Classroom Management - Share your Ideas!

So I am moving this week! Thanks to all of you wonderful TpT buyers, I was able to purchase this awesome house for myself and my family (which consists of my daughter - a high school junior, my son a college sophomore who is only home on breaks, but still needs a room, my sweetie, and his two girls, ages 14 and 10 who are with us every other weekend, and a somewhat senile cat). It has a big daylight basement for the kids and is in a great neighborhood - we've already met the neighbors and they are so nice. And two of them are teachers! We are also just a few minutes ride from a fabulous bike trail - you can ride all the way into Seattle one way, or into Redmond (which I wouldn't have mentioned except that Bill made it famous) if you go the other way. Thank you all so much for making this possible. Beyond being able to buy a house, I am truly honored that you have chosen to use my products with your students.

But the real reason for this post is I was wondering if could help me out. Since I won't have time to blog for the next few days, I am hoping to crowd source some classroom management tips - either for the end of this year or for starting next year. I would be thrilled if you would leave a comment with your favorite classroom management tip. And of course, if you have a blog you are welcome to leave a link. 

I'm looking forward to reading your tips and I am sure that other Minds in Bloom readers will find them valuable.

Data Standards: Common Core Style

Lucky us, we have a math specialist guest posting today. Read her post to find out how to implement one of the trickier Common Core Standards. 

In the common core, there is a measurement and data standard (MD.B) that I don't see being addressed in many programs at the third, fourth and fifth grade levels.  It is all about students constructing and using line plots to further their understanding of fractions.  I love how closely this data standard is tied into the fraction knowledge required at each grade level and it is a great way to incorporate fractions, measurement and data at the same time.

Here are the standards I am referring to.
Grade 3: CCSS.Math.Content.3.MD.B.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

Grade 4: CCSS.Math.Content.4.MD.B.4 Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions by using information presented in line plots. For example, from a line plot find and interpret the difference in length between the longest and shortest specimens in an insect collection.

Grade 5: CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.B.2 Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems involving information presented in line plots. For example, given different measurements of liquid in identical beakers, find the amount of liquid each beaker would contain if the total amount in all the beakers were redistributed equally

These standards have great connections to science and would be easy to incorporate the data collection and line plot making into multiple science units.

I want to take you into my classroom for a look at how I am addressing this standard with a group of fifth and sixth grade students.  

A Look Inside My Classroom

I wanted my fifth and sixth grade students to be measuring and making a line plot to the nearest eighth of an inch.  Because I wanted our first attempt at this to be manageable in size, I chose to have us measure crayons.  The reason for this is because when you are going to the eighth of an inch, you don't want to much spread in your data because it makes the line plot really long.  I had 2 students grab a handful of crayons out of our class bin and then we passed out rulers.  The rulers in this room are marked in sixteenths.  Before I sent kids out to measure, we drew a quick diagram on the board and reviewed how to measure to the nearest eight of an inch.

Our quick sketch about how to measure to the nearest eight of an inch and what to do with the sixteenths.  

The kids were then put in groups and given a small pile of crayons to measure.  They had to agree on the measurements as a group and recorded them on a piece of scrap paper.  When everyone was done measuring, we talked about how to draw our line plot and what numbers needed to be on it.  It was a great discussion about how small and how large we needed to go and what the increments would be.  Students worked with their groups to place their data on the line plot and had a great discussion about how large to make the X marks and how making marks of different sizes would change how the graph looked.  

A Look at the finished product!  As you can see, the students marked it in eights but only labeled the fourths.  They tried labeling each eighth at one point but the numbers looked to "squished"

When the line plot was finished, it was our cue to begin a great discussion about our data.  Here is where the strong connections to fractional thinking came into play.

I started by asking kids what they noticed about the line plot and what questions they could think of to ask their peers about the data.  This resulted in a quite a few questions that I tried to put into different categories. 

Because there are some sixth graders in this group and because we have been working on measures of center and other statistics with the group recently, the first set of questions they came up with were statistics type questions.  Here is a peak at a few

The kids asked and answered each other's questions about the statistics visible on the line plot.  The group decided that finding the average (mean) would be quite a bit of work and were happy to say that the answer would be "a little more than three"

These statistics questions are great for the sixth graders but not really what the common core standards I was hoping to address were about.  So we tried some more questions.  Many of these questions fell under the category of interpreting the representation.  While they were great, it is still not the type of questions referred to in the common core standards.  

These questions fell under the category of general representation interpretation.  I could tell from these questions that my students know how to interpret a line plot.     

I think the reason that my students didn't come up with the questions I was looking for was because they have never been asked to use a line plot in this way.  After I asked a few questions, they got the idea and helped me generate a few more.  Here is a list of the questions we came up with that really get at the common core standards.

How much longer was the longest crayon than the shortest one?

If we put all the crayons that are three and a quarter inches in a line, how long would that line be?

Are there any two crayons that could be put end to end and be the same length as another crayon?

Which line would be longer: all of the three and one eighth inch crayons lying end to end or all of the three and three fourth crayons lying end to end? How much longer would one line be than the other?

These questions ended up being a great review of the fraction operations we have been working on.  Also, I was surprised how easy some of the questions ended up being for some of my students who struggle the most.  The number line model really supported my students' thinking.  I really like the way this standard integrated several different things that we had been working on.  I can't wait to share this lesson with the science teachers and see how they can incorporate this standard into their own lessons.  How do you plan on meeting this common core standard?

About the Author

Tara, aka The Math Maniac is a K-6 math specialist from a small town on Vermont.  She loves learning about how her students think about math and is always impressed with the ways students can invent math for themselves.  You can find her on Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers and on her blog The Math Maniac.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Bag and Teachers Pay Teachers Sale!

Banner provided by: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! I hope your day is filled with kind words, flowers, yummy things to eat, and maybe even a gift card or two. Just in case you didn't already know, I have teamed up with four other TpT Top Sellers to make a terrific gift bag that you can get for free. Find out how to download all five of our free products right here. 

Of course today and tomorrow (May 7-8) are also the site-wide Teachers Pay Teachers Sale. My entire store along with many others is on sale for 20% off and if you enter Promo Code TAD 13 at check out, you will get another 10% off! Now is a great time to get some of those products you've been wanting off your wishlist.

If you are looking for something brand new to use for next year, I just posted this set of Class Rules Task Cards.

If you are looking for more task cards, you can find all of them in the Task Card Section of my TpT Store.

Something new I have been trying lately is making PowerPoints from my some of my most popular task card sets. The PowerPoints are a great way to get focused practice on a specific skill. They can be used on their own or in conjunction with the matching task card set. You can find all of them right here.

Remember to pick up your Teacher Appreciation Gift Bag and have fun shopping!

Teacher Appreciation Gift Bag for You!

How does one even begin to express appreciation for teachers? I am personally in awe of each and every one of you who continue to dedicate yourself to your students despite the current ignorant and often hostile political climate. Your work is invaluable and I hope that the students, parents, and administrations in your life make that abundantly clear every day, but especially on Teacher Appreciation Day.

Of course, I too would like to show my appreciation and to do that, I am collaborating with four of my favorite TpT sellers to create a gift bag for you! You will no doubt recognize their names because they are all TpT top sellers. We have each contributed one of our best-selling products that you will be able to download for free on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 7-8. This coincides with the site-wide Teachers Pay Teachers Teacher Appreciation sale during which each of us will be marking our entire stores down to 20% off. Use the TpT Promo Code TAD13 at check out and you will get an additional 10% off!

Banner provided by: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs

Here is a little preview of what each of us will be giving away for the gift bag:

I am giving away my Vocabulary Task Cards. This set of 35 cards can be used with any list of vocabulary words. I selected this set of cards because they can be used again and again over the course of the year, and also because vocabulary is such a big part of the Common Core Standards. Each card features a different challenge. They would be great at a literacy center or you could require students to complete a given number of cards per week. There are also several different tracking sheets included.

Those of you who know me, know that I am a huge fan of Laura Candler from Teaching Resources. Everything she does is amazing - high quality, useful, and fun for students. Her Teacher Appreciation Gift Bag product is no exception. Laura is giving away her always popular and CCSS aligned Sentence Go Round. This resource is focused on helping your students write longer and more interesting sentences - and we all know how important that is! I especially like her detailed teacher instructions that will tell you exactly how you can use this resource.

Next up is Ashleigh Swinford who blogs at Ashleigh's Education Journey. I think Ashleigh's products are amazing. Everything she does is well-laid out, appealing, and so incredibly useful. A perfect example is the product she is contributing to the gift bag, Simplifying the Scientific Process. If I were still teaching in the classroom, I would be breathing a huge sigh of relief on discovering this product. There it all is, the scientific method in bright, colorful posters, along with graphic organizers, activities (including a foldable, that I love!) and so much more. Seriously, you do not want to miss this chance to get it for free.

One of the many things that I admire about Stephanie Moorman from Teaching in Room 6 is that she only makes resources that she can use in her own classroom - so everything she makes is kid-tested. Many of her products target those skills that kids need to review again and again, which makes them super useful! Stephanie is contributing her Time for Math: Clock Creativity, which is a terrific collection of math activities that are all based on the clock. I love the, "Time for..." printables as well as the bulletin-board worthy craft, which she explains beautifully with both text and pictures.   

The first time I saw Jennifer Runde's products (who blogs at Runde's Room) was when she hit the top of the TpT charts with her Reading Comprehension Binder a few years ago. At that time I was awed by the quality and thoroughness of the product. Now that I know her a little better, I am still a huge fan. Jennifer loves hands on activities that get her students moving. Her Teacher Appreciation Gift Bag product, End of the Year Drama Circle Cards will do exactly that - and the timing is perfect! I am confident this activity will be a huge hit with your students during those last few days of school.

Now is a great time to take a peek at each of these products as well as each seller's TpT stores (because I know there are things you will want to put on your wish list). Then come back on Tuesday or Wednesday to grab the freebies and purchase everything on your wishlist at 28% off! Remember to use promo code TAD13 at checkout.

We'd love to have you share the gift bag with your friends and colleagues. The cute little girl at the top of this post makes a great pin! Wishing you a wonderful Teacher Appreciation week!

Reaching English Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

Many of us have English as a Second Language (ESL) students in our classes, who come to us with varying levels of English proficiency when they arrive, and in some cases, varying levels of education.  I'm going to share a few tips for mainstream teachers who may be struggling with modifying instruction for English Language Learners in their classrooms.

Let's start by doing a little activity: Raise your hand if you've ever traveled to another country.  Lots of hands! Now raise your hand if you've ever gone to school in another country. Fewer hands.  Now raise your hand if you've ever learned math, science, or social studies in a language besides English in another country.  Even fewer hands.  That last example is what we are asking our ESL students to do: learn specific content-area vocabulary at their grade level, when in reality, they may not have the background education, knowledge, or experiences to be able to keep up with their classroom peers. So how can we make it easier?

Get to know your student

The ESL teacher in your school or district should be able to provide you with a   report that gives that student's level of proficiency.  About half of the states in the US, including NJ, use WIDA; check and see what your state uses. If you use WIDA, once you know your student's English proficiency level, you will be able to find a list of Can-Do descriptors for that student. I treat this similar to an IEP, in that now I know what I can absolutely expect the student to achieve in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Giving the student achievable work on his or her level makes learning so much more rewarding. Below is something the teachers at my school use to make the Can-Do descriptors a little bit easier to manage. If you use WIDA, hopefully it can help you too! It's a google doc-just click on the picture to download.

Build background knowledge with quality and quantity 

Many students come to the US without the experiences that our students take for granted.  Here's an example my students struggled with recently from their mainstream classroom basal reader: 

Robert and his grandfather are going camping.  They set out early with a tent, fishing pole, and hiking boots.  What did they forget?  

Here are the problems with giving ESL students questions like that: 

• They may never have been camping before. 
• They do not know what a tent, fishing pole, or hiking boots are if there are no illustrations.
• I could go on and on!  

But how do I fix it?  Well, if I know that the selection for the week is going to be about camping, I could put together a 10 minute Powerpoint about common camping vocabulary for the benefit of all the students in the class.  Maybe I can find a Youtube video to show to my small group of ELL's before reading the story during guided reading.  Or, if I know of a native speaker who is an avid camper, I can have him/her "teach" the ELL's about camping and then partner-read the story together to answer questions as they arise. And, as I always tell my students, Google Images is our best friend.

Have one student be the "expert" to build background and enhance speaking and listening skills.

Make language personal 

There are two kinds of vocabulary ELL's need to learn: social and academic.  Most of the literature we read (Fountas and Pinnell) and the interaction they get with peers teaches them social language, so I supplement the academic language with cross-curricular activities   When we come across a word we don't know when reading (even after building background!) I explain, make or find a visual, and then ask them to tell me about the word.  Having the students use the word in their own sentence out loud makes them more apt to use it again and remember it when we are reading the next day.  Looking for more ways to work on vocabulary with ELL's?  Check out Marzano's 6 steps.   

Use resources 

If you have an ESL teacher for push-in or pull-out instruction in your building, set up weekly meetings either in person or via email to discuss a student's progress.  You can ask that teacher to help you with ideas for making modifications for tests and homework.  If you have a science/social studies textbook that is above a student's reading level, go to the grade level (or two!) below and borrow some of their non-fiction readers on the same subject- use those to supplement instruction.  

How do you modify for ELL's in the mainstream classroom? Share your stories of success (or difficulty!) in the comments.  Questions? Email me at everyonedeservestolearn@gmail.com

About the Author

Maria is a K-8 ESL teacher in New Jersey.  She is the author of the Everyone deServes to Learn blog.  She teaches reading, writing, listening, and speaking across the curriculum.  She has been a French teacher and a Basic Skills teacher, but her teaching heart is in ESL.  She has a Master's in Teaching ESL and is pursuing a career in administration. Visit her blog, Everyone Deserves to Learn and her Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Self-Publishing With Your Class

I am so thrilled to host Susanna Westby from Whimsy Workshop! Her post will tell you exactly how to create a real book! Turns out it is easier and cheaper than I thought.

It's an old stand-by activity in primary classrooms - the class book.
If you're a primary teacher, you've probably done this many times: all students contribute a page, staple it together with a cover, and display it on the class bookshelf. 

It's a great activity for encouraging young writers, but with modern technology at our fingertips, it's time for this activity to get a major update! Self-publishing your class books adds a new level of engagement and pride for students. For older students, they can become fully involved in the technical side of self-publishing.

Why bother? 
First, publishing transforms the traditional stapled book into what is perceived as "a real book" - and that matters to students! There's something about seeing their work printed and bound that makes them identify as "real" authors, just like those they see in a bookstore. 

Second, when you publish, each student can have their own color copy; seeing their faces while sharing their finished book with friends and families - pure joy and pride! In my class experience, parents order one copy (about $10), but when they see the final result, they rush back to ask if they can order several more to send to relatives and to save as family keepsakes.

More ideas:

• Put a copy in your school library for others to sign out.
• Share the pages (projected) at a parent night or assembly; each student can read aloud their own page.
• Use the book as the springboard for other language arts or math lessons, just as you would for any author study.
• Collaborate to create non-fiction book instead, based on any subject you are studying in class.
• Create a class poetry anthology or short stories.
• Older students could create a book for younger classes, following the structure of a specific picture book or author.
• Create a time capsule book with each student writing about themselves and their hopes for the future; parents can tuck them away to read years later. If it's done each year, it's a nice keepsake for the teacher too, after many years.

If you'd like to give it a try in your class, here are the steps to follow. I'll use the example of my class book from this year called I Like Me.

Finding an Idea

Come up with a story that emerges naturally from class themes and discussions. We chose the topic of anti-bullying and assertiveness. Each student chose one animal, and we showed how that animal could be assertive after being "put down". It's a simple concept for a Grade 1 class.

Add Illustrations

Students illustrate their character; we used step-by-step drawing sheets, but older students could use photo references or create original drawings. More advanced students could create pictures digitally.

Drawing in progress. When students see the finished book, they understand why their teacher sent them back to add more details and color to their drawings!

When doing backgrounds there are three easy options.

• Students can color the whole page, then simply scan it.
• Students can cut out a single image and glue it to colored paper.
• If you use an editing program, you can add the scanned images to a background you've made.

In all cases, you can simply drop your image into Powerpoint and use the text box option to add your text. 

The main text is in black. A few more advanced students were challenged to provide non-fiction information about each animal, which makes up the lighter text framing the picture.

Print a Draft

The next important step is to print a draft of the book and read it aloud to the class; collaborate on changes to dialogue or plot. This sort of collaborative editing engages students in critical thinking, providing them with the opportunity to evaluate ideas, consider alternatives, and engage in higher level thinking. 

This is the editing process in action! Students will notice details and make fantastic suggestions that you'd never think of!

Publishing
When everyone agrees that it's finished, there are a few options:

• Save the powerpoint presentation as a PDF to send for printing to your local printers. 
• -Search for online printing companies submit your pages as jpegs. 
• In my case, I saved the pages as separate jpegs and dragged them into iphoto's "Book Maker" feature. 

Click the "Buy Book" button shown in the photo. Books arrive in about a week. 

When the box of books arrives in the mail, get ready for fun! It's one of the happiest and most memorable days. Students in my class have been quite emotional about it, and there's a deeper understanding and appreciation for collaboration and the creative process. 

Why not try self-publishing with your class as a way to promote higher level thinking? Plant the seeds by walking them through the process, and watch their creativity bloom! Who knows how many future authors and illustrators you might inspire. 

If you'd like to read our class book I Like Me, you can find it here. 

And finally, here is a freebie for you: A PDF photoshop tutorial guiding you through the steps for importing student images into photoshop and making simple backgrounds.

Thanks to Rachel for providing the opportunity to guest post! I'd love for you to share any of your own comments or experiences with self-publishing in the comments.

About Susanna Westby

Susanna is a mother or two who has been teaching primary classes for 20 years near Vancouver, Canada. She received her B.A. in education, visual arts and literature; her post-graduate diploma  focused on educational technology. In addition to creating children's illustrations, she sells both her educational graphics and a myriad of literacy products in her Teachers Pay Teachers Store. Since earlier this year she has also been blogging about her own classroom at Whimsy Workshop.

Create Engaging Assessments with Math Performance Tasks

I am so pleased to host guest blogger Michaela Almeida of The Center Based Classroom. Her post just may revolutionize the way you assess math!

As a child, my feelings toward math were lukewarm at best. My distaste for math only worsened as I continued through school, hearing from teacher after teacher that math just "wasn't a strength of mine". I found math boring and I just didn't understand. 

It wasn't until I started teaching that I discovered my love for math! I realized that I could approach math in a way that my teachers did not, in a way that deepens students' understanding and helps spark a love of math in them. I thought to myself, "if I can teach math in an exciting way, I should be able to assess math in an exciting way, right?!" 

Math assessments DO NOT have to be boring! We know that teachers need to use a broad range of assessments to determine student understanding. I use a variety of formal and informal assessments in my classroom including my favorite, weekly performance tasks. The best part about these performance tasks (my kiddos and I call them challenge problems), is that they have no idea they're being assessed! 

Every Friday morning, students will run up to me asking, "When are we going to do the challenge problem?!" It is their favorite activity of the entire week! Where can you find these performance tasks? The Sonoma County Office of Education has a HUGE list of  MARS Tasks available for FREE! These tasks are broken down by grade level for grades 2 through high school!

You will find a large selection of performance tasks for each grade level. These tasks are aligned to the CCSS and include rubrics and an answer key. Here is a sample of one of the performance tasks for grade 3:
 

How I use them in my classroom 
I choose a performance task that fits the topic we have been working on that week (you can also create one of your own - the pictures you will see are of an area and perimeter performance task I created). My students work in partners to complete these tasks. I choose their partners before each task, varying partnerships each week. Depending on the task, I group my kiddos based on ability or learning styles - this part is totally up to you! Set your students up for success! I don't just hand my students the tasks and hope for the best. Introduce the task by reading the problem together, underlining key words, and giving them a chance to discuss how they might solve it (our rule is that we only discuss options for solving the problems, but not the answer!).

After our introduction, students are sent off to work on the problem. I take on the role of facilitator, making sure the students are on task and guiding them if they get stuck. Each group has access to various manipulatives and can choose how they will go about solving the problem. They must explain how they arrived at their answers.

Once students have completed the task and explained their thinking, we come together as a class. Each group has a chance to share their thinking. This shows students that there are multiple ways to arrive at an answer. It never fails that one group comes up with a way even I hadn't thought of! It's so great to see their thinking - I learn so much about each child as a learner!

How can you create your own performance tasks? 

Use the acronym GRASPS to help you! The acronym allows for teachers to provide a complex scenario that gives students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills they've learned in authentic, real life situations. *These are meant to simulate authentic situations - The GRASPS outline is not intended to be real. For example, the audience is usually the teacher and other students in the classroom pretending to take on the role of "mayor", "principal", etc. GOAL - Establish the goal, problem, challenge, or obstacle in the task. ROLE - Define the role/job of the students in the task. AUDIENCE - Identify the target audience within this scenario SITUATION - Set the context of the scenario and explain the situation. PRODUCT - Clarify what the students will create. STANDARDS - What learning standards does this task address?

My creating performance tasks freebie will help you get started!

About the Author
I am a third grade teacher in Massachusetts. I am finishing up my M.Ed. in reading from Worcester State University, in hopes of becoming a reading specialist in the future. I am a also a newlywed! My husband and I were married in November, 2012, and are living in bliss in our little one bedroom apartment! When I am not teaching, doing homework, working on products for Teachers Pay Teachers, or posting on my blog, The Center Based Classroom, you can find my scouring Pinterest for recipes and crafts that I probably won't have time to try out, cleaning/organizing (I have a Type A personality), and relaxing with my husband, family, and friends.