Blogging and Growth

I keep putting off blogging, which is not going to do myself any favors in the long run! The perfectionist part of me wants to wait until I have something noteworthy to say, or a product to share...but the idea behind this blog is about my growth so I need to remember to post along the way. Formative assessment for myself, in a way ;)

I am so very inspired by the other teacher bloggers out there. Sometimes I get home from student teaching and barely have enough energy to move...yet here are all of these fabulous teachers making products and curriculum on top of everything else! So, I know it's possible...and I think once I have more of my own routine it will be probable for me.

I have started taking over the math and science parts of the curriculum, and within the next few weeks I will start on reading and writing as well. I have so so many ideas for reading and writing...what I really should do is write them here so I don't forget!
I want to make their independent reading more purposeful, and work on more comprehension mini lessons. I'd like to be more purposeful about the workshop format for reading, writing, and math.

I've been using many ideas I find online and adapting them for my own content, such as Scoot and I Have, Who Has? I'm trying to always remember that kids need to be moving and interacting, so this using small groups and rotating even when doing workbook-type math.
Of course, it's a work in progress. It always will be, won't it? Lessons could always be better, more engaging, more authentic.

My mantra for the upcoming weeks needs to be:

"Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are". (Theodore Roosevelt)

Monday Musings

After the last math test, I realized how much many of the students needed help with multiplication. Here we were multiplying decimals, when the majority of them still needed help with single-digit multiplication, not to mention multiple digit! This is going to be something that we constantly work on. Today at the end of the math lesson, we did a multiplication I Have, Who Has? game.

Click here to find the free game on TPT (created by All Things Teachery):











This was the first time any of them have played I Have, Who Has? and they LOVED it!

It made me want to create game sets for all of the content areas. I think it's a great review because it involves the whole class and everyone must be paying attention in order for it to work! I used a stopwatch while we played and wrote the time it took us from start to end on the board...we are going to try and beat our score next time!

Whiteboards might be the way to go for multiplication review tomorrow. They love any chance they have to use them!

I've got math and holidays on the brain...thinking about how I can incorporate content areas with art to create some nice hallway displays :)

We have angles and polygons in October, division in November, and fractions and decimals in December.
So far I have a geometry zombie (and maybe some spider web angles?) set for this month...but I'm still searching for other festive things to do!

October Currently

Doesn't it seem like it was just September? 

I'm linking up to Farley for October Currently

P.S. Oops, I just realized I was supposed to leave a treat, not just share one that I have been enjoying ;) so much for telling my students to read the directions!
On pinterest I came across this site for creating your own posters. I have yet to use this in the classroom, but I love the idea...either for classroom decor/motivation or student projects!