Five for Friday - October 16

I am officially on fall break! It couldn't have come at a more perfect time. The weather is going to be pleasant, and I have a to-do list a mile long. Number 1 on the list is resting! Here are five random things on my mind right now.

My announced observation was on Wednesday. Our GO Math chapter focus was on addition and subtraction relationships. It wrapped up with a few lessons on arrays. I chose one of these lessons for my observation. The day before the observation, the children found real life examples of arrays in the classroom. They worked as partners to take pictures of them with our two iPads. I also gave them an optional homework assignment of emailing me a picture of any arrays they found in their homes. I printed the pictures to use as a review in my observation lesson. The main activity, after the required GO Math! lesson (it's a district mandate that we use the new GO Math! series with fidelity), was having the children partner-up and make their own array with dot painters. Below is our hallway display of all of the arrays. They did a great job, and the arrays they found at home were so clever! In this day and age of high technology, it's great to be able to connect home and school so easily! If you'd like a copy of the Hooray for Arrays set, here you go!

Note: If you use GO Math!, this complements lesson 3.11 very well!

We had fall parties this afternoon. My room mom and I decided that it would be great to have it outside if the weather cooperated. The weather was perfect! My super room mom had the egg and spoon relay, tug-of-war, pumpkin hockey (with broom hockey sticks and real, small pumpkins), wrap a mummy (with toilet tissue) and a game of Duck, Duck, Goose! This woman thought of everything! She brought blankets for the kids to sit on as they ate their monster donuts and other goodies. I think there was at least one parent there for every one of my students. We even had a grandmother! It was an awesome party! 

There was one bittersweet part of the party; one of our classmates is moving, so we had a little going away present for him. It was a kickball with our signatures. His classmates made cards for him. I think he was a little overwhelmed with everything. We'll sure miss his sweet demeanor, but we'll keep him in our hearts. 

Have you heard of Shipt? It's a grocery shopping and delivery service. I hate to go grocery shopping! Hate it with a passion! So, when I saw a piece on the local news about this service, I decided to give it a try. There is a Shipt app that has about 40,000 grocery items listed. Usually, I'm happy with peanut butter, cheese, bread, apples, bananas, cat food, kitty litter and Diet Dr. Pepper. In just a few minutes, I downloaded the app, signed up, selected my groceries, and BAM! Groceries delivered at the one-hour timeframe I designated. The young man who was doing the shopping even texted me a couple of times to verify information or to ask me about substitutes. The monthly fee is $14, or I can subscribe for a year for $99. That's for unlimited deliveries! I think I'm in love!

I had the post conference for my announced observation yesterday morning, and it went very well! My principal is a stickler for going by the state TEAM rubric (as she should be!), and she was very impressed with the level of higher order thinking my sweet kiddos are doing. I guess all those How? and Why? questions are beginning to pay off! 

By the way, there are twelve instructional indicators of the instruction rubric, and three for the planning rubric. Talk about intimidating! My 30-minute observation was evaluated on all fifteen indicators. Writing the lesson plan took about three hours. There is also a rubric for professionalism and environment. If you'd like to take a look at the instruction, environment and planning rubrics, you can view them here. Does your state use the same rubric or something different? I would love to hear about it!

Don't you just love these memes? They crack me up!

Did I mention that I am officially on fall break? Let the marathon Netflix-watchin', sleeping late, TPT product-finishing-begin! 

Happy weekend!

Pumpkin Related Facts FREEBIE!

I'm excited to share this freebie with you! I created it to complement a GO Math lesson on how addition and subtraction are related. My students were engaged and excited to create their Pumpkin Related Facts Flip Books. Grab a copy here!

Happy Monday!

5 for Friday - October 9

I realized, as we were dismissing today, that I hadn't posted pictures of our animal research projects. They're on display in the hallway, and they are coming down tomorrow to make room for scarecrow glyphs and writing next week. I had the children position themselves as their selected animal, and I took pictures of them. Some of the children were so creative in their poses, and their final products turned out so cute! The animal info wheels came from a unit I bought on TPT. It's from Having Fun in First's Desert Unit. The children used my Animal Research and Writing Organizers to organize their notes before creating their poster and animal info wheel. 

Doesn't this child look like he is floating in the ocean?

Look at that pose!

We have chicks! Sadly, only two chicks hatched, and none of our duck eggs hatched. However, the two chicks that we have are entertaining us with their squeaks and hops! We'll be working quietly, and then we'll hear some chirping and squeaking from Salt and Pepper. Yes, that's what the kiddos named them! Below is a picture of them when they were still in the incubator. Salt, the buff colored one, still has a little piece of eggshell on his bottom in this picture! How cute are they?!

How do you assign homework? Do you find that it feels like a chore instead of meaningful review for your students? My teammates and I decided to go the route of open-ended homework this year. There are a couple of non-negotiables -- read for 20 minutes each night and practice math facts --  but for the most part, it is open-ended. I don't require a reading log, because I feel the children see it as something they HAVE to do, not as a way to celebrate what they have read. I encourage them to read, and I explained this to parents at open house. 

My students have an organizational POP (Perfectly Organized Panthers) binder in which they have the typical info -- calendar, class roster, schedule, etc. However, this year, I included a homework journal. It's a spiral notebook in which the students and I have an ongoing conversation with one another. Two to three weeks a month, I'll ask a question, such as, "What do you like to do on the weekend?" Recently, I asked how I am doing as their teacher. I asked what they thought I was doing well, and what they thought I should work on. They were very sweet in their responses. Below is one of the replies I received. I answer each one, and it takes time, but I feel that I am building a stronger relationship with them. Usually, there are about ten students out of my nineteen who respond to my question. I think that's a pretty good response rate for an optional homework assignment!

We have four days of school, next week, and then we're off for fall break. I have my announced observation on Wednesday, so I'll be working on my lesson plan this weekend. We also have the first report cards to send home on Wednesday, and fall parties are Thursday, so next week is going to be busy!

I'm looking forward to having Friday and Monday off to work on a few projects at home and to be a bum! I usually go to the beach, but this year I decided to skip that trip to save for a bigger trip to... CUBA! I'm still researching it, but it looks like there are several good options. One includes volunteering on a sea turtle adventure! I don't know if I'll do that, but it does sound appealing. Do you have a fall break? Are you counting the days until you have a little break to recharge your batteries? I am!

Finally, I want to wish you a happy and restful weekend! You've earned it. Take time to reflect on the positives and let the negatives go. 

Modeling Constructed Responses

Hello!

We have been working on solving story problems. Solving story problems involves a two-pronged set of skills for second graders. First, they must be able to comprehend the message of the story while using strategies in their toolbox to solve it. The second, more difficult, prong is that of explaining how and why they solved it the way they did. 

Dissecting their thinking process is challenging, because children have to stop and think about what they've just thought about! If I were a complete teacher nerd, I would throw out the term meta cognition. BTW, I am a complete teacher nerd, as one of my friends calls herself. It's a compliment! Back to the point...

So many of the steps in solving a problem take place rapid-fire in children's minds. The question asks how many in all. I know I have to add. These two thoughts may only take a split second, and a child might not be aware that they just thought through those steps. I use think alouds to help my students analyze their thinking to explain how and why they solved a problem. This process takes some patience and many examples of modeling, but I believe the time invested is worth it. Below is how I do it.

First, we read the problem. I start explaining what I know, and what I think the 'boss' is. The boss is question. I explain to my students that I often talk through math problems, because hearing it helps me to understand it. I'll have them whisper into the palm of their cupped hand what they did. We do this in every subject! I'm convinced that this helps them organize their thoughts before sharing them with the class or before writing them on a practice page.

As we are finding the boss, we also highlight the keywords. We also highlight the boss. I'll ask them to give me a "Woo" or some other silly sound when they hear an important word as I read the problem aloud. This keeps everyone engaged. Once the keywords have been identified, I'll think aloud about the boss. What is it asking me to do? Are there some words there that give me a hint about which operation I should use? I pause here to review which operations we use in second grade. They really need this review of proper math terms! I make a big deal of explaining how I know to add or subtract. "I know that I should add here, because the boss is asking me to find how many there are in all." 

Once I'm sure of my operation, I'll think aloud about how I could show this in the workspace. "I could draw a picture," I might say. "Or, I could use tally marks." Once I decide how I'm going to illustrate solving the problem, again, through thinking aloud, I'll illustrate, and then begin writing my explanation. 

I'll start from the beginning and write what I said in my think aloud. I'll ask for help from the audience. I'll ask them to whisper into their hand what they think I should write next. Again, engagement!  Below is a photo of one of the problems I recently modeled. In this particular example, I use BOLO (be on the lookout) as a fun way to engage the children in finding keywords and the boss. I told a wacky story about a police dispatcher giving a BOLO for the boss of a story problem. It was corny, but my sweet kiddos laughed!

Once I've modeled the problem and how I explain my thinking, I wash the whole thing down the virtual drain and have the children try it on their own. I don't mind if they mimic some of what I did and said, because it provides a safety net to help them structure their response. We do the same thing the next time I have a story problem for them. And the next... and the next... until I see that most of them understand the process. If there are some who need small group intervention, I'll pull them aside to walk them through the process.

On this particular day, I was lucky to have a substitute SPED TA in my room helping me. She is a veteran third grade teacher who gave me a great compliment on this process. I was very gratified that someone with third grade expertise gave me the thumbs up! 

I hope this gives you some ideas for helping your students draft constructed responses for story problems! Your third grade teachers will thank you!

The story problem in the photo is from my October Story Problems resource, found here. 

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hi everyone!

Today is my birthday, and what a great day it was! I am not oblivious to the fact that I am fortunate to work in a school in which parents are generous with their time and money. I was blessed with lunch, a yummy cupcake from Ivey Cake, a local bakery, and a slew of cards, two paintings by students (LOVE!), hugs, beautiful sunflowers and roses, and a big haul of Diet Dr. Pepper!

Now, if you've gotten distracted by the Ivey Cake link, I understand. My cupcake was called Cheat Day, and it was worth every calorie. These cupcakes are out-of-this-world! If you're ever in this neck of the woods, you must visit there!

I'm not the only one who gets a present on my birthday. You do, too! I just uploaded a new product to TPT. It's called November Story Problems. There are 20 story problems all centered on CCSS 2.OA.1. If you'd like a copy, leave a comment with your email address, and I'll send it to you! It's my way of paying it forward on my birthday!

Have a great Wednesday!

BOLO Link Up - Intro to Economics

 

Hi all,

I'm linking up with Stephanie from Principal Principles, Ashley Reed from Just Reed and Brooke Brown from Teaching Outside the Box for this BOLO (Be on the Lookout) link up. It is all about showcasing a new product that is nearing completion. I'd love any feedback you have! That's the purpose of this link up -- to allow you to see what's in the works and provide feedback or make requests related to it. There most definitely will be a FREEBIE on my Facebook page, also!

My Introduction to Economics is geared toward second graders. First of all, can you believe second graders in Tennessee (where I teach) have to know about supply and demand, goods and services, and human, capital and natural resources? Admittedly, some of those have been on our list of state standards for a while, but not as in-depth as the revised social studies standards.

One thing I have noticed, as I create resources, FIRST, for myself and TPT, is that state standards usually have similarities in them. When I go searching for what I need, on TPT, I already have a standard in mind, so I don't have to check to see if it is referenced to my particular standard. So, if you're in the market for some economics activities that also touch on reading and math skills, check this out!

This product is going to be about 50 pages. I have included the following:

• Vocabulary Task Cards (24 cards) -- vignettes in which students must use context clues or recall information to identify one of the 24 (and growing) vocabulary words 

• Supply and Demand Task Cards (24 cards) -- vignettes requiring students to identify a correct aspect of supply and demand

• Informational Text Reading Passages Related to Supply and Demand, Resource Types and Goods and Services -- These are great for close reading!

• Games for Goods and Services, Producers and Consumers and Other Concepts

• A Fun Import/Export Game that your 2nd Graders will Love!

Here are a few Sneak Peeks!

I expect to have this finished in about a week! So, follow me on TPT, to be the first to know!

Thanks to Principal Principles, Thinking Outside the Box and Just Reed for hosting this link up!

Five for Friday - September 25

Hello and Happy Friday!

First of all, I want to share a cute book with you. It's called Dog vs. Cat. The author is Chris Gall. This book was a hit with my kiddos today. Our guest reader, a parent, read the book, and my kiddos were giggling all over themselves. Dog and Cat have to learn to compromise in order to live together. I think you'll like it. Give it a look!

Last night, as I was about to shut down my computer for the night, I caught a glimpse of Amy Lemon's blog post about reviewing addition and subtraction strategies. Her Doubles Dude's picture was so cute that I had to take a closer look. 

And... this morning, we made them! The photo, below, is one that I snapped as the kiddos were putting them on our table to dry. It looks like a pile of arms and legs with some D's thrown in, but I promise they are cute! It's basically an uppercase D with eyes, arms, and legs with the doubles facts written on them. They're hanging on our clothesline now, but I didn't think to take a better picture. I'll do it Monday. 

Our duck and chicken eggs are still chugging along in the incubator. We should have ducklings next weekend. Cross your fingers! Our chicks should hatch a few days after the ducklings. We're going to be one excited bunch of kiddos (myself included) if we have success with hatching. 

I have a new Facebook page! Be sure to like it, because I have three new or updated products almost finished. You don't want to miss a freebie! 

Finally, I want to share some thoughts about nurturing children. 

I don't remember where I was when I heard a comment about nurturing children, but it stuck in the back of my mind. We are six weeks into the school year. The majority of children have a pretty good grasp of the classroom routines. Wouldn't you agree?

I had two experiences, this week, when students didn't know something, and had the courage to admit it to their classmates and me. That 'nurturing children' idea, that had been floating around in the back of my mind, rose to the top at the right moment, because I had to do some full-on nurturing.

I use the word courage to describe my students' choices, because I think children know that, "I don't know," is probably the worst answer a child can give in class. Not knowing something is scandalous. It is embarrassing and disappoints the teacher. 

It wasn't a coincidence that the idea of nurturing it stuck in my head. It was put there to be used when I needed it and when my children needed it. I have been teaching for more than twenty years, and I have had many opportunities to nurture children, but these two instances resonate with me. Why? I think it's because I've been charged with some students who really need to be nurtured. I also believe that I needed what they gave me. They gave me a reason to express extra kindness and patience, to take on a more human face with them, to be seen as a person who cares and who also happens to be their teacher. Whatever the reason, these two sweet kiddos needed a little extra love from their teacher and their teacher got a little extra love in return.

So, if you're ever feeling like I feel at times -- that I must push, push, push to cover material and make every second count -- just pause, take a breath, exhale, and think about my experience. Nurture your children. Not because you don't already do it, but because doing it is vital in a healthy classroom. I'm thinking of this piece of advice as paying it forward. I hope you see it that way, too.