“March 4th, the only day that is also a sentence.”—
John Green (via cariexplainsitall)
Crying
(via lyshaeskro)
HOW DID I MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THIS TO EVERY STUDENT TODAY? #teacherfail
(via girlcanteach)
Oh god, there’s almost an entire year before I can use this!
SO much love!
(Source: musikjunkie)
Another Nerdfighter!
Today I read one of the best recommendations from the end of semester reading summaries,
“I think everyone should go out, right now, and buy at least one of John Green’s books. Thanks to Miss, I now have read every single one…in 3 months. Looking for Alaska is no exception - it’s a page turner and emotional roller coaster all in one. Because, you know, don’t forget to be awesome!”
I’m swooning; count another one in!
This makes me smile
LESSON PLANNING: Foldables
I am a sucker for foldables, I really am, but I have learned that it takes a greater deal of patience, time, and practice to even teach my students how-to learn and create various foldables. And so, I decided to share some of the resources I found online if ever you should want to create foldable projects in your classroom. I have not tried all of these yet, but maybe you can find that patience, time, and practice with your students. G’luck!
A. There is the single paper book:
B. Rebecca and Donna of Get in the Fold! posted a helpful video of student examples.
C. Here’s a Four types of sentences flip-book from Mrs. Prince & Co.
D. Squidoo has a Minibook Gallery of images for examples of foldable minibooks. Some of the examples (like below) link to a page with further instructions on how-to create such booklets.
E. Teaching in Room 6 posted “Fantastical foldables” that she used for teaching genres.
F. I thought The Inspired Classroom’s use of a foldable to teach verbs useful.
G. Last but not least is A Teacher’s Treasure: Foldifun Factory which has plenty of pictures of foldables you can use for various subjects.
These are just SOME of the foldables that inspired me to get folding. Hope you found some inspiration in them too!
YESSSSSSS
I think I just finished my next read-aloud.
Wonder. Wow. Just wow. I think it is a good sign if I can’t wait to share it with my kiddos.
Although then I wonder if they’re really old enough to appreciate it.
In any case, you should pick up Wonder and read it if you have not yet done so.
I LOVED the book! The author came to our school in January and talked to our students (5th and 6th grade). Great book!
I haven’t been on here in so long that I had no idea tumblr changed its lay out.
I miss the world. Work stress is not fun stress.
so that’s how keys work.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM TO FINALLY SEE HOW THIS WORKS.
WHAT
Butterflies Are Free: Adding Fractions
One of the most difficult concepts to get across to students is adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. They just seem to be unable to understand why
they have to find a common denominator, how they have to find a common denominator, where multiplication comes in when you are…
I use rectangular boxes for fractions too. Students respond that they get it when I model with the rectangles. I don’t know why people want to always show it with circles.
I usually explain the part/whole concept with mythical monsters. 1 Harpy is 1/2 woman and 1/2 bird. Putting the parts together gets me one whole monster.
Interesting concept. I never thought to use monsters. You are right though, circles never work and seem to make it very difficult for the student. This seemed to work very well especially for my students on IEP’s.
Absolutely. The research work I am doing with fractions in classrooms strongly point to other models of fractions, instead of circles. Don’t forget the numberline too. Adding and subtracting fractions on a numberline can be a strong visual for some students.
I really enjoy these ideas. I am about to introduce fractions and will use these ideas to help them make more sense to my special education students.
How do you teach the boxes? I have not seen them done before.
So I’ve been so proud of how my oldest has turned out. He has Asperger’s. We still have some work in the social arena (specifically peers), but on the whole I am amazed at what a wonderful person my son is becoming.
The one thing that still bothers me is his stim. He bows his head down and…
You’re not a bad mom. You’re a great mom. Well done.
My oldest is will be 33 (in 2 days, wow). He liked to stim by standing outside, and positioning himself just on the edge of sun and shade. Under a tree with lots of leaves also worked. Then he would look up and swing back and forth, back and forth. When he’d come home from school, his preferred activity was to have a snack, and then go outside and stim. I let him.
I remember a social worker giving me grief over this. I’d thought a lot about it. D is Deaf, and cognitively delayed, and has minimal expressive sign language skills. His receptive is better. My other kids come home from school, get a snack and watch TV. I told the social worker that they were zoning out and resting from school, and so was he. She shut up.
I think you are both excellent parents. I wish there was more time or social acceptable ways for students, like your children, to relax and refocus during the school day.
I used to take my high school social skills students on a walk at the beginning or end of class or send them on an errand. Sometimes students need a break and they need an appropriate and accepted way to do it.
Now, with 6th graders, I usually just have them take breaks in the hall or walk to get water, take a note, or go to the bathroom. There are not as many options for quick breaks during our shorter classes, but we do what we can.
Everyone was posting all the good foods they made for dinner tonight (and the week). I didn’t make this, my amazing partner did. This is spicy orange chicken over steamed carrots and green beans over oven baked rice (that I did make). YUMMY!
Small update on 1st period social studies co-teacher
Remember him? The one who took my worksheet and messed with my plans for teaching vocabulary?
We had a lot of conversations about how to teach things for this week. They went pretty well (read: I did a lot of the teaching because I knew how I wanted to teach them vocabulary BUT he did create a cool powerpoint to review the words with pictures and have the students get correct definitions).
Today, I have planning during 1st, much like that day that I got so upset about the vocab.
When we do reading as a class, he usually lets the kids read on their own OR as a whole class. The last time we did reading (yesterday), I pulled a bunch of kids to the back and read to them. Since they have disabilities related to reading, I figure I should probs help them with that as the special education teacher.
Today, he told the class to get in pairs (I always pick pairs because… well… 11 and 12 year olds do not pick peers they work WELL with and kids get left out) BUT he then told them he would read in the back WITH them. He is currently sitting in the back of the room reading with a bunch of my kids.
Just like I do. And he has never done, well at least not this year.
Maybe I am rubbing off on him. I think he saw the value in explaining some of the wording, vocab, and concepts from the 6th grade (sometimes with a 7th or 8th grade reading level) book to my kids who are on 3rd and 4th grade reading levels!!
I told myself that I would focus on the positives as they come to help this relationship since he and I have to work together this year. And who knows about next year.
I guess this isn’t small after all. :)