Counting by 5s and 10s

At the beginning of the year, we learn about what skip counting means.  I demonstrate this by having the students trace, cut out their hands and glue them on construction paper.


I laminate them, so I can write numbers on the hands (for counting by fives) and construction paper (for counting by tens).


In addition, you can circle pairs of fingers to demonstrate counting by two.

I leave this up all year to remind them about skip counting.

Wall of Words

Word Wall

As we learn a new word, it is added to the wall.  This is my wall for ELA words.  I printed the words out, pasted them on red index cards and then laminated them.  

The ABCs are from Mardels.  I added a blue dot to the vowels.  The letter "Y" gets 1/2 a blue dot, since it is sometimes a vowel.

Pictured: Word Wall, Listening Center, Directions for the Listening Center, Computer Center, Dividers for the Computers (I got the foam boards from the Dollar Tree and spray painted them.  This helps with behavior.

Pictured: Close-up of words, notice the blue dots for the vowels

Place Value Differentiated Assessment

Students demonstrated their understanding of place value with this differentiated assessment.

Addition Art~Ladybug Style ; )

Bulletin Board Graph

This is my graph template that I use for Calendar Math.  I put cloth on the wall to make a makeshift bulletin board and then use masking tape to make the grid.  This is a quick and easy way to turn any bulletin board into a large graph.  I usually take a picture of the graph.  At the end of the year, it is fun to see the variety of graphs we’ve made.  

One day when I have a magnetic board, I will turn that into a large graph by adding colored tape for the grid.

Classroom Jobs

    

 This bulletin board is behind my desk since I am the only one who changes the jobs. I move the fish weekly. Each fish has the students assigned number (given to them at the beginning of the year in ABC order. If a student drops then that number will not be filled unless a student is enrolled.) The fish are also laminated, so I am able to add their names with a Dry Erase Marker. I use paper clips to move the fish and Velcro the paperclips to the cloth. Surprisingly, the Velcro has held for over two years.  

Hello Bloggers!

There are always times in a teachers life when they think, "How can I do this?" I'm talking about the struggle of preparing a lesson for everything, adapting those lessons, knowing your content and 500 ways on how to teach it, attending professional development after hours, recording and interpreting data everyday, spending my own money just to ensure my classroom is equipped with the best supplies and maintaining a community of learners all while knowing everything about anything. The question is not how can I do this, but why I do this. This is a short story my student teaching mentor gave me when times were tough. It gets me fired-up and makes me love all these challenges that make-up the teaching profession.

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.  He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”  He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers:  “Those who can, do.  Those who can’t, teach.”

To stress his point he said to another guest; “You’re a teacher, Bonnie.  Be honest.  What do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honest and frankness replied, “You want to know what I make?  (She paused for a second, and then began…)  “Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.  I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.  I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental…

“You want to know what I make?”  (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my student feel safe.

I make my students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)  “Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant…You want to know what I make?”

“I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  What do you make?”