I’ve been doing this teaching thing for a long time…and one thing I know is that I am always on a quest to find out what students know and don’t know.  I use exit slips. I give summative assessments.  I watch my students carefully and coach as needed.  I just always feel like something is missing…like there is too much “fill in the blank”.  On a whim, I decided to have my students create their own assessment a while ago to “show what they know” about area and perimeter.  It was a game changer for me—and my students.  Interested?  Keep reading! So one day I decided to simply ASK them what they knew.  I typed up a simple form and told them it was a “demand prompt”—for math!  They have been given demand prompts in writing, but not in math.   They looked a little confused, so I explained a little more. I told them that I felt bad that I didn't give them enough flexibility and creative time to show me the DEPTH of their understanding.  After all, when we give an exit slip, we h...
As March comes to an end, spring is in the air.  The weather is getting warmer, the sun is out longer, and we are spending more and more time outside.  Another thing I know I look forward to is spring cleaning!  I love to open the windows in my house to air it out.  Putting away my winter clothes and straightening up around the house just makes me excited for the nicer weather that's just around the corner. The bloggers at Upper Elementary Snapshots have decided to let you all do a little spring cleaning, too - but without actually picking up cleaning supplies!  We want you to clean out those TpT wishlists!  The best part is that we are going to help you get started! We are giving away 6 $20 TpT gift certificates.  Use the Rafflecopter below for a chance to enter on March 25th and March 26th. Then, on March 27th and March 28th, our individual TpT stores will be on sale.  This is the perfect time to grab some fantastic resources to finish up this school year! Here is a l...
Standardized test!  Ugh!  Every year I dread the time when I have to really start to think about, “the test”.  The pressure is exhausting! It wasn’t until this year that I started to really focus on the verbs of the standards.   You can read about that here . Teaching students what it means to explain, cite, demonstrate, and categorize are among 42 of the words that my students interact with throughout the year.   We have a test prep interactive notebook that we add to.   Students are introduced to a word, they place the word in their notebook along with its meaning.   Students provide a synonym and an antonym, then provide examples on how the word may be used in both math and reading. We continue to refer back to the notebooks throughout the year.   It has been a powerful tool!   When a student comes across a word in daily practice or on a test, they like to go back to their notebooks and add the example.   There have been many ah-ha ...
I don't know about you, but I feel like my students need a little fun project to break from the nonstop review - review - review that we are doing right now.  Our big state test is in one week and I thought I'd share with you a fun fraction project I plan to complete with them this week.  It will review fraction concepts and give them a chance to cut and color :) I got this idea from a fellow third grade teacher.  She made a larger version for a book report.  This is a dodecahedron dedicated to reviewing fraction concepts.  Students will review ... partitioning fractions naming fractions shading to show a fraction (area model) plotting fractions on a number line (with area model help) plotting fractions on a number line (no area model) comparing fractions on a number line equal sharing problems finding equivalent fractions changing a fraction to a whole number Wow!  That's a lot in one little project.  I plan to have students complete the 6 pages in penci...
How many of you are familiar with this routine??? You teach a grammar lesson, on verbs, let’s say. You create an anchor chart and discuss different examples. Students complete a worksheet, in which they circle or underline the verbs. They even complete a homework assignment to further practice identifying verbs. At the end of the week or unit, they take a quiz on verbs, and pass with flying colors. Then, the next week you ask them to identify the verb in a sentence, and you get blank stares, and someone who raises his hand and says, “What’s a verb, again?” Sound familiar?!?! For years, I have followed this routine, only to get frustrated when I get those blank stares and uncertain responses. Each year, I try to find a way to make teaching grammar and writing skills more meaningful for my students. This year, I have finally found it.... MENTOR SENTENCES What is a MENTOR SENTENCE? ✪   A mentor sentence is a well-crafted sentence that can be foun...