I am just going to say it.  I am not a big fan of task cards. {ducking from anything that may get thrown at me right now.} I know that they are really hot right now.  I know that people love them.  I know that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread for some teachers.  But *I* have just never really fell head over heals for them. Until this year. OK...that isn't exactly true.  I still am not a huge fan BUT my kids LOVE LOVE LOVE them.  Did I mention that they love them?  Because they do.  Task cards have revitalized plain old worksheets for the kids.  They have instant buy in and I find that the kids are completing their work faster if I present the work in task card format than if I simply type everything up on a worksheet page. So, since we have this new found love for task cards in my room, I thought I would share some of the ways that task cards have been successful in my class this year. First up is the " Task Card Dump ".  Basically, the students ...
Well, it is official.  My kids think I am the best teacher on the planet. OK....that is a little exaggeration, BUT we did have a great time exploring colonial times and physical/chemical changes, while working on reading for evidence.  So, what did we do that put me on track to be voted into the hall of fame of teaching?  We made butter.  Yes, you heard me.  Making butter in class is the equivalent to winning the Super Bowl.  But I am ahead of myself.  Let me run you through the lessons so that you too can be the best thing since sliced bread. We are in crunch time before the big TEST, so reviewing all of our past science standards is a must.  Physical and Chemical changes is a big standard that is so hard for the kids to really grasp.  So we began our lesson by watching the StudyJams video on Physical and Chemical Changes.  We discussed and took notes, all the while jogging their memory to what they already knew.  Using the video and their own notes, the students helped me to m...
Right about now is when school becomes one big stress ball of emotions for me.  Between testing and report cards and looming culmination....not to mention the senioritis that hits the fifth graders....April is really a hard month in which to teach.    And it isn't just me.  It seems like overall the staff (not just at my school but at all schools in my area) just tend to be a bit more stressed and down.  So when I read what Angela Watson of The Cornerstone for Teaching had to say in Chapter 7 of her new book Unshakeable: 20 Ways to Enjoy Teaching Every Day...No Matter What , it really struck a chord with me. This chapter is all about how you, one person, can affect the entire school culture.  The big takeaway for me was to stay positive.  In all of your interactions with colleagues, remain steadfast in your positivity. I have to admit, this is hard for me sometimes. It is just so easy to give in to the complaining as a way to destress.  But, as Angela points out, it is actual...