Memorial Day Sale-ebration

I’ve joined with many other teachers in offering a discount on all my products - THIS WEEKEND ONLY!  I went through each and every item in my store and marked down all my material.  And because I don’t use Teachers Pay Teachers, you may find that my prices are even lower because I keep all my profit!  Happy shopping, teachers.
Click here to visit my teacher store.

Kids Say the Darnedest Things - Part 4

The other day we were doing “popcorn” reading where the students take turns reading a paragraph out loud. After their paragraph is over they get to call on another student to read the next paragraph by saying, “popcorn” and then the next reader’s name. Some of my kiddos have been getting silly with “popcorning” other students by saying, “popcorn with extra butter” or “popcorn with extra corn” before calling the next reader. Well, one of my students was in the middle of saying “popcorn with extra butter” when another student did something that distracted him, so he stopped in the middle of his sentence. Instead of what he meant to say, we all heard, “popcorn with extra butt...”

Of course we all burst out in uncontainable laughter and the room filled with “ews” and “gross.” Needless to say, it took a minute or two to redirect the students, but I eventually got them back on track.

Click here to read Kids Say the Darnedest Things Part 1

Click here to read Kids Say the Darnedest Things Part 2

Click here to read Kids Say the Darnedest Things Part 3

Division Flip Books

Here are the Division Flip Books my students created to help them with division.  When teaching division and long division with my students, I teach them to memorize the steps: Divide, Multiply, Subtract, then Bring down (or up).  Making these flip books allows students to see each of the steps on individual pages.

Here is a Division Flip Book I created to show simple division.

This Division Flip Book shows long division.

(I didn't include every page of the flip book)

Teacher Gift from Around the Globe

Did you grab your Teacher Gift From Around the Globe? 

Global Teacher Connect assembled a group of teachers (including myself) contribued a worksheet or activity and compiled it together to create a FREE downloadable E-Book.  If you haven't downloaded yours yet, it's not too late.  Simply click the icon below and it's yours!

 For more information about the Teacher Gift from Around the Globe or Global Teacher Connect, click here.

Using Resources - Encyclopedia & Atlas

This week in English, my students learned how to use references to locate specific information. Today, our Friday Fun Day activity involved the use of Encyclopedias and Atlases.  The students worked in groups to research a state. Each group researched a different state of their choosing.  Their research packet included specific questions about the state, and students were required to use the encyclopedia and atlas to answer the questions.

Once they answered the questions, they created a poster which includes some of the facts they researched.  At the end of the day, students presented their poster and research information to the class.

Here are some pictures of the worksheet they fillled out.  You can download this worksheet here.

Here are the kids working on their posters.

   
   






These are the finished posters.

Guest Blog Contest for June

It is now time to start submitting your guest blog articles on The Resourceful Teacher to be entered in the June Guest Blogger Contest!  Here’s how it works.  On my website I have a section set up for writers who wish to become guest bloggers on The Resourceful Teacher. Each blog will be published pending approval.  Each month I will choose a “Guest Blogger of the Month” whose photo or button will be featured on my main page. Click here to submit your blog.


Also, if you have not joined our community, click here!

Eliminating "Can't" From Students' Vocabulary

All too often teachers hear the phrase muttered (sometimes even exclaimed) from a frustrated student, “I can’t do this!”

As a teacher, I really dislike when students say they can’t do something.  This often leads to student-shut down (or sometimes melt-downs), depending on the situation. I always like to invoke a spirit of positivity with myself and my students.  Here’s how I do it:

At the beginning of every school year I have a discussion with my students about the word “can’t.”  I lead the students to begin discussing and pondering the negative effects of telling yourself that you can’t do something.  We also discuss when it’s appropriate to use the word; for example, if a student tells another student he can’t have a playdate.  

After this guided discussion, I give each student a piece of paper and direct them to write the word “can’t” very big on the paper.  Then I instruct the students to crumple up the piece of paper and throw it in the trash because we are eliminating this word from our vocabulary.

After that point, whenever a student attempts telling me that they can’t do something, I stop them right away and tell them that I don’t understand what they’re saying because we threw out the word “can’t.” I then direct them to a different way of communicating their frustration such as, “I’m having a hard time with this, will you help me?”

Does anyone have any other tricks likes this to share?

End of the School Year Activity

As we are nearing the last few weeks of school, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite end of the school year activities I like to do with my kiddos.  I like to give out "Silly Awards."  (On a side note, I teach 4th graders so none of the awards would insult or embarrass them).

Each student receives a Silly Award and they are, indeed, just that. I think of something silly each student has done and they get an award for it. It usually involves some kind of inside joke from my class. For example, I'm going to give out the "tiniest homework paper" award to a student who likes to complete her spelling homework on a notecard.  

This is just a fun way for us to reminisce about the school year and have some laughs while doing it. 


To read more ideas, go to The Resourceful Teacher homepage.

Growing Trend - Are Parents Unable to Parent?

Over the past few years, I’ve been noticing a growing trend.  Let me know if you’ve been seeing this too.  The trend I’m seeing is the inability for parents to parent their child.  Now, I know that not every parent falls into this category, but it is now becoming a rarity that a parent will actually give a consequence and stick to it.

Too many parents are making excuses for their children.  I see this when I give a consequence in class for poor behavior.  Many times, but not always, I receive emails, notes, or phone calls explaining away the behavior.  Well then, of course the child keeps exhibiting the poor behavior because the parents are allowing it.  

What happened to holding children accountable to their actions?  What’s going to happen when these kids enter high school, or get a job?  If parents don’t stop shielding their children from accountability, children will never learn how to be responsible adults.

To read the rest of this article, click here.