My Schedule

I received an email from someone asking for a copy of my schedule that I briefly showed during my video "Sub Tub". So I thought I'd post it here in case anyone else is interested in it. This is the schedule that works best for my class....

My Schedule

Schedule

I have a very early P.E. time so it is important for me to get in the subjects that require alot of mental focus in before 9:30. UPSL is our problem solving time. You will notice we are in the classroom each day from 11:20 to the end of the day - uuggh!! It is hard!

I do Writer's Workshop in the aftenoon. The kids enjoy the calming atmosphere after lunch and it is early enough in the day that they are still able to do really good with their writing.

I leave Math and Math Tubs for the end of the day because those are interactive enough kids are always engaged.

Student Teacher Welcome Pack.

Ok, so I'm on a roll with doing videos. Woo-hoo for me!!!

I am going to have a student teacher joining me in a couple of weeks so it got me thinking about what I want to do for her as a welcome to my class. I remember student teaching and feeling out of sorts going into another teacher's classroom. I had the BEST mentor teacher, but I still felt out of place at the beginning. I remember all the little things she did to make me feel welcomed.~~ Thank you, Mrs. Vaughan!!

So, it's important to me to do a little something special for my new student teacher. I have put together a small welcome gift that will also help her start off on the right foot!

Watch the video below!

Sub Tub - How to Make Your Subs Happy!!

Well, I have braved the webcam again! (Don't laugh too hard).

One of the questions I get a lot is how to make sub plans easy for the teacher and beneficial for the substitute.

What is a sub tub?

What should I include in my sub tub?

How can a sub tub make my life easier?

Well, below is video I made answering these questions and more. I pulled out my own sub tub to show you all the nitty-gritty details!!

Math Tubs #3

Here is another little math tub idea that again focuses on addition. Back during December, I purchased some cute name tags from Target (the hang-y ones for gifts). The kids used these cute sparkly name tags to make patterns.

I was putting them away for next year when I realized we could use the snowmen tags for something new! I took the tags and wrote numbers on the backs (1-10).

To Play: The kids spread the cards (tags) face up where they cannot see the numbers on back. Choose 2 cards over and use cotton balls to add. For example: in the photo I turned over 9 and 3. So, I would then take 9 cotton balls and 3 cotton balls. Then, I "touch and count" all the cotton balls back into the math tubs container. You could also allow kids to use the total number of cotton balls to build a snowman. I bet there would be some interesting snowmen!!

Math Tub #2

Ok, here is another new math tub I am implementing. Again the purpose is for the kids to begin practicing addition independently.

Materials Needed:

egg carton

marker

plastic colored snowflake confetti(or other manipulative)

Here you use an empty egg cartoon and write numerals 1-10 (you will have to repeat a couple numbers) in the bottom of the individual sections.

You can use any manipulatives (teddy bears, unifix cubes, counters, etc.) but I found some cute plastic snowflakes at Walmart in the seasonal section that come in 3 colors - silver, white, and blue.

To begin, I am using the white and blue snowflakes (later on they will be able to add 3 digits and I will use the third color).

To Play:

Place 2 snowflakes (or other manipulatives) in the egg carton and close. Shake the carton (kids love this) and then open. The 2 snowflakes will land on a number inside the egg carton. Kids will use those 2 numbers to add.

For example, if the blue snowflake landed on 3 and the white snowflake landed on 6 - children will "act out" this problem by lining up 3 blue snowflakes and then lining up white snowflakes below. Then, they will touch and count to find the total.

Again, I am not using recording sheets just yet because I want to keep the focus on the process and not a product!

Math Tub #1

Here is the first math tub I will be teaching when we return next week. The kids have used these sticks to practice counting since the beginning of the year. I used 5 gallon paint stir sticks (big ones from Home Depot - like 50cents). I have 20 colored stickers in increments of five. Kids have been using them to clip a clothespin on each dot to count all the way to 20.

Now they will extend their use by using clothespins with a colored star (just the colored foil stars) to add. In the example above, 3 blue stars + 2 red stars = 5 stars!! Partners can work together. One child can "make" a problem and the other child "reads" the problem. I do NOT use a recording sheet for this tub because the point is for them to "make" and "read" a simple addition problem. They enjoy doing this and become very proficient in "making" and "reading" adding problems.