Personal Student Scales (FREEBIE!)

I don't know about y'all's county or district but ours is all about Marzano.  Scales, learning goals, the whole gambit!  While we have a whole class scale in our room that we use weekly/throughout a unit, there are still times I want to get a quick check as to where my students are without having to waste time on everyone getting up, moving their clip, and then possibly changing their mind because other people are on a different number than they are.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of a scale and having students take responsibility for their learning as well, but sometimes this all feels like a show.  Possibly because it's not how I would necessarily do it.  There are so many different ways to gauge students understanding and learning and what might work for one, might not work for another...  AND THAT'S OKAY.  Luckily, I work with and for some amazing people who understand that.

To still stick with Marzano but make it more comfortable for my teaching I have stolen, yes STOLEN, an idea from another group of fabulous people in our county.  As fifth graders, my students go on the Mud Walk to the Environmental Center every year for a field trip.  It's a two day trip and the dry day is a more indoor learning experience and they had these fabulous little scales that the students used.  My team and I LOVED them and knew we had to recreate them for our classrooms.  In case you were wondering, the other day is the wet day.  Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like: Mud Walk Wet Day.  We literally spend an hour or so walking through mud and river water, but I love it!



Now we want to share them with you!  You don't even have to be implementing Marzano in your classroom to use these bad boys :o)  Here's how to set them up!

1.  First, click here to download your FREE personal student scale.  Go ahead, I'll wait...  Oh good, you're back!  Now print them on cardstock (they last longer).  You can laminate them but I did not because usually they don't stay folded if it's laminated, but your call!

 



 

2.  Once you have printed them off, cut down the middle to separate the two scales.  If you are OCD like me and want them to be exactly the same/perfect spacing, then measure your paper (length wise) and draw a line at the 5 1/2" mark.  Slice the paper right down the middle!

 



 

3.  Now that you have separated the two scales, fold them in half (hot dog style, as my kids say) to make a table tent.



 

4.  Cut a piece of yarn that can wrap around the front of your scale.

 



 

5.  Tape the yarn to the inside cover of your scale on ONE side.

 



 

6.  Choose a bead and string it onto the yarn.  Then tape the yarn to the inside cover of your scale on the other side.

 



7.  Your completed project should look like this...

Now your students can move their bead along the scale without distraction as their learning increases or if they are having struggles!  Another reason I really like this personal scale is because kids tell you how they really feel about their learning.  Even though it sits on their desk and everyone can still see it, this is more comfortable to them as opposed to getting up and everyone watching them decide where their clip belongs on the classroom scale.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!



Disney Baby Shower!

Even though this doesn't have to do with my classroom, it does have to do with school.  Our teammates are just one more aspect of our lives at school and usually a very important one.  They are our second family, the people you spend most of your day with and on our team we go all out for each other!

One of my teammates just had a beautiful baby and I wanted to share the super cute baby shower we threw her (if I do say so myself!) before winter break.  She loves Disney and we knew that would be our theme long before she ever told us she was pregnant, haha.

Here is our table spread!  We tried to make these super cute Mickey Mouse cupcakes that we saw on Pinterest but around 1 AM the morning of, my teammate said it best... "Meet Mickey's illegitimate cousin Ricky."  Now to be fair, we used a different word than illegitimate, but you get the idea!  In décor, they were a Pinterest fail, but in flavor a success! 

Every food item was based on a Disney movie or character: Mickey Mouse's Cheese Platter, Minnie Mouse's Cheesecake, Three Amigos Chips and Salsa, Cinderella's Pumpkin Pie Dip, Snow White's Poison Apple Slices, Rabbit's Veggie Tray, and Ariel's Ocean Water.

 

On every table we had a little Mickey head centerpiece along with paper Mickey heads (made on my Silhouette Cameo) and directions for people to write advice for the new parents.

 



 

Our gift to her was a year of monthly onesies that were Disney themed.  Aren't they ridiculously cute!!!  We ordered the printables from Etsy, printed them on iron-on transfer paper, and voila!

 

 

We didn't really want to do any games because baby/wedding showers in our county have to be after hours, and we didn't want people to feel like they had to stay too late.  Instead we just had advice cards and "Diaper Duty" messages.  That diaper castle was made by our amazing art teacher!  IN. A. DAY.  More like hours.  It's hard to tell but the stained glass windows are of the classic Disney characters (Donald, Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto).

Last but not least, my favorite piece of all!  Our art teacher created letters of the baby's name using some of the most popular Disney male characters: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, Tigger, and Peter Pan.  Isn't she amazing?!  I couldn't get over how well these turned out!

There were Mickey heads EVERYWHERE!  You can't see them, but we even had them hanging from the ceiling.  We used black circular paper lanterns and glued on black circles for the ears to create Mickey Mouse heads.  We were going to have a contest to see who could guess how many there were in total throughout the room, but after counting over a hundred and then loosing count we gave up, haha!  All in all it was quite a successful baby shower and I think mama was very happy!

A Day Our Way Linky

Oh the great and powerful schedule!  It really can be a thing of beauty.  It can make your life go so smoothly but when someone tries to change it up on you, BAM!  It's like your children think the apocalypse is coming! Lol, luckily this year my kids are pretty good about with going with the flow.  One of the issues we have is getting back to normal after we have gone with said "flow."

It is quite the coincidence that this linky came up today because just this week my team and reading coach were discussing how our schedules seem to be ever changing and how that is one thing we would really like to focus on for next year.  Now I will have LOTS of ideas to bring back to the team to help us form a plan of attack.  Couldn't have worked out better!

This is our schedule for this year.  It's a little different for me because now I am teaching all subjects but it keeps me on my toes and it's never a dull moment!

Morning Work:
This is always such a hectic time of the day.  The kids come in and get out their planners and homework from the night before and then begin whatever morning work is up on the board.  Once they start working on their morning work, which could be ANYTHING, I am calling up tables one by one to check their homework, signed planner, and give them tickets depending on where they landed on the behavior scale the day before.  While all this is going on, the morning news announcements are also running.  Needless to say it's crazy but somehow it all gets done before we go to specials at 8:50.  If anyone knows of a wonderful morning work packet for either reading, math, and/or science, PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT!  I would love to find something all inclusive that people love already.

Reading Intervention:
This is 30 minute block is focused solely on our students fluency and reading comprehension.  The slight difference in this intervention block is that their reading comprehension is a specific skill they are working on.  This two week block my kids are working on comparing and contrasting as opposed to a story with questions that encompass all the skills.  This is the time where we really target our neediest students.  What's nice is that through the books we use, it's not always the same kids every time.  I might see different kids every few weeks based on where their strengths lie and depending on what skill we are learning. 

Reading/Social Studies:
MY FAVORITE!  Through this hour we do our Daily 3/Guided Reading Groups, Interactive Notebook from Erin Cobb, and any type of Social Studies I can get in!  Sadly, that doesn't happen as often as I would like but we use Social Studies Weekly and my kids seem to really enjoy that and it's a wonderful example of informational text.

During Daily 3 is when my students work on their spelling, vocabulary, and grammar through the different stations.  I'll go more into the 3-in-a-Row next week but I will show you some of the activities that they accomplish.  If you're like me then you know that finding Word Work centers for intermediate is not always the easiest.  I switch these out every couple of months just to keep things interesting but they can be used with any spelling or vocab word so they are always changing in a sense.  For writing the complete classroom journals, amazing sentences, and reading response.

Read Aloud:
I adore this time with my kids because this is when we relax and all get cozy on the floor and read a book just for the pleasure of reading.  We just finished Janitors (a Sunshine State Book) and it was good.  It took me a while to get into it but the ending was really good!!!  Now we are reading one of my all time favorites, The Sisters Grimm: Fairy Tale Detectives.  My kids are already hooked and I just love to hear them beg for more and tell me that lunch can wait, lol.

Math:
Math usually begins with a problem of the day (a problem of what we will be working on that day) and then we share all the different ways people solved it.  From there we move into our lesson in our math journals.  We write down our learning goal for the day and then begin our mini-lesson.  After the mini-lesson, they break up into their groups and do their MATH rotations (math facts, at your seat, teacher time, or hands on).

This was the beginning of the year, now it's filled with all sorts of math goodies!

With five minutes left we write down our homework and write down our reflection for our lesson using Runde's Math Reflection Fans.  I have these fans for EVERYTHING and LOVE them!  So do the kids!  They always ask if they get to do a reflection as an exit ticket and I am only to happy to oblige :o)

Science:
The last hour of the day is science and you never know what that's going to bring!  We do a lot in our Science Notebooks thanks to the Science Penguin, digital experiments, actual experiments, breaking down the lesson and more!  This year science is also a tested subject and it is pretty intense.  I'm loving it more and more as I go but still not my favorite subject, lol.

I know it's hard to see, but they are creating a series circuit here!

Afternoon Wrap-Up:
The afternoon wrap-up is the second craziest part of the day.  Safety patrols are trying to jet out while we are still packing up, cleaning up, writing down where we landed on the behavior scale in our planner and going over last minute reminders.  At the end of the day I'm always impressed what these kids absorb on the fly!

So that's it!  That's my day.  It seems so simple when I type it out here but it never really is, lol.  I like it that way though :o)  Link up with Amelia at Where the Wild Things Learn and tell us all about your schedule!

Remembering Sandy Hook

As educators, we remember and honor our fallen colleagues and their students from Sandy Hook School. We honor them each day in our classrooms in which we continue their dream of teaching our children. We honor their memory with our service. Join with teachers everywhere in committing random acts of kindness to show our love for Sandy Hook. #love4SH



Don't let them suck your fun circuits dry

This month in my classroom my students and I are being very super secret elves and spreading random acts of kindness throughout our school and community!  We are doing this for many reasons but one is very close and dear to all of our hearts: Sandy Hook.  The anniversary of that tragedy is fast approaching and it's hard to believe that only a year ago our whole world changed.

 



My school is over 2,000 miles away from Sandy Hook yet even we felt the ripple of sadness and outrage.  We've seen the changes to our school security: a new fence around our playground, scan card entry into the school building, security officer on campus, etc.  All valid security measures, but each and every one is a sad reminder as to why.  This month the people of Newtown, CT have asked everyone to commit random acts of kindness in honor of the students and teachers of Sandy Hook.  Our class could not be happier to answer their call!

I told the kids about my morning and how I was in line at McDonald's to get an orange juice.  When I pulled up to pay, I told the cashier to pay for the man behind me and tell him it was a random act of kindness.  As I was waiting for my food I saw him try to pay and the cashier shook her no and started talking to him.  He looked VERY confused, which was funny but sad at the same time. As a society we are more shocked about people doing something nice for one another than we are when someone is rude.  Then all of a sudden she took his credit card.  Well this girl's Texas/Irish sass flared up!  I was so mad that she would make him pay for a meal that was already paid for, but then in a split second I saw him point behind him and realized he was just paying it forward :o)

As a whole, we then came up with ways we've helped someone and how it made it us feel.  After much discussion and excitement, we came up with different ideas of things we could do around the school and our community.  They came up with some GREAT ideas but the first one they wanted to do was create holiday book marks for another class!

With every act they do, they leave one of these little calling cards!  Click on the image below to grab five different designs of this card for FREE!  My act of kindness to you for the day :o)



Many things will stick with me from this tragedy but this is one of the most moving things I have ever read and it has been a mantra for myself and many other teachers this past year, "Don't let them suck your fun circuits dry."  If you have not read this letter from one of the parents at Sandy Hook, it is very heart-felt and moving and a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.  Through all the ups and downs, the changes from people who have never even stepped foot in a classroom, to the people who tell you "you aren't doing enough" when you're up at 1 am coming up with different ways for Johnny to learn his multiplication facts; always remember why you're there and don't let them suck your fun circuits dry!  Click here to read it.

No matter what is thrown our way, always remember we are there for our kids.  To love them and help them grow in any way we can.  They don't remember that you're the one who taught them how to bubble in an answer sheet.  They remember that you're the one who decorated their desk and made them feel special on their birthday.  You're the one who noticed the new haircut or backpack and complimented them when they thought no one was looking.  You're the one that showed them their special talent was worth something in life and taught them to always reach for the stars. 

As educators, we remember and honor our fallen colleagues and their students from Sandy Hook School.  We honor them each day in our classrooms in which we continue their dream of teaching our children.  We honor their memory with our service.  Join with teachers everywhere in committing random acts of kindness to show our love for Sandy Hook.

Pumpkin Fest 2013: Pie in a Cup!

Yep, you're reading it right!  TWO POSTS IN TWO DAYS!  Be amazed y'all.  Be.  Amazed.  Yesterday I told y'all how our class got down and dirty with pumpkins using math and science labs to explore and learn.  Today I'm going to show y'all the second half of Pumpkin Fest: Pumpkin Pie in a Cup!  Mmm....

A teammate of mine did this with her son when he was in Pre-K but my fifth graders loved it none the less!  We poured 1 1/3 cup of cold milk and two 4 oz. boxes of vanilla pudding into a Ziploc bag.  Make sure you get all the air out and seal it tight!  Then pass the bag around your circle and have the students knead the bag for about a minute or until everyone has a turn.  It will turn this yellow color when it's ready.

Once everyone has had a turn, open the bag back up (be careful it's messy!) and add one 15 oz. can of pumpkin, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. ginger.  Seal the bag again (remember to remove all the air).  Pass the bag around the circle again and let the students knead the batter once more.

 

Set the bag aside (I doubled the recipe and used two bags) and pass out little Dixie cups to each student.  Give each student half of a graham cracker and allow them to crush it in the bottom of the cup.  This will be their crust!

 



 

When everyone has crushed their graham cracker, cut a corner off of your Ziploc bag and proceed to fill up everyone's cup with the pumpkin filling.  It's fun to pretend to be a pastry chef!  I then let the kids come up and get the whip cream topping and begin the feast!

 



 

The kids thought it looked like baby food but really liked it!  I was surprised by how many students had never had Pumpkin Pie before.  I will say that with my 21 fifth graders one bag did the trick with these little Dixie cups!  So you have two options: 1. Fill 'em up a second time.  OR 2. Give them a little bit bigger cup (like the one's the dentist give you to swish with).  I hope you and your kids enjoy this activity!  I got the recipe from Making Learning Fun, so hop on over there for a printable version.

 

Happy Fall y'all!





Pumpkin Fest 2013

I know, I know!  It's winter now and everyone is in the winter spirit but I was out of town for Thanksgiving and still wanted to share what my kiddos did to celebrate fall!  And let's be honest...  I actually have time to write a blog post so I have A LOT to catch up on, lol.

Right before the holidays my kiddos and I got elbow deep in some serious pumpkin activities!  These were not all done in one day mind you.  In fact, we did one activity for Halloween and one for Thanksgiving!  I know some schools are stricter on their holiday policy, so some of you might not be able to do this during those times.  Thankfully you can do these anytime during the fall season and it is still applicable and fun!

The first activity we did was Pumpkin Fest Labs!  Thanks to Jennifer Runde from Runde’s Room and her wonderful unit “The Pumpkin Pack” that was filled with all sorts of science and math labs that correlated with dissecting a pumpkin!  Here are just a few of the labs we did in class:

Sink or Float

 

 

Measuring the Circumference

 

 

Counting Seeds

 

Can't forget the rotten pumpkin!  Always fun when the kids cut into that ;o)

 

 

Graphing and Finding Correlations

 

All in all this activity took up the first half of our day but my kids were using their math and science brains THE WHOLE TIME and they LOVED it!  I will absolutely be doing this every year from now on.  Come back tomorrow (yes, you read that right... TOMORROW.  I know, I can't believe it either - two posts in two days) to find out what we did for the rest of Pumpkin Fest.  HINT: IT WAS DELICIOUS!

Happy fall y'all!