Smart Spelling Changes--Interactive Spelling

What  major changes are you implementing this school year?  This summer I decided it was time for an overhaul of my spelling instruction.  I was searching for a curriculum/method of spelling that would best meet the needs of all my classroom learners.  I was excited when I found exactly what I was looking for at Teachers Pay Teachers: Jen Bengel's Interactive Spelling.

The first week of school I administered the pretest to my third and fourth graders.  From the results of the pretest, I divided my third and fourth grade classroom into 5 spelling levels.  

Because my fourteen third graders need much more structure and organization at this time of year, I thought hard about ways to organize Jen's program to best fit their needs.  Here is what I did.

First, I created a SMART Board program for the weekly lesson.  The students wrote down the objective in their spelling notebooks.  Then I used the website http://www.morewords.com/ to develop five levels of words that fit the weekly lesson.  I used 5 highlighter colors to show the word lists on my SMART Board. I listed more words than each group needed so that each student would have a choice of words. 

One slide of four for the spelling lesson.

After we read through the word list, I walked around the classroom and placed a color-coded sticker in each student's spelling notebook.

This sticker showed the student which level words to copy and how many words to eventually star and put on their own personal weekly list.  The student's lists ranged from 10-20 words this week.

My fourth graders wrote their words in their assignment books. They also made a second copy to keep at school.

My third graders copied the words they starred in their notebooks and wrote them on two lists.  The yellow list was sent home today to study, and the white list was put in their pocket on the Spelling Buddies Bulletin Board.

The students will use their words lists on this bulletin board to practice with their buddies during the week and to give the tests on Fridays.  

Even though the launching of this new spelling program took a great amount of time, I am so excited that I can best meet the needs to my students this year!  Throughout the year, my students will gain more control of the spelling program as they will be involved in the word choosing process.  They will also be adding other personal words to their lists-- words that I notice them misspelling in their writing. 

Check Jen Bengel's Interactive Spelling Program out at her TpT Store!  I am thrilled that I made the change!

Amy

What will Students Remember about your Classroom?

What do you remember about your childhood classrooms?  Sometimes, it may be one little item.  For me, I remember a giant paper mache' giraffe outside my kindergarten classroom door.  I remember, Mrs. DeMott's(my fourth grader teacher) penny loafers( in many colors).
What will  your students remember about their classroom years from now?

I am thinking that this year my students will remember this:

What is "this"?  The Emoji pillow!

Each year I recover my old plaid classroom couch. 

 I have purchased a couple sets of fleece blankets (about 2 bucks each) from Walmart.  It takes four of them to cover the entire couch.   They transform the couch into an inviting place for students to read.  Plus, I can remove the covers from time to time and wash them to keep our classroom clean.

The Emoji pillow was just purchased at Walmart on a whim.  It seems, however, after three days into the schoolyear that this pillow will be the "hit" of the year!  I am thinking that Mr. Emoji pillow will be the one thing that is remembered about my classroom this year.

Former students have come back into my classroom to take a peek at our new pillow. The word is out. Parents have told me that their child LOVES third grade because it has a couch with an Emoji pillow.

Who would think that one little $4.95 item would add so much to education?  What decor accent are you adding this year to make your classroom memorable?

Amy

Smart Classroom Uses of Tape

Don't you just LOVE all the creative tapes that are available today?  In fact, I'm off today to purchase some more rolls because I have a new idea!  Let me share with you some ways I've used tape in my classroom so far.

I was so thrilled to find this cursive strip and measuring tape at Michael's.  

Perfect for the student's desktops.

I love this narrow Duck Tape!  Hundreds of uses! Cheaply priced at Wal-Mart!

Tape adds some color to my book bin shelves!

This polka dot tape served as a border to one of my bulletin boards.  I needed something narrow and it worked great.  I did staple the corners so that it stayed up all year!

Love my art bags where students store art work!

Well, I'm off to find some more of the wonderful, sticky stuff!  I can't wait to think of more ways to use it in my classroom!

Amy

Rugs! A Smart Way to Brighten Up that Classroom

Don't we all have vivid memories of our grade school classrooms?  My memory consists of many desks in straight rows and not much room for anything else!

I am so thrilled that my classroom is large enough for a library and a few other fun little nooks!  My classroom itself, however, is too much on the beige color scheme so I am always looking for ways to add a zip of color!

Yesterday, to my delight, my rug from IKEA arrived!  This very economical ($19.99) beauty is just what my classroom library needed to add a little zing!   Don't you agree?

Thank you, IKEA!  My students will be loving to read thanks to this fun polka dot rug!

How will you add some fun color to your classroom this year?  

Amy

My Classroom Couch . . .Oh, it's Time for Another Smart Design

I inherited this couch when I arrived in my new classroom three years ago.  I lived the "country decor" many decades ago, so I knew that I would need to come up with a smart redesign.

In 2013, I redesigned ole' plaidy into the famous "Zebra Couch."  The kids loved it, and it held up very well to a steady amount of daily student readers!

In 2014, our classroom was a nautical theme so old Zebra had to go!  With the help of a Target shower curtain and some blue fleece that I found around the house, it took on a whole new look!

This year, my classroom theme is Dotty Star, so good-bye stripes!  First, I found these dotty fleece blankets at Wal-Mart for a mere $2.88 each!

Add a few T pins and  . . . 

I added one blanket on each side.  Good symmetry lesson!

Then placed the third piece of fleece on the seat!

Finally, the fourth piece and a few T-pins to hold it in place.

Then, a little black to make it look less girlish! 

Here it is!  Waiting for all those wonderful third and fourth graders and the many books they will read this year!  

And it all started with this . .  .

What a few blankets and pins can do!

What redesigns will you do this summer to welcome those readers?

Enjoy!

Amy

Make-it-Monday: Smart Classroom Personal Pouch

Years ago when I began teaching one of the biggest surprises about students was the problem that many students have organizing their desk full of supplies and treasures.  I was so focused on lesson content and classroom behavior that I didn't realize the importance of getting my students organized from Day 1 in the classroom.

My students have plastic clip folders in my classroom in which they organize their work.  One organizational item that I have them put in the clips is a personal plastic pouch.

 I make these pouches during the summer, but collect them at the end of the year and reuse them.  (good lesson in conservation)

These pouches are great for reward tickets, spelling sorts, tiny erasers, fractions pieces, and all the other valuable classroom tools that you want at you students' fingertips.

They are easily made with a ziplock bag and fun duct tape!  The kids love them and they last all year or longer.

Enjoy this reward card FREEBIE in my TpT store and have fun organizing your students this year!

Your Reward

Happy Organizing!

Amy

Smart Classroom Planning

When I first began teaching many years ago, I would close the school year and then not even think about school until after the 4th of July.  I needed a break!

graphic by mycutegraphic.com

 Now I do things differently!  

During the past few years I've done a bulk of my next year planning in June while school is fresh in my mind.  With aging parents who have many health concerns and three teenagers/young adults, I never know where my summer will lead me so I want to be prepared!

One of my first summer projects is to tweak classroom procedures.  What changes do I need to make for next year's class?  What procedures worked well? What procedures did not meet my expectations? What new ideas do I want to implement next year?

I know the importance of sharing classroom procedures and expectations from day one in the classroom.  The procedures set the tone for the entire year!  That is why I plan these first, a few days after the school year closes and continue to revisit them during the summer.

This summer I created the  SMART Board program and PowerPoint presentation called Smart Classroom Procedures,  containing 22 colorful  slides of  my classroom procedures.  It's all set to show my new students the first day of school, but can be edited through the summer with new ideas that I may want to try.  I can also show these procedures many times during the school year (after breaks-when students seem to have forgotten the routine) or view one particular procedure and easily change it during the year if needed. (Some procedures don't work for certain groups of students.)

Click to view in my TpT store.

  Each slide engages the students with colorful graphics.  My procedures are texted in, but can be edited to fit your own classroom.

With this major task complete, I can now take a break and celebrate July!

 Happy 4th everyone!

Amy

Making Time for Celebrating Mom in the Classroom

Let's face it TIME is such a big factor in the classroom!  When I began teaching 30 years ago it seemed like I had so much extra time.  Education and the students have changed so much over the years that it seems like I am at a constant battle with the clock.

This year I created a way to celebrate Mom in the classroom by incorporating it into a reading lesson on character traits.  During May I often review many reading concepts and character traits is one of them.  I am so excited to use this activity to also create wonderful Mother's Day cards and coupons!

I can't wait to see the beautiful cards the students will create!

The students will also write about their moms.  These type of  activities were always the "keepers" for me as a mom.  I have them stuffed away from my own three kids.  Now that they are teens and young adults these grade school treasures mean even more to me.

As a mom, I always LOVED it when my kids created fun coupons!  Here is a freebie coupon activity for you!

Enjoy making Mom a hero in your classroom!  She deserves it and is worth the TIME you spend on the projects!

Amy

Lessons Learned from Life's Surprises

My blog has remained frozen since October 11--my birthday.  Looking back it seems like a lifetime ago.  On October 24,  I received a phone call at school in the early morning hours.  It's a phone call that may not be totally unexpected since my parents are both in their 80s.  However, it is not the call you want on a beautiful fall Friday morning.

My mother had suffered two strokes by the time I drove the 300 miles that weekend to rush to the hospital.  My four siblings and I stood by her bedside as the words coming out of her mouth seemed to belong in a different land. Many questions ran through our minds . . . What now? Who would take care of Dad? Will she ever walk or talk again?

"All things work for the good for those who love God."  How true that statement became!  All the pieces fell together quickly.  My mom received outstanding care in a nursing facility, and we moved my dad into an assisted apartment just a few steps away from mom's door.  Truly things like this do not happen without the hand of God.

I don't keep secrets from my students.  They prayed for my mother, they made her cards, and they asked about her daily.  These are the moments of teaching that really make it so worthwhile.  Who else has 18 people truly caring about someone in your life that they have never met?

One day in December while shopping in Target my cellphone rang.  It was my mother.  Two months previously I never thought I would have another phone conversation with her.  Among the mad Christmas shoppers I am standing in the middle of the giftwrap aisle crying my eyes out as I hear her speak. Christmas miracle.

Today my parents live in an assisted apartment.  My mother walks great with her walker (sometimes without). Her beautiful cursive handwriting has returned.  She is able to read almost anything silently, but struggles to read smoothly aloud.  She struggles to think of some words--even my name at times--but we can have wonderful conversations.

Moving out of the Nursing Care Facility!  Way to go, Mom!

Miracle--yes! But it did not come without extreme hard work from my mother.  I am amazed that an 83 year old can have so much drive and determination to learn to walk, talk, read and write again.  She worked for hours in therapy and then spent hours on her homework.  I would sometimes receive photos of her homework via phone (writing her name 10 times) and show it to my students. "Your mom has homework?" they would say.

Our classroom hero! You're never too old to learn!

What did my students learn from my mother? Hard work never ends.  When life seems unfair we just try harder. Our parents will always be important to us. Reading and writing are important. It is hard to live without reading.  (their words)


Do you share your personal life with your students? What have they learned from your struggles in life?

Amy

Smart Active Learning: Rockin' Around the Clock

I love October in the classroom!  The routines have been established, the students know your expectations, and their attention span has increased.  However, I  look for ways to keep them up and moving and learning at the same time!

This week we brushed up on the telling time skills as we will dig deeper into the complex skill of elapsed time next week!

I begin by assessing the students with a pretest from my Rockin' Around the Clock Worksheet Pack.

Next, I  tape my Rockin' Around the Clock Task Cards on the walls of the classroom.  Students are given an answer sheet and are placed at one card to begin.

Then the music starts . . . I play Rockin' Around the Clock!!

The students start a rockin' to the next card when the music is played.  They write down the time on the card and dance their way to the next card when the music starts.

How do you keep your students a movin' and a learnin' at the same time?

Amy

Smart Paint Storage

Are you one of those teachers that teaches EVERYTHING like me?  Reading, writing, arithmetic plus art, music, physical education, technology etc...  Sometimes it really is enough to make your head spin.  The key to success is to be super organized!  My wonderful art teacher sister gave me this smart idea to store tempera paint.

Paint stored in covered condiment cups

This week my class is going to mix primary colors to create colorful paper that we will use in another project.  Do I need to spend hours setting up the classroom for painting?  No!  I have these lovely primary colored cups already in trays (foil muffin tins) stored in paper box lids  all ready to go in my closet!

My students love to paint so I am so excited that everything they need is just a few steps away! 

Can't wait to create!

What organization tricks do you have to save time?

Amy