Why I love Teaching ! PART II

Oh the joy of seeing your students use your teacher taught strategies! VICTORY!

When teaching I implement BLOOMS!  I teach my students the importance of not only remembering and understanding at the moment, but to apply their knowledge and evaluate and analyze material and their responses!

A Fun Creative Way for Students to Assess Themselves and Their Peers!

I found this great tool to assist my students in assessing themselves on pinterest.  I have this assessment chart displayed on a bulletin board in my classroom. I also created a miniature version and provided one to each of my students.  During or after a lesson my students discuss what they assessed themselves as and why; they also receive feedback from peers (do they agree disagree and why, and they offer suggestions and encouragement to their classmate).  This tool has been really fundamental in getting my students involved in the improvement of their learning and providing a format for them to monitor their learning progress as well.  

Bulletin Board Display of Self Assessment!

 Miniature Self Assessment copy for Students! 

Organization is Key

It really is. This right here -------------------> ORGANIZATION, is fundamental to being successful in the classroom.  I remember when I first started my journey to becoming a teacher I would sit in class and also in professional development and morph into a scene from “Peanuts.”  I literally would be like Charlie Brown hearing the “WAH wa Wah,” when instructors would get on their organization in the classroom soapbox.  I completely comprehend why they continued to get on this soapbox now that I am a teacher; organization really is key.  As teachers there is so much we do daily that if you are not organized it is easy to fall behind and interrupt classroom structure.  Recently I was wondering if I would ever have a weekend to myself. Grant it, I am off on Saturdays & Sundays therefore I am not getting paid.  However, I find myself working six to eight hours each day.  I made a promise to find a way to free my weekend of planning, so right before Christmas break I went to bed many nights after 12am creating my lesson plans for the first two weeks in January.  I also printed out material, purchased material, etc, that my students an I would need for each day.  I am the teacher who leaves with the janitors so I deserve my weekends to myself! 

                              

                       I keep material for the current week in the file organizer pocket chart below.

    

I keep material for the following week in the folders below.

Great Idea While Students Wait for the Morning Bell!

Standardized test….let’s face it, they suck.  However, there is no denying that standardized test is a major part of education.   So we have to learn to love it and embrace it.  When students finish their breakfast they wait outside their classroom for the morning bell.  I decided to utilize this as an opportunity to provide extra support for students in the area of their iLEAP as well as decrease noise in the hallways.  To provide extra support for my students and prepare them for their iLEAP test I place material related to specific GLEs that my students will be tested on outside in a bin.  This has been a great strategy; my students are engaged prior to class, they are confident about their iLEAP, and they are quiet in the hallways.   After the morning bell my students come into class and complete their material, then assess each other’s work; once completed we go over content as a whole class.

Why Not Get Smart!

Why Not Get Smart? I think every teacher has had an experience in which they ask a student why they did something that now has the student in an unfortunate situation, and that student responds, "Such and such told me to do it," or "So and so did it."  I advise my students that versus choosing to mimic poor behavior they should choose to mimic positive behavior.  After we say our class pledge in the morning we do jumping jacks to warm up in the morning and say "Why Not Get Smart?!" I mean Why not? :) We are all lifelong learners.  It is with great hope that other educators can get smart from my blog and even share ideas with me so I can get smart! Happy Teaching!


Ms. Ebony, M.A.T.

Establishing Targets for Lessons

It's imperative that students not only comprehend curriculum, but know why it's vital they do so.  At the beginning of the school year I displayed the comprehensive curriculum on the SmartBoard.  I informed my students that material teachers teach them adheres to the curriculum established by their state.  In essence the content they must learn is the same as every other student in their grade.  I display GLEs that will be covered on the whiteboard and go over them with my students daily; students are aware that GLE stands for Grade Level Expectation.  This method I implement with my students has been fundamental in changing their attitude towards their academics.  Many of my students now strive to master their GLEs.  Another method I use to increase students desire to achieve is setting targets.  My students are aware that 75% represents a grade of "C."  They are also aware that a 75% is one point from a 74%, which represents a grade of "D."  Targets are set by identifying skills my students should have acquired by the end of the lesson/unit; target should be reached with 80% or above accuracy; "C+" or higher. 

Below is a picture of the bull's-eye target I use in the classroom to display targets for each

subject.  

Desk Setup!

Yes, I finally found a desk setup that I love.  Luckily for me my students love it as well. The last week of September I was moved from teaching special education to regular education; my student count went from five to twenty-five.  It has been a learning experience; at least now I know I can teach both successfully.