Something I LOVE: Growth Mindset Video Series

Happy Valentine's Day!  I know it's Sunday funday, and Valentine's day, and really the last thing we are thinking about is school.  Right?  RIGHT?  

I thought I'd share something my students and I are LOVING lately with you this day of love + kindness.  If you want to start your week on an easy breezy note tomorrow, Class Dojo has released a new series of 5 videos about the Growth Mindset and my class is l-o-v-i-n-g them!  So if you don't use Class Dojo on the daily, I thought I'd give you a little heads up.  These are great mini-lessons in the classroom and each video is only 2-3 minutes long (my favorite one so far has been about using the word "yet"- I don't get this "yet"... LOVE!).

Even if you don't use Class Dojo in your room, these videos are pretty great.  This year I have been using it, and my students like to look for their character in the videos.  The videos are posted on YouTube, so you don't even need a Dojo account to check them out.  The last episode was just released today.  

Here's the first of the series for you to check out.  

I've added the link to the first video over on the Classroom Management resources as well!  {below or click the "Websites and Resources" page up top- bookmark it for the future!}

I hope you enjoy a wonderful and relaxing Valentine's Day Sunday!  I'm planning to eat some chocolate and run a few miles...it all evens out, right?? 

 + 

LOVE,

            

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From Drab to Flocab {we rap in class}

I've been living in this black hole that is National Boards (I'm telling you, if I don't pass this, I will cry TEARS for YEARS).  

Also, I've been teaching.  And managing.  A lot of classroom management makes for one tired teacher.

One of my saving graces with my charming active and interactive group this year is my Flocabulary subscription.  I'll be honest... when my subscription was up, I really thought about whether it was going to be worthwhile for another year.  I'm usually a big fan of free online resources, but my students last year LOVED using Flocab for vocabulary.  I stuck mainly to using it only for our vocabulary instruction last year in 4th grade.  

So this fall when the time came, I did stop and think.  I tried it a couple times with my 3rd grade class to see if I had the same buy-in...and I did.  Then I spent a little while hopping around and discovered a lot of the videos matched my curriculum, so I forked over the cash yet again. 

WORTH IT.  My class LOVES it!  This year I branched out and we've been using videos for...

...Social Skills

...Digital Citizenship (hey this helps out with that required lesson for my district, yay!)

...Writing

...Reading

...Science (rocks & minerals is coming out soon and we are super psyched about it in 3rd grade)

...Math (multiplication facts, they love it)

So basically I just use it completely the opposite from last year.  Last year I used it strictly for vocabulary instruction, and this year I haven't used the vocabulary component but I've used everything else.  Isn't it weird how different classes require different instruction?  

We watch the same video MULTIPLE times.  I do this because once just isn't enough for students to really get the concept.  Particularly with content specific songs, I do a lot of teaching the content prior to showing the video.  The video is really helpful for reinforcing a topic or important words, as well as helping students to remember it.  

Here's one of our favorites for reading/writing this year:

This year I have even used the quizzes that go with the videos (some of them are pretty helpful if I'm teaching an entire unit).  

Flocabulary has a convenient little special happening right now.  If you sign up for a free 75 day trial (it's 15 more days than any other time of year...so this takes you to mid-late April depending on when you start, of course) and you can sign up your whole school for the trial.  That way you can check it out for FREE for a bit!  Last day for the trial is Feb. 29th, so you can even bookmark it and think about it until then if you want.  

We sing.  We dance.  Students feel like pretty hard core rappers.  It's hilarious for me.  So it's pretty good all around.

Disclosure: This has been written in partnership with Flocabulary; opinions, classroom uses, & money I paid for my own classroom subscription are my own.  

            

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B.A.R.F. Time | Management

I know.  Gross.  But I'm not doing a blog post about throwing up.  I promise.  There are also little to no pictures in this post.  You're welcome.

Some years you just have a class that has a lot going on and at the end of the day you stumble into your house and climb into bed and suddenly the alarm goes off and you're like "what happened, how is it morning already, I didn't even look at that pile of papers".  And in those years, you are scrambling for every management tip you can uncover.

This year I'm breaking out every management tool I know and love.  I'm counting down.  Counting up.  Giving magic numbers.  Showing ever-y-thing I'm doing for my English language learners and special ed kiddos.  I'm dancing around the room.  Standing behind students.  Perfecting my teacher look.  Giving kind reminders that mooning the class isn't a great idea.  Also, we don't pretend to beat each other up in line.  Spitting in someone's face is not ok.  And please, stop hiding under your desk for the entire lesson.  Remember to keep your hands to yourself!  Be kind!  Good morning!

Oh, children.  I love my job.  (seriously, that's not even sarcasm)

I'm not a behavior chart person.  I don't like having all that up on my walls.  I don't like classroom economies.  I know, I know... they teach all kinds of great stuff for social studies, but I don't like the whole management of it on my part.  That doesn't mean they aren't effective.  They just don't work with my teaching style.  Easy is key for me.

I feel like I've probably tried every management idea ever invented (haha no way is that true, but still) at some point in my ten years of teaching.  Some work well for some classes and some don't work at all for others.  It really varies by class, so I have to tweak it a little each year.  I even started a Pinterest board just to collect ideas for my future classes.

Follow Miss B.'s board Classroom Management on Pinterest.

This year, we compete to beat the teacher with our great behavior, and boy is it tough to win as a class.  And while I love my whole brain competition, I really want those individual students who are following directions and being so wonderful to feel the love.  Plus I want some of those who sometimes struggle with great choices to feel the love, too.  So I started Class Dojo up for this group.  I don't do this for every group, because to keep track of a whole class (I have just under 30 this year!) is A TON OF WORK.  And it's constant.  I'd like to be teaching instead, thanks.  I don't like that my iPad goes to sleep and I'm typing in my school produced password and reopening the app to give sweet Glenda a point for "following directions".  But this year, it's necessary.

I like Class Dojo.  This year I may even love it.  They have really upped their game, and I'm actually pretty fond of the parent connection opportunities that are available.  I love a free resource, and this one is getting better and better.  If you haven't checked it out lately, hop on over to their teacher resources and be impressed.

Any who.  Back to BARF.  We compete daily to beat the teacher with behavior points.  The class does great, the class gets a point.  If the class isn't following directions, the teacher gets a point.  It's actually a pretty great system and does motivate students to help each other out and get it together.  I still needed a bigger carrot to dangle than just "be proud that you beat the teacher today".  Lots of teachers do it differently, but if my class beats me, they get BARF Time.  They earn 10-15 minutes of BARF time at the end of the day.  That means when it gets to that time of the day, I stop teaching and they get to it.

They.  Love.  It.

I wish I could take credit for this.  BARF was not my idea.  I learned about it from a professor in grad school, who shared it from a friend of hers.

BARF means Be A Reading Fanatic.  It's glorified silent reading time (this year I let them creative write if they want to as well).  If the class beats me, they earn BARF time.  They can pick a place in the room to BARF.

While silent reading time may not have gotten all students fully on board, BARF time has got it going on.  By October, it's just rolling off our tongue (haha, ew) like it isn't even a disgusting idea.

"Do we get to barf today?"
"Can we barf anywhere?"
"What time do we barf?"
"Find a place to barf!"
"Guys!  Quiet so we can barf!"

It's our little classroom secret.  Sometimes I'll say they earned BARF time and kids will scramble to close the door so nobody knows (the other teachers already know I do this, but the kids don't know they know, you know?).  I don't have a classroom poster for it.  Can you imagine if the principal walked in to observe me and on my front board I had a big BARF sign?  Not impressive!  We can't just walk around the school asking the teacher when we can barf, you know?  People will think we've gone crazy!  They might even think the teacher is a little strange.  Really, I'm trying to save face.

The added bonus of BARF time is that it's also a little extra quiet time at the end of the day and that is glorious.

Just another trick up the teacher sleeve.

            

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Free Admission to National Parks (for 4th Graders)

Hi!!!  I'm going to be totally honest.  I'm in over my head right now with all kinds of good stuff and this sweet little blog hasn't been on the list.  But it will happen.  Once I get my school life settled.  I miss you, bloggers and blog readers (but hey, keep up with me on {Instagram} in the meantime to stay connected!).

I've been flying half way across the country to visit family and friends, prepping my classroom for a whole new GRADE, plus going through new math stuff to pilot THREE new programs.  AND I'm trying to figure out my NATIONAL BOARDS stuff.  I see lots of coffee filled weekends in my future.

BUT I'm jumping on here because I just learned of this super cool opportunity for fourth graders and their families (sorry, every other grader).  The National Park Foundation is inviting all fourth graders and their families (in one car) free admission to national parks for the 2015-2016 school year!  How cool is that?

I don't know the details (because they haven't been emailed to me yet), but you can sign up to support the initiative and get all the deets emailed directly to you by visiting the National Park Foundation website.

And just to entice you, here's a few snapshots from my visits to a couple national parks (and one monument- not sure if that one counts for the free visits...) in the past year...

Olympic National Park (Washington)

Olympic National Park (Washington)

Mount Rushmore National Park (South Dakota)

Devil's Tower National Monument (Wyoming)  ...not sure this one counts for free admission, though.

Once again, here's the link:  National Park Foundation 

There is no better learning opportunity than being right there in the middle of nature and historical landmarks!  Go explore!  

Be back soon once my life is together!  In the meantime, happy new school year to all and to all a good class!!

            

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Student Nametags + A Super Simple Way to Pair Students

Even though I knew better, I did it.  I checked my class list to see the names of my new students.  I shouldn't have... it gets me thinking about student NAMES and the things their names could be placed on to... and it's a dangerous slippery slope.  I know the list will likely change by at least one or two students before the first day of school.  But still.  I did it.  I got excited.  I started making things.  

I've come to terms with the fact that later I'll have to redo a couple because my excitement got the best of me.

I started prepping all that stuff we put on student desks.  Name tags.  Buddy lists.  Student numbers (this consists of writing numbers on dot stickers and sticking them on name tags, so it's really not a time commitment at all).  That's pretty much it.  I guess I don't put a lot on their desks.

So first...I created name tags.  (I KNOW!)  This year I opted for a simple black and white design that students can decorate when they get in the classroom.  This gives me a little more wiggle room if I have a last minute student.  I figure I can plaster nameplates to desks after students leave school on the first day.  

I grabbed a pre-made doodle from Classroom Doodles and put my new student names on them.  Print and ready to go!  I almost feel like I cheated because this was so simple!!

The next thing I started was my partner/buddy cards.  I can't actually finish these yet, because I don't know my students.  I like to get to know them and their strengths and weaknesses before I put my master list of buddies together.  But I did go ahead and add all their names to my spreadsheet and each buddy tag.

There are times when I choose students randomly, but typically I like to keep student buddies or partners the same.  I do this for a couple reasons: 

1. It takes the drama out (I hate seeing a kiddo with no partner or someone telling someone they don't want to be their partner)

2. I can control how students are grouped based on the activity.

3. Pairs stay consistent for subjects like writing- this way I know how students are editing and giving feedback.  I also know how they work together and ways I can provide support.

I set up a teacher code buddy card that tells me know I grouped students- by subject (reading, writing, math), by ability (apprentice/expert or high/low, or same ability level), or gender mix (boy/girl, or same).  This way I have some flexibility depending on the activity, students know exactly who their partner is, and we don't mess around getting straight to business.  I just say "Find your Purple Partner" and they are all set.

To do this, I use a personalized tag (seen above) with partner listed that I stick right on each student desk.  It makes transitions so much easier.

You can grab these colorful (or B&W) tags and create your own version of buddy cards.  I have updated this file from an editable Powerpoint, and instead made them PNG images (It just went live, so if you had the other file, you can re-download!).  This was for a couple reasons, but the biggest was that not everyone uses Powerpoint for school, and this way anyone can place these images and add their text regardless of the program.  It's essentially the exact same product (the image used in the Powerpoint was a picture image anyway), but this way you have a few more options available.  If you use a B&W version (on colored paper, perhaps?), you may add a number next to student names (partner number 4!) since it won't be color coded.

I hope all that makes sense.  Of course, if you have a different use for them, please feel free to do that, too!

I won't start putting student names on anything else (although now I'm thinking about birthdays...) so that I don't end up making more work for myself later!  

            

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New {free} Resources Page on RTL

In between summer adventures, I have these few chunks of time when I really want to buckle down and get some things on order for the new school year.  One of those things is having a catch all for the websites I love.  Do you have websites you love to use, and then you forget about them?  I will go on a website binge and then a few months later try to rack my brain for that same website and I can't remember it.  Drives me crazy!

Other times I feel like I've exhausted what I have off the top of my head and I'm looking for something that will provide a student a great challenge, or another resource to meet an entire standard, or something I can toss up on the active board as a new guided math activity, or a resource that will make my life easier, make learning better, etc.  I hate when I have that moment of "I know I've come across something that could be helpful, but I'm not sure where it is right now..."

I've tried lots of different ways to organize these websites and resources, from websites that organize them for me, to making a running list in my Google Drive, but honestly, signing into something is not what I want to do when I need a quick reminder.  I like Symbaloo for my students, but I don't love it for me.  Often times I pin these on my Pinterest boards, but sometimes the pins don't lead exactly where I want them and it gets tricky (for instance, it takes me to a blog with the link- which I love, but not during the school day or frankly any time I'm wanting to find a webpage quickly) OR I don't want to hop on my Pinterest account at school.  Then I figured if I'm looking for resources that I love, maybe other teachers are looking for them as well, so I decided on creating a catch all on my own blog.  That way it's useful to me, plus I'm sharing!  

So you may notice a new(ish) little tab at the top of the RTL blog.

This tab will take you to a list of subjects or teacher topics, and you can choose which topic you are looking for.  Then there's a list of websites I love to use or keep in my teacher toolbox of ideas and possibilities.  These tabs do not have links to products, but rather to online resources available.

I love free resources, and if I don't have to recreate the wheel, that's even better, so most of the resources I like to are FREE (although some may need a member account, but still free).  There are a few that I like that do have paid subscriptions, and I'm sure to mention that in my description.

I hope to keep this as an ongoing list of active links as new resources become available or are discovered.  If you ever find a dead link- let me know!

Do you see anything missing?  This is new and I'm just beginning to build these resources pages.  I'm happy to add resources that other teachers love in order to build a bigger-badder-better idea vault for all.  You can leave a message on this blog post, or just email me at realteacherslearn@gmail.com.

I'm super excited about it and I hope it's useful for you and your classroom!

            

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