Visitors

The past two weeks I have hosted a few visitors in my classroom.

One of my student's asked if his Aunt could come teach some Yoga to our class, SURE...seeing that we don't have PE teachers and are in charge of it ourselves...I thought it was a wonderful opportunity.

Here are a few pictures

Only down part was some of them were a little "too" relaxed afterward!

The second group of visitors just came today. Our district board of education "popped" in for a little visit.

My kiddos did AWESOME. We were in math centers working on many different things. Here are some great resources I have used for our Decimal Place Value and Factors/Multiples Review.

Center 1: Moby Max (this is a great website, with free portions, that really helps with support and review)
Center 2: QR Self checking Place Value and Factor/Multiples (LOVE this seller's stuff on TpT!)
Center 3: A QR code weather decimal/website worksheet that I made
Center 4: Meet with teacher
Center 5: Salute

The HR director also thought he would do a little decorating while he was in my classroom!

Finally earlier this week we also had our walk-a-thon. 

Here I am with my co-teacher...a little cold out and both supporting our teams!

This was our classes walking back to school from the Middle School track...you can tell they were a little tired! 

Hope you guys are having a great week and I'm looking forward to the weekend!!!!

AWESOME Guided Math Games!

Again I went MIA for a little while..sorry! Things get hectic and while I have tons of ideas and things to share with you it always means staying up past my bedtime (yes..9pm is past my bedtime) to get them out in blogger world!

I have really been wanting to share these two AWESOME math games that are staples in my math tubs for centers. My students literally fight over these games!

The first one is Witzzle Pro. This game was used first with our math club. They would compete against each other then go to a tournament to compete against other schools. Last year we implemented a school-wide competition, but before I get into how you can use it as a school or just a center here is how you play.

The basic directions are: 1. Draw a card,  2. Get a target number (this can be done by rolling a die, two dice, larger number dice, or just using the date), 3. Select one row diagonal, vertical, or horizontal and using the numbers one time mixed with basic operations (add, subtract, divide, multiply) as well as the PEMDAS (order of operations)..solve for the target number (using a pencil and sheet of paper, they must write their equation) 4. Once a student has solved for the target number they will call out "Witzzle", 5. All other players must then put their pencils down and check that student's equation. 6. If the equation is correct that students takes the card and then chooses another (starting over again). 7. If the equation is not correct, that student is out for the round while the others try to find a correct equation, 8. The winner is the student with the most cards at the end of a given time.

Again, my students LOVE this game. So not only do we play it in class, our entire school plays a round of Witzzle Pro a week. On morning announcements a Witzzle card is given (we use Wednesday...Witzzle Wednesday!), the students copy the card down and our target number is always the date. Each teacher also has Witzzle Game Boards (enlarged empty Witzzle cards) hanging in their rooms. We copy the card onto the boards and the students have time to come up with equations. In fifth grade they have to come up with 2 different equations to be entered into our drawings...but they differentiate among different grade levels (example: smaller target numbers, one equation, use any of the numbers on the card, only add...etc). This year our 5th grade decided to have the students use a slip (attached here, for you to download) and after finding two equations entering in the classroom drawing. We, as a class will draw two names from the stack...those two names are then entered into the grade level drawing...we will then choose one winner for the entire 5th grade. The winner will get their picture taken with a trophy and it will be displayed on the wall (I'll try to add a pic of that display soon).

This game is a MUST HAVE for your math centers!

The next game that my kids fight over to play is called Albert's Insomnia. This is a math fluency game that was invented by someone right here in Georgia! We are actually having him come out and present at our Math Night next week.

And I am not going to try and type the directions for this game, instead if you are interested watch the video below!

Here it is!

I am officially pooped!! Seriously, can't keep my eyes open. The stress has hit and has left me drained, and the adrenaline rush is gone.

So this will be an easy, brainless post. Let's walk through my room!

Here is the overall picture:

And now for some close ups! (I'll try to answer a few questions I have gotten about some things around my room):

Math area: I have the add it up game on the wall (like boggle, but for math!); the "board" is simply fabric hot glued to the cinder block as well as the border; the pails contain dice, counters, and such; the tubs are used in guided math groups; I think I am going to use the metal sign (from JoAnns) for listing their options for guided math; the pot holders are used for dice when students are playing games (keep the dice on the mat and they don't make noise).

New behavior management system. We have gone to a schoolwide passport, positive behavior system. A few of the fifth grade teachers decided to use something like this. I made mine on my own using my Cricut. The students each have a square magnet with their number on it. Ready to Learn and Great Job are S's for the day, Awesome is and E, Warning is still and S, Teacher's Choice is an N and I will decide if the student needs to sit in another classroom for a little while, write the code of ethics, or maybe sit out for recess..lastly is Parent Contact which is a U...the student will go to the office and the parent will be contacted. Because of the new system I had to adjust my work/behavior folders...now they are simply work folders (not labeled yet).

My no name paper section...love this idea. Just hang up the papers with no names for the students to see and claim their paper!

 

My pizza pan groups (yes they sell pizza pans at the Dollar Store!!!). I decided to use different color circles to represent different subject. White = Math Groups  Red = Reading Groups. The circles have their numbers on them.

 

My area! Love it this year, especially the signs...I am addicted to subway art and quotes. 

 

My homework board. The Dollar Tree does sell frames that are lightweight and flat on the back, which makes it easier for hanging. One of my co-teachers has hers hot glued to the wall. Because some of mine were flat and others weren't. Some of mine are hot glued to the board and others have magnets on the back. DON'T use magnet strips!!!! They don't work. I used about 10 or so magnet circles from Wal-Mart. They even sell the really strong magnets (little silver ones). My lettering on the board is from the School Box. My bucket will hold library books that I will use in my guided reading. 

My reading "nook". Again I used hot glue to make my "board" with fabric and border. Boggle is on the board. The tubs will hold different items for groups. The drawers have my making words items and other game pieces and such. And my library crates are the square ones from Wal-Mart. I'll take a close up of them later when I talk about guided reading in my classroom.

My new little buy for the year. a six cubby shelf. This holds supplies, pencil sharpeners, our caddy with our passports in them, boy's and girl's pass (hand sanitizer), and the cubes will "hide" other supplies.

Finally, my outside wall display. I LOVE IT! I was lucky to have inherited clipboards...brand new clipboards from a retiring teacher! So I had two class sets and thought what better way to display work. I used my Cricut to cut the letters for the quote: "It's not about the ideas, it's about making the ideas happen". Again I used the Cricut to cut the triangles for the pennant, laminated them and hot glued them on the wall. I also used thick twine (again hot glued) to make the pennant "rope". I haven't decided how or what I am going to make for name tags, I was also waiting for my list to be more official.

ENJOY!

Boggle and Add It Up

There are two things I know I want to incorporate in my classroom next year....Boggle (which most of you are familiar with) and Add It Up (I found the idea on Pinterest, which led me to Live Laugh and Love to Learn)

I LOVE how it is set up, I even love how cute it is...but it doesn't match my classroom. So of course I had to change it up a little bit. I also like how the number circles are written on and not premade so that you don't have to make so many and can change it up a little bit.

My thoughts are to make one of the add it up center as well as a boggle center in my room to use when work is completed or even as an independent center...we will see how all works in my class.

As some of you know I am also going to be teaching 5th grade next year, so I am thinking I will start with the simple version of boggle (directions are attached for both versions) and then move up to the "normal" version of boggle. Then for add it up I will start with the add it up game (directions attached), but using three and four digit numbers. Then...this is where I am stuck, so any ideas will be greatly appreciated, I want to make it a little more difficult. Meaning maybe have them multiply two and three digit numbers (but would need a cute name), again I haven't taught 5th grade in a long time so I am not sure what else I would want to do. And of course I would make new title labels and directions then share them with you all. I am just needing ideas....so please share!

Stay tuned for pictures of the games in my own classroom.

Lastly don't forget to head over and like Classroom DIY. I am being featured tomorrow with a cute DIY classroom game! There are a TON of great ideas for you to make, you won't be disappointed!

Click below to retrieve boggle and add it up (red and black) FYI: the blank circles aren't able to be viewed properly until you actually hit to download it and view the document in Adobe.