I Can't Believe I Do This

Have you ever said to yourself, I can’t believe this is part of my job description?  Keep in mind, the thing that you’re doing is probably not really listed in your contract, but it is something that’s part of your job that you may be required to do.  Things like:

• Picking up barf.  Ew.  I usually call maintenance to assist in that area, and it’s another reason why I teach older kiddos because it doesn’t happen as much.  In fact, I tell my students if they get that feeling, they have permission to run out of the classroom to take care of business.  

• Pulling out teeth - Unless you are a teacher, a dentist, or work in a retirement facility, you may not be able to relate.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked, “Is my tooth ready to come out yet?”

• Watching cartoons - Yes, you read that correctly.  I think it’s important to watch some of the same things that you’re students are watching.  That way in class, you can use Spongebob as an example in English, and your students are all ears!  (I will discuss this in another blog so stay tuned.)

• Sitting on the floor “crisscross applesauce” - No explanation needed, you all know what I mean.

• Figuring who signed a note to me signed “love, your secret admirer”

• Coloring - Yes coloring is part of my job description.  When the kids have a project they’re working on, of course you need to make a sample.  There will be times when I’m sitting at my desk, coloring, and I think to myself I can’t believe this is part of my job description!

Organizing Students' Missed Work

Here’s a quick tip for how to keep all those papers organized when a student is absent. When passing out worksheets,  keep all of their papers they’ve accumulated throughout the day on their desk.  Then at the end of the day, gather their missed work and staple it to a cover sheet.   Write everything the student missed while they were absent and include the date that it is due.  That way, you have an organized list of every item that was completed that day and it makes things much easier when it’s time to fill in those holes in your gradebook!

You can download the cover sheet I use in the teacher resources section or by clicking here:  Absent Work

Writing Station

Click here to read about the writing station I created for my 4th graders.

The Red Buckets

Here’s a quick tip for organizing items your students use on a daily basis  My classroom configuration is set up so that my students are always sitting in groups.  I like to keep one red bucket (shown in the picture) at each group.

Inside the buckets you will find highlighters, hand sanitizer, sticky notes, flashcards, extra pencils and erasers, and homeless pencils (sometimes they find their way back).  These are items we use pretty much every day.  It helps to keep them organized and by using these buckets kids can reach them easily without getting up and distracting other members of the class.

I found these buckets at a teacher’s store where they were a bit costly.  I’ve also seen them at the dollar store for about the same quality, but a lot more cost effective.  

To read about how much I love the dollar store, click here and here.

Daily Behavior Color Change Chart

Here’s a great method for keeping track of your students’ daily behavior.  I have a color change chart in the back of my classroom.  Here’s how it works.  Every day the kids start on the color green.  If students have trouble following directions, they “change their color.”  Behind the green cards shown in the picture are yellow, orange, purple, and red.  Here is a breakdown of what each color represents (you may want to refer to my blogs about using tickets as a reward system. 

• Green:  Student had a great day - gain 1 ticket
• Yellow: Student received a warning - loss of 1 ticket
• Orange: Student received 2 warnings for either the same or a different infraction - loss of 2 tickets
• Purple:  Student received 3 warnings for either the same or different infractions - phone call home
• Red:  Student received 4 warnings for either the same or different infractions - student gets to spend quality time with the principal.

Looking for resources to document student behavior?  Click here

Kids Say the Darnedest Things - Part 1

I know I’ve probably said this a million times, but I love my students.  They always come up with the most creative ideas or random thoughts.

We had a random thought today.  I was teaching about volcanoes and lava.  One student raises his hand and asked, “What happen if you threw a hot dog in it?”

Ok wait, what?  Where did you get a hot dog from?  And he was dead serious about this inquiry, he wasn’t trying to be goofy.

Um... “I guess it would melt,” was the only reply I could think of.

Click here to read Part 2 and click here to read Part 3.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Click here to read ways top help Parent Teacher Conferences to run smoothly.

Rotations

This is one of my longer blogs, but trust me, it’s worth the read!

Here’s a fun idea for getting a lot of work done in a short amount of time.  Before I continue, I want to add a little disclaimer about myself as a teacher.  I am not a give-out-a-worksheet-to-fill-time kind of teacher.  I will only have students complete a worksheet if it’s pertinent to their learning.  But there are days when the kids do have a lot of worksheets to complete.  This can take a lot time because you’re waiting around for kids to finish their work before moving to the next subject.  So here’s what I like to do.

In the morning I will teach the concepts the students will be working with, provide examples, then have the students set aside their worksheets for later.  For example, I’ll teach Math, English, and Spelling but the kids won’t do the independent practice until rotation time.  Then it’s time to set up for rotations.

My desks are configured in groups of 4, so it is conducive to easy, collaborative learning (see photo).  At each group of desks (there are 6), I set up a rotation.  The rotations (or groups of desks) are numbered 1-6.  I assign an activity for each rotation. Then I write the name of the activity on the board under the rotation number so that the kids know what they’re doing at each station.  For example, here’s what I might have at all 6 rotations.

• Rotation 1 - Math Worksheet
• Rotation 2 - Math Center with Clocks
• Rotation 3 - English Worksheet
• Rotation 4 - English Centers with Nouns & Pronouns
• Rotation 5 - Finish Daily Journal & Check for Accuracy
• Rotation 6 - Silent Read

The kids start at the rotation they are already sitting at.  Depending on the activities, I usually give about 10 - 12 minutes at each rotation.  I set a timer that has a bell.  When the bell rings, the students know to gather their items, stand up, push in their chair, and stand by their desk.  Then I dismiss them to the next rotation.  The activity STAYS at the rotations, and the kids get up and move with their group.  So the students sitting at rotation 1 will move to rotation 2, rotation 2 moves to rotation 3, and so on until the students have rotated through all 6 stations.

I like to indicate on the board which rotations are group work, and which are independent. I also add where I want papers turned in when they are finished with the assignment.  

Daily Journaling - Part 1

It is so important for students to practice writing every day.  I require my students to keep a spiral notebook in their desk that they use daily (we refer to this notebook as their journal).  Every morning I write a journal topic on the board.  The topic usually has something to do with what we’re learning about.  

They are required to write 5 sentences a day (for 2nd & 3rd quarter it’s bumped up to 6 sentences, then again in 4th quarter they are required to write 7 sentences).  During 1st quarter I grade them very easily.  All I’m looking for are 5 complete sentences, correct punctuation, and whether or not they stayed on prompt.   Then in 3rd quarter I become more strict about the format of their writing.  I require the same criteria as before, but I’ve added the following: indent your paragraph, begin with a topic sentence, include reasons that support the topic sentence, explain your reasons, and write a concluding sentence.  I have these criterion written on the board so they can refer back to it if necessary. 

Visit Part 2 to see how I grade and record journals into the gradebook.

I Love The Dollar Store - Part 1

Can anyone else relate to my addiction: shopping at the Dollar Store?  I was doing alright for a while; I even contemplated entering a 12-step program, but I was remaining strong and only shopped there once every couple of weeks.   

Did you notice how I was writing in the past-tense?  That’s because they built a Dollar Store across the street from me...literally....within walking distance.  So now I make weekly or bi-weekly visits.  I just can’t keep myself away!

Most of the Dollar Stores that we have around us are pretty nice.  We do have the occasional ghetto Dollar Store where you feel like you need to clutch onto your purse for fear that someone is going to nab it while you’re reaching for a very reasonably priced item. But you quickly learn which ones those are and stay far, far away. So anyway, they built one across the street from me and now I am re-contemplating that 12-step program.

Read Why I Love the Dollar Store Part 2 to see a list of useful supplies I’ve purchased.