Super Porridge

I've been chatting about Super Porridge on a few different forums, and several people have asked me to explain how to make Super Porridge.  I decided to do a short series that will help walk readers through the process of making it.

Lately I've been trying to cut costs on groceries, while giving my boys the best possible nutritional start.  My boys are 13 months old, and they are beginning to eat table food.  I could see that, with my busy schedule, it would be very easy to fall into the pattern of eating a lot of chicken nuggets and processed food that's easy to prepare, but not so nutritious.

I've been making a lot of baby food for my boys by following the recipes on Wholesome Baby Food.  As the boys started to get older, I was unsure what types of food they could eat, and still be able to practice feeding themselves. 

The book Super Baby Food really helped me think of different things I could prepare for my children.  My favorite part of the book so far is the idea of making a Super Porridge.  In the book, Ruth Yaron suggests that you put together a Super Porridge for the first meal of the day.   In the porridge you are supposed to include a number of things, including nutritional supplements.  Honestly, I haven't gotten that far.  This is what I've been mixing into our Super Porridge:

• Vitamin-A rich item:  Sweet potato, yams, pumpkin, etc.
• Super green item:  kale, spinach, brocolli
• Legume:  kidney beans, lentils
• Grain:  brown rice, oatmeal
• Whole milk (or water and formula) to help with mixing it all together

Preparing the items ahead of time is really important.  The Super Porridge isn't something you can just throw together in two minutes.  I try to make one puree each night.  I add what I need to the Super Porridges I have in the refrigerator, and then freeze the rest using the ice cube tray method. 

My Super Porridge is far from perfect, and I would suggest checking out Ruth Yaron's website or her book, Super Baby Food for more information.  I do not include all of the items that she recommends in her book.

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My School To-Do List

Here's a slightly revised version of my own daily to-do list.  My own list is a little more specific (with team names, specific preps, etc.), but it's what I use.  I do not complete list items in a certain order.  Each day I try to prioritize the items based on what's happening in my classroom.

I teach in a middle school, so this may or may not work for other grade levels.  The list below is just an example.  If you're wanting to use your own to-do list, I would suggest creating your own customized list for your specific teaching position.

Daily To-Do List

Before School

• Check email for emergency messages
• Update whiteboard
• Open items on computer needed for first lessons
• Double-check to make sure all supplies are ready

During School/Plan Period

• Grade
• Class 1
• Class 2
• Class 3
• Class 4
• Class 5
• Class 6
• Enter grades into gradebook
• Email
• Make copies for tomorrow
• Planning for
• Prep 1
• Prep 2
• Prep 3
• Enter homework on homework hotlines
• Open items on computer needed for afternoon classes
• Other (to-do list items that come up can be added here)

After School

• Clear off desk
• One last email check for emergency messages
• Gather papers to take home
• Close windows, turn everything off, close blinds
• Set out supplies for tomorrow's first class

Weekly Tasks

Monday - Back up computer
Tuesday - Submit newsletter entries
Wednesday - Meet with colleague for planning
Thursday - Update student missing work forms, update my own record of learning targets
Friday - Meet with team

Daily To-Do List for School

As teachers, there are so many little things we have to remember to do every day.  It's easy to forget some of the important small tasks you need to complete to make it through the day.  One tool to help with this dilemma is a daily to-do list.  Here's how to put it together:

1. Find some quiet time to sit down and think through your day.  This might mean that you'll need to wake up early to have some time alone.
2. Grab a sheet of paper and a pencil.  Coffee is optional, but it really helps.
3. Make a list of all of the things that absolutely have to get done before the students get to your classroom.
4. Make a list of things that you need to do during your plan time, lunch, or whenever you have a spare moment.  These things should be important, but not absolutely essential.  There's a good chance you might not get to any of these items if your plan time and lunch get taken up with any of the many "emergencies" that may pop up during the day.
5. Make a list of things that absolutely have to get done before you can leave the building.
6. Make a list of things that absolutely need to be completed on specific days of the week.
7. Edit your lists.  Add, remove, rearrange.  Try to set yourself up for success by making the list as manageable as possible.
8. Type up your list on your computer and print out one copy.
9. Bring your list to school with you and give it a trial run.  Add, remove, rearrange as needed.
10. After the trial run, re-type your list.
11. Keep revising your list until it works for you.

I always write in extra to-dos on my list each day, but I use my printed out list as my overall guide.  I like to print out a new list each day and write on it.  I try to print it on the back of something that was going to be recycled anyway.  I carry it around with me on a clipboard so that it's always handy, and I can find it easily.

My friend printed out her main list and put it in a sheet protector.  She uses a vis-a-vis marker to check off her items each day, and then she erases everything at the end of the day.

Having this list has really helped me to stay on track during the day.  Does anyone else have any tips that have helped you to stay organized at school?

The Superyard

We have two little ones that are starting to become expert walkers.  And expert climbers.  For several months now, we've had a Superyard set up in our living room that's been a great play area for the boys.  Even now, it is a great contained space for the boys to play in, although we have to really watch that they don't start trying to climb out of the Superyard.

This is how we set up our Superyard:

1. We put down foam tiles that we bought at Sam's Club.  They added extra cushion so that when the boys fell (and they do a lot!), they didn't fall on the hardwood floor.
2. We then added an old comforter on top of the foam tiles.  This was also for extra cushioning, and made cleanups easier.  Instead of having to scrub spitup off of the tiles, I can just throw the comforter in the wash.
3. We put the Superyard on top of the cushioning. 
4. We put toys and burpcloths in the play area. 
5. We got in the Superyard with the boys and had fun!

At first the boys didn't like being in the Superyard alone, so we would play with them for a little bit, and then leave the pen quietly after they started to "forget" we were there.  For twins, the Superyard has allowed our boys some freedom to move around, but it gave us peace of mind because we knew we could control the environment a little more than if we let them play wherever they wanted in the living room.  With two little ones, that can be very challenging!

It's important to note that the Superyard is not a babysitter.  Kids still need to be supervised while they are playing in it.

We are working on giving the boys a little more freedom to move around the house as we childproof, and as they get better at walking.  I know the Superyard days are probably limited at this point, but we've been able to get a lot of use out of it for many months.  I sure won't miss looking at it, or trying to climb over it to get in the pen.

I was considering giving our Superyard away, but a friend suggested that we keep it to put around our Christmas tree next year.  There may be other hazards that I'm not even thinking of that we could use the Superyard to protect. 

If I could do it again, I would consider buying a taller Superyard from One Step Ahead.  This model also has a swing door.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Mrs. Teacher Mom's blog  Click here to read my disclosure policy..

Thirty Red Pens

Thank goodness for my set of 30 red pens.

I used to spend hours upon hours grading.  I still do, but the grading has gotten a lot easier for me once I realized that my students can grade their own work.  At first, I thought this seemed like a bad idea.  After all, wouldn't students just cheat?

The more I read about formative assessments, the more I realized that I needed to be doing more to give good feedback to my students.  This seemed impossible, considering I was barely getting by with grading student work based on whether answers were right or wrong.

I decided to experiment with letting my students grade their own work.  This is what I did:

1.  I bought a set of 30 red pens (on sale!) for my classroom. 
2.  I assigned an easy-to-grade homework assignment. 
3. I created an answer key for the assignment to project onto the screen in my classroom. 
4. Then, on the day that the assignment was due, I asked students to clear everything off of their desks except for their completed homework assignment. 
5. With the help of student volunteers, I passed out a red pen to each student. 
6.  I projected the answers onto the board, and read through them with the students. 
7. Students drew a star next to correct answers. 
8. Students made a checkmark next to incorrect answers, and then wrote the correct answer next to the question. 
9. Finally, I asked my students to total up the number of stars, and the number of checkmarks they got on the assignment. 
10. They returned the assignment to their class inbox. 
11. I went around the room and collected each red pen (or else they had a habit of disappearing).

Because I only have students grade work that is low-stakes for them, they don't have much of an incentive to cheat.  They would also have to sneak their regular pencil or pen onto their desks to be able to change their answers.  I tell students that I don't mind if they get answers incorrect, but I want them to learn from their mistakes, and show me the correct answer in red pen.

I still grade summative assessments, and a lot of other things, on my own.  But having students grade some of their own homework and/or formative assessments has allowed them to learn from their mistakes, and it has saved me a lot of time.

Image:  from BRICTSoftware.com

Getting Up Early

Feeling a little stressed, perhaps?  Need some alone time?  As teachers and parents, we rarely get a moment to ourselves.  Finding time for some peace and quiet can be a challenge.  For me the solution was to forego some sleep and get up early.  

If you decide to do it, it will totally stink at first.  Especially if you're already exhausted, missing out on sleep doesn't seem like a good idea.  But, if you're like me, you need to just be by yourself sometimes. 

I try to get up an hour earlier than I need to every day.  I spend a half hour doing chores, an a half hour doing something I want to do.  I do this completely by myself.  I now look forward to getting up early. 

Image:  Tocky Runaway Alarm Clock with MP3 - White

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