YET: A Mindset Change

I have tried so many times to sit down and write a blog post about the power of that word YET! Every time I tried, I would just stop. It never felt like the right. Then last night, an amazing follower named Susan asked me on Facebook about it when she saw a picture of my interwrite board.

Here is a closer look at it!

I started using this word at the end of the school year last year. I saw children really changing who they were as students. 

Now before I explain, let me tell you how I got to this point. 

Several months ago, Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasbord wrote a blog post about the word because. Jen Jones from Hello Literacy had spoken at his school in October and really talked about how when we use why with students, it creates a panic in them. When we say because it opens the conversation and makes it more positive. To read more about that, Click HERE! So that leads me into YET! 

I had read lots of articles about mindset but last summer my district offered a PD talking mindset and writing. I signed up and went. I sat and listened to all the discussion about fixed and growth mindset. Fixed doesnt want to change and Growth see what they can do to change. 

What? We can change our minds? This was so unique to me. I know it sounds silly but this just really changed ME. I teach in a school with children who come to school not knowing their names sometimes or how to recognize their names. I hear voices say," They don't know their names?" 

Yep! I have had students that didnt call their names. So, when they come to school, they just fill that they will never improve. Well, I cant sit back and let a child feel that way. I have struggled for years to figure it out. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP THEM?

That is where the word YET comes in. After the workshop, they discussed how telling students when they say they can't, to say YET would begin the change of mindset. Hence last school, year the YET card arrived. 

I went in powerpoint and just made a square design with the word on it. A few weeks into school, I had a student just break down and cry. He was in sheer panic in writing class. He just kept saying he couldn't do it. I remember I walked to the board and pointed to the world. I said you can't YET!!!! From that moment on, I hardly ever heard can't again. 

This year I went to another training discussing Assessments but in the beginning she asked for the most powerful word in the classroom. I proudly said YET! The trainer was excited but I was just glad I had word with it the school year before. 

There are many books out there about mindset. I will be real honest, I have not stopped to read them for I thought I would share the two that are on  my list about mindset. 

Click HERE to read about it.

Click HERE to read about it.

So here is my challenge to you! When you hear that word, go point to the word yet. Explain that they may not not how to now but they will. It will take hard work and time but it WILL happen. 

As part of my challenge I thought I would offer you the letters that I used in my room. I just copied them on different colored card stock. Now it left me with 2 extra sets so I had a couple colleagues that I gave them to and they are using them all the time as well. So remember you can share this with a friend. 

SAMPLE letter Click HERE for FREEBIE!

Winner Wednesday: Spelling Made Simple

Well today is my first day of school! So why not have a little giveaway in honor of that. Today I'm teaming up with Jessica from A Dab of Glue Will Do for her monthly linky Winner Wednesday.

This month I figure we are all gearing up to go back to teaching or have already started like me. I decided to give away my newest product. 

This product is a labor of love. It has ABC order, WORD ART, write words, use them in a story and sentence, Rainbow write, etc.  You will be able to type in the words that you want to use. I have a menu that you can type up for your parents. 

If you would like to win. Just fill out the rafflecopter with your name and email. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tell All Tuesday: A Goal, A Wish, & A Dream

I can't believe that it is that time again for Tell All Tuesday. The difference this time is that this will be our last one! I have love teaming up with my girls Diana from My Day in K and Jayme from Teach Talk Inspire. 

This week we are ending with A Goal, A Wish, & A Dream.

This was a  tough one for me to do. I think it is because with my school year starting TOMORROW, I wanted it to be relevant to this new journey. 

GOAL: I have been sssssllllllloooooowwwwwllllllyyyyyy working on getting Whole Brain Teaching. I hope that in the next few months that I can really get that certification done and help others that want to learn WBT. There are so many curious people in my district and it would be great to be able to train them. 

WISH: My district just rolled a new BGISD Foundation and this foundation is allowing us to create our dream classroom. $15,000 will be awarded to 3 teachers. That is $5,000 a classroom. They will gut your room and fix it up before the kids come back from Fall Break. Well, this girl is going to apply. I am so stoked. I feel like Hope King and her classroom reveal. Can you image the opportunity to have your room just changed. If I win, I am getting my reading loft! LOL!

DREAM: My dream is simple, I want to head to Atlanta to the Ron Clark Academy and the TPT conference. I love the opportunity to just get inspired by other educators. Isn't that what this whole community is about? Helping and Inspiring each other? 

So now those are my hopes and dreams. Come and tell us about yours. Here is how:

1. Save the banner image above.

2. Save and use the image below. Use power point or keynote to create your image.

4. Write your blog post and link up. 

5. Spread the word on Social Media. 

An InLinkz Link-up

2gether We Are Better: Bulletin Boards

Hey guy! I am so EXCITED to be linking up with Angie from Lucky Little Learners and Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd for this months 2gether we are better linky. I was super pumped to join in after seeing the periscope with these fabulous ladies, that I sent the email while watching. LOL!!!!! 

This month we are talking about bulletin boards. This is great because I will get a chance to ask you for some feed back on one of my boards that I seem to feel lost and stuck on. Before we get to that board, let's jump into some of my other boards. 

This board is my calendar and data wall board. I am in 1st grade math this year so, I thought why not do calendar time on the interwrite board. This way students will have technology in their hands. So with that, I decided this board could hold the actual calendar and the objectives of our lessons. I hate writing objectives on a board so this says "Our Goals". I felt this was a much nicer and kid friendlier way to say objective. 

This board is right in front of my desk. On this board will hold items that I need to keep up with during the school year. This board is a life savers. 

Now let's head to the back of my room. 

This is my Brag Tag board. (WINK @ Angie)! If you don't use brag tags, then run to Angie's store and grab them. They have helped with my classroom management so much. Using those and Whole Brain Teaching, let's just say WOW!!!!! It was a game changer in my classroom. If you look closely at the right side of the board, you will see a space, I'm super excited for this section. I am going to make a "Next Brag Tag Showing" title and the next tag they can earn will be hanging there really big. I'm hoping it will get this new class pumped up for what they could have on their necklace at the end of the year. 

  

The next boards will hold Marvelous Math Work and my Mindset  Quotes (You can get that in my store for FREE!) I want the students to rethink how they can approach math in the classroom. I will use their TRYING to show on the Marvelous Math board. 

I LOVE this board. This board is going to hold my Daily 3 strategies and Math Writing activities.

What Made Your Brain Grow? How many times do you ask a child what did you learn today and they say nothing. Well try asking What made your brain grow? I am using this board to get my students to think about their day in math. It will be an exit slip board. I will also use 1 skittle or M&M to help in that thinking. LOL! 

The bottom picture is my hallway display. I saw this idea on pinterest and just fell in love with it! I feel it is a welcome to the school year. 

Now let's get to my problem board! This is where I need your help!

This board is behind my cubbies. If you think back to the Daily 3 picture, that is cubbies behind there and this is the board behind the wall. So my question to you is WHAT IN THE WORLD CAN I USE THIS FOR? I thin 1/4 of it I will use for job chart but what is your suggestion for the rest. I can't wait to read your comments. 

Now was that fun! If you had fun reading this post then head over to some of the other blogs and check out their bulletin boards. Join our fun! Link up!!!  Save the images and write your post! Have fun and I can't wait to read it.