Community Involvement
I'm blogging over at Middle School Mob today, with some fun and easy ideas for community involvement in the classroom! Working together to help others has made my students better teammates and cooperative learners. Check it out!
Get your students started in writing (with a freebie)
I was sitting with a reluctant writer last week, conferencing with her on a personal narrative. She had only a few sentences down, even after she had been writing (or trying to) for almost 20 minutes. She was disinterested in continuing, and said to me, "I just can't get started. I know what I want my story to be about, but I don't know how to start it and make it sound good." This isn't uncommon- so many of my fifth graders struggle with the same issue! So, this week I really focused on helping those struggling students find some way to start and helping the rest of my students enhance their beginnings.
We worked together as a class to create a continuum of beginnings. We thought about all the different ways we could begin a story, and then arranged them with the more sophisticated beginnings at the top of our chart, and the more basic beginnings at the bottom of the chart. In retrospect, I would have added an arrow to the side.... but there wasn't room left when I was done, so I just added it on the whiteboard next to it.
Best of all, I made a little miniature anchor chart for my kiddos to paste in their notebooks- and thought I'd pass it along to you as a freebie! I left it at full size (8.5 x 11) and they fold it in half to paste it in. I like the words to be big enough to be easily read. If you prefer it slightly smaller, though, it shrinks well on the copy machine! I made three versions (all included)- one blank so the students can fill it in, one with just the ways to begin and a blank spot for the students to fill in their own examples, and one completely filled in.
Download the freebie here!
We worked together as a class to create a continuum of beginnings. We thought about all the different ways we could begin a story, and then arranged them with the more sophisticated beginnings at the top of our chart, and the more basic beginnings at the bottom of the chart. In retrospect, I would have added an arrow to the side.... but there wasn't room left when I was done, so I just added it on the whiteboard next to it.
1. Use a motion word or sound.
2. Pose a question.
3. Use a quotation.
4. Just jump into the story and start "talking" to the reader.
5. Restate the prompt. Rearrange the words to create an opening paragraph.
My students really responded to the idea of a "continuum" of beginnings to chose from. In another conference after this lesson, one student said that he liked that the could "start with number 5" as a beginning to get over his writer's block, and then edit it later to be something more interesting. As a teacher, I loved how this lends itself to differentiation for the students!
Download the freebie here!
Winner!
Thank you to everyone who entered for the Classroom Friendly Supplies pencil sharpener contest! The winner is....
Gabby L
Look for an email for me soon- that pretty purple sharpener is coming your way.
Happy Wednesday!
My favorite pencil sharpener returns...
Are you sick of my posts about my favorite pencil sharpener yet? I know.... I can't help it. It's changed my life! Well, maybe not changed my life.... but it did make my classroom pencil management a lot easier. :) It's fast, quiet, and it has a "cool factor" that makes the kids love to use it. So much, in fact, "pencil sharpener" has become one of my most coveted classroom jobs! Classroom Friendly Supplies is now offering the sharpener in a pretty shade of purple, too!
Isn't she a beaut? One of my favorite things about this sharpener is how fast it is for a manual sharpener. Check it out......
16 pencils, read to sharpen. Apple watch, ready to time it.
And... I'm off!
Last one!
All 16 pencils done in 3:42.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I am a huge fan of this sharpener. I couldn't be more excited to share the new purple color with you- and since I have already bought a few for my classroom, this one is up for grabs! Open to US residents only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can also check out my previous posts about my favorite pencil sharpener by clicking the "pencil sharpener" tag in the word cloud in the side bar, or by clicking the "pencil sharpener" tag at the bottom of this post.
Happy Monday!
Currently October!
I feel like the days are flying by. Every time the calendar turns over to a new month, it takes me by surprise! I think that life hit fast forward when I had a baby last year. That "baby" is 16 months old, putting two words together to ask for things, running around, and feeding himself. When did that happen?????
Listening: Criminal is my new addiction! It is a podcast that talks about crime in every episode. They interview all different people- people falsely accused, people that were victims of a crime, law enforcement people, criminals that have served their sentences, and even historians to talk about old crimes. I can't get enough!
Loving: GIVE ME ALL THE PUMPKIN THINGS! I love a pumpkin spiced latte as much as the next girl (iced, please!) but I take it one step further. We have pumpkin everything going on! Pumpkin candles burning, pumpkin seeds for snacks, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin mac and cheese... you get the idea.
Thinking: I got my NAIER order- I have so many post-its and white out strips now! I am so happy. Office supplies have that effect on me.
Wanting: My living room is currently a mix of baby toys, baby clothes (that he pulled off in his travels), and papers to grade. It's a mess.... and I don't want to clean it!
Needing: A terribly long nap, which is why I don't want to clean the horribly messy living room. :)
Boo-tiful: Don't you love when students say nice things about you when they think you aren't listening? It made my day- I'm not sure what she is referring to with "fancy and fashionable" considering I am the mom of a toddler and never have much time to get ready... but I'll take it!
Happy October, friends!
What's in my Teaching Bag
Linking up with some fabulous bloggers for the What's in My Teacher Bag linky! It's inspired by the Us Weekly "What's in My Bag" articles, where celebrities show off what they are toting around. Such a fun idea! I have to admit something right now, though. When I signed on to do this link up I told myself I was going to show everything that was in my bag when I wrote my blog post. I totally believed that... until Thursday, when I cleaned my bag out since I was "fall cleaning" anyway. So, pretend that there are also about 15 Starbucks straw wrappers, a few crumbled up sticky notes, and some stray pieces of notebook paper with random notes in this picture... then it would be real life. :) So here's what I have:
iPad
I use my iPad ALL.THE.TIME in my classroom. I don't have a set in my classroom for my kiddos, but I bring my personal one in all the time. I use it in centers, for read alouds of ebooks, and for my own organization. Some of my favorite apps are Classroom Organizer by Booksource (for library organization) and Plickers (for formative assessment). I usually have a few ebooks for my own personal reading on here, too- just in case I get stuck waiting for a PD to start or in line at Starbucks.
Lesson Planner, Flair Pens, Paper Binder Clips, Post-its, and Washi Tape
No big explanation necessary- I would be lost without them! I use the flair pens and washi tape to color code and organize my calendar. I write notes, to do lists, and plans in flair pens that are color coded by subject. It makes getting ready for my week SO much easier! A quick glance at my planner and I can see what is going on, what I need to do, and what is coming up- for each subject. I use washi tape to indicate deadlines, meetings, and other "special days" that PDs or in-service training. Events in our district are somethings subject to change in date, so using removable washi tape saves me tons of time... and let's be serious, it's just cute. :)
ARC notebook, that I use as a TpT planner
I carry this around everywhere. I jot down ideas for products, blog posts, or things I should check out. I can be super forgetful, so this is important for me!
Hairbrush, water bottle, and KIND bar
A girl's gotta take care of herself! I keep an emergency makeup kit in my desk, but this brush has saved me so many times as I traveled to different buildings in my district for meetings or trainings.
Name badge
This one isn't optional. :)
Not pictured: the stack of grading I brought home, under the planner. Getting caught up is my goal today.
So, there you have it- my teacher bag and it's contents on full display! Check out the other great bloggers that have linked up to see what's in their teacher bags.
Tips for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom
If your district is anything like mine, you are being asked to do more with less. Since the recession, funding has been slashed. Teacher jobs have been cut, and class sizes have been increased. Ten years ago, there were 20 - 25 students in a typical classroom in my district. Now, there are 28 - 35. To many people who are not in the field of education, that doesn't sound like that much of a difference. We teachers know, though- it's incredibly difficult.
It's inevitable, isn't it? As soon as you get the classroom routines going and you have a good rhythm happening, you get the phone call. You know the one I am talking about... a new student has arrived! You look at your classroom and see this...
I've been in this situation more than once... and it isn't pretty. I happen to be in the most over crowded school in the city, and in the most overcrowded grade. We have one less teacher than the other grades do, although our student population counts stay the same. Aren't we lucky? I've worked hard at identifying the ways in which I was successful (and not so successful) over the past few years, and used that information to help me plan for the future. So, here are my tips:
Time Management
When you have 30+ students in front of you, time management is key. You are only one person with (likely) only one planning period, but you are expected to do a whole lot. Grading alone can eat up a huge chunk of time! If you spend even 5 minutes grading each paper- which is easy to do- you are looking at about 150 minutes of grading for one assignment. That is two and a half hours.... which is almost all of my planning time for the week. There literally just are not enough hours in the day... and I mean literally by the OLD dictionary definition, not the new "figurative" meaning! Points to focus on with time management:
It's inevitable, isn't it? As soon as you get the classroom routines going and you have a good rhythm happening, you get the phone call. You know the one I am talking about... a new student has arrived! You look at your classroom and see this...
I've been in this situation more than once... and it isn't pretty. I happen to be in the most over crowded school in the city, and in the most overcrowded grade. We have one less teacher than the other grades do, although our student population counts stay the same. Aren't we lucky? I've worked hard at identifying the ways in which I was successful (and not so successful) over the past few years, and used that information to help me plan for the future. So, here are my tips:
Time Management
When you have 30+ students in front of you, time management is key. You are only one person with (likely) only one planning period, but you are expected to do a whole lot. Grading alone can eat up a huge chunk of time! If you spend even 5 minutes grading each paper- which is easy to do- you are looking at about 150 minutes of grading for one assignment. That is two and a half hours.... which is almost all of my planning time for the week. There literally just are not enough hours in the day... and I mean literally by the OLD dictionary definition, not the new "figurative" meaning! Points to focus on with time management:
- grade student papers in a conference with the student. They get immediate feedback, and you get to spend the time you need focusing on their work.
- correct homework as a class, then collect it to give credit and do "spot checks."
- accept that sometimes you have to just give a check/check plus/check minus and not traditional letter grade for less important work
- prioritize the grading that you cannot complete these ways. Do the most important things first, and accept the fact that you will not always get caught up.
- give students jobs! Not just some of the kids... ALL of them. I have as many jobs as there are kids in my class. Everyone does something. Kids sharpen pencils, fill the paper supply trays, and even reset the behavior chart. I give them some of our classroom currency as a "paycheck" each week, and they can save up to trade it in for prizes at the end of each term.
- Every day, set up 3 priorities that you have to complete outside of instruction. If you accomplish those three things, then consider the day successful. Do these before ANYTHING else!
I am a big believer in allowing kids to learn from each other. Sometimes, hearing something explained by a peer can be the "magic ingredient" to get kids to understand something- for both kids! The student that is explaining the concept deepens their understanding by teaching someone else, and the student that is listening has an opportunity to hear the concept again. I like to have students work together a few different ways.
- Peer tutors that are "experts" on subjects help other students while I work in small groups during guided reading and guided math.
- For some activities, I pair students of differing abilities so they can learn from each other.
- Assign reading activities in guided reading groups, so they can discuss and collaborate before coming back to me to debrief.
Routines & Optimizing Space
Making all of this work depends routines, clear expectations, and space optimization. I start engraining routines into my students on day one. Much of what I practice I learned in Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching. If you haven't read this book, I seriously highly recommend it. This book is what saved me my first year teaching, and I have revisited it before going back to school every year since. What works for me:
- Have a routine for everything. Throwing out garbage, turning in assignments, sharpening your pencil, using the bathroom. Clear routines that are always followed help to keep a class going without interruption.
- Teach students how you like things done. This one seems simple- but if you focus on it, you will save yourself some serious time! I spend a few periods early in the year showing students how I like them to correct their work. What marks to use, what to write (or not write), and what writing utensil to use. After doing this a few times, they have a clear idea of what is expected and I can collect the corrected papers to record in my gradebook. I "spot check" them once a week or so, and the students rarely cheat with this because they know I look at them.
- Setup space so it can be used for more than one activity. My guided reading conference area is also my guided math conference area, and doubles as a place for me to grade papers after school. My math centers are next to my reading centers so students can use one space for both. Use every inch of space! Hang pocket folders on walls with extra work, get stacking trays for paper, and put sterilite plastic drawers under tables for extra storage.
Let the Little Stuff Go
No matter what, you will never be able to do it all as a teacher- and especially not with an overcrowded classroom. Learn to let the little stuff go! Prioritize what is important to you in your classroom, and learn to let other things go. This is a huge struggle for me- and I'm sure so many other teachers! We are perfectionists by nature, it seems.
So, that's what works in my upper elementary/middle school setting. Some of these would work in other grade ranges, and some could be adapted to work. Good luck out there, fellow teachers with overcrowded rooms. I understand the struggle!
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