Positive Thinking Thursday {9-18-14}

Welcome to Positive Thinking Thursday!  How is your week going?

The beginning of the school year can be an overwhelming time -- lessons to plan, assessments to give, data to analyze.  Some days it can seem like too much.

This year, I am really focusing on slowing down and being mindful.  This quote really spoke to me:

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Wishing you an amazing day!

Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?

The first four weeks of school in our writing block are dedicated to launching our writers' workshop.  Many students have experienced the workshop model before, but some haven't.  For others, those summer months helped them forget what workshop was all about.

One of the main selling points of the writers' workshop is CHOICE.  Students choose what their writing topics will be.  For some, this is incredibly motivating.  Again for others, pure panic.

If you run a workshop model in your writing classroom, surely you have seen students who just sit there because they can't think of anything to write.  To help avoid this, there are some fun writing activities that you can do to get those writing motors running:

1.  Write from a memory:  I can remember the time my babysitter's pet duck, Grover, chased me around the yard, nipping at my heels.  My students thought this was a hilarious story {it is!} so I turned it into a journal entry.

2.  Write from a picture:  I like to collect funny pictures from magazines.  I glue them to construction paper, laminate them, and have instant writing inspiration!  Pictures that students bring in from home spark great writing as well.

3.  Write the stories from the places you love:  Give students a blank piece of paper and have them draw a detailed map of somewhere they love -- their bedroom, backyard, neighborhood, favorite park, etc.  As they are drawing, the stories will surface.

After we have spent several days practicing different ways to gather writing ideas, we created this anchor chart to hang in our room.

What other ways do you help your students generated ideas for writing?  Please share!

A Peek at My Week {9-14-14}

Thank you for stopping by A Peek at My Week.  I hope you are having a great weekend!

We are beginning our third week of school and things are going well!  My group is a little chatty this year, but we are working on that.  They are eager, sweet learners and I know we will do great things this year!

On Tuesday, we will take our reading MAP test.  I have been working to gather lots of data on my students (reading conferences, reading reflections, Star Reader, etc.) so the MAP test will add one more data point for me to use.

In math, we have been reviewing  place value and thanks to the amazing third grade teachers, most of my students "get it."  Last year, we began using Expressions math which really stresses the conceptual understanding of what students are learning.  This week, we will begin reviewing adding larger numbers.  Did you know there are FOUR different methods to add larger numbers?  I'm used to the "carry the one" method so this should be fun!

I'm excited to begin our first novel study in reading class, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  We will be using this awesome product from Lightbulb Minds.  (LOVE their products!)

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Wishing you an amazing week!

Formative Assessment Strategies in My Classroom

Formative assessment has been a buzz word in education for the past several years.  Basically, formative assessment is a check for understanding and provides important feedback to the teacher about what students know and what they don't know.  Sometimes this is written assessment and sometimes it isn't.

I have been working hard to try to incorporate more formative assessment in my classroom and wanted to share some of the strategies that have worked for me.

First is the thumbs assessment.  After teaching a concept and before students begin to work independently, I will ask them to give me a

Thumbs Up (I get it!), 

Thumbs Down (I'm totally lost), 

or a Thumbs to the Side (I think I get it, but I may need help). 

(Clip art from Krista Walden/Creative Clips)

A quick glance around the room at the thumbs and I know which students I need to check in with to possibly reteach.

Similar to the Thumbs assessment is the 0 to 3 quick check:

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Another quick formative assessment I use that gives me a little more insight into my students' thinking is the Learning Journal.  At the end of the day, I will give a writing prompt based on what we learned today:

• Model 3,274 
• Write one thick and one thin question about what we read in science
• List two adjectives to describe our main character and explain your thinking
• Show two different ways to add 32,448 and 51,486

A quick walk around the room at the end of the day shows me what students have learned and again, who needs another review.

If you are looking for some formative assessment ideas, I encourage you to check out this website and view the Google Slideshow. 

What are your favorite formative assessments that you use to check for understanding?  Please share!

Positive Thinking Thursday {9-11-14}

Welcome to Positive Thinking Thursday!

These past two weeks, my students and I have spent a lot of time talking about effort and why it's important to give things a try.  Some of us are so afraid of making a mistake or not doing something perfectly that we are reluctant to try new things.  This causes a lot of missed opportunities, wouldn't you say?

In our classroom this year, we are trying to celebrate mistakes.  Why?  Because that's one way we learn!

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Imagine how much learning we could all do if we were just willing to give it a try!  Celebrate mistakes today and see what happens.

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Have an amazing day full of lots of new learning and perseverance!

Peek at My Week {9-07-14}

I'm not sure where the past week has gone, but here it is Sunday again which means it's time for another Peek at My Week!

Last week was our first week of school so we spent it learning routines, building community, and getting to know each other.  This week, we will be getting down to business.

I'm really looking forward to writing this year.  Several students have mentioned to me how much they love to write and are eager to begin.  This week, we will begin learning about workshop routines and what it means to be a writer.  I found a great resource online that includes a scope and sequence for the year of writing from Portland Schools.  It is amazing!!  If you do not have a writing curriculum and feel like you need some guidance in teaching writing, this is a must see resource!

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Reading workshop will begin this week as well.  We will be reading lots of picture books to review the comprehension strategies and begin working on writing response.  It's always good to have mentor texts to demonstrate what is expected and I plan on using snippets from Spaghetti Book Club and This Kid Reviews Books. These two websites are book reviews written by kids, for kids.  Check them out!

We will also begin using my Word Parts We Know program this week to learn new prefix and suffix word parts.  Each week, students learn five new word parts, working to build their vocabulary up in a slow, but steady way.  I have had HUGE success with this program in the past.  Students vocabularies explode as they are able to decode and understand longer and more difficult words.  This has also helped on assessments such as the MAP test where many of these word parts appear.  I am excited to begin!

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Wishing you a wonderful week!

Positive Thinking Thursday {9-04-14}

It's Thursday, which means it's time for some positive thinking!  Thank you for joining me this week for Positive Thinking Thursday.

By now, schools across the US are all back in session.  Many of us have been back for weeks now, while for some of us (like me), it has been only a few days.

The beginning of the year is an exciting time! It is the time that we start planning for all of the great things that will develop in time.  Students who will learn to read, conquer a difficult math problem, or learn how to speak in front of others.

So this week's positive thought is so perfect for the beginning of the year...

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Here's to all of your small beginnings that will lead to great things!

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Wishing you an amazing day!