Word Problems: Fear No More!

Word Problems... Two words that make many math teachers shutter!  Effective problem solving strategies can boost student confidence and increase achievement in math.

My classroom changes every year, but this anchor chart has been a staple for several years.  CUBES is a great strategy to get students interacting with the text in word problems.  This CUBES set is available here.  You can print the CUBES letters on colored paper for an easy-to-make anchor chart or use the ready-made posters for quick implementation of the CUBES strategy.  The set also includes interactive pieces for students and practice word problems.    

In addition to CUBES, I'll be introducing a new word problem strategy this year that will help students truly understand how to use the key words in a word problem.  For example, the term "more" can mean add OR subtract.  By using the word problem map, students will have a better understanding of what is happening in the word problem, making it easier to solve.  Check out the word problem map for FREE here!

Word problems are one of the biggest challenges in math classrooms at the elementary level.  I hope these resources are beneficial for you and your students!

Random "Take Aways" from Summer Workshops

Summer is absolutely flying by.  Yesterday I had the startling realization that next week, it will be August.  Next week!  (Insert the Macauly Caulkin "Home Alone" face here.)

Perhaps part of the reason my summer seems to be almost over before it even started is due to the fact that I've been actively attending summer workshops and training sessions.  During these sessions, I've been taking notes.  Pages and pages of notes.  The other day, I was reviewing my notes and thought I'd share some of the random items that struck me as meaningful even after a re-read.

Completely random "take-aways" form my summer training:

1.  Plickers.com.  Never heard of it?  Check it out!  It's a great way to engage kids and collect data with INSTANT feedback of student understanding.  There are many amazing similar sites/resources that require 1:1 computing.  With plickers, you can get instant data with just one device... your cell phone.    

2.  Homework.  Sometimes it doesn't get completed at home, and often it's returned the next day with the excuse, "I didn't understand it."  Do you want an easy way to combat that excuse without encouraging students to incorrectly practice the material?  Simply require students who don't understand the homework to write a description of what part is unclear and to write a clarifying question they can ask upon their return to school.  This still holds students accountable if there truly is a lack of understanding.  (Plus it encourages most kids to JUST DO THE HOMEWORK!)  

3.  Interactive Notebooks:  I've been using interactive notebooks for the past couple years, but each year brings new knowledge and more effective notebooks.  I attended a session on interactive notebooks and all I can say is, "Wow!"  Any subject.  Any grade level.  Interactive notebooks are engaging and highly effective.  If you've never heard  of them, a few minutes on Google will open your eyes to a whole new note-taking strategy!  I'll blog about some changes I'm making to my IN's as the school year begins.   

4.  Math Rules that Expire:  This is such an interesting concept.  What primary teacher hasn't taught addition by saying things like, "When you add, the number gets bigger"?  At the time, that's a totally valid statement.  However, what happens when kids learn to add integers (or negative numbers for us elementary folk)?  That statement is no longer true.  In a fascinating talk by Jason Adair, I've rethought how I will phrase much of my math teaching.  Check out the list of "13 Math Rules that Expire", and click on the "download" button to view the whole list.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg, but reviewing my notes explains why I haven't even reached summer mode with just a few weeks left until school will be back in session.  But if my new learning has a positive impact on my upcoming class, then it's totally worth it!  Now it's time to enjoy a little summer before it's too late!  

May = Survival

For parents and teachers alike, May means survival mode.

Gone are the days of thoroughly checked homework and fancy packed lunches for your kids.  Forget the adorable outfits, the homemade breakfasts, and the handwritten notes in the lunch boxes.  If your kids are clothed and fed three daily meals in May, it's a successful parenting day!  

 

Teachers, forget the elaborate lesson plans and hand-crafted treats for rewards.  In May, if all your students are still standing and smiling at the end of the day, you've earned a gold star!    

These final weeks be proud of your personal accomplishments, from sending your child to school wearing matching socks to remembering there's an assembly at 2:00 (even if you don't remember until 1:59).

Good luck surviving your final weeks!  Hang in there, and feel comfort in the fact that you're not alone!  

Slow Down

The beginning of the year and the end of the year are two of the toughest times for me as a teacher-mom.  The demands of teaching are at their peaks which sometimes results in the excitement of my own kids completing a school year getting lost among the craziness.  No last day celebration for my kids.  No kick off to summer hoopla as my kids get off the bus.  This time of year, it's survival mode as a teacher.  It's mom guilt I struggle with every single year.    

No matter what craziness the next few weeks may hold, I'm trying to slow down. I'm trying to reflect on what the end of the school year means for each of my own children.  For me, it means seeing my oldest son prepare for his final year before junior high, my middle son preparing to enter the intermediate school, and my youngest son leaving the year a fluent reader for the first time!  These milestones are huge!  They make me proud.  They make me sad.  They make me want to freeze time.  Sadly, I can't pause time.  But I can vow to Slow Down.  

Take time to enjoy every moment, no matter how trivial they may seem.  After all, no moment with your loved ones is trivial at all. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcNB_EUao8

Report Card... for the Teacher?

We've done it!  We've survived roughly 33 weeks of school and are counting down the final days.  As eager as I am to enjoy summer break with my own biological kids (versus my 48 schools kids), I also find myself reflecting on my successes and failures creative endeavors that didn't turn out quite the way I had hoped.  I also find myself constantly thinking, "Next year I'll...."

During this time of reflection, it's also a great time to get some feedback from those who are most familiar with your classroom: your students AND their parents.

Teacher report cards are fun ways to collect valuable feedback.  Check out this totally free teacher report card for parents to complete:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teacher-Report-Card-for-Parents-to-Complete-2552210

Enjoy the feedback!  It'll sure put a smile on your exhausted face!

Moms. Teachers. Teacher-Moms. This Blog's for You!

What's my story?  I have three amazing sons (ages 11, 8, and 7) and I teach third grade in the same school district my sons attend.  I wouldn't trade my boys or my job for anything, but there are many times I question my sanity.

Anyone who has ever been a parent will likely agree that parenting is probably the most rewarding, but toughest job in the world.    

As difficult as parenting is, teaching follows close behind.  You know how you love, protect, nurture, and guide your own little ones?  Teachers do that all day for roughly 25 children.  You know how some days, you hear, "Mom!" roughly 8,000 times???  Yep!  That's about 200,000 calls for help/attention/emergencies/no reason at all from the little ones teachers care for.  

Some people are crazy brave enough to attempt both parenting young children and teaching AT THE SAME TIME.  

Thus, my blog was born.

Here I hope to laugh through the challenges, celebrate the successes, and offer some sanity-saving tips to other teachers, moms, or the truly insane amazing teacher-moms out there!  Welcome to Confessions of a Teacher-Mom!  I look forward to the journey!