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I had a post all planned out to work on this weekend and I forgot my camera at school! Too many things to bring home over the long week-end! I am going with Plan B...which I really didn't have until I was going through pictures on my computer and thought of...PINTEREST!    

I became a blogger in September after discovering Pinterest this past summer.  Many of the posts on Pinterest come from great teaching blogs.  I have become inspired daily to try new ideas, lessons, books, management techniques and so much more. 

Here are a few of my copy cat projects.

 

 

Homework Bags

One of my goals in September was to get my students to master their multiplication facts (12's).  I taught third grade for 19 years and moved up to fourth this year.  Many third graders haven't mastered their facts and lose them over the summer.  I had some of the same students from last year and I had to come up with new ideas that would motivate them too.  I came up with the Homework Bag.  Every child gets the bag once a week.  The children have assigned nights and if it is forgotten at home, I have a back-up.  They have been very responsible.

I found the perfect sized canvas bag at the dollar tree.  I bought six bags and a set of flash cards for each.  I added a deck of Every Day math cards for the card games they have learned in class.  I added a couple of things every week to the bags focusing on a specific times table.  ex.  "I have/who has," memory cards, flip books, etc. I also added a few games that covered all the facts.  The bags started getting very full, so I emptied them out a few weeks ago and now let the children pick out what they want to work on.  I am now adding activities that cover other math standards and subject areas.   I found flip books at the Dollar Tree for states and capitols.

As of November 1st, I can proudly state that I have 14 out of 22 students who have passed their fact quizzes.  (I give 50 problems in 4 minutes)  They love getting their stars on their VIP passes(earlier post).  I also have a special award for the Extreme VIP's.  They have been working on multiplying 3 factors.  I have 3 students who have accomplished that feat. (I am not sure if I could do it)

Here is one of the kids favorite games in the HW Bags: Multiplication Boom

 *to play the children take turns drawing facts until someone gets a bomb

Start saving Crystal Light containers- Target had some round cans for their brand

Cover cans with red paper

Add labels and cover with contact paper...I used Packing Tape

Poke hole in cover and add a piece of jute

Print sheet of booms for each can

Print sheets of facts for each can. 

Click the images below for links to print:

           

Boom Cards

Labels for Can

Click on the image to for the link to site for flashcards:

The Book Whisperer

Pumpkins on 10/22

Pumpkins on 10/31

 We got hit with a very early north-eastern snowstorm on Saturday night.  It left us with a foot of snow, lots of trees down,  no power and two days off of school!  We were fortunate not to have any major damage. 

I took advantage of no electricity and finally got to read my copy of "The Book Whisperer."  I could not put it down.  As I read, it made me really think about better ways that I can motivate my children to become independent readers.  Things are going to change in Room 210...I want to be a BOOK WHISPERER!

Things that I am going to change ASAP!!!!

1.  Set a Book Challenge- I loved Donalyn Miller's idea of challenging the children to read a set number of books with genre guidelines.  I had to modify her goals to meet the needs of my class and we are starting in November.  I typed up a sheet where they can keep track of this.

2.  No more whole group reading of a story- I will have my grade level and above students read the weekly story independently or with a partner.  I will sit with my at-risk readers and work with them in a small group, and guide them with the story.  This will give more time to my Daily Five routine.

3.  Start a weekly Reading Notebook- Students will write letters to me once a week in a journal to reflect on their independent reading. I like the fact that it creates accountability for the kids.   I will respond back weekly...I hope!

4.  I will  read all books that I put out on my shelves so that I can recommend them to children.  I want to match books with readers.  I am new to fourth grade and need to become aware of current authors, series and texts.

5.  I will become a better role model and make more time for reading!

Visualizing

The week started out with making an anchor chart about visualizing and why good readers use this strategy.

I then read the classic poem "The Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee" in my best pirate swagger voice.  The children were told to visualize the poem and create a movie in their minds.  I gave them each a piece of drawing paper and told them to create a picture of the poem.  I ended up reading the poem a second time, I have a few ELL students and one late comer.

Click to download poem

The next day I had them write vivid words on sticky notes and we shared them.  We talked about how specific words and phrases create a better picture in the reader's mind.  ex.  a zigzaggy scar, floppety plume, and slickery slosh.

We then choral read the poem and talked about expressive voices and fluency.  I love when one lesson hits many standards!

I ransacked a bag of leftover party goods up in my attic to add to the pirate decor.  The children picked eye patches, compasses and gold coins.  I enlarged the poem, changed the font and printed it out on card stock.  I tore the edges and inked them with brown ink using an old sponge.  Here is the display we created:

Dead Words

I saw a few great posts on Pinterest and blogs to put Dead Words (over used vocabulary) to rest.  We do not celebrate Halloween at my school and I thought this would be a fun October activity.  Here are some ideas that I found:

         

I created my own tombstones...click image to download  11 documents.  22 tombstones in all.

Here is my bulletin board and my student's creations.  The larger tombstone was from Target.  I hung it up with Velcro...I hope it is still hanging tomorrow!  They had a blast and some were very creative!

Daily Five

Many of the primary teachers at my school were buzzing all last year about the Daily Five and The Cafe.  I bought both books at the beginning of the summer and read them...some parts many times.  I really could relate to the sisters books and my teaching experience.  I want to make reading "fun" for my children and instill that love of reading that is working in their classrooms.  I was tired of DEAR time being five trips to the book corner and many children never really reading anything. The authors have come up with a management system that teaches children how to become independent readers.

I was very excited and nervous about implementing this in my classroom.  I was starting a new grade level for the first in 19 years and had to learn a brand new curriculum.  I made the decision to "JUST DO IT!"  I started on Day 1 and have introduced Read to Self, Read to Someone, Writing and Listening to Stories.  Being in a fourth grade classroom, they had no problems building their stamina.  The only area that I have not introduced is Word Work, but will incorporate that into my schedule soon with the focus on synonyms, antonyms, word parts, vocabulary, etc.

The children are loving it and picked up the Daily Five routine quickly.  While the children are doing the Daily Five, I have been completing my Reading assessments and will start my small groups and conferences this week.  I have been doing many mini-lessons that are becoming part of my cafe.  Here are pictures from my classroom of my CAFE board and my students actively participating in the daily five.

I was fortunate to attend a workshop in Rockland, Maine yesterday that was put on by the authors of The Daily Five and The Cafe, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser.  They were amazing and worth every penny!  I got to speak to Gail personally...I had my camera and forgot to take pictures.  I can't wait to try some of their new ideas.  During the workshop, I felt like I was at the Oprah Show....they gave everyone many of their favorite things throughout the day.  I had many "Aha" moments during the day.  I will definitely sign up for The Cafe next year.

Here are a few of my favorite links:

http://www.thedailycafe.com/

http://www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/gguthrie/balanced_literacy.cfm?subpage=127464

http://teacherweb.com/MO/MillsElementary/MrsBondsFantasticFirstGraders/apt12.aspx

http://www.proteacher.net (free site for teachers...join and go to the peony room)

http://pinterest.com/khall312/literacy-ideas/ (check out my literacy board on pinterest...many daily five ideas)