TBD Teacher - Teaching By Design....Teaching Buttheads Daily...Tortured But Determined...Tiny Bit Dorky...Totally Brain Dead...Too-busy Disorder. You can decide what the TBD stands for. Visit my old blog at http://tbdteacher.tumblr.com/

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty: Full Review & Rating

09.11.2024 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

3/5 stars ★★★☆☆

If you could know your future of what age you will die and how it is going to happen, would you want to know? This is common question that I have asked friends about, so I was excited to read a fictional book about what that look could like in life.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty is based on this premise. Many people on an airplane are headed to their different destinations when an unknown older woman starts walking down the aisle telling each passenger how and when they will die. They didn’t get the choice of whether they wanted to find out this information or not. Is the character of Cherry a true psychic? Will her predictions come true?

I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty, but this was not one of my favorite books by her. There were times I was engrossed in the book, but there were just too many characters to become attached to them. It was like watching a reality television show with all of the backstories that went in many different directions. About halfway through the book, I found myself just wanting to know what happens at the end. Since it is a book of over 500 pages, which I usually love, I just wanted to skim through parts and characters that didn’t have much meaning to me.

I liked the story of Allegra, the flight attendant, and Leo, the father who was just trying his best.

Although this wasn’t my favorite book of hers, many other readers loved this book. I think I was expecting more of a thriller from Moriarty.

I gave this book three out of five stars. The premise was interesting, but the storylines of the characters were a little too disconnected.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Liane Moriarty for my free copy. This is my honest review.

You can find more of my book reviews at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann: A Captivating Coming-of-Age Love Story

09.06.2024 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

5/5 stars ★★★★★

https://amzn.to/3Zj2aA3

5 STARS!

Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann is my favorite book of the year so far. My husband even read it in one day, and it’s not a short book!

Maybe it’s the coming-of-age love story that made me enjoy this book so much. It could be the well-developed characters or the intense storyline at times. All I know is that I didn’t want this book to end. There were so many times that I laughed out loud, and I could tell exactly where my husband was in the story when he did the same. Max and Ella, the main characters, were friends as kids, torn apart by distance, and brought back into each other’s lives as teenagers. This is when most of the story takes place. Ella is the brooding teenager, and Max is trying to hold his family together.

I loved the quotes throughout the story, and I found myself looking up and listening to songs that were mentioned throughout the story. The ending was perfect and definitely not disappointing. I would love to see a sequel or movie made about this book. I haven’t read other books by Jennifer Hartmann, but I can’t wait to read them now.

Although this book is touted as a young adult book, I think it’s more of an adult book because of some mature parts of the book.

I gave this book five out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, and Jennifer Hartmann for my free copy. This is based on my honest review.

You can find more of my book reviews at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

House of Glass: A Compelling Thriller by Sarah Pekkanen Book Review

08.28.2024 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

4/5 stars ★★★★☆

https://amzn.to/3X7XsCu

Why is the nanny always the evil aspect of that “perfect home” in books? This time, in House of Glass, it was the nanny that fell to her death out of a three-story window. Was it the mother, father, grandmother, the nanny’s boyfriend, or the child that caused the death?

I’m a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen, especially those books that she co-authored with Greer Hendricks , and House of Glass didn’t disappoint. It was fun to read something by Pekkanen alone.

Pekkanen does a great job of keeping the reader guessing throughout the whole story. The book is fast-paced and drops little hints along the way. It is more of a “whodunnit” story rather than one with many twists and turns.

I liked the character of Stella, who was the court-appointed attorney and hired to decide where Rose, the mute child, should live after the divorce. The story is told through her perspective.

Just when you think you figured out the murderer, the story changes on you. I love that kind of book. If you like books by Alice Feeney, B.A. Paris, or Ruth Ware, you will enjoy this book also.

I gave this book four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sarah Pekkanen for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

For more book reviews, see my book review page at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan Book Review

08.16.2024 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

4/5 stars ★★★★☆

https://amzn.to/4fQAaJO

I have been looking for a good police-procedural book for some time, and In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan didn’t disappoint. I love trying to figure out mysteries in a book, but when the book shows how police detectives might solve a case is truly intriguing.

When Detective Chief Superintendent, Kat, is approached to pilot a new program pairing her with an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity), Lock, she is hesitant. She is determined to prove human instinct takes precedence over a machine when it comes to solving cold cases.

My favorite part of the story is Lock, of course. He made me laugh in his responses, but it also made me wonder how much AI is actually used in police work these days. It was obvious that the author, Callaghan, had done her research about AI and genomics to write an interesting book.

I loved the twists at the end, and the book wrapped up nicely.

I gave this book four out of five stars. Callaghan is a strong writer and definitely kept me entertained.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Jo Callaghan for my free copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion.

For more of my past reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

Spelling Matters

02.10.2024 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

Can you imagine being the person who realizes all of your printing is spelled wrong? Or did they actually mean “wating?” 🤔

Teaching Tip: Talk to Your Students About Friendships

02.04.2024 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

A Student Asked: ”Is it okay to only have one or two friends?”

The other day, I received an email from a past student. She had moved up to 7th grade this year, and she was worried that she only had one or two friends. As everyone knows, friendships during your middle school years are one of the most difficult to navigate. Do I have enough friends? How can I get more? Do people think I’m cool? How do I get to hang out with THEM?

I asked her to tell me what she meant by “friends.” Did she mean the people she could text with after school? Someone to call on the weekend to hang out? Or just someone to eat lunch with at school or talk to in class?

Why Don’t We Talk About Friendships in Class?

Becoming adept at social relationships is half of the “fun” of middle school. When you have accomplished this, sometimes the rest becomes easy. But this is also a time when you are constantly questioning yourself.

So, why aren’t we talking about what defines a friend and how to cultivate these relationships, if it is such an important part of growing up? Let’s not leave kids hanging and constantly worrying whether only having one or two friends is okay.

Levels of Friendships Activity

I learned this activity from one of my friends. I believe it originated with Terry Bradley, a GT guru. It doesn’t take any prep (of course, my favorite part), but it’s a great way to get the conversation started.

Give your students a blank sheet of paper and show them how to draw 5 concentric circles on it. You could prepare this for them ahead of time, if they are younger, or you could draw it on the board to show them what you are looking for.
Explain that people have different levels of friendship throughout their lives, and their friends will probably change throughout the different stages of the lives.
In the smallest circle, have them write their name.
In this next size circle, tell them this is the “intimate circle.” If you teach middle school, you will hear giggles. You can do this with elementary kids too. Tell them that these are the people closest to you. You express love, hurt, sadness or whatever else is going on with you. This is where you have the highest level of trust. These relationships have developed over time. Have them write in the names of these people. They could even be family members.
In the third largest circle, these are your “friends.” These are the people you call your friends and still share your feelings. You seek out advice from them and you enjoy being with them. These relationships could be newer and not as intense. Have them list these people.
In the fourth largest circle, these are your “casual friends.” You give these people a sense of who you are by revealing your opinions. It’s where trust begins. You talk about schoolwork or your outside activities and share your feelings about them. You wouldn’t necessarily hang out with them every weekend, but you are excited to see them at school/church/sports/club, etc. Have them list these people.
In the largest circle, these are your “acquaintances.” The conversations with these people are more about facts. You share safe, non-threatening, non-personal information. “I hope we have a snow day.” “Did you study for the test?” Have them list these people.

Now What? Have a Discussion:

If you want to have them share with a neighbor first you can. However, this could be embarrassing for some students, so I didn’t start there. I just started by asking questions and calling on those that wanted to share. Here are some possible questions:

What did you learn about yourself in this activity?
Were there any surprises?
Is it important to have relationships at all 4 levels?
Why are there usually fewer people in the inner circles?
From your list, are there any people you would like to see move further in? (Use arrows by their names to point inward toward you.)
Are there any you think should move farther out? (Use arrows by their names to point out away from you.)
Do you think relationships look differently for people your age than for adults?

So, Is it Okay to Have Just One or Two Friends?

The answer is a resounding “yes,” if they fall in your smaller circles. My worry would be for the child that can’t fill out the smaller circles. Here is a tip: as a teacher, make yourself more aware of this child. Can you pair them up with someone that has similar interests or capabilities? Can you recommend clubs or groups where they can make more friends? Can you put them in more of a leadership role in class?

Did you know that when teachers exhibit positive feelings about a student, others will probably feel the same in your class? Can you have conversations with this child about how to cultivate friendships? Heck, it’s not easy as an adult to do this and why so many books are written about it. JUST DON’T IGNORE IT. This child needs you.

For Parents of Gifted Kids:

If you are the parent of a gifted child, you know that your child may struggle with cultivating friendships. Since your child may be more advanced in their intellectual development, they may struggle relating to others their same age. Here is an article that you might find helpful from the Davidson Institute: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q2clgZXsGfEF3DizIX20WTbe4GHGtAURETmgBrNB4ew/edit?usp=sharing

Sometimes you find your friends in the strangest of places!

First Day of School Ice-Breaker: Ask Me Anything

08.14.2023 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

What is an easy ice-breaker for your first day of school?

Do you want a no-prep, easy activity to engage your students on the first day of school? Seriously, this takes no preparation at all, which is why I loved starting the school year this way.

Whenever I went into a new class as a student, I would always have a million questions going on in my mind. Most of them weren’t about the actual class. I wondered why something in particular was hanging on the wall. I wondered if the teacher loved dogs as much as I do. I wondered if the teacher was married. I wondered if the teacher had a good sense of humor. I wondered if this was my assigned seat. I wondered the cute boy’s name sitting next to me. 🙂

However, most of my teachers wouldn’t talk about this stuff, and I left class with just as many questions as I had when I entered. This is why I love this activity.

Cute boy sitting next to me

Ask Me Anything: The Teacher

After attendance, I would sit on a tall stool in front of the classroom, and tell the students that in a moment, I am going to set a timer for five minutes. I told them that they needed to think of at least one question that they wanted to know the answer. Do they see something in the classroom that they wonder about? Do they have a question about the class and what it involves? Do they have a question about me personally? (I also told them that I can refuse to answer any question.).

I teach middle school, so they always asked me my social security number and address. If they asked me age, I told them I was 80, and then said, “Don’t I look great for my age?” Of course, you would find out the instant charmer who would reply that they thought I was only 25. Then I would start the timer and call on people. If there weren’t a lot of questions, I gave them the challenge that I was looking for the most creative person in class. The hands instantly went up, but then I had to be prepared for some weird questions.

Ask Me Anything: The Students

Next, the students are going to do the same activity with each other. My students already sit at tables, but if yours don’t, put them into groups of four. I have them figure out who is the oldest in the group, or whatever question you want to use. Have that person raise their hand. This is a good way to see when each table is ready.

Tell them that as a group, they are going to ask the person with their hand raised any question that they want for one minute (or two minutes if you have enough time). Obviously, that person can refuse to answer a question. I also tell them not to refuse every question, or the people at their table will think they are lame. I role-play this with one table because I also want them to see it isn’t about talking about yourself, if you are the one asking questions. As a teacher, you need to stress that the whole table should ask questions to only the person answering the questions.

Before You Begin

Before you begin, you might want to brainstorm possible questions. I also put up a list of possible questions on the whiteboard, in case they can’t think of any. I usually use my list of attendance questions. I wrote about my attendance questions here: https://judiholst.com/teaching-tip-build-your-culture-and-climate-with-attendance-questions/. You can find a link to the questions at the bottom of the blog post. If you don’t to use the overhead, you could give them examples such as:

What job would you like to have when you turn 16?
What. is the best thing that happened to you last week?
What is your favorite thing in your bedroom?
Who do you wish was in this class, but isn’t?

After Each Student Goes

Then I start the timer for 1-2 minutes, and when the timer stops, I call on a student from each table. They have to tell me who they interviewed and one thing they learned about them. Yes, I make them say the student’s name because it’s important to learn each other’s names as quickly as possible. Then you tell them that the next person to go is sitting clockwise of the last person answering the questions and you start over.

Wrap It Up at the End of Class

At the end of class, you could wrap up this activity by calling on a student and telling them to raise their hand. I use my attendance sheet, since I don’t know their names yet. “Mary Kay, raise your hand. Okay, who can tell me one thing they learned about Mary Kay?” I try to call on people that are not sitting at Mary Kay’s table.

The “Why”

It’s important for students to feel comfortable as quickly as possible in your room. There is time to go over the rules and syllabus another day. This stress-free ice-breaker doesn’t require students to walk around the room and talk to a bunch of people that they don’t know. My introverted side cringes when I have to do this on the first day of anything. Many students have said that they became friends with another person in my class just from this very first activity. As a bonus, you don’t even have to prepare any materials!

If you would like to read about more first day activities, you can find my blog post here: https://judiholst.com/?s=first+day

5 Tips for Surviving Week One as a (New) Teacher

08.10.2023 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

Tip #1: Find Yourself a Mentor

It’s been a “minute” since I have written on my blog. It’s funny how my goal last year was to write on my blog each day or at least once a week. Such a dreamer! So what brings me back? This week, I spoke with one of my friends, a couple of times, who is a brand new teacher to middle school. It reminded me that although the new school year is exciting, it also isn’t easy for new teachers. Sometimes, as veterans, we forget all of those unanswered questions that come up daily for new teachers. So my first piece of advice is to find your “person” that you can talk to without judgement. Don’t hesitate to ask those burning questions that will help you to sleep better at night. Everyone needs a mentor!

Tip #2: Design Your Discipline

I wrote about discipline on my blog awhile ago with some tips that might be helpful, so I won’t go into a lot of detail. You can find it here: https://judiholst.com/5-tips-on-designing-your-discipline/. I remember the days when kids would come in and sit down silently on the first day of school. It was eerie and freaked me out! If you teach secondary school, you know that this isn’t the case. But have heart. You see in the secondary grades, I picture some of my students like peacocks. They walk in, strut their feathers, watch to see who is paying attention, and then establish their dominance. It almost makes me giggle to watch them.

Here’s the thing, though. Watch for these kids. Get them on your side EARLY! Give them things to do for you. Put them in charge. Have them hand out things for you. If you pass something out that will require a trash can later, send that student around to collect the trash. We BOTH know that students aren’t going to get up and throw it away themselves. The peacocks will be the ones, later in the year, that have your back and the other kids will listen to them. Some people may see it as rewarding their behavior, I see it as creating an ally.

Tip #3: Think Positive Intent on Emails From Parents

It’s the first day, and you already get an email from a parent. Your heart starts beating quickly, and you already have thoughts of being fired. You can already picture the parent banging on your principal’s door with their complaint. You are absolutely positive it isn’t an email about how much the child loves your class. Heck, the child hasn’t even gone home yet.

Here is what I want you to do when you read that email. Read the email in the voice of Mary Poppins. Seriously, try it! Don’t read in it in our normal sarcastic “here is the email that talks about everything I’ve done wrong.” Instead, read it in a cheery voice. You see, most parents have positive intent when writing the email. They just have a question that they want answered. Although some people aren’t very good at expressing their thoughts in a positive way, and it hurts your soul, keep in mind that they just want what is best for their child. It usually doesn’t have anything to do with you personally.

Tip #4: Don’t Apologize

While we are on the subject of emails, here is a rule that I have learned along the way. Don’t apologize in your email response, unless you truly did something wrong. It took you hours, or even a day, to get back to the parent? Don’t apologize. Teachers are busy people. You had to speak to the child outside of the room because of behavior? Don’t apologize. I have watched a lot of videos on how to be a leader in business, and this was a tip that was mentioned frequently. Now if you messed up and you need to own it, that is a different story. You are part of a team when it comes to teaching. You, the parent, and the child make up that team. Respond in that manner…as a teammate.

Tip #5: Plan for Back-To-School Night

In our school, Back-to-School Night happens the second week of school. You feel just like you are getting your groove, and then you have to put in TWO 12-13 hour days. It comes up on you quickly. This was always my least favorite day and made me want to crawl out the window. The parents are lovely, it isn’t about that. It just put me out of my comfort zone.

So what do you do for this night? First of all, start taking some pictures of the students in your class now! If you are doing a slideshow for that night, parents always like to see real photos, especially if their child is in the photo. Now think about what you would want to know that night. At our school, the parents follow their child’s schedule and switch classes every 8-10 minutes. So, we have to give the same spiel 6 times, and fast!

Here is what I would want to know: What does a typical class period (or day – for elementary) look like for my child? If I was a fly on the wall, what would I see them doing? As I walk through a typical class period with the parents, this also gives me time to tell them the “why” of what I am doing each day. Why did I start with an attendance question? Why did I play a quick warm-up game to practice a skill? Why did I do a short mini lesson? Why won’t they have a content grade right away because of the pre-assessment? Why don’t I know which speeches the kids were giving each semester? (This was because the students voted on their projects each semester.). It’s a win-win situation for me and the parents. I’m not sure they cared that I went to San Diego State or played softball in high school. That can go on my website for the school. Keep it more “student-oriented” and less about you.

Teacher Hot Line:

When I think about how much a new teacher has to learn, I almost think I should create a teacher hotline. But teachers are broke, so I don’t see anyone paying me for my advice, and having that as a career. Ha. That being said, if you have things that you wonder about as a new teacher, feel free to send me your questions, and I will use them for future blog posts.

Final Extra Credit Tip:

Have faith in yourself! You’ve got this. Good luck this year. Your students are lucky to be in your class.

Brain Break Game: “10 Second Objects”

03.26.2023 by Judi Holst // 1 Comment

“Are you sure?” I asked my principal. “It’s about to get loud.” He had planned a meeting in the library, which is right outside my classroom door, for the principals in our district. He told me to not worry about it and to do what I always do. “Okayyyyyyy,” I replied as I walked away, happily knowing that my principal “gets it.” Now, let’s hope the other principals and the director of our feeder understood that kids need to move and talk during a brain break.

Kids Need to Move!

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time sitting still for longer than twenty minutes, let alone a whole class period. Maybe that’s why professional development days are a little torturous for me, and long block periods can be excruciating for some students. With this in mind, I always make sure that my students are changing up activities or are moving at least every 15 – 20 minutes. This is why “10 Second Objects” is one of my favorite brain breaks. Beware, though, it can get loud!

If you have been reading my blog for some time, you know that I like activities that don’t take a lot of preparation on my part. I like to spend time planning my lessons (yes, I think that’s fun), but I don’t like to make photocopies, cut things out, etc. It’s why I didn’t last long as an elementary school teacher. Besides, my mother told me that my kindergarten teacher said that I could never learn to hold the scissors correctly for cutting. I’ve been traumatized ever since!

How to Play “10 Second Objects” Brain Break

Ten seconds is all it took for me to explain the game to the students. This is why it makes a great brain break, and it is good for any grade level!

Have the students get into groups of 3 or four. They may have to move desks/tables to give them enough space to move around. Check to make sure that everyone is in a group. There are always a few wandering around aimlessly. Just tell them which group to join; it’s easier for them at times.
Explain that you are going to tell them an object, and their group needs to form that object by the time you count down from ten. Everyone must participate in their group and somehow look connected.
Then tell them that they are working on creativity, actions, and cooperation today.
They must “freeze” when you say freeze, after counting down. If they move or make a noise after you say “freeze,” their group is disqualified for that round.
When you say “Go,” if they object moves or makes noise, then that is that the time to do it.
Next, look around the room and find the most connected, creative group. Then declare a winner for that round. Don’t keep score, each round is new. You should explain why each group won, so they get an idea of what you are looking for.

I love to look around and see even my shy students get into this activity. It is their smiles and laughter that make this one of my favorite brain breaks.

Here Are a Couple of Examples:

Fireworks display:

Of course, they had to do a pirate ship in my pirate-themed classroom.

Back to the Principals

At one point, the director of our feeder area poked his head in the door, in the middle of his presentation. I thought, “Oh no, I’m busted.” I apologized later, and he said, “It sounded so fun in there. I just wanted to see what everyone was up to.” So, yes, he understood it too. Everyone needs to move and be creative.