Successful Saturday! March 23rd

Happy Saturday! Welcome to the 3rd edition of my weekly linky! First 3 people to join get to pick anything from my TPT store! Just email me what you'd like at teacherlisasclass@gmail.com if you are 1, 2, or 3 on the links below!

 This week's success stories:
1) Teaching time (clocks) was a HUGE hit in my class! All day long I hear my kids applying the time phrases we've been working on! It's wonderful! I hear things like "it's half past 12" or "it's a quarter to 2." This honestly might be the most successful I've ever been at this. I wish I knew the magical trick I used this year, but I'm honestly not sure what I did differently this time. Weird! Perhaps my wording was better during my initial explanation? Or maybe it was the way we played time games? We played time BINGO and we also played flashcards but tried using the other forms of time phrases. For example, instead of saying "1:45" we would try to switch it to "quarter to 2."

Here they are practicing social skills (turn taking and asking appropriate question sentences) as they tell each other the time on the clocks in different ways. 

2) This one is a personal success story: I have a very tricky bunch this year! My academic range is 3+ years and the emotional range is just as big. I have one little genius boy who is a prime example. His brain is off the charts (I literally I think he outsmarted the test so don't even really know his IQ) but his emotions were a DISASTER when I got him. You name an aggressive behavior and he's done it...repeatedly! Thank goodness he's tiny so no one ever got hurt!

Well we finally got into a little groove together and it's AMAZING! He is not only doing well, but he has had AT LEAST 6 perfect days this month!! Whoo hoo!! This week was extra special. Yesterday he asked me to sit on the monkey bars (the ladder) and I agreed because I do it often anyway just to be near the kids when we take a 5 minute recess outside. Anyway...I'm sitting there and after a minute or two the little guy crawls up in the nook of my arm to sit next to me on the ladder and says, "I like it here. I like spending time with you Lisa!" Such a sweetie! This sounds simple, but a month ago all I heard was "I hate school! I'm never coming back here again! Ever!" So this was a big moment for us.

Then my most favorite part of all was something that I don't think anyone else would have seen or noticed even if they were watching carefully. It was a moment where I knew just how far we've come in the smallest instant. Another kid (let's call him Kid X) was a mess today, and my little genius boy went to ask this kid a survey question for his data collection math page. He approached the kid appropriately, asked "do you like to draw, write, or both?" Kid X suddenly SCREAMS in his face LOUDLY because he was mad he was just dropped a level on our color chart. Genius Boy doesn't move/react and gives an expressionless face to the boy as I prompt Kid X to answer the question appropriately so Genius Boy has the info he needs to finish his work. Genius Boy calmly repeats the question and goes on his merry way back to his seat. This seems simple enough, but really it was a huge moment for us!!! In the past Genius Boy would have screamed, hit, grabbed...who knows... but today he did NOTHING! YAY!!!! Success!! I have been working really hard at teaching him that "using your body just gets you into trouble, but using kind words usually gets you what you want." I've also been teaching him that fixing the other kid's bad choices is my job, and there is no reason he needs to make a bad choice when they do. Today was proof it's really working! YAY!!

Ready to share you success?

Here's how it works:
Every week I open it up for you to post your links to your blogs where you share something successful that really worked for you this week. Did you try something new that was a total hit?! Share it! Did you do an old favorite that always works well in your class every year? Share it! Did you make a super awesome craft you'd love to show off? Share it!!

This linky is for ALL GRADE LEVELS and BOTH General and Special Ed blogs!

Here are the Successful Saturday Rules:

1. Share your success story on your blog! 
2. Link up your blog story with the linky banner and a link back to this post so others can share their great ideas and link up too.
3. Go read at least 2 other Successful Saturday blog posts and leave a comment. I don't know about you, but I LOVE finding other blogs to follow, get ideas, and share successes!   

Also, don't forget to enter to win!!