Last week, I linked up with Cara at First Grade Parade for a Throwback Thursday post.   I really enjoyed looking through my old posts on the blog...so much so that I thought I would do it again!  The post I am about to re-introduce to you is something that I use weekly in my classroom to help me form small groups, see what/who needs remediation, and to generally guide my teaching......my weekly Quiz Breakdown Form . This originally appeared on my blog in January of 2012 ...right when I started :) ***************************************************** I, like any teacher, know that I am supposed to give assessments to my students in order to find out just where they stand in my classroom.  I create a quiz (or use one that is created for me), the students get a score, and then I know if they are getting it or not.  Right? Well, it just wasn't working that way for me.  I knew Johnny got 5 out of 10 wrong, but I didn't know what that meant.  Did he get all of the additio...
Seems to be the summer of the linky party, huh?  I am just loving all of the opportunities to link up with other bloggers and learn some great new ideas.  So I couldn't pass by the Organization Party with my two favorite friends Kristen at Ladybug Teacher Files and Elizabeth at Fun in 4B .  This is something I have shared before (about a year ago....crazy it has been that long!), but wanted to reshare, just in case you missed it. You can see the different lists for different work piles This is something I have used since the beginning of my teaching career.  Now, this is not mind blowing.  In fact, my master teacher did a handwritten variation of this when I was student teaching 15 years ago.  When I have a bunch of work that has been turned in, I take a list of the students and just cross off who has turned what in.  Each pile of work gets a separate list. Using the Flow Map really streamlines everything. On days that I just *have* to get work done, I draw...
My blog has been around for about a year and a half now and one of the best parts about it is that I have this little storehouse of all of my teaching ideas, with little pictures that I can go back to at any time to revisit.  So I thought this was the most perfect time to do just that when I saw Cara from First Grade Parade was having a "Throwback Thursday" linky party.  What a great time to reminisce and join in! The post I am going to bring back this Thursday is something I have used in my class for quite some time now and it truly invaluable and SIMPLE.....algebraic table points!   This post originally appeared on my blog in December of 2011....it was literally one of my first posts.  I think I actually wrote it in those frenzied first few days when I started up and wanted to get everything I had ever taught before on the blog ;) ************************************************************* Fitting it all in -- Algebraic Table Points My wonderful teaching pa...
Last weekend, I had the privilege of seeing a sneak peek of Monsters University at the El Capitan Theatre (which, if you are not from Southern California, it is MUST if you plan to visit Hollywood.  Such a fabulous theater)  I took my 6 year old daughter with me.  Here she is waiting for the film...with her 3D glasses on :) This movie is a prequel to the 2001 release Monster's Inc .  While you don't have to see the first movie to appreciate this one, it helps.  Having some familiarity with the cast and how they eventually all end up, makes for a more fun experience (sort of like how I had been on Star Tours at Disneyland umpteen times, and had a ball, but it made SOOOOOOOO much more sense after I had seen Star Wars for the first time a few months ago.  Now I realize why everyone was cheering at certain parts on the ride ;) ) Anyway..... This movie follows Mike Wazowski and James Sullivan as they maneuver through college, intent on becoming scarers....the equivalent of th...
I finished reading The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child a few days ago, and wanted a little time to digest before I bombarded you {again} with my thoughts on it. My mind is spinning with how I can make my classroom more "reader friendly".  I keep thinking about what I actually do in my room, what works and what doesn't, and how I can tweak it to be a place where kids are actually reading. When I first started teaching, I did SSR (Sustained Silent Reading).  There are lots of names for this time of day (as I have learned from reading blogs ;) ) but basically it is the time of day where the kids just free read.  They don't choose a book from the library, they don't write, they don't color, they just read.   I did this partially because it was mandated by my school, and partially because I wanted to. OK...mostly because it was mandated. When it stopped being mandated, it slowly slipped off of my schedule for more "important...
OK....since it is summer, I am taking a bit of time to work on our new house.  I thought that since Tara at 4th Grade Frolics has her Monday Made It linky, I would share one of the teeny little projects I have tackled here with you all.  I am sure there are classroom applications for it... ;)  A few weeks ago, my friend Shannon posted on Facebook how she organized her bathtub with the kids' toys and stuff so that it wasn't a super huge mess....sort of how this looks right now: With her inspiration (that she said she got from Pinterest ...I have no idea where so I can't credit the original), I set about making my own organization station.  And now, my kiddos' tub looks like this: The finished product!!  So much better. How did I do it?  It was SOOOOO simple.  I purchased a shower curtain rod, shower curtain holders, and some waterproof baskets from the shower aisle at Target.  Putting the shower curtain rods through the place where the suction cups use...
I have to say that the most rewarding aspect of being apart of TpT is the feedback I receive from all of you.  I love opening up those "You have Feedback" emails and reading what everyone writing.  Every once in a while, there is something that just stops me in my tracks though.  You all sure do know how to put me in a happy mood!  So, to honor some of that great feedback that you all took such thought and care to leave, I am linking up with Christina at Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge and sharing with you all two particularly smile inducing feedbacks I have received as of late. The first was submitted just today!  It is from Jennifer Dixon about the Time for Math: Math Clock Creativity .   She writes: I love this because I love the product so.  I too used it in my room and thought it really helped to bring out the best in my kiddos when showing me their number sense.  I am glad Jennifer was able to have the same result!  The second feedback that had me just giddy wa...
When I was a child, I would read non-stop.  I just loved the idea of taking this little adventure in my mind, envisioning what the characters looked like, and getting fully wrapped up in a book. But all of that stopped after elementary school.  Suddenly, I was forced to read books that I just didn't want to.  There were endless discussions about "classic" books like The Catcher in the Rye or the The Grapes of Wrath and NONE of it interested me.  Cliff Notes became my new reading material....and subsequently, I just stopped reading books altogether.   I think I might still be on page 17 of The Catcher in the Rye . Now, as an adult, I am a spotty reader at best.  There is literally no need for me to buy a Kindle, as it will be a waste of money.  Every once in a while I will pick up a book and read....but usually, the computer/blogs/web articles is my main source of reading. As a teacher, though, I really see the value in reading for my students.  I tell them all....
I am tired.  My belly hurts (though I did just go to the doctor today and everything is fine.  I just need more electrolytes and rest :) )  and my brain is a pile of mush by the end of the day (you know, prime blogging time ;) )  The end of the year this year really has hit me hard.  Anyone else feel that way??? I just wanted to share with you something I did in my room with my students that really helped to keep them academically focused, but allowed them to let their hair down just a bit and have some fun, which we all need at this time of year :) These are a few of the mats you can make. I created this Math Mat Glyph that focuses on the fraction skills we learned this year.  Basically, this is a "choose your own adventure" activity.  The kids start in one box, solve the problem, and then can choose which box to move to next based on the arrows.  They proceed this way until they reach the ending box.  Fun enough.  But then, the magic starts (OK....so it isn't m...
It is officially June....which means summer break for me is so close I can actually taste it.  Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, but I also love the fact that we get a mental recharge at the end of it each year.  Ahh...the perks of being a teacher! June 1st also means it is time for Oh Boy, 4th Grade's Currently and I thought I would link up (and post two posts a day apart....hasn't happened in quite some time in Room 6 ;) )  So without further ado....here is what I am doing Currently. I am currently obsessed with HGTV.  I think it is because we just moved (to a house that my family now actually fits in!  yay!!) but I can't get enough of this channel.  I love to marvel at the LOW cost of housing in places that are anywhere but where I live (and be stunned by the fact that the DOWN PAYMENT on my house was more than the entire cost of some of these houses on House Hunters).  I also love Love It or List It.  What a fabulous show!  My favorite part is when the...