Sunday, May 1, 2011
Teacher Appreciation Week
There are some great things going on this week!!! Just wanted to share a post I saw on facebook from Kim Adsit, I copied this from the post but be sure to look Kim up and Like her on facebook.
Classroom Management Linky Party
I am joining Mrs. Randall's Classroom Management Linky Party. I have tried a couple of different types of classroom managements over the last few years.
The first year I taught I used cards that were different colors. Each day students stared out on green, if I had given a student several warnings they had to move their green card to the back and the card that was showing was blue, next was yellow, red, and the last card was black which was a phone call to the parent. I had a small poster with each color card on it and a smiley face clip art or frown to emphasize what each color and consequence was. This worked ok but I had a student that was diagnosed OD / ADHD and pulling a card caused a major melt down with this student, and to be honest any type of consequence was a battle, thankfully our school has what is called a 'behavior lab' and after having to carry the student down the hall screaming more times than I want to remember the student was allowed to be taken here (oh my sometimes I wonder how my poor students learned anything that year). This worked pretty good with the rest of my class and the next morning before everyone was put back on green the students who had stayed on green the day before were given a ticket that they could turn in on a special day for a prize or some type of reward. I did have one student who would act like he moved his card, move someone's card other than his own, or move his green back to the front before he left. (you know the ones) So the next year I thought I would try something new.
I purchased the stop light behavior chart and have tried to use it the past two years but I just have not had great success with this behavior system and have ended up taking it down and using something different the past two years.
I am currently using the old fashion name on the board. We start out on Monday with a clean board and names are not erased until the next Monday. If a student gets into trouble more than once they get a check mark by their name. I also write a word at the top of the board such as Easter, if this word stays on the board until we leave on Thursday the class receives a treat on Friday, if they have lost letters then their is no treat. I also give them check marks if they already have all of the letters and they are doing a great job following directions, they get a compliment from someone in the hall or the cafeteria, etc.
Next year I plan on using a different type of classroom management I want to use the clip chart by Rick Morris. although I have saw some ideas that I really like on this link party sooooo.... we shall see. Sometimes the class changes what you thought would work.
Make sure you check out everyone's ideas and join in I love getting inspiration from others and sometimes we all need a new idea when it comes to classroom management.
The first year I taught I used cards that were different colors. Each day students stared out on green, if I had given a student several warnings they had to move their green card to the back and the card that was showing was blue, next was yellow, red, and the last card was black which was a phone call to the parent. I had a small poster with each color card on it and a smiley face clip art or frown to emphasize what each color and consequence was. This worked ok but I had a student that was diagnosed OD / ADHD and pulling a card caused a major melt down with this student, and to be honest any type of consequence was a battle, thankfully our school has what is called a 'behavior lab' and after having to carry the student down the hall screaming more times than I want to remember the student was allowed to be taken here (oh my sometimes I wonder how my poor students learned anything that year). This worked pretty good with the rest of my class and the next morning before everyone was put back on green the students who had stayed on green the day before were given a ticket that they could turn in on a special day for a prize or some type of reward. I did have one student who would act like he moved his card, move someone's card other than his own, or move his green back to the front before he left. (you know the ones) So the next year I thought I would try something new.
I purchased the stop light behavior chart and have tried to use it the past two years but I just have not had great success with this behavior system and have ended up taking it down and using something different the past two years.
I am currently using the old fashion name on the board. We start out on Monday with a clean board and names are not erased until the next Monday. If a student gets into trouble more than once they get a check mark by their name. I also write a word at the top of the board such as Easter, if this word stays on the board until we leave on Thursday the class receives a treat on Friday, if they have lost letters then their is no treat. I also give them check marks if they already have all of the letters and they are doing a great job following directions, they get a compliment from someone in the hall or the cafeteria, etc.
Next year I plan on using a different type of classroom management I want to use the clip chart by Rick Morris. although I have saw some ideas that I really like on this link party sooooo.... we shall see. Sometimes the class changes what you thought would work.
Make sure you check out everyone's ideas and join in I love getting inspiration from others and sometimes we all need a new idea when it comes to classroom management.
Great Deal on Great Geysers Jar
In my previous post I showed my class using mentos to make a geyser. I found a kit at Cracker Barrel marked 50% off the regular price of $19.99. The one I had used was borrowed from another teacher so as soon as I saw this one I had to get it. This kit comes with more experiments than just the geyser. I can't wait to use this next year.
Here is a Product Description
Be Amazing! Toys Great Geysers Jar Learn how the Mentos Geyser became an overnight internet sensation as experimenters worldwide tried to uncover the secret erupting power of the popular mint candy. Something amazing happens when Mentos and diet soda mix ... people scream with excitement! This kit gives you the tools to make your own erupting soda fountain. Perform more than a dozen soda pop science experiments as you discover the power in the pop! Use the new Depth Charger to erupt the geyser with salt or other common household items. Make dancing noodles and much more. Activities include: Dancing noodles Soda can shake up The Mentos mystery Load and drop the depth charge The C02 Myth Includes: Mentos Chewy mints Magnifying glass Macaroni Sodium Bicarbonate Geyser tube Depth charge New caps Citric acid Rock salt SaltSunday, April 17, 2011
Update
MIA
I have been sick for what seems like forever. This is my third year to teach and I thought I was finally building up an immunity but even as recent as yesterday I was in the bed with a killer stomach virus.
I really have been wanting to post some pictures of what my class has been doing, so here is a mishmash of what has been going on:
and that is some of what we have been up to
So glad to be back!
I have been sick for what seems like forever. This is my third year to teach and I thought I was finally building up an immunity but even as recent as yesterday I was in the bed with a killer stomach virus.
I really have been wanting to post some pictures of what my class has been doing, so here is a mishmash of what has been going on:
Sorting and counting to 100
Presidents Day
Soda and Mentos
A visit from our local electric company
and that is some of what we have been up to
So glad to be back!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Weather!
Wow what a day, we had some really bad weather here today. We spent most of our day in the hall, but my students did really well. I took some time this morning to let my students know that we would be having some storms (because most of their parents had already told them this). We talked about what we should do if we had a tornado drill.
We were sent to the halls at around 9:00 this morning due to tornado warnings. When we were able to go back to our room it was almost time for our lunch so we got our math lesson in and went to lunch. When we returned from lunch I let my students listen to Storm Is Coming. I have this on CD an I like to let the students listen to a story before I read it to them and show them the pictures. I will read it to them later and show them the pictures.
We were sent to the halls at around 9:00 this morning due to tornado warnings. When we were able to go back to our room it was almost time for our lunch so we got our math lesson in and went to lunch. When we returned from lunch I let my students listen to Storm Is Coming. I have this on CD an I like to let the students listen to a story before I read it to them and show them the pictures. I will read it to them later and show them the pictures.
This was a perfect book for today! We compared how the farmer put all of the animals in the barn and how we were put in the hall. We also compared the farmer to our principal and how our principal was taking care of us just like the farmer took care of the animals.
The students drew a picture about their favorite part of the story. I had planned on letting the students share these with the class. I had planned to let the students compare how they felt in the hall to how the animal they drew felt in the barn. Well I was not able to do this because we were sent back to the hall again while another set of storms came through.
I am so glad that we were sent to the hall because when I got home and watched the news someone had lost their life in the storms today, homes were destroyed and pictures of a tornado were shown.
I hope everyone has a safe week and hopefully the bad weather will be past us for a while.
Penny
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Another snow day
Today is yet another snow day. I really needed this day because my son had to have surgery yesterday so it was nice to be able to be home with him.
All these snow days have been nice but I really need to have my students in class for a full week at some point. Between the snow days and flu I haven't seen all of my students for a full week since before Christmas.
I have tried to move ahead without doing so much that my students that are out will get behind but at some point we are going to have to move much faster. It seems just when we are ready to start something new we have a snow day, oh bother.
Well that's enough complaining.
We have been making some valentines for the Veterans. We made Christmas cards and when I delivered them and ask if it would be ok for us to make some more things in the future the nurse was so nice and almost cried. She told me that they were overwhelmed around the Christmas holidays and then after that it was as if they were forgotten about.
Veterans are the reason we have the freedoms we do and so I always want to remember them even if it is just with a construction paper card that says 'Thank You'.
My student understand that the cards are going to the men and women who made / make sure we are able to come to school. I have been keeping hearts and construction paper at a table in our room and each day we take some time to make a card. I have asked other teachers to help if they can and I have had lots of participation.
If your class or school is able to do something like this I would encourage you to do this or something like it.
Here are some pictures of my students making cards to send to the Veterans.
All these snow days have been nice but I really need to have my students in class for a full week at some point. Between the snow days and flu I haven't seen all of my students for a full week since before Christmas.
I have tried to move ahead without doing so much that my students that are out will get behind but at some point we are going to have to move much faster. It seems just when we are ready to start something new we have a snow day, oh bother.
Well that's enough complaining.
We have been making some valentines for the Veterans. We made Christmas cards and when I delivered them and ask if it would be ok for us to make some more things in the future the nurse was so nice and almost cried. She told me that they were overwhelmed around the Christmas holidays and then after that it was as if they were forgotten about.
Veterans are the reason we have the freedoms we do and so I always want to remember them even if it is just with a construction paper card that says 'Thank You'.
My student understand that the cards are going to the men and women who made / make sure we are able to come to school. I have been keeping hearts and construction paper at a table in our room and each day we take some time to make a card. I have asked other teachers to help if they can and I have had lots of participation.
If your class or school is able to do something like this I would encourage you to do this or something like it.
Here are some pictures of my students making cards to send to the Veterans.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Grondhog day project
Here are some of the books we read for groundhog day . . .
I found this cute art project at about.com - I'm just posting the pictures because there was a great tutorial already posted here.
My students really enjoyed doing this project.
**I am not allowed to post student pictures, that's why you will see hand only in my post.
I found this cute art project at about.com - I'm just posting the pictures because there was a great tutorial already posted here.
**I am not allowed to post student pictures, that's why you will see hand only in my post.
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