Effective Teaching Articles

Valentine Blog Hop

2012-01-29T06:53:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the

Valentine Blog Hop

TPT Bloggers: How to join the Valentine Blog Hop

Create a blog hop page. Give one free Valentine resource away on TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers sellers only, please). Post a link to your resource on your page.
Host a contest giving away teaching resources from your TPT store and / or a TPT gift card. Post your giveaway rules on your blog page. The contest must be open February 1-14, 2012. Use random.org for your drawing. Announce your winner on your blog page on February 15, 2012.
Add your page to the Valentine Blog Hop Linky Party.
Post a link from your blog page to the host Valentine Blog Hop page (this page). Feel free to save the image and use it on your blog.
Please use your social media connections to promote the Valentine Blog Hop.

How to Play:

Visit each blog to find your free Valentine's Day teaching resource.
Enter each blog's giveaway for a chance to win fabulous teaching resources from TPT.
Help promote the Valentine Blog Hop to your colleagues and teacher friends through word of mouth and social networking.
Bloggers love comments! Please take the time to check out the teacher-bloggers posts and leave relevant comments.

Enter Effective Teaching Articles

Valentine Blog Hop Giveaway!

How to Enter: Simply read an article on the blog (Effective Teaching Articles) and leave a thoughtful and relevant comment. Please leave your email address as well so that I can notify you if you win. You can put "at" for @ and "dot" for the . to keep your email address from getting picked up by spam bots. One entry will be given for each comment left on the blog between February 1-14, 2012. I will use random.org to select the winner.
Winners: Three winners will win $25 worth of teaching resources from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I have over 275 resources available!
FREE for a LIMITED TIME! My Valentine's Day resources are free through February 14th! Grab them now! They will go back to paid on February 15th.
FREE Valentine's Day Lined Writing Paper
FREE Valentine's Day Reward Coupons
FREE 8 Colorful Valentine's Day Bookmarks

Follow the links to more free teaching resources and fabulous giveaways!

Grab the InLinkz code for your blog!

Poetry Slam!

2012-01-27T19:45:00.000-06:00

I recently read a punch in the gut debut young adult novel by Colleen Hoover. She did an amazing job of integrating slam poetry into the book. The poetry added depth and emotional impact to the story. Colleen agreed to guest blog about how she used poetry in her book.

BUY SLAMMED ON AMAZON

Slammed is a contemporary young adult novel that centers on the life of eighteen-year-old Layken Cohen. Layken reluctantly moves to Michigan with her family and immediately forms an intense connection with her new neighbor, Will Cooper. Will introduces Layken to his passion for slam poetry, a medium used by the characters throughout the novel that expresses their thoughts and emotions on a level that normal dialogue wouldn’t properly portray.

Slam poetry, also known as spoken word, is a type of art where contestants read or recite original work on stage during a competition. According to Wikipedia, in a poetry slam members of the audience are chosen by an M.C. or host to act as judges for the event. In the standard slam, there are five judges. After each poet performs, each judge awards a score to that poem. The original works performed by the contestants are powerful and emotional, written to deliver an emotional punch, and; depending on the subject, these poems can also be humorous and entertaining.

I decided to introduce slam poetry to readers through my novel because it is a beautiful form of art that I have enjoyed watching for years and feel it needs more recognition. While I have never personally performed, I both envy and admire the passion and bravery these poets possess. Slam poetry is a type of poetry that is meant to be seen rather than read, so I did find it challenging to incorporate this type of poetry in my novel. I had a huge desire to do it justice, so I struggled with how exactly to portray the emotions onto paper as it would be if it were seen performed live.

The way poets use their bodies, the words they emphasize, and the speed at which they speak to lend to how the poems are perceived. As I wrote the poetry for the novel, I had to imagine it as if it were being performed on the stage.

Here is an example of a slam poem that I wrote specifically for this guest post:

"Dear Teachers"

Students' minds are like clay

Our words used to mold them…

Our actions used to show them…

Our attitudes used to grow them…

But one day the clay will be hardened and set

Their minds closed off from whatever you present

You can wet it, you can press it, you can smash it with a hammer

But these balls of hardened clay will be impossible

enter.

The opportunity is now

to enable them to see

To set their minds free

Let them know that

they can be

Anything…

They set out to be

So do it today…

Go mold

Your clay

The significance of the performance is amplified when reading the novel, once you are immersed with the characters and the circumstances surrounding them. I admit, the poetry I wrote for the novel pales in comparison to actually seeing it performed live. There are poetry slams held all across the country in every state, and are worth seeking out.

The popularity of slam poetry is on the rise, specifically among our nation’s youth, with many organizations using it as a means to empower the next generation of leaders. Youth Speaks is the leading nonprofit presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development programs in the country. According to their website, they are “presenters of local and national youth poetry slams, festivals, reading series, and more, Youth Speaks also offers a comprehensive slate of literary arts education programs during the school day, in the after-school hours, on weekends and evenings, while providing numerous opportunities for youth to be published and heard. All told, Youth Speaks works with 45,000 teens per year in the Bay Area alone, and has helped create partner programs in 47 cities across the United States.”

I am humbled that Slammed has received such positive feedback and reviews, and am grateful that I have been able to introduce the art of slam poetry to some of the readers that were not previously familiar with it. I am currently working on a second novel, Afflicted. It is based on the same characters introduced in Slammed and will also incorporate more slam poetry. For more information regarding Slammed and Afflicted, please visit my website at www.colleenhoover.com.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover is FREE on Kindle for 3 days only: January 27-29, 2012.

Here is a really cool video I found on YouTube of a slam poet. This is a great video to use in secondary English classes.

After reading Slammed by Colleen Hoover, I played around with my own slam poetry. I wrote two poems. The first one is a character I imagined:

It's not fair!

It's not fair

that I was born

without a silver spoon

in my mouth.

It's not fair

that I have to fight

for ever scrap of food,

or the clothes

on my back.

It's not fair

that I look in the mirror,

and see what I see

looking back.

It's not fair

that I never get a break,

or peace of mind,

or time to myself,

or money to burn,

or anything I want.

Why do some people

have

everything?

And I

have nothing.

No One.

It's not fair!

The second poem I wrote is based on my own personal worries:

I don't like it

when you walk down the street

by yourself.

I don't like

how I feel

waiting

for your text,

to know that you're home,

and the door is locked.

I don't like it

when you forget to call,

and I can't stop

to check.

I don't like waiting,

and waiting,

and waiting

to find out

if you're safe

or not.

I don't like it.

I encourage you to read Colleen's book, and give slam poetry a try. I hope you will consider introducing it to your students. Slam poetry has high impact, active engagement potential. Go slam!

End Piracy. Not Liberty. Stop SOPA

2012-01-18T05:50:00.000-06:00

Today, websites across the Internet are going black in protest against a bill in Congress up for vote on January 24th called Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The intention of this bill is to stop piracy, but the fallout could literally shut down thousands of legitimate websites on the whim of a government official. It is a dangerous bill that gives government too much power, and the backers opportunities to shut down the competition. It is harmful to all indie authors, musicians, and filmmakers. Please call your Congressman today and ask them to vote NO to SOPA. Twitter hashtag #stopsopa

STOP SOPA

The Joy of Books

2012-01-14T09:57:00.000-06:00

I found this video on Yahoo. It is ridiculously cool. Your students will get a kick out of it.

Turn a PDF File into an Online Book

2011-12-03T09:23:00.000-06:00

I just found a really cool tool. It's called Flipsnack. You upload your pdf file (you must own the copyright to the file) and instantly turn it into an online ebook. How cool is that? I created one from one of my free TPT products.

Read Aloud Magic: Intentional Teaching Through Reading Aloud

2011-12-02T16:58:00.002-06:00

BUY ON KINDLE
BUY ON TPT
BUY ON NOOK

Magic happens when teachers read aloud to their students. Sharing a book, poem, or nonfiction text motivates reluctant readers, and provides rich opportunities to teach with intention. You will learn why reading aloud is an important instructional tool, how to read like a drama queen (or king), how to teach reading strategies and skills during a read aloud session, and how to engage students in thinking about meaning. Read Aloud Magic: Intentional Teaching Through Reading Aloud was written for both new and growing teachers in grades K-12. Although the examples are written primarily for elementary, secondary teachers can apply the teaching strategies to appropriate texts for their classes. This professional learning electronic booklet (9040 words; approximately 34 8 1/2 x 11 typewritten pages) is written for the busy teacher who is looking for a quick read.

Cyber Monday Sale at TPT - Up to 30% Off!

2011-11-27T08:06:00.000-06:00

Exciting news! Everything in my TPT SHOP is 20% off for Cyber Monday PLUS you get an extra 10% off if you use PROMO CODE: CMS28. That's 30% off! One Day Only.

Tweet my Cyber Monday sale and get one free Christmas item of your choice from my TPT Shop! Leave your email in the comments so that I can send you your freebie. Tweet:

20% off great teaching resources by Lisa Frase + get an extra 10% off with PROMO CODE CMS28 www.lisafrase.com @teachingfriends

Writing Workshop: Telling vs. Showing

2011-11-25T07:14:00.001-06:00

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Young adult author Craig Hansen posted an excellent model on using telling vs. showing in your writing on a writer's forum. I contacted him and asked if he would revise his post for the blog my for secondary teacher-readers. He uses James Patterson's bestselling novel Kill Alex Cross to make his point.

The topic of showing vs. telling comes up in discussions of crafting fiction quite a bit. While few people enjoy forty-page diatribes by Tom Clancy on how the S.S. Nemitz was built and what it can do before the narrative gets moving again, not all prose passages that engage in "telling" are bad, necessarily. That's a controversial statement, I know. So rather than tell you my opinion, I'm going to show you why I think this is so.I'm going to use, as our proof-text, a small chunk out of James Patterson's recent bestseller, Kill Alex Cross. It's brief, but it'll get the job done.

Secretary of State Martin Cho's Motorcade was running behind schedule, as usual. He'd kept the House and Senate Intelligence Committee chairs waiting most of the morning, and now he was almost an hour late for the Saudi ambassador.

"Call the office, tell them we're on our way," Cho said to the aide sitting across from him in the short Mercedes limo. Her name was Melissa Brandt. She was a recent Harvard grad and young for the job, but promising. Also maybe a little naive.

"Mr. Secretary, they've been notified by the scheduling office already. I called them--"

"Just do it again, please, Melissa," he said. "Make sure the ambassador knows we're thinking of him. That's important to them. They're sensitive people. The ambassador has been pampered all his life."

"Yes, sir," the aide answered.

Crisis talks had been quietly taking place between the two countries for several days now. With the president indisposed, as he was, it was up to the secretary to put in the face time on this one. So far, it had been a dour affair. The pre-9/11 days of arm-in-arm policy making with the Kingdom seemed like a quaint bit of history now.

As Melissa Brandt pulled up the State Department on her phone, she craned her neck to see outside and check their progress up Constitution Avenue.

"Hi, Don, it's Missy with the secretary's office," she said, still looking out the window. "We should be there any minute. We're just passing by the, um --"

All at once, the young woman's pale blue eyes flew open wide.

"Oh my God!" she said. "They're going to hit us! Secretary Cho, look out!"

The scene continues from there, but this is the bit I want to focus on. This section of Kill Alex Cross comes from Chapter 56 of Mr. Patterson's best-seller, and consists of 278 words. Let's take a closer look at it:

"Call the office, tell them we're on our way," Cho said to the aide sitting across from him in the short Mercedes limo. Her name was Melissa Brandt. She was a recent Harvard grad and young for the job, but promising. Also maybe a little naive.

"Mr. Secretary, they've been notified by the scheduling office already. I called them--"

"Yes, sir," the aide answered.

As Melissa Brandt pulled up the State Department on her phone, she craned her neck to see outside and check their progress up Constitution Avenue.

"Hi, Don, it's Missy with the secretary's office," she said, still looking out the window. "We should be there any minute. We're just passing by the, um --"

All at once, the young woman's pale blue eyes flew open wide.

"Oh my God!" she said. "They're going to hit us! Secretary Cho, look out!"

BUY ON AMAZON

The italicized portions of this text are all TELLING sections, rather than SHOWING sections. They consist of 149 words. 149 words of telling, out of 278, as we open chapter 56.

Now, I'm not going to get into a debate about Mr. Patterson's relative merits as a writer. That's not the focus here. I chose him because millions of people buy his Alex Cross novels and generally enjoy them enough to keep buying them.

But 53.5 percent of this passage consists of telling. Does that make it bad writing? I've run into folks who would suggest so.

"It's over fifty percent telling," they would cry. "Show me this, don't tell me!"

Are they right? Let's take a look at the first chunk of telling:

We're being told an awful lot here:

1) That our focus is the Secretary of State.

2) That his name is Martin Cho.

3) That's he's in a motorcade.

4) That's he's running behind schedule.

5) That running behind is the norm for him.

6) Who he's kept waiting with his tardiness before the scene begins.

7) Who he's currently bugging with said tardiness.

8) That the Saudi ambassador has been kept waiting for almost an hour, not an insignificant amount of time.

That's a lot of information for 38 words to convey. And we're told, not shown. It's definitely a telling voice.

However, even the most ardent anti-tellers will allow a bit of scene-setting. They might argue that there would be a way to convey the same information through dialog and scene, but for the most part, this passage might be given a pass.

But we're not done. Here's our next bit of "telling."

Her name was Melissa Brandt. She was a recent Harvard grad and young for the job, but promising. Also maybe a little naive.

Patterson had just introduced a nameless aide in the previous sentence. Now:

1) He names her.

2) Tells us she's recently from Harvard.

3) Tells us she's "young for the job." (So we know our focus is on the Secretary's POV; third person close.)

4) Tells us she shows promise. (In what ways?)

5) Tells us she's a little naive. (I think, given the action that follows, "inexperienced" will be what is actually demonstrated by her actions, so naive might not be the best descriptor.)

Again, this is a lot of information. Both of these characters are appearing for the first time in the novel. In chapter 56. And this is what we're getting about them.

It's a lot of telling and, as I indicated above, at least one descriptor used is not necessarily backed up by Melissa's actual actions.

Some folks might suggest some of this information could "come out in dialogue." Really? How many aides do we assume a presidential cabinet secretary drives around with, having stilted conversations like, "So, how does the White House compare to Harvard, Ms. Brandt, now that you've been here three months?"

Nope, that'd be laughable. A cabinet secretary is a busy, serious position for anyone who holds the position. It wouldn't "ring true" to have this information come out in dialogue.

Also, there's not much reason to insert any earlier scenes about Miss Brandt's background, how she's "promising," or the Secretary's background because, as the chapter goes on, they are attacked and killed in a terrorist strike.

Keep in mind, this is an Alex Cross novel, not a Secretary Cho and aide Melissa Brandt novel. Adding in background chapters for fringe characters would bloat the novel unnecessarily.

Final chunk of telling:

As Melissa Brandt pulled up the State Department on her phone, she craned her neck to see outside and check their progress up Constitution Avenue.

Whoa! That's how some anti-telling purists would react to this chunk.

Hold on there, pard'ner, they'd say. That's just way too much telling. We have crisis talks going on between the US and Saudi Arabia, an oblique reference to the president being indisposed that's not explained here, the talks aren't going well, and a bit of a history vs. now lesson.

And then, "head hopping!" Suddenly we're in Melissa's focus. That's why I included it, since it's not really a bad case of telling. But it is head-hopping, another "no-no."

This is where purists would start shredding the passage.

Why isn't the president's indisposed situation explained? It is, in the context of the novel. By the time you're here, you know very well why he's indisposed.

As for the rest, we're in the Secretary's focus right up until we head-hop, so we're simply being given information on what's weighing on the Secretary's mind. Could that be brought out in dialogue? Not without the scene coming off as incredibly stilted. He's not about to discuss such matters with the driver, who is up front and probably cut off from an audio feed into the back of the limo. Nor would he discuss such matters with Melissa the Underling.

So what is going on here? Is Patterson just, as some would suggest, "a lazy bestselling author, too successful to be tightly edited?" Is he clueless about showing vs. telling? A lazy one-percenter ignoring the ninety-nine percent?

Well, some might suggest that, I suppose.

But no. There's another way to look at this.

And it's this: Not ALL telling is bad. Telling can sometimes keep a story focused, tight, driven, and moving forward in the narrative.

Sure, some of this information could have come out in dialogue. Establishing chapters added. Such background could be played out in dramatic scenes, rather than spoon-fed to us in 149 out of the first 278 words of chapter 58.

Anyone who did that, however, would not be able to accomplish it in 149 words. Their novel would be comparably bloated, overstuffed, boring, and moving at a snail's pace.

You see, whatever you think of Patterson taste-wise, he's not a dumb writer.

What Patterson knows is this:

People buy Alex Cross novels to read about Alex Cross.
Not Secretary Cho. Not Melissa the Aide.

They are collateral damage in a smartly and economically-written suspense novel that moves along like a bullet. Patterson wants people to care before Cho and Melissa die, so he tells us a little bit about them.

Not much. It's not thirty pages of background. It's 149 words out of 278. The percentage looks bad; but the overall effect is to briefly establish these characters, elicit a bit of concern over who they are, and then "blow them up real good."

It's a big, dynamic scene to let us know the bad guys have struck again, and they're hitting really high-profile targets. Who can stop them?

That's all this passage was meant to accomplish. Patterson's smart enough as a suspense novelist to know that 149 words of telling may not be ideal on a pure artistic basis, but it is what will keep his steam-engine of a story barreling down the tracks.

Is this a defense of ALL telling passages? Of course not.

However, this as an example that sometimes, used judiciously, telling is an effective storytelling tool.

And very few Patterson readers notice, or care, that he employed telling instead of showing to establish these characters. What they care about is that the bad guys murdered a cabinet secretary of the US.

And in case some people reading his work hate government officials, he includes poor, young, unsuspecting Melissa the Underling in the explosion. That way, even if a reader says, "Well, Secretary Cho, who cares? He's a member of the corrupt Coyle administration," well... they might at least feel bad about poor inexperienced Melissa dying in the process.

Here endeth the lesson.

Craig Hansen is author of young adult novels Shada (Ember Cole Series) and Most Likely.
Find Craig Hansen on Facebook and Twitter

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T04:51:00.000-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Hunger Games Official Trailer

2011-11-14T18:09:00.000-06:00

The official trailer for The Hunger Games is here. It looks amazing!

Living History: Using Historical Fiction in the Classroom

2011-11-13T09:12:00.047-06:00

Readers,
I would like to introduce Shelley Stout, a former teacher and published young adult author. She graciously agreed to guest blog today.

Click to Buy from Amazon

When I initially began writing my novel, Radium Halos- a Novel about the Radium Dial Painters, my intended audience was adults. Over the past two years since its release, I have discovered my novel also appeals to the young adult crowd. Thus began my quest to introduce Radium Halos to students in middle schools and high schools and to teachers as a teaching tool.
Radium Halos is historical fiction, based on the true story of the Radium Dial painters. Who were they? What happened to them? Why is their story important?
Very few people are aware of this tragic, true story from American industrial history, in which teenage and young women factory workers in the 1920s were exposed to radiation, while painting watch and clock dials with radium paint. Although they reported their resulting illnesses to their superiors, they were denied timely medical coverage or compensation. Students need to make sense of what has happened in history. How can they relate to young people or adults from other centuries and the decisions they made? How did these people in history overcome adversity and learn from their mistakes? What can we learn?
If you are a history or social studies teacher, it’s important for your students to see connections and draw parallels between history and current events. You want to expose your students to as much of our historic past as possible, so they can understand how something that happened decades or centuries ago is still relevant in our present-day lives.
Radium Halos works well with your existing history curriculum, either for middle schoolers or high school students. A free curriculum guide features unit objectives, pre- and post-reading activities, writing assignments, cross curriculum activities for science and/or literature, and student assessments with answer keys. Also included are activities for eBook readers, AP, and special needs students.

Praise for Radium Halos: “Shelley Stout debuts with a novel of characters as compelling as the true story it covers. Like a good reporter, she follows the facts. In this case she not only uncovers a story little known, but more importantly she reveals in her characters, the humanity of a tragic tale.” -Batt Humphreys, former senior producer for CBS News and author of Dead Weight

Shelley Stout is a former teacher and published author of short stories, novels, magazine articles, and blogs. She presents workshops to teachers and enjoys being a writing mentor and tutor for children and adults. Shelley is available to speak to students via Skype.
Visit Shelley's Blog
Find Shelley on Facebook
Find Shelley on Twitter
Volume Discounts Available

Balancing Elementary Lesson Plans

2011-11-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

  Elementary teachers are generally charged with teaching multiple subjects. In this day and time of standards based content, teachers are expected to achieve a certain degree of expertise in their subject matter. This challenge has become increasingly difficult in elementary school where teachers are often self-contained. How does one keep their day and week balanced in order to meet the needs of their students, teach the curriculum, and get grades without completely running out of steam?
  One way to accomplish this task is to think ahead. As you plan your lessons, avoid falling into the one subject at a time trap. There are certain things that you need to be mindful of during your planning in order to avoid a day of complete chaos or a huge stack of writing assignments to grade on the weekend.
Balance in Activities
  Imagine a day that goes like this: Students begin their day presenting independent reading and research projects on PowerPoint. Afterwards, students have a writing celebration. You plan for students to display their pieces on decorative paper that requires cutting and pasting. In social studies you are going to conduct a simulation. In science you are conducting a messy science lab experiment. And in math, you plan to finish up a huge shopping project. At the end of the day you are totally and completely and utterly exhausted!
  You might consider setting up a weekly planning calendar in order to map out your week and see your time as a whole rather than individual parts. Think of the time you have allocated for each subject and whether or not you can accomplish your goals for that day. Consider the number of cooperative activities you planned in one day. Perhaps you can move some things around so that everything doesn't land on Monday. How much prep work will it take to get ready for everything you need to do? Look at the activities you have planned and ask yourself how necessary those activities are to your student's learning. Sometimes you need to let something go. Create a balance of low prep and heavy prep lessons, as well as cooperative work versus independent work. The main goal in keeping balance in your daily and weekly activities and to not over plan a day that leaves you a frazzled mess by dismissal.
Balance in Assignments
  Authentic assessments are wonderful, but there comes a point in which you need to balance out your assignments. If you assign all writing work for every subject, you will spend every waking hour grading papers. A well rested teacher is a happy teacher. A happy teacher is a more productive teacher. Don't burn yourself out by taking on more than you can handle. Plan out your graded assignments with care. Use your planning calendar to determine that you've planned the required number of assignments during the week, distributed the assignments throughout the week (you don't want to overwhelm your students either), and varied the assignments so that your weekend bag doesn't cause you to dislocate your shoulder.
  Creating a balanced week is key to keeping your sanity and avoiding major burn out. If something always needs to give then perhaps it's time to change your planning strategy. It's kind of like going to the grocery store without a list -you will end up spending more money on things you don't need. If you write your lesson plans one subject at a time without looking at the whole of your week, you will end up planning more than you can handle. In the end, you plans won't be as effective because you won't have the energy to carry them out.
Download Your FREE Weekly Planning Calendar

Power Modeling: How-to Teach Kids to Write

2011-10-29T13:54:00.000-05:00

Now Available

Power Modeling: Teaching Kids to Write

I am excited to announce that the first eBooklet in Effective Teaching Solutions Professional Learning Series is now available for purchase on Kindle, Nook, and TPT. The intention of this series is to provide busy teachers with a short, professional read packed with information that you can apply immediately in your classroom.

About Power Modeling

Modelingis one of the most powerful instructional tools a teacher has at theirdisposal. Teaching students how to write requires a great deal of modeling. Youwill learn about different ways to model writing and how to begindeconstructing mentor text for the purpose of learning the author's craft. Thistext includes examples of modeling, as well as guidance for writing alongsideyour students. Power Modeling: Teaching Kids to Write was written for both new and growing writing teachersof grades K-12. Although the examples are written primarily for upperelementary and middle school, all of the modeling techniques can be applied insome form or another throughout the grade levels. This professional learningelectronic booklet (7967 words; approximately 25 8 1/2 x 11 typewritten pages)is written for the busy teacher who is looking for a quick read.

Available on Kindle

Available on Nook

Available on TPT

Rigor and Expectation in Education

2011-09-11T08:38:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about the terms rigor and expectation and how they are used in education. The word rigor means "strictness, harshness, severity". Suddenly the idea of giving a child a rigorous education sounds a bit...harsh. So what do we want children to experience in the classroom?

Our expectations of our students go a long way in determining if a child is challenged or not. A challenging curriculum doesn't equal busy work or unnecessary tears. It should mean taking a child where they are at and pushing them to the next level. Learning isn't always easy. Students who make straight A's without batting an eyelash are probably not being challenged. We need to continue to set the bar a little bit higher each time they engage in a new task.

Years ago, I worked in a retail store. Each day we set a sales goal, but we always set it a little bit higher than our average sales for that day of the week. Imagine if we set our goals to an average standard each week. Once we meet our average we probably would wind down and close out the day. But instead, we set our goal higher. That means we had to work harder to achieve our goal, and most of the time, but not all of the time, we did just that. Our average daily sales crept up as did our expectations. In the end, we out performed our goal.

Set goals so that they are above your general expectations, but still reasonably attainable. If students continue to slide -make A's without working hard, or fail without really trying -then we are not teaching our students the value of hard work. The A student will eventually run up against a wall. The failing student will eventually shut down. Neither child will develop a work ethic or a sense of personal pride and intrinsic reward after accomplishing a difficult task.

*Check out this linky party for undiscovered, new teaching products.

1:00 p.m. EST is the official moment of remembrance for 9/11. May the victims of that day rest in peace, and their families and friends find peace in their hearts. Take time to remember. Take time to reflect. Take time to take joy in the life we've been given and our blessings. In the daily grind of life, it's easy to forget what's important until tragedy strikes. Don't forget to tell your loved ones that you love them. God bless America.

Getting to Know Your Readers

2011-09-05T14:07:00.001-05:00

I record notes into a composition book. As I begin to write, I tell the student that I'm jotting down our conversation to help me remember. I tell them I want to get to know them as a reader so that I can help them grow in their reading. When I bring a student to my table for a conference, I ask them to bring the book they are currently reading and their reading notebook (we are using binders this year). What do we talk about?

ONE
I ask students to tell me what is happening in their book so far. We might discuss the book a little bit before I ask them to read a paragraph or two aloud to me. I am paying attention to see if they chose a "just right" book or not. I listen to their fluency as well. If I feel the book is too easy, I suggest that they finish the book and then try a book that's a little more challenging. I might even go over to our reading center and show them some books I think they might enjoy. If the book appears too hard, I take them to the reading center and help them find a "just right" book.

TWO
I take the opportunity to look through their reading notebook to see if they've followed directions for recording books and writing responses. This is the perfect time to do a quick little mini lesson if student's misunderstand how to do something.

THREE
I ask them how they feel about themselves as readers. Do they like to read? What is their favorite genre? What is their favorite book? This week I discovered that at least three of my boys are rereading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series.

Reading conferences are a great way to get to know your readers. I spend 3-5 minutes with each student until I've met with everyone. I will begin completing individual reading inventories with students once I finish up my initial conferences. I try to confer throughout the week (a minute or two drive-by), and hold conferences every six weeks or so.

The Power of Positive Teaching

2011-08-21T08:09:00.001-05:00

We are going through a rough patch. The economy is a mess and education is inside the can for the political game of "kick the can". We could list out a hundred excuses for every failing school or child. Teachers across the country are fighting for their jobs, their profession, their autonomy, and their integrity. It's easy to go down the dark path of no return. I saw a sign recently that said due to the economic problems the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. Where does all of this negative energy leave us on Monday morning when we enter our classrooms?

Do you allow all of the negative Nellies to drag you down and emotionally beat you up? Do you find yourself occasionally (or often) sucked into negative conversations? Gripe. Moan. Groan. Complain. Whine. Zig Ziglar, one of the great motivation speakers calls all of this negativity "stinkin' thinkin". Negative thinking leaves us in a dark place. It eats away at our souls and destroys our happiness.

I choose to be happy.

I choose to be positive.

I choose to move forward with enthusiasm.

I've recently experienced a number of personal difficulties. I'm sure you've heard that old saying that when it rains it poors. Well, it stormed. A lot of things that were out of my control happened to me (and my family) within a short three week period. I'm exhausted from the emotional and financial drain. I've had my moments, but in the end, I realized that the only person who can control how I think and react to situations is me.

And that's why I've decided that I need to surround myself with positive energy and enthusiasm. I remind myself on a daily basis that allowing myself to be sucked into negative thinking and conversations will only drain my emotional energy and negatively effect my health.

I choose to go into my classroom with a positive attitude. I choose to have a great school year. I choose to believe that each of my students will succeed. I choose to accept the things I cannot control and make the best of each and every situation.

Happiness is a choice.

Many years ago I was at a school that thrived on negative energy. I fought my way through each day with enthusiasm. I refused to give in, to fall into a dismal trap, to allow the negative people around me to make me one of them. Every morning I plugged in a Zig Ziglar tape (it really was a tape back then) and repeated motivational quotes to myself. I focused on the positive. I allowed positive thinking to feed my soul.

Are you going through a rough patch? Have you caught yourself griping about the administration, parents, or the kids in your charge? What good has the griping accomplished? None at all. Throw your "stinkin' thinkin'" into the garbage can. Focus on the important things in life. Focus on the needs of your students and find positive ways to approach each and every day. Stop surrounding yourself with negative people. Plug in positive thinking and allow the power of it to transform you inside and out. You will feel better, do better, and be healthier for it.

FREE POSTER

The power of positive is in your hands. Take hold of it and empower yourself to be the best teacher you can be. Make the decision to be a positive person; a positive teacher. Make this year your best year ever!

First Day of School

2011-08-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

My first day of school lesson plans look more like a things to do list. I always set out a packet with surveys and some puzzles to keep the kids busy since they trickle in over an hour's time. I also put picture books, magazines, and nonfiction books on the tables for my new students to read while they are waiting for class to begin.

Once the majority of students have arrived and we are ready to begin our day I begin by teaching my first procedure. I call my students to come sit down on the carpet area of the classroom (my teaching space for mini lessons). The first thing I do is read aloud First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg. The surprise ending gives the kids a little laugh and a chance for me to see how my new students behave and react during a read aloud.

The next thing I do is introduce myself. For younger students I might bring in a bag with pictures and artifacts
that represent my family, travels, and interests. For older students I might create a PowerPoint presentation. One way to learn more about your students is to give them a small paper sack. Tell students to put three things in the sack that represents something interesting about them and prepare to share it in small groups. I don't ask students to present in front of the entire class until they have a chance to get to know each other better.

Throughout the first day I will stop and try to put names and faces together without peeking at name tags. I work on this all day long with the goal of knowing each child's name before they leave.

The next thing I do is unpack, organize, and put away supplies. I am very strategic about it. I decide beforehand where everything goes. I will also run a sheet of name labels for each student before the first day of school, and I will keep blank labels on hand for new students. We label, collect, and put away one thing at a time. I do this in a very organized fashion. I use this time to observe my students behaviors and actions, and teach procedures like stopping to listen for instructions, raising their hand, etc. Once supplies are put away we set up our binders. All of this takes patience, but if you take a one thing at a time approach the morning will move rather quickly.

After supplies are put away, I have several things I can do: read another book, teach a lesson, play get to know you games, take individual pictures for bulletin boards, and teach procedures (restroom, hallway, lunch, recess, morning routine, afternoon routine). I generally over plan for the first day. You never know how fast or slow a group might move, so it's best to have more to do than not enough. You can always carry over the next day, or choose to skip the less important activities.

Please share the love and leave a comment telling us something you do on the first day of school.

Blog Hopping for Classroom Ideas

2011-08-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

I went blog hopping today in search of classroom ideas. I love to look at pictures of classrooms. They often provide much needed inspiration. I found everything from free printables and fonts to unbelievable classroom decor.

First ~
I found a neat little blog called Sweet Blessings where a technology specialist combines her love of cooking in her posts. She has made quite a few free colorful printable posters. I just printed off several to laminate and hang in my classroom. My favorite says, "This classroom runs on love, laughter and lots of Sonic drinks."

Second ~
Run on over to Wise Owl Factory to learn about different books to use in your classroom and to collect free downloads to go with the books. She blogs a book a day, so keep going back for more ideas!

Third ~
The Lesson Plan Diva is back in school. She posted lots of great pictures of her classroom. I love to see pictures of what other people are doing as I try to come up with my own plan (I will post pictures soon myself).

Fourth ~
Kevin & Amanda blog about recipes and scrapbooking, but the thing that appeals to the teacher side of me are all of the free, unique fonts I can pick up from their site.

Fifth ~
I just discovered School Girl Style. I can't get over the amazing pictures in this blog. I don't think I will be able to duplicate anything here, but it sure is fun to look at this stuff and imagine. Perhaps some of you will find inspiration as you set up your rooms.

August 10 for 10 Favorite Picture Books

2011-08-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I learned about a special event coordinated by Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek called 10 for 10 Picture Books. If you love picture books then hang on for your hat. Teacher bloggers across the country are blogging the ten picture books they can't live without in their classrooms. This is a great opportunity to learn about lots of picture books and how you can use them in your classroom.

Let's begin with my favorite ten picture books. I have to tell you it's truly difficult to boil it down to ten, but I tried to think of the books that I go back to year after year after year. I've used these books in 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades.

1 The first book on my list is Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. You can check out my recent book review on this must have book. Did you know that Patricia Polacco is dyslexic? This book touches the heart of so many children. She tells her story of her struggles learning to read and the teacher who made a difference. I make a point to read this book aloud the first day or two of school.

2 The second book on my list is Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston. Every year I pull this book out during the first week of school to read aloud. Amber lives on a mountain where there isn't a school. One day a new girl moves to the mountain and sets her mind on teaching Amber to read. This book not only focuses on the struggles of learning to read, but it gives you plenty of great lines to repeat when kids get frustrated. My favorite line, "Learning to read is like walking up a wall. You have to set your mind on it." But that's not all! Amber's friend moves away, but Amber sets her mind on teaching herself to write. This book is a lesson in determination and perseverance.

3 A few years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Jo Harper read aloud her book Finding Daddy: A Story of the Great Depression. I fell in love with this beautiful picture book and never miss the chance to read it aloud at some point in the year. This is a story about a girl who searches for her daddy after he doesn't come home one night. It was a common occurrence during the Great Depression for fathers to leave their families after a time of not being able to find work. This historical fiction piece is a rarity set in the Great Depression. Don't miss out on this story of courage and perseverance.

4 The fourth book on my list is by no means fourth in my eyes. I seriously can't live without Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Did you know that Owl Moon is the best selling picture book of all time? This Caldecott Medal winner is a quiet book that wakes you up early in the morning and takes you outside to go owling. Not only is this beautiful book an excellent introduction to an owl unit in science, it is the perfect book for teaching students how to write sound images.

5 When I was in the 7th grade my drama teacher handed me a story from the Woman's Day magazine to use for my humorous interpretation in an upcoming competition. The name of the story: Alexander, and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. This classic circle story is one of my favorites to help kids learn how to organize their writing. It's a funny little story about all of the things that can go wrong in a day. The story pattern is duplicatable for young writers and gives them something fun to write about.

6 I can't live without my copy of When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant. This quiet story takes you to a another place and time through the use of vivid language and strong memories. I love to use this book to introduce writing details about place (setting). It is packed with fabulous examples to use as mentor text.

7 Another wonderful book by Cynthia Rylant is The Relatives Came. Virtually every child can connect to this simple story of when the relatives arrive. This is a great book to read for text connections, and to expand into a writing prompt. Kids generally have stories of relatives visiting or visiting relatives. This is the kind of book you can flip for both reading and writing.

8 One book you don't want to miss out on is The Gardener by Sarah Stewart. This little Caldecott Honor book is packed with surprises. A little girl visits her uncle in the city during the Great Depression (another rare picture book set in this era), and manages to find purpose in creating a rooftop garden. It's a story of courage and kindness and family. There are lots of teaching opportunities with this book from reading to writing to science.

9 The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson brings our differences and sameness to light in this historically relevant story of two little girls who form a friendship with each other -even though they each live on the "other side of the fence". This is just one of those great read aloud stories you can fit in at any time of the year.

10 Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting is another favorite picture book. Unfortunately, I've reached 10! I could go on and on, but I suppose there is only so much time in the day and space on the blog. This is a timeless environmental book about a family who attempts to save a tree from dying. It's a story with the type of plot structure, characters, and setting that gives you many teaching opportunities.

So this comprises my top ten picture books. What is your favorite picture book?

Popping the Blog Party Balloon

2011-08-09T07:01:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for
the Cyber Search
Showcase?
Click HERE

All good things must come to an end. This past week has been a smashing success. First a back to school blog party and then a treasure hunt across blogs for awesome teaching resources. Today I am going to announce the winners from the blog party, as well as tell you about a thought I had yesterday.

I went back into my classroom yesterday and shoved the furniture back in place. I think I tend to forget just how much work it takes to get my classroom ready for the first day of school. After spending the summer blogstalking, I have a ton of new ideas. Monday afternoon I found myself walking through Hobby Lobby with the urge to spend money and create things. I was looking for "just right" stickers for a project when I had an a-ha moment.

Do I really need to make every decision about how I want to run my classroom this year before I meet my students? Is it necessary to have everything in its place and on the walls on the first day of school? I realized that I don't have to get everything that's in my head done right now. Some things can wait. I can make decisions as I get to know my students. I can plan based on their needs. It's okay if my walls are blank. I can fill the walls up with the evidence of my student's learning. I've given myself permission to chill out -to find balance and prioritize. It's such a relief to not think I need to think through and plan for every little detail right now. That's my thought of the day!

Back to School Blog Party Winners!

I hope that everyone feels like a winner this week. I also want to invite you back next year, but in the meantime, come hang out on the blog with me and share this amazing journey we call teaching. Okay, okay...I know what you want to hear -and the winners are:

Monday
Cheryl at Crayons and Curls won the $25 Amazon gift card! (Comment #25)

Tuesday
Tamara, a 4th grade teacher from Washington won the TPT shopping spree from 24 sellers! (Comment #12)

Wednesday
Madison from Utah won the lovely earrings from Moonlight Designs! (Comment #7)
Lori, a 4th grade ELA / Social Studies teacher from North Carolina won the beautiful necklace set from Class and Sass Jewelry! (Comment #11)

Thursday
Kathleen won the Back to School Goody Box (Comment #5)
*Kathleen - Your email bounced. Please contact me by then end of the week.

Friday
Jen won the $100 shopping spree from my TPT shop! (Comment #8)

*I have contacted all winners by email. If you are a winner and did not receive an email, please check your spam and / or junk folders, and / or contact me directly.

BACK TO SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD CONTEST

Cyber Search Showcase - It's Cyber Monday for Teachers!

2011-08-07T19:46:00.001-05:00

I'm sorry you missed the Cyber Search Showcase! Don't despair - there are still some great freebies on the blog and on my website. I hope you will take the time to explore. Please visit my TPT store for both free and reasonably priced teaching resources. If you like what you see, I hope you will follow me at TPT to stay updated on my most current products.

Please come back and visit me on the blog, bookmark my website, subscribe to my newsletter, hang out with me on Facebook and Twitter, and follow me on Pinterest.

It's not too late to explore the following blogs and websites to find amazing resources and thinking about teaching. Let's make 2011-2012 the best school year ever by networking and learning together! Keep in touch -you never know what surprises we might have in store for you.

Cyber Search Showcase Sellers and Websites

Laura Candler Teaching Resources
Tracey Graham Smart Chick Teacher
Lisa Frase Effective Teaching Solutions
Rachel Lynette Minds in Bloom
Ashleigh Swinford Education Journey
Charity Preston The Organized Classroom Blog
Jennifer Runde Runde's Room
Wise Guys Teaching Activities, Lesson Plans, and Units
Karla Banks Life in Special Education
Heather Kaiser The Teched Out Teacher
Rosshalde Pak Education Shortlist
PowerPoint Maniac PowerPoint Maniac's Teaching Resources
Nyla Phillips-Martin Nyla's Crafty Teaching
Margaret Whisnaut Taking Grades for Teachers

Getting Ready for Back to School

2011-08-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

The lazy days of summer are coming to an end. It's time to start getting ready to meet a new group of children. In fact, many of you have already begun. This past week I hosted a Back to School Blog Party. Don't worry! If you missed it, or even a day or two, it's not too late to join the fun. In fact, I am going to list all of the free downloads right here:

Free Back to School Candy Bar Wrappers
Free Back to School Classroom Management Printables Packet
Free Back to School Printable Gifts
Free Teacher's Money Binder
Free Teacher's Stationary Set

Cyber Search

I have some very exciting news! I am participating in Cyber Search Showcase on Monday. Fifteen teacher-authors will give away one teaching resource for one day only. The value of all of these resources equals $85. Take a sneak peak by visiting the blogs and websites of each author throughout the weekend, and then come back here on Monday to start your Cyber Search and to get your first free resource. All of the resources are specifically for grades 3-5. Happy Hunting!

If you think you missed out on the giveaways, think again! You have until Sunday, August 7, 2011 midnight Central time to enter. Here is a quick recap for each day's giveaway and a link to the blog post:

Day 1 - $25 Amazon Gift Card
Day 2 - TPT Shopping Spree sponsored by 24 teacher -authors
Day 3 - $66 Worth of Beautiful Handcrafted Jewelry from two Etsy sellers
Day 4 - Back to School Teacher's Goody Box
Day 5 - $100 Shopping Spree from my TPT Shop

The Back to School Blog Party was such a smashing success that I am already making plans for next year! Thank you for participating!

As you begin to go back to your classrooms and prepare for school, don't forget to snap a picture of your back to school bulletin board. I extended the deadline for the Back to School Bulletin Board Contest to Saturday, September 4, 2011 midnight Central time. I will place all of the bulletin board pictures on a permenant page on my website, but one person will win a $25 Target gift card, so don't miss out!

Kimberly at Science, Etc. wanted some ideas for quiet signals to use in the classroom, so she started up a linky party to gather ideas. I will put my two cents in. Switching lights, ringing a bell, or raising your voice is the least effective strategy for getting your student's attention. A simple, yet effective way to quiet down the crowd and get students to turn your direction is to simply same (in a normal voice): "Raise your hand if you can hear me." You can also say, "Clap twice if you can hear me," or you can say, "Put your hands on top of your head if you can hear me." The students around you will quickly follow your directions. The effect will domino throughout the room.

I am now publishing a bimonthly FREE newsletter on TPT titled from the Teacher's Desk: Classroom Tips & Ideas. This 2-page newsletter is filled with great ideas for the classroom. Download the first two issues now:

Issue 1 Issue 2

Contribute a teaching idea to "from the Teacher's Desk".

You are invited to contribute articles and lesson plans to my blog, ETS monthly newsletter, and website. Simply fill out the following forms and share the love:

Submit a Teaching Article
Submit a Lesson Plan

One last thing before I sign out for the day. What do your students do when they are done with their work? My kids always have a book on their desks. Reading is a priority in my classroom, so I created a really cool classroom poster. You might have already found it and downloaded the first version, but this morning I changed the file to zip file and added a 300 dpi jpeg. I sent my jpeg file to Walgreens and created a 16 x 20 poster. I used the code 40PERCENT to receive 40 percent off the price (I don't know if the code still works, but it's worth a try). I picked up my poster an hour later and yesterday, I found the perfect frame at Target. I can't wait to hang it above my reading center. Even my teenagers gave their hard won approval. The best part is that you can download this poster for FREE! Done? Read. Poster

Welcome to the Cyber Search Showcase

2011-08-05T13:28:00.003-05:00

You've just found the next hot thing on the blog! Welcome to the Cyber Search Showcase where you will be able to download $85 worth of FREE teaching materials!

It's not "Cyber Monday" yet, but you can take a sneak peek at what's in store.
This is How it Works:

Visit each blog or website below and you'll find one featured item that's valued between $3.00 and $10.00. You'll see a link to the TeachersPayTeachers.com store where you COULD buy this item, but you won't have to because it will be absolutely free to download from their website on Monday, August 8th!
For now, look for the blue Cyber Search buddy button on each blog or website to help you find the Cyber Search Showcase page. Then take a look around and check out the great teaching resources you'll find there. These bloggers have wonderful teaching strategies, tips, and free items in addition to the items they sell on TeachersPayTeachers.
Then choose another website on the list and hop over there to check things out. Bookmark any pages you like so you can come back and check them out later!
On Monday, August 8th, return to this page to start your Cyber Search for over $85 worth of teaching materials created just for Grade 3 - 5 teachers! Download and save each file before moving on to the next site. If you like the freebie, you may want to follow the seller on TpT or Facebook so you'll know when they create more great stuff!

Cyber Search Showcase Sellers and Websites

Laura Candler Teaching Resources
Tracey Graham Smart Chick Teacher
Lisa Frase Effective Teaching Solutions
Rachel Lynette Minds in Bloom
Ashleigh Swinford Education Journey
Charity Preston The Organized Classroom Blog
Jennifer Runde Runde's Room
Wise Guys Teaching Activities, Lesson Plans, and Units
Karla Banks Life in Special Education
Heather Kaiser The Teched Out Teacher
Rosshalde Pak Education Shortlist
PowerPoint Maniac PowerPoint Maniac's Teaching Resources
Nyla Phillips-Martin Nyla's Crafty Teaching
Margaret Whisnaut Taking Grades for Teachers

Bonus Items hosted on Laura’s site:

Ruth S. "Chocolate Fever Student Worksheets"

Thanks to Laura Candler for setting this up. If you aren't already receiving her newsletter, be sure to sign up here, or follow her facebook page here.

The Final Day of the Back to School Blog PARty!

2011-08-04T18:31:00.008-05:00

Teacher's Stationary Set

It's time to wind up this party. Please remember that you can still enter the giveaways for ALL FIVE DAYS until Sunday, August 7, 2011 midnight Central time. Today's FREE download is a printable Teacher's Stationary Set.

Announcements

I am extending the Back to School Bulletin Board Contest to September 4, 2011 midnight Central time. Just snap a picture of your bulletin board and email it to me with a short blurb. The winner will receive a $25 Target gift card.

I am going to participate in a Cyber Hunt put together by author Laura Candler. It's an awesome opportunity to check out new teaching blogs and download a ton of FREE teaching resources that will only be available for free for 24 hours. Check back over the next few days so that you don't miss out on all of the free resources.

Giveaway Time!

Get ready! Get set! Today I am giving away $100 of teaching resources (winner's choice) from my TPT Shop! I have over 270 products to choose from. The winner will get to select $100 worth of resources (retail value, not sale price). I will ask the winner to send me a list of links and then I will email the files directly to the winner.

Rules

In order to enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment and your email address. Tell us one new thing you are going to try in your classroom this year. That's it! Let the sharing begin!

The PARty is Back! Day 4 - Back to School Blog PARty

2011-08-04T07:31:00.000-05:00

We are heading into the final stretch of my Back to School Blog PARty! So far it has been a smashing success! There is still time to get in on all of the party action. All of the giveaways are open for entries until Sunday night (8/7/11).

Teacher's Money Binder

Today's freebie is a teacher's money binder. Okay -you have to get your own binder, but I did make you a cute cover page and some nice forms for keeping track of book orders, field trips, and other money collections. I'm even going to tell you how I set this up, and why a money binder is a good idea.

Have you ever lost a book order and found it a year later in the back of your desk drawer? I know this sounds a bit crazy, but I've seen this kind of thing happen to more than one teacher! Where is the first place a thief will look for money in a classroom (besides your purse)? You are correct! The teacher's desk drawers. And it does happen. A binder is a simple way to keep track of your money, orders, and permission slips. You can tuck it on your shelf with your other teaching resources, and no one is the wiser!

What do you need for your teacher binder? Purchase a one or two inch binder with a clear, plastic sleeve in front. You will also want three hole punched folders and a zipper pencil pocket that goes into a binder (make sure it's not a see-thru pencil pocket). And of course you need to download your FREE Teacher's Money Binder. Set your binder up for book orders, field trips, and other. Keep forms, book orders, and permission slips in the pocket folders, and money in the pencil pocket. Now you are set for keeping track of money collections!

Giveaway Time!

Today I am giving away a teacher's goody box filled with some wonderful and practical items. I will snail mail the goodies to the winner! You can see the goodies in the picture, but you can't see everything. The box will include extra surprises.

Rules

For this entry, I am going to send you on a scavenger hunt. You will find a lot of teaching articles on this blog. If you look to the right-hand side you will see a list of "On the Blog" topics. Choose a topic, find an article, and read it. Then come back and post a comment telling us which article you read and how you might apply something from the article to your classroom this year. That's it! Go forth and learn something!

This contest is open for comments until midnight Central time August 7, 2011. I will use random.org to select a winner. I will notify winners by email by August 9, 2011. I will also post the winner on the blog on or before August 10, 2011. The winner must email me their mailing address.

Come back tomorrow for one more day of partying, another free download and giveaway!

Day 3 - The Back to School Blog PARty Continues!

2011-08-03T06:37:00.001-05:00

Back to School Printables

The party isn't over, and today I have some sweet surprises. Let's begin with today's FREE download. I created an adorable back to school matching set of printables; including: snack size candy bar wrapper (new design), a pencil topper, a gift tag, and a bookmark. Download your FREE Back to School Printable set now!

Giveaway Time!

You are in for a treat today! Two Etsy sellers have donated beautiful jewelry from their shops. TWO lucky winners will walk away with something beautiful to wear on the first day of school.

Moonlight Designs

Moonlight Designs is giving a lucky winner this beautiful pair of cranberry red briolette wire wrapped earrings. This is a $38 value!

Sass and Class

Sass and Class Jewelry is giving the winner this love red, black, and silver necklace, bracelet, and earring set. If this lovely set isn't your style, she said you can shop her store and make another choice! This set is a $28 value!

Rules

In order to enter today I'd like to ask you to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter (the subscription box is on the right-hand side of the blog). Each month I send out a newsletter with articles, teaching ideas, and announcements. If you are already a subscriber -then let me say thank you, and please leave me a comment letting me know what you like about the newsletter. Of course, I won't give your email away or sell it (I hate that when it happens to me). I'm also inviting you to contribute to my newsletter, blog, and my new bimonthly free newsletter that I publish on TPT "from the Teacher's Desk: Classroom Tips & Ideas". In addition, you can contribute a lesson plan to post on my website. You can contribute anytime! I would love for you to share your ideas and thinking about teaching with my readers.

For this giveaway, please comment and tell me if you are a subscriber. I am leaving links to the contributor's forms. Leave a comment if you contributed something, so I can make sure I check it out. If you plan to contribute later, please tell me that too. Subscribe and / or Contribute & Leave a Comment to Enter.

Contribute an Article (100-500 words) to the ETA Blog, Website, and / or Newsletter

Download a FREE copy of Issue 1 "from the Teacher's Desk: Classroom Tips & Ideas"
Download a FREE copy of Issue 2 "from the Teacher's Desk: Classroom Tips & Ideas"

Contribute a short (under 75 words) classroom idea to "from the Teacher's Desk"

This contest is open for comments until midnight Central time August 7, 2011. I will use random.org to select a winner. I will notify winners by email by August 9, 2011. I will also post the winner on the blog on or before August 10, 2011. *The winner will need to contact each the Etsy seller to receive their prize. I will email the sellers and the winners with email addresses, so that you can arrange everything.

Come back tomorrow for another free download and giveaway!

PARty ON! Day 2 - Back to School Blog PARty!

2011-08-02T00:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to my Back to School Blog PARty! Today is terrific Tuesday because I am giving away an awesome freebie and a teaching resource shopping spree! Sorry about the forgotten link yesterday -although I did manage to get it done by noon after a friendly nudge from a reader. Today -the freebie IS linked!

Back to School
Classroom Management
Printables Packet

Download your FREE copy of this Back to School Classroom Management Printables Packet. This 16 page packet comes with a Thingsto Do printable, 33 classroom management labels, book plates, and an At a Glance Lesson Planner notes page (my personal favorite).

Here is an idea: Save paper! Laminate your Things to Do printable and write on it with a dry erase marker.

Another idea: After you writeyour lesson plans each week, fill in your At a Glance Lesson Planner notes page. Tape a plastic insert down on your desk and slip in your notes page.

Giveaway Time!

Today is an exciting day! Twenty-four teacher-authors (including me) will give the winner one item of their choice from their Teachers Pay Teachers store. That's 24 awesome freebies of your choice! How cool is that?

Rules

In order to be entered in this giveaway, you must follow OR bookmark / favorite at least 3 of the contributor's TPT stores (yes, it counts if you already follow, but please find 3 more if you can). This giveaway works on the honor system, so go...explore stores, and find teacher-authors that best suits your classroom needs. When you follow a teacher-author on TPT, you receive automatic updates to your in-box each time the teacher-author posts a new product. You will be amazed at the array of teaching resources by in the trenches classroom teachers!

Just a quick note: I really do hope you will explore these shops and great teaching resources, and find a few that will make your teaching life easier this year. We love follows -it makes us happy, plus we can send out a note once a month to followers, but if you just don't want to do that, then pretty please with sugar on top bookmark your favorite shops so that you can find them again.

Come back to this blog post and leave a comment which includes: (1) The name of the three teacher-authors you are following (or bookmarked to find again); (2) Your email address.

This contest is open for comments until midnight Central time August 7, 2011. I will use random.org to select a winner. I will notify winners by email by August 9, 2011. I will also post the winner on the blog on or before August 10, 2011. The winner must verify their email address (by replying to me) before I send the gift card. *The winner will need to contact each teacher-author to receive the product of your choice. I will email the teacher-author's and the winner with email address.

BACK TO SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD CONTEST

Follow these Great Teacher-Authors at TPT

Lisa Frase Laura Candler Runde's Room tchrBrowne

Rachel Lynette Teacher Tam Addie Williams Karla Banks

Rosshalde Pak Teched Out Teacher Maskateers Anna Colley

Heidi Raki Shop Sunny Days The Lesson Plan Diva MrsMc

Kinderkay Vintage Teacher Linda Nelson Victoria Leon

Dijobaker Barbara Kilburn Beth Hammett Science Stuff

Let's Get This Back to School Party Started!

2011-08-01T06:29:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my 2011 Back to School Blog PARty! Stop by each day this week to join the fun. Everyday I will post a new giveaway and a FREE back to school download! I don't know about you, but sometimes Monday mornings are hard to wake up to, so today's freebie is a little pick me up:

Back to School Candy Bar Wrappers

Download a copy of these FREE Back to School Candy Bar Wrappers.
This file has 3 different sized wrappers: regular, mini, and snack sized. Last year, I gave my student's mini Hershey's bars. This year I plan to give them a snack sized Kit Kat bar. The Kit Kat bars come in a package of 8. I will put these on their desks at lunch time. They will come back to class and see a little surprise waiting on their desk!

Find More Candy Bar Wrappers

Giveaway Time!

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Today's giveaway is a $25 Amazon gift card. I will send the gift card directly from Amazon to your inbox.

Rules

1. Help me get this party started by shouting out invites! In order to be entered in this giveaway, you must tweet, pin, and / or post (or Like) today's party (this blog post) on Facebook. So what if you don't have a Twitter, Pinterest, or Facebook account? Don't worry! You can still enter. Send an email to a friend to let them know about the party, or leave a comment with your best back to school idea. You can do one thing or everything!

   ~Tweet: RT @teachingfriends
   ~Pin at Pinterest
   ~Post or Like on Facebook
   ~Email a friend
   ~Post a back to school idea in the comments
After you have tweeted, pinned, and / or posted / liked on Facebook, or emailed, come back to this post and leave a comment, or leave a great back to school idea in the comments section.

In your comment you must tell me: (1) If you tweeted, pinned, or liked / posted on Facebook, emailed a friend; or leave an great back to school idea; (2) Leave your email address.

This contest is open for comments until midnight Central time August 7, 2011. I will use random.org to select a winner. I will notify winners by email by August 9, 2011. I will also post the winner on the blog on or before August 10, 2011. The winner must verify their email address (by replying to me) before I send the gift card.

Surprise! Grab your 10% off code for all of TPT + find out who has their store on sale this week for up to 20% off! That equals up to 30% off! Woohoo! P.S. Everything in my TPT store is 20% August 1-4, 2011. Happy shopping! GRAB THE CODE

Come back tomorrow for a new giveaway and freebie!

BACK TO SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD CONTEST

Reading & Writing Conferring Notebooks

2011-07-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

Reading & Writing Conferring Notebooks

Goal: Document reading and writing conferences with students.

I'm good at getting started, but when it's time to show my documentation or record it in our district's computer system, I have to scramble to gather all of my notes.

I've tried binders, clipboards, notebooks...

I hate carrying all of those big, bulky things around.

I have a new addiction: Pinterest. I kept seeing a picture of an ABC book made out of plastic index card tabs. I have no idea where it originated, but the other night, I had an a-ha. What if I made a similar book, but for recording reading and writing conferences?

I found the 3 x 5 plastic ABC index tabs in the school supply section of Walmart. I picked up binder rings, 3 x 5 index cards, and scrapbooking stickers. The tricky part is hole punching through the plastic. If you have strong hands, a lot of time, and can handle pain -then by all means, use a hand held hole puncher. My hands still hurt from the attempt. I have a three ring hole punch. I spent some time with index cards getting it lined up just right. When I had it the way I wanted it, I drew lines on my hole puncher with a marker. I used the lines to line up the plastic tabs. I found that I could only punch tabs at a time. Next, I punched index cards. I put the cards through the rings, decorated the front tab, and now I have a beautiful conference notebook.

I love this because A) I can create a card for each student and place them in the book in ABC order; B) I can flip to the student's card, add a new card when the original card is full, and easily carry my notebook around the classroom with me; C) I can hang my notebooks on hooks so that they don't get lost under a stack of papers!

What will I put on the cards?

At the top of each card I will put the student's name (last, first), reading levels, and testing information. I will date each entry at the beginning of the lines and write shorthand notes about my conferences. I made a notebook for both reading and writing. I am excited about my conferring notebooks, and I can't wait to use them in my classroom this year!

BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG PARTY

BACK TO SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD CONTEST

Back to School Blog PARty Invitation

2011-07-27T14:44:00.008-05:00

Are you ready to PARty? You are invited to attend my

BACK TO SCHOOL BLOG PARTY

When: Everyday, August 1st-5th, 2011

Where: Right here on the blog!

Starting on Monday, August 1st, I will post a new giveaway each day throughout the week. There will be a different prize each day. Winners will be chosen randomly using random.org.

But wait! That's not all! I will also post a brand new, original FREE printable each day for back to school!

I'm not going to give everything away today, but just know, that prizes up for grabs include gift cards, shopping sprees, handcrafted jewelry, and back to school goodies. Pop in each day to enter the drawings and download your free teaching resource.

Let's get this PARty started! If you blog about this party before Monday (link to the party included), I will let you choose ANY one product from my TPT store. In order to get your free product, you must leave a comment with a link to your blog post and your email (if you are uncomfortable leaving your email address in the comments section, you can use the contact button on the top right-hand side to email me -please include comment post number).

Come back next week for the Back to School Blog Party!

*In case you missed it: Back to School Bulletin Board Contest

Back to School Bulletin Board Contest

2011-07-26T10:51:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone! This is your chance to win a $25 Target gift card. To enter, simply send me a picture of your back to school bulletin board and a short explanation. Please include your grade level. On August 31, 2011 I will post everyone's great bulletin board pictures on my website: Effective Teaching Solutions. If you have a blog, website, or TPT shop, I will include your link with your bulletin board picture.

I will post the winner's bulletin board picture on the blog (and website). I will choose a winner based on creativity, clever title, and visual representation. Bring on the creativity! Just click the Contact Me button on the top right-hand side of the blog to send me your bulletin board picture and short blurb. I will accept entries until Saturday, September 4, 2011 (Midnight, Central). This date has been extended for teachers who start back late.

FREE! The Great Chart Paper Survey!

2011-07-25T09:41:00.003-05:00

I am excited to announce that the blog has reached over 100 followers. As promised, I am giving away a freebie in celebration of reaching this milestone.

The Great Chart Paper Survey is a quick assessment of attitudes, thinking, and knowledge that anyone can use in any grade or subject area. You can also use the surveys in teacher workshops!

This little survey gets your students moving, and allows students to share their thinking in a way that doesn't put them on the spot. You can eyeball the results and make quick decisions about how to move forward in your lessons or workshop.

Download your FREE copy of The Great Chart Paper Survey Now. Please be sure to come back and tell us how you used the survey. Thank you for following Effective Teaching Articles.

One more thing! Get ready to PARty! I am going to host a HUGE Back to School Party next week! I will make a pre party announcement on Thursday, so be sure to check back to get the scoop!

Terrific Techie Tool: Thoughtbox

2011-07-24T16:32:00.008-05:00

I just discovered a terrific techie tool that I am excited about. I have a lot of things going online. I've been trying to streamline my thinking so that I can organize how I manage everything from this blog to Facebook. School is going to start back up soon, and I don't want to get overwhelmed and drop the ball.

So I've been taking notes, and making lists, and creating a plan sticky notes. I confess to be the queen of sticky notes all over my desk. I knew I needed to do something, so just as I was getting ready to type up my notes in a Word document, I came across Thoughtbox.

I am in love with this amazing tool. You only get three thought trains for free, but that is enough to accomplish what I need to do. I set up one for my online activities, one for brainstorming writing ideas, and one for school.

This is how it works: You create your main train of thought (like one big category). For example, I created a page for school. Then you add boxes relevant to different categories for your thought. I created a things to do list, reading, writing, social studies, classroom organization plans, and back to school shopping list for my page. Next, you add a list of thoughts, ideas, or things to do. Thoughtbox provides an amazing way to keep your thinking organized.

I suspect all of you wonderful and imaginative teachers out there will devise ways to use this tool in the classroom. Please leave your "thoughts" in the comments section to share with other readers. Happy thinking!

from the Teacher's Desk: Classroom Tips & Hints

2011-07-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY NOW

When I first started teaching, I loved reading through magazines and books with lots of little tips and hits for everything from teaching reading to classroom management. I found these little bits of knowledge invaluable.

I would like to introduce my FREE newsletter, a bimonthly publication packed with little bits of knowledge. This is just the first issue of what I hope will be many to come. The next issue will be published on July 31, 2011. Follow me in my TPT store to receive notification of when the newsletter (as well as my new teaching resources) is available for download.

I hope this newsletter will grow in size and contributions. Do you have a great teaching idea? A sure fire classroom management strategy? An idea for a theme or a bulletin board? Please contribute your tips & hits to future issues of "from the Teacher's Desk." SUBMISSION FORM

Classroom Jobs

2011-07-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

Now Hiring: Responsible students to carry out important classroom duties.

As an upper elementary teacher, I have found that certain classroom jobs are critical to running an efficient classroom. I try to give everyone things to do throughout the year, but at the beginning of the year, I watch for students I can train to consistently take care of certain jobs in my classroom.

Calendar: If I didn't have someone to take care of the calendar, I would probably forget to change it each month. My school follows a six day rotation for PE, art, and music. I have one person (sometimes two) to change out the "day". I bought a large calendar from a teacher supply store and laminated all of the pieces. I put magnets on the calendar so that I could hang it on my chalkboard. I put Velcro dots on each square of the calendar and on all of my calendar numbers. This makes it easy and quick to change out. I found matching letters and extra numbers. I have magnets on the back of the word "day" and numbers 1-6. We put the "day" of the week number next to the word "day" and change it out daily. The kids always know which day it is, which is a good thing, because without them I would never no where to go! I will try to remember to post a picture when I get back to school. You can find themed calendar pieces in each of my Classroom Theme Packets.

Secretary: This job is extremely important. I generally recruit 2-3 students to act as my secretaries all year long. I do not have a basket 13 for students to lose their work in. I am very particular about taking up papers. I take papers up at once, but I always remind students to write their names on their papers by saying, "Everyone stop. Point to your name." It works like a charm! One of my secretaries will collect the papers and put them in abc order. A couple of years ago I found a file sorter. I insist that students write their last name on their papers. My secretary quickly puts each person's paper in their correct slot (abc), and then takes them all out in abc order! The file sorter saves a lot of time. The secretary paperclips the set of papers together and places them into my "to be graded" basket. They can add a sticky note with the names of absent students as well. Look for a responsible child who is generally finished with work sooner than the rest of the class.

My Classroom Library

Librarian: My classroom library is rather large. All of my books are organized in baskets by genre. I use an old-fashioned library card system for check out. I generally recruit at least two librarians. I look for students who are good at organizing. Sometimes your ADHD children make the best librarians! My librarians keep the books organized. They check to make sure that books are in the correct basket and that each book has a library card. They also check through the check out box. I only allow students to check out one book at a time from my classroom library -this cuts down on missing books. My librarians check to make sure students are following my library check out procedures. They inform me of any problems they discover (like someone checked out five books five months ago and never returned them).

Table Captains: I assign a table captains to take care of community supplies, to pass out and collect books and notebooks, and to collect papers at the table. Table captains quickly put the the papers in abc order and make sure that they have everyone's paper. They hand them to the secretary when they come by. I do rotate table captains about every nine weeks. Some students love the job, and others do not. I tend to allow the student who wants to do the job, and can do it quickly, quietly, and efficiently to take it on.

There are many other jobs you can create. You can rotate jobs or find a job for every single student. Here are some other student job ideas: gardener, runner, table monitor, line leader, attendance secretary, pencil monitor, homework checker, etc.

Follow this linky party to get more classroom job ideas!

Oh the Places You Go Blog Linky Party

2011-07-19T09:58:00.004-05:00

I just came across a linky party sponsored by Yearn4Learning. I thought it would be fun to participate. The Oh the Places You Go Blog Linky Party is designed to highlight great teaching blogs.

The following is linked up:

A "New Kid on the Blog" blogger: I am highlighting Third Grade, etc. She just opened up her blog and only has 7 followers. It's always fun to start a new adventure and exciting to gain new followers.

Post a blog in your same grade level: I teach 4th grade, so I am highlighting Mrs. O'Brien's 4th Grade Blog. This is a nice little classroom blog. I love the idea of having a blog for my class to follow (not to mention my parents).

Post a blog in a different grade level: I've decided to highlight Tracee Orman's blog -Hunger Games Lessons. She is the queen of resources for this awesome series!

Grab a cute blog button and display it: I like Rachel's Minds in Bloom button. It's simple and clean.

You are next. Go seek and find great teaching blogs!
READING WORKSHOP LINKY PARTY

Transitioning High School Students into College Courses

2011-07-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

*This article is written by my friend, Beth Hammett. Beth teaches English on the college level. This is exactly where I am in my life as my son transitions from high school to college.

For twelve years, parents and teachers manage students’ progressions in schools. After that, students take control of their academic successes and failures. There are many differences between high school and college classes. Helping students know what to expect in their first-year courses can ease the high school to college transition.

First, students should realize their classes may be very large in size, and they will be diverse in age, ethnicity, and gender. Some classrooms at four-year universities hold up to 500 students. In large classes, professors may not learn students’ names or remember their faces. Attendance might be taken by card swipe systems, clickers, participations, or sign-in sheets. There are plenty of stories of students sitting through classes without knowing they were supposed to punch their identification numbers into keyboards. Some colleges allow professors to set their own attendance policies, so students need to read and follow their syllabus, which is like a contract. Students should ask questions about attendance policies if they are unsure.

Courses meet from one day a week to five days a week and extend for longer periods of time than high school classes. Students should plan three hours of study time for each course they are enrolled, so twelve credit hours requires thirty-six hours of study time. Scheduling all courses on one or two days sounds great, but is it feasible? Students do not realize course grades may be two only tests grades: one mid-term and one final exam. In-class discussions, labs, and lecture notes are used to study for tests. The preparation times needed for passing courses is longer than in most high school courses due to less meeting times.

Students monitor their own progress and keep up with their grades in courses. This is a major change from high school where parents and teachers assist, encourage, and remind students to turn in assignments. Then, students get into college courses, and safety nets are removed. Progress reports are not sent to college students. Sometimes, computerized grading software, such as Blackboard or WebCT is used. Students log-in and track their progresses. Students must also take necessary steps, such as attending study groups or tutoring, on their own to ensure academic successes. Passing or failing courses are students’ responsibilities.

There is much more freedom, yet a great deal more responsibility, in college courses than in high school classes. The quality of education in college depends upon students’ commitments to courses. The transitions from high school to college courses can be eased when students know what to expect. Encourage students to explore their options with Finding the Perfect College.

Christmas in July Sale!!!

2011-07-16T18:00:00.061-05:00

Can you hear it? There is a faint, "Ho, ho, ho..." off in the distance. That's because Christmas is coming! Christmas in July! Have I got a sale going on for you in my TPT store...

I am offering 20% off of my ENTIRE store!

And its not just me! Check out my sale first, and then check out the other over 30 sales happening today only - you're sure to find something you'll love. Click any button below to visit a participating sale!

I told you it was going to be big and worthy of the title, "Christmas In July!" Happy shopping and Merry Christmas (in July)!

The Potter Games

2011-07-14T18:06:00.000-05:00

Attention Harry Potter & Hunger Games Fans:

This is posted by permission. Tracee Orman -Queen of The Hunger Games Teaching Resources, participated in the creation of an amazing project where Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games.

This is Tracee's post regarding: THE POTTER GAMES

In honor of the final Harry Potter movie, some fans (who happen to be professional writers) decided to take the Harry Potter characters and throw them into The Hunger Games arena. The website is a choose-your-adventure game that is appropriate for students through adults (I would say based on what I've read/written, ages 12 and up). You read a scenario, then make the decision (you actually become the character). Users are practicing reading and decision-making skills, which makes it something you can use in class (right now it's a little slow because thousands of people are accessing it - it just went live this week. I imagine that will slow down once school starts).

If you haven't read the Hunger Games, the setting may not make sense to you, but Lord Voldemort has a nice little intro filling you in, so you can still play. If you haven't read either series, you may not get the inside jokes, but it should still be interesting.

So far, only four characters have been "released." By August 8th, all will be released, and new scenarios will be written.

If you happen to like both or either series, you should check it out! The writers range from pros to high school students. They also range from fans, to librarians, to teachers (I might be the only teacher, though), radio broadcasters, musicians, and children's book publishers. They also come from the US, France, Philippines, and UK. Eventually the site will have videos with more original artwork created by the contributors (and all the music on the YouTube videos was originally composed, as well).

Check out this amazing website. Thrill your students! Bewitch yourself!

Picture Book Review of Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

2011-07-11T09:27:00.000-05:00

Today is Patricia Polacco's birthday (June 11). In honor of her special day, I've decided to review one of my favorite pictures books: Thank You, Mr. Falker.

I read aloud this story every year on the first or second day of school. Trisha is a little girl in fifth grade who can't read. Mr. Falker notices her problem, and spends time helping her to make sense of the letters and words.

This book touches the heart of the struggling reader, because you see, the surprise in the book is that Trisha is really Patricia Polacco. This is her story. The story of a dyslexic child who grows up to be an award winning, famous children's author. This story is about hope.

All of my students enjoy this story. My struggling readers relate to this story, but my dyslexic students hold onto this story like a lifeline. I remind them throughout the year that if Patricia could do it, they could do it. They love knowing that a writer of stories has the same problem they have. This is a deep, emotional connection to the text, the character, and the author. Dyslexic students share the struggles, the sense of inadequacy, and the hope with the author.

In the beginning of the story, Grandfather pours honey onto a book and makes a speech (that the whole family memorizes and recites) about what happens through the pages of a book. Do you want to make your student's gasp? Choose an old, falling apart book. Get ready! Pour honey onto the book and make the same speech that Grandfather makes before you read the story out loud. I recommend having something to catch the mess. After you read the story, put a little honey on a graham cracker and give one to each student. The entire class can chant the little speech before eating their graham cracker. This creates a memorable moment, something they can hang onto when they are feeling frustrated during reading.

More Books by Patricia Polacco
(This is not a complete list.)

When Lightning Comes in a Jar
Junkyard Wonders
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (Aladdin Picture Books)
Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln
The Lemonade Club
Thunder Cake
The Butterfly
The Bee Tree
Chicken Sunday
Pink and Say
In Our Mothers' House
I Can Hear the Sun (Picture Puffins)
January's Sparrow
Rechenka's Eggs (Paperstar)
Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare
Babushka's Doll
For the Love of Autumn
Mr. Lincoln's Way
Christmas Tapestry
Emma Kate
Bun Bun Button
John Philip Duck
Meteor!Welcome Comfort
Someone for Mr. Sussmann
The Trees of the Dancing Goats (Aladdin Picture Books)
Mrs. Katz and Tush (A Bantam little rooster book)
Just Plain Fancy (Dell Picture Yearling)
An Orange for Frankie
G is for Goat
Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair
Mrs Mack (Picture Puffins)
Ginger and Petunia
Appelemando's Dreams (Reading Rainbow Feature Selection)
Something About Hensley's
Some Birthday!
Oh, Look!
Mommies Say Shh!
Picnic at Mudsock Meadow
My Ol' Man (Picture Books)
Betty Doll
By Patricia Polacco: The Keeping Quilt

I Have a Text Connection!

2011-07-06T10:42:00.000-05:00

Step inside a classroom of young minds who have studied reading strategies. The teacher is in the middle of reading a text out loud. A little hand pops up, "I have text connection!" As it turns out, this particular student has a dog who sort of, but not quite, looks like the dog in the book, and they have lots of stories to tell about their dog. The teacher cuts the student off when they start to say, "One time..." and begins reading again. Another hand pops up. Another text connection.

The teacher is frustrated. We know that good readers personally connect with the text. David Pearson and Nell Duke did the research. Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmermann brought the research into our classrooms with their groundbreaking book, Mosaic of Thought: The Power of Comprehension Strategy Instruction. We've added the strategies to our curriculum documents and spent lots of time teaching the strategies metacognitively.

So why do our students continue to make shallow connections with the text? There is a simple, yet powerful reason. Consider your own reading. Do you think about how you personally connect to the text when you read? I know that I don't stop and go, "Hmm, how do I connect to this text?" But I do connect.

I might relate to the character's situation, or emotions and feelings. It's possible that the setting is somewhere I've lived or visited, so I have a strong visual connection. I connect, but I connect on an emotional level. The character might have a dog, and I might have a dog, but that's a surface connection. Surface connections do not join us to the story and take us to new places on an emotional level. When I read the young adult novel, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, I had strong feelings about the character's situation. It effected me on a deeply emotional level. My first reaction was a protective maternal instinct. My daughter is the same age as the character in the book. I felt a strong need to warn and protect her from the same fate as the character. I cried for the character. My heart ached for the character.

Can young children connect in a powerful way to text? Yes. I've witnessed it. I read aloud the book, Finding Daddy: A Story of the Great Depression by Jo Harper to a group of second graders. At the end of the story, I noticed a few of the children had tears slipping down their cheeks. Although the children did not have the same misfortune of experience as the character in the story, the very idea of the character's father leaving touched these kid's on an emotional level. Their hearts ached for the character.

Personal connections are just that -personal. We do not always connect to a story on a personal level. In fact, sometimes we can't connect to the story at all. Instead of requiring a sticky note today with a connection, why don't we keep sticky notes available year round? Students can write a note about their connection when they make a true connection, rather than a "forced connection because the teacher said I should connect".

The best way to help students make connections is to get to know your students. As teachers, if we understand our students interests and thinking, then we can offer them books with characters in which they can relate. There is a reason for Harry Potter's success. Kids relate to the underdog Harry who had magical powers (and what kid doesn't want magical powers) and was able to crush his enemy. Readers connect to Harry on an emotional level -that place of low confidence that rises above and meets the challenge (with a bit of magical help). Take text connections to a new level by sharing your emotional connections to a story, and then ask students to do the same.

The Secret of Silent Reading

2011-06-29T09:11:00.000-05:00

If I could climb into a child's mind and listen to them read, I do believe I could possibly solve their reading difficulties. The best we can do is interview our students about their thinking. I had an epiphany about three years ago: good readers read with expression in their minds.

Think about it: As a reader do you read text with a slow, dragging beat? I know that when I read in my mind I read with expression. I read the sounds of the text in the same way I hear the sounds of music. Each character has a distinct voice. The narrative has a particular sound. I read inside my mind like a drama queen.

One day I was listening to a student read out loud. Slow. Choppy. Boring. I asked the student, "When you read silent in your mind do you read the same way you read out loud?" The answer: yes. Teaching requires a certain amount of experimentation. I said, "Listen to how I read this paragraph out loud." After I completed the reading, I asked the student to mimic me by reading the paragraph out loud with expression -like a drama queen (or king). The difference was amazing. I then asked the student to read the paragraph in the same way silently.

Unfortunately, I can't read my student's minds. I can't hear if they are really applying expressive reading to their silent reading, but after trying this with several students, and expressing to them that I would like them to practice reading with expression in their minds, I received positive reports and noticed a distinct difference in their comprehension of text.

I've continued my little experiment over the past two years. Now I teach mini lessons on expressive reading. We begin practicing out loud and then change over to silent mode. I impress upon my students that each character should have different voice and that the narrative should flow like a song in their head. I model, model, model. I might not be able to climb into their minds, but I do believe I've hit upon something important. Struggling readers can improve comprehension when they improve silent fluency. Fluency is more than rate -it's expression, inflection, character voices, rhythm, beat, music. Silent fluency is the first step in taking student's comprehension to the next level. Once they become fluent in their minds, they can concentrate on the thinking that occurs during reading.

There is research about oral fluency. It is said that student's comprehension improves as their oral fluency improves. How many teachers have heard students with beautiful oral fluency that can't comprehend a text to save their life? I believe the missing piece is transferring oral fluency to silent fluency. Teach your kids to become drama queens and kings -in the silence of their minds.

Teacher 2 Teacher MEGA CONTEST!

2011-06-16T06:04:00.000-05:00

I confess that I'm just a little bit excited about the contest put together on the Teacher 2 Teacher blog. Why? Well...I spent hours upon hours putting it together! Thirty-three fantastic teacher-sellers from Teachers Pay Teachers donated some of their best classroom friendly products for the contest. There are 3 entry categories: K-2, 3-6, and Middle School / High School (MS/HS is divided into five subject areas: English, math, science, social studies / history, and fine arts). Pop on over and enter for your chance to win!

TEACHER 2 TEACHER MEGA CONTEST

Super Cool Sites for Teachers

2011-06-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

I've ran across a number of super cool websites lately that have lots of potential for the classroom. Let your imagination soar with the possibilities. This is my top ten list of super cool sites for teachers:

1
Linoit Virtual Sticky Notes Bulletin Board
Create a free virtual canvas of sticky notes. Ask a question. Allow students to answer on a sticky. Instead of creating an anchor chart together using chart paper, create a virtual anchor chart! Brainstorm ideas, concepts, questions, and more.

2
Quizlet Flashcards & Flashcards Creator

This super cool site allows teachers to create virtual flashcards and quizzes for languages, math, vocabulary and more.

Sqworl Visual Bookmarks

Do you want to give your students a limited selection of websites to explore? Set up a free sqworl account and create a visual bookmark page.

Tools for Educators

This site is definitely worth checking out. Create worksheets, word searches, dice, gameboards, crossword puzzles, bingo games, mazes, dominoes, certificates, and more!

Storybird

Create virtual short, art inspired stories on this site. This site is a lot of fun, and perfect for writing classes.

Wiggio

Wiggio is not only free, but an awesome way to communicate with parents and students. You can even use it to set up groups for projects and book clubs. This site provides comments, events, files, meetings, messages, to do lists, and polls.

Popplet

Popplet is crazy cool! You can (or your students) create graphic organizers and galleries of information. Students can collaborate together or work alone. You can create popplets for presentations and more!

Win Calendar
This site allows you to customize calendars. It's a great way to keep track of school events, print calendars for students, and more!

Teachers Pay Teachers

This site is packed with thousands of free and low cost classroom resources created by thousands of classroom teachers. It's an open marketplace for teachers to buy and sell classroom materials, units, lesson plans, worksheets, PowerPoints, and more.

Google Docs

Google Docs provides free templates for documents, spreadsheets, forms, and more. Utilize Google Docs as a way for students to complete assignments, fill out surveys, add information to forms, and spreadsheets, etc.

Clipart Letters for Fun & Profit

2011-05-22T20:51:00.001-05:00

I've created sets of clipart letters, digits, punctuation, and symbols that you can use for bulletin boards and as clipart. The first six sets in my collection are a small reflection of what is to come. Each collection is only $1.99. Click on the picture in order to see more details about the collection.

Puzzle Pieces Rainbow Polka Dot

American Blue Sky & Water Chocolate Swirl

Can't Memorize Those Dreaded Math Facts

2011-05-15T09:18:00.001-05:00

Guest blogger Scipi identifies why some children have trouble memorizing math facts and what teachers and parents can do about it.

Can't Memorize Those Dreaded Math Facts

Many of my college students come to me without knowing their math facts. Some do, but most do not. Since we use calculators in the class, it really isn't an issue. It just takes those students longer to do a test or their homework. One day, the students in my Basic Algebra Concepts class (a remedial math class) were playing a math game to practice adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. We were using double die where a small dice is located inside a larger dice. (I have to keep an eye on these because they tend to "disappear". The students love them!) I noticed one of my students continually counting the dots on the die. He was unable to see the group of dots and know how many were in the set. It was then that I realized he could not conserve sets.
Conserving sets means that a person can look at a grouping or a set and identify how many there are without individually counting them. (i.e. three fingers that are held up) When a child is unable to do this, they cannot memorize math facts since memorizing is associating an abstract number with a concrete set. Many teachers as well as parents fail to recognize the root cause of this memorization problem. AND no amount of practicing, bribing, yelling, or pulling out your hair will change the situation. So what can you do?
First of all, the problem must be identified. Use a dice and see if the child must count each dot on each face. Try holding up fingers or laying out sets of candy (M&M's - yummy!) or using dominoes. Put five beans in a container, and ask the child how many are in the box. (They may count them the first few times.) Take them out, and put them back in. Ask the child again how many there are. If, after several times, s/he is unable to recognize the set as a whole, then s/he cannot conserve sets.
How do you help such a child? If you have small children at home, begin the conservation of sets by holding up various combinations of fingers. My granddaughter just turned four; so, we worked on holding up two fingers on one hand and two fingers on the other; then one and three fingers, and of course, four fingers. I also like to use dominoes. They already have set groupings which can be identified, added, subtracted, and even multiplied. A dice is great because the child thinks you are playing a game, not doing math. Roll one dice, and ask the child to identify the set of dots. Try the bean idea, but continue to change the number of beans in the box. My granddaughters love the candy idea because they are allowed to eat them when we are done. (All children need a little sugar now and then even though their parents try to control the intake. I love being a Grandma!)

Gregory Tang has written two wonderful books for older children, The Grapes of Math and Math for All Seasons, which emphasize conserving sets. At times, I even use them in my college classes! I was fortunate to attend two of his workshops presented by Creative Mathematics. He not only has a sense of humor, but his books can be read again and again without a child becoming bored. Check them out!

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2011-05-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

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Turn Your Attitude Around

2011-05-07T09:04:00.002-05:00

The following post is by guest blogger Denise Boehm. As I read her article, I was reminded of a quote by Norman Vincent Peale, "The secret of life isn't what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you." During these troubling times, we must remember to keep our chin up, our attitude positive, and find ways to cope with stress.

Turn Your Attitude Around by Denise Bohehm

For generations, kids have been uttering the same phrases that instantly raise the blood pressure of their teachers. Do any of these sound familiar: How much longer till lunch? When are we going to recess? Is this on the test? Do we have to write the questions?

Well, one of my high school teachers had a great response for the classic “When will we ever use this?” He hung a giant handmade banner above the side board that read “Right here, Right now!” which he would forcefully point to the first time an unsuspecting freshman would inevitably ask that question. I wonder if he just got so sick of hearing it one day that he ran to the supply room, grabbed some banner paper and scrawled out what became his signature phrase all the while muttering, “When? When? I’ll TELL you when!”
Looking back, I imagine he got some sort of secret joy from hearing that query from that day on. Way to turn it around Mr. Sanders.

Actually, he might have been on to something in his own way. It’s no secret that these are some tough times for teachers. Current circumstances across the country have put us in the position of defending our practices, advocating for our profession, spending more and earning less, while still giving it all we’ve got when we’re in the classroom. It is maddening, heartbreaking, depressing and confusing. I never imagined the day I would be actively seeking out another profession, and yet that’s exactly where I found myself. That was my rock bottom. I had to make a change. I had to find a way to cope, like Mr. Sanders and his banner.

I created my own self-help program that I was determined to follow. Either that, or I was going to have to find another career, because I just could not continue to live in such emotional turmoil every. single. day.
The first thing I committed to was not reading any comments after online news articles related to education. I slipped a few times on that one, but each time I regretted it instantly and now I’m able to resist about 95% of the time.

Next up, I found some amazing, inspiring educators and education advocates to follow on Twitter and Facebook. That has been a great way to stay informed without the bias and sway of public opinion.
Finally, I now make a conscious effort to redirect those dark thoughts that lead me to question my profession and my passion. To that end, I also started a blog to focus on the good things going on in real classrooms with real teachers every day. That has been the very best thing I’ve ever done.
Denise Boehm has been teaching in Florida since 1994. She's taught students from all backgrounds and ability levels in grades 2-5. She has also been a Drop-out Prevention Specialist, a Writing Specialist and for the last ten years has been teaching gifted students. She is a veteran teacher doing her best to focus on the sunny side of education in some pretty trying times.

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Teacher Appreciation Week

2011-05-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

This school year has been difficult for many teachers. We've entered into an age of blame. Blame is being placed on teachers for everything from low test scores to state budget woes. In truth, teachers have little control or power over either. We do the best we can with what we are given. In the end, the variables are truly out of teacher's control.

Myth Busters

Let's begin by clearing up a few myths. (1) We are paid for the days we work. We are not paid for summers, holidays, or weekends. We do not receive a paid vacation. The best we get are sick days and a couple of personal days. (2) Our clock hours are eight. In my state, we get a 30 minute duty free lunch in an eight hour day. That's it. Our conference period is work time -meetings, planning, and preparing. (3) We do not have a personal, socialist agenda. We teach kids how to read, write, and do math. If anyone has to be politically correct, culturally sensitive, and careful of what we say -it's teachers. We are not out to brainwash your kids. Really. (4) We do not design the curriculum. The curriculum standards are created by each state. The districts design curriculum based on state standards. Our autonomy is limited. (5) We hate teaching to the test. If we spend time teaching test taking strategies it's because we are not given a choice. The test has become the bottom line in education.

Standardized Tests & Evaluations

The idea of tying teacher pay to test scores has taken hold despite research that shows it's an ineffective strategy. A one day test shows one snapshot out of thousands of pictures. It's a blurry snapshot at best. There are many, many variables that effect a child's test scores. Here are a few:

1. Teachers are given a class of students who come with a range of abilities. Some students are on grade level when they arrive, some are above grade level, and some are below grade level. We do our best to take each child from where they are at and help them to grow in order to get them where they need to go. For example, a fourth grade teacher might get three children on first grade reading level. They work hard to help these children. By test time, the children read on third grade reading level. That's an amazing amount of growth! Two years in less than nine months. But it's not enough to pass the test...

2. Children come with baggage. We cannot control a child's home life. Some children are dealing with family stress, tragedy, lack of money, abuse, drugs, drinking, split parents, and a host of other things that would break your heart. They can't help what's going on in their home. And neither can we. We do the best we can to support children who are going through hard times, but don't think for a second that the difficulties in their lives don't effect them academically. Who can think about school when the police came to your house the night before, or you didn't get dinner or breakfast?

3. A lot of children move around. They move from school to school to school. They can't help it. Sometimes their parents can't help it either. We get kids every year who move in and out. Sometimes a teacher has a revolving door. It's hard to maintain consistency when kids come and go. Moving often creates gaps. A child missed the multiplication unit. They are at a new school now, and they are already behind the moment they walked in the door. All of this effects how student's perform on tests.

4. Children take the test. We can only hope they will do their best, but sometimes they don't. Sometimes they rush to get it done, mark answers without reading, or get so nervous that they over think everything. Sometimes they get off track bubbling in the answers, and forget to go back and check. It's not that they are not capable. Some kids are not strong test takers. They've shown us time and time again that they can do it if they try, but on the day of the test, they fail to rise to the occasion. It breaks our hearts to see this happen, but in the end, we can't say anything, and we don't have any control over how they handle the test.

The stress society puts on children and teachers to pass a one day test is ridiculous. Children should not cry or feel sick because they have to take a test. Tying teacher's pay to standardized tests will not improve testing, but it will increase anxiety, which will make matters far worse.

Teacher Appreciation

I pointed out myths and variables for a reason. I think that so many of the people who make decisions about schools just don't get it. They don't understand the variables. They believe the myths. We are highly educated professionals, and it's about time we are treated as such. If you appreciate teachers -

1. Say so. Tell us through personal notes, articles, blogs, and tweets. Change the growing discontented atmosphere by treating us like professionals. Stop calling us whiners. We are not whining. We are simply trying to get those on the outside to understand what we are dealing with on the inside. Teaching is a hard job. It's stressful, but most of us embrace it with a passion for teaching and learning and children.

2. Support us. It's time teachers receive the support we deserve. Parents need to step up and accept responsibility for their children (we appreciate the parents who do step up). Politicians need to step up and provide financial and moral support. The media needs to step up and tell the positive side of the story. There are many great things going on in schools. It's time we hear them.

3. Give us autonomy. The more are hands our tied, the more we are micromanaged, the less we can do to ensure your child's success. We teach children; individuals with a will of their own. If we want to reach and meet every child's needs, we need to be able to differentiate. We need the autonomy to make decisions based on our student's needs and abilities. Allow us to work creatively and to innovate. Give us the chance to help your children soar.

4. Treat us like professionals. Our pay is 14% below other professionals (that's based on daily rates for the number of days worked). We spend an average of $1000 a year out of our own pockets for classroom materials and resources. We spend countless hours off the clock in professional development, planning, preparing, reading and learning, and growing as a professional. The one bad apple news story out of millions is not a reflection on the majority of teachers or schools. No more than the one bad doctor, or the one bad lawyer is reflective of how an entire profession operates. We are just as outraged (and more so) when we hear of abuse or mistreatment by teachers. Please do not judge an entire profession of people based on a small percentage of bad characters. The media can create a perception that the "bad story" is happening everywhere. Well, it's not.

We are professionals. We really do care about your children. We work hard to help your children. Most of us are parents too. We have children in the school system as well. This week, I ask that you say or do something positive to help the teaching profession regain respect. Our children deserve the best. We want to give our best. Thank you for entrusting your children into our care. We promise to do our best with the resources we are given.

P.S. I am blessed to work in a wonderful district with supportive parents and administrators. It saddens me to hear stories of teachers who do not have the same level of support.

Make Science Fun Again

2011-04-25T18:25:00.000-05:00

My normal teaching schedule is Advanced Placement (AP) Biology. This year I am teaching a Biology I class filled with standard students. Unfortunately, they have not always had the best teachers in the school. They came to me dreading another year of sitting in a science class. I came to them dreading having to teach a class that I had not taught in many, many years.

But..... I love biology and I love to teach!

I quickly discovered that I could make a difference to these kids and that I could get them excited about Biology.

Bless their hearts, but on the first day they were expecting me to say, "Open your book and copy the vocab.” “Complete this worksheet.” “Read pages 6 - 10 and answer the questions at the end of the section." When I did none of these, they perked up a little! Instead of saying, "Open your book”, I said, "Let's go to the lab!"

Why did science teachers stop making science fun? Experiments make science come alive for these students! The simplest thing (like growing a plant) gets the student excited. In my class we grow plants, we extract DNA from cells, we collect pond water and identify the protists, we see who can roll their tongue and who cannot, we even do a lab with ferns where the students can watch sperm cells swim to an egg cell. The simplest thing often becomes amazing. Now my students love science. When they come to class and I have a lecture prepared, they are content listening to the lecture because they know the next day might contain a fun experiment.

So now we have reached springtime - the time of the year where teachers across the country have only one thing on their mind: End of course standardized tests.
It doesn't matter what state you live in, or by what name they are called, they are the same. They are standardized tests. Every teacher feels the pressure. It seems that nobody cares if you make your class fun and exciting....JUST GET GOOD TEST SCORES! Please teachers,don't fall into the testing trap. Keep your class fun, engaging, exciting, and the test scores will probably be better than ever.

This article is by guest blogger Amy Brown. Check out her Science Stuff blog, and visit her Science Stuff TPT Store for lots of great science products for middle school and high school, including some fantastic freebies.

"I have 27 years of teaching experience in the areas of biology and chemistry. For most of these years, I have taught Advanced Placement (AP) biology and Honors chemistry. I believe in providing solid science instruction that involves teaching problem solving skills, but at the same time making my class fun and exciting."

-Amy Brown

Review of Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

2011-04-24T17:09:00.000-05:00

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last summer I took a side trip to Niagara Falls on my way home from the Highlight's Foundation Writer's Workshop in Chautauqua, New York. I remember driving towards Niagara and seeing a huge cloud of what appeared to be smoke. It turned out to be mist coming off of the falls. I love waterfalls, but I must say, Niagara Falls is the most powerful natural phenomenon I've had the opportunity to witness. And this is coming from a girl who has lived through a hurricane.

Not long ago, I was perusing Amazon when I ran across Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg. Two things grabbed my attention: (1) a barrel going over the falls (I knew the story), and (2) Chris Van Allsburg has a new book! In fact, this book is so new, Van Allsburg hasn't even added it to his website as of the date of this blog post (April, 2011).

I love Van Allsburg's artwork and mysterious stories, so course, I couldn't resist hitting Amazon's one click button (a dangerous button for book lovers). I was curious how Van Allsburg would treat a nonfiction biography, a major parting from his standard fare. The first thing that struck me is his illustrations. They are amazing! The cover is absolutely striking. All of the illustrations are in black, browns, and white similar to old-time photographs. I won't tell you where he hid the dog. You will have to go on that treasure hunt yourself.

I read the book aloud to my 4th graders. They were intrigued by Annie Taylor's story and Niagara Falls, so of course I had to take out photos from my trip to show my students. This story is filled with teaching opportunities: make predictions, ask questions, consider risk and danger versus fame and fortune, and so much more. I highly recommend you take your children (or students) on a trip to Niagara Falls through the pages of Queen of the Falls.

Click Here for my QUEEN OF THE FALLS - LITERATURE GUIDE

Book Review of The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane Auch

2011-04-21T20:01:00.000-05:00

The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane Auch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Henrietta is a chicken who loves to read, so one day she decides to write a book. Of course, she is just a chicken, so of course the publisher rejects her book. Well, this isn't an ordinary chicken, mind you, she is a chicken who perseveres. Henrietta is a self-publishing chicken, but alas, the review from "The Corn Book Magazine" is not exactly a hit, five stars, or two thumbs up. I won't give away the sweet little ending, but I will tell you there is hope for all writers...even a chicken.

Kids and adults (writers in particular) will get a kick out of this funny little picture book. My fourth graders thought it was pretty darn funny, but I must confess, I had to explain a few of the "plays on words" made by the author. They did get the cheesiest word plays, like, "eggcitedly" and "eggshilerating".

The Plot Chickens is a fun read aloud with some great teaching opportunities. After all, Henrietta reads the "rules of writing" and applies them to her pitiful little plot, but as far as rules go, there is a lesson in each one of them. For example: Rule 1: You need a main character.

As far as picture books for teaching writing go, it's a gem of a book to have around when you introduce your fiction writing unit to your students. Once you finish reading this book, teach your students how to hatch their own plot.

THE PLOT CHICKENS MINI LITERATURE UNIT

A Poem, A Poet, A Winner

2011-04-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

April is National Poetry Month. This month I held a poetry contest. I asked readers to write a poem about teaching. The winner receives their choice of one of these two great books: Practical Poetry: A Nonstandard Approach to Meeting Content-Area Standards by Sara Holbrook or Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia Heard.

Drumroll please...

And the winner is Kevin Hodgson. He didn't just write a poem, he wrote a poem aimed at the heart of subjecting our children to standardized testing.

The winning poem...

Here,
amid the silence of your
muted mind,
I hear only the dull scratching
of lead on paper.
I imagine:
the stories you want to tell;
the arguments you want to make;
the poems you want to recite;
the songs you want to sing --
if only
you weren't shackled to your desk
with four little bubbles
in front of you
and a number two pencil
whose point is aimed squarely
at the machine assigned as
automated audience.

-Kevin Hodgson
Kevin posted this poem in a super cool format worth checking out at Prezi.

Penguins Thematic Unit, K-3

2011-04-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

Penguins are a popular topic for teaching across the curriculum. You can pull out the map and discover the southern hemisphere, learn about birds who swim instead of fly, read, write, and even practice math skills. Penguins are an interesting subject for children. Here are some great resources to help give your penguin theme pizazz!

Penguin Thematic Unit, K-3, Literacy, Math, Science, Art, & Drama

Penguin Links
Discover Channel - Planet Earth: Ice World: Penguins video 2:42 run time
Animal Planet: Aggressive Penguins 1:44 run time
National Geographic for Kids: Adelie Penguins
Penguin Science for the Classroom

Picture Books

Video / DVD

April Poetry Contest

2011-03-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

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Higher Order Thinking Question Stems

2011-03-31T05:57:00.000-05:00

Aesthetically oriented and higher order thinking question stems. By Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst

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What is Arts Integration?

2011-03-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

Arts Integration is using the arts (music, visual art, dance, drama, and creative writing) to teach non-arts standards (language arts, math, science, and social studies.) We know that students learn in different methods, especially students with disabilities and second language learners. Using the arts allows all students to participate in the curriculum in ways that traditional methods do not.

“I’m not an artist! I can barely draw a straight line! I definitely can’t sing!”

This was the number one concern when our staff found out we were selected to implement this program. That’s how we looked at it in the beginning, “Another program- give it a few months, maybe a year, and it would be gone, like all the others before it.” How wrong we were! After the first year, the staff was on fire and growing stronger in our teaching abilities. (We received several professional development classes and lots of hands-on experiences with the arts.) Standardized scores went up! This was a real feat since we are a Title I school with over 75% free and reduced lunch, a large percentage of special education students, and an even larger percentage of ELL students. Everyone expects schools with our demographics to make the state’s target list every year since schools with similar demographics without Arts Integration do not make the same gains. Since we have become an arts school, we have not made “the list” for our gains or achievement.

How does Arts Integration work?

Arts Integration is a method, not a program. The core academic subjects that everyone is accustomed to teaching have to be looked at as equally important as the arts standards, which is why our school refers to the standards as arts and non-arts. Students need to be submersed in both standards to be well rounded people.

While teaching a traditional skill such as verbs, teachers look for a natural connection to an arts discipline to work with. I found that Keith Haring created art with bold colors and few details that depicted some type of movement which was perfect for teaching verbs. I looked at his art work and found some key skills that are tied to state standards and combined those standards with my language arts standards. Key vocabulary is taught from both subject areas. In this case, students learned action verbs, primary colors, secondary colors, complementary colors, positive space, and negative space. The lesson concluded with the students creating a piece of art in the style of Keith Haring. They had to choose one color for the positive space (a paper man with brads so the joints will move was traced in a position of the student’s choice) and a complimentary color for the negative space (background). They had to give their painting a title; an action verb that reflected the main idea and movement of their person.

Yes, it is a lot of work to teach in this manner, but I only taught two lessons on action verbs and my students mastered it. That’s saying quite a bit, when you find out I teach a self-contained special education class where all of the students have IQ’s in the 50’s and 60’s.

Is it worth the extra work?

Yes! The students learn skills I didn’t previously believe to be possible. I spend less time re-teaching the same skills. I am able to move to more advanced skills that require students to think and generalize. In the last 3 years, I have been able to fully integrate three of my students back into the general classroom with resource support. Before AI (seven years), I didn’t have a single child that was able to be moved back with their general education peers. Arts Integration is a method of teaching that opens doors to students that nothing else has been able to do!

This article was written by Guest Blogger Karla-Banks. You can visit her TPT store for user friendly classroom products: Teacher Created Arts Integrated Smartboard Lessons

Picture Book Review of Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

2011-03-25T19:07:00.000-05:00

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a reason this beautiful version of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky won the Caldecott Medal in 1998. The lush Italian illustrations in this picture book are breathtaking. The artwork is worthy of a close study alone.

This version blends story threads from Italian, French, and German tales. My 4th graders quickly connected the latest Disney version story -Tangled, to this timeless story. The language in the text is well put together, although it takes fifteen to twenty minutes to read the book aloud. Of course, we had to stop and gawk at the illustrations.

After we visited Rapunzel's tower we decided to take a short tour of Europe on the map in order to identify the lay of the land. We discovered through end note in the book that at one time fairy tales were all the rage. In fact, one aristocratic lady was sent to a nunnery after writing a version deemed inappropriate. After all, a prince shouldn't climb a tower and spent time alone with a lady, not to mention get her in the family way. Zelinsky kept this picture book within the bounds of propriety, and married the two lovebirds secretly in the tower before their twins were born.

Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinksy

2011-03-24T17:18:00.000-05:00

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo is not just another Cinderella story; it is one of the oldest versions known to exist, and there is a grain of factual truth to it.

Today my 4th graders traveled to Egypt and learned that slavery occurred long before America existed. It was not uncommon for pirates to snatch women and children from one country and carry them off to another country and sell them as slaves. In fact, the slave trade was rather prevalent throughout Europe and Asia. In this story we learn about a girl who was taken from her homeland of Greece when she was a young child and sold into slavery in Egypt.

In Climo's version of a Cinderella tale, there isn't a stepsister or stepmother, but there are servant girls who treat our young heroine Rhodolpis, poorly. After all, they are servants and she is just a slave. The story is missing a fairy godmother and a ball, but there is a slipper and a Pharaoh (instead of a prince). Overall, The Egyptian Cinderella is a fascinating look into an ancient culture. Your students will find it both foreign and familiar.

Picture Book Review of The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen

2011-03-23T17:09:00.000-05:00

The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Today my fourth graders briefly visited China through Jane Yolen's picture book, The Emperor and the Kite. In classic Yolen style, she tells the tale of a tiny princess who goes unnoticed until she saves the kingdom from disaster.

My students connected on an emotional level with this little princess. They sighed and said, "Ahhh..." and "that's so sad." You see, the tiny princess ate alone, talked to herself, and played by herself. She was beneath her family's notice. The only thing she really wanted was love. Of course the little princess triumphs in the end, and is no longer ignored. This is a sweet folk tale set long ago in China.

Find China on the map before you read the story. Ask students to discuss a leading question, "How does it feel when no one will talk to you or play with you?" Read the story and model making text to self connections. You can revisit the text to teach sequence of events, inference, foreshadowing, and predictions.

Picture Book Review of The Red Comb by Fernando Pico

2011-03-22T18:26:00.001-05:00

The Red Comb by Fernando Pico
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Today I read The Red Comb by Fernando Pico aloud to my fourth graders. The story is set in 19th Century Puerto Rico, so I pulled out the map to show my students where Puerto Rico is located (the smallest, most eastern island in the Greater Antilles. I confess I know little about this self-governing commonwealth territory under the United States. The story was an eye-opening cultural experience for all of us.

The Red Comb is about a young girl and an older woman who work together to help a runaway slave. The text is slightly cumbersome in some places, but there is a wealth of opportunity to teach vocabulary, history, and culture through this book.

Overall it's good book to use to introduce another time and place in our history.

Picture Book Review of Tsunami by Kimiko Kajikawa

2011-03-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the interest of embracing cultural literacy in my classroom, I searched my file cabinet filled with picture books for something to read out loud. I came across a galley I obtained a few years ago of Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajiikawa.

Tsunami! is folk Japanese story about the sacrifice (theme) of a wealthy rice farmer. Ojissan realized a tsunami was coming while the villagers were on the beach celebrating the harvest. He set fire to his rice fields in order to bring the villagers running to higher ground. His action saved the people from being swept out to the sea.

I read this book aloud in less than ten minutes to my fourth graders. They were engaged in the story, and since the topic is timely due to the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan (March, 2011), my students had numerous questions and text-to-world connections.

After completing the story I used the text to teach summarization. We worked together to determine the main idea of the beginning, middle, and end in order to write a 2-3 sentence summary (above). I recommend finding Japan on a map or globe, and explaining what happens in a tsunami before reading the story (see the video below).

Five Mistakes Teachers Make

2011-03-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

What is the difference between an effective teacher and an ineffective teacher? This topic is up for national debate, but unfortunately, the hammer comes down on the wrong side of the teacher more often than not. Teachers are not perfect. In our climb from newbie to effective teacher we might make some mistakes along the way. Most teachers figure out what works and what doesn't work through trial and error, but some teachers continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.

I Taught it. They Should Have Got It.

My first year of teaching still haunts me. I remember feeling perplexed when my students made horrible grades on worksheets assigned to go with the social studies or science book. We read the material out loud and discussed it. The answers were written directly in the chapter, and they are in order! How could they possibly fail? I taught the material. They should have got it.

Effective teachers recognize when things go wrong, and they take responsibility. Sometimes we need to rewind and consider other ways to present material. We also need to realize that some methods are simply ineffective. They don't work. Effective teachers are reflective. They think about what worked and what didn't work, and they take steps to change and improve their teaching in order to engage learners.

Reflective questions: Why did my students fail the worksheet that goes with the chapter? What can I do to make sure they know how to access and comprehend the information? Kids need to learn how to read the textbooks. They need to understand the structure of the text (how it's organized) before they tackle it. We must first teach students how to find the information they need before we can expect them to do it own their own.

My Assignments Cover the Curriculum.

The curriculum is cram packed, and in our effort to "get it all in", it's easy to forget that we are teaching children. Passing out another worksheet or giving an assignment doesn't equal teaching. Teaching is not assigning. Assignments should reflect practice for objectives taught and / or assessment.

Sometimes we need a grade. We give an assignment that reflects an objective in the curriculum, and in the process we get a grade. But in all honesty, we didn't teach the objective. We gave an assignment. Realizing this is a hard pill to swallow, especially when our students do poorly on the assignment.

Reflection questions: What is the key information and understandings my students need to know? How can I effectively teach the objective? Compacting and differentiation is the key to covering the curriculum effectively. We must recognize the most important things in the curriculum students need to know, and use assessment to drive instruction. Is it necessary to teach something if all of the students have already mastered it? What if some have mastered the objective, but others have not? How can we teach to reach students where they are at, in order to move them forward? Effective teachers consider these questions and make individualized instructional decisions on a daily basis.

They Should Know This Already.

My students are in fourth grade. I know they taught this skill last year. They should know this already. Students are not coming to middle school with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. What are those teachers doing in elementary school? It must be nice to be able to spend your day cutting and pasting and playing!

Does this sound familiar? It's called the blame game. The above picture (especially the idea that elementary cuts and pastes and plays all day) is far from accurate. There are many, many reasons why a student might not know how to do something: they move around a lot, they were absent the day this was taught, they were not developmentally ready to learn the material, they have gaps in their learning, the skills require years of repeat in order to acquire them, and the list goes on. The moral to this tale: do not assume that students know how to do something.

I remember my senior year of high school. I had to write a research paper. My teacher assumed I knew how to write a research paper, after all, I was a senior. She assigned it. I failed miserably at it. Why? I didn't know how to research, how to restate information in my own words, or how to site my sources. No one ever taught me. No one modeled, or demonstrated, or showed me examples. They just expected me to magically know how to do it.

Reflective questions: Did I teach my students how to do this, or did I assume they already know? Did I model, demonstrate, and show examples? No matter what subject or grade level you teach, you must model, demonstrate, and show examples. You must give students the opportunity to practice with guidance before releasing them to independence.

We Do Lots of Great Projects.

I love projects! They are fun and engaging, and require students to show a certain amount of independence. I can integrate my project across the curriculum, give students a myriad of choices, and display their results in the hallway for open house.

Imagine a fabulous social studies project that integrates reading and writing. Students work in cooperative groups, make choices, research, and create an exciting final product. The best part is that they read information for their project (reading : check) and write about their topic (writing : check). We've integrated, connected, and covered the curriculum in one swoop. Isn't it grand?

What's wrong with this picture? There is certainly nothing wrong with a project that requires students to apply knowledge and skills they've been taught. Effective teachers realize that projects can easily turn into another form of the assignment without teaching. Another difficult pill to swallow is to realize that we must spend time teaching the skills and strategies in reading, writing, and math before asking students to apply them in a social studies or science project. The foundation must be built first.

Reflective questions: Have my students mastered the skills needed in order to complete the project? Did I teach my students how to write before asking them to write? Did I teach my students how to read and access information while researching a topic for a project? Projects have their place, just make sure the project's foundation is on solid ground.

I Don't Expect Much.

I'm embarrassed to say that my first class of students didn't perform so hot on the state test. The worse part is that I didn't even realize that their poor performance was bad. I began my teaching career in a school of low expectations. We had plenty of excuses and reasons for our student's failure, but of course, it couldn't be our fault, after all, we cared about the children and worked hard.

Fortunately I was quick to learn that our expectations play a huge roll in our student's success. I remember a colleague, the teacher with a white bun, who taught me two powerful lessons: (1) teach to the top, and (2) never teach the same way.

This wonderful lady used to say teach to the top and the rest will follow. In other words, set high expectations and believe in your student's ability to succeed. Now let me say one thing: high expectations alone doesn't make success, but low expectations get you nowhere. I have a sneaky suspicion that failing schools lack expectations.

Why did she say to never teach the same way? Every school, every class, every student comes with baggage -both good and bad. Our students have schema. But their schema is never, ever the same. We have to change our teaching methods to meet the needs of our students. Students rarely need the same thing. A successful lesson this year might not work next year. We must base our instruction on continuos assessment and evaluation.

Reflective questions: Do I have low expectations of some or all of my students? Do I teach to the top? Do I drive my instruction based on assessment? Do I differentiate to meet individual needs? Teach to the top and never teach the same way.

Effective teachers recognize when they make mistakes, and work to correct their errors in judgement. They do not make excuses, but instead, search for a better way to reach their students. Effective teachers continue to grow and learn professionally based on analysis and reflection of their own teaching. They know their students well and differentiate to meet their individual needs. Effective teachers model, demonstrate, and show examples. They set high expectations and believe in their student's ability to achieve appropriate goals.

Active Engagement Strategies for Teaching and Learning
Classroom Management Tips & Forms
Lesson Plan File Folder: Lesson Planning Desk Reference

Why We Need to Save the National Writing Project

2011-03-17T17:09:00.000-05:00

National Writing Project changed me as a teacher and writer. One summer several years ago I participated in one of the finest professional development experiences of my life. NWP sites are on university campuses around the country. Teachers participate in graduate level professional development that is beyond listening to a professor and regurgitating information for exams. Writing project participants are immersed in a community building experience that lasts a lifetime.

I spent four intense weeks reading professional texts on the teaching of writing and discussing the books with other teachers. The teachers came from a variety of backgrounds, schools, grade levels (K-college), and subject areas. We focused on teaching writing with a spectrum of perspectives and ideas, generating sound pedagogy based on research, theory, and classroom practice.

I believe that in order to teach writing you must first write. National Writing Project gives teachers the opportunity write for publication. We spent time writing, critiquing, revising, and editing pieces for a multi-genre collaborative project. The time we spent as writers helped us to understand the writing process, which in turn gave us a powerful way of thinking and communicating with our students. We studied different writing techniques, teaching methods, and discussed the various processes writers use to get from nothing on a blank page to words with meaning.

In addition to reading, writing, and discussing, we spent time developing presentations in order to take our professional development into our own schools and school districts. We didn't just go to learn. We went to learn and teach. Once a teacher finishes a summer with NWP they become a teacher-consultant. NWP teacher-consultants go out into the world and share their new found knowledge and expertise. As they put best practice methods in place their own classrooms, they help to lift the level of student achievement in writing.

NWP's professional development model is empowering. Teachers continue to grow by participating with a network of colleagues who actively pursue improving the quality of student's writing. I cannot imagine a world without such a dynamic, worthy organization.

And yet, the National Writing Project is at risk. At the same time our society demands better teachers and stronger schools, our government is cutting spending. There isn't any doubt that we need to act fiscally responsible in a weak economy, but should we do this at the expense of our children? If we want our students to become strong writers and communicators, we must provide opportunities that go beyond the one day workshop for our teachers. NWP is a teacher to teacher model that is a proven game changer.
Please support NWP by writing, emailing, and calling your state senators and representatives. Keep abreast of the ongoing fight to keep NWP alive and kicking through federal funding at NWP Works!

Follow NWP on twitter @writingproject and through the hashtags #NWP and #blog4NWP