100-Word Limit for the 100th Day of School

By fourth grade, students are not as excited about the 100th day of school as they were when they were in kindergarten or first grade.  They are becoming more mature and aren't as easily swayed by novelty toys they used to get when they were younger.  They've worn the eyeglasses in the shape of 100 and have had the special pencils and special 100 Day snacks.  It's hard to surprise the students and excite them at this age.  So, I decided to add a twist and turn the 100th day of school into a challenge.  My students will tell you that I absolutely LOVE challenges, and I know fourth graders do, too.

Tomorrow is our 100th day of school, and my students will have no more than 100 words they can use.  Students will have post-it notes on their desks to keep track of their words, and they will need to tally EVERY WORD that they say.  The reward is that I will give them a ticket for every five words they have said under 100 at the end of the day.  The penalty is that they will give me a ticket for every five words over 100 they say.  So, if a student has said only 70 words by the end of the day, he or she will earn 6 tickets from me.  If another student says 110 words by the end of the day, he or she will owe me 2 tickets.

There are exceptions, of course.  I do not count the words they use if they ask me a school-related question, nor do I count the words they use when I call on them to answer any questions I ask.  When I am meeting with students in a small group (or students are meeting in a literature circle) and we are having a discussion, I won't count the words they use there because I want them to participate and ask questions.  I also don't have them keep count of words at recess or lunch so they can socialize.  Other than those parameters, students need to choose words carefully so that they do not go over 100 words.

I have tried this with my fourth graders last year and my third graders the year before that.  You would think that this would be a punishment for the students, but they LOVE it.  It is such a challenge to students to try and find other ways to communicate.  They hold each other accountable, and they are pretty honest about keeping track of their words.  Best of all, they are incredibly well-behaved - even the ones who are normally very social during instruction.

So, tomorrow we will be celebrating...fourth grade style.  It will truly be a surprise, and hopefully one that we will all remember for a long time!

I'm Nominated for a Liebster Blog Award!

I have to say that I am completely taken by surprise by this wonderful nomination by Fun in the Fours.  It looks like great fun, so I will carry on the tradition by following the rules for this award.

First, I will post 11 random things about myself.

1.  I was born and raised in the South.
2.  I can remember the birthday of every student I have ever taught.
3.  I have a daughter in seventh grade.
4.  I hate having colonoscopies.
5.  I have taught 1st, 3rd, and 4th grades.  Fourth grade is my favorite.
6.  My favorite sport to play growing up was softball.
7.  I am short.
8.  I am a Gemini.
9.  I love my job.
10.  I am a Maroon 5 fan (and I'm going to see them in concert soon).
11.  I have wonderful co-workers.

Now, I will answer the 11 questions asked of my nominator.

1.  How long have you been teaching and what grade do you currently teach? I teach fourth grade and this is my fifteenth year teaching.
2.  What advice would you give a brand new teacher?  Make sure you are passionate about teaching and inspiring children.  There are more and more demands being put upon teachers, and the salary is minimal.  You do not always get the recognition you deserve, and you have to put in lots of hours.  But, when a child looks at you and tells you how much you've taught or inspired them and how you're the "best teacher in the world," it will all be worth it.  If it's not, find another career.  :)
3.  What made you decide to enter the blogging world?  I have been inspired by many blogs out there and decided to try my hand at starting one up.  I don't exactly know what I am doing, but I am never too old to learn.
4.  Which blog do you really love to read?  There are so many blogs that I love reading.  One of my favorites is Teaching in Room 6.
5.  If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?  I would love to visit Hawaii some day.  I have heard that it is beautiful.
6.  What pets do you have?  I have three dogs and a cat.  I am a sucker for animals.
7.  When you were a child what was your favorite book?  I didn't like to read as a child.  I do remember reading Encyclopedia Brown books and enjoying them.  What is your favorite children's book today?  I have so many favorites!  One of them is Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events.  I've read it aloud to my third graders for many years, and now my fourth graders are all hooked on the series.  It has rich vocabulary, advanced-level humor, and a great story-line.
8.  Do you speak any other languages?  Unfortunately, I only speak English.  I wish I could speak another language.
9.  What is one item you can't live without?  I have to say that I couldn't live without my cell phone.  I can use it for just about anything I need, and it gives me a sense of security. :)
10.  If you look up from the computer right now what do you see?  I would see my T.V.  I am on my laptop on my couch right now.
11.  What is your favorite charity?  I have a friend who has started a non-profit organization to help families pay non-medical bills while their children are fighting cancer.  It is A Community Effort.

I will continue this post in Part 2.

What's So Funny? Using Humor in the Classroom

I believe that children learn more when they are having fun.  I love using humor in my classroom.  Although I am by no means an extrovert (I am a terrible sufferer of stage fright and giving speeches to adults), but I have no fear at all standing up in front of a bunch of 9 and 10 year olds and being downright silly.  I love making my students laugh.

The ability to understand more advanced humor can be one of the signs of giftedness in a child.  This ability involves reasoning, intuition, and recognizing the abstract.  By using humor in the classroom, all students are given the opportunity to develop these skills.

I have a "Humor of the Day" section in my classroom where I post funny pictures or quotes.  We take a few minutes of our day to discuss the picture or quote and talk about what makes it funny.  I have students of all abilities and backgrounds in my classroom, so we learn from each other.  I love the moment when students "get it" for the first time.  It can sometimes lead to a great discussion.

I have seen some of my students start to catch on a little quicker the more we discuss the humor in my classroom.  It is definitely a nice break from the routine.  Besides, I love laughing daily - doesn't everyone?

So, do you use humor in the classroom?  What makes you and your students laugh?

Do I Procrastinate? I'll Let You Know Tomorrow!

So, I have this new planner for my desk at school.

It's funny, because I DO tend to procrastinate.  I know, however, that I shouldn't, and I do not want to encourage my students to be procrastinators.  But, as I flipped through this planner, I couldn't help but laugh at the little gems of advice this planner gives.

There's a place to prioritize my "To Do" list - with more procrastinator tips.

Lastly, it includes a place to doodle during those times when you need (or just want) some distraction.

So, as I start off 2013 with my list of resolutions, one of the ones at the top of my list is to not procrastinate.  It doesn't mean, though, that I can't have a good laugh, right?

Pinterest Favorites Linky Party!

I love Pinterest.  It can be quite addictive!  Here are a few of my favorite pinboards.

Jennifer Findley has so many teaching-related boards I love.

This is A Teacher's Bag of Tricks/The Book Bug.  There are so many boards and resources for library and book lovers.

Happy Pinning!

Student-Teacher Conferences

I know everyone has had conferences with parents about how their children are performing in school, but how often do you have conferences with students?  I've been thinking a lot about student-teacher conferences lately because I feel like students should take more of an ownership role in their learning - especially as they get older.

I have had many informal conferences with students in the past, but it seemed more teacher-focused, with me telling them what my expectations are.  I realized that I was having the same conversations with the same students about the same things, but there was not much of a plan in place.

I came up with some conference forms that I plan to use with my students as soon as we come back to school.  I want my students to reflect on their strengths and areas in which they feel they need improvement.  It is my hope that they feel secure enough to honestly reflect on what kinds of things they need to work on in order to be successful.  At the same time, I want them to tell me what things I can do to help them succeed and be their best.

Students will fill out a self-reflection pre-conference form so they can rate themselves and think about areas where they can improve.  I will also fill out a form to highlight each student's strength and what I think should be improved.  Students will come up with some goal statements with ways these goals can be measured and, together, we can come up with an actual plan to put into action.  Once we meet, the student, their parent(s), and I will sign the conference form so that we are all on the same page.  We will all work together as a team to accomplish the goals set, and we will meet again every six weeks to check on their progress.

I have very high expectations for my students.  I honestly feel that my students can achieve anything they set their minds to achieve.  I do not "dumb down" my lessons because I know my students are all capable of higher level thinking.  I have to include a lot of scaffolding for them to learn new concepts sometimes, but ultimately, all my students can learn.  Sometimes, the hard part is getting kids to live up to those expectations and BELIEVE in themselves.  Sometimes, they have to make up their minds to shine and live up to my expectations.  I KNOW they can accomplish practically anything.

What do YOU think?

Who Cares About A.R.?

Actually, I care.  I care a lot.  I know that, as a teacher, I am in the minority; in fact, almost all of the teachers that I know could care less about A.R., and I understand.  Most teachers feel like kids should read simply for the love of reading and not for points.  Most teachers also love to read.  I never have, so I will offer a different perspective.

I grew up loving math.  I loved (and still do) puzzles and brain teasers.  I like logic, and most of the time I don't even bother using a calculator.  I can calculate in my head how much I will pay when I'm out shopping, and figuring out a tip on my bill at a restaurant is incredibly simple for me.  I have always been left-brained.

I didn't like to read.  I was a good reader, actually, and was always put in the advanced reading group.  I could pronounce any word I found, so I could read the words of any book that was put in front of me.  But, I struggled with vocabulary, comprehension, and symbolism, especially as I entered middle and high school.  I read books that I was required to read, but if I wasn't interested in the book (which was most of the time), I struggled with remembering what I had read.  Even now, I am not a big reader.

As a teacher, however, I don't care as much for teaching math (unless it is a really advanced math class).  Math concepts come so easily to me and make so much sense that it is hard for me to understand how a child could not understand something that I showed them.  I am always working hard to find other ways to teach math so that students can learn those concepts.

In contrast, I absolutely LOVE teaching reading and writing.  I love getting kids excited about reading. I love the huge selection and variety of children's and young adult books out there.  I love reading aloud to my students and making the book come alive.  I also love and promote A.R. in my classroom and require my students to set A.R. goals for themselves.

I understand that many kids dislike reading - especially those who struggle with reading comprehension and fluency.  I get why kids always need to go to the bathroom during reading and who will do anything to get out of having to read.  Those are the ones who need to read the most, and the only way they can be better readers is to read.  I understand them because I was one of those kids.

As much as we hope that kids will read simply for the love of it and not worry about whether a book is A.R. or not or how many points a book is, the reality is that many just don't like it, no matter how much we tell them that they should and it's "fun."  It doesn't change the fact that they still need to read.  So, what's a teacher to do other than require them to read and hope that one day they will just naturally decide that they love it and will read without being asked?

I say that we should introduce a little competition or incentive.  I am an incredibly competitive person, and I know that many kids are as well.  I like them to think of A.R. points as a sport or challenge that they can meet.  We now have access to all A.R. tests at our school, so most books that they read are A.R.  And if kids read books only because they can earn more points, who cares?  At least they are reading, and isn't that the goal, anyway?  By reading (even if it's for A.R. points), kids will improve their reading fluency and comprehension in the process, and once reading becomes easier or they find a genre or series they like in the process, they may decide they love reading and will end up reading because they love it.

I have seen this happen many, many times in my fifteen years of teaching.  Parents have told me that their kids have never loved reading more than after being in my class.  There is no greater joy as a teacher to hear that I have made a difference, and encouraging students to read A.R. books is why many kids (like I was) like reading more than when they started.

I will get off of my soapbox now.  How do YOU feel about A.R.?  Are you a reading lover?  Do you love teaching reading?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!