Every Day Counts Calendar Area Upgrades for 2012

I really needed to redo my calendar bulletin board.  

It just wasn't my first priority when I was setting up my classroom last fall.  I was too focused on learning the new Math in Focus program, and didn't realize at first that we were supposed to teach the Every Day Counts calendar program TOO.  "Surely they wouldn't make us learn TWO new math programs in the same year?" 

Wrong. 

So it got off to a slow start, but after I signed up for additional training I got more excited about it.  By the end of the year I had made learning centers out of the measurement and fraction activities, which I was proud of.  But my display needed some work.

So this year I've moved the calendar over and doubled the amount of space for it so that all the parts are together.  I upgraded the labels so that they are actually visible (and colorful) from a distance.  And although it's empty for now, I'll keep you posted with how the display evolves with student work. 

And the "counting tape" to show the multiples for each day of school had to go.  I needed a system that would result in the graphics not being damaged (so tape is out) and not falling off (like paper clipping them together in a chain, which didn't work so great last year).  So I used my old standby:  cutting slits for paper clips.  It never fails!  Here's the result:

Yeah...that was a lot of slits to cut.  Still, easy enough task to spread out over a week in the summer.  And now it's done, sturdy and clean looking thanks to the powers of lamination, and hopefully those multiples icons won't fall off.

***Update as of February***

Here is how the new Every Day Counts displays are progressing:

Not bad!  The fraction circles look a lot better now, and so do the labels.  I quickly realized the depositor money didn't work on binder clips, and the paper cups work better than the short lived plastic disposable ones that cracked.  They're not as pretty, so I might need to work some Duck Tape magic on them.  I think a few changes are needed for next year, though:

• I did realize I need to work from right to left in order to end with the shorter columns above the doorknob.  
• Also, I don't think I will keep the blank measurement pages posted; it looks too cluttered. I'll relegate them to my worksheets filing tub. 
• I think I might just need a third panel devoted to math next year.  The vocabulary terms alone need at least half a panel as the year goes on, and I'd like to do a better job of organizing them. 
• My Depositor Record sheet just didn't work for this group!  They are having such a hard time with the concept of keeping a running tally, adding a new total to the old total.  Yikes.  For now I'm going to keep modeling, but I know I need to come up with an easier way to help them learn it faster.
• The management system needs an overhaul if next year's class is anything like this one.  This group is just not at all independent, and although the goal is to have students run the calendar, it's still very teacher directed at this point in the year.  I think I'll need a "math job chart" instead of leaving it to early finishers to select a task and do the updating.  I might do "at a glance" tips that change specific to the month in order to help kids remember what to do, as well.

How have you set up your Every Day Counts board?

Setting Up My Classroom

This is the first year in about 5 years that I've been able to set up my classroom at my leisure.  

Previously, I'd be calling at the beginning of July asking if the floors were done and furniture back in so that I could get it all done before my trip to England to visit my fiancé.  But now that he's living here (we got married in February) I've been able to go in as often as I please (he even came in with me to clean all the desks!) 

I've kept my lime green, teal, and white theme since it goes well with the existing colors in the room.  These photos are from 2 years ago but they're mostly the same:

I wish my desk stayed that neat all year!

If you can't tell, I got the inspiration for my classroom color scheme (and blog theme!) from this tablecloth (a Target special, haha).

I chose these colors mostly to tone down the pre-existing 70s color scheme of brownish floors, avocado bookshelves, and teal student chairs/desks.

I think the overall look is harmonious and cheerful, so until they switch out the furniture and give me the thumbs up to paint the shelves, the theme stays!

 And I've kept most of the layout the same, though I've added a few upgrades here and there.  One small thing I'm proud of is my hand sanitizer bathroom passes (available for purchase in my TPT store).  I think back to all the times my passes got lost, or worse...WET) and attempting to use unpleasant but memorable passes, like a globe (my principal at the time did not see the humor in that).  Finally a colleague tipped me off:  have them leave the pass on their desk.  No more lost passes!  Well, that worked perfectly well last year; I didn't have to replace those bathroom passes (which you can download free!) once. 

But then I found an even better idea: wrap your bathroom pass around a bottle of hand sanitizer!  I'll keep you posted, but I'm excited about this little nugget.  I used to keep a bottle beside the bathroom passes, but I'm hoping that if they actually have to pick them up, they'll be much more likely to use them if they forgot to wash. 

The next thing I always have to rearrange slightly is my classroom library.  Since I always buy new books, I have to alter my book bins and labels.  

 I've got the baskets in an order that's workable for me, but the labels are in need of a refresh.  I have a few new series in need of pictures, the font is not clear enough far away, some are not even laminated, and the pink and purple have got to go!  I'll keep you posted on these as well.

The next little upgrade was my homework board.  Originally I had manila sentence strips with labels, but this year I used my book shelf label design to upgrade the look.

I wish my white board was magnetized so that I could use these for the schedule as well, but this is a nice start.

Finally, I upgraded my hallway bulletin board.  The leaves are the same as usual; I made those years ago because there are fewer things that make me as feel happy to be alive as a sunny day of foliage-watching in the fall.

Names blurred to protect student privacy

Well, my old yellow fabric was ratty, my border didn't really go, and my store-bought sparkly gold letters looked dated.

So I made leafy letters that coordinated and changed out the rest.

We (teachers only) start back next week and already I'm just about ready for the students to start back.  I might even have time to do a few more fun Pinterest inspired projects before they arrive. 

Anyone else excited about "classroom upgrades" for the new year? Join our Linky Party!

Math in Focus Year 2

Last year we adopted the Math in Focus program, which had its ups and downs.  It was a lot of work learning how to bar model, it was hard giving assessments that require students to apply math processes to novel problems, instead of the sort of problems we've practiced in class, and it was hard watching students who used to do well in math suddenly feel stuck and frustrated. 

I'm looking forward to a better year this time around.  The kids will have had the program last year in third grade, which isn't a very long time, but I have faith in those teachers.  I know they went back and filled in the gaps where necessary.  It will probably always be a challenging program, but I'm sure it will get better!

Is It Worth It to Stick with Math in Focus?

And when I'm having my doubts, and feeling frustrated that we're just asking too much of these kids, way more than we had to learn at their age, when their parents are unable to spend as much time helping due to work or extracurricular overload, I'll remind myself of one of the success stories from last year.  One of my students, "Johnny," was VERY bright.  His vocabulary was extremely high for a fourth grader, he loved to read, and his writing was sophisticated and a pleasure to read.  But he didn't know his math facts, he didn't implement procedures well, and although he was good-natured about it, he would be the first to tell you math was not his subject.  His mom was the second.  She understood well that her son has his strengths and his weaknesses, and she attended the math nights in order to get a better handle of this new math program.

Well, by the third trimester, she was happy with the improvement she was seeing in Johnny's math work.  He was studying and learning his facts, and he was beginning to see the way bar models could be used to get a grip on what a math problem was presenting and asking.  She said that SHE was seeing it much better than she ever had.  This parent was sold.  It was a relief to get some good feedback on a new, scary program like Math in Focus.  I figure if I can get one parent on board the first year, I can at least triple that this year!

End of the School Year to do List

With the school year coming to an end more rapidly than ever (not just because it always feels that way, but also because we've never gotten out before June 12 before) I've had to dig out the old "End of the School Year to do List."  It's been a big help over the past few years to keep this list and simply update it from year to year.

There are 2 types of lists when it comes to the End of the School Year for me.  One is bringing closure for my students and I, as I say "good bye and good luck in 5th grade."  That's a list for another blog post.  This End of the School Year list is about getting things organized for my principal's and custodians' expectations over the summer, as well as preparing for the next school year.

June: Ending One School Year, Preparing for the Next
1.    Sort numbered textbooks into closet before kids leave
2.    Clear counters and tables 
3.    Enlist the kids’ help packing up:

a.    Shelf all teacher's manuals
b.    Bag materials on and in desk into desk
c.    Stack bins onto bookshelves
d.    Line up books on other bookshelf
e.    Bag kids’ materials on their shelf
f.    Bag top half of metal cabinet and put on bottom half  

4.    Remove posters from fabric covered bulletin boards, bring fabric home to wash
5.    Cover posters with spelling list chart paper
6.    Sort all papers into unit files in file cabinet and document boxes
7.    Bring home:

a.    Curricula
b.    Next year’s roster
c.    Poster board, poster markers, and posters to redo
d.    Popsicle sticks for lunch count
e.    Blank report card
f.    New grade book
g.    New lesson plan book
h.    Reader’s workshop conference binder with tabs

8.    Clean if there’s time
9.    Hang up classroom map so the custodians can put the furniture back after waxing the floors

July:  Preparing for the New School Year
1.    Start my “Create” and “Print” lists at home
2.    Start my “Copy” and “Laminate” lists at school
3.    Start my “Organize” list at school
4.    Start my “Buy” list

August:  The Week (or 2) Before School Starts
1.    Wash counters, sink, tables, cabinets, shelves, students’ desks (have sponge, vinegar, spray bottle)
2.    Set up shelves
3.    Hang fabric on bulletin boards
4.    Hang trim on bulletin boards
5.    Hang posters (calendar, buddy study, alphabet, rules, stoplight)
6.    Organize desk and back cabinet
7.    Finish making all photocopies
8.    Distribute Student Books into desks

August:  Teachers Officially Start
1.    Complete my “Ask my Principal” list
2.    Complete the “Schedule” list
3.    Complete the “Fill Out” list
4.    Update the “Remember” list based on new school wide objectives and routines

The lists mentioned within this list need updating every year, but a lot of it stays the same.  I have this list in a more printable, editable form with even more specifics for free in my TPT store.  I hope it helps you stay organized this year too! 

Poetry Mini Unit

In my fourth grade class, I used to spend a whole month teaching poetry.  But between the new reading program we adopted and the Common Core Standards calling for more nonfiction during reading instruction, I feel like poetry instruction has been sidelined, and will continue to be for the next few years.  And yet, there's ALWAYS a poem on the fourth grade MCAS test.  Fourth graders still have to have some understanding of lines and stanzas, figurative language, and how to interpret poems in order to answer roughly 6 questions on their test.  I couldn't afford to just ignore poetry altogether.

So I didn't.

Shut the Door and Teach, remember?

My Quick and Efficient Poetry Mini Unit

I took a look at the most important parts of my month-long poetry unit that I developed a few years ago.  I thought about what I learned about "Power Standards" this year in the ELA curriculum committee I serve on for my district.  I asked myself, "What do my students need in order to access poetry for the test, and for later on in life."  I wouldn't be able to turn all my fourth graders into amazing poets in two weeks, but here's what I decided they needed to know about poetry (and what they didn't).

1.  They need to know what poems look like, and how they are structurally different from prose.
2.  They need to learn certain poetic devices (but they don't need to know the difference between, say, a cinquain and a diamante.  Not in 4th grade, anyway).
3.  They need to learn about figurative language, and become proficient in interpreting comparisons made by poets.
4.  They do NOT need to write great poetry.  The purpose of any time spent on writing poems should be to reinforce concepts 1 to 3 above.

So I created a poetry mini unit available for purchase with just 8 lessons and 1 to 2 additional days for culminating activities.  It required an immersion period, poetry analysis (personal and technical) and some guided writing.  It was a fast paced and FUN unit that tapped into students' interests, validated their experiences and celebrated their attempts at expression.  There was a competitive game in which they had to apply what they learned about poetic devices, a group activity in order to stop writer's block before it started, and a period of formulaic poetry writing for the logical thinkers as well as time for those students who were ready to write their own free verse filled with metaphor.

The kids were sad to end the unit so soon.  I was happy I could fit it in before our next unit of writing!

April is Autism Awareness Month: Classroom Discussion

"Be sure to wear blue on Monday for Autism Awareness Day," my principal announced over the loudspeaker.

"What IS autism," one of my students mumbled.

A really basic question, from a kid who doesn't usually bother to ask.  I couldn't just let it go. 

How DO I Explain Autism to my Fourth Graders?

I'd had a rough week, and just got back from my 2 day hiatus with the stomach bug.  So as I took the weekend to think about what I would say during Monday's Morning Meeting, when I shared with the kids what autism is about, I found myself thinking about my recent illness, and how my husband took good care of me.

So after our greeting, I told the kids that it was great to see so many wearing blue for Autism Awareness.  I told them that I told my husband I wanted to get a new blue shirt when we were out at the mall since we'd be wearing blue in observance of Autism Awareness Day.  And he asked me, "Are you going to tell them that I have autism?"

I paused, and let that sink in for them a moment.  For some kids, it did.

"I can if you want me to," I said to my husband.

"Well, it's Autism Awareness Day, so they should be aware."

The kids chuckled.

I asked him, "Can I bring your cat book?"  When they looked confused I explained, "He has a book about the type of autism he has, which is called Aspergers, and it shows how cats act like they have it too."

"I don't want them to ruin it," my husband worried.  The pages are all nice and crisp, and I don't want them bent..."

"How about if I don't let them touch it?  I'll just read it to them."

"Well I don't want YOU to ruin it..."

The kids laughed again.

I told them that I'd show them the book after I told them a little about what autism IS, because the book tells more about how people with it (and cats) act.

When I asked my husband, "What do you think I should tell them autism is," he said, "Just tell them what I'm like.  Like how I have trouble talking to people."

So I explained that most people get better at communicating as they get older.  Babies can't talk.  So if mommy says she's sick, the baby doesn't understand, so the baby doesn't talk.

Later, when mommy says she's sick, the baby might understand that being sick is bad, but doesn't know what to say or do.  And some people with severe autism don't learn how to speak, even though they understand that being sick is bad.

Later a toddler learns how to talk, and they know that being sick is bad, they still might not know exactly what they should say to make mom feel better.  They might ignore what mom says and say, "I want juice."  Some people with autism don't know what to say when a person talks to them; they focus on something else instead.  Like the 3 year old, they're not trying to be rude. And unlike the 3 year old, some people with this kind of autism KNOW they have trouble figuring out to say, wish they could figure it out, and get very frustrated, anxious, or upset with themselves.

Later, a 5 year old kid might have learned that not only is being sick bad, but when they are sick mommy gives them their teddy bear to make them feel better.  If mommy happens to just have a headache, that is a nice gesture.  And it probably will make mommy feel better!  But if mommy needs to go to the hospital, the teddy bear isn't what she really needs.  So it's not that the autistic person isn't TRYING to help, they just have a hard time figuring out what other people need, when the other people's needs are different from their own.

Then I explained that a person with autism may be at any one of those stages, because autism is a "spectrum disorder."   An example of my husband's level is when I was out sick for 2 days, my husband kept insisting I go take a nap when I felt like I just needed to lay down and read.  Because when he's sick, he doesn't like to read on the couch, he likes to be alone in the other room. But when I told him I'd like a cup of tea, he was happy to get me a cup because he knows tea makes HIM feel good when HE'S sick too.  So he felt a lot more certain about that making me feel better.


Finally, I read the book, "All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome," which was a huge hit.  The kids loved the pictures of the cats and kittens of course.  They said "aww" at the sad parts and laughed at the silly parts.  And they gave me a round of applause at the end.  So I hope they at least remember a little bit about why they wear blue on April 2nd next year.