We were given an hour and a half to work in our rooms and eat lunch (this may have been my most productive time between 8-3). I am really close with another new teacher and we discussed with another teacher how she has handled all of the paper work for SBG. For those of you that don't know, THERE IS A LOT of paperwork. But thankfully, we have a plan! (We've since decided each of our plans will be a little bit different because of content and how the rubrics work with our classes, but we're going to accomplish the same thing!) Each student is going to be asked to bring in a 2-pocket folder with brads that will stay in the classroom. I am going to keep a binder of rubrics for the current unit we are working on, so that I can take notes on each kid prior to the summative assessment. Once the summative is given, the rubric I have been taking notes on all unit will be attached to their summative test, and the students will be able to see the results of the test when it is handed back to them. [I have to figure out a way to mark differently, how they performed in class vs. on the summative, but it will probably be a matter of colored ink.] Once we have gone over the summative test, students will get their folder and put their test in the brads, so it can easily be flipped through. Each folder will be stored in a filing cabinet or crate by me. The students can have copies of the rubrics if they wish, but the folder doesn't leave my room. This system will be extremely helpful when it is time for Parent-Teacher Conferences, or any other teacher-student conferences!
After lunch we talked about Differentiated Instruction and what that really looks like. We discussed how to differentiate many different topics/subjects by just making simple changes in the classroom.
Finally, we talked about Building Expectations. For the most part, this was all pretty self-explanatory. It was all good information to go over though since we've had stuff poured on us the past two days. My favorite way it was put yesterday was, "You are going to get sprayed with a fire hose." (This is EXACTLY correct!)
So that's the end of meetings, here's the fun stuff... none of this would have happened without the help of my mom, dad, grandma, and dear friends, V and Al.
This is my desk area. Right now, the top of my desk is bare, but it won't stay that way for long. I'm just not exactly sure how I want it set up. It is a wooden desk....can you tell? We put white contact paper over the top, then covered it with clear-matte contact paper. Hopefully I can use it as dry-erase! My grandma brought her iron and covered the desk with fabric for me. The fabric is attached with velcro! (The poster in the background is one of my favorites from high-school...do you know what it says?) Thanks to Dad for putting my chair together!
This is a desk/storage-thing that was left in the room. I don't think it was in a picture yesterday, but the sides are old wood panelling with shelves on the inside for storage. It was moved to this location this morning by our AMAZING custodial staff! Again, Grandma covered it with fabric. I can undo the velcro to get inside the 'curtain.' The 'bankers box' on top was a must-have for my classroom. I was trained to use it during student teaching, and I don't think I can function without it. It's a great way to organize turned-in student work and late work. Each hour has its own slot for each scenario. Thank you V for painting it black for me, so I didn't have to worry about the speckles!
These are some of the math posters that we posted around the room...I didn't really have a vision for them, but Mom did a great job with all of the posters!
I was in a HUGE rush to get to dinner for these pictures...but I thought they were all important. This was my first true Cricut project! I'm going to put the objectives and additional practice for each day in the corresponding section for that class.
For those of you that don't know, TUL, an OfficeMax brand, used to make magnetic erasers and markers...I have lots of both! One day this summer, my mom and I stumbled across them in the clearance section...I obviously took everything that was left. The label on the eraser is from my Lesson Planner. It came with a couple of name labels, my computer wasn't set up yet, so I couldn't print labels...that's what I came up with! The silver bin I got at The Container Store, because I didn't remember having a tray on the whiteboard.
You really can't tell what these are from the picture, but they are magnetic "push-pins." I love bulletin boards, and colored push pins...I don't have one in my room yet, hopefully it is coming, otherwise I will improvise! The magnets will do for now!
This might be my favorite part of my room, honestly. There is so much character in such a little area. First, the poster up top is another favorite from HS. That IS a coordinate plane chalkboard...I've never seen these before coming to this school, but I like the idea! My favorite part of the picture is the right side...excuse the stool. Let's zoom in...
Starting with the lower shelf...CRAFT SUPPLIES. Seriously, how many HS teachers do you know that have that many craft supplies? I do. I think it is important for students to be creative in what ever way they need to be so that they understand the material and can be successful. I have scissors, glue sticks, tape, rulers, compasses, colored pencils, thin markers and regular markers. Thanks Al, for helping me get these organized! The top shelf is my FAVORITE. Games, games, and more games. This was my favorite scavenger hunt of the summer. One of the teachers I had in HS had small games on her desk, and students loved it! If you got what you needed to get done done, you were able to take a mind break and play with any of the games that you were comfortable with. There are multiple wooden puzzles...some come apart easier than others...we learned from experience and accepted the challenge to put it back together so it could go on the shelf. I got all of the wooden games at World Market...on sale! A classic, the peg game, is sure to quickly create a sense of competitiveness between the kids. Mancala, another personal favorite, is less common, but full of critical thinking opportunities. Wooly Willy and Hair-do Harriet will be used for kids that just need a break! (Do kids even know what they are...?) The 2x2 Rubiks cube will prove to be more difficult than the normal 3x3...sadly, I know from experience. The las of the "old" games are the metal mind twisters... I can't wait to watch students attempt to conquer these! The rest of the games I got from mostly Mardel...I haven't played any of them, but they each have different levels of difficulty. They are: IQ Fit, Swish, Logic Links, IQ Link, IQ Twist, and Kanoodle.
I can't wait to hear the reactions of students when they find the games. I'm beginning to wonder if I should point them out, or let them discover them on their own.
-Shelb
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