Making the Most of Games

I'm here for another teacher confession session, AKA, sharing my face-palm DUH moments with all of you. This one is an oldie.  I made this swap years ago and I still think about all of the lost learning opportunities prior to switching over haven't looked back.  I bet a lot of you lovelies already do this.  Sometimes I live under a rock...

I'm going to keep this short and sweet:  When your kids are playing a game in small groups or during centers, instead of having kids take turns answering questions, have every kid in the group answer every question.  

OMGracious, did this ever help with maximizing learning opportunities and time on-task!  Instead of players goofing off while it was someone else's turn, it's now always everyone's turn.  I let them let take turns flipping the question cards, but then each player has to record an answer.  Anyone that is correct gets to move their piece/spin/collect/etc.  

For those of you that just crawled out from under this rock, don't beat yourself up.  Beat up your teacher friends that are already doing this for not clueing you in.  Kidding!  I would be gasping for air buried beneath a rock quarry if it weren't for all of my teacher friends!  

Do you have any small group game advice for the rest of us?

Making the Most of Homework

Planning, differentiating, copying, collecting, correcting, and even some nagging..... My homework routine use to be a major stressor.  It has come a LONG way.  Though it's still not perfect, it works for me, the kiddos, and their families.  

The Gist:  It's a weekly packet.  I don't try and make it "fun" or "cutesy", but I do make sure it's pertinent, doable, and something we've covered.

*If you're new around here, I like to share my DUH moments for the benefit and enjoyment of others.  When I first changed over to weekly packets, I ran them Monday through Friday.  No bueno.  If I didn't have the packet ready by the time I left Friday for happy hour, I spent my Monday morning acting like a maniac trying to get my stuff together and pushing my co-workers out of the copy line.  Not a good way to start the week. Also, kids that forgot their homework on Friday often "got away with it" because I didn't realize it until the end of the day.  To make it even worse, do you think that kids that forget on Friday after being reminded on Thursday are going to remember on a MONDAY? Ya, right.  Insert mega face-palm DUH moment.  Hand them out on Wednesday and they are due on Tuesday.  That gives ME Monday and Tuesday to do last minute prep if needed, and it gives me Thursday and Friday to nag remind them to turn it in or sit and help some of my lovelies through it.  Know what else?  That gives families a weekend to work on it.  Brilliant.  Weekday evenings can be jam packed with sports, church, meetings, etc.  This Wednesday to Tuesday schedule gives them 7 days to pick from.  I have received so much positive feedback from parents about this schedule, and who doesn't love happy parents?

Phew.  This is going to be a long post. 

Bueller?  

Bueller?

Planning:  I follow the same format each week.  This consistency makes it easier for parents to know what's expected and so much easier for me to pull packets together.  

-Front of 1st page:  There is a small section at the top for their name, classroom #, the date range, what they thought was the most difficult with their signature, AND a place for parents to sign saying they "reviewed" their child's homework and what THEY think their child struggled the most with.  Below this information is a grammar assignment covering a previously taught concept or a very short writing assignment.

-Back of 1st page:  This is the reading passage.

-Front of 2nd page:  The questions/assignment that go with the reading passage are on this page.  I am NOT A FAN of putting the story and questions front to back.  It isn't ideal when you are trying to get students to show proof and go back to the story.  Running the story on the back of a page and the questions on the front of the next page put them side by side.  This is ideal and so much easier for these little kids.  Just another one of my DUH moments.

-Back of 2nd page:  I put a short math assignment that reviews the most currently covered concept.  No more than 10 questions.  

-Front of 3rd page:  This alternates between social studies and science, and it's usually on the most current topic.  

-Back of 3rd page:  This is always the most time consuming on my end, but I think it has the highest value.  I make a spiral math review with 6 questions.  I've tried saving myself some time and finding something on TPT to purchase, but it just hasn't worked.  As their teacher, I'm the one that knows exactly what past concepts are the tricky ones for them, and I know just how to word them.  This page is so personalized to MY kiddos.  I have a template, and after 8 years of 3rd and 4th grade, I've got quite the bank of past questions to choose from.  These are 6 challenging questions.

Differentiating:  Remember when I said my system isn't perfect?  Just wanted to remind you.  Having leveled homework packets was a goal of mine for YEARS.  About 3 years ago I finally felt like I was in a place to handle this.  I do 3 levels: above level, on-level, and below.  I differentiate the reading passage/questions, math concept review page (not the spiral), and sometimes the grammar.  The science/social studies and the spiral math page are the same for everyone.  To make differentiating easier, I highly suggest you find resources that you can use throughout the entire year, whether it be a book to photo copy from or a subscription to a website.  For homework purposes, I really like SuperTeacherWorksheets.com because it is SO easy for me to differentiate.  The reading passages are sorted by grade level and most of the math and grammar have an easier or more challenging version available.  It's $20 a year.  Worth it!  In a perfect world, I'd have a high reading/on level math and vice versus, but I don't.  Shame on me.

Since this turned into a novel, I'll save Part Deux for another day!  What does your homework system look like?  Does it need a makeover?

TPT Cover Text that POPS!

I know it's Sunday afternoon, and unfinished lesson plans are looming, but sharing about cute snazzy text is way more fun!  I had another palm hitting forehead DUH moment.  Most of you smarty pants probably already know this, but I'm going to share for those few souls out there that don't know this simple easy secret! 

We all know that cover pages are really important for TPT products.  We all also know that cute fonts are a huge part of that!  But did you know you can make cute fonts even snazzier?  Before I share my DUH and quick how-to, look at these 2 photos of a cover page for a product I'm working on, and see if you can spot the one and only difference!  

Yep.  The outline of the title text is the only thing that's different, and boy, what a difference it makes!  I was admiring the cover page of an item I purchased during THE.BIG.SALE, and found myself all gaga-eyed over the text.  What pretty outlines the text had!  After doing a bit of searching on the internet with no success, it finally hit me that I can do that with the fonts I already have.  

1 word:  WordArt.  (This feels more like two words....)

2 more words:  Well, DUH.

Here's a quick how-to for PowerPoint!

Insert WordArt instead of Text Box

A box will appear with Your Text Here.  Type what you want.

Here's where you make it snazzy.  Change the font type to what you want.  Then work with the fill and line, and the weight of the line!  So much better!

Well, DUH.  For those of you that were un-aware like me, GO make SNAZZY text NOW!  Happy Sunday!

Icky Sticky Germ-Fighting Freebie

OMGerms!  We've probably all been there.  You know that moment when you're in the office and one of the secretaries super heroes points to one of your classroom passes because one of your "tinies" left it in the office during one of their "emergencies".  All you can think to yourself is, "I AM NOT touching that thing!"  I've tried lots of hall pass systems.  Meh.    

Then I found THIS PIN.  Well, duh.  Mega face palm.  It was love at first sight! Where has this been all of my teaching life?  My kiddos don't have to carry it, they don't have to set it down in the restroom (barfo) and then forget to bring it back, it doesn't dangle from a ribbon around their neck so they can play with it….

I went to my local super store and purchased some inexpensive badge holders and clips.  It was a small investment with a huge payoff.  Check it out!

You're in love, right?  Well, since it's just about Valentine's Day, and you are all so lovely, I'm sharing this editable file with you.  I expect chocolate and roses in return. 

I printed them on card stock, laminated, and put them into the badge holders.  D-O-N-E.  To help me keep track of where kiddos are, I have small bottles of sanitizer that are color-coded that they put on their desk while they are out of the room and conveniently use when they return.  Mine have different color pumps, but you could decorate the outside with Washi tape, ribbon, etc.  This is a quick way for me to figure out where they are by just looking at their desk.  

Head over to my TPT store and grab this sweet freebie!  Don't forget to leave feedback!

2, 4, 6, 8….Well, Duh!

Eight years ago I had a palm hitting forehead DUH moment.  Well, actually, I have them quite often with all of the brilliant ideas I see on blogs and Pinterest, but I'm choosing this one to share because it is so stinkin' simple.  

Do you number your kiddos at the beginning of the year in order of your alphabetized roster?  Of course you do.  We all do.  Sometimes they line up in number order, or you arrange their papers in number order to see who hasn't turned theirs in, and then you keep them in number order to make it easier to add grades to the good ol' grade book.

Do you ever get *blessed* with new students in the middle of the year?  Of course you do.  We all do.  It's stressful!  …..AND now your number order is off.  You had 24 kiddos and now you have to give newbie number 25 even though he fits alphabetically between number 7 and 8.  As if this previous statement doesn't scream it loud and clear, I'm totally type A. You'll put your papers in number order, enter them into your grade book, and THEN realize that you forgot to adjust for #25 that should really be the new 8.  Ugh.  Ain't nobody got time for that!  The teacher in me cringes at this blatant grammatical error, but it's too fitting to leave out.

Are you ready for it?  Can you handle this?  Instead of numbering your kiddos 1, 2, 3, 4, number them 2, 4, 6, 8.  Now you have room for a newbie and you can give them an odd number where they fit alphabetically. Minds blown. BOOM.

I also wait until a few days into the school year to assign the numbers to kids because inevitably my roster changes during the first few days of back-to-school.  

What palm hitting forehead DUH moment sticks out in your mind?