Thursday, June 27, 2013

Throwback Thursday

I can't believe I will be beginning my 5th year of teaching this August. Time sure has flown by! I was hired as a sixth grade teacher and am still a sixth grade teacher, at the same school--I wouldn't want it any other way. I love my co-workers, classroom, and school community. I remember when I first go hired at my job. It was my second interview. Actually, the principal emailed me, and asked me to come in! I was very nervous, but was prepared with my resume, letters, and digital portfolio. The second I walked into the principal's office I knew I wanted to work at my school. She was very welcoming and excited to hear what I had to say. I don't really remember anything about the interview except that I thought I rocked it, lol. After the interview we on a tour of the school, I remember being very impressed with the library--I guess my library growing up must have been small.
Later that night I received a call saying I got the job! I was so excited to be teaching 6th grade. It was only the end of May so I had all the way until August to get ready. I started planning the next day :) Isn't that the life of a teacher? Always planning, changing, and revising! Working at my current position has been an excellent decision in my life and I am so glad to be here.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Technology Tidbit Tuesday--Spelling City

It's Tuesday again! Are you tired of grading all those spelling tests? Don't you wish you could assign all your spelling groups the same homework with their own words? Look no further, Spelling City is your answer! The link is http://www.spellingcity.com/ . This is absolutely one of my favorite online tools.
In my 6th grade classroom I use the Words Their Way spelling lists. I usually have 4 different spelling groups. This website (premium membership only) allows me to sort lists into groups and put students into those groups. This way, I can assign the same homework (I can print it from the website or assign it online), same test, or same practice games but students are using the words for their level! Each student as their own login and password so they can study at home as well.
My favorite feature is the test. The students put their headphones on and are read the word and the sentence. The sentence is already in the system, but I can add my own if I choose. Their test is graded immediately, they know the outcome, and then I can manage all test scores with my teacher membership--I grade nothing! I did input all the spelling lists, I just did it once a week last year, but now they are all saved and ready to go for years to come.
There is a free version that you can test run to see if you like the site. The downside is you can't organize your lists or group them, and it does not record their spelling scores. With the free membership you are also limited on games and worksheets for your students.
If you are looking for a time saver, fun website, a study tool students can use at home, or a way top incorporate technology into spelling, go check this out!

PS, did I mention it has a vocabulary portion to the website as well? You can also assign all vocab tests and homework! Bonus!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Throwback Thursday--a day early.

I know what you're thinking, "It's not Thursday!". Well, we are going out of town in a couple hours so I thought I would do tomorrow's post, today. Today's teaching moment that reminds me about the joy of teaching comes from my first year of teaching. I was fortunate enough to get grants, money from my school, and legislative money for new teachers that I was able to stock a COMPLETELY empty room (except for some glue bottles) with first year essentials. With a little help from my mom, other teachers and the school/grant money I was given, my room was looking pretty nice! One subject I love to teach is art (GASP!). Art is not in schools enough today! I am not an excellent artist by any means, but it is fun to learn new things and get in touch with our creative sides. I fear art will one day be taken from us in education because we are pushed so much to do other subjects. Well, my personally belief is some kids need that creative outlet and twice a month won't hurt us intellectually, in fact it will help our brains grow more creatively! Anyway, that was a tangent. The point is, my first year I also bought tons of art supplies, I like to use different mediums and sixth graders can be very artistic, so it is fun to see their creations. One day I was pulling open my art drawer and another student came up to me. She noticed  I was getting out supplies for art. I guess kids just think these supplies just appear or that every teacher comes equipped with water colors. Whatever the case, she paused, looked up at me, and said, "Mrs. Kwant, I am so proud of you!". She was thrilled to see all the art supplies we would be using throughout the year. I took it as she was proud and excited to have new supplies to try new art projects. Whether that was the case or not, I was happy she was proud of me!
Sometimes 6th graders don't get the credit they deserve. In our elementary school they are the oldest, have the biggest attitudes, and tend to "rule the school." Deep down, they are sweet, want to be loved, enjoy learning, and are seriously hard workers with some pretty funny personalities! I love my job and am happy to reflect on the moments that make it all worth it for me.
Teresa

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Exploring the Solar System

I just added a new product on TPT, Yay! Here's the link:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Solar-System-Exploration-Packet-Grades-3-6-734056


This is called :Exploration of the Solar System". It is a packet students put together investigating each planet, as well as asteroids, comets, meteorites, and space shuttles.
Using this in my classroom the websites I would find most useful are:
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/index.htm
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/

It might also be fun to have students make models of the universe, do presentations for the class about what they learned (again they could make powerpoints or prezi's), or write their own "book" about the solar system once they have gathered information and facts about the different planets and objects in space.
Good Luck and have fun! Have more ideas? Post in the comments below.

Technology Tidbit Tuesday--Storybird

Tuesday is the day I share a favorite technology tool for the classroom. Today  I want to share a site called StoryBird. http://storybird.com/
My class absolutely loves this site. If you have never used it before you should go check it out! You can create a free teacher account and then, under your class name, add all your students. With the free account they can make as many projects as they want, comment on classmate's work, you can send out assignments to the students, and you can make it a private and safe environment.
The way the site works it a little backwards to "normal" storytelling. Students start with the artwork, and create a story based on the pictures they see. They may also choose a topic and pictures will come up relating to that topic as well. Not only do they create stories, they can browse and read them as well. There are some great storytellers on that site, and some really insightful authors!
I usually do this as a whole class first to introduce the site. I walk them through the steps of finding art, using a a graphic organizer to come up with an idea, writing a rough draft, and finally publishing their idea with the artwork.
Sometimes I have this as a center, when they really understand the tools on the website. I will give a story starter and have them finish the story, or a topic to start with, otherwise most students sit and stare blankly at the screen or browse through art the entire time. With this site, I usually have to give guidelines like, "one paragraph per page," otherwise they only do one sentence. After everyone has done a story it is always fun to share a few of them.
Another fun activity is to have students write stories with partners. This teaches them cooperative learning skills, and can benefit the lower level learners who might need a little extra help. It is always fun to allow the students to comment on each other's stories, they usually give excellent advice to each other! Just make clear instructions so no one goofs off and writes comments only to be funny.
This is a website my students enjoy all year! A lot of them choose to work on stories when they have free time. Let me know what you think, and post questions if you have any.
~Teresa

Monday, June 17, 2013

Country Report Ideas

Last year I finished my technology endorsement and I have to say, I am pretty lucky. I took classes and completed a course called eMINTS. This program started in Missouri, but is now in my home state of Utah, as well as Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada and Ohio. It's all about getting technology in the classroom and getting teachers to use it, as well as involving students in cooperative learning. With this program I was given 16 computers, one for every two students! Needless to say, we use technology a lot. I will delve deeper as time goes on, on what type of technology we use, how we use it, and how it is used to integrate the learning process. Look for my posts titled, "Technology Tidbit Tuesdays," for more ideas on using great websites and other technology resources.
Anyway, I thought I would occasionally post about lessons I have created and the websites and technology I use to enhance them. I am going to start today with one of my favorite research projects I do with my class called "Country Reports, " (what a clever name...hahahaha), this also happens to be one of my most popular products on TPT. The product looks like this and the link to my store is below:



The first picture is an explanation on how I use this project in my classroom. I do not include the technology ideas because I am never sure what everyone has available. If you do not have many computers you could always schedule a time in your school's computer lab or have students do research during rotations and use the ones you do have in your classroom. If you have access to ipads, tablets, or other devices connected to the internet, those are great resources as well.
The website I like best for this project is called culture grams http://online.culturegrams.com/ . This site requires a subscription which my district pays for. I absolutely love it because it has every country and explains the country's culture in very kid friendly words. There are maps, flags, the country song, recipes, photos, and tons of information for the kids to read and research.
If you do not have access to this site, other websites I would recommend are:

All of these are great resources for gathering facts when your students are writing country reports. When students are done writing reports, I also like them to create PowerPoint presentations or Prezi's(One of my favorite presentation tools!) to present their information to the class. I have also had students make brochures in Publisher to pass out to the class, make newsletters in publisher, and another idea I want to try next year is to have them make talk shows about their country filming on ipods, and then uploading their work to movie maker (another favorite tool on Microsoft of mine). 
So there you have it! If you have purchased this of mine before or are wanting to do country reports, here are some great websites and ideas for presentations. Good Luck and have fun!
For sixth grade the writing core standards (taken from the common core website) this projects covers in my class are:
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Throwback Thursday

This is the day I look back and reminisce about all the moments that remind me why I love to teach. This particular moment happened at the beginning of this past school year. It was the beginning of September and I was a new mom. My son is now 15 months old, but at the time he was only 6 months old. I had a particular hard morning, Cam was crying when I left and I felt so guilty leaving him ( I don't know if that feeling will ever go away). Arriving at school wiping away tears, I walked into my classroom and got the room ready for the morning. As the kids filed in, a student came up to me with a gift: a Popsicle stick house she had made. I imagine this house took her a couple of hours to make the night before as she thought of all the little details (porch included) to add to the house. My heart melted, as it always does when students give me little things like this, and I accepted it happily. As I looked inside the "Front door" I discovered a note written by the student. This girl was going to be moving at the end of the week, and while I had only been her teacher for 4 short weeks she was thinking of me. A portion of the note read, "Even though I don't know you very well, I think you are a great mom." If my heart melted before with the sight of the stick house, it was now a puddle on the floor mixed with tears, because little did this girl know that earlier that morning I was so sad to have left my little boy and she was writing me notes, words I needed to hear :) What a cutie! While it is still hard to leave my son at home, I appreciate the love my students have for me as well! Teaching is not just a "professional" job, it is a job filled with love, honor, care and hard work. It's nice to have those reminders about why we do what we do!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

That's Right, First Week Stuff

I just finished a fantastic first week of school math packet. When I am not chasing around my little one year old, I am always constantly thinking of school! The first day is only 11 weeks away for me...lol. This is a set of 8 math scavenger hunts to be used in your classroom. Below is a link to my TPT store, however, I posted one as a freebie :)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Classroom-Newsletter-Template-Written-By-Students-723437

Sunday, June 9, 2013

6th Grade Scoop

In honor of starting my new blog I decided to add a FREEBIE. Below is the link to my TPT store with the product. It is a newsletter that students fill out and send home on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. I prefer the bi-weekly option, but whatever works for you is great. Enjoy!





http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Classroom-Newsletter-Template-Written-By-Students-723437

Summer Vacation

I can't believe it! School is out and summer is here. I just finished my 4th year teaching 6th grade, and it has been quite the adventure! I hope to post on this blog some teaching ideas, tips, and tricks that I have learned while being in the classroom. Also, I hope to share some products I sell on teacherspayteachers.com. I know no one is thinking of next school year already (ha...teachers are always thinking of school), but here is a math vocabulary book I plan on using with my class next year. I decided my students need work on remembering vocabulary and this will help them do it! Below are pictures of the product with links to my TPT stores.
Enjoy!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/6th-Grade-Common-Core-Math-Vocabulary-Flip-Book-696711