Essential Oils Research - Can they be used effectively in the classroom?

Essential Oils, what?


A while ago, my friend and co-worker had a doTerra essential oils party at her house. She's been using them at home for some time and really finds them useful. Since we're both teachers, we started to brainstorm to see if there were any applications for the classroom. We both teach special education students and there's a lot out there about teachers who use essential oils in their classrooms. First though, some general information before we get too far into the discussion of EOs in the classroom.

1. I'm not endorsing any one brand of essential oils. There are varying degrees of quality and price for any number of companies. Personally, it really depends on what you are using the EO for.
2. Do your research! Dabbling is not always beneficial. Be sure you are getting your information from someone who knows what they are talking about!
3. Before you use EOs in your classroom, check with parents. You never know what a kid might be allergic to.
4. Not all diffusers are created equal. My $30 Now EO diffuser from Amazon.com works well, so does my $20 one from Wal Mart! However, I would not recommend that you use a diffuser that sucks up the H2O from a straw/filter. I bought a $10 one from Wal Mart to try out (see if it would work for my classroom) and it was awful.  No scent other than melting plastic and the citrus blend I had in the diffuser (5 drops!) started to erode the innards! Quality is important, people!

Ok, so in the classroom - what would work? Could we use EOs effectively to help focus and calm students OR focus and keep them awake! The research has begun and so far, the studies are inconclusive. In Europe, some German schools have had great success. In the states, not so much. Additionally, EOs can be very personalized and this makes it hard to determine whether or not they're effective. Moreover, to evaluate changes in student performance can be very subjective.


For next year, there will be a lot more research done on my part. There has to be more peer reviewed studies out there! Plus, I'll do my own research with some tracking forms to see how well it does with my populous.


If you're using essential oils in the classroom - leave a comment on how it's going for you! The more information the better!

Behavioropoly

While I was looking for some ideas, I ran across a great idea. It's called behavioropoly! Super excited to see if it will work with my 7th grade students. I made some modifications so that it was more personalized to our little town.

The genesis and all credit for this project came from Flamingo Fabulous in Second Grade, you can download the template for free here. Hope you have as much fun as I did!

Are we done yet?

The end of the year is closing in here in New York and many of us are trying to make sure we plan enough time for review and finals before the kiddos get burned out!


Many of the blogs that I follow are teacher that are outside of New York. For example, Math = Love author Sarah Carter has already had her last day, packed up her classroom, and moved into another building!


So, the pressure is on to look to the future - next year! What to do?!?! Normally, I'd be worried about budget cuts (which follows you around no matter what stage of teaching you're in) and if they'd cut my position. I used to be low man in the Special Education department, but good news has come my way! First, a new Special Education teacher has been hired to teach a 6:1:1 classroom at the Intermediate School and they're looking to hire another for the Middle School and High School. This means that there will be at least two other people with less seniority than I do. In addition, last week the Board of Education voted on the recommendation of tenure for me. The motion to accept was passed and they voted unanimously to grant me tenure! Phew! I've taught in several school districts and it's super exciting to have a teaching "home".


While I'm going start thinking about what to do next year - I'll wait until the department head gives us a heads up about our teaching assignments. REALLY hoping that I'll have 7th graders and 15:1 Social Studies 7 & 8 again! Out of working with HS students and MS students, the 7th graders this year have been the best. Just the right blend of excitement and maturity. Although, my secret wish is that the school will assign me all of the 15:1 Social Studies classes for the MS and HS (our MS/HS is at one campus and buildings connected).


So, maybe I'll just have to be patient and wait to plan. In the meantime, I'm going with my amazing 8th graders to Washington, D.C. next week. We're going to nerd out at the museums!

The daunting task of APPR

It's a conference day and we've got 4 hours of professional development centered around the new NYS APPR requirements that are coming next year.

So far, I'm not inspired. In fact, it's terrifying. There is so much that is being required and shown DURING observations, that it seems like picking a different career might be helpful.

Now, this is just the start of the conference.  So I'm hoping that it gets better. But please don't tell me to rumba when my waltz seems to be working.

The Underdog, the Often Forgotten

It's that time of year, again, when the Recruit NY campaign rolls around. Normally, there's lots of coverage in the newspapers, on Facebook, and on every fire department sign. Now, don't get me wrong, I am ever grateful for the work that firemen do and the danger they put themselves in. However, this year, to get a flyer encouraging me to sign up at a fire station got me a little agitated. You see, there are many agencies where there are volunteer EMTs but no firemen. That is, not all fire is EMS and not all EMS is fire. In addition, I have spent 8 years as a volunteer in EMS. I also teach in the community in which I live and volunteer as the historian for a small, local cemetery. I love my work and feel very strongly about giving back to the community. So, instead of the usual "keep it within the department" chatter, I wrote a letter to my representatives.

Those of us in volunteer EMS are often forgotten, and the population of volunteers is quickly dwindling.

And so, I sent my letters off yesterday evening. It's not likely that there will be any large change, but I have hope that those who have gone before me and dedicated their lives to volunteer EMS will get some recognition. As I always tell my students, if you don't like something - do something about it!

To whom it may concern,

               I have recently received a flyer in the mail regarding becoming a “true hero” during the NY Recruit campaign. As a community member, I deeply appreciate the amazing work done by firefighters. They spend long hours on fire scenes, extricate individuals from vehicles, and respond to dozens of fire alarm activations. These men and women who volunteer in fire service are dedicated individuals. Indeed, they are heroes to many.

   

    I would like to draw to your attention another volunteer area in need. There are several agencies in New York State that have separate volunteer EMS and fire departments. In fact, while there are great recruitment tools and incentives for fire departments, there is little to none for EMS agencies. This may be, perhaps, because many towns are not required to supply an ambulance service - only fire. In some instances, municipalities are more willing to spend funds for fire apparatus than on ambulances.

For the last eight years, I have volunteered with two Emergency Medical Service agencies. A little over two of those years has been as an officer with a local emergency squad. Both agencies are not part of a fire department. In fact, while we work hard with our brethren in bunker gear, we often do not get the same recognition that they do. There are many other individuals who do much more that I and have many more years of volunteer service with an EMS agency under their belts. My mentors in the field have dedicated their lives to serving their community for longer than I have been alive.

               Moreover, the programs and benefits listed on the back of the flyer are limited to those in fire service. For example, the tuition reimbursement – it’s through FASNY and clearly states that individuals must be “in one of New York’s volunteer fire companies” This excludes those who are volunteering in EMS. In fact, one of the only loan forgiveness programs that apply to EMTs is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, this program requires that you work at least 30 hours for an organization - not volunteer.

    Difficulties also arise when volunteer EMS agencies look for grants or funding. For example, the SAFER grants allow for fire departments to apply for funding. However, this, again, excludes volunteer agencies. In fact, there are little or no grants available for volunteer EMS agencies. It becomes almost impossible to to purchase new equipment required by continuous New York State Department of Health protocols.  As apparatus and equipment becomes quickly outdated, volunteer agencies struggle to provide current technological equipment for the care of the community without becoming financially strained. Agencies around the state are lacking funds for newer & more efficient stretchers, safer airway management tools, and more accurate cardiac diagnostic equipment.

               Furthermore, in my district so far this year, there were 54 events that the fire department was called to. This includes car accidents, fire alarm activations, chimney fires, trees & wires down, etc. EMS is required to respond or be on standby for all of these events. At this time, EMS was called to 243 events. This includes CPRs, sick individuals, diabetic emergencies, traumatic injuries, breathing problems, pregnancy & labor emergencies, etc. This is approx. 350% more events that EMS was called to than the fire department.

               In closing, Assemblyman, it is my hope that as much attention is spent on recruiting & incentives for volunteers in EMS as is paid to firemen. For local volunteer EMS agencies need more volunteers than fire departments in order to meet the needs of the community. Certainly, if you heard the NYS DOH inspector relate that he believes all Emergency Medical Services will soon be done by career staff, you’d be scared for the future of volunteer EMS too.

Thank you for your time and dedication to volunteers in the region. Without dedicated representatives, volunteers would go unnoticed.



The Curse of Electronics

In this ever evolving world of electronics in the school setting, there are some drawbacks. While I love that my students' parents can access grades and assignments online - it does cause some problems. Like most teachers, I don't grade EVERYTHING as soon as it's turned in. During IEP/CSE Meeting season, it gets more difficult to get grades in quickly. So when parents get flustered about low grades - that might not be the actual grade. Sometimes, it might just be worth it not to publish grades until later. Keep a hard copy and enter them in all at once. However, I do appreciate that parents are on top of their kids grades. Just not fond of the frequent emails!


So, is this a small portion of the "instant gratification" crisis that we have in this nation? What happened to waiting till the end of the week or the end of the 5 weeks to find out about grades? Or asking your kids first about why they think their grades are low or if they turned in things? Are we in such a hurry to get an education, do well, access data at a moment's notice - that we don't appreciate waiting and extra day or so?

Football in the Classroom

This may not look like anything special, but with the help of some of my football playing students - we managed to explain the task of the DBQ they had to write.

The task: How did the US gov't respond to the Great Depression?

The analogy: How did students react to a football game? 

The Play: No idea, but I know we won! (I played tennis in HS and college!)

I've also been introducing my students to Google Docs and Google Classroom during this DBQ Essay assignment. So far, my students say it's come in handy. They can turn in their essays without having to worry if they left it in their locker AND they can look at the task, documents, and outline anytime they want (home or at school). We'll see how much of this new tech will come in handy for future units.

 

Math Review

 

While the tip is a little generous, I think my kiddos had fun! We looked at the websites for Red Lobster and Olive Garden. These restaurant sites will list foods and their prices. From there, my students made meals, made up tax & tip. They created word problems and situations and then solved! Their test scores are way better!

 

 

Visitors!

So, while I wait to get the Great Depression letters from my students - here are some drawings from my students. Buggy Buzzy is a frequent visitor that brightens up the day! 

Not sure I'd like to eat these chips! 

Yes, my children, I understand.

Bacon is Better than Trump

Solving the Great Depression

"Don't keep everything"

"Try and find stuff that would be useful"

"Sell some of your stuff that you don't need"

"Start somewhere new and get a house somewhere"

"Try to make your own clothes"

"Do your own farming, don't hire people to help"

"Give people what they need to start somewhere so they do not starve"

"Make more businesses so people have jobs"

"Calm people down and give them goodies"

"Try to get more goods on the market"

"Give vets their money sooner"

"See what people want"

"People need to use their resources like plant seeds and grow things"

"The gov't needs to pay other companies to give all the workers a job or give a paycheck for them to work instead of firing them"

"People should stop spending all their money on stuff they don't need"

"The gov't needs to give more"

"The gov't should pay store owners and companies so they can give a check instead of firing workers"

"Give out blanket to people that don't have a house/shelter"

"Don't spend a lot of your money"

"Move somewhere else"

"Make your own food"

"Give them charity"

"People should work harder"

"open up soup lines"

"Make sure the vets have a job"

"Open up more jobs"

"Give vets their $1,000" (Bonus army)

"Have people that have money give the poor food"

"The banks have to get their money back"

"The gov't has to help out"

"People need to stop lollygagging about and get to it"

"Start your own farm"

"make your own store"

"Get another job"

"Help other people"

"the gov't should give out money"

Are you in or out?

This Thanksgiving break, I'm very thankful for my amazing family. Being together on holidays and celebrating what holds us together is heartwarming. Personally, I get together for two Thanksgiving celebrations, one with my great great aunt & 2nd cousins, and the other with my "immediate" family. In this country, I know that it is rare that there are large families who spend hours together on a regular basis, much less knowing who your second cousins are AND spending Thanksgiving with them. It's always been something that I've been so lucky to have!

While I celebrate all of these blessings, there are two things that are bothering me. First, this year really exemplifies the pre-Christmas rush. Have we skipped over Halloween and Thanksgiving? Have we dismissed the thought of what binds us together? Society has become so terribly individualistic that we have forgotten about others. People become so focused on deals, sales, and material things, that Christmas shopping has overshadowed not one, but two holidays.

Secondly, as the granddaughter of an immigrant to this country, I am uneasy in finding a clear answer to letting refugees in. Where will they live, what will they do, will they eventually become citizens? What is the plan? Yes, people in such terrible positions should be helped - but what are the logistics? Can the nation sustain a large influx? Is there a screening process? What rights will they have? How will those rights be protected? So many questions. In the Thanksgiving spirit, I am thankful for that I have and would like to extend what liberties I have to those who don't. But, it's a more complicated process and national reputations do get in the way.

Who should have the right to vote?

Recently, I asked my 8th grade students to tell me who should have the right to vote after finishing up the Progressive Era Unit. I've adjusted for spelling. This is what they said:


"I think people over 21 should vote. No, I don't think you should vote in jail because you are punished. Illegal immigrants should vote because no matter who you are you should vote. If you are 21, then you are more responsible. Everyone over 21 should vote because you are human"

"Women should have the right to vote. You should be allowed to vote when you are 16. You should not be allowed to vote in jail because you did something bad to get in there. People are not allowed here to vote if they are illegal immigrants"

"Everyone should have the right to vote because all people think differently. People in jail should have the right to vote and illegal immigrants should have the right to vote. Everyone should have the right to vote"

"The people that are allowed to vote should be men and women. They should be men and women who are not in jail, illegal immigrants or people under the age of 18. Illegal immigrants should't vote because they aren't American citizens until they are made citizens. Women should have the right to vote because they've done a lot."

"Everybody should have the right to vote. You should be 18 years old to vote. You should be able to vote if you are in jail. No illegal immigrants should be able to vote. Women should be able to vote."

"Kids over 12 should be able to vote because we have rights just as older people. At 13 we have just as much rights as 18 year olds. People in jail should not have the right to vote because you are in there because you did something wrong so you should not have a say. Yes, immigrants should have the right to vote because they have as much a say."

Pondering the Chaos

Lately, I've been thinking about how my room is set up and the amount of papers that are piling up.  Like  one of the blogs I recently read, I'm sure that there are many of us educators that start off the year with good intentions and then the mess ensues. My little world behind the desk has become a flurry of old student papers and department paperwork. So how do I get back on track? Time to get back into that energized mindset. You know, that eagerness that you get in the early months that slowly dissipates.

I am also reminded of a sermon that I heard recently. The pastor, coming out of retirement to preach, gave a sermon that you rarely hear - one of money. Not the money one that's pounded out for stewardship, but one where he basically boiled a lot of fluff down to a couple things. 1) God will provide (I'm sure a little initiative doesn't hurt!) 2) It shouldn't matter what you make - the salary part shouldn't matter as long as it's something you like to do 3) Money is a pain. At least this is my interpretation of what was said. It made me think a lot about my current situation.

I've been so caught up in the petty politics of the school and getting stuck on the little stuff, that I've forgotten to focus on what really matters - the students. I've focused on my salary and how long it'd take me to pay off my student loans that I've let myself forget how much joy there is in seeing the light bulb moments.

So, what to do from here. I've cleaned out my desk - a clean, organized home base sounded like a good place to start - and moved on to the shelves in the room. I'm going to clear the clutter and get back to creating fun lessons & focus on the stuff that matters.

Substitute Teacher Binder

I severely dislike when I am absent from work. Perhaps it's just the American Protestant work ethic kicking in, but it's disconcerting to come back after having been out to find my desk and classroom a mess. So, I made a Sub Binder to try and combat this.

I took one of my binders that I inherited from the previous teacher in my room. It's one that had graphics on the cover for an outdated reading program that won't run on computers today. Throw on a title page and some duct tape (the one you see is the Stick Together roll where a portion of the cost goes to stop bullying in schools) and hello organization.

Inside, I put my sub plans and any materials that the sub might need. Some lined paper, sticky notes to label what period worksheets are for, a loaner pen, etc. 

When I came back after laying out this binder for my sub - it was great. Also, it helped that the sub had been amazing himself. He's certainly gone on the list of preferred subs! 

I've also done my fair share of subbing before gaining a full time teaching position. It sucks trying to find the materials when they aren't in the same spot and you don't know if there are certain classroom rules. Hopefully, this binder will help whomever comes in my room to cover for me! 

NYSAC Cemetery Conference

This Wednesday, I sucked it up and took a day off of work. In my experience, most teachers hate taking the day off. It means writing detailed lesson plans and praying that your students don't do something horrid. As a result, you get a group of workaholics who hate missing a day of school, much like hover parents who don't want to miss a thing.

Anyway, Regional Cemetery Conference - Thinking of death as a business...

Scary thought, really. I've always thought of cemeteries as these everlasting residences for those who have passed on. Sometimes, sadly, older stones and internees have been forgotten and neglected. The problem lies with the fact that our society doesn't talk about death. We don't talk about what happens after a loved on has passed on. Let me tell you, it gets busy.

First, a depressing fact. One of the speakers, David Penepent from SUNY CANTON, pointed out that most Funeral Home Directors are Baby Boomers. As we've seen with the looming Social Security crisis - you know that most of these guys will be on their way out. This will result in a shortage of individuals who facilitate post death traditions and care. In addition, there aren't enough people studying and becoming Directors. 

A side note: Should one invest in coffins now before the Baby Boomers really start to pass away? Maybe pay off my college debt?

Another depressing fact and realization; cemeteries need to plan for FOREVER.  Now, I volunteer for a small cemetery in rural New York. Not the city, but Upstate. We've got a little over 500 grave sites and have more lots available. Most of our board are all elderly and young enough to be on the tail end of the Baby Boomers. I'm the youngest one there. So how to plan for forever. a) we need more young blood, b) we need to plan financially for forever (which seems practically impossible). However, it was noted that almost all cemeteries are severely underfunded. We all need to charge more. 

It was also mentioned that we should stop devaluing or undervaluing what centenarians do. We're professionals!

So, from this conferencing of the minds I've learned a lot. Here are just a few things to remember...

Tips:

• Advertise
• Get involved in the community
• Make meaningful relationships with your local funeral homes
• Get things out there (newspaper, etc)
• Change is GOOD
• Think of inventive ways to get people into your cemetery
• Documentation is key.
• There are ways to "space save"
• Make the cemetery look "alive". Sometimes people think they're abandoned!

Also, the doughnuts were amazing - certainly satisfied my sweet tooth 

Monday came on Tuesday

This is just one of those days where you work through lunch recreating a foldable. My desk is a complete mess!

Student Sayings

An old student came to visit and introduced me to a new word. 

Slope Dude Came to Visit

Now, I'm not a math fanatic. I do like math and push into a math class, but Social Studies will always be my baby.

We've been learning about slope in class and my kiddos seemed to not quite get it. So I hopped over to Math = Love (a fabulous blog if you haven't been there already) and found "The Adventures of Slope Dude".  I used her foldable and my kids love it! Let's hope they ace their exam today!