I’m so excited to share with you the upcoming changes to the site and the release of my new book!

This summer, Ms. Powell’s Management Ideas for Teachers (mspowell.com) will be redirected to TheCornerstoneForTeachers.com. The majority of downloads, photos, and links will be updated and available on the new site, but if there’s something you really need to access from mspowell.com, you may want to download the document, print the page, or bookmark the link just in case.

The new name, web design, and content will be designed as a supplement to my book, “The Cornerstone:  Classroom Management That Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient, and Enjoyable.”  The book is currently in production with Xulon Press and should be available in bookstores by mid-July.  You will be able to pre-order the book through my website beginning in mid-June.

The final table of contents and more information about “The Cornerstone” were added on May 29, 2008, and can be viewed at http://mspowell.com/thebook.html.  You can also download a FREE chapter from the book, entitled “How To Teach ANY Procedure”. 

I have created a Yahoo Group called ‘TheCornerstoneForTeachers’ to replace the old mailing lists, which were almost constantly full. The group combines the mailing list, chat boards, and message forums into one easy-to-use system.   You can join this group by clicking here, or using the homepage of mspowell.com.   Please check the group's message boards or sign up to be notified via email for updates and further information about web changes and book publication.

Thanks so much to those who have encouraged me through email and the guestbook, donated to the site, and purchased items from Amazon through mspowell.com.  The site has grown and expanded beyond anything I could have initially visualized, and that’s been due in large part to the overwhelming support I’ve received from teachers all around the world.  I believe you will be as thrilled as I am with the new website, and that “The Cornerstone” will be an incredible resource for you. 

Enjoy the end of the school year, and stay in touch over the summer!

Angela

I haven't posted any new material on the site other than devotions or blog entries since November.  For awhile I was just busy with the holidays and other things going on in my life, but there's actually another reason, and it's a good one...

I am preparing my book for publication!!  I've been working nonstop on Ms. Powell's Complete Guide to Classroom Management (at least, that's the working title).  The format and content of the book is very similar to what I outlined on the "My Book" page in 2004, when I first got the vision for what I wanted to do- it’s still on the site if you want to see it.

A lot of the book will be based on information from the website, but the organizational structure will be easier to follow.  I’m also going into a LOT more detail about classroom management.  I’ve written a ton of new, more specific information about how to design, introduce, and maintain procedures and routines.  I’m trying to cover every elementary school scenario, from pencil sharpening to getting drinks to teaching kids not to follow you around the classroom waving a paper in your face and saying, “Is this good?! Did I do it right?!”. 

There will be lots of classroom photos, of course, and the relevant forms, signs, and other documents will be available right in the book so all you have to do is photocopy them. 

I went through most of the website pages that I plan to use a portion of in the book and did some editing and revision, so if you see a ‘Last Updated’ notice with a March date, that’s what was happening.   I have to admit I was totally appalled by the number of spelling errors and other typos on the website- I need to do a LOT more proofreading before I upload anything else!  Hopefully I caught most of errors on the pages that indicate they were recently updated.  I then copied and pasted the info into a Word document and began rearranging, editing for content, and adding new ideas. 

I’ve decided to self-publish so that I can format the book the way I want it.  The tone is just like that of the website- it’s me speaking directly to you about what I know works in the classroom based on my own experience.  I have signed a publishing agreement with a Christian company called Xulon Press, and I am working feverishly to get the book on store shelves by late June/ early July.  It will be available through my website, Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles, Borders, and all the other major bookstores, so keep an eye out for it!

That’s the only thing that’s new with me.  Everything is still fabulous at work and beautiful in my personal life, which means I can focus totally on writing.  I will keep you all updated on my progress.  Thanks once again for all of your encouragement, prayers, and support!

 Angela

And I can't wait. All the test prep will be OVER until August and we can all breathe again.  We're finishing up a lot of our test prep materials and the kids are celebrating everyday- no more reading mini-benchmarks!  6 more math mini-benchmarks!  Finished the last page in the Fast Track to FCAT Book!  I'm trying to present it to the kids like, look how prepared you are now!  You've practiced every single skill that you're going to be tested on!  You're so ready for this!  You can do it!  The more I repeat it, the more I believe it myself.  ;-)

Our testing is in the second and third weeks of March.  For afterwards, I'm planning an awesome 8-week unit on ancient civilizations (the kids' first in-depth social studies instruction of the year) to do during our reading block to reinforce research and reference skills.  It's the same unit that I put on the Social Studies page on the website last spring, although of course I'll be adding new things and taking out less effective pieces.  And, we're going to do interest-based reading groups in which students can choose the books they want to read and create authentic projects based on them.  The last 2-3 months of the school year are always the most fun, and the time that reminds me of why I went into teaching in the first place.

So, good things are ahead!  For those of you heading into the final weeks before standardized testing... you're almost there!  Remind your kids about that and it will encourage you every time. Oh, and check out the Standardized Testing page for ideas on how to make the testing week less stressful (the kids' favorite is when we have potluck breakfast together in the mornings). 

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays!  We had two and a half weeks off, so I was able to spend 6 days with my family in Virginia and then head up to New York.  The whole trip was an absolute blast! I got to see family members I hadn't seen in over a year and it was wonderful to just relax together and eat lots of good food.  NY was wonderful, of course- the best was going to the jazz clubs (saw Chuck Mangione) and seeing The Color Purple on Broadway (that was so amazing, we got tickets for the Lion King in two weeks).  New York has become so comfortable and familiar and I miss the city when I am away now- I talk about "flying home" no matter which direction I am traveling in.   I was dreading the winter but the cold is not so bad now that I've learned to stop trying to look cute and just dress to be warm. Although  I was so glad to wake up on Monday morning and just throw on a sundress and sandals for work instead of spending twenty minutes trying to layer!

I did not miss school at all but I wasn't dreading coming back, either.  As a whole, my days are pretty low-key and not stressful, so I was alright with having to work again.  The kids are always so calm after a long break, anyway, and things have been very calm and peaceful so far in January.

From now until the end of February is always the worst time of year to be a teacher in Florida (at least in grades 3-12).  Prep for the FCAT can be soooo stressful.  However, I feel like my school has had appropriate interventions in place since day one, and I don't anticipate a lot of scrambling around at the last minute or an inordinate amount of practice testing in the next few weeks.  We'll see, of course.  I am concerned for some of my kids but I know we are doing everything we can for them.  I don't feel like that every year- sometimes I feel like I have slacked off or been distracted by things in my personal life, or I think the admin has not provided the needed support- but this year, I truly believe we've done everything possible for these kids.  For that reason I will be able to sleep well at night regardless of how my kids do on the test.  That sounds melodramatic but I'm serious.  If you're a teacher you understand what it's like to lose sleep over someone else's child's test scores.  (And often, the teacher's degree of concern is inversely proportional to the actual parent's degree of concern). 

So, here we go into "crunch time" before standardized testing... let the adventure begin!!

Very exciting news- my obsession with organization has finally paid off!  I am now doing freelancing work for Education World magazine!  Over the summer, they contacted me about submitting tips about organization in the classroom for an ongoing column.  Well, technically you could call it a 'column', but that kind of implies that the article is long enough to form an actual column.  It's more of a feature: a photo showing an organizational tip along with a short blurb about the picture.  At any rate, it's a regular feature that will run for the next 32 weeks and old articles will be archived online for easy reference.  They're calling it, "Ms. Powell's Organization Tips".  The first day it was published, I had a girl who I had not talked to since high school email me saying she just happened across the article and wanted to contact me!  How cool is that?  

Education World and other publications have contacted me a handful of times over the years (to feature the token economy system, behavior management strategies, etc.) but it was always just to interview me- this is the first time I've actually written the material myself (and the first time I've gotten paid for it!).  I'm really happy about having the opportunity to freelance because I love to write and eventually I'd like to do it full-time- hopefully by the time I'm a mom.   So this could be the beginning of something really incredible!

Everything is still going amazingly well at work.  I'm thrilled with the progress my kids are making and the classroom dynamic continues to be really positive.  I just had 2 kids move away so I've only got 17 now, and with all the pull-out classes, I often have 12 during my reading block!  I feel like I understand where these kids are at so much better because of the small class size.  I'm sure I'll get new kids soon but the theme of this year seems to be, appreciate what you've got for as long as you've got it, so I'm gonna stick with that!!  I'll take as many days of peace and productivity as I can. 

Here's the link to the Education World article archive: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/archives/organization.shtml.  I hope you all find the tips helpful- most of them are from the website but some I wrote just for the feature.  I'd love to hear your feedback!!

I've heard from so many of you who have been dying to find out how things are going at my new school- it's so wonderful to know that there are other teachers out there rooting for me and praying that everything will go well!  We're three weeks into the school year so I've been working a crazy amount of hours recently, but I definitely wanted to take a few minutes this weekend to post an entry here to update everyone.

So....?  I'm actually still in shock over the transfer.  It's like being in a totally different world.  Even though I'm teaching the same grade in the same school district, almost everything is completely different.  The procedures and 'norms' at the school are totally unlike those at my old school, and the curriculum is like night and day.  It has definitely been a culture shock.  I absolutely love it!

The administration truly sets the tone for the entire school.  I feel like we are expected to be professional and to demonstrate excellence in everything, but the support they give us feels unconditional to me.  It’s like I’m being set up for success and if (okay, when) I mess up, administration will just help me get back on track, because they know that I’m doing my best and I genuinely want to do the right things.  They’ve been in my room a lot and have seen me interact with the kids and I feel like they believe in me and want to support me. 

And even beyond the principal and A.P., my co-worked have been amazing.  So many people have gone above and beyond in offering to help me and make sure I have the things and information I need to teach well.  Even the custodial staff has been personable and helpful!  My team leader is really on top of things and has spent endless hours helping me and the other new teachers.  The reading specialist, the tech people… everyone, seriously!  I feel like I have a lot of well-informed people to go to anytime I need something- and I do, all the time!

I do miss my former co-workers.  I just looked and saw that I only posted one blog entry last year (whoops, I’ll have to be better about that!) so I didn’t really tell you, but, I got incredibly close with several people on my team last year.  I was with at least one of them pretty much every evening and all weekend long and we talked on the phone all the time.  It was really hard to leave them, but the friendships are solid enough to be maintained even without seeing one another daily.  So if there’s one thing I could change about my new school, it would be the fact that I feel lonely sometimes because I don’t have really close friends at work anymore.  But I keep telling myself that, a) I’m not at work to socialize (right?), and b) I’m making an effort to get to know people and establish new friendships, and it will come in time.  It has always taken me awhile to establish strong friendships with my colleagues just because teaching is such an isolated situation- we’re all alone in our classrooms with small children all day and have little time to interact with one another.  But I do like the people I work with, and it’s fun getting to know them better.

I really shouldn't say anything about my students and their families since whatever I write will be available for the entire world to read, but I have to tell you that I fell in love with this class the very first day!  I just felt a total connection with them.  And it's not that they're the easiest kids to teach, they're just a great mix of personalities and the energy in the classroom is amazing.  I absolutely love teaching them!  And the families have been great, too- 12 out of 19 showed up to Open House!  The parents are reporting that their kids are happy and enjoying school, so I'm thrilled!

That’s probably enough information for now.  I’d like to post more soon about the way our day is structured and the curriculum changes, which are pretty interesting and totally different from anything I’ve ever seen or done.  

Everything is going well with me outside of school, too.  I’m visiting my parents right now (they live about two hours north of me now- they retired and moved to Florida about a year ago and I’m thrilled to be able to spend so much more time with them than when they were in Maryland!).  I had a lot of fun this summer- went to Key West with my friends, to Virginia to see my extended family, and took two long trips to NYC to visit my boyfriend.  He and I have been together for a year now and things are so wonderful!  Even though we live far away from one another, we’ve been able to spend a good amount of time together, and he’s been an amazing support for me both emotionally and spiritually.  We are both so grateful that God has brought us into one another’s lives!  We believe it is His will for there to be a move sometime in the near future- most likely for him to come to Florida but we are open to anything the Lord has for us.

I really don’t have a desire to move- right now I am just loving my job, more than I have in years, and I love where I live, especially since all the renovations are finished and my bathroom and kitchen are fully-functioning and gorgeous!  Things are really peaceful right now and I’m very content, so I just continue to appreciate every day I have like this, and remember that nothing in life is guaranteed or forever.  I feel so blessed that I have people who care about me, a fulfilling career, and the ability to get out and enjoy everything beautiful that Fort Lauderdale has to offer.  I know all of this sounds really corny, but many of you know that things have not always been this way for me and I don’t take a moment for granted!     

I hope that all of you are off to a great start this school year.  If you’re not, I hope that reading this hasn’t made you feel worse!  I want to encourage you and let you know that things can be better than you ever thought they could be, and to hang in there, because life changes all the time and you never know what incredible things are around the corner!  Even situations that seem like they could never change can turn upside down in an instant.  I know a lot of you are exhausted and frustrated at this time of the year, and that’s really normal for teachers!  I worked from 7-6 almost every day the first two weeks of school and then came home and worked another few hours each evening!  But it gets better and it gets easier.  I plan to add a lot of new resources to the site to help out with that as much as possible.  Please keep emailing and signing the guestbook- I love reading about how all of you are doing! 

Enjoy the fresh start that comes with the beginning of a new school year!   

J Angela

 

Yes, I'm moving again!  Schools, at least.  I can't believe I've been teaching in the same place for nearly three years- that's a record for me!

If you've been following my saga, you know that I wanted to leave last yearfor reasons that I won't specify because I don't want to spread any negative messages about my school.  But, I didn't feel like God was releasing me to go.  This year, however, the problems that I was having got worse, and my desire to transfer intensified.

I achieved National Board Certification, and in Broward County, that means a huge raise (10% of the average teacher salary in Florida), and for NB certified teachers who work in Title I schools, an additional 10%.  The school I have been at was not Title I, so this was a huge incentive to make the switch!

I had been thinking about going back to lower-income communities because that's really where my heart is, and where I know I can make the biggest difference.  Also, I feel like it gives my website my more credibility- after all, it's not hard to manage most groups of upper middle class kids, but if I can share ideas that work even with the challenges of poverty and an inner city environment, that really means something to teachers who are 'in the trenches'!

So I had been asking around for about a year: are there any GOOD Title I schools?  Over and over, I kept hearing the same name: Croissant Park Elementary.  At least 10 people told me the principal was absolutely the best in the district, the staff was like a family, and the kids (while challenging) were sweet and eager to learn as a whole because the school environment was so loving, structured, and no-nonsense.  

So, about three weeks before the school year ended, I decided to talk to a coworker who previously taught there and left only because the commute was too great.  She said she'd go back in a heartbeat if it wasn't so far and that getting to work with this principal was an incredible privilege- go for it!  She said she'd email the principal because they were friends and ask if there were any openings.  The principal emailed back right away and said she had a third grade opening!  So I emailed her myself and set up an interview for the following day.

I was so impressed right away by both her demeanor and that of the assistant principal.  They expressed concern over the sacrifices I would have to make in coming to a Title I school (a MUCH more prescribed curriculum, less parental support, and constant supervision from them and district administrators, who visit the classrooms almost daily).  I told her I had heard such awesome things about the way the school handles those challenges that I was ready to take them on!  She offered me the job on the spot and I accepted! I was SO excited!

The best part?  It's my neighborhood school, meaning that if I had children, they would attend there.  It's only a mile and a half away!  A lot of people have a hard time understanding how my neighborhood school is 70% free/reduced lunch and assume that my home must be in a bad area, especially since it's it's in the city.  I live in an interesting area- it's part of downtown Ft. Lauderdale, and it's undergoing gentrification, so there are run-down shacks next to brand-new, million dollar homes.  Literally.  I happen to live in a condo area that's in between- older and urban, but safe and beautiful.  Most of the new people moving in don't have kids or send them to private school, so it's the kids from the older homes and apartments that attend the school.  And the racial diversity of the school reflects the neighborhood: evenly split between white, black, and Hispanic, with 10% mixed/other.  How awesome!

So on the last day of school (May 31), I rented a U-Haul (again) and moved everything over!  I got rid of at least half of my teaching supplies and files, much to the gratitude of my coworkers!  However, I have over a thousand children's books that I won't part with, and of course I have to take my plastic drawers that organize all of my lesson materials, and they take up a ton of room.  Along with a copier, frig, microwave, and a few shelves, I filled up an entire 10 foot truck!  One of my closest friend's fiancee, to whom I am forever indebted, helped me move (thanks, Diego!!!). It was exhausting, but how exciting to make a fresh start in a new room in the fall! 

It's a MUCH better room than my old one, with a huge storage closet, bathroom, sink, water fountain, built-in shelving, tons of bulletin boards, a great view of the palm trees, and lots of room!  Here's a pic of one corner of the room at the end of the year with the previous teachers' things in it:

So everything just fell perfectly and quickly into place, which was total confirmation that this is exactly where God wants me.  My property taxes just went up almost $2,000, so the raise I will get is His provision to cover the increased expenses.  Plus, think of the money I'll save on gas!  (I drove 25 miles roundtrip each day last year).  I know next year will bring a lot of new challenges, but I'm ready for something new and I'm going to learn so much. 

 I'm happy to report that things are off to a really great start.  I have 20 kids and they are absolutely adorable.  They're not perfect by any means- but what a cute and genuinely sweet group of kids.  I can tell I'm going to get really attached.  I don't anticipate any major problems with any of them, behaviorally speaking, and that's a big relief (as those of you who have been following my saga for a few years know .

My grade level team is really awesome, too.  We only have one new teacher (there are 8 of us total) and she's wonderful, not only with the kids but also as a person.  She's a Christian as well and we have a lot in common- I'm really looking forward to getting to know her better.  Our team just works so well together, there's no drama, and I love being able to work with people I consider my friends. 

I've never taught in any one place for longer than 2 years, so coming back for a 3rd year in the same place is a little strange for me.  I know all the kids in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades because I've taught them, and now I'm actually getting the younger siblings of former students!  What a concept.  And not having to rent a U-Haul to load all of my stuff up at the end of the year and bring sit omeplace new in the fall is a huge relief.  You might remember how much I wanted to transfer last spring... but I just didn't feel like God was releasing me to go, and now I'm so glad I was obedient.  I appreciate my school and the community more now than ever.

The school district has come up with this One Voice plan in which all schools are using the same terminology and working on the same goals.  It's resulting in a lot of formulaic requirements in which we have to be teaching the same skills at the same time, which is causing some initial problems but I think will work well in the long run. I don't have a problem teaching the standards, I have a problem with teaching the test and being forced to teach the standards in a way that is not appropriate for my students.  So far we still have the flexibility we need, for the most part... but I'm definitely going to bring some of what I'm learning to this site because I know a lot of you are facing NCLB regulations and are struggling to deal with it.

Oh, and this is really cool- the school district is using this site in some of it's training sessions for teachers!  In the past, I've granted permission for material to be used in several universities, teacher-training curriculums, and school district manuals in other parts of the country but Broward County was not using it until several months ago.  It's been suggested to me that I pull the material that they are using off the site and publish it so that they have to pay a fee to use it, but  I'm really happy to be able to help out other teachers in my own school district and I can't see charging for that.

I am still working on my book- thanks to all who have asked about it-, which I will most likely publish as an eBook first and then put out a print copy later- but that's still in the beginning stages so it won't be anytime soon (especially since I'm also trying to work on the book about prison ministry).  I do have a lot going on this year, especially since I'm taking a course at the Bible Institute this semester, but nothing like it was last year with the National Boards.  I should actually have some time to write this year... so I'll keep you updated.

On the site, I'm going to be filling in activities and resources for the pages that have been created but aren't yet completed, especially the literacy ones.  Typically there are a lot less visitors to the site in September because everyone's so busy with school, but stop back in (or sign up to be emailed when there are new updates) to see what's new.  I have a lot of really incredible resources from other teachers and the workshops I took this summer and I know you're going to get a lot out of them, just like I did.

Thanks so much to those of you who have been purchasing Amazon products through the site!  I wish I could thank you personally, but trust me- it IS appreciated, and I'm really glad that I don't have to run ads to support the site.  I know that there have been some pop-ups from 3rd party ads recently and I'm trying to get that resolved.  You alll have been very patient with all the 'construction' and I'm so grateful to those who took the time to email me when there were problems with viewing the site or following links.

I love reading all of your emails and hearing what's working in your classrooms.  Please stay in touch, and if you're going to be in the Ft. Lauderdale area and would like to visit the classroom, let me know.  I've been fortunate enough to meet up with some of you in person and exchange ideas, and it's such a great learning experience!

Have a WONDERFUL school year, and remember to stay focused on ENJOYING the children and teaching lessons that are fun for you as well as the kids.  Stay true to what you are passionate about and bring that enthusiasm to the classroom each day.  Thanks for all of your encouragement- God bless you!

 Angela

I'm actually in the middle of a summer workshop right now on technology in the classroom.  It's our lunch break, and since I've finished eating and have use of a great laptop and wireless connection right in front of me, I figured I'd take a minute to update the web journal! 

I'm taking a ton of workshops this summer, actually- this is just one of many.  My school district allows us to choose what we want to take and offers hundreds of choices... and best of all, pays us to take them!  So I'm getting paid to learn cool new ideas for the classroom- what a great way to spend a summer!  (And of course, I'm passing everything I'm learning onto y'all through the site!)

I did spend 3 weeks up north with my family.  I spent a week in Virginia Beach with my aunt, a few days in Maryland with my parents helping them get their house ready for closing (they just sold it and have moved to Florida, about 2 hours north of me!), and about 10 days in central Virginia with the rest of my extended family.  Lots of shopping and incredible food- my family lives in the country, and there's this incredible restaurant run by the Mennonites and other old-fashioned southern cooks- everything is made from scratch and I ate there almost every single day!! 

It was fun but there's no place like home.  It's wonderful to be back in my own space again.  I don't have anything special planned for the rest of the summer, just my regular routine, minus having to go to work each day!  The gym, the beach, the pool, shopping, church, prison ministry, dinner with friends... it's amazingly easy to fill up my time!

By the way, I did finish everything for National Boards- I took the assessment center exercises (AC) at the end of May.  I won't get my scores back until November, but I am thinking positively and am looking forward to good news!

I'm still adding to the site almost daily... look for LOTS of new additions this month now that I'm back home and have the time.  If you have any special requests for things to be added to the site, let me know!  Hope you're relaxing and recuperating!