Author's Chair - Celebrating Student Writing

The Author’s Chair is a celebration of sharing a piece of writing.  It is considered a culminating task in the writing process.  The Author’s Chair is a good way to gain positive feedback from students’ peers.  An Author’s Chair has many purposes:

ü To develop ownership of a piece of writing

ü To develop learning skills that involve collaboration

ü To develop peer editing skills

ü To ensure motivation

ü To develop active listening skills as an audience

ü To reflect upon student work

     An Author’s Chair should have criteria co-constructed by both the teacher and students.  The teacher should model what reading in the Author’s Chair looks and sound like.  Some helpful hints to help your students look forward to their day in the Author's chair include:  

1) Providing a tag to wear.  Here's a sample:

2)  Validating the student's work with a certificate once the reading is completed

3)  Invite other students to come in to "hear" the author read.  A great example is if you have reading buddies or book buddies.  The "author" can showcase his or her work during reading time. 

4) Create an "Amazing Authors" bulletin board display showcasing students' work.

5) Ensure feedback is provided.  Reading is the fun part but having students directly involved in feedback allows the author to feel important, while creating a positive sense of ownership.  "TAG" feedback works well (Tell what you liked, Ask a question, Give a suggestion).    

6) Keep ideas on hand for writing.  Samples include:  Write About Books, Journal Task Cards, and Writing Choice Boards.  The possibilities are endless.   

The Value of Part-Part-Whole Relationships in Mathematics

Part-Part-Whole Easter Printables

As an instructional coach, I was often asked to focus on early development of number sense for addition and subtraction.  Providing students with a wide range of experiences to compose and decompose a number was the best way to approach this. I wanted to create a way to have teachers understand how developing part-part whole relationships is critical to building an understanding of addition and subtraction concepts.

My work has often included English language learners.  Instead of using focusing on strictly number talks, I began to explore pictures as well.  This included themed part-part-whole cards.  Each card was divided into three equal frames.  Based on themes, students would explore the missing part.  For example, the first frame had a number listed.  The remaining frames were made up of parts of the whole number.

Cards had one foldable flap.  I was absolutely delighted when a 6 year old student created his own cards to use in a partner math chat.  I have often used the cards in addition to number talks, placed them at math stations and used them for assessment purposes.

While assessing students, I observe how they "see" the objects.  Do they count them?  Can they subitize based on prior experiences?  These cards become a useful tool to develop part-part-whole relationships while building some thematic vocabulary.

Easter Literacy and Math Activities

Celebrate Easter with these fun literacy and numeracy activities:

Easter Quick Writes

Celebrate Easter with your class by writing about it. Included in this bundle are five quick-write tasks. You will find an Easter Vocabulary chart, Religious Easter Vocabulary chart, a List graphic organizer for the perfect basket, an Easter paragraph template, an Acrostic poem template, an organizer to draw a Map and write directions to the Easter Bunny, a Comparison Graphic Organizer on Easter traditions, a transition word list and writing paper. These tasks are perfect for a bulletin board display or even a big class book. 

Easter Word Work

Silly sentences have always been a fun way to explore sentence building and recognizing parts of speech. Students in grades 3 through 6 will have the opportunity to use subject, verb and complement cards to build and simplify silly sentences. Challenging verb cards are included with this unit as well as nouns associated with the Easter theme, a blank sentence building template, display and label cards and a synonym chart. This is a perfect activity to use in your Word Work Stations or as an extra project for early finishers.

Easter Math Stations Grades 4 to 6

Celebrate Easter with this fun Easter Math Stations pack. You'll find three activities that focus on basic operations, word problems and fractions for a grade 4 to 6 classroom. Activities include "Eggs in a Basket", "Easter Math Scoot Game" and "Easter Fractions". In "Eggs in a Basket", students are taught to generate three digit numbers and will multiply them by 12 or 10 to keep a running score. "Easter Scoot" is based on word problems that involve basic operations (with regrouping), money and time. Scoot cards are included for 25 to 30 students. The "scoot" cards can be used as task cards as well. The "Easter Fractions" activity allows students to derive ways to create fractions based on a given number of jelly beans. This pack includes directions, playing cards, scoreboards, multiplication table, scoot boards for 25 to 30 participants, word problems and answer keys.

Easter Math Games Grades 2 to 4

Enjoy Easter with some fun math games. Three stations are included in the pack. Activities include: Draw the Easter Bunny Math Challenge, Bump Games and Race to the Easter Egg. The Draw the Easter Bunny Challenge includes 2 versions (addition and multiplication). Students are asked to generate sums or products and then draw the Easter Bunny according to each sum or product generated. The first person to complete his or her picture is declared the winner. You will also find Bump Games using both addition and multiplication boards as well as a Race to the Easter Egg game that involves generating place value digits from 0 to 99. This is a great way to celebrate Easter with a math games day or a home-school connection.

Easter Writing Paper

This package includes Easter writing paper for your Writing Station. A selection of writing paper for emergent and established writers includes images of a bunny, lamb and a chick. 

Easter Roll a Story

Students will be prompted to tell or write story with an Easter theme. This unit includes a story prompt sheet, graphic organizers, word lists (Easter & transition words), rubric and specialty writing paper with full and half lined pages.

Here's a free download:

Easter Gift Tags

St. Patrick's Day Resources

Here are some activities for St. Patrick's Day:

St. Patrick's Day Roll a Story

Students will be prompted to tell or write story with a St. Patrick's Day theme. This unit includes a story prompt sheet, graphic organizers, word lists (St. Patrick's & transition words), rubric and specialty writing paper with full and half lined pages.  All you need is a number cube (1-6).

St. Patrick's Day Quick Writes

If you want a one day writing blitz or a variety of activities for stations, offer some quick writes to your students.  This unit contains five writing ideas for your St. Patrick's Day writing stations or bulletin boards. These include Alliteration, Recipe Writing, Wanted Poster, Wish Booklet and Word Lists. St. Patrick's Day vocabulary and writing paper is included. 

St. Patrick's Day Math Activities

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day with some fun math stations. Four stations are included in the pack. Activities include: Draw a Leprechaun Math Challenge, A Pot of Gold Race, Bump Games and Race to the End of the Rainbow. The Draw a Leprechaun Challenge includes 2 versions (addition and multiplication). Students are asked to generate sums or products and then draw a leprechaun part according to each sum or product generated. The first person to complete his or her leprechaun is declared the winner. Pot of Gold Race involves generating quotients with two players. One plays for decimals, one plays for whole numbers. The first person to get to the pot of gold is declared the winner. You will also find Bump Games using both addition and multiplication boards as well as a Race to the End of the Rainbow game that involves generating place value digits from 0 to 99. This is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a math station day or a home-school connection. 

St. Patrick's Day Idioms

Here's a fun way to teach idioms to your students with a St. Patrick's Day theme. This unit has expressions on word cards ready for cutting and laminating. Students will be provided with a blank template and task cards filled with an expression related to a St.Patrick's Day theme. They will then be asked to sketch a situation using the idiomatic expression on the card and then write and sketch their interpretation of it. This is a great addition to your Word Work Station or can be used as an extra activity for early finishers. 

Are You Supporting the Growth and Development of New Teachers?

If you're a seasoned teacher, then I wonder how many student teachers have made their way through your classroom doors?  I have been a teacher for over 25 years.  I often apply for student teachers to mentor.  Why?  It helps me remain current.  I have overheard time and time again that student teachers are a lot of work.  I have heard that student teachers "don't get it."  Well, seasoned teachers "didn't get it" at the beginning either.

I have been blessed to have a very eclectic mix of student teachers.  I have been blessed to watch them go from student teacher to supply to teacher to long term occasional teacher to permanent teacher.  I am proud of each one of them.  They have their gifts and gaps just like we do.  I know I am not the perfect physical education teacher but that doesn't stop me.  I learn the sport, I play the sport, I coach the sport.  I tell my student teachers the same thing.  As an elementary teacher, you are a generalist.  You teach every subject.  Some you will excel at, some you won't.

If you've considered applying for a student teacher from your local teacher's college, I suggest using these tips to get started:

1) When your student teacher reaches out to you with a letter, an email or a phone number, respond!  Try to meet your student teacher before day one of practicum.  I can assure you, the student teacher is nervous and having a friendly introduction will help ease his or her "first day" jitters.

2) Have a folder ready with a class list, some curriculum documents, a pen and some paper.  It's always a nice way to let the student teacher know that he or she is welcome and a valuable colleague.

3) Make sure the student teacher has a place to put his or her things.  There is nothing more unwelcoming than not having a storage area or place to sit.

4) Walk the student teacher around your school.  Take a tour.  Introduce your student teacher to your colleagues. 

5) Invite the student teacher to lunch with you, staff gatherings or after school get togethers. 

6) Mentor the student teacher.  Guidance is needed.  I often hear "he or she doesn't get it."  What are they supposed to "get" if you don't set clear expectations?  After all, the word student does come in front of the word teacher.

7) When the placement is over, celebrate your student teacher.  Have students write a letter thanking the student teacher for his or her contributions to your classroom.  Compile the letters in a notebook.  It's a wonderful gift they will appreciate for years to come.

8) Thank a student teacher!

If you would like to use some speciality writing paper for this notebook, here is a free download:

   

Celebrating the 100th Day of School

If you're looking for some great 100th day of school activities, I was featured on the 100 Days of school blog post.  Here's the link:

https://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/100-days-of-school-activities/

Here's a fun freebie for students in grade 3 and up! We often see younger students celebrate the 100th day of school.  They bring in 100 things and arrange them in creative ways.  One of my grade 3 students asked me once why we don't celebrate the 100th day of school.  That got me thinking about creative ways to do this.  We spend the day rolling a story about 100th day and work through some fun math stations.

Click below for your free math printables to celebrate 100th day with your students:

Free 100th Day of School Math Printables

Exploring Sports through Cross-Curricular Activities

February is a fun month.  This marks the 23rd international multi-sports event taking place in the host city of Pyeongchang County in South Korea.  How will you showcase this in the classroom?  Below are a few ideas plus a free download:

If you are looking to discover students' favourite sports, here's a fun write about or recount writing resource which includes prompts and templates.  It's easy to turn responses into a class book.  This is a free download:   

Recount Writing - Sports

Sports Cross-Curricular Bundle

 This sports bundle is filled with Language Arts, Math Writing, Science and Word Work Activities:

 If Math Were a Sport Writing

Here'a fun way to consolidate a math unit! Students will be invited to write about their choice of an animal using mathematical language. Students will explore how their sport ties into math using a choice of three out of the following areas: Number Sense, Geometry, Measurement, Data Management/Probability and Patterning/Algebra. 

A sports word list, planning template, sample, rubric and specialty writing paper is included with this unit. As well, a book cover is included should you wish to turn these student generated pieces into a class book. 

Forces and Motion Project (Sports Theme)

Using sports to teach forces and motion is a fun way to teach this science concept. As a project, students will be asked to find sports pictures that relate to the following forces and motion: direct force, friction, gravity, muscular force, speed and a start or a stop. Students will then assemble their project and display it based on forces and motion found in sports. Some displays may include: posters, tri-fold displays, technological displays, flip books, large cubes or displays of their choice. Students will then be asked to create an oral presentation based on their visual display and provide written information. An outline of “forces and motion” vocabulary and questions to discuss is included as well as a planning template. As well, posters for classroom use and a student friendly rubric and evaluation form are part of this project. 

Word Work: Silly Sentences with a Sports Theme

Silly sentences have always been a fun way to explore sentence building and recognizing parts of speech. Students in grades 3 through 6 will have the opportunity to use subject, verb and complement cards to build and simplify silly sentences using a Sports theme. Challenging verb cards are included with this unit as well as a blank sentence building template, display and label cards and a synonym chart. This is a perfect activity to use in your Word Work Stations or as an extra project for early finishers.

Sports Writing Paper

This package includes themed sports writing paper and lined paper for emergent and established writers. Art work created includes a variety of sports equipment such as badminton, baseball, basketball, bowling, golf, hockey, skate, soccer, tennis and volleyball.