Steps for Stepping up your Classroom

Table Arrangements
First thing I do is arrange my tables. I find it hard to work or organise my room until I have an idea of the main layout. I always group my children and usually use colours to distinguish each table. I try and aim for 5/6 at each table. In previous years I had odd numbers. I had 23 kids my first and second year teaching so I had 3 tables with 6 children and 1 with 5 children. Last year I had 31 children so had 4 tables of 6 kids and 1 table with 7 kids. This year I’ll have 35 so I’m hoping for 5 tables of 6 children and 1 table with 5 children.

Unpacking and Arranging the Children’s Books and Supplies.
After this I choose a table to unpack all my teaching things e.g. boxes, books, station games etc. I take all the kid’s books too and sort everything into piles. Anything that will go in/on my teacher desk I will leave it on to organise later. I usually give each table a shelf and using laminated coloured paper I stick a piece of coloured paper to each shelf to distinguish them. I then start filing the books onto the shelves. Scissors, glues and markers will also go on these shelves. As regards the children’s markers and glues I usually put their names on each. Yes this is incredibly tedious to do but they take so much better care of them when they feel it’s theirs.

Bulletin Boards
I always get all my boards backed with papers and borders once my tables are set up. I guess this is for me-a sense of giving my classroom a bit of life and colour to motivate me. Sight words and board names can go on later.

Early Finisher Bins
Early Finisher Bins are 2 coloured plastic cabinets I got in Aldi last year with 3 drawers in each. The drawers need to be changed once each month and each table gets a drawer filled with activities for early finishers. September’s bins will be filled with revision of Senior Infants and new topics we will be working on.

Copybooks
As I teach first class my class have a range of different copy books. Project copy books are used for Irish, English, Maths, Music, Religion, Reading Box Yellow. Handwriting copies are used for spelling tests and handwriting practice and scrap books are used for SESE. I then begin the tedious task of naming all their copy books with labels. When I have all the books named, I use elastic bands and laminated coloured paper to bundle the books by table. With 35 children this year the extra organisation will be needed.

Teacher Desk
I try and keep m teacher desk as clutter free as I can. On my desk I have a copy of my monthly plan, my timetable will be pinned to the wall beside me and I will also have a detailed weekly breakdown printed and placed in a plastic pouch which is taped to my desk. Besides that I have a pen holder, my pencil case and a tray to hold the children’s sheets.

Other
• Other things to think on include;
• How will children hand in homework?
• Where will they hand up their sheets?
• Where will lunch boxes and coats go?

Sample Irish Lesson

Introduction
I always start my Irish lesson by introducing new vocabulary/ phrases. I always try to incorporate puppets into my Irish lesson to add that element of fun. I write the vocab or phrases on the board e.g. lámh, cos, ceann, béal.

Cluichí
-Next we play some vocab games to get them practising their new vocabulary. One of my favourites is Cluiche Kim, here I remove one of the words and the children must guess which one is missing.
-An mála draíochta: Here I have the new vocab cut and placed in a bag, or I write them on lollipop stick and place them in a jar. I play some music and the bag or jar gets passed around. When the music stops they must select a word and say it.
-Pásail an Liathróid: In this game an imaginary ball is passed around the room. The child must throw the ball to another say their name and the word. The child can then put it into a sentence e.g. (Shane, lámh).

Development
To help them enrich their understanding of the new words, I get them to make a small drama in their table groups. Each table gets one of the new words we are learning. They must incorporate the new word correctly into the drama as much as they can. The table that has used it correctly the most gets a Dojo.

Conclusion
The younger classes will write their new word and draw a picture of it.
Older classes or more able students will put their new words into sentences.
5th/6th classes or younger students with a flair for the language will put their words into a story.

My Back to School Haul

As much as I don't want to say it, back to school is approaching. Most teachers are back on the 4th, we are back on the 29th and with a new classroom there will be a lot of setting up to do. Yesterday, as I was visiting Donegal I done my back to school shop in Sprint Educational Supplies, Homebase and Dealz. Altogether I spent roughly €100. Yes that is a lot of money and yes I shouldn't be having to spend that much on school supplies but everything I bought is either very limited in the school or just not available. So here it goes my Back to School Haul :) .

First stop was Sprint Educational Supplies. Unfortunately our school does not supply backing paper for boards unless you include them in the art budget and with 35 children this year I was having to buy extra everything on my budget of €150 inlcluding paint brushes and palettes. Not ideal. So I bought 2 roles which cost €9 and €7, both 4ft by 12ft.

I like the Supreme markers for writing on the board, the pack I bought last year done me all year so I'm hoping I can say the same for this pack, they cost €5. Blue-tack (again not supplied) is always a must and something I really can't live without- €2.40.The glittery stickers were a huge hit with my previous class and they lasted for ages and cost €4. I also purchased some velcro for €4. There are some things blue-tack will simply not hold and here is where velcro comes in. I like to divide the childrens' books by table and I velcro a laminated sheet of coloured paper to their shelf so they know which is theirs.

I use elastic band to bundle the copies together by table and table colour, they're priced at €3. I usually put a laminated coloured paper in with this to distinguish the table. The post it's and labels are also must haves and are €3 and €2.

Here is a multipack of borders I got for €17. They are very cute and will match well with the backing papers. I do have borders from previous years but they are torn and tattered.

Laminating pouches were also on the list and is something I spend a lot of money on year after year. They have them in Sprint for €10.95 for a pack of 100 pouches.

My final purchase in Sprint was these egg timers at 1 minute, 2 minutes and 3 minutes which I searched so much for last year. They were €4.00 for the three pack. They also had bigger ones for €15.00.

My next stop was Dealz. Here I bought three 20 packs of pencils which is a necessity in the classroom at €1.50 each. My heart was broken last year with children forgetting pencils and it is something I will try to keep on top of this year to make sure we don't run out!! I also bought a pack of blue pens for €1.50 and I purchased these book covers simply to put my weekly plan and termly timetable into and stick it to my teacher desk. This was also €1.50.

Finally, I popped into Homebase. I bought this cool little container for my bits and pieces such as elastic bands, pins and blue tack and it cost just over €1. I love this owl box. Isn't it fab? I will put my station supplies for either Maths, English or Irish in here. It was roughly €9.

It is a lot of money but it should last me for the majority of the year. The only things I usually need to purchase more of are the pouches, coloured ink (which I didn't buy today) and pencils.

How much do you guys spend on supplies? Hopefully not as much as me! Hope you all enjoyed the post :)

5 Ways to Nail Your Interview

Hey everyone! I've been getting a lot of e-mails regarding interview tips. Can't believe it is that time of year again! Now, I have never been on an interview board but I have sat through a handful of interviews and some positions I got offered included part-time hours and maternity leaves. I accepted them but continued to apply for schools in the hope of securing a temporary or permanent position and eventually ended up declining the offers.

This is my 5th year teaching and I succeeded in getting a permanent job in July 2014. So here is my 2 cents worth on the interview process.



1. Dress Code

This is so important. Before they even begin to speak to you the interview panel notice how you are dressed and your appearance. I usually wear a knee length dress, a blazer and heels just because I feel like I look more professional this way. The last interview I done was for the school I work in now and a girl came in after me with a very short skirt and 'legs out' as you'd say. He went on to tell me he wasn't impressed by her choice of outfit. A pair of black trousers and a shirt or blazer will also be perfect. For boys I would definitely recommend a suit. For my first 3 years I always pinned my hair into an up do for an interview as I have very long hair and thought it would make me look unkempt. However, before one interview my hair had all fallen down as I had been walking for ages and it was a very windy day so I had no choice but to leave it down and pin the sides back. I got offered a temporary job that day! As long as you look tidy and presentable with subtle make up you should be fine.


2. Personality

Another hugely important factor that principals take into consideration. They are looking for someone who will mix well with their staff and be easily approachable for parents and also easy to work with. I always greet my prospective principals with a huge smile and shake the hand of each person on the interview panel. I also try to make conversation with them before the interview begins. Smile a lot during the interview and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself if you mess up your words, we're all human after all. Also, try and make conversation with the secretary as you wait as believe it or not, principals do go to them asking them how prospective candidates interacted with them as they waited. During my last interview, the 'secretary' actually turned out to be the vice principal so you just never know.

3. Preparation

I live by the sayings 'you can never be too prepared' and 'fail to plan, plan to fail' the same is true for interviews. I jotted down any question I was ever asked at an interview and kept it safe as well as asking friends for tips on what they were asked. One way to impress and which can be easily done through prep is to log onto the school website and really research the school. Read their policies, check their gallery for recent events, see what they're strengths are and what you might bring to the school that they don't have already. If they're big into ICT or creativity have something prepared on how you can add to it.

4. Arrive on time

Please give yourself time to arrive at your interview. There's nothing worse than being under pressure for time and rushing to get there. That will just give you a red face, increased blood pressure and a sweaty appearance, none of these (along with the fact that you're late) makes a good first impression. I usually go to the school the day before if I don't know where it is, time how long it will take and usually add an extra hour to that (half an hour early and a half hour in case something goes wrong). You can never give off a bad impression by being too early, it shows commitment and that you are organised and have good time management.

5. Try and enjoy it

Yes this might sound crazy but if you don't get a job out of this you will get experience and another 10+ questions to add to your interview prep. Don't feel like you've failed if you don't get the job, a lot of times the jobs are already taken or the principal is looking for a particular skill or teacher. Show off what you have, now is not the time to be shy, and try not to let nerves get the better of you. There are other jobs out there if you don't get this one.

Good luck :)

Anyone wanting interview sample questions and answers, packs are available on my blog store http://primary-teachingideas.blogspot.ie/p/store.html#!/10-Questions-Interview-Package/p/64402298/category=0

Job Application Process

I was extremely organised about the whole application process, but then again that’s me, lists and to-do lists to keep myself organised. Something I found beneficial to keep tabs of the different jobs I wanted to apply for and starting dates, application closing dates etc was to open a spreadsheet. This consisted of a table for the name of the school, address, what way they would like the application to be sent on (email/post), what had to be included in the application, closing date, starting date and any side notes (if they want a teacher to be dipped, with music, sport etc).

After that I set about my cv and making sure I had included any relevant information in it. Unless I had any work experience regarding education, working with children, or ways that could benefit the school I left it out. There really is no point stating that you babysat your neighbour's kids or that you won first place in an art competition in 4th class (I’m not being mean, someone actually did include that in an application to one of my previous schools). Cv’s should not be longer than 3 pages and should be precise and to the point. When I initially finished college I included my grades from TP and my exam results as well as my Leaving Cert results. After some years teaching experience I swapped this for a list of schools I had worked in and classes I had taught.

For your letter of application, it should also be very short and to the point, your teaching experience and what you hope to bring to the school.
Standard application forms are the trickiest part and for me was where I spent most of my time. Any schools that I was particularly interested in I spent a lot of time researching and taking notes on. Nothing impresses a principal more than noticing how you took the time to look into the school.

One question on the application form asks how your experience and skills can benefit the school. For teachers who have a year or more experience in a school whether it be subbing or if you were actually employed in the school, make sure you state anything you were involved in in this box. For example, if I were to write it I would include how I helped set up Aistear, SALF Folders, Ready Set Maths, Literacy Lift Off in previous schools and how I’ve had classes winning Creative Schools Awards and drama competitions. This is no time to be shy, you must believe yourself you are the best person for the job. Outside of school experience or if you are just newly qualified ensure to state any talent you have whether it be IT, music, drama, art, sports, creative writing etc. Principals like a well-rounded staff so they always hope to see some new talents and skills being brought to the table.

To be able to answer how you can contribute to the ethos of the school you really need to check the mission statement of the school and read up about what the ethos of the school is. As regards the success this should be found easily enough on the school’s website on the home page or the gallery as no school is going to hide any success that they have had. You must try and find ways in which your skills and talents and who you are as a teacher can fit in with this school.

For references try your best to get one from a college lecturer, a principal or teacher from a previous school you have taught or done TP in.

Hope this helps guys...
Sarah :)

Setting up Stations in your Classroom

I’ve been doing station work in my classroom since I started teaching. I find it invaluable to be able to work with a small group of students who are grouped to suit their ability. It also gives the other children independence to work alone and I assign captains to each table. Here’s a step by step guide to introducing stations in your classroom.

1. Sit down, take out your notepad and begin with 5 groups. You may want to name these groups, I name mine after animals and this alternates every week so the children don’t see a particular animal as being the weak/strong group. The groups usually break down as follows; the brightest children in your class go into one group (usually 6 to a group), then the next 6 brightest in the second group, you will have 2 average groups who may more or less be on the same level and your weak group.

2. When you are happy with your groups, assign each one to a table. They will always sit at this table to begin their stations (some groups may vary for different subjects but they will pick this up). Explain what you are doing, that each group will be doing an activity related to maths for 10 minutes (1 group should be working with you on new material and the rest on material they already know, with one at least being revision from a previous topic).

3. Model how to move to the next table using your most reliable group (always have stations moving in the same direction so they won’t get confused). Practice this before handing any material out to the groups.

4. Next go over your station rules. Ours are 1. Using your inside voice 2. Listening to the captain 3.Clean up when the timer goes off 4. Work together 5. Everyone helps in the clean up 6. Sit quietly when the countdown reaches 0 (I usually count from 10-0 after the timer goes off to give them time to clean up.

5. Hand material out to the most reliable group and put 1minute on the timer. Model to the class how they work together, how they use their inside voice and how they clean up so well together and are sitting nice and quietly for 0.

6. Having a captain on each table is also a great help as it saves you having to intervene when you are trying to work with your small groups.

7. I also differentiate my stations. I have boxes of different activities with a picture of the animal that represents the group on it so that each group is challenged to their ability. I’m not going to lie, this is a lot of work but it is a lot more beneficial than having children sitting at tables doing activities that are too hard/easy for them. My DIP inspector wanted to see my stations differentiated so I’ve become accustomed to it at this stage.

8. For literacy I try and have a reading station with new material with me, a reading station with books they’ve previously read, a writing station, a phonics stations and a sight words station.

Hope that was a help everyone, stations take a lot of practice but they are very rewarding when the children become accustomed to it so give it a go 

Sarah x

My April Aims and Goals

Hey everyone! Sorry I’ve been so quiet on the blog front the past few months, life has been a bit hectic between moving house, creating product for Primary Teaching Ideas, answering FB messages and emails and of course, my usual prep for my class of 31 six and seven year olds. Coming into April I felt it was important for me to take the time to reassess and re-evaluate my hopes and goals for this coming month both as a teacher and outside of the classroom. I have shared these with you below and maybe you can take some inspo from them to create your own goals.



1. Teacher Aims.
As the year is winding down and with only April and May left (June is always a write-off) to get any content left to cover done, planning is very important for the next two months. I also have Drumcondras to do next month and I’m already feeling the pressure (hence why I didn’t become a secondary school teacher). After having a TP student in for March there is still content in maths left uncovered which will have to be squeezed in somewhere this month. Assessment and revision will be important for me this month and I feel it also should be for any teachers facing into Drumcondra’s in May. Where are the kids at? What do they remember? You will sometimes find there is a common area that most of your kids are finding difficult. It may have been December when you taught it or you may have been out sick for a week, either way spending 20 minutes revising it will be beneficial to your class. I also plan on spending time after school each day preparing properly for the next day. All too often I take work home with me or come in at a ridiculous hour in the morning because I’m so exhausted come half 2 I just want to get home and get out of the school environment. Taking work home is not a good idea, leave your school day at school and try to avoid taking work home if you can.
I am also planning on spending 2 hours after school each Thursday planning for the following week. It makes Sunday nights more bearable and means you can enjoy your weekend without worrying about prepping and planning. Any time I was this organised it saved a lot of time during my weekends doing school work. This planning involves roughly writing down what I will cover in each subject, page numbers etc, finding Powerpoints online or creating them and also any photocopying that needs done.


2. Health and Wellbeing
I don’t know about you guys but I often find myself feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that go on during the school day. Education is the reason we are there but there are many more elements to it and I find myself at home worrying about the child that went home sick-did I send him home too late, about a meeting I have scheduled for tomorrow, mentally making notes on that child I think may have dyslexia/ADD-how can I help them, am I thinking too much into this, perhaps they are fine, perhaps I’m not taking it seriously enough. All of these thoughts are exhausting alone and I know I am not the only one who feels like this.
To help this I decided to take time in the evenings now that they are so much nicer and longer, pop in my head phones, stick on a playlist and go for a walk. If there is a park or a beach near you even better. I rent near Phoenix Park in Dublin so I am lucky enough to be able to walk there. I also signed up to the Park Runs each Saturday at half 9, yes it is a struggle to wake up at half 8 on a Saturday but it really does set you up for the day. Believe me, I was never into fitness or running or going to the gym. I’d get out of breath climbing a flight of stairs, but recently I’ve started getting into it and there are so many benefits. I try and run once each week now and do the Park Run on the Saturday. I’ve also started going to the gym once a week and it’s great to have that time out. It might not be for you but trust me it wasn’t for me either so give it a go and see how you feel.
Taking time to meet with friends and having nice things to look forward to is also very important. I’m planning a dinner date and cocktails with the girls Friday night and I am already looking into a beach holiday with my boyfriend for the May bank holiday weekend. Yes, we are educators but we also live a life outside of that as well.
Hope you took some inspo from this and I will try to post a sample of my workout and wellbeing schedule so you can take some ideas from it.

“You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough”

Sarah xx