Homework Help!

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Something many of us teachers don’t want to talk about or have to do is consequence our students. I do not have an issue with receiving homework each day, but I do have a problem with the effort put into homework. I have analyzed the situation to see what I can change.

1.    I was sending home multiple-choice reading passages. Yes, I realized I was giving him or her the opportunity to bubble in and go with no effort or thought. So, now answers will need to be written.

2.    I did not let them know there were consequences to homework issues.

Now, I have started to make calls to parents and now each homework assignment is placed in the grade book.

3.    I had rewards for behavior and test, but not for homework. Now I’m going to

Give rewards for homework too!

If you have any ideas that will help solve my homework problem please share I’m open for suggestions.

 How do I get them to change?

Fun Tally Table Activity and a little Rest

      Oh my, how does everyone fine the time to teach, blog, and be a parent. Seriously, I have been working so hard to understand benchmarks, gather material, and teach it explicitly that I'm exhausted. I really figured that out today. We had a day off from school and I did not wake up until 11am. Good thing my mini me's (my twin daughters) were able to staple my papers together.

Starting off. Those are our Math Notebooks and Reader Response

 Journals in the blue bucket

Anyway, I wanted to share a fun activity my class did as we worked on MA.3.S.7.1. The students were placed in groups of 4 or 5 and each student was given a random amount of fruit loops. I told them they could only touch their own fruit loops. The students were told they needed to create  a tally table regarding the amount of each color fruit loop their group had. I seen and heard many mathematical practices being used during this time. The thinking process was evident also. Some groups immediately started to discuss how they needed to go about finding out how many each person had then add them all together. Some groups only focused on the individual count and lacked communication with the group. This slowed them up, but they eventually got on track. The students then had to transfer the data to a frequency table, create 2 questions about their data for the other groups, and explain how they created the tables.

Adding their totals together.

Making the tally table.

The students transfererd the information from the tally table to a frequency table.

Meet Jordan Our Class Pet

       It's the 4th week of school and finally I feel like I can breath again. I was scared out of my mind moving to 3rd grade. Yes, the FCAT scares me. Even though I taught 5th grade before. It's different in 3rd grade it's no learning gains, it's just you are a 3 or your not. 

        Well enough of my drama. I guess I'm going to change the name of my blog, but I will not use a grade in the title anymore. This has been a season of change our school has a new Assistant Principal, I'm teaching a new grade, and we have a new class pet.  

                        

                                                  Meet Jordan our Leopard Gecko

In 3 short weeks he has peaked the interest of my students. They want to know more and more about him and his natural habitat and they have begun to transfer that interest to other animals. Today during small group we read about the Weddell seal in Antarctica the book explained what the seal ate but my students wanted to know what was a predator of the seal. I took the opportunity to discuss reliable information when doing research and we searched the internet and found out that the Polar Bears and Orca's were two predators of the seal among others. I'm glad they are excited to learn. I have a long journey ahead of me, however, I accept the challenge and look forward to success!


 Also, I attended a Reptile Show this weekend and I was amazed to see a baby Kangaroo.

                                                     

       

What A Day

Oh what a great first day! I’m excited and feeling empowered.  I've gotten over my first day jitters and I’m ready to work.  I’ve realized I can’t be worried about changing a grade. The students do it every year and they survive. I was really able to teach about relating text to self today because I like Mrs. Sara Hartwell in the book “First Day Jitters” was scared to go to class the first day myself. I extended the lesson by asking the students to write what they think might happen next. And we will see as the days go by how the plot changes in my story.

Now I’m calling plays in 3^rd grade, taking it one day at a time.

Don't Miss This Giveaway

Kelley over @ First Grade Fairy Tales is having a giveaway. Don't miss out hop over there today and enter.

Plus, keep an eye out for my 250 Giveaway starting soon.

Meet and Greet Plus Teacher Treats!

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On Monday we back to work and Friday we are having a Meet and Greet with parents and students.  Shh! I have been decorating my class after summer camp, so I don’t have much to do. I have been thinking what should I talk about during the Meet and Greet. I don’t want to say too much because we have Open House coming up in a few weeks and I don’t want to say all the same things again. Here’s my agenda for the Meet and Greet. What should I add or take away?

Meet and Greet Agenda

1.     Introductions

2.     Expectations

3.     Class Newsletter

4.     Subjects/textbooks

5.     Supply list/Wish list

6.     Rewards/consequences

       Should I have snacks out and something for students to do while I speak to parents?

Also, PTA has been busy this summer. We have so many great plans for our students, teachers, and staff. Here’s our teacher and staff welcome back gifts a planner and a new lanyard. Our students receive a welcome back snack including a juice, chips and a treat to take home as an afterschool snack.

Made It Monday

I finally finished my teacher stool for the classroom. Sometimes I need to sit for a few minutes when I'm explaining a concept , so I might as well be sitting pretty.

I use an old stool and painted the legs pink then painted the stool black. I used a variety of scrapbook stickers and letters to decorate the stool top. I traced a dinner plate with a gold paint marker to make the circle then I used Mod Podge sealer (2 coats). Lastly I stapled two toddler tu-tu's from Micheal's around the bottom. The cost: about $25.00.

I made this as a teacher gift, I used clothes pins, glitter ,glue, and a empty tuna can. The teachers can use them as pen and pencil holders.

First, I sprayed the tuna can and clothes pins with pink spray paint.

Next, I lined on strip of glue on the clothes pins. You have to glue and glitter one side on one day and do the other side the next day.

Lastly, clip the clothes pins on the can close together neatly around the can.