Teacher Week '13 ~ Meet the Teacher

I am very excited to participate in Teacher Week '13!! Click to button above to learn about the other bloggers participating!

1. Hello! My name is Becca Morris. My husband, Kevin, and I have been married for 5 1/2 years. 

2. We have three fur babies.

3. This will be my 6th year to teach. Wow. Time has gone by fast. I have taught 2 years of Pre-K, 2 years of 2nd grade, and this will be my second year in 4th. 

4. I am a born and raised Texan! I went to college at Texas Tech University and have only taught in Texas.

5. I love all things crafty and technological. I am beyond excited to launch a 1:1 iPad initiative in my classroom this year. It is going to be an adventure!

6. I also enjoy blogging. It is such a great way to connect with other teachers all over the world! I love that we share things with each other. I am really big on the whole sharing thing. I don't sell anything I make because I think we need to support each other. We spend so much of our own money buying things for our classroom, don't we?

If you find something on my blog that you like, just leave me a comment and I will be happy to share a copy with you!

7. Reading is my passion. I am a big fan of YA and romance novels. I read as an escape, so I want happy endings! Seeing so many of my favorite books being turned into movies is great, even if they aren't nearly as good as the books. I mean what happened to all the drama at the end of the Hunger Games? Peeta is supposed to be almost dying! I wanted to see Jennifer Lawrence losing her mind, beating against the door of the aircraft that picks them up from the cornucopia as the doctors are working to save Peeta. Oh well.

8. My iPad is an extension of my hand. As is my iPhone. It is an addiction.

9. I am known as the technology person at my school. I love it! I am always wanting to try new things with my students. 

10. My husband and I are working with a new doctor to hopefully start our family this year. We are praying that it is God's plan to give us a baby soon. The Lord has been teaching me patience the past few years.

Stay tuned this week for all the great ideas that will be shared by many bloggers! Below you will find the topics for each day.

Math Notebook - Bar Graphs

Well, the beginning of the year is creeping closer every day, so I have been productive. I have the first 2 units ready to go in my "teacher" notebook. I want to share the unit on bar graphs with you today.

I am not sure why we start with bar graphs, but we do.

Yesterday I shared my math journal set up. If you missed it, you can see it HERE.

So I have packed quite a few activities onto a few pages of our notebook.

Day 1: We will discuss and highlight the labels for page 1. Then we will talk about the steps in reading and answering a bar graph question. This will be on the first day of school, so I am keeping it short.

Day 2: Our class will pop in the other 4th grade classes to gather some data on favorite desserts. Then we will graph our results on page 2. We will do the first one as a class, I will help them set up their second graph and they will fill in the information with their group.

We will also work on page 3 of our journal. They need to hear the higher order thinking questions as soon as possible. I have also included a QR code to a video describing double bar graphs. This will be for review later on when we have our iPads.

Day 3: We will complete the graphs and questions on page 4 along with a QR code activity. (below)

Day 4: We will work on pages 5 and 6 in our notebooks. The blank graph on page 6 will be an assessment. Either we will gather data in our class for them to use, they can use leftover data from the favorite dessert activity, or they can make it up.

Day 5: This will be more of a worksheet practice day. Ugh. I hate that, but it is a necessary evil.

Nothing too fancy, but I think it will anchor our learning. We will use our textbook and a few other resources in class. There are some great games online that I will have them play when we go to the computer lab.

So, there you go!

Click HERE to download all the notebook resources!

Click HERE to go to the post where you can download the QR activities.

My next unit is place value. I will post about that next week!

Let me know what you think about my bar graph unit!

1:1 iPad Parent Letter

I know that more and more classroom are becoming iPad classrooms, so I want to share the information note that I will be sending home the first day of school.

I know that my students and parents will have questions, so I tried to answer some of them in this note. 

You can download a copy HERE.

This copy is more generic. It doesn't have my name, school phone number or email address.

If you would like to have an editable copy, email me. I am always happy to share!

What do you think of my letter?

Winners, Class Notes, and an Update

Congrats to my winners:

Kristen & Kim

I sent you ladies an email!

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Now I want to share some notes with you from a writing class I have been attending. Region 10 has a class, Write in Texas, that is a 3 day workshop. If you are a writing teacher in Region 10, sign up for this class NOW! It was great. Our presenters, Nancy McGruder and Sharon Runge, were fabulous!

Day 1

How do I feel about myself as a writer? Good question. I really had to think. The first day is all about coming to know yourself as a writer. The more you know about your writing strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you will be as a writing instructor and guide. We talked about writing processes and reasons to write. We had to list our writing territories, or the things we are "experts" in and could write about knowledgeably. I was able to create those lists without too much difficulty! I am more of a writer than I realized. (Blogging, duh!)

Main take-aways from day 1:

• Writing is bigger than school.
• Everyone has something valuable to say.
• We never stop refining our own craft. (I really want to show students my mistakes this year.)
• Each person has a unique writing process. (This one is hard to deal with in a school setting.)
• No set of rules governs all kinds of writing.
• The more a writer can use her natural process of writing, the more invested she will be. (True story.)

We really discussed how we tackle the writing process. I was amazed, when I gave it some thought, that I don't like to pre-write. (Incidentally, I don't like to teach it either.) I just want to start writing and then edit and revise as I go.

Book resources used:

Families Writing, Peter Stillman

Lessons That Change Writing, Nancie Atwell

Choice Words, Peter Johnston

On Writing Well, William Zinnser

Author Talk, various authors

Day 2

We began the day talking about state testing. I am vowing now, before all of you, that I am not going to bash my kids with the STAAR all year long. I don't want to feed test anxiety to my students. I need to set it aside and feed them confidence instead.

We spent some time talking about transitions in writing. This is something I need to pay more attention to  in my writing and my student's writing. Transitions are so much more than first, next, last, therefore, etc. I am going to provide plenty of mentor texts that have awesome transitions between sentences and paragraphs, that way students can begin to emulate that in their writing. I will focus on teaching them to "mind the gap" between sentences, paragraphs, and ideas. The instructors encouraged us to check out BrightHub.com for more resources. A suggestion for revision involved sticky notes, and who doesn't love sticky notes? Instead of having kids mark up their paper or tear through it with their eraser, let them rewrite sentences on sticky notes. I really like this idea, because it values their work. It will really show how much effort they put in their piece of writing.

Writing is a collaborative process and we need to embrace that in our classrooms. Teachers must model how to talk about writing and how to work in small groups to collaborate. We are social creatures, so teachers need to capitalize on that and put it to work in our classrooms.

Conferences were also a major discussion point. I was glad to see they were making the same points as The 2 Sisters with CAFE and the Daily 5. I will be using my pensieve this year! We watched the following video clip of Nancie Atwell conducting two short conferences.

I noticed these things:

• Ask leading questions.
• Begin a sentence and see if they will finish it with their own idea.
• Students should speak about 75% of the time.
• They need to share their writing first, then the teacher will focus on one or two things to improve.
• Find the good and show them your interest.
• You are trying to bring out their voice, see variations in their words, and get them where they need to go in their writing.

Basics of writing conferences: (I bet you know, but here they are anyway...)

• Be realistic. You can't meet with every student writer every week.
• Find the "Critical Need" students.
• Go to them instead of them coming to you.
• Be efficient.
• Document everything.

Do those sound familiar? Gail Boushey and Joan Moser have these same ideals! Take a look at this video on keeping track of conferences.

Our discussion led us to details versus well-chosen details. We took a look at the STAAR writing rubrics and they mention details.

Score Point 3 Development of Ideas for Expository: The development of ideas is sufficient because the writer uses details and examples that are specific and appropriate, adding some substance to the essay.

Score Point 3 Development of Ideas for Personal Narrative: Specific details add some substance to the narrative. For the most part, these details contribute to the writer's portrayal of the experience.

Key points for choosing details:

• Adjectives are overrated.
• Nouns and verbs are underrated.
• Details should add depth.

The instructors focused on 7 types of well-chosen details:

1. Unexpected Fact
2. Interesting/Unusual Generalization
3. Interesting Noun
4. Interesting Verb
5. Character's Revealing Action
6. Visual Image
7. Visual Image That Causes Inference

Book resources:

Papers, Papers, Papers, Carol Jago

Lazy Littler Loafers, Susan Orlean

Ruby's Wish, Shirin Yim and Sophie Blackall

Odd Boy Out, Don Brown

Satchmo's Blues, Alan Shroeder

Day 3
The last day of the workshop was all about code switching and mentor texts for teaching.

Code Switching: the alternate use of two or more languages or varieties of language, especially within the same discourse

You can go check out a video called, Do You Speak American? on YouTube to learn a little more.

Key points about code switching:

• There is no such thing as a single standard version of language. It depends on age, cultural group, geographic area, and socio-economic status.
• We need to be careful when talking about "standard" English.
• What a student speaks at home is their "standard," so don't discount that.
• STOP JUDGING students and parents by how they speak.
• Equate code switching to kids by talking about the way we dress for different occasions or activities.

Teachers must teach students how to speak professional English; the kind of English that is spoken in college classrooms, board meetings, and interviews. This is paramount to their education. The ability to speak, read, and write well is a ticket to the top.

We can teach our students about code switching with mentor texts like The Joy Luck Club and Flossie and the Fox. There are books out there that support learning about code switching. We must value all language and learn where best to use it.

Our final discussion topic was about using mentor texts to teach grammar. I am guilty of wanting to find and use a program that teaches it in isolation, but not anymore. Just looking at the few picture books they passed around and talking with my fellow participants, I am completely sold on using mentor texts to teach grammar in context.

I am going to grab some books from my classroom next week and begin working on mini-lessons using those books! I will share what I come up with!

Book resources:

Code Switching, Wheeler & Swords
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
Flossie and the Fox, Particia McKissack
Mechanically Inclined, Jeff Anderson

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Update on iBook

My iBook, Earth Science, is being reviewed. I am hoping there won't be any issues and it will be published by the beginning of next week. Stay tuned for the link and more information once it is available!

What do you think about all this? Do you have something special you do for writing? Please share!

Monday Made It ~ iBooks Author Style

I still have 5 weeks until school starts for us. Well, 5 weeks until our week of staff development. I am not planning on getting into my room until August, so I haven't really started printing things yet. I am still trying to enjoy my relaxing summer!

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I am so excited to share my iBook with you!!!!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

(Sorry this is in so many pieces! I made the videos with Screenr and the free version only allows 5 minute videos.)

I have been working on this for a few weeks and it is almost finished! I just have to tweak a few of the glossary items.

This has been quite a project, but I love how it has turned out!

My plan is to share this with all my students at the beginning of the year. I want them to be able to work through it during reading time or when they finish their work early. This will give them a strong knowledge base for when we do our experiments in small groups. I will have specific time where we work through parts of the book together, but I want this to be an individual resource.

When I publish it, I will send out the link for anyone who would like to use it.

What do you think?

Idiom of the Week

"This job is a blessing in disguise."

"I wish he would get that chip off his shoulder!"

"Good intentions are a dime a dozen. I want to see results, after all actions speak louder than words."

What do all those have in common? 

(Other than my students don't understand them?)

They are idioms!

I really want to focus on idioms this year. It can really break down comprehension when a student comes upon an idiom without realizing it is a phrase with a hidden meaning. My goal is to hear my kids use idioms in their daily language and to see it in their writing. So I have devised a plan!

We are going to focus on learning 10 idioms every six weeks. I don't want to do too many because then they would forget as we move on. We are going to be doing our best to integrate these idioms into our  classroom vernacular. 

We are going to start our discussions with a QR code scan that takes them to the meaning and examples. This is just a way to give them an idea of how that idiom is used. Then we are going to discuss it together, in small groups, and as we are working throughout the week. Towards the end of the week I will have them scan the activity code. The activities could be a blog post, an Edmodo post, an Educreation video, or writing a short story. I am trying to be creative! 

As we progress through the year, I plan on having them take more control over their activity, but at the beginning of the year, we will still be learning how to use most of the apps on our iPads, so I want them to have more direction.

This is what the pages look like:

You can grab your copy HERE 

(Free of course!)

I will be working on more and I will post them when they are finished!

Do you teach idioms? What do you think of my idea? Let me know if there is a great website for idioms that you have found!

iBooks Author

I want to share a great resource with you! I am really excited about it. 

**Disclaimer: This only works on Macs and iPads. Sorry...

iBooks Author is a way to create interactive books. I am currently working on a "textbook" for our first of 3 big science units. We use FOSS kits, so we have three big units. There are tons of features with this!

Check out this website for more information!

Isn't that so cool? I really think this is the way we are heading in education. Textbooks need to be interactive and that is what iBooks Author gives us.

It is also a great way to self-publish a book. I am thinking about doing that. I would love to write a book. Now I just have to do it!

When I finish my physical science unit book I will share it with you!

Homework Linky with An Apple a Day

Jump over (after you read my post...) and see how everyone structures their homework.

(Some of this is a repeat of an old post, but I have added a few things to the end.)

Let me start by saying that I hate homework. H.A.T.E. I don't like making copies, taking it up every morning, grading it, and then rewarding or punishing depending on who turned it in. I think it is a hassle for busy work. I know that the homework debate is a hot one, and I don't really want to open that can of worms. If you like giving homework, more power to you. I think that homework should be reserved for 6th grade and up because those kids are old enough to manage their time. Ugh. Oh well. 

The reality is that I have to give homework, so I have been working on a routine. I wasn't happy with my homework routines last year...

My current plan is for each student to have a homework folder. Take a look at the components:

• 3 brad folder
• notebook paper secured in the brads
• a few page protectors for the homework guidelines pages

Procedure:

1. Students will be responsible for their homework folders from Monday to Thursday.
2. On Monday, they will take their spelling pretest on a piece of notebook paper inside their folder. We do a pretest and check it together. This will be their list for the week.
3. Homework for Monday: Read for 30 minutes and write a response.
4. Homework for Tuesday: Practice multiplication facts and do a spelling activity.
5. Homework for Wednesday: Read for 30 minutes and write a response. 
6. Homework for Thursday: Practice multiplication facts and do a spelling activity.
7. I will model how I want these done on notebook paper. I want them to write on the front and back of each paper, so we don't go through notebook paper like crazy.
8. Students will turn in their homework on Friday morning.
9. I will check it over the weekend and have it for them on Monday.
10. Everyone that does all their homework will get bonus money (see my classroom economy resources).
11. If I am satisfied with their efforts, they will have a lottery ticket waiting for them on Monday morning. (Hopefully this will increase the effort put into homework.)

The best part about this plan? No copies every week and the responsibility is on the students. I like it.

Click HERE to download Mon & Wed's homework.

Click HERE to get my spelling activities.

This is not my creation, but it is a great idea! Renee at Living, Laughing, and Loving is sharing this resource for free. Here is how she describes it:

Each student gets their own copy and starts working on memorizing the first fact family or table.  When they can say it to their parents in 30 seconds or less, the parents initial under that table.

At a designated time during the day, each student with a table initialed will bring it to me and recite it again in 30 seconds or less.  Then I initial, and he/she moves onto the next table… all the way up to the Twelve Family.

Click HERE to get a copy!

This is how I keep track of homework being turned in. I print a check off list on index cards that are taped to a clipboard. I can easily flip to the student's card to make if they have their homework or not. 

I really like this system, especially when I am talking to parents. That way I can quickly show them when their students has failed to turn in homework. It is a good visual. I will also put that visual in their homework folders for parents to view. I will update it when I "grade" homework every Friday. I am hoping that it helps keep parents aware of when/if their child is completing the required assignments. 

To insure that these homework papers are kept in good condition and not lost, I will be tying them into our classroom economy. Each student MUST keep these homework papers neatly in their folders. Each lost guideline page is $150 to replace. If they lose their log, that will be $500 to replace.

You can download the homework logs HERE.

These are the lottery tickets I was talking about:

I added the "Maybe" in the title because it is an untried idea. I haven't used this with students yet, so I don't know how it will work. I will be rolling this out in September. Unless I get a better idea between now and then.  :)

What do you do for homework? Do you do a routine or just decide day by day what you will send home? I don't like sending home textbooks, but if you do, what is your procedure for that?

Thanks for sharing your ideas and thoughts!

Organizing Weekly Papers

Don't you just hate it when kids lose their work? Or when you have to gather papers for students who have been absent? I have not been the best about this. In 2nd grade, I didn't worry about it too much, but I realized last year in 4th that I needed to work out a system.

I like to have the kids help me pass out papers, but I hated having them set the extras on my desk. I am a little OCD about having a clean desk... So I would end up passing the papers out instead. After I have taught the lesson and they are going to be completing some sort of paper and pencil activity, I would go through the process of passing the papers out, but I didn't have a good place to put the extras. 

Towards the end of the year, I would just make a stack on the absent students desk, but then I wouldn't follow through. I should have gone over, stacked them neatly, and stapled them together. Ugh. What usually happened was they kid would stuff all the papers in their desk, never to be seen again.

I hope I am not the only one with this problem...

Thankfully, I have a plan for this year. I saw this pin on Pinterest and knew it would help me solve this problem.

Here is my version:

I bought expanding file folders at WalMart and added the pretty days of the week. Easy!

Here are the days of the week labels if you want them.

When a student is out for the day, I will just place one of these on their desk that afternoon. It will be their responsibility (with prompting from me when necessary) to grab their work and complete it.

Click HERE to get these.

I can't wait to put these up in my classroom!

As always, email me for an editable version. Have a great day!

Throwback Thursday Linky

Hey guys!

I am linking up with Mrs. Carroll over at the First Grade Parade for a quick post.

***This was originally posted on Aug. 8, 2012. If you would like the pdf or ppt files, email me!

All summer I have been thinking about my lesson plan format. Did I want to make my own?

Buy one online?

Just use one from Mardel like I have done in the past?

I really like this cover. I wanted it, but the inside was way to generic.

Keep one online? Our curriculum has an online planner. I did that for a year, but I am not completely sold on it.

I just wasn't sure. I played around with making my own in Excel and PowerPoint. I really didn't have much luck.

Normally I really like to have a weekly planner that also has all my specials, lunch, and pe on it, but I have been thinking lately that it just feels cluttered with all that information on there. I get a little overwhelmed.

So I decided to make my own in PowerPoint. I love PowerPoint. I can do anything with it. ♥♥♥

So here is my plan:

• 1/2 inch binder with clear inserts
• Print my own template
• Place my schedule as the very first page

Now this does a few good things for me.

1. I will be able to personalize the cover. Love it!
2. I will have pockets and the option to add things by hole punching.
3. It is more durable than other planners.
4. I am always sticking extra papers into the back of my planner, now I will have space for those papers.

So here it is...

These are the backgrounds:

My thinking was that every six weeks would have a different color per week. So every first week of the six weeks would be yellow. Every second week of the six weeks would be teal, and so on. Just another way to remind myself of where we are in the six weeks.

This sort of works. I was looking at our school calendar and saw a few glitches. We are supposed to have 6 sets of 6 weeks in our school year, but because of holidays it doesn't work out that way. Here is the breakdown:

1. 6 weeks
2. 5 weeks
3. 6 weeks 2 days
4. 6 weeks 2 days
5. 6 weeks
6. 8 weeks (this is brutal at the end of the year)

I was also inspired by another blogger who has a checklist of things to do everyday before she goes home to make the next morning run smoother. I knew I had to do that, so that is why I have a checklist on my lesson planner for every day.

I am going to work on spreading out my lesson planning and prepping materials throughout the week. That way I do not have to work so hard on the weekends and I get my lesson plans turned in on time!

My binder!

Here is my template for anyone who wants it. As always, it is free. If you want the original version so you can tweak the checklist or anything else, just email me at rmorris at mesquiteisd dot com. I will be able to respond faster if you email me instead of leaving a comment.

Lesson Plan Template 

**There is a blank page first in the document because I sent this to Office Max to be printed. This way the pages printed correctly to be opened as a spread.

Binder Covers - Chevrons

Sneek Peek

Hey guys!

I want to share a sneek peek at something I am working on. 

I will be sharing it for FREE, just like always...

You can see my master list of idioms HERE.

Interested???

To Do List (Linky)

Lorraine from Fabulous First Grade Froggies is hosting a linky party that is right up my alley. I love lists. I am currently using my Google drive to keep an ongoing list for next year that I started in April. I know, weird. I am a little OCD.  :/

Anyway, after you read my post, go on over and read the others!

Let me share my lists (yes that is plural):

To buy:

1. Pencil sharpener http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/
2. address labels
3. small Sterlite drawer fo pencils and things beside the pencil sharpener
4. Craigslist book carts?
5. white and black polka dot ribbon for anchor chart outlines
6. zip ties for crates
7. large rug for a gathering place (I am hoping I can get one from my school)

In class:

1. Folders on a wall or cabinet for M-F where I place papers handed out that day. Easy access for gathering at the end of the week and for kids who were absent.
2. Better way to store copy paper and student supplies (zip tie crates maybe?)
3. no textbooks in desks, all stacked elsewhere
4. teacher desk and computer in another spot
5. Xtramath and Book Adventure - Raz Kids (use the free trial at the beginning of the year)
6. Table for Elmo near the Promethean board
7. Guided reading groups - Daily 4
8. Note to parents explaining about iPads
9. Google docs for all beginning of year stuff: textbook count, student information, etc.
10. Guided reading procedures with novels
11. iBooks Author
12. OmniDazzle (a great resource on our computers at school that turns your mouse into fun images on the screen that are easier for your eyes to follow; great for when you are demonstrating how to do something)

Classroom economy

1. Desk citations
2. Pay rent for ipad instead of desk, weekly
3. Earn money for report card grades
4. Mykidsbank.org
5. Pay for extra restroom breaks, snacks, etc
6. Buy paper and pencil -- I will provide a pencil and paper every Monday for free.
7. Bonus money for CBAs and STAAR
8. Speeding tickets for working too fast/carelessly/without a name

Organization & Decoration

1. new section for social studies
2. Use large bookshelf behind my desk and use other bookshelves to hold library books
3. how to use black benches????
4. new numbers for backpack hooks
5. sort through books - only put out ⅓ of them at the beginning of the year
6. 1. check out 5 Play-a-ways every 2 weeks

1. 
   
   Blue = finished
   
   
   Wow. I am not overwhelmed, but I think I might be in a month. So much of this needs to be done at school, so it has to wait until mid-August. I can do this!

Reading Anchor Charts

This is my last installment of anchor charts! It seems that I did more Reading charts than any other.

That's a lot of pictures... Hopefully I will remember to take pictures as I go next year. I kept all these until the end of the year and took pictures of them laying on a table. Ugh. Not the best way to take pictures.   :)

Writing Anchor Charts

I really have to make more writing anchor charts next year, but here are some of the ones I made last year.

I had these posted in the room for most of the year. The kids referenced the Expository Essay chart the most.

Math Anchor Charts

Do you use anchor charts in your classroom? I started using them this past year and really like it. I have more work to do, but here are a few of my math charts.

Happy Wednesday!