Surviving the RETELL Course Part 2: Staying Organized

At this point I am closer to the end than the beginning of my RETELL class.  I've done well so far, so I wanted to share how I've kept up with the demands of the class.  As I said in my last post, it's not as bad as I feared (once I resigned myself to having no free time for the four month duration, hah).  It's just bad trying to balance the workload with, you know, teaching full time.  Which we all have to do.  So here's how I have been keeping organized.  If you want to try it, it's a simple but effective three-pronged approach:

1.  Create a folder on your desktop for RETELL. 

In the RETELL folder, file the course rubrics so you know exactly what you're being graded on for each assignment.  The reports themselves don't always make the expectations clear.

Then, within the RETELL folder, create a subfolder for each class.  I named mine by date.  For example, the first session is "10_2 First Session."  The most recent folder is "11_19 Seventh Session."  This is important because there is more material online (you will have to register with the DESE's Blackboard portal) than in print for this course.  And personally, I don't like to print more than I have to.  So to save paper, within each class folder you should file:

• Downloaded pdfs of all readings:  Because they are PDFs, you can highlight and make notes within the pdf. 
• Notes:  Because you will be expected to write a response to most of the readings, as well as discuss them in class, it's important to have notes.  Since I don't print the readings, I simply type up my notes and quote small sections that I find most important.  If you want to save paper, this strategy with help you keep your printing to a page or two instead of the whole article.  You might also want to copy the addresses to the YouTube videos that are part of the online homework requirements and include them in your typed notes, just in case you want to revisit those.
• Copies of your written responses:  You will need to post your responses to the online readings in the Blackboard forum.  You will also need to respond to two people's posts.  I copy my own post as well as my responses.  I figure this is good security just in case anything happened to Blackboard.  In fact, you should write your response in Word (or whatever word processor you use) before you post to Blackboard, since it "times out" and can lose your work.  This has happened to me on enough online platforms that I've learned my lesson.  Ctrl+A followed by Ctrl+C to highlight and copy before clicking "submit" has saved me a few times, but transferring from Word is even safer because this way I don't forget to do it.
• Reference materials:  There are WIDA materials that don't require written responses, but you will be expected to be familiar with in relation to your current ELL student.  Having a copy of your content standards is also useful for several of the classes.  If you are an elementary school teacher in Massachusetts, the science and social studies standards are the ones you will focus on more than math and even ELA.  Obviously, if you only teach math, these are the standards you will need to refer to. 
• Formal papers: (the bulk of which are called SIRs, or Strategy Implementation Reports).  Keep digital copies of your work in the folder for the class in which they are assigned. 

2.  Keep a binder for printed materials.

If you follow my advice above, and do NOT print out every article, a one inch binder should be all you need.  Of course, if you prefer to print out documents to read and write notes on by hand, you'll either need a bigger binder (which I can tell you after several months of physical therapy for my shoulder, is a very bad idea) or a system in which you're weeding out materials that you don't lug to the next class. 

Within your binder, keep loose leaf paper for notes you will take in class.  Although you can print the PowerPoint presentation of every class session from Blackboard, again, I like to conserve paper.  I'd rather have 1 page of the most important points than 10 pages.  You will also find that your instructor will guide you through which slides are important, and which can be glossed over (/deleted).  Your instructor will also clarify the expectations for what you will need to do before the next session, since Blackboard is not always well edited for the newest incarnation of the course.  In other words, sometimes the wrong assignments are listed as being due for the next session. 

Next, print the typed notes as well as the responses you posted online and put them in each class section of your binder.  This will provide you with talking points during your class discussions, since it will have been several days since you first read those materials.  Stick a page flag on the notes for each class to keep your RETELL binder organized the same way as your RETELL desktop folder. 

In the back of your binder, keep a folder with the hard copies of your formal papers.  Although DESE requires that these are posted on Blackboard so they can see our work as well as our instructor's comments/grades, my instructor has requested that we bring her hard copies because she prefers to read them this way.  Store the paper you're currently handing in at the beginning of class as well as your old, graded copies in your folder.  You should also keep hard copies of the WIDA reference materials in the folder, since you will refer to these regularly.

3.  Keep a separate bag just for RETELL course materials.

I keep a tote for my binder, a pen, the Participant's Manual (which we do refer to in class) and student texts, since they are referred to nearly every session.  It's not a lot of materials, but I feel like there's enough there that I don't want to mix it in with my regular school bag.  It's a smaller, lighter bag to carry, which feels much more manageable.  And that's good for your psyche after a long day of teaching. 

Using this system will help you stay organized, which will make the course feel easier to manage.  This system might not work for everyone.  I know some people like to print everything, and other people utilize their tablets for viewing online media during class.  So even if you are shaking your head at some of these suggestions, I hope this post helped get you thinking about how you will manage the materials in a way that works for you!  As long as you start with a plan in mind, you're on the right track. 

Next time I'll talk more about how I manage my time to fit the course requirements with the demands of teaching.  I'll present my weekly schedule to give you an idea of what this course has in store for you.  In the meantime, if you have questions about the course, or a different organizational system, please leave a comment below. 

Surviving the RETELL Course Series: Part 1, Surviving the Instructor

If you're wondering where I've been, the answer is the RETELL class for my SEI endorsement.  Bye-bye one weeknight every week and my entire weekend for the past (and next) month and a half.  The next class I attend will be the halfway point and I've survived this long, so I thought it was time to share with you a few tips on how to make it out alive.

I feel lucky that I have a fairly laid back instructor.  Not a sloppy instructor and not a lax instructor.  Don't get me wrong, we have a TON of reading and written homework.  We also start class at 4:00 on the dot and don't leave until at least 6:50, if not 7:00 on the dot.  But I do feel like she tries to soften the in-class experience as much as she is allowed without incurring the wrath of DESE:

• Her voice is mostly soothing, and she has a lovely chime to end our discussion times.  Note to self:  Buy a chime for my classroom.
• She talks a lot about "affective filter" not only for our students but for us, and adjusts accordingly.  She'll say, "I can see your affective filters went up the last time I had you move to another group, so would you all rather stay at your tables for this next discussion?"
• She knows which slides to spend time discussing, and which ones to gloss over.  She is a rule follower; she lets us know she can't actually skip the slides, but she is selective about how many seconds she will leave them up, if you know what I mean!
• She knows when to laugh about the content.  She loves to go on about "missed opportunities" in the videos.  She's even let us in on the back story; those video clips were filmed during the blizzard(s) of 2015 early this year.  Because DESE went to great expense to hire a professional film crew, the show had to go on.  So they had little options when making the final edits.
• She makes it clear that she respects us, and that this course is not the final word.  She acknowledges that not every strategy is going to work for every teacher, and her job is to provide tools to us that we will use at our discretion.  She's not out to tell us we're doing things wrong.  She will often say, "I leave this up to your professional judgment." 

And my instructor also seems extremely knowledgeable, which is important to me.  I learn better from someone I respect.  It's clear that she is knowledgeable in her field as well as some of the inner workings at DESE that relates to expectations of the instruction of ELL students. 

This may sound NOTHING like your instructor.  And if that is the case, I am sorry.  I know that some instructors out there are frustrated with Blackboard, frustrated with changes to the manual and rubrics made at the last minute, and just as overwhelmed with the amount of homework as we are, and some will not deal with those frustrations in a way that help you relax and learn better.  And I'm not sharing the positives in my class in order to rub your nose in it.  I'm sharing this to help you with your inner monologue as you sit through your course.  Imagine for a moment that you were given permission to use these strategies at your discretion.  Because the thing is, once the course is over, your instructor has no more power over you.  And 3 months is not forever.  You can do this!   

And while some of what you're learning has you anxious, and it's not sitting right with you, it's not all bad, is it?  I'm sure that in your heart, you WANT to help your English Language Learners succeed; it just feels overwhelming at times.  I know there are some valuable strategies I'm learning, some that I have used in the past and some new ones that I will use from now on, even though others may be filed under "later/misc/not actually going to use these." 

Staying organized during the RETELL course is another important part of surviving this course.  I'll talk more about that in my next post.  Until then, where are you in the RETELL process?  Want to share tips or vent about your instructor?  Please leave a comment!

Discussing Behavioral Norms with Students

I know many of you are already getting ready for the start of the year.  Although I'm not there yet, and I can't show off my room yet, I have a tip to share for those of you rethinking your approach to classroom management.

The start of school is an important time to set expectations.  You have your own idea of the routines and rules needed to keep the classroom running smoothly.  Often we ask students to help us set rules, and we post them.

Another way to discuss rules is to create an affinity circle.  I would use chart paper for this activity so you can post it at least for the first month of school, if not all year.

First, draw a large circle with a snappy title in the middle.  Our school uses "Jumping off to a good start."  You can see we changed good to "super" later in the year when we were talking about word choice, haha.  Brainstorm with your students what behaviors are needed to have a great start to the year.

If a student says, "No hitting," explain that this doesn't tell you what you SHOULD do, but it's also important to know what NOT to do.  Write this on the outside of the circle.

Explain that anything outside of the circle are behaviors that are outside the realm of our classroom.

Every month we create a new affinity circle for a different pro-social behavior.  I post all the behaviors at the start of the year.  They include:

• Effort
• Manners
• School Spirit
• Cooperation
• Assertion
• Responsibility
• Empathy
• Self Control

If you are interested in a complete character education program to use with your students, I have one available.  There are certificates for students who demonstrate the qualities, as well as detailed checklists for students who are still working on building character.  This packet, along with my entire store, will be on sale for two days only, starting tomorrow (August 3, 2015).  You can get 28% off with promo code BTS15.

Free Context Clues Page and a Sale

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Day!

I love this time of year.  The sun is out and it's warming up, the kids know what's up when they walk into the room, and summer is starting to feel like it's getting close (even though I'm going until June 29).  And to top it all off, it's Teacher Appreciation Week!  I'm one of the lucky ones who has parents who spoil us.  Even though we are a Title One school, they really do go all out to give us recognition and fatten us up a little.  May is a great month.

Except of course for state testing, hah.

Our school is still doing MCAS and not PARCC, but it doesn't get any easier.  So I've created a freebie for you to help your students with context clues.  Every year I have a handful of kids who get stuck on a word and don't know how to figure it out.  Often they think it means the same as another word in the sentence (not recognizing that it would be redundant to have the same word twice).  So I whipped up a page that's good practice and easy enough to understand that I can use it for a homework assignment.  To show my appreciation to YOU, I'm offering it free for a limited time.

There is also a sale going on at Teacher's Pay Teachers today, May 5 and 6.  You can save 28% in my store by entering the code THANKYOU at checkout.  Here are some products I have available to get you through to the end of the year:

I wrote all about the Tuck Everlasting resources I developed in an earlier post. When I found the MDESE's model unit for Tuck Everlasting to be cumbersome and, well, tedious, I needed to flesh out their framework to get the kids interested.  I needed to turn the whole class discussions into prompts for reflecting and writing on an individualized level.  They needed time to delve into the vocabulary as well as the figurative language.  I needed them to see their own thinking about the characters change as they progressed through the chapters.  I started small, and have a few free pages available in this post as well, and worked my way up to the full Tuck Everlasting Activities packet.

What can I say, anytime I can incorporate art into my day I'm a happy camper.  Geometry is the PERFECT excuse to draw in math class, haha.  I developed my Tessellations lessons for an after school club that combined math and art, but in years when our school couldn't fund it, I used many of the lessons during our geometry unit in fourth grade.  I have this math/art lesson too:

The kids had so much fun with this "Scoot" style Geometry activity.  I wrote more about how they used sheet protectors and guidelines to position their protractors and drawing triangles correctly every time in an earlier post. 

Finally, if you are one of the lucky ones finishing your year this month, I have task cards to help you involve the kids in the clean-up/pack-up/organization process.  I really feel like in addition to saving me time, it helps them feel a sense of closure to help pack the room.  And having activities that get them up and moving interspersed with quiet reflection time/memory books is important for most learners:

I hope you find some great resources during the sale!  Besides resources geared specifically for this time of year, do you already have other planned purchases in your wish list?  Share your favorite finds in the comments below.

Celebratory Freebies on TPT and Top Ten Upgraded Products

The weather is bleak here in Massachusetts, but I'm on cloud nine this week!  I'd love for you to celebrate a couple of milestones with me. The first is that I'm being featured on TeachersPayTeachers's blog. The second milestone is that at the time of writing, I have reached 600 followers here on TPT. It still amazes me that what started as a little hobby of stretching my writing/design muscles and sharing what I've made for my students with other teachers is reaching SO many thousands of additional students, and helping my own family at the same time.

To show my appreciation, I have lots to share with you.

First, I've been very busy updating and adding on to some of my older products to reflect current practices and standards. Did you know that you can go to your "My Purchases" tab any time to see which products you've downloaded that are "newly revised?" Check out your products, not just from me, but all sellers you've purchased from! Here are my top 10 favorite upgraded products that haven't appeared in your "New Products" Emails include:

1. Organization Tips for Students: Checklists and Action Plans
2. Multiple Intelligences Student Interest Survey
3. Student Interest Inventory: First Day of School Survey
4. Back to School Parent Survey
5. Fall Leaves Bulletin Board
6. Character Education for Student of the Month Packet
7. Substitute Teacher Instructions Packet
8. Teacher for a Day Children's Lesson Plan Template
9. Peer Editing and Revising Packet
10. Persuasive Writing Classroom Job Applications

I've even updated a few of my FREE products:

• Bathroom Pass Printouts
• Hand Washing Reminder Mini Poster
• Nut and Peanut Free Poster
• Catch Up Folder Cover

And finally, for a limited time only, I've made one of my top fractions products free for the week.  The product is my Fraction of a Set Cards (Set 2). This activity is a HUGE hit with my fourth graders when we are practicing finding the fraction of a set. This will only be available for a limited time because it's a big seller for me, but I wanted to offer something extra special as a sincere thank you for helping me to reach these milestones.
 
I hope there's something for everyone here in this list. Thanks again for your interest in my products!

My Thoughts on the Journeys Basal Program

Is your district thinking about adopting Journeys?  My district switched to Journeys after years of Reader's Workshop.  Although I prefer Reader's Workshop to a basal program, sadly it just wasn't an option anymore once the pressures of Common Core got real.  My district wanted to buy something with a "Common Core" sticker stuck on the front of it.  But I've learned to make it work, so I thought it would be helpful to share what I think of the materials.  

In fourth grade, my partner teacher and I agree that most of the excerpted stories and texts are very high interest for the kids, which is half the battle!  The leveled readers are a mixed bag in terms of quality.  Some are great, one in particular was laughably bad (I ended up using it for a lesson in literary analysis; how could we improve the quality of this author's writing?). The texts also have a good balance of fiction and non-fiction as long as you use the second selection with each lesson.  

The vocabulary is probably the best thing about this program.  The words selected are tier 2 words, (for more information, see Beck, Isabel L., McKeown, Margaret G., and Kucan, Linda, Bringing Words to Life) and they are highlighted in the anthology as well as in the leveled readers.  They are used in varying contexts, which is perfect for talking about shades of meaning.  The kit comes with vocabulary cards which I talk more about in this post. 

The workbook is, well, not the best.  We ended up not purchasing any more after the first couple years.  Some of the "transparency" pages are better than the workbook for whole class lessons on reading comprehension skills.  There are also pages for each leveled reader that are a mixed bag.  Some are great, but as with any program be ready to supplement. 

The only thing I missed when our school scrapped the workbooks was the grammar.  It mostly aligned with Common Core, although a few of the pages actually had errors (for example, the linking verbs/helping verbs pages).  Check carefully before assigning, whip out your White Out, and hand out copies of those pages and you should be fine.  Or, if you decide not to use the workbooks, you could try teaching grammar using Mentor Sentences, like my team did.  I created a yearlong Mentor Sentences bundle that I have available for purchase in my store. 

Another downside to Journeys is the lack of written response prompts.  There are no written responses for the weekly assessments; they only show up in the 6 unit/benchmark tests.  Although there are questions for practice for each leveled reader, they don't require more than a single sentence for a response. You would be better off developing your own Close Reading prompts to get the kids thinking deeper about what they are reading.  A text does not have to be at a more difficult reading level in order to practice Close Reading; you can make it work with this anthology.

As for the writing portion of the program, I can't say much about it.  We were encouraged to continue using Writer's Workshop instead of following Journeys' trajectory, so I can't really talk about its effectiveness other than TPTB felt like it was not up to snuff.  I looked it over and wasn't impressed, but I didn't actually teach it.   

I don't know how Journeys compares to other basals (I used Trophies prior, and as it's also by Harcourt it's not much different).  But overall, I think you can make this program work for you. 

Playing with Our Food, Nutrition, and Fraction Line Plots

Fraction line plots did not come naturally to my learners or my teaching.  Then I found a way to relate it to food, and suddenly it made so much sense!

It all started when I discovered the Smash Your Food site.  It's not only educational but also really gross.  So of course, my fourth graders loved it.  We affectionately referred to it all week as "Squish My Food Dot Com."

Originally our Health teacher (yes, my kids have health as a special, which is pretty great) told my class about it.  As you can guess, (sadly) our specialists don't get time built in to bring kids to the computer room, so he could only talk about the site.  He said it was a fun way to see how unhealthy various foods really are.  "You might be surprised to see how much sugar is in some foods."  I was waiting at the door to pick up my class when I heard him so I offered, "Hey, our class has a blog (besides this one).  I can put a link on there and even introduce it during our computer time."

He was so grateful.  :)  I put the link on our blog, and a couple kids tried it that evening.  Then on Friday, during our computer lab time, I set up the program on the big screen for everyone to experience the messy info.

With a quick poll for the median age, majority gender, and the law of central tendency dictating that the majority activity level should be moderate, we looked at the selection of foods available for squishing.

The first vote was for a slice of pizza.

The kids guessed there would be 1 cube of sugar, 3/8 tablespoons of salt, and 3 teaspoons of oil.

Next we watched the press come down and pulverize the nasties out of it.  There goes that oil.  Ewwwwww.

The next screen showed that one of their guesses was correct, but one of them was half of the actual amount!

Although we did spend time on other activities in the computer room, I always give my kids some guided choice time (sometimes they are allowed to read and comment on the blog, other times they are allowed to play any math game I've linked from the blog, and so on).  This time playing on Smash Your Food some more independently was on the agenda, and it was a "smash" hit.  Most kids happily watched every available food get smashed, then went back and watched their favorites on repeat. This was key to give them background information about the nutritional information of foods before reducing them to numbers on fraction line plots. [Update:  This site seems to have vanished and possibly became an app.  The good news is you can still watch a Smash Your Food video on YouTube.]

Investigating Nutrition Information on Fraction Line Plots

In order to capitalize on their excitement, I carried the subject of nutrition into our study of fraction line plots.  You know that pesky common core standard that math textbooks don't cover at all (CCSS Math 4.MD.B.4)?  Yeah, that one.

I plotted some nutritional information I got from the website, plus a few other popular foods.  Having various data points plotted on a fractional number line became more clear to them because they already had some background on the subject matter.

Further Practice with Fraction Line Plots

I created a couple worksheets to help kids practice reading and interpreting line plots with fractions.  One of them is based on the sugar content of the foods we researched.  The other worksheet uses a novel context, which was perfect for homework.

You don't have to do one in order to do the other, but this math concept worked really well in conjunction with the site.  Have you smashed your food with your class?

Update: Due to popular demand, I've created a fraction line plots resource with even more practice! This new resource is perfect for you if you want:
1. Additional practice for your fourth graders
2. Task cards instead of worksheets
3. Differentiated materials for learners who struggle to get started or recall directions.

Here's how I like to use both.  I start with the sugar lesson with the whole class.  I assign the plant worksheet for homework.  Then I use the fraction line plot task cards in small groups/centers on days that we are doing spiral review.  Click to take a look at the preview and see if these are right for your learners!