Post-It Prompts for Journaling

This year, I've started personal journals with my class.  A few times per week, I print up a journal prompt for students to copy into their journals.  I've been able to get my kids a little more excited about journals than usual because I've found a way to make them fun, colorful, and exciting.

WARNING: This is about to change your life....

I print the prompts on POST-IT NOTES! (See BELOW for instructions on how to print on Post-It Notes).

Printing on Post-Its has been awesome! While a little more time consuming that just writing a prompt on the board and requiring students to copy it down, the kids are really excited to pull a Post-It Prompt off the board in the morning and paste it down.

I also use my Journaling time as a self-starter first thing in the morning, so this process also makes it easy for me to see how many students have begun working and how many have not (based on how many Post-Its are left on the board).  For example: "Wow! More than half the class has started their journals already. This is great!" and "Hmm. Are there two students absent today? Or have they just forgotten to grab their Prompt?"

During the first week of school, I review the Expectations for Daily Journaling with my class each day. I also printed miniature copies of this document for students to glue into the inside covers of their journals, next to their Journaling Rubrics.  Journaling Expectations include:

• Copy the prompt into your journal (or stick the Post-It in!) 
• Start Writing. Your entry should end up being at least five sentences.
• Use 7-UP Sentences: at least seven words per sentence.
• Be prepared to share your response if you are called upon. 

...And my kids LOVE being able to share what they have written.  If there is someone who is not prepared to share, let them share what they are GOING TO WRITE.


CLICK HERE to download the Daily Journaling Expectations.

I have also created a Journaling Rubric, which I laminated and attached to the inside covers of each student journal.  Students turn in their journals about once a month to be graded.

CLICK HERE to download the Journaling Rubric.

HOW TO PRINT ON POST-IT NOTES: 

1. Print out the Sticky Note Template on a piece of cardstock. 
2. Once printed, line up six 3x3 Post-It Notes in the boxes.  Make sure you know the direction your Post-Its need to be lined up to fit into your printer. 
3. Place your blank sticky notes (on the cardstock) into your printer. You'll want the sticky side to go in first in order to avoid paper jams.
4. Open up the Prompt that you want to use and print!
5. After printing and removing your Post-Its, cut them in half.  Each page will produce a total of 12 prompts.

CLICK HERE to download a Sticky Note Template.

And finally, out of the goodness of my heart....CLICK HERE for 50+ prompts formatted for your Sticky Note Template.

THINKING about READING

Can you tell that school has started?  It takes me two months of hard work to get to the point where I can take a breath! Phew!

I want to start this post by sharing with you how AMAZING my group of sixth graders are this year! They have been such good sports about my taking pictures of them all the time for my blog and Masters Classes and their parents have been awesome for letting me use their images.

Last week, we experienced one of the greatest Reading Comprehension activities I've ever used!  We've been discussing that the word "metacognition" means "thinking about thinking".  We've also talked about how "Real Reading" occurs when you actually THINK about what you read.  Thinking could be making connections or predictions, visualizing characters or events in the story, etc.

To practice, I made a quick, simple THOUGHT BUBBLE out of poster board and cut out a hole for a face.  Students worked in pairs to read a few chapters from our whole-class novel.  I instructed the students to take turns providing the TEXT (reading aloud from the novel) and providing the THOUGHTS (using the bubble to interrupt their partner and share their thoughts).

Students were paying such good attention to what they read! I was amazed at the conversations started around the room. "Oh! This reminds me of this time my family went camping last summer..." "That character kind of reminds me of Ebenezer Scrooge...Did you see that Muppet Movie?" "I wonder if she really will run away from home. I've never done that. I think I'd be too scared. Where do you even go when you run away?"

Even when my students are not using their Thought Bubbles, they interrupt their reading with thinking! Which I think is just great.

WHOOPS! Binder

Every year, I struggle to find ways to handle the students who are not prepared for class and do not complete homework assignments.  I've tried behavior contracts, sticker charts - EVERYTHING.  I don't find them useful.  As much as I love rewarding my students, I have a hard time justifying rewarding students ALL THE TIME for things they should just DO - like turning in assignments. Other teachers in my school send students to the hallway to finish assignments if they are not completed, but I just can't send 10-12 students out of class every day.

I found the "No Homework Binder" idea on pinterest the other day. Loved it - and just tweaked it a little for my purposes.  Basically, you make a copy of the binder page for each student, hole punch, and place in a binder.   When a student comes to class unprepared, he or she flips to their assigned page and marks the Date, Assignment, and REASON for not completing homework.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the Binder Page. 

I think that this will be a great tool to use to keep records of which students are chronic homework-forgetters. It may not be a huge reward or consequence for homework behaviors, but it certainly would also be useful to have on hand during Parent-Teacher Conferences to show documentation of those students' habits.  I like that the page asks the student to list the REASON for not completing the homework assignment.  This way, you can look for solutions to this problem that are more specific to the reasons that student is failing to complete work. Is Daniel just leaving it at school? Does Susie FINISH her assignment, but leave it at home on the kitchen counter? Maybe Kyle doesn't do his assignment because he was at soccer practice.... If that is listed twenty times in the Binder this term, his parents need to know that extracurriculars are interfering with his schoolwork.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of my WHOOPS! Binder Cover (above) as well.

Sign Language Signals

There is nothing that bugs me more than students getting up out of their seats during the middle of a lesson. Strike that... There is nothing that bugs me more than when I call on a student who is raising his hand during a lesson, thinking maybe he'll ask a great question or offer an answer and he distracts the whole class by asking, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

A few years ago, I taught my class a few simple letters in sign language.  During a lesson, I have my students raise their hands with the specific letter to let me know WHY they are raising their hands. If I'm in he middle of teaching, I can make eye contact with the student, quickly respond with a "YES" or a "NO" in sign language to let them know if it is an appropriate time to go to the restroom, sharpen a pencil, grab a tissue, or get something out of their backpack.


I've created a few signs that I post near the front of my room to remind students of the letters and their meanings.  CLICK HERE to download the signs.  I print them on bright colored card stock, mount them on black, and make sure I reteach and review often!


CLICK HERE for the "Yes" and "No" posters.

Arcademic Skill Builders

ARCADEMIC SKILL BUILDERS is a set of the most AMAZING online games (math/language arts/geography/keyboarding) that kids ACTUALLY want to play!

And here’s why: Students each create a PLAYER and can player multiplayer games AGAINST other students in the class!!!

Here’s how it works!... I've attached a link to my newly created YouTube Channel, where I've recorded step-by-step instructions to creating games and passwords and finding friends/classmates online.  Feel free to show the video to your class in the computer lab if you'd like!

 

And then let it go! After a few tries, the students were able to CREATE games, search for friends’ games, and join on their own.  Even the little ones will get the hang of it! I was amazed to see even my most difficult kids get excited! In a few split-seconds we went from “WHAT?! Math games?! Seriously?” to “WHOA!!! Dude! Join MY game! Join MINE!” They LOVED it.

PE Rules & Consequences

PE is a time when it's okay for kids to get a little rowdy, but it doesn't mean that there shouldn't be rules and behavior expectations for your time in the gym.  For those of you LUCKY enough to not have PE specialists at your school...(or for those of you who are PE specialists), here are the Rules and Consequences that I've found successful for my sixth graders in the past. I'm sure they'd work just great for any elementary school class.

CLICK HERE to download PE Rules & Consequences Signs.

CLICK HERE to download the Time Out Sign.

I print my signs on card stock and laminate. I also laminate another strip of card stock and staple it across the back so that I can slip my signs onto cones in the gym for quick reminders.


RULES

1. Freeze, Look, & Listen:  The first time I take my class to the gym, I teach them to "freeze". When I blow a whistle, I expect students to turn their feet (and whole body) toward the teacher. Their hands are on their knees and voices are OFF.  If they have a ball, jump rope, etc., they hold their equipment in their in their hands and their ELBOWS are on their knees.  I practice the freeze by having students skip around the gym and blow my whistle.  Be sure to move around the gym yourself and have the kids practice turning to face you. This usually takes about five minutes to perfect - but DON'T stop freezing until you are 100% satisfied with your results! Make them do it over and over and over.
2. Respect Others: This is pretty self-explanatory. I ask the students for suggestions on what this might mean in the gym, and I usually get responses like "playing fair", "following the rules of the game", "being safe", "keeping hands and feet to yourself", "taking good care of the equipment", etc. 
3. Do Your Best: Every student needs to participate in every activity. Even if you have students who are self-conscious, explain that they just need to do their "best"!
4. Have Fun!

CONSEQUENCES

1. Warning/Reminder: Verbal reminder of the rule from the teacher.  These could be our general PE rules or a rule for a specific game or activity.
2. First Time Out: Set up a specific "Time Out Zone".  I usually put a cone in one corner of the gym with one of my TIME OUT SIGNS on it. (CLICK HERE to download Time Out Sign).  Students need to sit and face the corner so they are not distracted by students, and more importantly - not distracting the rest of the class.  For the FIRST Time Out, I allow my students to come back whenever they are ready.  If that means they sit and stand right back up - that's fine, as long as they recommit to following the rules.
3. Second Time Out: When a student breaks a rule and returns to play after their First Time Out, they recommit to following all PE Rules.  However, if the student breaks another rule, he or she must go to Time Out again, and this time - they are stuck there until the end of the period.
4. Student/Teacher Conference: The student is out for the rest of your PE time at the Second Time Out, but if a specific child is getting into Second Time Out EVERY day/week...something else needs to be done.  Talk with your student to find out what is causing behavior problems in the gym and see if you can find another solution!

Teaching Procedures

No matter how many times your undergrad education professors may tell you to "explicitly teach and review simple classroom procedures throughout the entire school year", every teacher ends up learning this lesson the hard way.  I know it may not make a difference, but to any of you NEW teachers out there - here is a great checklist of things you may not think of TEACHING to your students.  But even kids in the upper grades don't remember the simple "how-to"s of going to school sometimes.

It's important that you know the answers to all these questions before kids walk in your door. And EQUALLY important that you go over all of your classroom procedures frequently.  As annoying and time consuming it seems to you as the teacher, I've seen the negative outcomes of letting things fall by the wayside.  Trust me - you'll be glad you spent all of September with these come April...

 

 CLICK HERE for the Procedure Check List (credit to Katie Jones)

CLICK HERE for ANOTHER Procedure Check List to cross reference (credit to Rachel Lynette)

Give Me Five

Attention signals are an important part of any classroom. I also think it's important that you use several attention signals so that one doesn't get overused and "burnt out", resulting in student disengagement.

One of my favorite attention signals is "Give Me Five".  CLICK HERE to download a file that could be used to create a bulletin board or to post signs as student reminders.

Here's how it works: When the teacher requires the attention of the whole class, he or she raises one hand to show the number five and says, "Give Me Five".  Student respond by silently raising one of their hands and mirroring the "Give Me Five" signal so that any students who might have not heard the teacher will recognize that the class is giving attention to the teacher.

Make sure your students sit up and give their attention!

Obviously...

Eyes are on the TEACHER (not a book, or a paper, or a friend).

Materials are put down and one hand is up.

No one is talking except the teacher.

Be sure to explicitly teach your class what "Give Me Five" really means: The following signs represent FIVE behaviors that must be exhibited when their hand is raised to show that they are ready and respectful for further direction.  Remind the students that each of their five fingers is raised to show the teacher that they are following all FIVE of the behavior expectations for this attention signal.

Soaring with Similes!

You can probably tell that I've been enjoying my summer recess - considering I haven't posted anything since school let out!  I do have a lot of great things to share, however, and now that the dust of summer excitement has settled, hopefully I'll have some time to get things out there.

This "Soaring with Similes" bulletin board is my favorite bulletin board of the year. As you can see, I've posted it on my super-sized calendar, which I keep up all year long and update once a month with a quick art project.  I've also posted it on it's own bulletin board in the past and had it up in the hallway during the week of Parent-Teacher conferences as well.

After teaching a lesson on similes, I have my students decorate a kite (see below for template) and write a sentence about their kite using a simile.  You could have the students write their simile sentence directly on the kite or print them separately to post near the kites.

Here's the fun part: Take photos of each student as they imagine interacting with their kite. Many students choose to stand, holding an imaginary string, but several others get creative (i.e. flying away on a kite string, riding ON the actual kite).   I do allow students to plan to pose together. However, I've learned that they need to still take separate photos in order for the SIZE of each body to remain proportional to the other students in the class.


Print the photos and have the students carefully cut themselves out.  Allow students to help in the creation of the bulletin board by placing kites, student photographs, and string to create your kite-flying scene.  Students who wanted to pose with a friend can now put their photographs together.

Student 1

Student 1 & 2 on board

Student 2

I've loved using this project because it really motivates slow-moving students to finish so they can have their own photograph up on the wall!



**I used this same bulletin board idea in a younger class for an art lesson on symmetry. It was equally engaging and fun!

CLICK HERE for the printable Kite Template that I've used in the past.  (Credit to Crayola)

End-of-the-Year Ideas

It's that time of year...

Testing is done and you have nothing to do. SO - I'll share my list of FIFTY GREAT IDEAS of things to do after Testing.  (Credit to Brianne Rivera)

A Spin on KWL

Today I asked my students if they had ever heard of a "KWL Chart".  A few groaned. "Yes...it means Know, Want to Know, and Learn. But it's pretty pointless". I agreed with them.  True, the normal, 3-column organization of the KWL Chart that most teachers are familiar with may provide organization to a student's thoughts, but it is not very beneficial to students learning - at least from the students' point of view.

For a final assessment on my WWII unit, I reorganized the KWL Chart and brought the K section out on it's own.  I asked students to list five things they already KNEW on the subject.  This was a valuable pre-assessment for me as the teacher.  I put the W and L column together so that the students could more easily see the connection between the two.  Students were instructed to come up with five questions they had about World II. (What do they WANT to know?) For the L section of the Chart,  students are instructed to find answers to their questions. They can do this through participation in the lessons throughout our unit, or outside resources (textbook, Internet, etc.)

At the end of the unit, students will turn in this assignment.  I like it because it is a student-centered and student-directed assessment on a large topic. The students can decide ahead of time what they want to learn and develop a stronger ownership over their answers.

CLICK HERE for an editable copy of my KWL Chart. Fix it up for whatever topic or subject matter you'd like!

A Visit from the Desk Fairy

Yesterday, I told my class that I heard this rumor...that the DESK FAIRY was going to stop by our classroom this week! Our very mature, sixth grade discussion went something like this:

"Does she work for the tooth fairy?"
"I think it's her cousin."
"Does the Desk Fairy bring presents? Or MONEY?"
"I lost my first tooth in an ice cream cone..."
"Can I throw this away?"
"Can she fly...?"
"Is the present candy? Or sugar related?"
"Do I need to keep my math journal? It's full and testing is over..."
"We all know she's YOU, Miss Melville. Just tell us what you want us to do! Geez!"

I just shrugged my shoulders and my class spent the following ten minutes straightening up. The next morning, I check every desk to find the cleanest, most organized set of sixth grade desks that I've ever seen. I taped a small piece of candy in each desk and left the following note.  (CLICK HERE to download).

Here's the discussion this morning:

"She came!"
"I love the Desk Fairy!"
"When is she coming again?"
"I'm going to keep my desk so clean. I'll be ready whenever she wants to come. She might even love how clean my desk is - she'll leave TWO candies. ...What? It's true."

Weekly Report Card

Students love self-evaluating and giving themselves grades. Here is a WEEKLY REPORT CARD (editable) that I've used in the past.  I've tried it a couple of different ways:

• Mandatory for all students. Those who do not return it with Parent Signatures will be called at home.
• Started as mandatory. Students who receive three weeks in a row with all "E"s don't have to do it anymore. 
• As a behavior/work habits contract for my more difficult kids.

It's a lot of extra time and work if you do it for all kids, but it does produce some good results. I've found that I like using it as a Contract for those falling behind in work or those who struggle with classroom behavior.  As always, contracts work best when the parents are involved at home.  I usually introduce the Weekly Report Card at Back-to-School Night or in a Parent-Teacher Conference. 

Partnering

I've gotten into the bad habit of letting my students pick their own partners for assignments and projects over the past few weeks.  Here's what happens.

• The high-achievers pick other high-achievers and end up finishing a full half-hour before the others.
• The low-achievers pick other low-achievers and never get started.
• Trouble-makers pick other trouble-makers and prevent everyone around them from starting and/or finishing.

So - here are some successful solutions I've come up with.

PARTNER CARDS - At the beginning of a unit when I know we'll be doing a lot of partner work, I copy THESE onto cardstock and have kids fill out partner cards. It takes a little bit of time and a LOT of explanation to get set up, but it makes finding partners really easy when it comes time for an assignment.

Instruct the students to find a partner they would like to work with at some point during the unit/month/year. Students trade cards and write their own name on their partners card in same space . It's important that the students look for partners one space at a time.  Kids get excited and they tend to rush into chaos if not explicitly instructed.  Here's how I do it to make sure each student gets a good mix of kids on their partner lists.

1. "Find someone who you consider a friend in class for space #1. You have thirty seconds. Go!"
2. "Find a partner who is someone you don't know very well for space #2. You have thirty seconds. Go!"
3. "Find a partner who you've never worked with before for space #3. You have thirty seconds. Go!"
4. "Find someone who is wearing similar colors to you today for space #4. You have thirty seconds. Go!"
5. "For space #5, find a partner who has the same eye color as you. Thirty seconds. Go!"
6. "For space #6, find another friend who is not already on your list. Thirty seconds, as usual and then back to your seats. Go!"

After everyone has picked their six, all you need to do to pick partners is roll a dice! The kids will mix it up, but still feel ownership over their partner. After all, they DID choose them...

FIND THE MATCH - Sometimes it's fun just to mix it up. I copied and laminated THESE cards and pass them out randomly for partner tasks.  Students have to find their "other half".  Spongebob/Patrick, Hammer/Nail, Timon/Pumba, etc.

This usually comes with a few moments of confusion and laughter, but the kids love looking for their new friend!

Leaving Comments

I love it when kids turn in awesome, great quality work. I love when they take a few extra minutes to color neatly, use their best handwriting, and take pride in the assignment.  I love it so much - I need to share just how much I love it!

CLICK HERE to download a template of the comment form (credit to Rachel Lynette). 

Mathematic Decathlon

When I had four days to review the entire sixth grade math curriculum, I panicked.  How do I squeeze all of it in? How do I keep my students and myself from going insane? I set aside two dys for a PRACTICE TEST and after a few hours of preparation, I had the two-day Mathematic Decathlon ready to go.

Like the cover page indicates, a decathlon is a series of ten events, usually completed over the course of two consecutive days.  For our Mathematic Decathlon, I prepared ten separate math games and activities that covered ten different math topics.

I set up ten stations and instructed students to complete 5 games each day.  I put them on 10-minute rotations and explicitly taught the behavior expectations for the event as well. After reviewing the directions for each game as a class and going over the instructions for completing the COVER PAGE (below) - I let them go.  ...These kids had a BLAST!

Below I have included links to download the materials for each of the ten Mathematic Decathlon Games. Instruction pages are included. These games would be awesome activities for individual math lessons as well.

ISLAND CONQUER - Coordinate Grids, Area, & Perimeter 

(credit to Laura Candler)

Island Conquer Set-Up

FACTOR RACE - Factors (credit to Laura Candler)

DECIMAL SCOOT - Multiplying Decimals 

(credit to MJ @ Teaching in Heels)

CLICK HERE to download my version of the student directions.

Decimal Scoot Set-Up

SHOW-IT - Decimal Place Value

CLICK HERE to download the Show-It Cards (credit to Laura Candler)

MEMORY MATH - Fractions, Decimals, & Percent

CLICK HERE to download the Memory Math Cards

Student find matches of fractions, decimals, and percents.

BLOCK PARTY - Surface Area

CLICK HERE to download some Nets for prisms and pyramids you could use for this activity.

Students constructing prisms from nets.

TIC-TAC-TOE - Volume (credit to Pearson Education)

BEYOND 10 - Adding & Subtracting Integers

CLICK HERE to download Number Line templates   
(credit to Utah Educational Network)

CLICK HERE to download Number Cards  
(credit to Utah Educational Network)

CLICK HERE to download Star Cards 
(credit to Utah Educational Network)

CLICK HERE to download the Student Recording Sheet 
(credit to Utah Education Network)

Beyond 10 Set-Up

Students practice adding and subtracting integers against a partner.

CLASSROOM WALK ABOUT - Ratios, Simplifying Ratios, & Unit Rates

Students wander and count objects in the classroom to create ratios and find unit rates.

21 - Mean, Median, & Mode

Students use playing cards to practice finding Mean, Median, and Mode.

Celebrating Art Contest

You know those annoying flyers you get in your mailbox about stupid writing or art contests your kids can enter?  Don't throw them away.  They make excellent fast finishers.

When my high-achieving students finished with their independent work and come ask, "What do I do now?" - my usual response was one of the following:

1. "Go read."
2. "Go write in your journal."
3. "Go draw or color."

How lame is that? Even students who enjoy reading, writing, or art aren't going to be motivated to do anything worthwhile.  That's where a contest comes in!

When I get word of a new contest, I announce the guidelines and possible prizes. (I've noticed that kids are definitely more motivated when MONEY and/or iPODS are involved!)  You'll also need to be sure to set the expectation that this a Fast Finisher project and should only be worked on if all required assignments are completed.

This year, ten of my students entered the Celebrating Art Contest and a few entered the Poetic Power Contest.  All of a sudden - students are proud of their work and excited to have time to work on independent projects.   Now the question isn't, "What do I do now?" - it's "When's the deadline?"
 

Lion, 2011, chalk

Just last week, one of my students received a postcard in the mail - informing her that her chalk drawing "Lion" would be published this fall in a hardcover coffee table book of elementary art.  I'm obviously proud of her as an artist, but equally proud that I thought to give her that opportunity.

Buddy Test Prep

Is it just me, or did end-of-year testing come WAY too early this year? Since when is May 3rd the end of the year? And if it is ... what am I supposed to do for four more weeks? 

When I received the news - I immediately went into panic mode trying to squeeze the rest of my required math curriculum into my schedule. Through some miracle - I had FOUR DAYS left for review.

Two days were set aside for the MATHEMATICAL DECATHLON and I chose to spend the other two days with a practice test.  I used UTIPS to create a practice test with problems that would be similar to those found on the end-of-the-year Sixth Grade CRT Test.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the 6th Grade Practice Test.

I used the BUDDY TEST PREP system that I downloaded from TpT online to make the Practice Test seem a little more interesting.  I don't know what it is, but kids seem more excited when crayons or markers are involved...


Here's how it works: (credits to Laura Candler)

1. Students take a multiple choice test (any subject will work!) on their own.  They check their answers and circle their answers in BLUE. 
2. Students meet with a partner to review their answers.  Students can use notes and references and tutor each other.  If a student wants to change his answer, he can - as long as marks his changes in PURPLE.
3. As a class and directed by the teacher, students check their own papers.  They use GREEN to mark correct answers and RED to mark incorrect answers.  
4. Students review their tests in terms of how many items they were able to answer correctly ON THEIR OWN, WITH HELP, and how many items they answered incorrectly. 

CLICK HERE to download the Buddy Test Prep documents.

This worked fabulously because my students took responsibility over their own learning without the discouragement or pressure of answering incorrectly.  Most of my students only missed three or four out of 45 questions - but most of them changed answers after meeting with a partner.

Apple Picking 101

I'd like to share a story a wise man once told me...

Your life is an apple tree with opportunities growing along every branch.  Which are the easiest to pick? You could easily pick up those that have fallen to the ground.  They may be old, wrinkled, bruised - or filled with creepy crawlies.  You may even reach along the lower branches to find apples that dull in color or small from lack of sunlight.  Many of these may be have been picked up by other critters near the tree and left behind because they weren't quite as tasty as one would hope for.

Or...

You could grab hold of the branches and climb to the top.  Every reach gets you closer to the best and brightest apples in the tree.  These are the apples that are untainted, large and juicy, and will definitely yield the best results.

Climbing is dangerous.  You may fall and need to start again.  You may get scratched or rip your clothing. ...So grab a ladder.

I'm hoping this blog will be a ladder to teachers - old and new.  I'm still new, but I've climbed a long way. I've picked some pretty good Apples and rather than keeping them to myself - I've decided to share of their sweetness. And share them for FREE.

Teaching takes time. If you're reading this blog - you're proving that point.  Honestly, I've taken a lot of time to prepare these lessons, games, unit plans, etc.  But just as it takes time and effort to pick the best apples - it takes time and effort to be an excellent teacher.  And I'm hoping to one day reach the top of the tree.

So, enjoy my Apples and please pay it forward by sharing with others.