Spend or Save...... Lucky Us!

Today we had the most amazing opportunity! A while back, I found a link to the St. Louis Federal Reserve which has resources for teachers to use!!  I just happened to click on an opportunity to sign up for a guest teacher for a lesson to teach student to save their money! We had the most sweetest visitor, Debbie Cotton from JCTC! She came to teach the students about money.  We are just starting our unit on Economics, and today is National Teach Kids to Save Day! Who knew!!??

Ms. Cotton came with a read aloud, Less Than Zero.   In this book, the main character wanted to save clams to pay for an ice scooter.  Clams! The students got right into the book and each time when he was tempted to save they started to holler, "No! Don't do it!!"  It just captivated them!  She also used a number line and a real penny (which each child got too!) and they moved it backwards and forwards as he spent and even borrowed money!  You will have to read this with your class to see if he finally gets his scooter!  Beware! He DOES really like ice cream!!!

After the lesson, Ms. Cotton reviewed words like borrow, spend, save, and interest.  It was such a productive lesson for the students to see.  I loved having her guest-teach and if you are ever contacted to have someone visit I would highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity.

I included way to many pictures of the event because I was just so excited about the lesson!  We had previously read Alexander Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday, and this book also connected well to Less then Zero!  It was a fantastic lesson!!  Best of all, I got to keep the book, lesson plan, student copies, and pennies!!

Job Change!! ..... Out of the Comfort Zone....

Goodness.  End of the year madness with testing, testing, and testing... and now the joy, sheer terror to be exact, of moving my classroom out completely consumes me.  Why am I moving?? Well, I have the most amazing and most wonderfullest news!! It was the dreaded time of the year when budgets are formed and people are cut and added, cut and added... Our district has been in the implementing stage of RTI for years, but this year, certified interventionists (see that s on there ;) ) are being added at all grade levels.  So, as soon as the positions were announced, I was super excited to jump on it.  

Then, the dreaded happened....cold feet! I mean my feet were so cold they might as well be dead.  I can not tell you how many times I changed my mind about applying.  There were other's vying for the same position.  "I'll just let them have it. I am "comfortable" in my little classroom...." I told myself everything.  I seriously struggled with the decision.  I had to think, why was I so anxious to do it, then scared to death to interview for it.  I knew for sure, I wasn't the most qualified for it, so why humiliate myself in front of my peers.  The time came and I just had to.  I was a nervous wreck I tell ya!  

Not long after the interview, my principal approached me and said, "They chose you." She said it with a smile on her face.  I will never forget that sentence for the rest of my life.  The word "chose" sounded so much more.....picked.  Just think about your students.  Some you might have chosen to have because you knew their families...you knew their struggles from the previous year...and you chose them.  I desire to make children feel chosen because that feeling made me feel so special.  It also validated my initial desire, but I was to scared to see that I could have even gotten chosen.  So go out today and choose someone.  Don't forget to smile! 

Go ahead, leave a comment. When have you ever felt chosen for something?