In upper grade classrooms, students spend a great deal of time responding to the texts they read. Over the years I have found that no matter what grade level I teach, students have a difficult time writing thorough and meaningful reading responses. At the start of every year my students need quite a bit of guidance when writing their responses. One of the best ways that I have found to teach students to write meaningful responses is by providing them with sentence frames. I like to encourage students to follow three simple steps when writing reading responses, each with sentence frames and prompts to use: Step 1: What did you read? While reading... In chapter __ of... On page __ of... During today's reading of... Step 2: What happened in the text? Tell what a character said. Tell what a character did. Tell what a character thought, felt, or learned. Describe the setting.  Describe an important event that occurred. Explain a problem that was encountered. ...
You have made it, or almost made it, to the end of the school year. So many thoughts are racing through your mind as you start to think about the next group of students you will teach. But before you go into full-fledged teacher mode, take our top five tips to get ready for next school year to heart. 1. Relax You have been going like the Energizer Bunny for nine months. Your work week has probably topped 50-60 hours during this span. It is OK to take a break for yourself. Teacher burn-out is a real thing, and the last thing you want to do to yourself is not be re-energized for next school year. So, however you find the best way to relax, do it. If it is binge watching shows on Netflix or your DVR, reading a book, gardening, or just sleeping in, now is the time for YOU. 2. Re-acquaint yourself with your family You have spent more waking hours with your students for the last nine months then you have with your family. It is time to spend quality time together. It doesn't h...
Teaching mathematical vocabulary is something that can be easily overlooked.  We want our students to be able to complete the math tasks at hand, but the vocabulary doesn't always seem as important.  Just like with any subject, students cannot learn what is being taught without being able to understand the language of instruction. Before beginning any unit or chapter, preview what you are going to teach to determine the vocabulary that is essential to student's understanding.  Most math curriculums already have these vocabulary words outlined for you. Once you have determined the words that are important for students to become familiar with, you can use the seven strategies below to introduce, model, and reinforce the mathematical vocabulary. 1.  Pre-teach the Vocabulary Consider this a preview of words.  Before you begin teaching the mathematical concepts, have a day where you showcase the words.  Introduce the word, its meaning, and give a brief example.  By intr...
I love teaching area and perimeter! These geometry concepts lend themselves to some really fun hands-on activities, which is something I always enjoy! Here are some of my favorite activities to teach area and perimeter: 1. Area and Perimeter Songs Perimeter Around the Area by Bazillion - This one has really cool cats and music. The cats either travel around the perimeter of buildings or stay inside their area.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU8aWpRd6Qw Area and Perimeter by Flocabulary - This one is a rap and starts off with a Star Wars theme and then travels to Mars! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSVMrPu0__U 2. Area and Perimeter Outdoor Game I try to include movement throughout the day, whenever I can. This is a simple area and perimeter game that could be played either on a blacktop, in the gym, or on a grassy field. The important thing is that there is an obvious perimeter or boundary line around the outside of the square or rectangular area.  Start...
As teachers, we all have favorite topics to teach... and a few topics that aren't quite so enjoyable. For me, teaching figurative language is like sinking my teeth into a cream-filled donut topped with sprinkles. (How's that for a simile?) Introducing Similes When I began writing this blog post, my intention was to make it short and sweet (just like my experience eating that donut!), but my love for figurative language enveloped me, and I got sidetracked. I ended up making a 13-slide PowerPoint that introduces the topic of similes to students. After five introduction slides, I included 10 practice slides where students must determine whether the given sentence is a simile, a metaphor, or neither. This is available for FREE in my TpT store. Just click on the image below to download it to use with your students. Using Similes to Inspire Higher-Level Thinking The other idea I want to share involves using similes in order to prompt higher-level thinking ac...
Why does writing in complete sentences seem like such a grueling task? I'm sure you've heard students say, "Do we have to write in complete sentences?" Learn effective teaching strategies to help even your most reluctant writers. These tips will guide your students to be successful writers. Students are being held to more rigorous standards. Most teachers not only require students to write in complete sentences when writing essays, but also when answering text-dependent questions  for reading comprehension, math problems, and content area activities. With this requirement in all subject areas, students need to master the basic tools to writing in complete sentences.   Why go back to the basics? A shocking fact:  27% of 12th graders in the U.S. perform at grade level in writing. Many upper grade teachers think students already have the fundamentals of sentence structure ingrained in their brains. They quickly learn this is far from the truth. Although...