It's SNOWING in October?!?

So I've had the craziest week...and today it gets capped off with 4-12 inches of snow and a wedding to attempt to get to tonight. This is my view out of one of the library windows. 

Most of this week centered around testing....YUCK!

First, I found out the I passed the Middle School Language Arts Praxis in addition to passing the MS Science and Social Studies tests last month!!! I am so relieved to have it done with! Now I want to get one more science credit for certification (stinks that most science classes are 4 credits though), 6 more for language arts, and I just have to send in paperwork for social studies. Then I'll have 5 certifications! You never know just what our governor might do to cause more job losses, so you can never be too "certified" or pay for enough pieces of paper.... On a bright note, at least he's not running for President!

Between the Praxis and grading, I am all tested out right now. Our reading and math series required us to complete diagnostic tests at the beginning of the year. We have 3 separate sheets to keep track of scores on - 2 for the whole class and one for each individual child. We also had to give a writing assessment last week. I have to give a math test every three weeks, but a quiz just about once a week. We have to give reading and spelling tests every week, and a unit test every 5 weeks.  I'm not even going to talk about the science and social studies tests or homework.

Don't get me wrong, I can tell a lot about what my students learned (at least in the short term) by giving tests, it's just that I spend so much time giving them and grading them that it affects my planning time! I feel bad enough for the kids (who are used to it by now), but is even harder to keep up with grading 22 of everything!

Anyway, I have to celebrate finishing MY testing...so I added a sweet $15 Target gift card to my 200 Followers Giveaway...not many entries yet so you have a great chance of winning!

Halloween Bulletin Board and Ideas

Here's one of my many fall / Halloween bulletin boards. Students had to choose a compound word to break into pieces. The first part was written on the top, the second part was on the middle, and the complete compound was written on the bottom. Example: scare + crow = scarecrow

You can find the candy corn clip art here or click the picture to download.

We did "how to" writing using transition / sequence words. Here's our bulletin board strip on how to carve a pumpkin.

My students made these jack'o "lanterns" and LOVED them. We used a full sized piece of orange construction paper, however, so I decided to scrap my original plan of using toilet paper rolls covered in yellow construction paper for the middle. Next year I'll try it with a half piece of paper instead!

I've really been trying to encourage our students and class parents to make good food choices, but I fell in love with these pumpkin rice krispie treats! 

I asked our room parents to use an all-orange food theme and to keep it healthy every day and for our party, so these other ideas are great too!

       

I found this idea for a school Halloween costume on Pinterest (definitely needs a little modification to be a little more school and weather appropriate!) We'll see if I can get a couple of other teachers to join in!

Have you entered my giveaway yet? It's another reason to celebrate! :)

Favorite Anti-Bullying Read Alouds (Linky Party)

I am linking up with one of my favorite blogs, Swimming into Second, to share some of my new favorite read aloud books. They mostly center around anti-bullying and character education because that is a focus for our school right now during Anti Violence Week across the state and the new NJ Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) laws. I have been spending wayyyy to much money at Scholastic, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon, but I just loooove these books!

Mr. Peabody's Apples is a book written by Madonna. Yes, the singer. I didn't believe it either... but it is a great book that teaches children about spreading rumors and how they can create or damage a reputation for themselves or others.

How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids is a great story for teaching students to think before they act. Ever since I read this book to my students, they have wanted to find ways to make sure everyone has a good day. They especially look for other students or teachers who need a pick me up and make sure to fill their buckets!

I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self Esteem is a story cowritten by Jamie Lee Curtis. It seems like actresses and celebrities are writing books all the time now! It teaches kids to accept themselves and helps them to understand that everyone makes mistakes. Kids really enjoy the rhythmic rhyming too!

Don't Laugh at Me teaches kids to accept others, regardless of their differences. It also includes a cd with lyrics about tolerance.

Visualizing

One of the most powerful reading and writing strategies to use is visualizing. I find that students who can visualize what happens in a story, especially when it does not include pictures, tend to have much better reading comprehension than students who do not. They are also better creative and narrative writers because they tend to be more aware of sensory details when experiencing something and transfer it over to their own writing.

Something I like to do is have students take a "mental picture" of me or an area in the classroom. I literally make them pretend they are pressing a camera button and close their eyes. Then I change something and asj them what was different. (Today I had a Promethean Board pen in my hand and I hid it.) They should start transferring this skill to the stories they read. Here are some resources I use to help students improve their visual memory.



Students are given about 30 seconds to a minute to study a picture. Then they are asked to answer questions about it. It helps them pay attention to details! My second and third graders were able to easily use Book #1.



For K-1, I'd use Spot the Differences pictures.

Great visualizing resources website with list of trade books for visualizing

Sensory Deprivation as a Writing Tool!

     I went on an interesting overnight field trip to YMCA Camp Bernie two weeks ago with a fifth grade class from our school while their teacher taught my class for two days. We had many objectives. The first was for our school to mix with another in the district (there are 11 elementary schools) to get the kids ready for middle school. Other objectives were to help the kids gain confidence and self esteem with a night away from their parents, plus awareness of themselves and their surroundings. 

     Each day, our meal wastes were separated into liquid waste, food waste, garbage, and compost. Students soon realized just how much food they were wasting and promised to watch what they threw out in the cafeteria back at school.

     Students challenged their fears through rock climbing and a walk in the woods in the pitch black. I consider myself to have great eye sight, even in the dark...and I had a tough time! We had to use our senses, especially hearing and touch (through what we stepped on) to find our way to a clearing and back. I was so proud of the kids for having done it because I know I was spooked myself! 

     The next day we had several activities, including a sensory development walk. Students were blindfolded and put on a rope course that had them walking deep into the woods. Once they reached the end, we walked them around by the hand, then led them to a tree. They had to keep the blindfolds on and explore the tree so that they knew it well and would be able to find it later. Once we removed them from the area, they'd have to find their way back to it using their senses of touch and smell. 

 noticing a decline 

 a parent chaperone makes sure no one gets hurt

 our camp guide giving directions

 using the senses

 talking to themselves about the tree's attributes (felt sticky sap, smelled and felt pine needles, scars in the sap, a cut limb, etc.)

feeling around the tree, including the roots

    Students were brought back to a clearing to take off their blindfolds. We walked them around in circles so they had to rely on their senses to find the tree instead of memorizing the path we walked them on. It was really interesting hear them describe their trees and even more interesting to listen to the descriptions they had written once we returned to school! I know they'll never write just "a tree" again!