Brain Farts & Easter Math Stations

I have been struggling with our new math series, Go Math.  It just seems to slow us down with all the extra "stuff"  that the textbook company feels we need to teach.   I am almost done with chapter 4 out of 12 chapters which is just crazy behind.  I have pretty much tossed the textbook aside and only use it to help guide me in planning the lessons.  The kids and I hate how certain topics are introduced / taught and there is concepts that are missing or rushed.  I do not know if I am frustrated with the textbook company or the Common Core.  Maybe both??

So I have been wanting to do math stations once a week but could not if I followed the Go Math textbook.  The week before spring break seemed like a perfect week to use math stations for some multiplication and division reinforcement.  Here are my four stations that we started today and will wrap up tomorrow.

Station....
1.  I stole borrowed this idea from A Teacher Without A Class,   "Scrambled Eggs Multiplication."  This time of year I always have a gazillion plastic eggs rolling around hence where I got the Easter theme for my stations.  On one half the egg I wrote a math fact from 5 - 9 and then on the other half I wrote the product.  I took the eggs apart and the kids had to match the facts up correctly and write them down on a sheet of notebook paper that they turned in.  For some reason my kids are having, "brain farts" or memory loss with their multiplication facts.

2.  This is one of my favorite websites for math games, Math Playground.  I use my Smartboard for groups to play Penguin Jump Multiplication.  Another attempt to refresh their multiplication facts "brain farts."  They love this game.

3.  I am lucky to have 3 desktops in my classroom so I have a group playing Snork's Long Division on them.  This online game has the kids complete one step at a time for long division and even gives them a hint.  You may need to turn down the volume or have the kids use headphones, the music can get on your nerves.  LOL

4. This station was the entire reason I wanted to do stations.  I have three students at a time come to me with a dry erase boards and practice their long division skills.  I then can try to redirect and prompt them through each problem. 

No pictures.   I was really trying to focus on my 2 groups today.  Maybe I will take a few of the kids in the stations tomorrow and add them to my post. 

I am very lucky because currently I only have 12 kids in my fourth grade math class so I made 4 groups of 3 kids (low, low medium, medium and high).  I have decided to have the high group try division with repeated subtraction and partial quotient after I demonstrate  instead of boring them with more long division problems.  The high group has shown me mastery with long division so I want to challenge them but the other groups are still really shaky.  Hopefully I can start doing different stations every Friday.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Happy Monday,


I have bee

Pinterest and Blogging Frustrations / Questions ????

I hope one of my bloggy friends have some answers to my questions.  Lately it feels like my blog / internet has a mind of its own.  Last week my blog went haywire and had this label "You are popular - Photobucket."  all over my blog!  I Googled all over the internet what this was and how to get rid of it and at last had to contacted the girl who designed my blog, I guess Photobucket got a bug and all the "Pro" accounts were having problems.  Thankfully that did resolve itself. and I pretty much did not have to do anything.  Whew!

Now..... my Pinterest account!  It looks very normal but I am seeing people that I am NOT following on my homepage.  Here is a screen shot.

Who is Fiona Haythornthwaite?  She is not the only one that is on my home page that I am not following.  So I went on Google to see if anyone else has had issue and maybe I could fix / correct the problem.

Here is what I found and what I have done so far.

1.  Clicked on the mystery name and then try to unfollow but the follow button is not even clicked.  So I clicked follow all and then waited 10 seconds and then clicked unfollow.  Nope did not work.

2.  Then I clicked directly to that person board.  Still not following it but I clicked follow and waited then clicked unfollow.  Nope still did not fix the problem!  Now I am getting mad.

3.  I change my password to see if these mystery followers stop. Just in case my account was hacked into.  Of course not, now there is even more followers on my home page that I am not following.  What the %#$*!!!!!

3.  I read that I should click on my name on the right of the page and then click on who I am following and then look through looking at who does not look familiar or if I may be following a group board and unfollow.  Guess what?  All those strangers are not there either and no mystery boards that I do not know about!  I am now shaking my laptop. 

Ok my question is... Is anyone else having this problem?  Is Pinterest getting too big for their own britches and now they are taking it upon themselves to follow people for us.  Is there any way to fix this issue? 

So far most of the pins are school / teachers stuff with a few strange ones.  I worry that soon there will be inappropriate ones and I have a teenage daughter that does look at my Pinterest.

There was one solution mentioned when I Googled my question and it was to deactivate my account.  Oh gosh  I can't do that!  All my pins!  All those great teacher / school / home / recipes I could just go on and on.  To start over from scratch makes me sick!  Plus I am truly addicted to Pinterest!  Nothing makes me happier then to look at all those beautiful pictures to get my creative juices flowing. 

Help!  Any one else having this issue and found a solution?

Happy Sunday:/

March Currently





It is that time again for Farley's March Currently but of course I am late getting this posted. I am sure I will be the 1 millionth person.  Oh well there is always next month. Here we go...

 

Listening - I am listening to the heater in my classroom because my kids are taking the Iowa's.  I am taking advantage that I am sitting her proctoring the test and my school laptop has PowerPoint so I can do this month's Currently.

Loving - Peace and quiet...... one word "Testing."

Thinking - I should be doing lesson planning.  Isn't that constantly? Ha!

Wanting - A hot cup of coffee.  I can always use a pick me up in the afternoon.

Needing - To take a bathroom break.  Doesn't that always happen when you cannot leave the classroom?  Always!

Like, Love, Hate - My name starts with a "W" so.... I like warm days and can't wait until this winter is over.  I love work meaning I love to teach even though it has been a bit stressful this last week for one reason or another but I am so looking forward to the 3 day weekend.  Yahooo!!!!!!  I hate whining!  Ugh, especially when the kids (my own or my class kids) whine that their lives are so tough.  Oh please!  

Happy Friday (almost!),

Teeny, Tiny Baby Steps, Study Skills, TpT

Well I just did my first TpT product that is not free!  Last week after my fourth graders did their test on weathering and I decided I wanted them to fill out some type of self reflection on their test performance.  I went to my fav place, TpT, and searched for, "Student Reflection, Test Reflection, Student Self-Evaluation" but I found nothing.  Ugh! 

So what is a teacher to do?????  I could not pass up a teachable moment because I could not find what I needed so I quickly made up my own form.   Plus it supports the common core of student self-reflection that we have started at our school.  Hmmmm  I may have something here. 

So I passed out their tests and then we discussed ways that the students that did well did to study.  Some answers I heard were;  flashcards for vocabulary or write the study guide questions on one side and the answers on the other, make up a mini test using the study guide, use online tools, review the study guide or have a parent quiz them. The students then filled out the reflection form I created and I had them bring it home for a parent to sign and then return it the next day.  I did give points for completing and turning in the reflection form.  Believe it or not I got all the forms returned the next day.

 

 

 

So here is the link to take a peek.  Student Test Reflection Form

Tell me what you think.  I am so nervous.  Also how do you feel about cover pages?  I personally do not print them out even though they are very cute.  I just do not have the money to pay for all the ink for my printer to print out all those colorful cover pages.  So I did not make a cover page. Should I?  What are your thoughts on cover pages.

Have a great week,

Our First Author Visit - WOW!

We had our very first author visit today.  Mr. Brian P. Cleary came to talk about his inspiration, poetry, word play, puns, and being a children's book author.  I actually was a little pessimistic about the visit since our librarian introduced them to my class during our library time last week and they sounded like only language arts type books.  (Big pouty lip) You know puns, idioms, antonyms, synonyms and on and on.  I love books and I mean all books but in my subject areas I teach I feel I am limited to nonfiction books.    But...... I was pleasantly surprised to find out Mr. Cleary wrote more than just language arts type books. (I am jumping up and down.)    Here are some samples of just a few of the awesome books Mr. Cleary wrote that I could use being the math, science and social studies teacher. 

Subtraction!

Measurement!

Fractions - I love fractions!

A book on studying for science!

A book on studying for social studies!



I am now dying to get a few of these super cool books to use with my classes.  I hear a big Amazon buy happening very soon. 

We also had a small poetry workshop that Mr. Cleary conducted with our fourth and fifth graders.  The kids had to write sensory poems using the five senses to describe an abstract noun such as; peace, love, determination, happiness, fear...  Wow what a great job they did! 

Here is an example of one of the fifth grader's sensory poems. 

                                   Happiness
Happiness sounds like rustling leaves on a summer day.
Happiness smells like the warm Kentucky air.
Happiness tastes like the cool watermelon grown from our garden.
Happiness feels like my old blanket knitted by my grandmother.
Happiness looks like smiles all around our dinner table.

Mr. Cleary even signed the ones that were read before the class.  Too cool!

There is even a website, The World of Brian P Cleary that has tons of games (not just language arts), word of the week, poem of the week, interactive books, and even how to get Mr. Cleary to visit your school.  Now I just need to get my hands on a few of his books.  Hope everyone is having a great evening.

P.S.  Brian P. Cleary is not related to Beverly Cleary but his books are just as amazing.

Nervous, 1st TPT Items & Freebies

I did it, I did it!  I opened a TpT store!  Yahoooooooooo!  I am so nervous about my TpT store.  Ugh I feel like the new kid at school.

I linked a few simple newsletters for February and March and they are free.  Click on the link if you would like a copy.

TpT February Newsletter Freebie and TpT February Newsletter Freebie

 I wonder if I can track if anyone downloads them or only if someone buys them?  I guess I need to look at the seller form on TpT. 

I am also working on a science fair packet to sell on TpT but it is still in the works.  I know science fairs are just about done but maybe someone will need one for next year. 

Now I need to go run and pick up my son and his buddy from snowboarding.  What a day off!  What did you do today if you had the day off?  I would love to hear.

Differentiated Instruction??

What is differentiated instruction?  I think this is instruction that is tailored to meet the individual learning styles, passions and needs of my students.  This could be done by changing the mode of instruction to meet the visual, auditory or kinetic learners.  This can also mean alternative assessment and assignments which may or may not include flexible grouping, partners, and individual work. This should be offered to all students not just the struggling or advance students but to all students.

But my question is can we as educators modify tests such as eliminating one of the four answer choices but the student has no I.E.P. goals for that subject or accommodations or modifications listed?  So that student then receives a higher grade then the best student in the class.  Is that differentiating instruction or an unfair advantage?  I thought that differentiating instruction is suppose to level the playing field not boost them so high that an untrue picture of that student's abilities are being portrayed. 

Then I question how do we make sure the child's parents and other schools that they may move on to have an accurate picture of that student.   If a child receives those types of modification and accommodations that are listed on their I.E.P. then I feel that their parents and any other school would have a true picture of their abilities.  I am talking about a student that does not have an I.E.P.  I am obviously really struggling with this concept of differentiating instruction. I do not want to not meet the needs of any of my students.  I think in my classroom I do a pretty good job at meeting the many needs of my students but still reflecting every students ability. I wonder if any of my followers have any ideas, advice, or have faced the same dilemma in their classrooms.  How do you differentiate?  What is or is not differentiated instruction to you?   I would love to hear your thoughts.