Whole Brain Teaching #2 Class-Yes

Whole Brain Teaching has enhanced the way I approach teaching.

Last year I used just the Five Rules.

 You can go here to read about it. 

This year I intend to use more elements, such as the Class-Yes, the Scoreboard, Mirror, Teach-OK, Hands and Eyes . . .

All of it!

I want to do it ALL because I can see all the great benefits each will have in my classroom.

The Class-Yes is considered Step 1

 and the Five Rules are considered Step 2.

The reason I started with the Five Rules first was because I was searching the Internet trying to figure out what I wanted for my classroom rules and how I was going to present them.

Through my search I came across Whole Brain Teaching and Chris Biffle's videos.

I was intrigued to say the least.

I am not only a teacher but a life-long learner;

I would love to learn from educators and professors that use this method of teaching.

The Class-Yes is a WONDERFUL attention-getter.

I can see myself using it A LOT in my classroom.

It's simple and it's a powerful management method.

This is how it works; every time the teacher says "Class"

 the students respond with "Yes". 

Whatever way the teacher says it that's the way the students must respond.

If the teacher says it it a long drawn out low voice "Cl-a-ss"

 then the response is "Y-e-s".

Or if the teacher says it twice in a high pitch voice "Class Class" 

then the response is a high "Yes Yes".

It's fun!

It's engaging!

It works with all ages!

Since I teach First Grade this is how I think it could play out in an elementary classroom. 

Here are two scenarios. 

I think you'll agree it has its advantages.

Elementary Classroom:

Teacher: "Have a seat."  . . .

 "Let me have your attention up here." . . .

 "Sit in your chair." . . .

"I'm waiting on              to put that away and look up here." . . .

"Okay, today we are going to learn about  . . ."

(Teacher is now slightly aggravated and has lost about six minutes of instructional time.)

Same Elementary Classroom using the Class-Yes:

Teacher: "Class!"

Students: "Yes!"

Teacher: "Classity Class!"

Student: "Yesity Yes!"

Teacher: "Today we are going to learn about . . ."

(Students are engaged and waiting to hear what the teacher will say next.)

Getting and keeping your students engaged is the obstacle we deal with on a daily basis. 

Our school meets together for Chapel every Wednesday and it can be hard to get 100+ students to "listen up".

With my success of Class-Yes in my classroom I hope to be able to suggest the power of the Class-Yes to our principal for Chapel.

Whether your a new teacher or a seasoned teacher the Class-Yes could alleviate a lot of aggravation.

I think seasoned teachers might actually gain more benefit,

 especially if you are starting to feel a little burnt out.

It's time to liven it up!

Power Teaching may be just what you need to rekindle your love of teaching.

Start here with the video below.

I love this video that Chris Biffle made because he tells you that it's never to late in the year to start. Even if it's the middle of the school year you can begin the Class-Yes. The way he says to present it; as if you had planned on starting it Today is absolutely critical to its success in your classroom.

I wish you all "Much success this school year!"

Update: Teachers returned last Thursday, so I will be creating lesson plans instead of blog posts. I still intend to post, they may just come farther and fewer between.

Let's Spoon Shall We

I'm talking about spooning more sugar into your tea.

Geesh!

Well I found the cutest little spoon stand at an estate shoppe in town called Lolly's Estate R Us about a year or so ago.
While I'll Never put the names out there for my fave thrift shoppes because I don't want locals to beat me to the goods as they have limited stock I will occasionally drop  names of antique and estate shops because they can be pricey and usually have a surplus of items.
Lolly's is Packed and I mean Packed with items so go look around.
 There's plenty of deals for you and I.

I can't remember what I paid for her.
Safe guess would be $8
She's a cute little gal,
 but I'm a thrifty gal so I know it wasn't much.

She is absolutely unique and precious with her little prayer apron.

It reads:
The Kitchen Prayer
Lord of all pots and
 pans and things,
 since I've not time to be
 A saint by doing lovely things
or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in the dawn light
or storming heaven's gates
Make me a saint by yelling meals
and washing up the plates.
Amen

I know!
Not the greatest poetry.

I am not a "spoon collector"

or should I say never intended to be

(I do have quite a little collection going here).

I can easily pass on a spoon that has no sentimental value.

You see this gal only has room to hold four so the day I bought her I also bought 4 spoons.
But along the way 2 more have snuck in so they have to be displayed elsewhere.

For instance there's no room on the stand for this little guy here.

No, not the little guy in the picture.

That's my hubby's immigration picture when he arrived in America at the ripe old age of 6.

He was the same age as my students and he didn't speak a word of English.
 Bless his heart.
So Cute!! I Know!!
He looks like a little immigrant, doesn't he?
I Love this picture of him!

It's on a shelf in my kitchen next to an old mason jar full of pieces of brick that I collected at a little beach in Punta Gorda.
The pieces of brick wash up there from time to time. 
They are (I believe) from the old Barron Collier bridge that was collapsed to make an artificial reef in Charlotte Harbor.
If you are a nerd like me you can go here to read more about the local bridges history.
My husband was a brick layer in Michigan for 15 years,
 thus the reason the jar of bricks sits on the shelf too.

I would love to know how old this spoon is.

The enamel picture of the country, flag colors and wording ITALIA  looks very old.

There is no markings or wording on the back side.

I purchased it for $5 (I think) at Lolly's Estates R Us.

I picked up this spoon which represents the great state of Michigan for a buck at an outside Antique Fair in Arcadia. It was in rougher condition than one I had seen earlier that day for $5, so I swiped her up.

It has the wording Michigan and a deer in enamel at the top.

The white-tailed deer is the official game animal of the state.

Below that is a dangle of the Mackinac Bridge.

This enormous bridge connects the Lower Peninsula from the Upper Peninsula

 (or the U. P. as Michiganders refer to it).

Again the nerd in you can read more about the third longest suspension bridge in the world right here. 

On the bowl part of the spoon there is a map of Michigan with the word MICHIGAN above it. 

Mackinac bridge is connecting the two peninsulas with the words Mackinac Bridge next to it.

Lake Michigan on the left and Lake Huron on the right.

A car and the words Auto Industry below it.

Forestry and a game animal with the word Hunting above it.

A fly fisherman  with the word Fishing below it.

The word Lansing with a picture of the Capitol's building.

And summing it all up at the bottom it says Winter Wonderland.

There is nothing on the back side.

I put this little guy in front for the picture . . .

but he just usually lays on the shelf at her feet.

For just 50c at a local church's small thrift shoppe.

I was thrilled when I picked it up to see a familiar place,
Greenfield Village in Dearborn Mich.
Dear to my heart as our two oldest children LOVED Thomas the Tank Engine and we took them to see him there twice when we lived in Michigan briefly (2 years).

Dreams come true.

Greenfield Village is where President Lincoln's chair that he was shot in is on display
 (with his blood stain still on it).
The bus that Rosa Parks refused to go to the back on is there and SOOOO much more.
Go here to check it out!

The Greenfield Village spoon is much smaller than the other spoons,
as you can see. 
It has the words Greenfield Village above a Model -T, a train, and a building.
 All of which make it famous.
It's almost impossible to see it all in one day when you visit.
And the words Dearborn, Mich. below the picture. 
 It is not enamel but instead looks like a print covered in epoxy.
The bowl has an etched map of Michigan with the words MICHIGAN, Lake Michigan, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Detroit. 

Another spoon with some memories tied to it is this Kennedy Space Center spoon.

I bought it for $5? at Lolly's Estates R Us

You see, Mr. Spouse and I took the kids to see the final shuttle launch on July 8, 2011.

 It was AMAZING!
We were there to witness history!

Of course this picture below is more accurate of our view of history in the making.

Millions of people gathered!
We did Not go on this bridge I was afraid it would collapse. We had a Great view in someone's backyard. While others were charging $20 to watch from their yard we were kindly invited into someone's backyard for Free.

The moment of lift off was Amazing!
Sorry I can't think of a better word, but Amazing is what it was!
The thrill of witnessing the final launch . . .
Knowing that at any moment before "Blast Off' it could be delayed . . .
having Never been RIGHT THERE to watch ! ! !

We watched  and cheered it onward and upward til it was out of sight!
"Go!
 Keep Going! 
Keep Going!
 Yeah!
 (whistle) 
Go!
 Go! 
Go!"

I had witnessed the Challenger explosion when I was in the First Grade, live from the classroom window as we were only a few hours south of Cape Canaveral on the East Coast of Florida.
 The memory haunted me as I anxiously began to cry tears of happiness for this crew and this mission.
"Go Baby, Go!"

The backside of this spoon has  the words

Made by Perfection Plate P/L,

 Australia, 

Silverplated

and Galaxy.

 It also has a Fleur De Leaf above the bowl.

And last but certainly Not the least are two of my faves that I got that day at Lolly's.
Both have the same Coat of Arms and the word LONDON engrave on the bowl.
The heads on the stems are different though.
This one has the London Bridge.
(with its draw bridges up)

The second one has a carriage, representing the carriage used by the Royals.

On the back of both are the initials W.A.P.W.
The words Gt. Britain and silver plated.
Again I think I paid $5 a piece at Lolly's Estates R Us.

I will keep my eye out for more over the years and let you know what others I find.
How about you, do you have a spoon or two to share?


Tip for next week:
School's back in session so you might need these.
(Teacher's are back in class at my school in one week! EEK!!)

Thursday Is Final Tip Day

 The third and final tip for this Sunday's post is . . .

Some people have quite a vast collection of these.

Hmmm?

Tuesday Tip Day

YES!

I WAS COMPLETELY DISTRACTED BY THE ROYAL BABY!!

It's been an exciting couple of days.

 

 

I think it was so smart of the Royal couple to announce his name today.

Waiting a week or even a month would only keep the paparazzi at their doorstep.

Because people like me can't function normally until all the juicy details are made known! 

With his name announced we can all go back to life as usual.

 

BTW I was right (as was half the world apparently).

His name is

 

George Alexander Louis

It's a wonderfully strong name.

Well suited for a royal heir.

 A king.

 

So the tip of the day is

 Tip #2: The Prince of Cambridge was born with a silver one of these in his mouth.

 

 



Web Star

I could have titled this post "Tea Time II".

But alas I settled on "Web - Star"
 after discovering these two beauties at a Salvation Army for just $8 a piece.

 A Steal!
 

 

The marking on their bottoms really caught my attention.

They have a spider web, a star and the letter "W" on them.

They also have the words QUADRUPLE PLATE and the number 677 on both of them
(more on that in a minute).
 

Initially I noticed their beauty and weight.

They were much heavier than the other cheapy mismatched creamers and sugar bowls sitting on the same shelf.

And having the same curious markings with exactly the same production number on them I knew they were a pair.

I figured I was on to something, so home with me they went.

But not before I snatched up this tea pot for just $10.

After all, I was actually in the market for a vintage tea pot,
 as "Oh-yea-right" as that sounds I really was.

 You see I had been stocking stumbled across a blog with a beautiful vintage tea pot sitting on some books in a bookcase with a dingy piece of ribbon tied around its handle.
 Love at first sight!
Notice I took a piece of white seam binding ribbon and stained it with coffee from the mornings leftover coffee.
I know "leftover coffee" sounds like a sin.
 

And this serving plate for $3 came home with me, too.

 

 

As soon as I got home I jumped on my laptop to begin my search.
 First up was the heavily weighted duo with their peculiar mark.

And this is what I found:

Sugar Bowl & Creamer

QUADRUPLE PLATE aka "quadruple silverplate":

Quadruple silverplated pieces are NOT plated four times.

And they do NOT have four times the pure silver (known as .925).
 Bummer!

A common misconception is that silver plate is an inferior product.
 It may never have the same silver content as sterling,
 but dealers and silversmiths say these pieces were made of high-quality silver.

Tiffany made silver plated.
 So it must be good!

So what does quadruple plate mean?

It means that it is some of the highest quality holloware made in the later part of the 19th century!

If items are simply marked Standard silverplate it indicates that if 2 troy ounces of pure silver were used for an item, than Quadruple silverplate used 8 troy ounces of pure silver (4x the standard).

So naturally they are also four times as heavy.
 Nice!
 

By 1850's many metal craftsman changed from crafting wares of pewter,
 "poor man's silver" to electroplated silver.
 This occurred during the height of the Victorian Era,
 so many pieces are elaborate  in design and the details of their embellishments and intricate engraved decorations are unparalleled by both the former pewter pieces or the pieces of today.

Unfortunately, many of these Victorian electroplated quadruple silver pieces have become damaged beyond repair, destroyed, or "gasp"---tossed out!
  The scarcity of these pieces makes them valuable to collectors who are quickly purchasing them and keeping them for themselves.
 Fewer and fewer fine pieces are available on the open market!

Score!!

Spider Web - Star - "W" Hallmark:

 

My search finally yielded these results.
 I discovered the hallmark was from E.G. Webster & Son out of New York and Brooklyn.

Founded in 1860 by Elizur G. Webster.

Formed E.G. Webster & Brothers in 1865.

Incorporated in1867 as Webster Manufacturing Co.

Sold to the International Silver Co. in 1928.

Hallmarks vary on Webster items as they were produced through out the years.
Subsequently that did not help me narrow down the exact time frame.
There is just such little information on the world wide web regarding it.
 Believe me I searched!!!
I like the play on words with this particular hallmark,
 regarding Elizur's last name.

At the end of the day,
 I think it's safe to say that they were electroplated sometime between 1860 & 1900.
And I am very happy to be their owner.
I think they have a wonderful patina, which I never intend to polish away.
 

 

Tea Pot Coffee Pot
 

Silver on Copper:
This is pretty straight forward.

Crown over X - H.S. - Dragon Hallmarks:

Hartford Sterling Company - Philadelphia, PA.

Succeeded to Tennant Co., New York

Active 1900/1935 c.

Again there were many hallmarks used by this manufacturer.

And even less information about it.

It's safe to say this little charmer came from the turn of the century.

  

Serving Tray

No indication of what its plating is:

It's incredibly heavy and very beautiful!
The pictures don't do it justice!
 

Wilcox - I S -Brandon Hall:

The International Silver Company was organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey on November 19, 1898. Within that first year the company bought the total capital stock of seventeen Companies. Immediately upon organization the company bought 12 other companies.

Wilcox Silver Plate in the city of Meriden, Connecticut was one of those initial 12.

Within the first 6 months another 4 companies were purchased.

By the early 1900s it had become a large corporation.

Its operations centered there in Meriden, would prove to be the major producer of silver products in America.

 

I found MANY of these serving trays listed on Ebay.
A one of a kind he is not . . .
except that the middle of the tray is personalized with a fancy Calligraphy letter.

At first I was thinking the letter "I".
  But there are not many last names that begin with that letter.
 So then I started thinking the letter "F" or "L".
 More common.
I was still uncertain so I began yet another search.
And I came across these Old English Calligraphy letters.

It's the letter "L", no?

Next Sunday's post is already in the works.
Here is tip #1

It is (they are) used with tea

Tea Time

I know it's late.

 Well it's only 8pm.

But it's too late for tea.

That's what I kept telling myself as I wrestled with the question,

 To Brew or Not To Brew?!

My flesh is weak what can I say.

So now I'll be up all night

 reading my favorite blogs . . .

 searching Pinterest . . .

And obsessing about this royal baby!

I swear if I lived in England I'd already be perched on my ladder across the street waiting to get a pic.

North West was due around the same time and she's been here for weeks!

Let's get this show on the road!!

So what is your guess anyway?

 Boy or Girl?

I'd say she's carrying like it's a boy.

But they do such a darn good job of hiding her baby bump that I could be wrong.

I think it's a boy,

 but I hope it's a girl.

Queen's are so much more interesting and exciting, with all their amazing ensembles.

 I think it's a boy because my good friend had 3 boys and those boys ended up with all girls.

My sister-in-law had 3 girls before she had a boy and her eldest girl just gave birth to her 2nd boy.

So based on these highly reliable sources in my life coupled with the fact that I retained more water than an Arabian camel when I was pregnant with my girls and Kate's ankles still look gorge in her high heels, in her final trimester no less (not judging).

 I'd have to say that since Diana had two boys they will probably lead with girls.

Course Diana looked as big as me (I'd have guessed she'd have a girl).

BUT WAIT

Kate's mum had two girls. So it could be a boy!

Either way I have a 50/50 chance at guessing it right.

Boy!

Final answer!

If I could get close enough to her with a pencil, a needle and some thread I'd solve the question right quick. But now you see getting that close to royals with sharp objects such as these would land me in the pokey.

 If you've ever done the Pencil Test you know it's Always Right!

They're waiting to pop these suckers out as soon as she does!

Go here to get yours.

Are we even going to guess what the names will be?

We should for kicks-and-giggles . . .

I am not even gonna lie.

 I went over here and checked out all the names that the royals are significantly tied to and I choose George and Alexandra.

Okay.

I am lying.

I choose George and Amelia (because George sounds so well -George! and Amelia sounded kinda modern and let's face it Kate's a modern lady living in modern times when people are naming their children Apple and North. Poor Kate doesn't get to be all creative,

 so I was throwing her a bone with Amelia.)

 But Alexandra was my close second. 

After looking at this score board I'm not even sure Alexandra and George are at the top of the list.

Well, yes, obviously they are AT the top of the list.

 But it's not so obvious that they are the top choice.

Who's keeping score over there in Britain?!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Here's a tad-bit-o'-news I dredged up as my caffeine induced web surfing continues . . .

For almost 1,000 years the monarchy has always gone to a boy. No matter how dumb he might have been, a male was seen as "better monarch material" than even the brightest girl.

The only reason that Britain’s six queens; two Marys, two Elizabeths, one Victoria and one Anne got the job was because the royal line had run out of boys.

It took a thousand years but the monarchy has finally modernized enough to realize that, Anything a man can do a woman can do better! So a year before the conception of the first baby of Cambridge, Britain’s act of succession was changed. Girls can now rule - first. If William and Kate’s baby is female, she will become Britain’s seventh queen.

AND

Did you know that the English aren't all fancy-pants with their tea.

 They drink it like Americans drink coffee.

They actually drink it in mugs.

Funny that's how this American drinks her tea, too.

In a mug.

Thursday Tip Day

The final tip for the week is . . .

(drum roll)

 

They are used to serve the official British and Irish drink.

 

Do you think you know?

Be the first to make a guess .

Leave a comment below