Decorating Door Fun

Yes!  All of my students are taller than me!

The Freedom Writers Diary

A Love for Reading

Mrs. Kastl's Survival Guide

1.  Try to give your best effort every day.  The biggest goal that anyone can have is to avoid giving up.  A valiant effort is what creates success.
2.  Participate.  Don't act as a body-waiting for me to open up your brain, and insert the knowledge.  It is so much more fun for all of us to hear and learn from you too!  What do you want to know?  How do you learn best?  Do you have any questions?
3.  Treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself.  The classroom needs to be a safe environment for every person, not just one or two individuals.  We are a community of learners! 

10 Picture Tour

This is one of two common areas in the building.  Students hang-out here in the morning, and work on various projects.

 This is our school principal, Dr. Michael Smith.

This is our school mascot, the compass rose.  It is a symbol that can be found or represented in every classroom in the building.

A lovely outdoor shot of the front of the building.  Almost everything in the building is on one level, and everything still looks brand new!

Upon entering the building, you would meet our wonderful secretary, Kim Jones. 

This is one of the computer labs in the building.  It is attached to the school library.  We also have net books, and other technologies for students to have access to.

This is generally the place that students find most enjoyable, which would be the cafeteria!

Our school offers a variety of electives.  Here is the classroom for Swing Choir and Jazz Band.

The school gym is a sight to see.  It's one of the largest I have seen in a middle school.  To the right of this picture it comes equipped with a wrestling deck.

School locker room!  Each student has a locker for P.E. and any sport that he/she chooses to participate.

This is a view from down the hallway-after the students have all left.

Introduction

Welcome to my first introductory blog.  I am currently teaching 8th grade reading at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Bellevue, Nebraska.  This is my ninth year of teaching.  I also co-sponsor the school yearbook, and coach various sports and clubs.  I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2003 with a BS in English Education.  Finally, I received my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction in 2010.  My husband's name is Paul, and we have been married for seven years.  We have two children; Susanna and William.

Over the course of my graduate study, I became more confident with my use of technology.  I would not considered myself to be "tech savvy" in any stretch of the word, but I am always willing to try something to see if it is applicable or not.  Without a doubt, I gravitate towards a PC.  Currently, I use these technologies in my classroom:  Online Design, Edmodo, Gmail, rover cart, youtube.com, Microsoft PowerPoint, and occasionally, Windows Movie Maker.