Open House 2012

The other night, we had Open House.  Now, until I started blogging, I actually thought this was a normal ritual around the country.  Every spring, we open our doors to anyone and everyone to show off all the great work we have been doing throughout the year.  (we have Back to School Night in the Fall, where parents come to meet the teacher)  I have come to learn that this is NOT the norm, but nevertheless, it is a time honored tradition that we all here in CA have come to embrace (or not embrace, depending upon who you are ;) )   And in the tradition of Open House, I am going to open my classroom to you today.  So there will be no lesson plan or activity explanation.  Simply a tour of my room and all the great work that the students have done. 

So without further ado.....Room 6.

Whole Class Views

View from the front door.  I ADORE my rug.  Simply adore.

Another front door view.  Now you can see all of my tables.  I have 30 students and have it set up to accommodate ONLY 30.  I am at a school where I do not get new students throughout the year (thank goodness!) but if I did, I could easily put at least 3 more desks in here.

View from the opposite side of the room.  Anyone care to guess what soda is stealthily making its way into the picture on the bottom corner???

Here is a closer view of some of the work that the students did.

This is the science work we did this unit.  Since there was SO much, I thought I would make a bulletin board with various samples of work from various kids.  My favorite is the Digestive System Power Point we made in computer lab.  The students did the fun "I am a piece of food traveling through the system" perspective and they came out really good!

 

Here is the math board.  I drew the map up on the butcher paper and the kids painted it in.  The dots on the map coincide with the battles they researched.  So, no, this is not a social studies board.  It just looks like it from far off because of the map :)

Here is the math board.  The students were given a battle from the Revolutionary War, and made bar and pie graphs (after finding the percentages) of the people hurt, captured, killed, or unharmed on both the British and American sides.

Close up view

Standard, Task, Rubric

The Hanger People Biographies came out GREAT this year.  Each child researched a patriot or loyalist, wrote a biography, then created their likeness in a hanger person.  The kids also put some identifying mark on them so you would know who they are without reading the biography.  Can you guess who any of the people are?

Here are some other views of my room.  Some of these things I am actually going to dedicate whole posts to, so don't worry if I don't explain them right now!

My desk area

Library and Reading Cards

Reading Olympics Projects

Our own Flags, like Betsy Ross, made of foil

Window Timeline

1776 Hand Jive Foldable

Ok....that is all for now.  There really are many more pictures, but I think I have exceeded my image allotment for the day :)  I may do a video tour at some point, so I can explain it all a bit better, but for now, I hope you have a little better idea of the room I live in for 6 hours a day.  Thank you for looking!

Do you have Open House?  When is yours?

Classroom Economy: The Jobs

Since I first started teaching, I have always had classroom jobs.  I really feel like the classroom needs to be "run" by the students (well, as self-sufficiently as possible) and classroom jobs are a HUGE part of this.

When thinking of jobs, I decided that I wanted the students to be responsible for a majority of the tasks in class that didn't involve actual imparting of knowledge (that would, of course, be my job ;) )  I also wanted them to do things that I would forget to do (I am a notorious "tell it to me and I forget the second I turn around" person...my students have been on more than one sunglasses hunt in my teaching career ;) )  So here is the list of jobs that I have in my room. (click on it for an upclose version you can print out)

How do I actually assign jobs, you ask?  Well, each month, my students fill in a job application.  At the beginning of the year, I gave them a postcard I made on  _______ (who wants to fill in the blank???  ;)  hee hee)  with a Communication Guide for the students to use to compose the application.  The students then have to choose three jobs that they think they would be good at, with reasons why.  They keep these postcards in their desk all year, so I don't have to really think about it much after the first month.  When I say, "Fill out a job application for next month", they just take this postcard out, with a piece of paper, and begin writing.

Once the applications are in, I go through them and choose the people who I think would work best at each post.  To be honest with you, I skim them.  (I know, bad teacher)  I just don't have time to go through all of them in great detail.  BUT I do make note of the reasons why the students want a certain job.  I then pile them up into the first choice requests, and start making assignments from there.  It doesn't always work out that they get their first choice, but I have never had a student unhappy because he got his second or third (or unrequested) choice.

Then, throughout that month, the students do the duties of the job they have been working for.  I DO NOT have enough jobs in my classroom for everyone.  However, those that don't get jobs are "Substitutes".  They get paid $1 for each job that they fill in for (if a child is absent or otherwise can not do their job).   At times, being a substitute can be a lucrative job!

And since this is tied into my Classroom Economy, each job gets paid a certain amount per week.  If the student has done all that the need to, and there have been no issues with job performance, they get their full salary.  If I have had issues with how the job was performed that week, I make a case by case sliding scale of payment.

So that is it.  I know there was a lot here, but really it isn't all that complicated.  Choose jobs that work for you and your classroom, and the economy will fall into place from there.  What jobs do you have?  Let's see if we can make a list so that others will have a great deal of ideas to choose from!

Singing Summaries

Throughout the year, we have been focusing on summarizing and picking out the main points in our reading.  Being able to get to the heart of what a story or informational text is about is key to understanding it.  So I thought we would try something a bit different to help the students get to the point of it all.  Songs.

We were watching the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) song "Fireworks" to add to our studies on the Revolutionary War.  The song basically sums up the main points of the road to revolution and the writing of the Declaration of Independence.  

 

Watching this gave me a glimmer of an idea.  We soon found ourselves reading some informational text on the Declaration.  It was then that the idea came to fruition.

The students broke into groups of 3.  Each of them were assigned a simple song melody to compose a song summarizing our reading.  I just happen to have a book with song melodies on them, sans words.  It is a Mickey Mouse book, that my daughter has, but it was PERFECT for this!  The kids had so much fun doing this!  Trying to break down the meaning of the Declaration of Independence into a few short lines is tricky enough, but setting it to song threw some of them over the edge!

I then had the kids record each song onto one of those cards that you can buy at the store with the voice recorder in it.  You know the ones where you can record your message to grandma for her 80th birthday? Well, the students recorded their songs with the music.  This was the favorite part for the kids.  Getting to actually record their voices was so much fun for them!











I had the students write the words to the song on some fancy scroll paper, then glue it on top of the words.    Then, when people open the flap up, they read the words and hear the song!













Now I will admit that there was an issue with this idea.  The card was just not saving the recording!  I think I bought a defective bunch of cards :(  BUT the store was kind enough to let me return them and get different ones that did work.  If I was to do this again, I think I would buy the little recording device alone (I found a few online that can actually hold 20 seconds of song instead of the 10 seconds on the card)  I just didn't get this idea together in time to order them ;)  

Who wants to summarize using foldables???

I love foldables.  They can take the most mundane of material and liven it up so that the kids are meaningfully engaged and learning.  As the year has progressed, I find myself using more and more of these little pieces of paper in my classroom.  My latest craze has been to use them in science.  I find that when I am using them to sum up all of our learning, it helps to create a "one stop shop" for the students to use.  They are able to easily access the information they need, and serves to help them remember just a bit better.

We are studying about Living Systems and how the human body and plants have similar traits.  To begin, we started with the various cells and their functions.  Here was the foldable we used to really sum it all up.  (read all about it here)













To wrap up our journey through the organs of the human body, I had the students create a foldable that included all of the different body systems we have learned about.  They had to not only draw the organs on the front, but then write about them inside.  All of the vocabulary we have learned, the facts, and the functions were described.  Great way to summarize our learning, yet keep the kids interested!

When we moved on to plants,there were a lot of things that we had learned.  Vocabulary, functions, specialized features....the list goes on and on.  To help make a bit more sense of it all, I brought out a foldable to the rescue.  I had the kids create one with a flower on the front.  All parts of the flower were represented.  When opened, the information for each feature was there, with all necessary information!

And finally, instead of just having the students answer the questions in the back of the book, I asked them to use a foldable to do it.  On the front flap, was the basic question.  Inside, the detailed answer.  I think, because it was a foldable and not just a piece of paper, the kids were going above and beyond when it came to the answers....which helped to deepen their learning. 






So there you have it.  Some ways I have found to incorporate foldables into my teaching.  What about you?  Do you use them in your room?  How?

Let's Just Write ON the Windows, OK?

Do you ever have these bright ideas when you are shopping?  You come across something in the aisles of the store that you didn't intend to buy or use, and find it in your shopping cart?  That is what happened when I walked down the school supply section and came across these babies....Window Markers from Crayola!!!

I couldn't believe they actually make markers that can write directly on the window!  Now, if you know anything about me by now, you know that I like anything that is slightly "different" when it comes to my classroom.  I like to do the old standby stuff, but throw just enough "twist" in to make it fun.  So, when I saw these, I couldn't pass them up.  I threw a few 10 packs in my cart and was off.

Since we are studying about the American Revolution, I decided we needed a big timeline of major events on the window glass.  Breaking my students up into pairs, they each were assigned one major occurrence from the Revolutionary War.  We took it from the Seven Years/French and Indian War to the Ratification of the Constitution.   Each pair then was give a piece of paper the same size as the window.  I asked them to create a box at the bottom corner (using a stencil) where they would eventually write information about the event.  The stencil just helped to make everyone's look uniform.  The students then, using big, bold drawings, depicted the event as clearly as they could....but still keeping it simple. (sorry, I have no pictures of those  :( )

After the rough drafts were done, the fun began.  We moved the tables out of the way, set it up, and were off to coloring the windows.  They basically followed their plan, used the markers, and had a BLAST!  My kids really loved doing their artwork on the windows.  They were a bit "off" with the writing, as there were no lines, but they managed. The greatest thing about these markers is that they come off so easily!  I gave each section of kids a pack of wipes and tissues, and mistakes were taken care of in no time. 




Here are a few pictures of the process.  This took us about 3 days to complete, from rough draft to final window product.






















I have to tell you, the finished product looks amazing.  The pictures don't do it justice.  When you first look at it, you can see there is something there, but not exactly what.  It isn't until you walk up close that the full force of the work is there. 

I actually did the title window pane myself, calling it "Walking the Freedom Trail" (which you can't see in this picture. I took the picture before I did it, which is why there is a blank piece of glass), so I put little footprints along the entire thing.  The footsteps follow the progression from pane to pane of the events in date order.  Seriously, I am in love!

Gosh, I wish you could see the full impact of it in the pictures.  Anyone want to take a tour of my classroom so you can see it?  ;)  hee hee

Already Preparing for NEXT Year!

If you are anything like me, you are thinking about next year already.  I go through my mind and think about all I will need to start off the next year.  I like to have what I *know* I will need run off and ready to go.  If I can get things laminated, even better.  Doing all of this ahead of time allows me to actually ENJOY my summer! 

So, here is a list of things I make sure to have ready before I turn in my keys on the last day of school.  I do start doing these things really early, so that I have plenty of time to do a few things here and a few things there.  (and if you make it all the way to the end, I may have a special reward for you!)

Welcome Letters
Each year, I like to send home letters to the parents to introduce myself, as well as set out the expectations I have as far as Behavior and Homework goes.  This packet goes home on the first day of school, and all the little pieces are signed so that I know the parents read over the information.  I love to copy it on colored paper, for ease of filing later!  Here are the letters that I use from my TpT store.  They have served me well. (they are also fully customizable for you...a Word Doc....so that you can make them personal to yourself without having to think of all the main wording for yourself...easy peezy!)

Folders

I am a folder freak.  I love to have each subject with its own folder, and I make sure I buy a lot at the Back to School sales, to ensure that I have enough to make the essentials for the next year.  Two that I have to have ready before I go off for break are the Homework folder and the School to Home Communication Folder.   I use these folders SO much, that they are a must for me to have completed right away.  I always get the covers copied, the reference sheet for the homework folder copied...all of it glued on (with Elmer's No-Wrinkle Rubber Cement, 8 Ounces, Clear (231) ...my FAVORITE!!) and then laminated.  I like to laminate them because they are used all year.  I want them to last!








Pencil Boxes

The nametags are on top, but you can still see the contact paper.

In my school, we get these ugly, brown cardboard pencil boxes to give to the students.  They are the kind that fold up and you use brass brads to hold together.  You know the ones I am talking about?  Well...I HATE them!  They look U.G.L.Y.!  My solution to this problem is Chalkboard Contact Paper, 18" x 6' .  I swear by this stuff.  I take it, wrap the box up in it, put the brads in, and viola, I have beautiful boxes!  An added bonus is that they last much longer too!  I like to use black because they match everything I do in my room (and the bulletin boards) but I have used white in the past.  You can also use any of the colored ones.  They will look super cute no matter what contact paper you chose.  The only problem is that they take me a while to make...so I have to spend a few recesses putting the contact paper on.  Much better to take that little break time than my summer time!

Supply Bags
I am by nature, NOT a planner.  However one thing I do way ahead of time is buy school supplies.  I tend to buy them for the following year when they go on sale in the summer.  That way, I can create my supply bags for the year before I leave for the summer and not worry about it on my vacation.  In my classroom, I assign each child a number.  This just helps me to keep everything organized.  Since all students have a number, I am able to write that number on everything the student will be using (ie: pencils, books, scissors, glue sticks, etc...) and if, say, their pencil ends up on the floor, I know exactly which student to return it to.  So on the first day of school, I have a baggie with all the school supplies I personally am going to supply them with on the tables.  Each of the supplies is labeled with their number.  Easy peezy...and it gets them used to their number!  But getting these ready before school is out is a huge weight off my shoulders.

Student Questionnaire and Other Day One Activities
There are some activities that I like to do each year on the first day of school.  One is the Student Questionnaire.  I put this on students' desks, and they have an activity to do the very first second they walk into my classroom.  I also have this Teacher "Comprehension" that I give them.  It is just a passage about me, with questions to answer.  Both of these activities allow my students to enter the room with a purpose, as well as give me an idea about them.   The Comprehension then has the added bonus of me getting some test prep strategies started on the first day of school!  I also have the first week of Morning Message copied off.  (read about it here, get your copies of the first week in both 4 and 5 here...I use the same ones, as they are super basic)

I also run off the Reading Logs, Comprehension Homework, and Math Homework for the first few weeks of school.   This stuff doesn't change, so I know that it will be nice to have to just grab and go.  I have linked my first week of Math Homework for 5th grade (here).   This summer I will be working on getting the entire year ready for you, as well as 4th...possibly 3rd!.  Here is just some to get you started!

OK...so those are some of the things I do to ensure a smooth start to the new year.  Phew...that was a long list!  I didn't realize just how much I actually have ready before I leave for the summer.  Like I mentioned, I get going on this really early...about a month before school ends.   I hope you picked up some of the freebie forms along the way.

Now...for two special commenters, I am going to give you  the Welcome Packet and Reading Logs!  Just leave a comment about how you personally get ready for the new year and I will pick two people with a random number generator on Monday, May 21 at 9pm PST.  Good luck and I can't wait to hear your ideas!!

And we have two winners!!!

Congratulations!  I will be contacting you shortly to get you your Welcome Packet and Reading Logs!

A Word of Advice....

Every year, as the learning draws to a close and the students are ready to head on out to the next grade level, I have the students write a letter to those incoming children.  As I suspect many of you do, I like them to write letters giving the next set of students advice on what to expect, how to get along, and generally what to do to be successful in my class.  It is great to have these for the first day of the next school year to set the tone, as well as to read them over as a sort of reflection on my own teaching practice (to see what the kids liked, what they didn't, etc...)

This year, however, I just don't have the time.  The thought of taking the kids through yet another complete writing process...when we are in the middle of testing, Open House looming on the horizon, 3 Donors Choose letters that are due, graduation speeches, cleaning up the room....seriously, my brain is hurting just thinking about it all.  I don't want to just give it up entirely though, so I found a solution.

I created this "A Word of Advice" foldable book.  It is a simple little double sided sheet, with space for the students to write the thoughts they normally would have put in letter form.  However, in this, it is just a fill it in type thing.  No prewrite.  No editing.  No work for me at.all.  I am in love!












And so are my kids!  I gave it to them today and actually let them have little discussions as they were completing it.  Eavesdropping in on this was priceless.  I learned that they love hearing my stories (I tend to go on tangents about my kids or childhood experiences when I am teaching) and that they were really stressing the importance of putting evidence on every.little.thing (YAYAYAYAYA!!!!!!!!)  They also knew that if you want to make me happy, you just have to show up with at Diet Pepsi in hand.  :)

I can't wait to read them all!  The kids were taking it so seriously, yet I didn't have to do any monitoring or teaching.  Perfect for the end of the year.  :)  If you would like this activity for your class, it is available at my TpT store (for $1.50).  I really am super happy with how this brainstorm came out!  I will leave you with a few pictures I snapped of them as the kids were working.  I really am so excited about this!  Do you do something similar?  What? Please share!