Teaching With Style: Back To School

Showing posts with label Back To School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Back To School. Show all posts

I know I'm about 3 years late to this party - but I've had the book Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites on my shelf since 2015 and I knew I needed to read it! Since I've been working in an Arts-Integrated school, my teaching has really transformed.  I don't do nearly the same amount of crafts as I used to, students create their own graphic organizers and Thinking Maps in composition books, and my reading instruction doesn't include the same amount of comprehension worksheets as it used to.  With today's education focusing on brain research and appropriate development, it seemed like a good time to crack this book open and dive on in. 

Marcia Tate (as seen in this YouTube Video) starts the book off with two scenarios:

  1. Mrs. Taylor, a civics teacher, who gives lectures day in and day out.  Sometimes her lectures go on for the whole class! She doesn't use visuals and expects students to take notes on what she says. She has them round-robin read (which we know is a huge no-no for a whole group setting).  Not surprising - few of them are listening or engaged.  
  2. Mr. Stewart is a civics teacher next door, but he has different techniques for his classroom.  He uses graphic organizers, checks for understanding with questioning techniques, and even gets students involved in a simulation activity to learn the branches of the government.  He has few behavior problems and his students excitedly learn the content.  
As 21st Century teachers, we know that they ways we were taught in school just don't work anymore.  They weren't engaging then and they aren't engaging now.  We want ALL of our students to succeed, not just the ones who are intrinsically motivated.  Tate has come up with 20 strategies to ensure that students are learning and having fun at the same time:
  1. brainstorming and discussion
  2. drawing and artwork (Yay for arts-integration!)
  3. field trips
  4. games
  5. graphic organizers, maps, and webs
  6. humor
  7. manipulatives, experiments, labs, and models
  8. metaphors, analogies, and similies
  9. mnemonic devices
  10. movement (more arts-integration!)
  11. music, rhythm, rhyme, and rap (even more arts-integration!)
  12. project-based and problem-based learning
  13. reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning
  14. role plays, drama, pantomimes, and charades (arts-integration again!)
  15. storytelling
  16. technology
  17. visualization and guided imagery (ahem, arts-integration)
  18. visuals
  19. work-study and apprenticeships
  20. writing
As you can see, there are quite a lot of connections between Tate's 20 strategies and arts-integration.  There are also a lot of connections with visual learning, which is helpful for struggling learners and multi-language learners.  We know that long gone is the Sage on the Stage, that we need to be the Guide on the Side.  If you are interested in expanding your repertoire or even validating some practices you already do, I suggest checking out this book. I was not compensated for providing this review, I just love reading teacher books and sharing them with you. 


Which strategy are you excited to learn more about or try? Which is one that you already do?


Read more »
Here is my round up of Back to School Freebies from my blog!


Create a fun Hawaiian/Beach themed Back to School Night/Open House with my Ohana Night invitations and Scavenger hunt!

Write a Welcome Letter with my editable template!


Create an organized classroom with folder labels for each subject!

The last freebie I have for you are business card magnets that you can hand out to the students!

I hope you are having a fun and successful back to school season! 






Read more »
I've shared before how much I love using Seat Sacks in my classroom.


Back when I taught in Oregon, I started using book covers as seat sacks.  They worked ok, but since they were so stretchy, only a few things could go in them.  Here, I am using them in my 2nd grade class on Lanai for a couple folders.


Last year in 1st grade, I used the amazing Seat Sacks.  They are made out of heavy duty fabric and even have a clear sleeve for a name tag.  I had the students keep their homework binder in them.  

 This year in 5th grade, I'm using Seat Sacks again.  This time I opted for the larger sized Seat Sack Plus for the bigger chairs.  They have two extra smaller pockets and also came with a pencil pouch!


My students do not have assigned seats this year, so I love the extra storage that the seat sacks provide.  My kids need access to their homework binders throughout the day because that's where they put papers to go home.  After switching to these heavy duty sacks, there's no way I would ever go back to book cover pockets! 

Lucky for you, Michelle at Seat Sacks is offering a 20% discount for you! Just use the code 20TEACH at checkout.  You won't regret it! 

And for all you Hawaii teachers, I updated my HCPS III standards to now include 3rd grade! Go re-download from Google Drive! 5th grade is finished, but I'm just waiting to finish up 4th grade before posting all grades K-5.  Thanks for being patient with me! 


 Do you use seat sacks or other organizational tools?
Read more »
Over in Hawaii, we all go back to work this week! In my district, kids start Wednesday! So to help everyone out, a bunch of other Hawaii teacher bloggers and TpT sellers have decided to throw a little sale!

And to sweeten the deal, I've updated my Hawaii HCPSIII standards sheets for you! Here are Kindergarten and First Grade:
    

I'll have the rest of the grades up throughout the week! 

Head on over to my store to see the sale! 




Read more »
I'm teaming up with my gals from Owl-Ways Be Inspired to bring you an awesome Back 2 School Giveaway! 


 Once you hop over there, you can enter to win 1 of 3 gift cards from Amazon, Target, and Walmart!


And SURPRISE! The giveaways don't end there! Each of these Owls authors are having their own giveaways, as well!  Make sure to head to each blog to enter their individual giveaways! You can find the blog links over on the main Owls blog, or you can just google blog names from the image below :)


I'm giving away some swag from Hawaii that all teachers need: COFFEE!! 

A lot of visitors to the islands love the Hawaii-exclusive cups that Starbucks carries.  But they also love all the awesome varieties of coffee that are grown right here.  So, I am going to mail the winner this adorable Starbucks travel mug and a bag of Maui Blend coffee beans from my fav local coffee shop: Maui Coffee Roasters.   Then, as you are getting ready for school in the morning, you can picture some swaying palm trees in the wind and lovely sounds of ukulele music in the distance.  Instant calmness!


To win, enter the Rafflecopter below! GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
Read more »
I'm joining my friend Tonya at Tonya's Treats for Teachers (and a bunch of other TpT sellers!) for a big Christmas in July sale!


Head on over to my TpT shop and snag up some resources for next school year at 20% off! 

Read more »
I'm back for my final installment of the Teaching with Intention by Debbie Miller book study! We will be discussing chapters 7 & 8 today.


To start at the beginning of this book study with me:
If you are interested in getting college credit from Concordia University for joining this book study, you can get all the details here. It costs $127 and you can join in just by following along and sharing your thoughts in the comments. At the end of the book study, you will have to complete a written assignment summarizing what you learned and how you will apply it.

Don't forget to make your Book Study Journal!

**********************************

Chapters 7 & 8


On page 99, I underlined and wrote "WOW!" next to this quote: 
"We don't attach grades to this kind of work [classroom activities, like the file folder sticky notes]; instead, we consider the implications for next steps.  The time for grading comes at the end of the teaching and learning process, not during it."
This reminds me of the Touch Points from the CAFE program by the Two Sisters.  When they meet and confer with students they assign a quick 1-4 rating for how well the student grasps the concept.  I like this type of informal, formative assessment, but I always thought that we should take these into consideration for grades.  We would look at student grades (or Touch Points) over the course of the grading period and see if the student improved or not.  If the Touch Points started out as 1's and 2's, but then gradually increased to 3's and 4's, the student would receive a Meets grade.  But if the Touch Points only showed a few 3's and the rest 2's, then the student would receive a Developing grade.  How does your grading work? Would you take these Touch Points into consideration for your grades or only summative assessments? 

 When I was first learning about the CAFE model for reading instruction, I tried to make a pensieve and flip through the pages in my binder to take notes for my students' learning.  I found the binder cumbersome and I was not good at using it.  Last year I made simple little sheets to keep track of what my guided reading groups were working on for planning purposes and also to keep notes on students, since I shared students with another teacher for reading, I wanted to be able to give her my notes for report cards.  I wanted it on one sheet so I wouldn't lose it.  In theory, I like Debbie's idea of notebooks for her students, but I feel that I would get overwhelmed with one more thing to keep track of and I'm afraid I wouldn't utilize them as much as I should.  I need to "Keep It Simple" (like Debbie says in chapter 8!).
Download for FREE!


Right now, I'm more about "getting through the book."  I hate to say that outloud and to share it with all of you! My school is implementing a new curriculum, Wonders, and we have to teach it with fidelity.  We have to do all the mini lessons and close read 2 stories a week whole group.  There is just so much to get done! I feel like I can't breathe sometimes.  And I feel like I can't take the time to use strategies that I know help engage students in learning and reading.  I know once I get a hang of the curriculum it will get better, but right now it's just plain hard.  Please help me feel like I'm not the only one here! 

I am keeping it simple by using the one page reading groups planning sheet each week.  I am keeping it simple by doing Daily 5 centers where I don't have to change much each week.  I am keeping it simple by teaching buddy reading routines that we can use with our literature anthology stories each week.  We don't do a reading workshop structure, because I have so much to teach whole group from the basal, but I do want to add a sharing time to our schedule.  Research shows that kids learn best by teaching a concept to someone else.  I think it will be worth it to make time for this important activity.  

I currently teach a whole group lesson from my mandatory basal, then meet with 2 guided reading groups a day.  In the afternoon, we have Read to Self time while I meet with my intervention group.  If I cut my intervention group shorter by just 5 minutes, I should have time to do a quick conference with at least 2 students a day.

The Two Sisters call a simple conference a "Dip and Tip"  They "dip" in next to a student to listen to them read.  They compliment them on something they are doing well and then give them a "tip" for how to improve.  This goes along with what Debbie does, too, but she takes it a step further by having the student articulate the new learning, both for themselves and for others while they share.  Bringing in the sharing aspect of the reader's workshop is something that I don't currently do, but I want to add it into our day.  

Now it's your turn! What did you think about this chapter? Just chime in on the comments!




Read more »
I have been so busy these past few months setting up my new classroom and teaching new curriculum in first grade! I'm here today with some classroom pics for you! We had our annual Open House a few weeks ago, so I made sure to have student work posted for parents to see.

This is the front door.  I have my Carson Dellosa Eric Carle Birthday Chart up, student mailboxes right by the door, some storage above the cabinets, art supplies and cleaning products in those cabinets.  Our Cafeteria Expectations craft, a freebie from Rowdy in Room 300, is hanging up.  I put little pieces of velcro on them so the students can open the lunch boxes to see the rules.  They loved that!  I made a bunting with an All About Me pennant.  I sent it home for students to decorate and add a photograph, then I laminated them so they will last all year.  I'm not sure where the banner is from, I found it in my filing cabinet from the teacher that left.  But there are tons of them for free or for very cheap on TpT.

Here is the math wall.  I have a calendar up with a mixture of resources from Teacher Created Resources, Schoolgirl Style, and my Calendar Starter Set.  The banner says "First Grade" and is from Schoolgirl Style's Bug collection.  I'm in love! I made the "Today is" with white vinyl on my Cricut machine.  We have 3 days to solve math problems posted: draw a picture, use a model, and use objects.  We'll add to the list as we go through the year.  You can find my Math Problem Solving Strategies here.  The number posters above the bulletin boards are from First Class Teacher Resources.  They were up in my room when I moved in.  The Number Sense Posters below the board are from my good friend Corinna at Surfin Through Second.  The big sign to the right of the board I found on Zulily.  The shelves and buckets on the left house my manipulatives and math centers.  The Math About Me crafts on the bulletin board are from Linda Kamp.  

Here is my computer station and word wall area.  I sewed the covers for the computers so they stay clean when not in use.  I found the fabric in my classroom, so they were free! I shared about my word wall in my July Bright Ideas post.  The taller cabinet to the left of the computers houses all my tech stuff: headphones, chargers, etc.  The craft on the front is Name in a Ten Frame freebie from Sam Nowak.  The magazine files on top of the cabinet hold student Morning Work folders.  We use First Grade Morning Work from A Teeny Tiny Teacher. I have some more storage (not pretty, I know) above the tall cabinets.  Inside hold all my teacher books, extra games, manipulatives, basically anything I don't want students to have access to all the time.  

Here is my teaching area.  My purple book cart holds all my extra Wonders anthologies, as well as leveled readers.  The little chevron tubs (originally from Pick Your Plum) hold connecting cubes for table groups to use.  Hanging up high on the wire that goes across the room are School Is Cool crafts, a freebie from Miss Kindergarten.  My iPads and laptops are on the poster drawer cabinet.  

Here is my front board.  I have Picture Direction cards from Miss Kindergarten, my WBT scoreboard, Daily Schedule cards in the green pocket chart, and What To Do When You Are Finished large poster on the front of the big book chart.  I don't have a whiteboard easel (and I am used to teaching with one), so I just placed a whiteboard on top of the big book cart and that's working well for me.  My teacher chair is from Walmart.  I made the alphabet posters that are up above.  I hope to have those posted on TpT soon.  The Work on Writing wall has a What Do Writers Do? poster from The Teacher Wife and posters from Lyndsey Kuster's Be A Writing Expert pack.  

Here is my favorite spot - the library.  Book bins are from the Dollar Tree and Really Good Stuff.  I made the book bin labels years ago and put them in name tag holders and attach them with binder rings.  I love this method.  I made the READ letters last year.  The 3 Ways to Read a Book poster is a freebie from Lyndsey Kuster.  The WBT rules are freebies from here.  The iHelp board is my classroom jobs chart.  The large rug is from Kidcarpet.com.  

Here is the back door and the circle table that my ELL teacher pushes in for small group instruction during reading and math for my language learners.  The folders by the door hold extra homework, notes, book orders, etc. for parents.  My take-home book library is in those white drawers on the left of the picture.  In that shelf are old leveled readers that I need to sort into my take home books.  It's a work in progress.  I made covers for all my classroom pillows last year so they are all bright colors and so they can be cleaned easily.  

I stood on my kidney table to get this shot! Here, you can really see all the clutter on the desks.  That should be solved if our Donorschoose project gets funded!  I've asked for a tall shelf to house all the book boxes. Crossing my fingers! You can also see the other side of the hanging wire across the room.  We did Miss Kindergarten's Kickin' Off A Great Year and made goals for what we want to learn this year. 

Remember that birthday chart?

Well, the kind people at Carson Dellosa are letting me give one away to one of you! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below.  GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.  

Good luck!  In the meantime, make sure to check out their entire line of Eric Carle items - there are so many cute ones! 
Read more »
I teamed up with Teacher Created Resources to bring you some fun projects that you can make with their accents and inexpensive items from places like the Dollar Tree.


Unfortunately, we don't have a dollar store on Maui, so I went to the next best place: Walmart! I ended up making 4 different items and have plans for one more.

TCR sent me 3 different items to play around with.  I requested aqua chevron straight border trim, sassy circle letters, and chevrons and dots library pockets.


First I made little containers for my classroom.  I started with Better Homes and Garden brand kitchen canisters for about $5.  I taped in a piece of border and slid in the labels.  I made one for Starbursts to give kids when they level up on our Super Improvers Wall (read about mine here).  I also made one for those little pencil cap erasers. 

I actually made them in the car as we drove to Lahaina to eat dinner at Kobe Steakhouse, a cute little Teppanyaki place that my kids and hubby just LOVE! 

Here are my supplies on my lap: canisters, border, tape, and labels.

Here they are on my kidney table.  I love how the came out!

Download the labels for FREE!

My next project was little gifts for my team on the first day of school! I started with yellowy plastic plant holders that I picked up for 78 cents.  Then added heather plants for $2.50.  I also bought a small bag of potting soil.  I taped the border around the planter and taped the label onto it, too.   These labels are also included in the freebie set that I linked above.


You can also see my name poster that I made on the table.  My principal asked us to make posters to hold up on the first day so students can find us.  I used the sassy letters and a piece of tagboard.  I also printed out some sea creature clipart to glue to the chart.  Too bad I didn't get a better picture! 

I also used the sassy letters to create my first day frame.  I bought the biggest frame I could find.  This one was just under $20.  I put colored masking tape on the frame to add some color.  Then I taped on my letters.  I've always wanted to make one of these frames.  I'm so glad I finally did! Look at this little cutie!


My last project is actually for one of my teammates.  She saw my iHelp jobs chart and LOVED it! 
This is from my class last year :)

You just take a piece of black foam core board and a piece of white tagboard to create the large iPad.  Then glue on cute library pockets (like TCR's dots and chevron!) and attach the job cards with velcro dots so you can change them out when you want.  You put students names, numbers, or pictures on popsicle sticks and slide them in the pockets.  You can check out my jobs chart labels here.
Read more »
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)