Finding Fun

Hello!  I know, I've been gone for a while.  Sorry about that.  You know I have been reorganizing my room.  I was at school every day last week until 6 or 7 at night.  I finally have my room about 95% done.  However, by the time I got home, ate dinner, and graded some papers, I was just too tired to post.  So, the plan was to post over this weekend.  I took lots of pictures of my room and am excited to show you.  That would have worked if I hadn't left my camera in my classroom on Friday!  Oh well.  I promise to post it all during the week since I will be back to normal hours. I also have pictures for some other posts I wanted to do this week. I was just going to post without the pictures, but it would take too much explanation.  Besides, I know when I read blogs, I like pictures. 

In the meantime, I was thinking about how we lead such test-driven lives these days as teachers.  In teaching 5th grade, I feel like I often have so much to cover that the fun stuff gets lost.  We don't have time to make something, we have curriculum to learn!!  But, don't we all know that some of the best learning happens in the activities and projects that are fun?  So, I decided to search the web for some learning fun.  Below are some art projects and just some fun stuff I've found around the web that look like something your friends and mine will enjoy.  The title of each project is the link to the activity and the source for the pictures I used.  Take a look.  Maybe you will see something you like!

Literacy

Expository Writing: How To

How cute is this?  There is a teacher in my building that does this every year.  When you see the bubble gum faces all together on a bulletin board, you can't help but smile.  This idea has been around for a while.  You can find it all over the web, too.  That must prove it's a good one!  What I like is that the writing part can be simple for younger friends, as in the picture above with just a "first, next, last" prompt.  Or, for older friends, they can write the entire expository essay.  The link will take you to The Teacher Wife blog.  She shows the entire project in more detail.

Expository Writing:  Description

No pictures or links for this one.   However, there are some pictures on my camera at school.  I'm posting this one anyway.  One of the activities I do for our expository writing for description is have my friends write a description of a favorite object.  We then trade papers, and based on only what was written, another friend draws the object.  Without fail, my more detailed writers get the better pictures. When my friends get their pictures back, it is suddenly very clear to them what they may have left out of their description or how their writing may have confused the reader.  I have them revise their writing, and they are always 100% better.

Fairy Dust Pencils

This is from the preschool blog Fairy Dust Teaching.  She makes these pencils for her friends when she is ready to teach how to hold and use a pencil.  It got me thinking.  Wouldn't it be fun to have your friends make a special pencil or pen to be used ONLY for final copies or special projects?  I'm not sure I would go with the glitter on the pencil.  That might get awfully messy, and I would be afraid of what all that glitter would do to  my pencil sharpeners.  However, if you are decorating pens, I'm thinking about all the patterned duct tape they have out now.  Your friends could cover pens in strips of that and have feathers poking out the top.  Just thinking off the top of my head here.  This might be a fun way to spark some writers.

Book Covers

No pictures or links again.  Well, sort of.  Let me explain.  This is something I have done with my friends with great success.  I have them find a book they have read and take construction paper to fit it for a new dust cover.  I like to do it the size of the book because we actually leave the new dust covers on the books when we put them back in our class library. For the project, they have to create an original cover illustration, and the back will have a "grabber" summary that does not give away the ending.  I'm sure some of you have done this project already. 

Now, I actually do have a link.  ReadWriteThink.org has a book jacket maker online.  Your friends can just plug in all the information and it will generate the book jacket.  You can select to do just he front cover, front and back, or the full dust cover.  You can also select if you want it done in color or black and  white depending on the printer you have available to you. 


Math
Favorite math joke of my friends: 
What did the social studies book say to the math book?  Dude!  You've got problems!
See, they are as corny as I am.  We are a perfect fit!  Anyway, here are some fun math artsy things for ya.

The O.R.E.O. Project

Have you seen this one?  Sadly, I saw it after I had already finished teaching the concepts of mean, mode, median, maximum, and minimum.  However, I'm thinking it will be fun to do during those last couple of days of school when my friends have already essentially checked out.  The link above will take you to the project instructions, but if you want to see real life application, visit Rundee's Room blog.  It is a great blog to follow.  If you visit her site, you will see exactly how she conducted the activity.  This may not be so much about art, but in the end they can make some crazy Oreo sculptures.

Math About Me

This is a great project for the beginning of the school year.  Your friends create a poster that shows all the numbers that are important in their lives.  Shows how math is all around us, and it could be a great get-to-know-you activity.  I'm thinking if you wanted to do this later in the year, you could require your friends to use other number names that the class would have to figure out.  For example, instead of saying I was born on May 8th, they might say they were born on four squared divided by two.  The would write the equation of course, I just couldn't figure out how to type in an exponent!

Math Maps

I really like this, but there was no link.  I found this on Pinterest.  The link above will take you to the board it was posted on, but the link is "uploaded by user" so it doesn't take you to a web page.  However, the comment notes that the kids are given a set of directions to follow so that the map includes parallel lines, intersecting lines, perpendicular lines, a variety of angles and geometric shapes, and more.  I'm thinking you could probably write your own directions for this.  Maybe not directions as much as just saying your map must include X,Y, and Z.  Then, it's up to your friends to be creative.

Science and Social Studies

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Honest to goodness, when it comes to science, that picture above says it all for me!  Science is my least favorite subject to teach.   I really feel as if it is a different language sometimes.  However, I find when I do hands-on projects or activities with my friends, we all understand the concepts much better.  What follows may not be science experiments but more art centered activities.

Teaching Landforms

This is from the Crayola web site.  They give you all the directions.  Of course, they endorse all their projects in the process.  However, I was thinking this would be a great way to include an environmental aspect to the lesson by having your friends use old magazines to do this.  They could tear out pages that have the colors and textures they are looking for.  They could also search at home for any stray papers that might work.

Lava in a Cup

This is very cool!  This is an area of science I don't cover, but I would love to try this anyway.  The supplies and steps are super short and simple.  It's the last step, sprinkling salt on top, that makes the "lava" bubble up and down the glass.

Sedimentation

This is from a home schooler's blog.  This one actually follows scientific method and involves just a few simple materials to conduct the activity: rocks, sand, soil, and a jar.  Then, like in the picture above which is from the blog, your friends can recreate their results.  I would probably do this as a small group activity rather than have each friend do their own simple to keep the mess and supplies to a minimum.

YOU MUST GO TO THIS PHYSICS WEB SITE!!!

Have I made myself clear?!  Just kidding!  But really.  You must go to this web site if you teach anything to do with physics.  It is all about making laptop books (interactive notebook?)  for a variety of physics concepts.  Honestly, all our notebooks should look like this.  Guaranteed to keep your friends interested and involved.  It takes what I did with my Newton's Laws of Motion flip charts  to a whole new level.  Here's a couple of pictures from the site for the light and sound laptop book to give you an idea.

Open it up, and. . .  ta da!!!!

I'm thinking you could add each component as you teach it.  There are many more fantastic ideas on this site.  I really like the magnetism book. 

Native American Stories

I have done this one!   The link above will take you to the Canku Ota web page, a Native American online newsletter.  The page will have the two pages below, as well as some other coloring pages.

For this project, I've had my friends write the story of a Native American tribe we have studied.  In writing the story, they use the symbols above to replace words as often as they can.  I've also done it as a fiction writing where they write a personal narrative telling about their day as if they were a Native American.  Instead of regular paper, I give them brown butcher block paper and a black Sharpie to write their story.  Then, I have them crumple and recrumple their paper until it is wrinkled and soft as buffalo hide.  They are always amazed at how the paper becomes soft as fabric.  If time allows, you can always go back with paint and color some of the symbols.   It's a fun project.

So, there you have it.  Just a few fun projects to spark some thinking.  How can we bring a little fun back in to our classrooms?  I'll be back on Tuesday with some pictures of my classroom and some other posts during the week.  Until then, have a great Sunday!

Planning WAY Ahead

I went to Walmart today.  No, I am not a Walmart fan AT ALL.  Except for maybe today.  You see, first I went to Target.  Then, I went to K-Mart.  After that, I traveled the aisles of Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Then, I ran out of places to go. Nobody seemed to have the storage bins I was looking to buy for my guided reading area. So, I went to Walmart.  Which had exactly what I was looking for.   I ended up getting two of these carts.  They are Sterilite 6-Drawer Craft Carts.

Two carts gets you two pictures!  I think they are going to be perfect for storing my guided reading leveled materials.   The best part is I was able to use a gift card that I had gotten from my friends for the holidays.  Those suckers (The carts, not the kids!) were $23.99 each!   I'm very excited to get back to school on Tuesday and  continue with my room reorganization.

The real reason I'm doing this quick post tonight is not really to tell you about the carts.  It's about planning ahead. In this case, planning WAY ahead.  While in Walmart today, I passed a display of bags of Silly Straws. Do you remember these hard, plastic, curvy straws?

Why Walmart had a display of Silly Straws when it is 22 degrees outside right now, I do not know.  These always remind me of summer for some reason.  I took another look at the straws, and they were only $1.50 a bag.  I immediately grabbed four bags.

The second I saw the straws, I remembered a project I had pinned a while back on Pinterest.  It was for an end-of-the-year gift for my friends.  Here are the pictures I had pinned:

It's from the blog Fakin' It.  And, it seems she got the idea from the blog Hot Momma Makeovers.  Sounds racy, huh?! ;-D  Anyway, you simply attach a small bag of Kool-Aid mix to the straw with a note that says, "Have a Kool Summer!"  I thought it was so cute, and I know my friends will love it.  If you click on the Fakin' It  link, it will take you to her tutorial.  She used a Cricut machine to make the envelopes for the Kool-Aid.  I don't have one, but I figure I still have plenty of time to figure out another way.  I might put it all in a cellophane bag with a summery ribbon.

I hadn't planned to post today, but I wanted to share my end-of year kid gift now since I saw those Silly Straws in the store today at an insanely cheap price.  Now, I just have to hope that when June comes I can remember where I put the straws! 

Tracking Your Writers

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I think anyone that does writer's workshop has a writing process chart of some sort hanging in their room to keep track of where their friends are in the writing process.  In my room, I've gone through several versions of this. 

Originally, I had a big ol' pocket chart with the writing process step headings at the top.  Each friend had an index card with their name on it that they would move as they hit each step of the process.  In the end the chart was just way too big and took up too much space in my room.

Next, I moved to a wheel with laundry clips.  I wrote my friends' names on the clip and they moved it to a different sector of the wheel as they hit that particular step.  It looked kind of like this, but a bit smaller and imaging laundry clips all around it.

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This was also a fail for me.  The clips would fall off.  I couldn't tell exactly who was at each step.  It just wasn't working.

So then, I tried Popsicle sticks in a smaller chart.  Kind of like this one.

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This worked because it was smaller, just about the size I wanted it to be.  It didn't work because I had a hard time telling who was in what step.  The Popsicle sticks would jumble together so I couldn't see names.  I actually then went out and got those paper pencils you see above, but they did the same thing.  One would fall behind the other not letting me see names.  Another fail.

It was last year that I finally found "THE ONE!" 

Here is what it looks like in my room:

In the white area I blocked out, I have written each of my friends' names in bold, black sharpie marker.  I can see it from across the room.  At the top, I wrote a step of the writing process on different color cards.  As my friends move through the steps, they change the color of the card.  Again, I can see this from any spot in my classroom and immediately know who is where.  The size is just perfect.  It's only about 22" high and 19" wide.

I also find my friends are much more eager to change their color than they were to move their card or clip on any of the other charts I've tried in the past.  Last year, I kept a small container with all the different color cards in them, but this year I just put all five cards in each pocket.  No lost cards that way!

The funny thing is that this is not sold as a writing pocket chart.  It's actually a behavior management chart.  Here is the exact chart I purchased from Lakeshore Learning Center. 

There is a small clear pocket for the white card with the students name and a larger clear pocket directly behind it for the color cards.  The pocket chart comes with all the cards.  It also comes with that, "How am I doing today?" header.  I just flipped it over and wrote my own title for writing. Here's the back of my title.

See, same chart!  If you notice in the section where I put the steps of the writing process, there are actually six slots, so you can break the process up into even one more step than I have.  If you use the top section for the steps of the writing process, you have room for  the names of 30 friends.  I used it for the headers, so mine will hold 24 names.  25 if I use the blank one at the top, which I do now because I got a new friend this month.

The best things about this chart for me would be the size and easy viewing.  It takes up a small space in my room, and I can quickly see exactly who is where.  One last thing.  I have also found that it tends to motivate my pokey puppies, those friends who seem to move at the pace of slow or slower.  When the colors start to change on that chart, they do not want to be the only one who hasn't moved on to the new color!

This pocket chart sells at Lakeshore for $21.95, but it is also at Amazon for the same price. I think it is well worth the price!  By the way, this is all my opinion.  I'm not being paid to push any products here. This is just what's working for me as far as tracking my writers.  How do you keep track of yours?

My Solemn Vow

And to all teachers out there, this is my solemn vow to you.

If ever I become a principal or a superintendent or owner of a private school for amazingly well-behaved children,

I promise you, teachers in my pretend schools, that I will allow you to have at least one solid day a year to. . .
have no students. . .
have no meetings. . .
have no phone calls to  make. . .
have no parents to meet,

I vow that I will allow you to have one solid day to. . .

WORK IN YOUR ROOM!!!!!!!!!

If someone could just wrap this in a bow for me, I would be eternally grateful.  It would be wonderful to have one day where I could just work in my room to complete the million and a half things I just don't have time to do during the day.  You can even lock me in my room so that I can't talk to my colleagues.  I just want a day.  Why can't that ever be worked in to the school year?

I stayed in school until 7 PM tonight working in my room. My friends were gone by 3:00, and then my work really began.  No, I didn't get all my papers graded or my lesson plans for next week done.  Those all came home with me for some weekend fun.  What I spent four hours doing was moving bookcases, tables, desks, taking down bulletin boards, and attempting to reorganize my classroom.  I was extremely successful in creating an even bigger mess which awaits me when I return.  I was somewhat successful in getting all the desks and furniture in place.

Our principal went on a bit of a spending spree and every teacher was able to order some items.  I am getting two new bookshelves and a new kidney table.  Woo Hoo!!!  In addition to that, we are all getting new leveled libraries of about 200 books.  Double Woo Hoo!!!  This means I had to make space.

This is the back wall of my classroom that originally held my class library.  The problem here is there is no room along this wall for the two new bookshelves or the new leveled library.

This was my mish-mosh of a meeting table along the wall perpendicular to the library.  The problem here is twofold.  First, that meeting table is two tables put together.  It's a bit too big, and my friends keep bumping the table so it is always coming apart. The second issue is that this is the area I need to put my class library now. 

So, here's what I did.  I moved some big cabinets to the back of the room creating a space for my meeting table in the back.  Be warned, it's a mess!  This is what it looked like when I left tonight.

Once the table is delivered, I can get rid of the table above and the attached desk.   Here is the table that I'm getting. Yeah, I went with yellow.  Wondering about that now.  It looks so bright in this picture!  I really think the one I picked was a much more mellow yellow.  I'm hoping!

Picture Source

My goal until the new table arrives is to organize my meeting area and make it not only more workable for me, but organized!  I'm going to change the bulletin board paper behind the area to fit from the floor to the height of the cabinets.  It will be a nice little alcove.  I'm also going to look at some cubby type book shelves for the area.  I think it might provide more efficient storage that what I currently have back there.  Whatever I do, I've got to get moving because in the next couple of weeks I have to administer the DRA2 to my friends.  That table will be very busy!

I've been thinking that my room was a bit busy looking lately, so this change has come at a good time. I'm not posting pictures of any other parts of my room right now because, honest to goodness, it looks like a tornado hit it!  Once I have more done, I will post about my new library area and meeting area. 

If you have any tips for pulling this all together or better organizing, please feel free to share!  I'm toying with the idea of changing all my bulletin board backgrounds to one color paper for a less busy look.  Any thoughts?

It's Better Than A Golden Globe or an Oscar!

Wow!  I have no idea how this whole blog land award thing works, but I am delighted that five awesome bloggers have awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award!

I kind of like this one because I think it's a good way to get to better know some of the bloggers you like to read.  So, here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1.  Thank the blogger who awarded you and link to them.  Easy!  It's a pleasure to give a big thanks and a shout out to:

Dianne at Hopelessly Devoted to Teaching

Deb at Oh My Little Classity Class

Meghan at Inside the Classroom

Miss McTeacher

Cierra and Shannon of Fabulous in Fourth

2.  Tell seven things about yourself.  Okay, here goes. . .

1.  I have a degree in education administration.  Sadly, it was only after paying huge amounts of money for grad school that I realized my heart is in the classroom.  For now, anyway!

2.  I'm kind of fanatical about having my friends walk in a straight, quiet line when we travel in the hallways.  Seriously.  I am.  It makes me crazy when I see teachers with kids who are all over the halls or crazy loud.

3.  I LOVE GREEN OLIVES!  I have several times could eat an entire jar in one sitting.  It's very possible that I am eating some right now!

4.  This is the first time in my life, since childhood, that I don't have a dog and it's killing me!  I keep going on Petfinder.com and looking at dogs.  There's only one thing stopping me from getting one right now. . .

5.  I made a commitment this year to get back to the gym.  This means between work, the gym, and a bit of a life, I'm not home enough to get a dog.  It just wouldn't be fair.

6.  I wish I were more techy.  That's one of my summer goals.  I can't figure out how to change the heading on my blog, make a button for my blog, add other buttons, or any of the other stuff that makes your blog more personal.  It's probably going to have to wait until summer though, when I have a little more time to play and figure it out.

7.  Before becoming a teacher, I was a manicurist.  Let me tell you, there's something about holding someones hand for half an hour week after week that makes them spill secrets they wouldn't normally tell!

Okay, I can tell how fascinated you are! :-)  Before I bore you anymore, let me tell you the third rule of the Versatile Blogger Award.

3.  Pass the award on to 15 other blogs that are new to you.

Okay, this might be where I make some people mad, but 15?!!  That's a lot!  Not that there aren't at least 15 amazing blogs out there that deserve a shout out.  It's just that to be very honest, I don't have the time right now to post all 15 links here and then comment on all 15 blogs to let them know.  So, here's my promise.  I will TRY MY BEST to get back to this post over the long weekend (we have off Monday in honor or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Do you?) and post the award to 15 other bloggers.  Be warned, it may not happen, but I will try.

I also need to give a big thanks to Heather at Beg, Borrow, and Teach!  Below is part of her blog heading.  It makes me smile.  I am currently living on a self-imposed ramen budget, so I know what she means!

She sort of changed the rules too (a girl after my own heart!) and just did a shout out to her top 5 bloggers.  Heather, I am honored to have made the list. 

In all, I was able to highlight some great blogs in this post.  If you haven't had a chance, go visit and make some new friends!  And, thanks again to all the bloggers that awarded me.  I really do appreciate it.

Comment Round Up

I LOVE COMMENTS FROM YOU. 

Love like big, pink, glittery heart love! 

But, recently I haven't been so good at keeping up with them all.  I just went in and commented in some of the comment sections of a few posts. However, I thought I would take some time to comment en masse to some of your comments to a few particular posts.  Gee, I used the word comments a lot here!  Anyway, I love to hear what you have to say, and I really appreciate that you take the time to post some words. 

Here are some thoughts on your comments.

Crafting Power Sentences
I'm so glad so many of you liked this lesson.  It has really gone over well with my students.  Kim from Finding JOY in 6th Grade made me laugh out loud when she wrote that she would fall over dead if her friends used more than 5 words in a sentence.  I feel ya, Kim!  That's one of the reasons I created this review lesson! 

Some of you noted that I tend to post in detail.  Often I think I'm just rambling, but I like to give as much information as I can.  Sometimes I've seen something on other blogs and think I would like to use it.  I like to know how the teacher implemented it and then make changes I need to to make it work for me.  That's what I always encourage you guys to do.  Take what I post and run with it!  Only you know your friends and what will work best for them.

Use Your Writing VOICES!
VOICES for You & Great Clip Art
The VOICES posts are some of my favorites.  What I like about the VOICES board is that it works across any grade level.  Mrs. Brown, who teachers 10th and 11th grade, and Mrs. S at Stapler's Strategies for Sizzlin' Second Graders! both commented that they plan to use the VOICES board in their classes.  And, I know it will work in both!  Some of you asked for copies of the words, and I'm happy I was able to figure out how to do it.  I'm not always as techy as you may think!

Important Questions
These really were important questions for me, and I was so curious to hear what you had to say.  I asked about two things; your Reader's Workshop and Words Their Way. 

I first asked about how reader's workshop was implemented in your district because it is currently being implemented in mine.  I'm not loving exactly how it's being implemented, but I do love a workshop approach.  Debi2610 asked if I had anything I could share.  To be honest, my district is implementing a new part of the workshop each month this year, so much of what they give us is being tweaked and changed often.  I am familiar with the method and have been using it prior to this year, so I've been able to work with it.  But Debi, a lot of what I post is all part of my reading and writing workshop lessons.

Some of you mentioned programs or models like CScope, GRR (Gradual Release of Responsibility) Model, Dorn model, and Faye Brownlie model of student choice.  Hopefully, my links are all correct.  I was familiar with some of them, but a couple were new to me.  It's amazing how instruction across the country differs so!

As for Words Their Way, all I can say is LOVE IT!  My friends love it, and it seems to be working well.  I'm planning to post more about it when I have had more time to work with it.  But, thanks to everyone for the comments.  They were helpful.

Planning The Impossible
Loved the comments on this one! It seems that asking teachers to cram more and more in the teaching day is a universal teacher frustration.  I've been working within the constraints of my literacy block, and it's sort of, kinda, maybe working a bit.  I'm still not satisfied with my reading time, but I don't see anything changing in the near future.  I had to laugh at the one anonymous response that basically told me to shut up, close my door, and just do my own thing.  Let me tell you, the idea has crossed my mind!   The only problem with that idea is that our district is big on walk throughs.  This is where administrators do random walks through your room to see what you are up to.  They stay no longer than ten minutes and it is not considered an observation, but they may come and go as often as they please.  I also have to have my plan book available at all times.  Under these conditions, there's no closing the door and doing your own thing!  But, as I said, I'm slowly making it work.  But then, don't we always do that as teachers?  We just make it work!

You're a Heart Breaker!
You know I love your comments.  I especially love when you come back and tell me how you used an idea I posted.  Megafizz tried the Heart Breakers game with her 5th graders, and they loved it.  That made me happy!

So, that's kind of it for today.  Lots of words and not a lot of pictures on this one.  But, there is a lot of thought about your words and a lot of thanks.  To you!  Thanks for posting comments, and thanks for taking the time to read my little blog.  See you soon. :-)

Crafting Power Sentences

This post is about a chart I created with my friends over a three day period. It was really review for us, so the lessons were sort of quick hits.  We did a section of the chart, they practiced in their writer's notebook with a quick share.  My goal was just to review some areas in writing and grammar that I've seen they need a little reminding about.  This is what the chart looked like at the end of day three:

 As you can see, it's a busy chart.  That's why I really suggest doing it as a quick lesson over a few days.  I will explain how I did it and give you some changes you might make so that it's a better fit for your friends.

Day 1
Learning Goal:  Using more descriptive verbs that relate mood

This was the chart at the start of the lesson.   We started with a simple sentence: The boy went up the stairs.  I then focused my friends on the first column, the different moods I might want to create as a writer.  We discussed how our simple sentence just doesn't do it.  As a class, we brainstormed some different verb choices that better suited the moods.  I charted these, and then we read the sentence again, substituting the new verb choices each time. 

To practice, my friends then worked with a partner for a minute or two to brainstorm their own verb choice for the same sentence and write it in their writer's notebook.  We did a quick share of some and then off they went for independent writing. 

Modifications:  This could be the extent of your entire chart.  You don't have to go on and do the other sections.  For younger friends, working on verb choice alone may be enough.  You could also focus this lesson on synonyms for verb choice.  How many verbs can you think of that would show someone going up the stairs in a happy mood?  Bounced up? Jumped up? Pranced up? Skipped up? Danced up?

Day 2
Learning Goal:  Using adjectives or more descriptive phrases to relate mood and stronger visual images

For Day 2, we briefly reviewed the previous day's lesson and then discussed how we could add adjectives or descriptive phrases to help relate mood and create a more powerful mental picture for the reader.  We brainstormed together to fill in the last column.  Notice that for our happy and carefree mood, we didn't really change anything.  It was important for them to see that sometimes you just may not be able to think of a way to change the sentence. I come back to this at the end of day three, so I'll explain then.

For independent practice, my friends followed the same procedure at Day 1 using the same sentence in their writer's notebook.

Modifications:  To simplify it, you could focus on just adding one adjective in front of the word stairs in the original sentence.

Note:  I'm a little embarrassed!  It wasn't until I was looking at the chart after school on day 3 that I realized I wrote "creeped" when "crept" is grammatically correct.  I did go back and correct it with my friends, but it's not in these pictures.  Oh well, it's probably good for them to see that even teachers (this teacher anyway) need to proofread! 

Moving on. . .

Day 3
Learning Goal:  Correctly using and punctuating dependent clauses and creating vivid, descriptive mental images

Dependent Clauses have been a stickler for some of my friends, especially using commas correctly with them.  For this section, we worked on adding dependent clauses that related mood.  As you can see, we also threw in some adjectives for the boy.  I also highlighted the use of the comma. 

For independent practice, my friends went on to add a dependent clause to the sentence they had been working on in their writer's notebook.  We did a quick share, and then I had them write their "Power Sentence" on a sentence strip.  We hung them up in the room, and of course I forgot to take a picture of them!  But, I think you get the idea.

Modifications:  Dependent clause is definitely an upper elementary focus, so you might want to simplify this section.  In all, this would be a great chart for a simple adjective lesson.  Your friends could focus on simply adding adjectives for the boy.  You could also remove the "mood" section altogether if you wanted to just focus on adjectives, but I do think the mood really guides this lesson no matter how you modify it.

So, as you can see from the chart, we went from the simple sentence, "The boy went up the stairs" to:

• With a gleam in his eye, the boy race up to the top of the staircase.
• Head bowed, the boy sighed and dragged himself up the long staircase.
• With a nervous glance up, the timid boy crept up the dark and shadowed stairs.
• While humming a silly tune, the boy bounced up the stairs.
• With a scowl on his face, the boy stomped up each step of the staircase.

As I noted, these were quick lessons each day.  They were meant to be a quick, meaningful review, not take up our whole writing period. The new sentences are complex sentences that create mood and vivid mental pictures.  This is a skill my friends can always use practice with.

On day 2, we never changed "the stairs" section of the sentence.  One of the reasons I let this go was to point out to my friends that every part of a sentence doesn't need to be bedazzled.  We sometimes use that term in class.  I will tell my friends that their writing needs some bedazzling!  It's a silly way for them to see that they have fallen back into the habit of using only "simple" writing. 

It's also important to point out that every sentence shouldn't be so involved.  We have done lessons on varying sentences for structure and length, so my friends know not to "over bedazzle" their writing. Does that make sense to anyone but me?!!

So, that's my chart that I call the chart that just keeps on giving. :-D  I like charts that you can go back to over time.  I find that my friends tend to get those lessons better when we are able to go back to the same chart a couple of days in a row.  It just seems to imprint on their brains a bit more than the anchor charts you hit for one day only and then hang up.

Hopefully there is something in this chart you can use.  Have a happy weekend! See you tomorrow!

A Bit of A Brain Dump

picture source

Ahhhh, were does the time go?  I think the reason this week has been so spare for me in blog land is that there really isn't anything new happening in my classroom at the moment.  I have really been pushing my friends to finish their research reports, and today was the day we had to be done.  It's been funny to see how my friends reacted to my "gentle nudging" to not waste time and stay on task.  They really kicked it into high gear and worked like authors on fire! 

On Tuesday, we had a new student join our class.  He's just moved to New Jersey from a far away state that shall remain nameless.  I think he's a little overwhelmed at our work pace and the expectations.  While we were finishing up the research reports, I gave him one of our benchmark writing assessments to get a feel for his writing ability.  After reading it, I began to think about continuity in expectations at each grade level across the country.  I am getting the feel that what was considered exceptional work for this child in his previous school would be considered average work here in my school.  I'm just saying for this particular child, from the particular school he was in, the level of proficiency expected seems to be a lot lower there than what we require in my particular school, in my classroom.

This then got me thinking about about the common core standards.  They should go a long way in making sure that content across the country is similar.  However, I don't know how we can make sure the levels of proficiency are the same.  This falls to the state testing, but then not every state takes the same test or takes it under the same conditions.  In New Jersey, across the state students are required to take the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge or NJASK at various grade levels. When my friends take the test, we are required to remove any and all teaching posters or visuals from the room.  We can't leave anything up that may in any way help the students. Our classrooms are absolutely bare during the week of state testing. However, I know in some states, that's not required.  Some states allow you to leave up any posters or charts that are part of your normal instruction.  So, how fair is that?  Also, how do these state tests compare in rigor across the country?  Shouldn't they all be similar?

I then started thinking about merit pay based on student achievement.  I simply don't understand how this can be fairly applied to teachers with any continuity.  Let's take my new friend from the far away state as an example.  His previous report cards and his test scores are excellent.  His previous teacher, if being evaluated on student achievement for merit pay, would fare very well.  According to all indicators, this child is achieving and doing so quite nicely.  Now, take this same child and plunk him down in my classroom and it's a different story. Based on the work samples I have, this friend would not be receiving the same high grades in my school.  I also suspect when taking the NJASK he will not score as well as his did on the other state's assessment.  So, is this a reflection on me?  Does this mean I'm not meeting his needs?  And, should I be paid accordingly even though the standards seem to vary?

I'm always suspect when I hear people demanding merit pay for teachers.  I'm especially suspect when I know the multitude of variables that impact a child's achievement, many of which are beyond our control.  I don't think looking at student achievement as small part of teacher evaluation is a terrible idea, but we are a long, long way from being ready to do it. There has to be continuity in this evaluation for all teachers across the country.  And, how do they plan to account for all those variables that teachers just don't control?  I also want to know how you plan to evaluate special teachers under the same system. I don't have any answers to any of this.  To be honest, I wonder if anyone will be able to resolve this in a fair and impartial way.  I just needed to brain dump a little tonight!

But, here is what I do know.  I love what I do.  Regardless of any of this, teaching my friends has never been the problem.   I know I am doing my best everyday to ensure that my friends are learning and making progress.  Perhaps, I might even be encouraging them to have fun (GASP!) while doing it!  And in that spirit, I will be posting on Saturday and Sunday afternoon since I missed out this week.  The new posts will be the ones I promised here.  If you don't make it back to my little blog over the weekend, have a great one!

VOICES for You & Great Clip Art

I had a few requests to share the headings from my VOICES board. Here's the link to the original post I wrote on how I use the board in my classroom:  Using VOICES.  When it comes to sharing documents I'm not always sure how to do it correctly, but I'll give it a try.  I had originally saved it as a Power Point, but in an effort to share it I resaved it as a PDF and put it on Google docs.  Here's the link for them:

VOICES Board Headings

Someone please just leave me a comment and let me know if it worked!

I should comment on the images I used in the headings.

They are from the Phillip Martin Clip Art Collection.   He has amazing clip art for teachers to use for free as long as you are not profiting from it.  I think I'm okay with it here since I'm just sharing the headings for free. 

His collection has lots of school/kid friendly clip art for all different subjects and occasions.  If you haven't checked out Phillip Martin's amazing clip art resources,  please go.  I know you will find something you like.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! 

I have off tomorrow, but then it is back to school on Tuesday.  I don't know what it is, but I always feel that the school year is halfway over once we have our winter break.  It's not. Our last day is actually June 21st, so I'm not sure why it always feels like I'm halfway there.  Anybody else ever feel this way?  Regardless, I'm going with the feeling!  Kind of nice to trick myself into believing the year is half over!

I think New Year's never really feels like a "new year" when you are a teacher.  My New Year's Eve is always the day before school starts in September.  It's a true fresh start with new friends, a new room design, and new school year resolutions.  This January New Year's stuff is for amateurs! I'm already four months into my new year. :-D

However, a new year is all about resolutions right?  I'm not sure if I make resolutions, but I do like to set goals for the new year, in September and January!  In my personal life, I have some big ones in the works.  In my school life, I've decided that my goal for the rest of this school year is one;

No More Procrastination!  

Holy cow, am I a procrastinator!   It really only affects one part of my school life, and that is when it comes to grading papers.  It is the one thing I just hate doing.  I put off grading as long as I can, and then I end up with an unmanageable pile that has to be done NOW!  I don't know what it is about grading.  I will happily spend my nights and weekends working on lesson plans, creating charts, researching for upcoming lessons, but I get downright grumpy when I have to give up an evening to grade papers.  Hopefully, if I stop procrastinating and do them as soon as I get them, there won't be anymore unmanageable piles to tackle.  Either that, or I need to find a way to change my mindset about grading.  sigh. . .

A Little Reminiscing

I started this blog with one little post on August 31, 2010.  My "last" post was on December 24, 2010.  In those four months, I wrote a total of six posts before abandoning my blog.  It was on July 13, 2011, that I decided to give this another go.  In a little over five months, I have written a total of 71 posts.   It's has really been a lot of fun.  More than I ever imagined.  This blog has been a great way for me to share and document some of what I do.  I have to say it still completely floors me that anyone even reads my blog.  The shock of having 270 followers never lessens!  What I have enjoyed most is the great ideas and comments I've gotten from readers. I appreciate each and every one.  You are a very talented and inspiring crew!

I've been seeing a lot of "Best of" and "Year in Review" type posts on different blogs.  I thought I would venture into that territory myself a bit with my 70 little posts.  So, here goes!

Most Viewed Post:   The Picture Book Bonanza Continues!  This was a shocker to me.  I didn't really go into any great detail about the books.  In fact, these were books YOU told me you liked to use.  I just pulled them from my comment section.  It has let me know that you might like to see more picture book reviews.  I have a ton that I love, so I'm planning to incorporate more in the future.

Post Most Viewed To My Surprise:  Too Many Anchor Charts!  Another shocker for me.  This post is about the anchor chart binder I keep in my class.  I have had this binder going for a long time, and it was honestly not something I had planned to post about.  One day, I was looking around my classroom thinking about what I was going to post that night and my eyes landed on my binder. So, I posted about it. I never expected it to garner so much interest.   I am delighted that so many of you found it useful.

Post I Wish More People Viewed and Commented On:  Theme and My Friend Molly Lou Mellon  I know you like picture books, and I so wish more people had commented on this book.  Did you like it?  It truly is one of my favorites.  The reason I love it has less to do with any formal lesson you can use it for, and everything to do with the book's message.  It's one of my favorite first reads with my friends to let them know we don't have to fit a certain mold to be accepted and embraced in friendship.  It's also such a great anit-bullying book.

Most Frustrating Post:  Planning the Impossible!  I am still struggling with this, but I'm finding my way.  Your comments and suggestions, even just your empathy, have been so helpful to me.  I have a post coming to address the different comments I've been getting, and I will definitely be talking about this.

Most Cathartic Post:  We Do It Because We Are Teachers!  I try to not get on a rant, but every so often one is deserved.  Especially when you live in a state with a governor that likes to teacher bash.  Just sayin' . . .

Okay, I'm out of categories.  I just can't think of any.  I don't really have a favorite or most important post.  I figure as the readers, you can decide that for yourself.  A post that works for someone may be nothing but fluff for someone else.  Either way, I can say I've had great fun writing them all.

I do have some upcoming posts planned.  I am hoping to put up the post regarding all the great comments I've gotten in the next day or so.  Surprisingly, this post has really been a tough one to write.  You all really have me thinking!  I also have a post in the works for a new anchor chart.  I call it the anchor chart that keeps on giving.  It's a chart you can use for a variety of writing lessons.  I like having a chart that lends itself to more than one thing.  There is also a post on how I use binders that I have been promising one reader.  I had planned to do it over the break, but I totally forgot to take pictures while in school.  For some reason, this post just keeps getting away from me!  So, that's some of what is in the works. 

I hope you all had a happy new year.  Hopefully, this year will bring us all health, wealth, happiness, and really smart, cooperative students!