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!

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.

 

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"

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."

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!

Tips for Newbies (What I've Learned in the Last Five Years)

As I move into my sixth year of teaching, I've learned a few things. Some have been hard learned lessons and others just ways to make life easier.

Make Time for You
     This I've always believed from the start. My first student teaching placement supervisor was a high school Social Studies/ELA teacher. He had family and was completely dedicated to being able to spend time with them. He got all of his work done before leaving for the day. His reasoning - You spend so much of life working that you don't get to enjoy time with your loved ones. So #1, make time for you (and your family). Don't let school become your entire life. Have fun and do things outside of work!

Know Your Students
     I've mainly taught at rural school districts. From this, I've learned to speak "tractor" and "redneck". In addition, you learn how to predict absences based on when hunting season really starts. A lot of kiddos around here will start to wear camo (which can also been seen year round if truth be told).
     The point of it all is - get to know your students. If you can take military tactics and relate them to a football play, your football players will most likely pay more attention. If your kids love duct tape - have at it. If you all like the same kinds of foods - great! When you know your students, you can tailor lessons to best capture their attention and get them excited for what's next.

Do Your Research
     Sometimes you just get stuck. One large brain fart and it feels like you don't quite know what to do for the next year, lesson, class. The best thing about this modern era is the internet - so use it! There are plenty of blogs out there with helpful hints, tips, plans, powerpoints, etc. Find someone who inspires you and follow them! Also, Pinterest gives you a great way to scope out what's available before you get too lost in the land of information...

You Don't Have to Make Everything From Scratch
   Almost the same as Do Your Research. But realize that not everything has to be made from scratch. There are perfectly good resources out there that you can use without stressing yourself out. In fact, remember to ask other teachers what the use and if you can use theirs. I think too many new teachers try too hard to make their own that they get overwhelmed. Perhaps leading to burnout?

Get Organized
   It's way too easy to forget where papers went and things occasionally got lost. There's nothing worse than losing that one child's HW. So get organized. Keep folders in a binder so everything is close at hand. There are many teachers out there who use a "Teacher Binder". I have just started to use on and it's working out great! I wish I had seen one sooner! My binder has everything from schedules, student data, lesson plans, meeting minutes, to  parent contact logs. Come time for APPR summative evaluation, everything's ready to go! Plus, it makes life so much easier and lessens some stress.

Get Connected/Be Seen
     It's important to get out into the community. Both the school community and the town's community where you teach. I feel it's important that the kids know that you exist outside of school. Perhaps it'll help them stay off the streets, but it lets them know that you're out there and you care. In addition, it will really help you to get to know parents, students you might not have, and other teachers. The worst thing you can do is stay in your room, squirreled away.
     So get out there! Get involved with school sports, with musicals, with marching band, go to games. If you can, try to find something where you can volunteer in the community. I volunteer with an Emergency Squad and you wouldn't believe how many kids visit our EMS tent at events just to say hello. Shop local if you can, too. This lets parents see you and you see them in a setting that isn't all about their kids or school. In all reality, it's about making connections and building relationships with the community you're in.

The Debate Over Plants

Over the years, I've seen some teachers bring in small plants to keep on their desk or on a windowsill. Other teachers bring in fish and science teachers can often have an array of other organisms residing in their rooms.

Personally, I feel that having plants in a classroom does several things. Not only does it make a room feel and look "homey" but they can also be used as a teaching tool.

Every year, I assign one of my Resource Rooms to be in charge of plant care. For this, I get a little sneaky. I try to find the class that has an individual that has a goal relating to organization. For example, I've had students that sometimes become frequent visitors to the office. In a weird way, they're the kids that are the most possessive and gentle with my plants. It helps to teach them responsibility and kindness. If you don't water any of the plants, they will die.

Last year, we started some seedlings. Basil, lavender, and thyme. While most of my plants are hardy and can withstand a couple days without water, seedlings need extra attention. It was a challenge for some of my kiddos, but we managed to get those little guys started. I still have lots of basil!

Furthermore, plants do a lot for the environment of the room. My school upgraded a few years back to a new heating and cooling system. Mainly, a lot of the air gets recycled and "conditioned" to the appropriate temperature. When school first starts and I haven't brought in any of my plants, I will occasionally get headaches. After I bring in my plants - nada. Life is good.

Planning Binder

After reading a fantastic blog (thank you Pinterest!), I decided to get together a better plan for next year. It's been  dubbed "the pretty binder"

I'm hoping that it will force me to be more organized and make it easier for when I'm out. All my important information for classes will be in one central location. It just gets to be a headache when there's a dozen folders and binders to keep track of. 

My binder has sections for calendars, schedules, lesson plans, student data, parent contact log, and meeting notes. I'd like to add seating charts and class rosters at the beginning of the school year. I won't know who's in my classes till much closer to September.

*Inspiration and pages for the binder came from Eat. Write. Teach. Stephanie Richardson is nice enough to have all of the black and white copies of documents available. She's also got a teacherspayteachers account where you can buy/download more of her awesome templates.

Let the Summer Begin

Today is officially the end of teaching for the 2014-2015 school year.

I've learned a lot this year from my kiddos! Mostly, how the middle school brain works! After teaching in the high school for a couple years, it's certainly been interesting getting to know my 7th and 8th grade students. There's a lot more parenting involved in the tasks of a middle school educator. By high school students have become individuals, perhaps still forming, but Middle School - Middle School you can mold them a whole lot more. I like to think of it as spreading my own brand of corruption. Creating little minions of mine who will do awesome and great things.

In any case, my room is all cleaned out! Hopefully, I will have desks next year instead of tables. With my room being small, it's important to be able to utilize the space effectively. While I'm not overly enthused to start a whole new layout this month, by the start of August I'll be itching to get back in here to get it ready!

From the Mouth of Babes

After talking about the cold war...
"Name me one country that is a superpower"
"Flying!"


On a Cold War Exam

“I am about to tell you about the Cold War. So get a scarf and sweater…

  The Cold War relates to today due to

  War because war will not end for a long time

  It is also related due to nuclear

  Weapons. Just like Iran has today.

  Those are only a few I have…So how

  About you. (literally, I’m curious again)

  PS: You might want a thermos of cocoa for

  The other cold war stories”

"It's a left handed mug!"

"I broked it"

"Duct tape can fix anything but stupid, but it can shit it up for a while"

"Do you ever think that when Chinese people get a happy meal they think-hey I made this?"

"I thought Vietnam was a battlefield...wait people live there?"

"There was this thing that happened, & it led to this other thing happening, & another thing happened and it led to the Civil War"

"Does 'book' stand for something?"