Come One, Come All!

Come One, Come All! It's Open House Season

So, it pretty much goes a little like this: First, I stress about opening up the year with my new batch of students. Next, I worry about testing and making sure I covered ALL of the standards necessary to ensure my student's success on the state test... then, just when I think my stress level has maxed out... Open House comes skipping around the corner and reminds me that it is GAME TIME! Yes, this is when my anxiety level peaks.

It's Just One Day

Look, I completely understand the argument that many will make. It's only one day?... Why stress over a one-hour showcase? But, truth be told, this one day out of the year is truly important to both my students and me. We work really hard all year to master our goal standards. So, on this one day, we get to, in essence, "show-off" all the goals we have met in the most creative way possible. I like to see it as the Met Gala of the year and everyone comes wearing (showcasing) their very best. 

"Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." - Swami Sivananda  

Put YOUR Best Foot Forward

Here are some tips on how to ensure your students (and you) are successful and showcase their very best on this one night:

1. Be Creative: There are so many standards-based projects out there that are fun to do and full of opportunities for our students to be creative. Search the web for these resources, and you are sure to find something that fits your timeline and budget. An excellent resource for projects is a website like Teachers Pay Teachers,  that allow you to filter classroom goodies by grade, subject, and even budget. 

2. Plan Ahead: Start planning your projects throughout the year- not right before Open House (I am completely guilty of that.) If you get a bit done as you complete a unit of study, you will have plenty to showcase for our parents at the end of the year.

3. Only the Best: Accept only the best that each student can give you and nothing less. This may not look the same for every student, but you know your students better than anyone else, and you can see when they have put forth their best effort. Show them the following video, Austin's Butterfly- Building Excellence in Student's Work, and perhaps it will motivate them and remind them of the true potential that lies within every one of them.

And now, as I part ways with you (our readers), I give you some photos of our 2019 Open House Exhibit. Feel free to leave all the lovely comments you wish for our kiddos to read and enjoy, as we celebrate their hard work.

Putting her best foot forward, 

Yvonne Milian 

Aztec Civilization Report

Ancient Civilization Biography

 Earth's Biomes

 Novel/Film Critique 

 Personal Narrative 

 Poetry

 Ancient Civilization Report Card 

 Ancient Civilization 3-D Model (Scarab Beetle- Ancient Egypt)

 Math- Fish Tanks Volume/ Surface Area