Jewel's School Gems by Jewel Pastor | Page 7 of 8 | Where Science and Math resources are brilliant, interactive and fun!

HOW TO HELP A COLLEAGUE WITH DEPRESSION

March 28, 2016 By Jewel Pastor 3 Comments

Have you ever had a colleague with depression? I haven’t had the chance, but guess what? Once upon a time, I became THAT colleague with depression.

When I went to see my doctor last year, I never thought she would tell me I was experiencing depression. I came to the doctor’s office just wanting to see if I could take a break from teaching as it was really getting hard to get up and show up at work each day, but when she asked me a few questions and I broke down, bawling my eyes out, she knew there was more to it. When she told me to come in the next day and answer some more questions for her, it became more apparent that it’s not a just a case of being lazy and not wanting to deal with anything that was taking the joy out of teaching and slowly affecting my relationships. It was depression. She said I had low serotonin levels.

Just in case you’re not sure what serotonin means, it’s that chemical that helps pass on signals from one area of the brain to another. Although serotonin is mostly made in the brain, where it does most of its work, serotonin can also be found in the digestive tract and in blood platelets. Many researchers believe that low serotonin levels can lead to depression, as well as anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even too much anger.

So there. I was told I was experiencing depression. It wasn’t the first time that I felt so weepy, angry, hopeless and unhappy while teaching; I also felt this when I first came to teach here in Australia. I had to live by myself two hours away from family and had a difficult time adjusting to the new colleagues, students and culture. This time, however, I was a new mother to an adorable baby girl that I had to leave at home. All the fiber in my being detested leaving her while I taught other people’s children. Though I knew I was working for her and our small family, I just felt so robbed. Deep within my soul I just knew there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with her. Every. Single. Moment.

When my doctor told me I had to take two weeks off from work, I began weeping uncontrollably. She took it as a sign that two weeks wasn’t enough and made it three! LOL! The truth is I was crying because I felt no one at work would understand. I was given big responsibilities that year and I felt I was letting everybody down. I was letting my family down. I was letting the brilliant teacher in me down. My doctor was adamant though that I take a break from work and assured me there’s nothing wrong with taking care of myself.

Well, true enough, not everyone at work understood what I was going through. A FEW thought I was making up having depression and that I was letting them down for taking a medical leave. I even got told something along the lines of no matter how I feel, I should get up, dress up and show up. I was even told to keep the whole a thing a secret because of what others might think about me.

Well, hear this: I WASN’T ASHAMED AND I NEVER WILL BE FOR CHOOSING ME. I’m living my amazing life right now because I CHOSE ME and I HAVE NO REGRETS.

So, how do you help a colleague with depression? Here are some of the things that my AMAZING colleagues did for me:

1. Just let them take a break.

I will always be grateful to my superiors who understood my situation. I told them I thought they wouldn’t understand, but I was wrong. They heard me out. They didn’t make me feel guilty for taking a leave. They just let me take the break I needed.

2. Be kind and compassionate.

Trust me, nobody dreams of having depression. It’s hard to teach a class of 50 kids when all you wanted to do was to go to a corner and cry because you felt like something was dying inside of you and you couldn’t explain it. Our librarian let me do this in her tiny office. After a class, I would go inside this space and just cry. She didn’t judge me or told me to shake it off. She just let me be. She was kind and compassionate.

3. Be a friend who cares.

I had one friend in school who sent me a Whatsapp message, asking how I was doing. She listened and didn’t judge me. She even visited me at home to check how I was holding up. She knew how to be a friend who cares during that difficult time and I’ll forever be grateful for having met her.

4. Be encouraging and positive.

Telling your colleague to get up, dress up and show up no matter how they feel doesn’t count as encouragement, okay? I only felt my feelings were belittled and my welfare was made insignificant when I was told that. Telling your colleague that you’re having a hard time too wouldn’t make it better either. Depression isn’t something that a person can just shake off. It takes time to recover.

How am I doing now? Well, I’m doing great! I don’t consider myself mentally ill or incompetent just because I had depression. If you’re feeling low and down, and you’re reading this, I hope you won’t be ashamed to ask for help like I did. It might just be Baby Blues or a bad day, but what if it’s depression? We have doctors who can help. Many of your colleagues will understand. You just got to be brave and choose you. Your feelings are important. You’re well-being is important. YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

Can you think of other ways to help a colleague with depression? Please comment below.

QR CODES IN THE CLASSROOM: TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

March 23, 2016 By Jewel Pastor 2 Comments

Have you tried using QR codes in the classroom?

If you’ve used them before, you definitely know how much fun you and your students can have using them. With the right activity, a working device and great Internet, everything should go smoothly, right?

Well, not always. Sometimes, these QR codes just refuse to work. I have several QR code resources in my store and I’ve had a few teachers ask questions about them. There were questions about a QR code reader not reading the code, the reader not behaving as it’s supposed to, or the reader takes them to the wrong page or an error page.

Here are some things to check when QR codes in the classroom fail to work:

1. Check if your device is connected to the Internet.

Before embarking on a QR code scanning frenzy, make sure that you’ve enabled your iPad or tablet’s Wi-Fi settings or you’re connected to a network. For most of my QR code resources, the QR codes, when scanned, will lead you to images saved in my Dropbox account. Internet connection is definitely a must to access these images. Make sure also that your network/firewall allows you access to Dropbox.

2. Make sure you’re close enough to the QR code you’re scanning.

Scanning QR codes can be tricky sometimes, especially if you’re not close enough. Personally, I use i-nigma and never had any problems with it. There’s this target that appears when you want to scan a QR code. You or your students just have to aim the camera of the device on the code and you should be linked to the image you need.

Here’s another FREEBIE just for my subscribers. Hint: It uses QR Codes and is a part of one of my fraction products on TpT! Just click on the image below to sign up and grab this freebie!

3. Make sure that the QR codes are not blurry.

Make sure that your QR codes are printed nicely on the paper and none of them have been damaged during the printing. Otherwise, the reader might just fail to read the damaged QR code. Also, when you use the reader, make sure that the QR code appears clear within your screen. Move your iPad or tablet back and forth to adjust the focus of the camera until the QR code gets read by your reader.

4. Check whether the problem is your reader or the QR code itself.

Reader not working? Scan a different QR code (preferably of another resource). If the reader scans and reads that other QR code with no dramas, then the problem must really be with the QR code you scanned first.

5. Try uninstalling and reinstalling your reader or use a different QR code reader altogether.

If your reader still wasn’t able to read a different QR code, then the reader must be the problem. Try uninstalling and reinstalling it. If it still doesn’t work, try a different reader.

So, there you have it! Next time, when a QR code doesn’t work, you might want to try the troubleshooting tips listed above.

Do you have other QR Codes in the classroom troubleshooting tips? Please comment below!

3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY DO COOL SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS

March 14, 2016 By Jewel Pastor 6 Comments

Do you enjoy doing cool science experiments with your students? I know I did when I was still teaching in the classroom. There were times that I wanted to pull my hair out, because the school didn’t have the equipment I needed, or I forgot to bring one of the ingredients that would actually make the experiment work. Despite those occasional hang ups, I recall feeling so pleased after each successful cool science experiment we did in class.

Here are Three Reasons Why You Should Definitely Do Cool Science Experiments:

1. Cool Science experiments can be used to present new concepts in an engaging way.

Admit it, plain “chalk and talk” is boring. You’ll be lucky to have a group of eight-year-olds sit nicely the whole day listening to you talk about, say, surfactants and surface tension. However, if you tell the group that you will be learning about surfactants and surface tension, AND making rainbow milk at the same time, I’m pretty sure you’ll get your class’ attention. Cool science experiments are definitely more interesting than the lecture style of learning that people of the olden days are used to.

2. Cool science experiments make concepts easier to learn and remember.

It’s easy to tell your students the definition of scientific terms, make them copy notes or pray that they will learn. However, getting them to understand and remember concepts is another thing. Cool science experiments enable your students see a concept in action. I’m quite sure most children would like to see the actual chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda, for example, instead of just hearing you say that carbon dioxide can be created. Making rainbow eruptions is a great experiment to try with your class if you would like to show an acid-base reaction. Cool science experiments lead to a greater sense of understanding of concepts. They also make concepts more memorable to your students.

3. Cool science experiments keep your students active.

Research shows that most students respond better to active learning environments. Cool science experiments help you create just that – an active learning environment. Conducting experiments require your kiddos to follow the scientific method: ask questions, learn about background information, create hypotheses, test their hypotheses, analyze data and present their final answers to the questions they asked. Cool science experiments will definitely keep your students busy, thinking and moving from the first step to the last.

Conducting Cool Science Experiments with Jewel’s School Gems

St. Patrick’s Day is quite near, what better way to engage your students than, you guessed it, doing cool science experiments! Rainbow Milk Experiment and Rainbow Eruptions Experiment are two St. Patrick Day Science resources I currently have in my store. They can also be used during ordinary days if you just want to explore Rainbow Science. Each resource includes a flipbook with color and blackline templates, as well as an interactive PowerPoint presentation that includes background information, materials, procedure and images of the experiment in action. Both flipbook and PowerPoint follow the steps in the scientific method. These cool science experiments will surely engage your students while enabling them to learn and remember concepts.

Want More Teacher Resources for FREE?

Save yourself valuable time and sign up to my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY for very busy teachers! One of the freebies you will have immediate access to are scientific method posters that are a part of my Scientific Method Bundle. Just click on the image below to sign up!

Can you think of other reasons why teachers should definitely do cool science experiments? Please comment below!

HOW TO TEACH THE WATER CYCLE FOR KIDS

March 10, 2016 By Jewel Pastor 3 Comments

What is the Water Cycle and Why is it Important?

The water cycle is the journey that water takes from land to sky, which also includes the different physical forms that water appears in as it repeats that cycle. Every living thing needs water to survive, which makes an understanding of how water naturally supports all life on this planet pretty darn important!

The Water Cycle for Kids: Why You Should Teach It!

Why teach the water cycle? Well, because it’s on the curriculum (Duh!)! But apart from that obvious one, there is at least one other important reason. In the world today, environmental issues keep coming up for us in a big way. By teaching the water cycle to your class, you are helping them to gain an appreciation for the natural cycles and delicate balance of nature. It’s not just about remembering facts or figures, this is about cultivating a mindset in children that means they care for their world and are aware of their impact on it. But this doesn’t mean learning about it can’t be fun!

Teaching the Water Cycle for Kids

As you know, being a teacher, kids love to have fun. Also, there are many different ways in which each child can learn about the water cycle! Teach them all the facts using an engaging resource like our water cycle bundle, then, to get the information to soak in (so to speak), get them to:

Write a poem using the subject’s key terms
Sing a song with the whole class
Use interactive flipbooks for them to fill in with their understanding

How to Teach the Water Cycle for Kids by Jewel Pastor — **Click on the image to see this resource in my TpT store!**

Create a game, where different sections of the class act out one stage of the water cycle (this may be using sounds or actions to describe each process)
Or do the game above in small groups of four children
Conduct a class quiz (you might like to use my PowerPoint presentation as a visual aid)

Write a list of all the ways in which we use water every day
Watch an educational video
Make a model or diorama displaying the processes of the cycle
Do experiments that show the water cycle in action
Create a comic book that personifies the water cycle for kids

Really, the options for teaching the water cycle for kids is only limited by your imagination!

Teaching the Water Cycle for Kids with Jewel’s School Gems

I currently offer a colorful, engaging and fun water cycle bundle resource pack, which includes a water cycle flipbook with color and blackline templates, as well as an interactive PowerPoint presentation that includes questions and answers suitable for a class quiz. This awesome water cycle bundle will give you a head start when planning your science lesson, with vibrant pictures and activities to effortlessly promote learning while still keeping your students’ attention.

Want More Teacher Resources for FREE?

Save yourself valuable time and sign up to access my free resource library for very busy teachers! One of the freebies you will have immediate access to is a water cycle craft. You and your students will surely enjoy this one. Just click on the image below!

Can you think of other ways to teach the water cycle? Please comment below!

HOW TO FIT EVERYTHING IN A WORKING DAY (When There’s So Much To Do!)

March 3, 2016 By Jewel Pastor 2 Comments

Raise your hand if you’re exhausted at the end of each day.

Raise your hand again if you did NOT get everything you wanted done, well, done in school.

If you raised your hand twice, you’re not alone. I’m pretty sure many teachers like you feel the same way. Why even I know the feeling very well – that feeling of being soooo dead tired and frustrated at the same time because I wasn’t able to do as much I wanted for the day in school and I would have to spend some time at home catching up.

For the longest time in my teaching career, I was staying up late at night trying to finish everything I had to do. It worked quite fine for some time until my baby came. If you’re a working mother, you know very well that working (again) at home with a baby is just next to impossible. In my last year of teaching, I decided not to work when I got home at all and tried to fit as much as I can in a working day.

How was I able to do it? Well, read on, girlfriend:

1. I woke up earlier than everybody else.

Instead of staying up so late at night, I tried waking up earlier than everybody else. I still do this now that I’m already a work at home mom when I want to accomplish more things. I used to wake up an extra hour or 30 minutes, giving me a chance to have a calmer or more peaceful start to the day. I would read my Bible, pray, have coffee while planning out my day and preparing breakfast for the family. I felt more organized and energized too since I had a good night’s sleep before trying to conquer the day. Sometimes, I got to squeeze in finishing a task or two for school that I normally wouldn’t have had time for at the end of the day.

2. I wrote a to-do list.

Are you a planner type of girl? Well, I know I wasn’t. LOL. Like seriously, over the years, I have bought a lot of planners and ended up abandoning many of them. If it works for you, AWESOME. Grab a PLANNER FREEBIE here. But if you’re anything like me, a simple notebook will do. I used to have this tiny red notebook with a big smiley sticker in front. I called it may handy-dandy notebook where I wrote down things I had to do. Since my notebook was so handy-dandy and fit in my bag, I took it everywhere I went. I wrote at the start of the day, during breaks and after school, and almost never forgot a thing I had to do. I would put a check beside the tasks that I’d already finished and YES! I remember feeling such a kick seeing that I was able to finish a lot of tasks in my to-do list for the day. I know of some people who use post-its to remind themselves. If it works for them, hey, it might work for you, too!

If you want a WEEKLY TEACHER PLANNER with front and back covers plus 36 different weekly pages, make sure to sign up to SUBSCRIBE to my email list by clicking on the image below.

3. I monitored my use of time.

It was really important for me to have my watch with me wherever I went, when I was still teaching. It really helped me when I monitored how much time I had left for a period or even a break. God knows how monitoring the time helped me through meetings! LOL. I suggest using a timer for doing other seemingly trivial things, like surfing the web, checking social media or simply chatting with your girlfriend. You can use your phone as a timer or check out Toggl.com. You might be thinking, “I have to monitor even my Facebook time?!” I hate to break it to you, but those countless minutes of seemingly harmless use of social media can add up to hours that you can use to spend on finishing tasks that you don’t have to do at home later in the day. Okay, I might have taken it a bit far. I tried avoiding the lunch room and did as much as I could in my classroom during my free periods, reserving chats for the end of the day, but that’s another story.

4. I learned how to prioritize.

So yeah, I had my to-do list, but then I realized I could always highlight those that had to be done urgently. I made sure to do first the tasks that were really important. When I had to choose between writing my reports that were due the next day or preparing that homework grid that I had to give at the end of the week, I think you can tell which one I chose.

So, was I able to do EVERYTHING by the end of the working day?

Actually, it’s a YES and a NO.

When I started doing the things I mentioned, I realized that YES I actually did EVERYTHING that I thought was important most days and I found myself not bringing as much work home or staying up late at night to catch up on unfinished work.

But it’s a NO if I’m going to look at my endless list of things to do for next week or next month.

I guess, as teachers, we just need to be kinder to ourselves. You already do so much for other people, it wouldn’t hurt if you take a break at times and just BREATHE.

Take it from one of my favorite poets, Maya Angelou:

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”

It might be hard to totally rid of yourself of all responsibilities, but things are totally manageable. YOU GOT THIS.

Do you have other tips to add to the list, my super-teacher friend? Please comment below!