Five For Friday May 23, 2014

This week has been so much better than last week!  I told you about the crazy week I had last week when I found out that my grade level was reducing one position and I would have to move grade levels again!  Originally I was supposed to move to first or second, but luckily one of my co-workers made a trade for me so that I will end up in third which is where I was last year, so I won't be starting completely new! YEAH!  There is a chance that I will roll up again with my class like I did with this current group.  I will also have Luke (my son) in my class as well.  I am excited and nervous about that!  And now, without further ado, time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday!

With all of the craziness of last week, I forgot to tell you the most crazy part of last week which happened on Friday, so I will share this week.  One of my students has a guinea pig who had 2 babies, and he wanted to bring them to class for show and tell.  I told his mom to let me know if she wanted to bring them in the morning or afternoon (assuming a 15 minute or so visit).  They ended up staying the whole day.  I had run to the copy room and when I got back to class the cage was sitting in my room and mom never came back (despite the 100 calls we made).

And while that may seem crazy enough... it wasn't.  Another student showed up that morning with a box of 5 rabbits!  Again, we couldn't get a parent to answer the phone, so my class was officially a petting zoo!

I got the opportunity to spend some time with a few of my students outside of school this weekend because I was invited to a baptism/communion for a family of students at my school.  They have a large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. that all attend school together. I have one of the boys in my regular class and several of the girls are in my cross stitch club.

Do you ever attend your students' outside activities?

Wednesday was our end of the year trip to the swimming pool.  Our school is about 3 blocks away from the city pool, so we walk down there for our field trip.  About 20 minutes before we were set to leave, it started raining heavily.  Luckily it cleared up just in time for our trek to the pool and the sun was out and shining by the time our soaked kiddos left the pool.

Thursday was our county's Special Olympics.  A few of my students competed and our class was on hand for the opening ceremonies to cheer them on!  I also had a few students who helped out as volunteers.  It was a great time for all!

I am currently working on this book study for 100 Minutes to Balanced Literacy by Lisa Donohue hosted by Thinking of Teaching. 

 I am hosting chapter 3 on May 31, but you can read about chapter 1 here.  I will be posting my chapter 1 thoughts tomorrow.

Five For Friday May 16, 2014

This week has been an absolute tumultuous week and can I just say TGIF with a great big AMEN?  Friday at last and time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.

My week started off with a bang when my principal came up to me 5 minutes before recess was over and said, "We have bad news, we are losing a position in fourth."  I am low man on the totem pole in my grade (since I just moved up this year), so I knew this was going to effect me.  Then she smiled and continued, "We have an opening in first."  

I think first graders are absolutely adorable to look at, but truthfully, I don't want to live there.  If anyone asked me what grade I would LEAST want to teach, first grade would be it.  I have often said, "I am allergic to first graders". It isn't entirely un-true, I spent most of my practicums in first grade (despite requesting 4th-6th) and spent the ENTIRE semester sick!  I have never been so exhausted in my entire life!  I give much props and admiration to those of you who do teach first grade and are amazing at it, but for me, I just couldn't do it!  Add that to the fact that I have now changed grades EVERY year for the past three years, this would be the fourth year at a different grade!  I have no supplies for first grade - I do have an amazing library of chapter books, but I am thinking they would not be useful to the majority of students in a first grade room!  So, my week has been a blubbering mess of me crying (yes I am being a baby about it, but really, how many times should I change grades? When I got my license for K-8 I didn't think it would mean I would teach every grade in that spectrum!  Luckily our contract states that they can't move us more than 2 grades without our consent, so it looks like they will have to juggle around to place me in 2nd or 3rd.  I am hoping for 3rd since I taught that last year, but who knows?  I will keep you updated as soon as I know.

We have managed to get some work done and MAPS reading tests completed in between crying jags (not just about the grade level switch, but the fact that I am losing my kiddos that I have taught for two years in a row is starting to hit me).  They keep coming up to me with little notes that say "I love you, or you are the best teacher ever,"  Every time I get one the waterworks start flowing!

I came in the classroom to see this note of encouragement one of them had written to the whole class today about our school token system.  I couldn't have been more proud!  

It made me want to ask the school next door to create a new position so I could roll up to 5th grade with them!  More tears!

As I said between crying we did manage to get some work done.  We had a Popsicle themed week using this Summer Fun Writing, LA, and Math Activities using Popsicles for Big Kids packet from Cutsey Clickables from Collaboration Cuties.

They each chose one of these prompts and completed a brainstorming graphic organizer. 

Then they were off to write.

After a bit of editing and revising, we completed final copies made to look like Popsicles.

We also did a little math review.

Last night was my third son's last high school theater performance.  It was Senior Night and they all did a brief monologue before the actual play.  Here is a really bad picture of him, but I wanted to show it off anyway, because I am really proud of him!  He will be studying film in the fall at the University of Montana and I am going to miss him a lot.  So, yes, even more tears.

I am hoping this weekend will be a lot more restful with more smiles and less tears!  Hoping yours is great as well!

A Tickler File and Flipping Math

I am almost always looking for ways to be more organized and more efficient.  I have read David Allen's book, Getting Things Done and have wanted to implement a Tickler File for some time.  I just don't like the idea of having it in one place (home vs. work) since I tend to work at both home and work.  I have seen the portable file boxes used, but when I tried that it was too bulky and quite frankly too heavy.  Then I ran across this picture in an article about tickler systems.

That's when it hit me that a bag system would be perfect.  I was just about to go on-line to look for a new bag to buy when I realized I could set up my teacher bag to do this and try it out first.

My teaching bag is a Keep-It Caddy from Thirty-one.  I got the plastic container from the container store.

I put in file folders and labeled them 1-31 for each day of the week.  The first file in the front is the 12th because that was the day I took the picture.  I place the current day's file in front and the last day moves to the back.

Behind the numbered days, I have twelve folders labeled with the months of the year.

And behind that I have placed some to do files (to copy, file, grade, etc).  

As I come across a piece of paper, I either put it in today's file to do today, or file it wherever it belongs.  For example, I always pay my bills around the 20th of the month, so when I get a bill, I just place it in the file labeled 20.  If my boys have paperwork that is due later on in the week, I will put it in the appropriate spot.  I have a few things I want to order for my classroom this summer, so I have put order forms into the July and August folder.  

This system has really helped me become more organized, and barely takes anytime at all.  The best thing? Being able to find things in under 10 seconds!

Another thing that I tried this week was flipping my classroom.  What is flipping?  Check out this infogram:

I found this video on-line of a 4th grade teacher explaining how to simplify fractions.  That is a skill many of my kiddos are still struggling with, so I thought it would be a good one to start with.

 I had the students watch the video in class with me, so I could explain what I wanted them to do. In the video she talks about writing things down in the boxes on the students' papers.  I did a google search for her name and found the page on her site here.  It is halfway down the page and is called a flipping math homework sheet.  Alternatively you could have them fold a paper in fours to make four boxes.

I paused the video to allow them to copy the vocabulary words and definitions.  There is also a place where she has sample problems for them to solve.  I again paused the video and let them know to do that when they worked at home with it.  The best part came when they started to solve the problem and a few were stuck.  "How do you do that again?" They asked.  "Why just rewind the video and watch it again."  We did just that and most were able to get it the second go round.  It was important for them to know that this was the beauty of the video, they could pause and rewind whenever they need to!

After a practice session I had them watch another video at home.  For those without computers at home, I had them watch on our class computer during Daily 5.  I got some great results and feedback.   A few of the things they shared were:

• They loved being able to rewind and watch again when they didn't get it.
• They liked that it wasn't embarrassing to watch it again because no one knew.
• They liked that their homework involved You Tube and only 4 problems.   

 I am definitely thinking of flipping some of my lessons next year.  Have you done this?  How has it gone?

I am linking up with Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried It Tuesday

Head on over to see other ideas teachers are trying!

Ungifted - Must Read Monday

We just started a new read aloud and it is hilarious!  I picked this book up at our Scholastic Book Fair and I am so glad that I did.  It tells the story of a trouble-making boy who causes trouble at this middle school.  One of his antics goes just a little too far, and he is sure that he is going to end up in reform school or worse.  Instead, due to an administrator's mix-up he is sent to a school for gifted kids, which he is sure that he is not one of.  

My kids were laughing out loud as I read the book.  I have to wait for the laughter to subside to continue reading, but it is so worth it, because this is just one of those books that MAKES kids WANT to read!  

With all of my read alouds I have the students write down reactions as we are reading.  Before this read aloud I asked them to share at least one thing they are gifted at.  I got some really thought provoking responses.  Some were exactly what I expected, but others really took me by surprise.  I love how this book roots for the underdog and I can't wait to finish it with them!

I am linking up with Teaching Maddeness for Must Read Monday - Head over there for some other great book suggestions!

If you haven't entered already, be sure to head over here to win a $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card.  Only 1 day left!

I am also donating my Kicking It Math product to Curriculum To the Core's ,1,000 Follower Giveaway.


a Rafflecopter giveaway