Extra Credit!

I came up with this idea a few years ago, and wanted to share it with you all, because it's totally fantastic (in my completely unbiased opinion).

I only assign extra credit at a few points during the quarter, and that's it.  Students either decide to do it, or not, but may not ask for extra credit as it gets towards the end of the quarter and their grade needs help.  It's a bit of a gamble for them...

I also only try to assign extra credit that will not require me to go digging for a key, and doing more work on my part.  So, I come up with activities that the kids might like to do, and I also put in the assignment that kids can earn up to a certain amount of points...  For the activities that I use, check this out.

I then assign the activities, and give the kids 2-3 weeks before the extra credit is due.

Once the extra credit gets turned in, I pull out my extra credit tickets:

I do not know why this picture is sideways... blogger has hiccups right now...

Then, I look through each assignment (at this point, it doesn't matter if they're all doing different things, because you're only reviewing it for effort and comprehension) and assign a particular number of points onto a ticket.  The student then must KEEP the ticket and cash in the ticket when they feel their grade needs the help.  If the ticket is lost, so is the points (which teaches total responsibility).  I also assign an expiration date for the ticket (sometimes there is no expiration date) as well as a subject it must be used in (or ANY if the work was that outstanding.  To check out the extra credit ticket, check this out.

Multiplication Organization

I've been teaching 6 years, and my achilles heel has always been getting timed tests done everyday, keeping track of who is on what number (5th graders like to tell fibs), and then keeping all the copies from not looking like a junky mess on my desk. Don't know why it took 6 years, but last Thursday I figured out my system.

1. Get a fatty binder
2. Get tabs, labeled with each test you give (ie x2-x12)
3. Make a gagillion copies of EACH test. File under correct number (don't forget to highlight the last one with an "O")
4. Using text boxes, or my multiplication form (found here or here), create a chart for each kid. Then, after every test, cross out the number that was passed.

It was THAT EASY. Why didn't I think of this SIX years ago!?!?!?!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Story Elements Review

Well, I was inspired by a picture on pinterest (of course; that's where all my inspiration has come from lately).  Anyway, I created this chart using butcher paper.  I wanted to laminate it, but it was just too big, so I (in a round about way) decided to use post its instead.  This actually worked FAR better because students were able to take a pad of post-its to their desks and complete their answers.  Then, I was also able to check for 5th grade quality work.  Anything that wasn't 5GQ I just pulled the post-it off and returned it to them and they re-did it.

On Tuesday afternoon, we read through the story together (Amelia Bedelia).  Even though I teach 5th grade, kids totally get into small picture books - DONT think it's too immature for them. It's not.  We read through the story, then pulled out our notes on character traits, settings, and themes.  After going through the notes, we were able to fill out all the elements of the chart together as a class.  On Wednesday morning, I split the groups up into pairs and they read their own picture book (pre-selected by me in order to check that there's actually story elements in the book).  Then, they used their notes and their post-its to complete the chart.

This helped tremendously before I introduced the summer novel Monopoly project this afternoon.  The Monopoly Project is a project designed to do upon completion of the novel they read this summer.  The kids were able to understand and better organize their thoughts on this project.  The Monopoly project eats up the first two weeks of the school year - about an hour a day.  If you're looking for something to do that's deep in language arts, use it!

Journal Junkies

So, I am that teacher that even 5 years in, I just HATED doing journaling.  It's just something I've
a) never really enjoyed
b) start the year off with and then it goes by the wayside because I forget about it or get too busy for it
c) hate grading
d) hate hearing the kids whine about either 1) this "prompt" has never happened to them or 2) they have no opinion or imagination on the matter.  Drives. Me. Crazy.

So then I found some inspiration from pinterest called the "journal jar" and redeveloped it ever so slightly...

First, I decided to create as many prompts as I could possibly find.  I wanted at least 200.  Well perusing the internet, finding the scholastic slot machine, and then using some vocabulary writing prompts allowed me to succeed in getting my target number.

So, after typing up all the journal questions (tip: I pretended to use labels in word to create about 15 different sections into a document and then print on full sheet label paper --walmart $4), I cut them up and put them onto paint chips.

Then, I went and found a trash can (I wanted a jar, but don't like the idea of having heavy glass in the room) and decorated it up to be our Journal Junkie Jar.

Here's how it works:  NOT every day, but when I choose to do journaling (say 2 times a week) in the morning routine, students will go to the journal junkie bin and stick their hand in, and pull out a topic.  EACH KID will have a different topic (love this).  The topics are super fun to write about (ie - You get locked inside a Target for the night.  Write a story about what happens.  Did you have a blast? Or was it your worst nightmare? -even I would love to write about that).  So, the kids will be all giggly about their topic, and then they won't all be writing about the same thing, either.

To further my plan (hey- sometimes it takes some kids longer to write than others), I only plan to have the journals due once a month.  All students will have to keep a table of contents in the front of their journal (title of work and page number).  At the end of the month, they will choose 3 of the works that they think are the best, and leave me a post it to read and grade only those 3.  I do this because sometimes a kid will really struggle with a topic they pull, and I don't believe their writing grade should be affected by it.  Plus, it allows them the entire month to get 8 entries done (therefore the pressure isn't as intense).  However, I will put in some kind of rule where all 8 entries have to be finished.

I'm in LOVE with my new idea, however, I don't know if it will actually work - I'll update and let you know after the year gets going.

My first Post: From Shabby to Chic....

So, of course, Pinterest has inspired me to start a teaching blog of my own, where I can share my ideas with the world, and we can all collaborate together. 

So, the problem I've had with the classroom over the last few years is the flipping ugly jobs poster.  Usually, I go to Lakeshore and purchase a poster (often that has nothing to do with a theme in my room, it's just cute).  Then, I fill in the poster with all the jobs.  Every Monday, we pull from the popsicle sticks to pick jobs.  After we assign jobs for the week, their names are on the tacky poster.  See?



Please note: NOTHING in my room is Monster related...

So, after being inspired by pinterest, I have created something a bit more chic for the elegant classroom.  It's just as dry-erasable as the dumb monsters poster, but looks way better.  Although next year, I might use stickers or a thicker pen...

TA DA!

Any questions on the jobs, just comment!