Teacher Exhaustion, Scholastic and the Beginning of the Next...

[@boelensa]

I completely agree! I've never done a countdown for that reason. How can we spend all year talking about the value of hard work, the power of learning and growth, and then flip it in May and start counting down for it to be over? WHAT?! So many other ways to celebrate our year without it being immersed in a message of "freedom" from learning.

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+boelensa - 😉☝️

[@Dede_5718]

just because some if not all count down dont mean we care and do our best..i finish strong every year for the past 27 years..this is what it is ....so counting down for me is a mental help to get through..However..i love all my students too..but they have to move on as well..trust and believe they are counting down as well....

[@scrubs4everr]

She has so much passion for teaching!!! Wow truly inspiring and motivating

[@emilylightsey6374]

I always keep a box of cereal in the room for babies that don't have snacks. My snack helper student is in charge of pouring it out for the students who need it. This is an idea I got from my mom - a retired teacher!

[@roderickwoodard1415]

I totally agree with you! In order for our kids to give the very best of themselves, we have to give the very best of ourselves! I love the positivity and the realness of your channel! 😀

[@WeDaBomb21]

In my student teaching classroom, which is a first-grade room, the teacher chooses to count how many days they've been in school instead of how many days they have left. The kids (and teachers, too!) feel accomplished knowing they've completed 100+ days of school.

[@EmmieArlene]

As a teacher in my second year, I am beginning to feel more tired and burnt out. I am so thankful for your videos and encouragement! Feeling good about returning from break on Monday and getting to work! Thank you for what you do! #TakedownTheCountdown

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Emily Freeman Yay! It gets to all of us, but the kiddos don't need to know it 😉. Monday is what we make it 👍

[@NinaNina-kb2ff]

i totally understand your emotion when you say that you love your kids in spite of the fatigue and the frustration we feel as teachers. i have many kids that i love as if they're my own. and they do love me too. the teacher-learner relation is a special one that we have to cherish. so yes, the countdown is wrong and we should fully live each and every day because , even if we want it or not, there always an end for everything. i'll never forget the year when i went back to school and discovered that one of my students had passed away and that i'll never see him again. so yes live each moment with your students and love them because we'll never know... thank you Bridget for your nice video.

[@rwel9118]

I'll continue the countdown. To me, it's a fun way to CELEBRATE our time left together. After high-stakes testing, it's a great way to unwind and finally do the "fun" things we didn't have time to do. :)

[@debbieblincoe888]

I sooooo would love my son to be in your class - what you and your team is doing is EXACTLY what he needs and how he LEARNS!!! I so wish we were in your state, district and school!

[@caterraz]

Could you maybe do a Day in the Life of a Fourth Grade teacher?? Your last one in Kindergarten helped alot!! Love your videos! ❤️❤️

[@elyseh-g2557]

You are so unbelievably positive and inspirational! Thank you!!! You help keep me going.

[@ashleyhaskins8618]

I feel your pain waking up in the morning getting ready for school ... Love your videos

[@Shantased]

BEAUTIFULLY BLESSED FAMILY, Thank you 😊 so much for sharing your great 💡 ideas.

[@BridgingLiteracy]

Thank you so much!

[@lifewithkellyg4316]

Love the fact that I am not the only OCD teacher!! Lol. Love your class library idea! Looks great!!

[@pattersonteach]

I enjoy all your videos. I think the room transformations are great. Been trying to figure out how to do something like this with middle school. I think you display awesome ideas in your videos. I think those ideas help students learn and grow. Your videos always get me thinking about how to bring those ideas to a middle school ELA classroom. Thanks for another informative video.

[@staceyedzwald5103]

Could you talk about adjusting to a new school/district? I am thinking about a change, but after so many years in the same school, it is daunting to think about learning a new system, meeting new people etc. love your videos! I am excited to see your MAC Classroom next year!

[@BridgingLiteracy]

I might do something like this over the summer. I do have a blog post about my transition from K to 4th that includes changes in districts and very different systems. www.TheLetteredClassroom.com

[@irama687]

I am aways so happy to see your videos

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Reception Talker - Thank you!!

[@WhitneyRenea1]

Completely agree. The countdown for some is a countdown to family fun, carefree days, and freedom. But there are kids in every classroom who know it's a countdown to worry about where they'll eat twice a day, to leaving their only safe place, and to leaving the only person who ever shows any interest in their lives. Summer isn't fun for everyone. I count down, because I can't wait to spend my days with my kids. But I do it quietly in my personal planner.

[@laurafricker1903]

I'm a reading specialist and currently prepping our 4th graders for SOLs (our state tests in VA) I was sooo struggling to find non-fiction articles my kids could read!! Thanks so much for sharing News ELA!!

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Laura Fricker - Yay!!!

[@amandafowler1165]

Finally getting time to sit down and watch this vlog! You are so inspiring.

[@natalie3104]

Love those bookshelf stoppers 😍 and omg Minecraft room transformation is GENIUS I love it!!! 🤗

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Natalie - They turned out great! ...I'm so excited for Monday, but there is still so much to do!

[@natalie3104]

I bet! I'm sure it will be amazing 😉🤗

[@nancycox270]

It seems like you are going to a self-contained class which does allow for a teacher to go into depth and incorporate all subjects. I am still not sure what makes your new MAC program different from a regular self-contained class. Would you give further information on this? Love the new additions to the library.

[@24567423ify]

Another good "picture book" for the relocation camps is So Far From the Sea by Eve Bunting. They were at Manzanar.

[@dublinro8]

Can you share ways of assessment? Love your videos 🤗

[@rachelmcfeters1892]

I'm now the teacher in staff meeting that everytime someone says the days left I whisper defiantly to myself #stopthecountdown. ;)

[@FabbiRosario]

Bridget, where can we find that Math Word Problem Solving material? :)

[@jennawhitley6745]

You're just so sweet! It was so real when you teared up about your kids. Also, what is that you have around your neck? Ear buds? I've been curious! Haha

[@elizabethskaggs2004]

@thelettereclassroom - how do you do data binders using iPads? I would like to do them next year? 😋

[@katisnotateapot]

Hi Bridget, I adore the maths word journals! I'm currently student-teaching in grade one in Australia and I think it would be so great to have something like that for the students when they come into the classroom before the first lesson begins. Do you have any of them available for purchase? :) PS I love your videos!

[@jmexley]

You mentioned you had nap time at the beginning of the year in kinder. How long did they rest for? At what point in the year did you stop nap time?

[@shof189]

As a teacher who has a multi-age class by default (small school population means two-grade classrooms. I teach grade 5/6), I can't fathom why districts would move towards multi-age classrooms by choice. When conducting best practice, teachers should be teaching and instructing to students' individual levels/needs/abilities regardless. In a straight-grade classroom, there is already a wide variety of levels/needs/abilities that we should be teaching to. Creating a multi-age classroom only widens the range of abilities and needs in a class. I do like some aspects of it - older students being able to mentor younger students, two years with the same students to build relationships (although this backfires if the student doesn't have a positive relationship with the teacher. We try our best, but sometimes, some students just don't like you). The challenges greatly outweigh the 'pros.' This seems to be a trend in education, and just part of the pendulum swing. I can never understand when districts "market" multi-level classrooms as more engaging, more creative, and an environment where every students individual needs are met. Regular, single-grade classroom should be JUST that.

[@zelmaa5736]

Will your MAC classes be levelled or will you be working as one whole group or separate classes of mixed abiltiies? I was wondering what range of abilities you would have with three year levels. I currently have a grade 4/5 class and I have an average nine year range in English areas. Mind you, my partner teacher has a range of eight years in his straight grade 5 class as well, so it doesn't really matter which class you have. We have put our classes together so we can level groups as much as possible. We do a LOT of open-ended tasks. We also both have a difficult student in our class and many of our colleagues told us it wouldn't work to have them together, but so far they leave each other alone and I don't think it is any worse than usual. In fact, we can play "teacher tag" when we are tired of dealing with them. We have a teacher assistant in the room as well and as a team we are loving it.

[@Jessica25710]

Will you be posting the room transformation vlog in a few days or do we have to wait until next weekend?

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Jessica25710 ...Yes, probably Saturday. I don't think I'll have enough for a full video and the Pirate videos didn't do all that well.

[@primaryprocedures2289]

Are you national board certified? Any tips if so?

[@desertdweller8374]

Oy... the countdown controversy. It's just differing opinions. I think it helps with the transition to the next grade. "20 days until you are middle schoolers!" is a great way to celebrate the transition. It's fun to look forward to the next big grade jump rather than focusing on the sadness of leaving each other after spending a year together. It only sends the wrong message if it's presented that way. (IMHO)

[@Ellalove412]

Professors tell me to start saving up for my classroom now, I love and want to collect children's books for my future classroom library, but is it worth it when you don't know the grade level you could be teaching?

[@heulefamily]

Ella_1126 every student will not be "on grade level"-some will be above and​some will be below. It's worth it to have a wide range of levels

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Ella_1126 - I think I would wait ( or maybe pick up just a few 🤣). There are so many 'wants' in a classroom. Without knowing the grade you will teach, it could be money spent in the wrong direction. You will have a range of students in any grade, but I went from K to 4th and can no longer use most of those books...you just never know. On the other hand ...You can't have too many books 🤔🤐

[@Ellalove412]

Katie Heule thank you so much!

[@Ellalove412]

The Lettered Classroom thank you so much for the advice and I agree!😊

[@Dede_5718]

wr do care for our students im sure!! but counting is not wrong!!

[@amandaleeann22]

Is your green dress from BR? If so, I have the same one! (:

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+amandaleeann22 ...You have good taste 😉

[@Melini02]

these videos are life hahahh thanks a lot

[@Melini02]

what if you use the space in the back of the books for something? i mean, it is dead space anyway

[@BridgingLiteracy]

+Melanie M. Leay Rettally - I'll have to keep an eye out!

[@Jessica25710]

I'm not from America, so I'm not too familiar with "MAC". I've been watching all your videos and it seems really similar to what we have here. Where I live it's called "Split learning classes". I'm just curious what "MAC" stands for.

[@BridgingLiteracy]

MAC stands for Multi-Age Classroom. I think it was in last Saturday's video that I covered what we have decided so far. I have run into many names for similar styles so I couldn't be sure.

[@Denise.Oliver4]

MAN-ZAH-NARR is I think what @TooCoolForMiddleSchool on KZbin calls it. She teaches something with that I'm pretty sure.

[@marie-louisedekort9360]

I see a lot of waste for our planet. Lots of plastic bags, lots of paper...😥

[@rachele1560]

Marie-Louise De Kort I agree... i try my best to be an eco-friendly teacher/person and i think a lot before i buy plastic and non sustainable stuff... i think all teachers/people should as we set an example.