Teacher Appreciation Month

Garden themed basket including Lowe's gift card.

In case you aren't a teacher or don't have school age kids, you may not know that May is Teacher Appreciation Month.  This is my 14th year teaching and I have felt the most appreciated this year out of all of the 13 previous years combined!  My 7th grade homeroom parents have gone above and beyond!  I received so many fun themed gift baskets from them this month. 

I love puns and this crate was full of them!

This was especially perfect for me since I drink Lemon Snapple everyday.  I don't drink coffee.  Snapple is my caffeine.

I also received some cute little treats in my mailbox like this one:

and this:

There were many other personal gifts too.  One of my favorites was this Blessings Journal with my name inscribed on the cover. 

 

 Want to bless your child's teacher but are short on funds?  Write a short note to him/her thanking them for their work with your child.  Let him/her know how they are making a difference in your child's life.

More Middle School Bulletin Boards

 I know that Minions may seem too babyish for middle school but my 6th graders loved making these.  TCS stands for Timothy Christian School.

I bought the minion template on Teachers pay Teachers.

 

 I always have trouble coming up with bulletin board ideas for the last weeks of school.  This bulletin board was perfect to count us down.  One of my students changes the number each morning for us.

More Middle School Science Bulletin Boards

I teach middle school science at the middle school that I attended.  For many of you that would be a nightmare but I love it.  Since I started my teaching career as an elementary school teacher, I love bulletin boards.   

My sixth graders are working on a physical science unit.  I decided to have the students make Bohr Models out of cereal and paper plates.  It was a quick, easy activity and they had so much fun.

I had to take two shots of the bulletin board because one of my 8th graders photo bombed me. :)  

 

Middle School Science Teacher Humor

I teach middle school (6th-8th grade) science.  To call it an adventure would be an understatement.  It is both challenging and hilarious at the same time.   Unlike high school science teachers who often get to specialize in one branch of science, middle school science teachers get to teach it all: life, earth and physical science.   The hilarious part: the kids.  If you are a middle school teacher then that is enough said.

Sometimes when I am spending way too much time on Pinterest, I find the most hilarious science teacher humor.  Here are some of the best:

 

 

Middle School Bulletin Boards

I went back to teaching this year after three years home with my children.  I spent the first 12 years teaching as an elementary school teacher in the public schools and now I teach middle school science at a Christian school.  I don't have to tell you that there are a lot of differences between the two!  

One of the differences is the bulletin boards.  If you are a teacher you know what I am talking about.  In the elementary school, bulletin boards are sacred.  The teachers spend hours designing and making the most beautiful creations.  It is in their blood.  In the middle school and especially the high school, bulletin boards can be an after thought.  

I was excited that my colleagues in my middle school were open to some creative bulletin boards.  We spiced it up in the middle school building this year.   One of my colleagues created an amazing display for Christmas on the names of Jesus.

Here are the bulletin boards that we have created recently: 

I got the idea for this from Pinterest and then adapted it for us.  The teacher next door to me drew the Bible and chose the verse- Isaiah 34:16.

One of the student teachers in our building designed this winter themed board.

She used cups and paper towels.

It was fully three dimensional!

This simple board outside my room displayed some goals and resolutions for the new year that kids in my study wrote.  There is paw print border because our mascot is the TIGER.

The Best Christmas Teacher Gifts I Received This Year

 

So I will admit it, the day before Christmas break as a middle school teacher can be insane.  OK, it is comparable to an insane asylum that ran out of straight jackets!  

There are some fun moments too.  The class mothers this year did a fantastic job putting together our class party.  The kids had so much fun!  They planned some really fun games for the kids.  

Another fun part of the day is getting teacher gifts.  It is like being a kid on Christmas morning! I love to see the children's faces as they come up to my desk with their cards or gifts.  

The question I get asked the most by people that know I am a teacher is, "What should I get my child's teacher?"  

For me, honestly, I don't expect anything.  They really don't need to give me a gift.  When they do though, it does make me feel really special and appreciated.  Of course, gift cards are really helpful.  What I enjoy most is reading the cards and notes that were written by the kids.  Since I teach middle school, the kids are old enough to write their own sentiments.  

Here are some of the cards that made me smile...

So when planning a gift for your child's teacher, don't forget to have your child write out a note.  Make sure they share how they feel about their teacher.  It will touch their heart!

The Names of Jesus Bulletin Board

 

 One my very talented colleagues put together this bulletin board to hang in the hallway of our middle school building.   It is a word search where she hid 10 names for Jesus that are found in Scripture.   She took the time to weave the red and white strips of paper to create that checker board pattern. It is hard to see but she also added Christmas lights around the perimeter of the board.

 She and one of my other colleagues turned the bulletin board into a contest.  The students had to search for the 10 names of Jesus in the word search and three passages of scripture.   They also had to identify the references for the verses they found. 

It is hard to motivate middle schoolers but this bulletin board really excited them.  Many of our 6th and 7th graders accepted the challenge.  it was fun to see them searching for the verses!