Tuesday, August 26, 2008

First Lab in Foods


Today we had our first lab in Foods. We made Chocolate Chewies! Most people call them "no bake cookies". It was an interesting experience and a good learning opportunity for both students and teacher! :-) For the most part, these cookies are pretty hard to mess up. However, we did have a few students that struggled with measuring ingredients and following directions, so their cookies didn't end up very...cookie-ish. I think most students enjoyed their first time in the lab, and I hope they enjoyed the fruits of their labors!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Non-verbal Communication

Today in FACS we had an experiment with non-verbal communication. Students weren't allowed to verbally express themselves in the classroom. It was a lot of fun to see some of the students look like they were about to explode due to the fact they couldn't talk! Some students did really well and managed to communicate without talking. Once I gave the okay for verbal expression students were very chatty!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I think I've figured it out...

Okay, I think I have figured out how I am going to do this whole website/blog thing. I will use this blog to put up pictures of things we have done in class and/or assignments or activities we have done. More or less this blog will become more of a class journal.
If you want to know what is coming up, you will need to go to the link off to the side (Mrs. Barnum Class Updates). That site will tell you what we are doing, what assignments are coming up, and when something is due. Hopefully this makes sense!
So far I am really, really impressed with middle school students! My students are the coolest! I have be impressed with their desire to learn (they actually take notes and ask good questions), their ability to be on time (I have only had 1 late student so far), and their fun senses of humor! I am looking forward to the rest of the year!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Welcome

This blog is going to be dedicated to keeping my students updated on what is going on in class, aiding them with assignments, and providing them with another way (other than talking with me, voicemail, e-mail, etc.) to ask questions.
I have been teaching FACS for the past 7 years at Snow Canyon High. I love the students I taught there and the experiences I had. I enjoyed working with the staff there, and I learned a lot from some of them.
The courses I taught during my time at SCHS include: Clothing, Sports and Outdoor Clothing, Quilting, Food & Nutrition, Life Management, Adult Roles, Child Development, Interior Design, and Fashion Strategies.
Some of the extra curricular things I was involved with include: an advisor for FCCLA, Senior Class Advisor, Freshman Girls Basketball Coach, Cross Country Coach, Women's Rep Advisor, and Steering Committee.
I am looking forward to my new job! I am excited for the change of pace and the new challenge of working with a different age! I hope I can figure out how to use this blog well (as I am new the the blogging world) enough to make it beneficial. I will get more up on this site, when I have a spare moment to add anything!