same routine each week and just swap out the topic and activities. 

So I started working on this project in the summer of 2024 and built it throughout the year. I have gone back and fixed things that I discovered worked better as I was using the slides and now I am ready to share with everyone!

Each week follows the same routine.

Monday - Introduce SEL Focus

• ask the same three questions: what does it look like, sound like, and feel like?
• show a short video to introduce the topic

Tuesday - Read Aloud

• I tried to include 2 different books to choose from for each SEL focus
• I also tried to include a link to a video of the book being read aloud if possible

Wednesday - Activity

• the activities that were planned for Wednesdays tend to be more hands-on or independent activities that allow the student to explore the SEL focus

Thursday - Let's Chat

• one slide has a quote that students should think about the meaning of and how it relates to the SEL focus for the week
• one slide has a what would you do scenario for students to think about and discuss with a partner or whole group

Friday - Fun Activity

• this day is a little different each week depending on the topic, it may be a whole class or small group activity or it will sometimes be another independent task

Check out the entire Kindness Slides here!

Check out the SEL tab on my blog to see all of the slides.

Social Emotional Learning Topics Included:

• Awareness
• Choices
• Circle of Control
• Consequences
• Diversity
• Empathy
• Express Yourself
• Flexibility
• Friendship
• Goals
• Gratitude
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Kindness
• Listening
• Mindfulness
• Organization
• Patience
• Perseverance
• Power of Yet
• Respect
• Safety
• Self-Advocacy
• Self-Controls
• Sportsmanship
• Teamwork
• Time Management
• Values
• Work Ethic
• Zen

It Doesn't Actually Get Easier

I had a few different interactions this week that got me thinking. I know that I have been guilty of saying this as well, but we really need to stop telling teachers (especially new teachers) that it gets easier. Here me out...

The first couple years of a teacher's career is about learning WHAT to teach. You focus on learning the standards, learning the curriculum, working to build lesson plans, and figure out how to manage the classroom. Often during those first few years you either rely heavily on others to give you lessons/resources or you rely heavily on using the curriculum as it is handed to you. And guess what, this is absolutely fine as you navigate the world of education.

However, after those first couple of years is when people think that teaching gets easier. There may be some aspects of the job that get easier, for example, classroom management and organization. But now a shift occurs. By year 3-4, the focus needs to shift from what to teach to HOW to teach it best to your students. Assuming that you have stayed in the same grade and the standards or curriculum haven't changed, teachers must now think about how they can teach the content better. You have learned that there is not curriculum/program that is perfect. So at this point teachers will begin to put in extra work to take the resources given to them and make it better to fit the needs of the students in their classroom.

Even veteran teachers have to work hard if they want to truly do a good job teaching their students. Each year we are given a set of students. This group of students is never the same as the year before. They have different interests, different learning styles, different abilities, and the list goes on. As a teacher we must use what is given to us or even what we have created previously and adapt it for the current class. Just this past week I had to put in some work to think about how to teach the topic of factors. I used my resources from last year and it just wasn't working for my current students. I did some research and tried some new things. If I wanted to take the easy way out then I could have just said oh well and kept moving forward without my students understanding.

While teaching may not get easier year after year, what teachers do gain is experience. This experience helps you work more efficiently, helps you make better decisions, and helps you build your catalog of resources for you to store away for those times when you have to pivot and teach something a different way.

If it doesn't get easier, then why do we do it? Because of the kids. Year after year, watching students learn and grow is so rewarding.

To all the new teachers, hang in there. While I won't say that it gets easier, I will say that it does get better. As you gain that experience, you will learn what works and what doesn't and you will be able to make better decisions that will affect your students and yourself. 

**Side note - I know that everyone's experience teaching is different. I have been in schools where the climate was toxic, the support from admin didn't exist, and things just never felt like they would get better. I also know that teaching is not for everyone. The words above are my experience and for all of us to think about keeping things realistic when talking to new teachers.

Top 5 FREE Tech Tools for Teachers

I wanted to share my current, Summer 2024, top favorite tools that are FREE!

www.flaticon.com

This website has almost any icon that you can imagine. Most of the icons come in a black and white version as well as two different color versions. The free version of this website allows you to use the icons for personal use or commercial use with attribution. The paid version will allow you to use icons without attribution. It will also allow you to customize the icons by changing the colors. I use this website while creating things for my classroom ALL the time.

https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/toolbox/

If you have been learning about the Science of Reading/LETRS training, then this website will be your best friend. The toolbox website has slides for every single phonics lesson starting with the basic alphabet letter sounds to all the way to words with prefixes and suffixes. Along with the slides are decodable passages for each lesson, home practice activities, and roll and read practice pages. My school also purchased the manuals that come from UFLI which gives you a the wording to use for the lessons, but the resources on this website are all completely free and I used them for months without the manual.

www.canva.com

This website is not new by any means, but it is a website that all teachers should sign up for. I had played around with this website before, but this year I started using it for a lot more. I used it to create mini anchor charts for my students' notebooks, pages for students to capture notes, icons, slide backgrounds, and even had my students use the video editor tool to create a documentary for one of their writing projects. My goal this year is to use it more with the students and explore even more of the features that it has to offer.

https://www.briskteaching.com/

Our digital learning coach shared this tool with me this school year and while I haven't used all of the tools yet, it was definitely a gamechanger for creating resources for my students. When you install this extension it places an icon at the bottom right of your screen. My favorite use was going to a website that I wanted my students to explore and using the button to change the level of the text. It would take the website information and put it into a Google Doc while changing the text complexity to the grade level of your choice. Once you have the article in a Google Doc, you can then have the extension create a quiz to go along with the article. The free version of this tool will also allow you to create lesson plans, rubrics, translations, newsletters, etc. There is a paid version that will give you even more resources, but the free version has been pretty awesome so far.

https://www.boddlelearning.com/

I discovered this learning website about halfway through the school year, so I decided to start having my students explore it and test it out for the next year. One thing that I love it has both math and reading activities. Students take a placement type test at the beginning that gives them a starting point. I don't know how accurate this is because some of my students were doing kindergarten/first grade math and they were clearly way above that level. I think it did adjust as they completed lessons, but that is something I will investigate further when I use it this coming school year. You can turn on/off different features so that the focus can be on the lessons rather than all of the extra stuff. The main thing I did with it was assign students lessons based on the standards that we were learning during whole group. As students complete assignments, if they need help there are videos that will explain how to do whatever the standard the question is on. One thing I will say is that the students were extremely engaged.

Home.

My school year reflection is a little later than usually this year. We went away to the mountains for my son's birthday and Father's Day and then I had a major surgery so things have been just a little busy.

I also didn't want to rush this reflection because this year was different. This was my second school since I moved to North Carolina two years ago. I loved my school last year. I worked with amazing people, but I knew about halfway through the year that I wasn't going to stay there because it was too far from home and so I put a wall up. I changed my mindset. I showed up, I did my job, and I was cordial to people I worked with, but I didn't attempt to make lasting relationships.

I wanted my new school to be different. I wanted this school to be my new home. A place where I want to stay for an extended time because let's be honest moving classrooms and schools year after year is absolutely no fun. As soon as I met the principal and math coach at the job fair I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I even remember the principal telling me to go talk to other schools and if I thought it would be a good fit to come back. So I did and after 5 minutes I was back at her table saying sign me up, I want the job!

Since I was hired in April, I was invited the next week to stop by my new school to check it out before the school year ended. Right away I felt comfortable there. The people were inviting, the students were welcoming, and everything seemed focused on the students and teachers and what they needed.

Fast forward to August and the excitement and nerves of the new year. I remember showing up the first day and not even knowing where my classroom was to having multiple teachers working together to unload my car, finding furniture to put in my room, and showing me all around the building. I know it's cliché but the culture of a school is truly the first thing you notice when you walk into a building.

This year was a whirlwind. Being in a new grade level, still somewhat new state, new county, new school meant learning all of the new things. I would be lying if I said that the beginning of the year wasn't a struggle. It took time to learn what worked best for my students and myself. I feel like I changed things a million times.

It also took time to feel comfortable advocating for what was best for my students. Being the new person often means being a rule follower and teaching how and what the state/county wants you to. But I also know as a veteran teacher that boxed curriculums don't work for all kids. Once I got in my groove of using curriculum as a tool and remembered to put the kids first things got much better.

It also helped that the fourth grade team is freaking amazing. When I was feeling lost or overwhelmed they were my safe place. They were easy to talk to, full of resources, and always willing to listen. I started building relationships around the school. It started to feel like home. This is a place that I want to not only come back to next year, but year after year.

So as this year wrapped up and I got into summer mode the word that just kept coming to mind was home. While home can have different meanings for everyone, to me it is a place of comfort. It is a place where I (and everyone!) feel welcome. I am proud to call this school my home. I am also REALLY excited to not move all of my stuff again! Ha!

Back to School Teacher Tired

I completely forgot how exhausting the beginning of the school year can be!

It is the currently the last day of September and I think I finally feel like things are going smoothly. 

The first week of school is survival mode. The goal: get kids into the classroom, teach them expectations, attempt to learn all of their names, and get them home safely. 

The second week of school is learning mode for the teacher. The goal: learn all the things about your students that will make your teaching effective. This may be assessments, observing them complete tasks, allowing them to explore and work together. Doing these things while attempting to begin teaching curriculum can be a lot mentally, but it is so important to make things go smoothly once you are really diving into curriculum.

The third week of school is trial and error mode. This was the week that I attempted to run writing, math, and reading blocks with all the things in motion. We did whole group and attempted to do small groups/centers. I learned what works and what didn't work for my students. I ditched things I thought were going to work and tried new things to find the methods, organization, and activities that were going to work for my students. It would be easy to just do the same things year after year, but as my principal says we work for children. What worked for last years students, might not work for this my class this year.

The fourth week of school is go time. This is the week that hopefully things are ready to go. You are four weeks into the curriculum. Whole group is going smoothly. After the trial and errors of the previous week, small groups should be good to go. Lots of planning involved to make sure all materials are set. Oh and by the way, after week four you are about halfway through the first quarter so make sure all of your grading is up to date because those progress reports will be due soon!

This serves as my reminder to give myself grace. The first month is BUSY. Keep doing all the things, but make sure to take time for yourself. Pick a night to leave your computer at school or in your bag. Attempt to pick a day to get your planning done for the week. Stay after school one day to get your copies made for the entire week.

Most importantly, breathe. If things don't go as planned just smile and pretend it was supposed to go that way!

Teacher Discounts

This blog post is going to share some of the easy ways to get a discount for being a teacher outside of Teacher Appreciation Week!

First and foremost, ALWAYS check your school district's employee benefits page. I have been in 3 different counties now and they all offered something different, but they at least offered some type of discounts or offers for being an employee of that county.

My current county gives their employees access to a website called Tickets At Work which offers discounts on travel, tickets, and more at places around the country. Also, check with the state you teach in because some states (like North Carolina) teachers are considered state employees which can give you access to discounts as well. I haven't tried it, but someone told me that when you stay at hotels in North Carolina as a state employee you can receive a discount.

The next 2 websites I found because my husband is in the military, but they also have a sign up for teachers as well!

ID.me

This website is the first place I look whenever I am planning to travel or purchase something at a store. There are over 500 participating companies that offer discounts to teachers. You will need to sign up with your school email in order for them to prove your status.

Gov.x

This website is similar to id.me, but it also includes more opportunities to save on travel, sporting events, theme parks, and more! You will need to sign up with your school email. I also had to put in my teacher licence state and number so that it can look up your teaching status.

This is the website that I used to get free tickets to the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC for 2 years in a row now.

Retail Stores Offering Teacher Discounts: (links take you to the educator discount page)

Michael's - 15% discount

JoAnn's Fabric - 15% discount

Barnes & Noble - their Educator Discount ended in April 2023, but they are offering educators a free year of their Premium Membership which includes many discounts and perks. It will cost $39.99 per year after that free year so don't forget to cancel!

Target - if you have Target Circle, you can verify that you are a teacher and receive different discounts throughout the year (as of July 2023 there is a one time 20% off your entire purchase)

Loft - 15% discount

There are many other retail stores as well, I always carry my ID badge with me and always ask if they offer a teacher discount. The worst they can say is no :) Here is also a link to the NEA website which has a list of other places that offer discounts as well.

Utilities:

Check with your cell phone provider for a discount on your plan. I have used this with Verizon and am currently using it with AT&T. 

Electronics:

Some of the big tech companies will offer discounts throughout the year. 

Apple often has a back to school deal (I scored free Air Pods one year for purchasing a computer!)

Dell has an Educator Marketplace that looks to offer 10% off year round.

Lenovo - their discount sometimes changes throughout the year, but if you sign up for ID.me above you can access their discount

Books:

Scholastic has great deals throughout the year, especially if you use their book clubs. You earn points for all of the purchases for your classroom that you can redeem for a variety of items.

First Book Marketplace - if you work in a Title 1 school you are eligible for this book marketplace. They have many discounted books available for your classroom. They also have books for free at different times throughout the year when different companies sponsor them. Sign up for emails to stay up to date!

The following apps are not specific to teachers, but I wanted to include them as additional ways to save!

Upside - This app allows you to earn cash back at many gas stations across the country and even some restaurants and grocery stores. From someone who used to travel 45 minutes to and from work each day, it does add up. I just let the money sit there until it builds up and then you have the option of cashing out for a variety of gift cards or send the money directly to your bank account. Use this CODE (MK892) to earn an extra 20 cents/gallon cash back the first time you use the app!

Fetch - This app allows you to earn points every time you scan a receipt. I love this one because you don't have to look for the items you are going to buy ahead of time, you just scan your receipt and it looks for any special offers. Use this CODE (7V6P85) when you sign up to earn bonus points after you scan your first receipt!

Happy Saving!

Do What Makes YOU Happy

I saw a post earlier today and it got me thinking. The post mentioned that this person was feeling down because they didn't feel like they were an "expert" at anything. I commented back that there was no need to be an expert at any one thing, but to just focus on the few things that this person feels they are good at.

This particular post also mentioned the impostor syndrome. This is something that I hear so much about in the education world. I absolutely love social media and how it has helped me connect with so many other educators around the world, but I hate that it makes people feel a certain way because of the people that post something super creative they use in the classroom or post about the latest and greatest edtech tool that you haven't even tried out yet or all the cutesy stuff we see from the primary education people.

Moment of honesty... I went through this. I used to be that person. I was always up to date with the newest tool to use in the classroom. I had the blog post that went viral and got noticed by a big name company. I had people following me for the things I was creating in the classroom. Then life happened. The pandemic made us all slow down and completely rethink what works in education. Health concerns made me prioritize other things. I wanted to start being more present for my kids and husband.

Also, guess what? No one can stay an expert at something for long! The world is changing. Technology has and is continuing to change. The world of education changes every single year (maybe even a week or month). The challenge of trying to keep up with everything while also continuing to work and have a life can be hard. Don't stress about being an expert at something. Find your niche. What are you passionate about? What makes you happy? What makes you get up and want to go to work each day? Those are the things to focus on. Those are the things to make yourself "good" at. No experts needed.

I used to want to be that expert. I wanted to know all the things. I wanted to create all the things. Then I realized there are so many other people out there doing the same thing. Yes, I still enjoy creating things for myself, but you better believe I search the internet to see if someone has already created what I am looking for first! Work smarter, not harder right?!

So while social media may make you feel like you are not an expert, the most important part is to stay true to yourself. Find what you are good at and stick with it!

Find YOU. Be YOU. Do what makes YOU happy.

 

Higher ed degrees... worth it?

When I first decided I wanted to get a teaching license back in 2008, I already had a bachelor's degree in a non-education field, so it made sense for me to get my master's degree while pursuing my teaching license. I was in the state of Virginia at the time and they were also pushing people who wanted to get their teaching license to get their master's degree because it allowed them to be considered "highly qualified". To be honest, I don't feel like the master's degree made me any more qualified than those who get their teacher degrees at the bachelor's level. In Virginia and Maryland (where I taught after Virginia) both compensated teachers for receiving higher degrees. However, now that I am in North Carolina, I am learning that they do not compensate for a degree higher than bachelor's, unless you received it before a certain date. (Luckily mine was earned before this date!)

So this made me think... why do we continue to push teachers to spend money out of their own pockets to pursue a higher degree. Do "master" level courses really make you any more knowledgeable than "regular" courses that can be taken to continue learning? I have taken many different courses throughout my career and honestly, some of the better ones have been the quick, more specific, professional development courses taken through a local online college for MUCH less than a masters-level course.

I saw numerous colleagues in Maryland continue to pursue higher degrees so that they could move up to a different pay scale and make more money, but is it truly worth it? The time, effort, and money that go into completing a degree is A LOT. You know what would help, if states/counties would compensate teachers like the professionals that we are. Teachers should not have to work multiple jobs, have roommates, or rely on a significant other's income in order to survive day-to-day living.

Let's go back to this idea of "highly qualified". Why do we feel a master's degree makes one highly qualified? Are you trying to tell me, that me, a brand new teacher that just so happens to have a master's degree, is more qualified at teaching than someone who has been there 3-5 or more years?? I feel like there are WAY more other ways that we could determine if a teacher is highly qualified than pushing them into debt to get a degree that may or may not enhance their teaching.

Now, some may disagree with this, but I do feel like National Board Certification is a great way to achieve the highly qualified status. I know that some states compensate for this certification as well and it cost WAY less than getting an additional degree. It allows you to showcase the great things you are doing in the classroom along with the knowledge of education (shown on a test in component 1).

I'm starting to ramble, so let's wrap this up. Teachers, before you go for that higher degree, please make sure that it is going to truly help you in your education career!

Rebranding Myself

I've decided to start over. To reorganize my online presence. So I'm "rebranding myself" just sounds right. I don't have a brand that I am trying to sell, but I do enjoy blogging and creating things for school, my kids, and just life in general so why not put them altogether?

I have been all over the place in the past. I focused on education content for awhile, then changed to focusing on cooking and recipes, then kids came into the picture and I created content for them. Then I had some life changing stuff I went through the past 2 years. It gets messy when things are in 10 different places, so why not combine them all into one!

So here we are! Welcome!

My name is Amber Potter. I have been teaching since 2010. I have taught in Virginia, Maryland, and now North Carolina. I was married in 2013 and have two wonderful kids. I enjoy cooking, coffee, playing golf, and being creative.

As the tagline says, this blog will be a little bit education, a little bit parenting, and a little about life. Welcome aboard, I hope you enjoy the ride! 

Chapter 37 loading...

I have just begun my 37th trip around the sun and this one was a little more special than others.

Year 36 saw a lot. I finished chemo, started and finished radiation, dealt with my husband being sick and in and out of the hospital multiple times, the entire family getting COVID, and that is just the health side of things.

We also decided this was the year to make the leap. We have been wanting to move south to be closer to family for a few years now. I worried that after all of our health scares last year that we wouldn't be able to do it because of work, health insurance, etc.

But we did it. I started looking for jobs in March and landed a teaching position at what I have heard is an amazing school near Raleigh. We started looking for houses in April and again we landed our dream house within a few weeks.

Then began the emotional part of saying goodbye. The first time we moved from Virginia to Maryland was more exciting than sad because we had just bought our first house, we had friends in Maryland already, and there were no kids involved. This time our move involved two kids having to say goodbye to their friends that they had made over the past few years. It also included me saying goodbye to my school that I had been at for the past 9 years. You don't realize the relationships that have been built with not only your coworkers, but families that attend the school. I have had so many siblings that I have taught over the years and some of them still had younger siblings that were looking forward to possibly having me in 5th grade.

As we get settled into our new house, new state, and new normal I am reminded why we made this move. Our kids have already stayed at their grandpa's house a few times giving my husband and I a kid-free date night or to go play golf. We also hosted a birthday cookout with family yesterday with my aunt and grandma. We are going to see my husband's aunt this week and I get to see my mom for dinner. This right here is my reason why. I absolutely love being close to family.

In 17 days I get to meet my new school family and I am so excited to start this next chapter in my educational journey!

For now though, going back to enjoying my summer break. 😎

Google Slides Can Do That!

When my principal shared with us back in December best practices that we should be doing in the classroom, I felt the collective sigh from the staff members who felt like this is just one more thing we needed to do. Many of the best practices were things that we already know how to do, but we needed a way to do them in a more digital-friendly way to accommodate our new norm of using technology to teach.

I also wanted to showcase how technology can help you work smarter, not harder (one of my favorite sayings!) by having things saved in one place or preparing your objectives, lessons, etc. ahead of time.

Enter Google Slides!

Check out the presentation below to see how I use Google Slides to...

• create objectives
• monitor students
• create manipulatives (both printable and digital)
• create writing assignments
• organize small group instruction
• easily manage rotations/centers
• create a word wall
• organize HOT questions for the entire school
• have active discussions
• create or organize anchor charts

Google Slides Can Do That!

Patience, Flexibility, Forgiveness, and Empathy

I wrote this blog post during the spring of 2020 as we first began our adventure with distance learning. I wanted to share it again because these four words are still so true during my virtual learning experience.

It is easy to want to jump back into the normal routine of school. Curriculum, assignments, attendance, grades, tests... the list can go on and on, but one thing we have to remember is that this is not normal. What we are dealing with while trying to virtually from home or the school building, or teaching in a hybrid format with some kids at home and others in the building is something that we have never been through before.

Yes, it is important that we continue to teach the curriculum and assess the students throughout the year to see what they are learning, we also have to do it with patience, flexibility, forgiveness, and empathy. We don't know what all these kids are having to deal with at home while they are also trying to complete school on the computer. I have had students tell me, I will be back I need to help my sister get logged into class or I will be back I need to get a bottle for my baby sister, or hold on I need to help my mom with something. These kids (especially my 5th graders) are now not able to just focus on school like they would in the building, oftentimes they are still taking care of things in their household WHILE going to school.

On the flipside of this, I am home trying to teach my classes, while my daughter attends kindergarten virtually on the computer. Honestly, she has done amazing, but then I also hear other parents sitting next to their kindergarteners helping them navigate this unknown world of virtual school and i feel guilty that I can't be there next to her. Luckily her teacher has these four words down, because there will be weeks where we will do all of her assignments on the weekend because at the end of the day when I can finally help her, she is exhausted and doesn't want to do anything school related. And you know what, what is ok with me.

While I have been preaching to have patience, flexibility, forgiveness, and empathy with our students, it is also SO important to have these four things for YOURSELF as well. 

Have patience with yourself, whether you are working and trying to help your kids with school or you are teacher trying to teach in a virtual or hybrid setting, please know that you have not done this before. It won't be perfect, but if you have patience it just may work out.

Have flexibility with yourself. Those dishes sitting in the sink after a long day will still be there the next day. The laundry that is piling up, it will get done eventually. Again, we are not living in normal times right now. The day-to-day things we were used to doing are going to look different right now.

Forgive yourself. Especially look at your moms. Mom guilt can feel so strongly right now. I already mentioned that I feel guilty I can't help my daughter more with her school, but you know what, her teacher knows our situation and completely understands. Some nights my kids don't have the best dinners or get a bath, but it's ok. They are happy and healthy and that is all that matters.

Lastly, have empathy for yourself. We are living in times that we would never have predicted a year ago. Celebrate the little things. Made it through the day? Cheers! Cooked dinner for the family? Success! Took a shower and got dressed in regular clothes? Pour another glass of wine! :-)

Patience. Flexibility. Forgiveness. Empathy.

We will make it!

What's Next??

I have mentioned before that I am ready to take the leap and leave the classroom. I just feel that I am ready to do bigger and better things. But my issue is always, what't next?? What is it that I want to do next in my educational journey.

A couple of years ago I decided to get my Admin 1 certification. I thought maybe getting into administration is what I would like to do next. While I have had many people tell me that I would be good in administration, I am just not sure if deep down I want that to be the next step. 

After I finished my certification, I taught for another year in the classroom and then decided to apply for assistant principal. I made it into the second phase and then was told I wouldn't be getting to the next round where I would interview for a position. Deep down I was kind of happy because again I just wasn't sure this is what I wanted.

In the fall I was invited to attend an aspiring leader's program. This program is focusing on the role of assistant principal and has taught me a lot about not just administration, but how to be a good leader in general. It is also helping me realize that I am just not sure it is the next step for me.

One thing that I really enjoy when it comes to teaching is helping other teachers. I enjoy being able to share resources/thoughts, support ideas, and answer questions. I really struggle internally when I see a teacher who needs this extra support and I am not able to fully help or support them because I am still in the classroom. This is especially hard when it comes to new teachers. I was so fortunate that during my first few years of teaching I had a very supportive math resource teacher, reading resource teacher, and instructional coach to help get me through those years when we are just trying to stay afloat.

I know a lot of people say this, but we HAVE to find a way to support our teachers. Teaching is tough. I am in year 11 and I still feel like I am trying to figure things out. Now, we are throwing in this pandemic teaching. Some are 100% virtual, some are hybrid, and some are in the classroom trying to figure out how to teach with social distancing.

The more I think about it, I think my first step out of the classroom needs to be some type of teacher support role. Whether it is resource teacher, coach, mentor, whatever, I need to help my teachers. Because ultimately when you are helping the teachers, you are helping the kids and that is where my heart is.

My goal in 2021 is to make things happen. Somewhere out there my job is waiting for me, I just have to find it.

https://sites.google.com/view/amberpotter/home

Instagram: @mrspotterstyle

Twitter: @apotter730

Into the Unknown

As we enter 2021, we have made it almost halfway through the craziness of virtual kindergarten. In June I wrote a blog post about how I wasn't sure what kindergarten would look like for my then 5 year old.

We found out in August that she would be starting off 100% virtual. The school started kindergarten off with a gradual entry. The parents met with the teacher one day. Our daughter met with the teacher one day. Then they had a couple of days where they just had morning meetings. During the third week of school, they followed a full schedule.

The school created a schedule that they felt would work the best for these kinder babies. They have a morning meeting, phonics in one of three small groups (the other time is supposed to be independent time), math, a 2 hour break for lunch/recess, then small groups in the afternoon for science/social studies/health/reading. Lastly they have specials at the end of the day.

At first I loved this schedule. I thought it would be good for the kids to have extended breaks from the computer. However, as we have progressed through this year, I have discovered that these long breaks are HARD. Unfortunately, she has a break from 10:55am to 1:50pm because she is in the last group in the afternoon. I have two, hour-long classes that I teach during this break so it is hard for me to help her with independent work and she won't do it on their own.

Even with the struggle around the working independently, it has been AMAZING to watch this kid navigate this virtual learning like a pro. She absolutely loves being on the computer with her teacher. She loves to tell her "friends" on the Google Meet that they are her best friends, even though they haven't met. She has learned sight words, letter sounds, how to add/subtract, understand greater than and less than. She is starting to read. All of this has been accomplished while learning on a computer.

The things that these kids are accomplishing right now is nothing short of amazing. They are learning to navigate technology, programs, online assignments, etc. during a pandemic. All while dealing with who knows what at home. 

We continue to venture into the unknown as we begin 2021. Many counties are continuing virtual learning with no idea when or if we will return to the school building. Keeping positive thoughts. This may not always be easy, but these kids are resilient. 

You Do YOU

When I first started blogging, I wasn't sure of my purpose. I knew that I wanted to share my resources and my story, but I would get disappointed when only 1 or 2 people would view a blog post.

Then I stopped myself and said, wait a minute... why do I care about how many views I get?? I'm not trying to become some social media influencer. I had to check myself and think why I really was doing this blog. Deep down I realized that I am doing this for ME!

I use this blog as a way to clear my thoughts. I use this as a way to share my resources, even if it is with only one other person. I use this as a portfolio where I can quickly find those resources that I felt confident enough to share with the public. It all boils down to me. I am doing this for me.

The reason I wanted to write about this is because I see SO many different personalities on social media, especially Twitter. It is kind of scary that social media has become a place where people feel they can bully others because they are hidden behind a screen. It has also become a place where people feel they can't have different opinions than others. I'm all about standing up for something you believe in, but attacking someone just because their opinion is different than yours is just mean.

The sad thing is that many of the people I follow on Twitter are teachers or in the education world, where we teach children to show respect towards others or teach them how to respectfully disagree, but then the ADULTS get on social media and do the complete opposite of what they teach in the classroom.

I was always taught that if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. There are some people that need to learn how to scroll past things they don't like or disagree with or even just click that lovely UNFOLLOW button.

When it comes to the social media world, you need to think of your purpose. 

Maybe you do want to become a social media influencer and gain a large following, that's awesome. You do you.

Maybe you want to join just to follow other people and don't feel like posting. That's cool. You do you.

Maybe you want to just post every now and then. That's great. You do you.

Just remember. it doesn't matter what ANYONE else thinks about you. All you need to worry about is YOURSELF.

You do YOU!

https://sites.google.com/view/amberpotter/home 

Instagram: @mrspotterstyle

Twitter: @apotter730

It's OK to Not Be OK - Update

Last year I started writing on a different blog that I soon after abandoned. I was looking through some of those posts from a year ago and decided to bring some of them back with a flash forward update since SO much has happened in a year.

I wrote this blog post about the beginning of school in 2019. Little did I know what life would be like a year later. This blog brought up so many emotions. I was not happy at the beginning of the year, and the school year was definitely stressful for various reasons. But I made the best of it and we had a good year, even with the crazy ending.

What I found interesting as I reread this blog post was my lack of effort in trying to find something new. I finally decided to put in my AP application last year. I was moved forward to the second phase of the interview process, but didn't make it pass the data analysis task. My feedback basically made it look like I left out one thing they were looking for. I was pretty disappointed, but I was also unsure of what this school year was going to look like and felt comfort in returning to the position that I left in the spring. I'm still ready for something new, but I just wasn't sure what that should be with a new school year starting off working from home, while my kindergartener was also learning from home. I was going to be teaching a grade and subject that I have taught the past few years so I wouldn't have to be learning anything new.

However, this year has still left me feeling like I am missing out on something. So this fall I have began talking and networking. I have kept in contact with my previous principals and assistant principals who are in new roles. I am trying to be active on Twitter and putting myself out there. This is going to be the year where I will put in the effort to move up. I'm in the aspiring leaders cohort for my county. I'm going to apply and follow-up. I'm writing it into existence.

September 2019:

I come across as one of those people that always has it together. On the outside it's just how I am. However, what happens is that all of the stuff that I am trying to hide inside will build up until my body and mind can't handle it all and I tend to have some sort of meltdown. Sometimes this looks like me calling my mom and just venting until my heart is content. Other times it may be me crying in the shower when I'm finally alone. I am working on how to handle these feelings.

I began to notice that I wasn't ok at the beginning of the school year. I typically LOVE back to school time because it's like New Year's Day. New students to welcome, decorating the classroom, spending time with coworkers I haven't seen all summer. It is usually a time I associate with fun and excitement. There are definitely stressors that go along with the beginning of a new school year, but it is typically the same types of things each year (will I have enough time to get my room ready? how many meetings do I have to sit through? what new things do we have to do this year?) We went back on a Thursday and throughout those two days I was just overwhelmed and busy. Moving classrooms, new team members, still adjusting to a new administration team.

Then the next week began and I kept hitting my snooze button in the mornings (unusual for me). When I got home in the evenings I sat around and didn't really do a whole lot. Dishes needed to be done. Laundry was piling up. I would put the kids to bed around 8pm and immediately went to bed as well. I was spending time in my classroom with my door closed. I just felt numb. I did the basics. I showed up, attended meetings, worked in my room, and went home. I realized after a few days of feeling like this that something wasn't right.

Why was I feeling this way? What should I do about it?

These are probably the toughest questions for someone feeling like this. I've been through a depression before and luckily knew that was the path I was headed down. So I sat down one night and made myself think. What was truly causing me to feel this way? Deep down I was feeling regret. I was wondering what if?

Side story... this past spring I finished a certificate program that gave me an Administration 1 certification. This certification opens up to new possibilities in leadership within the education world. This past summer I did apply for a few other jobs outside of the classroom, but I didn't do much more than fill out an application. I'm not sure why I didn't push harder for these new positions, but I didn't.

Side story #2... our daughter turns 5 this November. We decided to register her for pre-kindergarten at our local school. We don't automatically qualify because of various reasons so we were put on a waiting list, but were told by the principal and the teacher that in the 5 years they had been there, they had never been full so everyone on the waiting list usually got in. If she were to get into this school, then my current position in the classroom would allow me to leave in enough time to be home and get her off the bus in the afternoons. Flash forward to August and we hadn't heard anything from the school, so my husband called and we were told they were full and that our daughter is on a waiting list and we would know more in mid-September.

So here I was sitting in my 5th grade classroom frustrated that I didn't push harder to try to get a new job. Many of my close co-workers left and got new positions that they loved. I was seeing all of their happy stories and wondering what if? What if I had emailed the principal of the school where I had put in an application? What if I wouldn't have worried about trying to be home at a certain time? What if I had tried just a little harder?

It was almost the first day of school and I realized I needed to pull myself together. The jobs were in the past. Our daughter was still going to a great daycare. I had new kids coming on Tuesday and they needed me to be at my best. So what did I do? I picked up the phone and called my mom. She's great at listening and is often my voice of reason when I'm feeling down. (everyone needs that person...I see a future post coming)

While I knew that I still wasn't feeling my best self, I accepted that it was ok to not feel ok. I worked on getting up in the morning, finding the positives in my day, talking with my co-workers, and realizing that I can make every day amazing a little bit at a time. It wasn't going to happen overnight, but I'm ok with that.

I saw this quote online and felt like it deserved to be in this post. I don't know who came up with it and I tried to find who to give credit to online, but was unsuccessful. This is NOT my quote.

My self-care list:

• paint my nails - sometimes I do it myself, sometimes I treat myself to a salon
• workout/run - I'm really good at making excuses, but some days even just 1 mile on the elliptical makes me feel so much better
• take a long, hot shower alone - this is for my fellow mommas out there, taking a shower without kids in the bathroom is a luxury
• go shopping alone - see above :-)
• call my friends - sometimes some girl talk is all we need