Sunday Smorgasbord

 

 

I'm linking up with Michelle from Fabulous in First for a Sunday Smorgasbord! I know that I’m just in time this evening!

I am about half way through summer and have been trying not to think too much about school and my classroom.  Summer Rec is happening in my room this summer and I have no hope of getting in for 2 more weeks!  The idea of setting up a new classroom is both exciting and daunting!  I have a bit of a wish list going:

IKEA Stools – I was going to make the bucket stools after my ottomans from Big Lots died a quick death last year, but realized that it would be worth the money to order IKEA stools and have them delivered.  I started making the bucket stools and it would take days! I’m planning to buy these stools and paint them in bright colors to match my room.

Classroom Carpet – I didn’t have a carpet last year with my third graders, but I still feel like second graders need a defined meeting space.  This is the one I am thinking of:

Chevron Borders – I have the Dots on Turquoise theme that was all the rage last year, but I am thinking of adding chevron to my decorations, using the same colors. These are from Creative Teaching Press – but there must be very popular, because they are all out of stock!

Budgeting!

I don’t know about you, but I know that my spending habits when it comes to school related items has gone cra-zay! (Bad, bad Pinterest! Bad, bad Dollar Spot…need I go on???) One of my fav fashion/style bloggers, Franish, has a “Budgeting Bloggers” feature. 

What do folks think of doing a monthly link-up on teacher budgets – you know, those Dollar Spot cutesies, TPT items, and great decor items that you just can’t resist? The idea behind it is that you establish a budget and show what you buy each month. Who will join me?

Book Study Anyone?

Yes, a book study!  I completely spaced on the amazing books studies this summer.  Packing my 7th classroom and moving to my 8th, followed by the most challenging college course I have ever taken, I just couldn’t bring myself to do anything more than necessary the last few weeks.

So, I was thinking of reading Spaces and Places by Debbie Diller.  I bought it several years ago and never really read it.  I thought moving into that 8th classroom might provide me with an opportunity. There are 5 Chapters – anyone interested in hosting one?

Speaking of professional books, what do you do with all the books you don’t use?  I have been purging and Amazon ad Ebay just don’t seem like they would be worth my time. Some fashion bloggers do “Shop My Closet”, maybe I could do “Shop My Bookshelf.”  Or do you think TPT would be a good place to put collection of books (i.e. a set of sight word resources, a social studies collections, etc.)?

Please email me if you are interested in working on this book study!

Well, that was certainly a smorgasbord of topics!  Like up with Fabulous in First and share your randomness!

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Building Mathematical Comprehension–Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Increasing Comprehension By Asking Questions

I am one of the bloggers hosting! So excited!

I guess this post is more of a reflection on the specific topics/concepts the author develops.  Since I am moving to a new grade, I am rethinking how I teach math and how to apply some of these ideas in second grade.

I was really interested in this chapter because my district advocates for an Inquiry Based Teaching Method.  However, I am finding, at least at this point with the CORE Standards and a new math series, we are not as focused on inquiry .  In the last year we have really implemented the CORE full time and the focus was overwhelmingly on building basic fact fluency and content skills. In the long run, I think my students struggled with applying content to problem solving requirements on the state test.  I know that I want to work more on applying the content next year.

We \split our students across the grad level into more heterogeneous classes fro math and we have 55 minutes a day.  It has drastically changed the way I teach because I only have these students for 55 minutes and most of them are not in my homeroom. It puts a lot of pressure on to use the time wisely and efficiently.  It does not promote inquiry based teaching and that is really disappointing to me. I think some of the ideas in this book will really help me to make math more connected to the rest of the day for the kids, despite the fact that we form different classes for this subject.

Here are the concepts presented and my reflections:

Math as a Social Process

On page 119, Laney Sammons refers to math as a “social process”.  I guess I have never seen math as a social process. I think I do need to have my students interact with each other more frequently during math.  Maybe next year, since I  will not be in a testing grade, I will be able to have a little bit of freedom to mix it up.

Asking questions before, during, and after working with a math problem. 

Of course I think of this in reading, but not in math.  It refines what I had been trying to do with my students this year and will help me support my students in developing thinking skills in math with more consistency. 

Asking Questions Before Working to:

• Activate Prior Knowledge
• Develop problem solving strategies

Asking Questions During Working to:

• Determining missing information

Asking Questions After Working:

• Determining if an answer makes sense
• If the problem has been solved

Reasons to Ask Questions in Math

I like the idea of brainstorming reasons for asking questions during math – page121-124. This would be a great chart to kick of the year in math next year.

QAR

I also love the QAR reference! I think this would be really helpful to teach students for supporting problem solving, especially when approaching word problems.

Right There:

• Conceptual Questions - Using resources
• Problem-solving Questions - Information from the problem

Think and Search

• Reasons for using/learning concept
• Gathering information to solve the problem.

On my own

• How to use in real life
• Determining strategies and if a solution works

Thick an Thin Questions

Quick answer versus “Why” questions - I think teaching students the difference between computation type questions and more concept based questions would be really helpful.  This would also help students to make more connections between what they are learning and to reflect on their thinking when problem solving.

Strategy Sessions

The idea of teaching small groups was a goal of my last year, but I never felt like I had the time. This will be a goal for me next year.

Wonder Walls

I use this idea in the other content areas, but need to open up my thinking to use it in math.  I can see having a wonder wall and giving my students post-its to add as class ends.

"What’s the Question"

Again, another great idea!  I think that teaching students how to create questions given a specific set of ideas or perimeters would really support test-taking skills.  If they learn to be in control of creating questions to answer, the kids may better understand how to approach a question on an assessment.

I created a little freebie with 2 general posters, 2 strategy posters, and student bookmarks.  I think they will be helpful for my students next year.  Leap on over to my Teachers Pay Teachers site for your download!

Check out my co-hosts at these lovely blogs!

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Pirating and Room Décor Linky

 

So I’m back for Chapter 2 of the Teach Like a Pirate Book Study! Chapter 2 is titled: Immersion. 

It was a chapter that really caught my attention as I read it while inhaling my lunch after a four hour teaching morning (yes, 4 HOURS without a moment of down time to do anything!). It really captured my attention because it is all about being in the moment with your students.  I am soooo guilty of not being in the moment this year.  It has been creeping up on me – the multitasking monster! 

I find myself grading, filing, and answering emails rather than engaging with my students as much as I could because I would actually like to leave work and have a life outside of these cinderblock walls!  Plus, the flaming hoops that we now have to jump through (especially in NY right now), require us to do so much more work on our own time.  Part of me refuses to do that. If I am supposed to complete all of this paper work, I’m going to do it at work, during my work hours. Not to even mention the trickiness of having so many adults present in your classroom.  When I have a para or special education teacher, I feel like I am spending so much time trying to communicate with the other adult that I am not as into the teaching as I could be.

I think my passion for teaching has suffered.  I also think I have build fewer connections with my students and have not been as supportive as I would like. 

How do you balance the need to be immersed with your students, the professional expectations (that have literally quadrupled from 12 years ago when I did not file a darn thing other than to slap a photo on a cumulative file to spreadsheets, graphs, portfolios, and recoding data in multiple places.) And being human like people who do not teach?

Is more multi-tasking the answer?  My brain screams “No, I can’t do one more thing and stay sane!” Does something go? My brain screams “YES – STANDARDIZED TESTING AND EXTREME DATA COLLECTION!” Not likely, but in the mend time, how can we be more in the moment with our classes? I can’t wait to hear what others have to say!

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Ahh!  Classroom décor! The Applicious Teacher is having a summer linky! This is such a great topic!  I had a blue and red colored classroom when I taught first grade.  No real theme, other than my frogs here and there.  I loved the bold colors.  It was a very striking color pallet. This year – new grade and new building – I decided to change it up! I went with “Dots on Turquoise” (with Dots on Black as a back up).  My goal was to be able to reuse some of the items I bought a few years ago when I had bright colors in my classroom (lime, turquoise, pink) and save some money. 

I grew to like it more than I thought I would and I think I will keep the color scheme.  Other than that, I am not much of a theme person.  I tried having a camping theme last year, but it was just too much for me.  I couldn’t keep the theme going and it just seemed to distract from the real learning in the classroom. Plus, it was costing a bunch to buy all the items to make it sure cute.  So, I think I will stick with the colors and not worry so much about a specific theme.

What are your planning next year?

Summer Book Studies

OOOH!  I see a few book study ideas/plans popping up in blog land.  I have loved doing the book studies the past few years.

Third Grade Tidbits and Rowdy in First Grade are going to be hosting a summer book study on the book Teach Like a Pirate. This look slike a fun book about teaching in general.

We Read, We Blog, We Teach is going to host The Book Whisperer. I read that one last year.

Thinking About Teaching and Primarily Inspired are hosting a book study on Building Mathematical Comprehension by Laney Sammons. 

I am planning to read:

I always feel like I need to brush up on guided reading.  Now that I am shifting from third to second, I know I will need to adjust my plans and expectations.  It helps to keep the focus in mind each year.

I also want to think about how to arrange my room.  My new room will have the same layout, but I know there are things that worked well and things that didn’t this year.


Anyone interested in teaming up on either book to host a book study? Comment below or send an email to: leapingintoteaching@gmail.com if you are interesting in hosting a bloggy book study together!

Daily 5 Book Study – Day 1

I posted about the Daily 5 book study yesterday, but I have been thinking a bit more.

I modified the Personal Goals Chart chart from Teaching With Style.  Since I am moving to third grade, I am starting fresh.  My philosophy has changed over the eight years since I have taught third grade.  I have learned so much about Daily 5 and from my years teaching younger students.  For example, I NEVER did listening centers with 3rd and 4th graders.  Now I think they need that.  I did a lot of worksheet assignments and there was little independence or differentiation.  I know that I want to include hands on activities, listening, and reader response.  I need to take more time this summer to think about it.  Here is what I am thinking so far:

 

I love hearing what others are doing and finding out more about the procedures, routines, and general tone of how this works in third grade!

Catching Up!

So, if you’re reading, you know I have changed my blog name and address for my new beginning in third grade.  I have 8 days of school with kiddos left and then 2 teacher days.  Knock on wood, I have actually finished all but 1 of my assessments for the end of the year.  There are like 14 per kiddo and that’s not even counting the fact that the math is actually 4 separate parts – you get what I mean.  I have a bunch of filing done and most of my data ready to go to the office.  How did this happen?  I am always cranking things out at the last minute and discovering I have things missing after school has let out.  Maybe stress is good for me!  LOL!!!  I have been planning a 50th wedding anniversary party for my in laws and a 15 year class reunion, along with moving my classroom, switching grade levels, and getting ready to return to college this fall.  Am I crazy or what?  I seem to work well under pressure! Hopefully, once school lets out, I can finish up my technology posts.  I just don’t have  that kind of time right now!

I’m linking up with Farley at Oh’ Boy Fourth Grade for June’s currently.

Did you hear about the Daily 5 book study???  Actually, there are 3 of them!  I am beyond excited to see this is happening!  I have used D5 for 4 years and CAFÉ for 3 1/2.  Not so much this year, unfortunately.  I am excited to look at this system with the eyes of a first grade teacher rather than a first grade teacher.  I am anxious to begin thinking about how it is going to look in my classroom!

 We Read, We Blog, We Teach is hosting an upper grade Daily 5 book study

      

Tammy at Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten is hosting a Daily 5 book study.  Check out her blog for details.

    

Primary Inspired is hosting a Guided Math book study.

    

Dee Dee at Mrs. Wills Kindergarten is hosting one on In Pictures and in Words. I was so bummed to miss out on seeing Katie Wood Ray when she was in my area this year.  I was all set to go, and then had an important meeting crop up .

Author Kate Messner is hosting “Teachers Write!” A Virtual Summer Writing Camp for Teachers & Librarians.  It looks like a great challenge!  A few years ago I participated in the local chapter of the National Writing Project and it was amazing!  We spend the summer learning about writing, writing, teaching, and working with amazing people. If you are interested, I would really suggest seeing if there is a chapter in your area.  

I can’t wait to get started with some of this reading. I just need to get through the next two weeks first!

Anyway, just thought I would pop in and share a bit of what has been swirling around my brain!