Organizing Task Cards

Problem: I love task cards from Teachers Pay Teachers but I am always looking for them, sorting them, or reprinting lost ones.

Soution: Coupon Holders! I got these cute coupon holders from the $1 section at Target. They even have labels. I labeled the outside by subject and each envelope holds about four sets comfortably.

Freebie: Technology Contracts for School and Home

Problem: Kids are fearless with technology. That alone should strike fear in the hearts of teachers and parents alike! As much as we try to monitor their usage, often they are doing things we have never heard of...both good and bad. Often our children are navigating a "smart" new world without concrete guidelines, oversight (they hide stuff!) or a healthy skepticism.

In the classroom, kids may treat equipment carelessly, engage in too-casual communication for academics and even "surf" in dangerous waters.

At home the pitfalls are more extreme. From illegal downloading, to falling for scams, inviting viruses and sharing private information publically, the list grows with technology advances.

Solution: We developed two simple contracts for kids -one for home and one for school. Each point is meant to stimulate discussion. The typical response of "I didn’t know!" will no longer cut it.

For teachers we have also created a "Digital Citizenship I Have...Who Has? Game. This fast paced review covers:
 

Netiquette
Privacy
Copyright
Password Safety
Viruses
Cyber Bullying
Safety Tips
And More!

You can find this game at our Teachers Pay Teachers Store:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digital-Citizenship-I-HaveWho-Has-Game-1197682

Result: Classroom tech time is much smoother! You are fulfilling a federal guideline for all districts that receive e-rates for internet, which is pretty much everyone, that teachers teach digital citizenship and at home you could prevent some serious problems by having this conversation.

Freebie-Testing Brag Tags

I love to use brag tags in my classroom to motivate and celebrate my students! I'm offering my Testing Brag Tags as a freebie for the month of April.

If you like my work please follow me at:

www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/4th-grade-4ever

How to Take 4th Graders on an Overnight Field Trip

Have you ever considered doing something your students will never forget?
Something that they will write you letters about years later?
Then take your students somewhere they have never been!

I have taken 4th grade groups for over 16 years to Sacramento, CA. from San Diego. We fly up, visit the Capitol, Sutter's Fort, RR Museum, Old School House and have free time. We have a great dinner and stay at a nice hotel. Day 2 we head out to the mountains for experiencing real gold mines and panning for gold in the same place that history was made in California. We fly home that night.

I have to do this trip during Spring Break due to my district regulations. These are a few of my tips:

1. Use a travel company to make the travel arrangements. I work with Travel Teens and wouldn't do the trip without them.
2. Don't take on fundraising, let the parents do that if that is what they choose.
3. The trip is expensive so not everyone will go. I plan a school trip for everyone so they don't feel left out.
4. Charge a bit extra to either fund a student or supplement your classroom materials. I don't get paid to go on Spring Break so the class room supply money really helps buy ink, books, and lots of other supplies not provided by my school.
5. Just do it! Each year gets better and better.

Our Mission Projects

I always give my students freedom to choose what type of mission project they want to do. I still get a lot of kits but at least they had a choice. This year the projects included:
Videos
Powerpoints
Adobe Bricks
ABC Mission Books
Scrapbooks
Rewritten Frozen Song about Santa Barbara Mission
Paintings
Posters
Here are some of the projects:

Read Across America

Today our school celebrated Read Across America. Vons Grocery Store came and read to each class then gave all the students snacks! It was so great! We had an afterschool Scholastic Book Fair, cookies, storytelling, book project displays outside of all the classrooms and a dress up as your favorite book character! Overall a great day! Below is my Principal!

 

I Finally Figured Out a Spelling Program that Works!

Problem: I have the same students you do-a wide variety of abilities, limited time, and I hate grading spelling homework!
Solution: I found two products on Teachers Pay Teachers and then added my own special twist.

1. The Words: I've always wanted to differentiate the word list but was not able to manage it. I found:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-Differentiated-Spelling-Lists-Year-Long-Unit-267173

I love these lists because there are three of them for each week. All three share the same sight words. The first couple weeks of school everyone does the same words and then looking at the scores students are placed in list A, B or C. All lists are based on the same spelling rule.

2. The homework: These monthly spelling menus are cute and give students flexiblity. The best part they are good for any list. You choose how many points you want to assign. They also have a Spelling City option too.

http://www.teacherspayteach



ers.com/Product/Spelling-Contracts-Throughout-the-Year-797652

3. The Twist: Students who get 100% on list A, B, or 94% (one wrong on the hardest list C) does not have to do the spelling menu the next week. I post the 100% students on the board and my website. The students then study the words in their own way which works because I don't care how they learn them as long as they learn them. This eliminates 25%-50% of my grading spelling homework each week. Students love this!

I do grade the tests the same day, that's the only catch.

I hope you like my ideas!