Gratitude Journal

Last fall, I did a Gratitude Journal with my students. Every day, for 42 days in a row, they had to write down 3 things they were grateful for, or write about how they were grateful that day. At the end, they did two short reflections. For students who are used to only having homework Monday through Thursday, there was a bit of a grumble at the beginning when they had to do work on the weekends. But by the end, many were sad to see the project end. Here are a few things my students said they were grateful for during the six weeks:

-My parents pay for my school
-I have a cozy bed to sleep in
-My dog was very good today - I love him and he protects me
-My mom/dad made me a good dinner
-A good education
-We have enough money to live and do the things we like
-Finishing my NaNoWriMo story
-I have a computer
-My dad who tells me that I can do anything
-My coaches and great teammates
-The bright sunshine
-I was sick, but now I am better
-The right to believe what I want to believe
-My homework wasn’t too hard tonight
-My friend wasn’t mad at me, even when I broke a promise
-I live in the U.S.A. and there are laws here to protect everyone but they don’t make everyone do what the government wants
-I am really good at sports
-Going camping with my family
-My family has enough money that we can donate some to help others
-Someone took time to play a board game with me
-The telephone - to call my dad when he is away on trips

The students also made up their own gratitude quotes, which I printed, laminated and hung on their lockers. A few examples:
-Be grateful, not hateful.
-You might not get what you want, but you should be grateful for what you have.
-Gratitude is what you have, not what you don't.
-Always be positive, even at the worst times.

Overall, this was a great project that I will definitely continue to do every year. I'm even considering doing a smaller version of it again at this point in the year as a refresher!

If you'd like to get a copy of the journal, you can find it on my TpT store!

Brag Tags

We have a program at my school where students are encouraged to set weekly goals, and long term goals. I find that after a while, kids set the same goals week after week. "I want to pass my math fact test" or "I want to read x number of minutes." I am also a teacher who likes to present extra optional challenges to my kids, and sometimes they are accepted, and other times ignored. We also do the MindUP program, which encourages qualities such as optimism, gratitude, perspective taking, happiness, etc. Some tricky concepts for some children! If only I had some way to motivate them... and then voila! A friend introduced me to brag tags, which she will be using with her kids for their goals this year. So, here are my first few sets of tags for homework and their weekly/monthly goals. I am super excited to start using these this year!

UPDATE!
I have created SO many more of these as the year went on, and I've added many to my TpT store. To see all of the sets, click here.

Weekly and Monthly Goals
Work Habits (Handwriting, Cleaning up, Determination, Focused, etc.)
Character Traits (Character traits from A to Z)
Books Read (20, 30, 40, 50 book milestones)
Mindfulness (gratitude, optimism, generous, persistent, etc.)
Homework
Interactive Notebooks
Egg Drop STEM Challenge
... and more!

I've also decided that I like to call them SWAG Tags instead of Brag Tags... It fits my classroom better, I think.

I also have sets created for Geography, spelling, math, pencil challenges, genre challenges, NaNoWriMo... the possibilities are endless! They're easy to get set up, too. I print out the sheets, laminate them, cut into strips, hole punch with a super small craft punch, cut into individual tags and store. Time consuming to hole punch and cut, but it's easy work that can be done in front of the TV while binge watching the latest show that I'm into.

Here are a few photos of them in my classroom!

Each child has a hook for their chain. They start with one tag with their name on it.

Just a small sample of the tags in my collection!

My storage bin... I picked this container up on clearance at Staples and they fit PERFECTLY with little dividers made of cardstock.

The SWAG Tag sign

TpT Sitewide *BONUS* Sale Day!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love Teachers Pay Teachers! I tried to get all of my back to school goodies a few weeks ago when they had their annual sale, but now that they're throwing another one day sale, I'm sure I'll be buying more! 

I have put everything in my store on sale for the occasion, too!

Everyday Math Chapter Review Cards

I finally finished my goal of converting all of my review cards for the chapters into digital files. I've been using random sized index cards with hand drawn pictures and scratched out errors for long enough, and my summer tutoring along with the TpT sale days were enough motivation to get me to finish the digital conversion!

Each chapter has a set of task cards, an answer sheet (and answer key), and a set of mini-cards to send home for students to study from. You can get one chapter at a time, or buy the bundle (only chapters 1-11 though... I usually only get to a lesson or two from chapter 12, and I'm more focused on year-long review than the chapter 12 assessment.) My kids loved the little hand drawn pictures in the corners of my cards, so I kept the idea with my digital files. Here is what the set looks like.

If you are interested in purchasing the bundle, you can find it in my TpT store. Enjoy!

Severe Weather Project - Pyramid Dioramas

This year, the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes got together to do an end of the year project which we named Biome Bonanza. We put the students into mixed grade level groups, and had each group choose a biome to study. Once biomes were assigned, the 5th graders researched the biome itself and created a trifold, the 3rd graders each chose a country within the biome and put together a country report and short powerpoint, and my 4th graders studied a type of severe weather in the biome and created a pyramid diorama. Then, they had to work together to create a diorama of the location, banner including a world map, and artifacts representing the cultures of the area. My fourth graders had just finished their unit on magnets and electricity, during which they had created electrical boxes, so they had to survey their group members and create a set of questions for the box as a quiz for the end of the presentation. We set up tables in the gym and presented to other classes in the school in the morning and to parents in the afternoon. It was pretty amazing!

Electrical Box

Pyramid Diorama

I have put together the pyramid diorama project on my TpT page, which includes:

• Introduction
• Diorama Instructions
• Photos
• Student Packet:
• Instructions
• Note taking sheets
• Pyramid Diorama Rubric
• Presentation Instructions/Rubric
• (Choose one) Group or Individual Overall Project Rubric

• Bottom section templates (unlined and lined)
• Side sections templates (unlined and lined)
• Teacher Rubrics for scoring/comments (note separate group/individual sheets for overall project) 

If you would like to download it, you can view here it in my TpT Store.

Math Challenge - Presidential Math

With every unit in math, I give out a math challenge that reviews some of the major concepts from the previous unit. I had a challenge for mean, median and mode, but it turned out to be far too complicated, which meant I had to create something new. I figured social studies and presidents would be a good tie-in. So here it is, the Presidential Math Challenge! You can view it on my TpT Store.

Mad Libs - Part 2

As a follow up to one of my most popular items, School-Themed Mad Libs, I have put together a set of 4 Animal-Themed Mad Libs which is available on TpT! There is a separate recording sheet for the list of words before students put their answers into the story so the teacher can then check the list of words for correct parts of speech before having the student their list of words into the actual story.You can also find my original Mad Libs which are school-themed on TpT.

Biography Partner Projects

My students recently finished a biography partner project, which was designed not only as a reading and research project, but also to help students work on their organization, time management and cooperative skills. I wanted to stress the process and quality of work with this project. I used the ‘Who Is/Who Was’ series of biographies, since they are all about the same length, and they include a starting place for the timeline requirement. The entire project took 4 weeks, with children working on this both in class and for homework.

I started by grouping students into pairs, keeping in mind their work habits and organizational skills. Each group looked through the list of famous people and chose their top three, and from those lists I assigned books. The first task was to work on reading the book and taking notes as they went. They had to set nightly reading goals with their partner, but I gave a general guideline for when their book should be finished. They were also working on the ‘Looking Back In Time’ sheets, researching other events that happened during the decades that their famous person was alive. I gave the last 5 minutes of each class for students to set new goals, split up tasks, and update their Time Management planners.

Once a group completed the reading and note taking, they moved on to organizing their notes into topics. This step was time consuming, but it was since mostly useful for those doing reports or flip-flap books, I think I would only use this as a tool for those students who needed it.

Projects were the next step. Students were required to do the timeline, including both events from the life of their famous person AND events happening in the world at the time. They also had to choose which project(s) to do. They could either choose to do one writing and one art project, or a mixed writing/art project. Students then worked on writing up steps checklists for each project and a list of needed materials before drafting or working on the project. The rule was that both partners must work on each project so that they had to communicate their ideas and find a way to evenly distribute the work.
 
On the due date, students came into class with all of their projects and materials from the process. They had to grade themselves on their grading sheet, organize all of their notes and planning sheets, and then highlight their actual contributions to the project on the steps checklist. They turned all of these items in, along with their Time Management/Materials sheet. We then spent the next few days presenting projects and even invited the first grade class to see our projects, since they were doing biography projects, too! Here are a few of the projects.

Cereal Boxes

Flip-Flap Book

Poster and Report

Museum Display

Accordion Book Timeline

Shape Timeline

I have put the packet of instructions, planning sheets, examples etc. up for sale on TpT.  Included in this packet are:
Instructions
Grading Sheet
Looking Back In Time (research/notetaking sheet)
Time Management Planner
Materials Planner
Steps Checklist
Notetaking Sheets
Notes Organization Sheets
Project Overview Sheet (Projects noted with *)
*Timeline Instructions
Timeline Planning Sheet
Timeline Template
Timeline Sample Page
*A-Z Booklet Instructions
A-Z Template
*Interview Instructions
*Flip-Flap Book Instructions
*Cereal Box Instructions
*Biography Hanger Instructions
*Poster and Report Instructions
*Museum Display Instructions
Museum Display Explanation Card Template
*Scrapbook Instructions
Scrapbook Planning Sheet
*I Am Poem Instructions
Teacher Checklists (3 versions)

I hope you find it useful!

Student-Led Portfolio Conferences

November is a time for Parent-Teacher conferences, which I must admit are not my favorite. I spend so much time trying to think of everything I need to say to a parent, organizing my ideas, gathering work samples and finding just the right way to phrase some of those difficult messages. And inevitably, the minute a parent leaves or an hour later it hits me... the one thing I forgot to tell them!

Spring is another conference, but this time around students are leading the way. Over the next few weeks I will spend time reflecting with my students, sharing in their joy of obstacles overcome and looking at what challenges still lie ahead. It is hard enough for me to organize my own thoughts, but to get students to do it and share it with their parents is even harder! The students have individualized short and long term goals, but that is just the start!

Last year, teaching third grade, there was one standard sheet that the students had to fill out for every subject area they reflected upon. While I think it was good to get the kids into the mindset of reflecting upon their own work with the same questions over and over, the drudgery of the same sheet of paper with each reflection wore some of them down. So, this year I decided to spice things up a bit and create a mix of forms for the kids to use. A few self-assessment sheets where they get to fill in smiley faces or number bubbles, some charts and lists, and then a few written responses and goal setting sheets.  We will spend the next few weeks reflecting, organizing, and preparing for conference day, when the students will take the lead and share their own assessment of their progress so far this year. I am looking forward to their thoughts, opinions and reflections!

I have tweaked a few of the sheets so that they are more generic for any other teachers who may be looking to do something similar with their own students, and I have placed them in my TpT store. Included is a long-term goal sheet, a short-term goal sheet, and a full set of printable sheets for students to use as a reflection tool for a student-led portfolio conference. Reflection sheets are a set of questions that a student can answer related to that area, and can be used in conjunction with work that they have pulled from the year. Sheets include:
*Cover Sheet
*Student Checklist
*Math Self Assessment (4th Grade Everyday Math topics up to Ch. 7)
*Math Reflection Sheet
*Reading Reflection Sheet
*Writing Reflection Sheet
*Spelling Scores Recording Sheet
*Science Reflection Sheet
*Social Studies Sheet
*Work Habits Self Assessment
*Growths and Goals Sheet
*Goal Setting (with parents) Sheet
*Special Area Reflection Sheet
*Generic Reflection Sheet

TpT Flash Sale

It's time for a TpT Flash Sale! Everything in my TpT store will be on sale, 15% off, all weekend. Enjoy!

Birds of a Feather...

One of my biggest pet peeves about classroom jobs is the kids not doing them regularly (my custodian agrees when the trash cans aren't put out into the hall at the end of the day!) So, when I started the year, I decided to put job descriptions right on the job cards! I also wanted to include some more challenging jobs for students who wanted to go above and beyond in the classroom. And so, a new set of jobs was born... 9 regular jobs (green with yellow name tags) which would be changed every two weeks, and the 5 specialist jobs (pink) which would be changed every month.

The 9 regular job titles have all students rotating through them. Some jobs can or should be held by more than one student:

* Movement Coordinator - 1
* Caboose - 1
* Attendance Secretary - 1
* Office Supplies Manager - 1
* Librarian - 1 or 2
* Homework Secretary - 1
* Substitute - 1
* Bloggers - 2
* Clean Up Crew - As many as needed

There are also 5 specialist jobs which students can apply for if they feel it is an area of interest. A 6th job was added when we studied the 13 Colonies and American Revolution. I wanted to tax the students to give them a sense of what it felt like to be a colonist, so I first had to pay them! A banker job was the perfect way to hook them into the ticket payments, and the job was taken away soon after the tickets and taxes ended. In order to hold a specialist job, students must first apply by filling out the application form. I must say, I have been really impressed with some of the answers the kids have given! These jobs were revealed a few weeks into the school year, once students were comfortable with their regular jobs and had a chance to apply.

*Classroom Photographer
*Technology Specialist
*Absence Assistant
*Receptionist
*Deputy
*Banker

Here is my original "Birds of a Feather WORK Together" board in August before the kids names were put up, and before the specialist jobs were revealed.

If you would like to use these jobs in your own classroom, I have shared them on TpT. I have included all 15 jobs cards and blank name cards, 2 extra blank job cards so you can create your own jobs, the Specialist Application, blogging instructions, a reminder card to hang by the phone, and a title card for your bulletin board.

STAR Binders and Agendas

My students have a S.T.A.R. (Students Taking Active Responsibility) Binder where they keep all of their homework, goal setting sheets, reading logs, spelling assignments, notes to home, etc. We started the year with a simple agenda sheet where they would write down homework, and the agenda has evolved as they have come up with different ideas of what they would like to include to help them stay organized.

Throughout the year, the students have given suggestions on how we could change the agenda to make it more useful. I have put together a file with all of the different iterations of the agenda (a one-page weekly homework sheet, and 3 different two-page versions) and the STAR Binder cover sheet. The agenda sheets should be copied front to back and stapled together to create a small booklet. I usually copy extras of each sheet one-sided to make the front and back of the booklets. There are spaces to write in helpful websites (class websites, school lunch menus etc.) on some of the forms before copying.

If you would like to use them with your students, you can find them in my TpT store. Enjoy!

Chapter 4 Everyday Math Pretest

Another one finished! Chapter 4 Everyday Math pretest is now available! If you are interested in using them in your own classroom, Chapters 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 are all available. Enjoy!

Math Pretests... Continued

Well, I'm 3 for 3 now with pretests! My goal is to make one for each of the 12 units, so I'm a quarter of the way done! If you are interested in using them in your own classroom, Chapters 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 are all available. Enjoy!

The Dreaded Basic Math Facts

I knew at the end of last year that there would still be some students who really struggled with basic facts.  Watching a child sit there adding 7+7+7+7+7+7 on their fingers can be almost painful, so I wanted to try doing the 1 minute timed tests this year as just another technique that might help reach some students.  I spent the summer putting together a set of multiplication/division tests, but alas, it seems that many of my students need to brush up on their addition and subtraction!  So, I put together a smaller review set of +/- timed tests and added it to the multiplication/division packet I had already done.  That means there is now a total of 54 tests with answer keys, and student and teacher recording sheets.  If you are interested in purchasing the new, extended version, I have it available on my TpT store.

Everyday Math - Pretests

One of the goals I have for this year is to take more of a math workshop style approach to math so that I can differentiate more effectively.  That means that I need to pretest students at the beginning of each unit, and since I couldn't find any pretests, I decided to just make them myself.  I decided to include one question from each lesson in the unit, plus additional ‘Practice’ problems, covering items that the students should be able to do independently. I rated each question as easy (one star), medium (two stars) or hard (3 stars) so that I can see which questions they are missing and hopefully group them more appropriately.  So far I have units 1 and 2 done, but the goal is to complete the set by the end of the year!  If you are interested in using them, they are in my TpT (Ch. 1, Ch. 2) and TN stores (Ch. 1, Ch. 2).

Peanut Free/Nut Free Posters

As I was walking down the hallway at school yesterday, I noticed that everyone has their peanut free posters hanging up, and it's the same posters, year after year.  So, I put together some new peanut free signs, and this time added actual peanut pictures to them instead of just making them classroom themed.  I also made table labels, and a list of peanut free snacks to send home to parents.  You can get a copy through my TpT store or my Teachers Notebook store.

Phonics Cards - Vowels and Digraphs

A second-grade teacher at my school found a set of phonics cards that she thought would be great to hang on the wall behind the table where she pulls small groups, but the cards were only sold in the UK.  She scoured TpT for something similar and found nothing, so she told me about it, knowing that I'm always looking for new stuff to create. So, after days of searching for graphics that would fit each vowel and digraph, it's finally complete! And, now that TpT is allowing you to correlate your items to the Common Core standards, it's aligned with standards in K-2.  So, if you would like to check it out, you can visit my TpT store.
 

8/20/13 - Edit to add photos of the cards all laminated and hung on the wall!

I Can Posters - 4th Grade Math

Last year I put together a set of "I Can" Posters for Math and ELA for Third Grade, which hung on my wall and could help students keep track of what their goals were.  As I change grade levels, I wanted to remake them for fourth grade.  The math posters are done, and hopefully I can find the patience to muddle through the ELA standards before the new year starts!  If you would like to use them in your classroom, they are available both on my TpT store and my Teachers Notebook store.

Multiplication and Division Timed Tests

Moving up to fourth grade with the students I had last year certainly has it's advantages.  For example, I know that they still need practice with their math facts (and I'm sure having the summer off hasn't helped).  While it may not be part of the Everyday Math program, I think that some of my students may just need this type of activity to help them focus on smaller sets of facts and find motivation to learn them.  I can't sit and watch them count by 7's to 49 on their fingers anymore as they try to complete lattice method multiplication... so much wasted time!

The packet has 36 timed tests with 21 questions per sheet.  Included are the following:

• Multiplication - 1 through 12 (two versions each)
• Mixed multiplication review (two versions)
• Multiplication - doubles
• Division - mixed sheets - 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, and division review (two versions)
• Mixed multiplication/division

There are also a recording sheets for both teachers and students, and an answer key at the end.  Each test and answer key has a code on the bottom so they can be matched for easy checking (ex. M.1a is Multiplication, 1’s, version a).
If you are interested, it is for sale on both my TpT store and my Teacher's Notebook store.  Enjoy!