Next Year.. New year, new grade!

Call me crazy, but my mind is already spinning about next year.  I guess you could say it has a reason to be.  I've been waiting for the announcement to my school to mention it on my blog, but last week I found out that I will be teaching 5th grade again.  I have been teaching 4th grade math & science for the past four years.  I LOVE math and my 4th grade team, but it was time for a change.  Fourth grade is such a tough and stressful year.  It's really the year when students are expected to be responsible for their own learning. Trying to 'train' them is exhausting.  With that said, I'm super excited to announce that I will be teaching 5th grade reading, writing, and language arts to two classes next year.  It's been a while since I've taught these, but I love teaching grammar because it keeps my own grammar fresh ;-)  Writing... well, that's a challenge.  Not many people enjoy writing.  In the past, I detested it... I mean, DID NOT WANT TO DO IT!  When I was in my specialist program at The University of Georgia, I had a class, Writing Pedagogy, which changed the way I teach writing.  I can't wait to go back, review my notebook, and implementing some of my wonderful professor's ideas.  I have also been looking into the premium membership of Spelling City.  Does anyone use the premium membership?  Is it worth it?  I read somewhere on Molly's blog, Lessons with Laughter, about he she uses the premium membership.  I just discovered her blog and I LOVE IT!  She has so many wonderful ideas.  If you aren't familiar with her, go check her out.  I'm interested to see any recommendations you can make for writing instruction.  What are some of your writing professional reads?

Instagram & Teacher Talk Tuesday

So I love Instagram and have been using it for a while... personally.  So I heard about how Michelle over at Apples and ABC's and Natalie & Rachelle at What the Teacher Wants are having an ah-mazing linky party to find teachers on Instagram.  Here's how it goes...

I knew no one but teachers would understand why I would want to take odd pictures of things in my classroom.  So, I've created one specifically for my classroom and blog.  You can find it by clicking here or search for my user name thecreativeapple.  I don't have any pictures right now.... but oh will I!  I love taking pictures of my classroom, kiddos, and things but rarely find time to put them on my blog.  I can't wait to link up!

New Design.. Again!

Ya'll, I swear I cannot get enough of change.  I just changed my blog design, but really didn't think it was what I was looking for.  I've been wanting something nice, simple, and clean, and I think I finally have it!  I plan on keeping this design for a while.. let's hope!  Now all I need is my cute little 'mini me' that Nikki from Melonheadz is making me.  I can't wait to add it to my signature!

I also wanted to let you all know that I did complete the NBT choice board for 4th grade math.  You can download it here.  Have a relaxing Sunday :)

Differentiating Book Study, Part 1, Chapter 1

YAY!  I'm so excited to share this professional learning book with my readers.  If you have it and are reading it with me... that's just awesome!  I would love for you to post your own ideas on your blog and leave a link back to my blog.  If you do post on your blog, please leave a link to your post in the comment section below.  I would love to read what you have to say!  Or, if you don't have a blog, feel free to comment with your ideas.  Either way, I hope you all get great use out of the things I find useful from the text.  I will be posting my chapter summary as well connections every Saturday morning for you.  Read now or pin to read later!

I don't know about you, but the first page of chapter one made me have an aha! moment when Heacox explained what differentiation is.  I wanted to share this with you because I feel it is so important to teachers.  Often times, I feel a lot of teachers want to differentiate but they are unsure how.  She really put it out there.. plain and simple.  

I absolutely love the examples that Heacox gives on pages 5-6.  I think we can all relate to at least one of these teachers.  I know at one time I thought I was differentiating instruction for my students, but all alone I was "fluffing" to try to differentiate.  The truth is, I really had no idea what I was doing.  Differentiation is so important to me that I have spent many hours reading professional books on how to do it correctly.  I have come to the honest conclusion that you really have to dive into it and try it.  If you don't practice, keep what works, and toss what doesn't, you will never know what works for you.

I just love that quote from the text because it is sooo true!

Here are some other things I took away from the text that I thought were important.

• On pre-tests, students who mastered a skill should be given activities that involve that skill while others are being re-taught.
• Differentiation is a two-step process:
• Analyze current plans for the degree of challenge.
• Modify, adapt, or design new approaches in response to student needs, interests, and preference.
• Learning Styles:
• Boys are strong in math, struggle in reading.  They prefer action and exploration and benefit from regular physical activity.  They are essentially better at hands-on learning.
• Girls learn better from a variety of methods.  They enjoy manipulatives and asking questions.  They do better when learning with partners or collaborative groups.
• When differentiating, it is important to remember that gifted and talented students learn in 1/3 the time than their average learning peers.

Many people believe they are differentiating when they really aren't or they are unaware that they are differentiating.  You may not know it but you differentiate when you pre-assess students' skills and base their learning on those assessments, give choices to your students, and provide basic and advanced resources for your struggling and excelling learners.  However, differentiated instruction should involve modifications in one or more of these areas: content, process, and product.

There were so many wonderful points made in this chapter that I could sit here for hours.  I do thank you for staying with me until the end.  I do want to leave you with a profound quote from page. 14.  In order to differentiate learning, you really have to be in it for the kids.  It's a lot of hard work that I promise will pay off.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

So, what are some things that you loved about chapter 1?  What are some connections you made?

Common Core Choice Board

Have you decided what you are going to do with your students once the state testing is over?  My testing finished last week so I was in a scurry to find something for my students to do.  Especially since I know they need review, but they think the end of the school year is here... really?  I had one ask me yesterday why she had to go to social studies.  "We've already taken the CRCT anyway... why do we have to still learn?"  Really??  These kids crack me up.  It really doesn't make sense to me why we test so early in the year (5 weeks left to go).  I wish we could do it so we would only have like 2 weeks left.  So, last week I was in a panic because I didn't know what I was going to do for the rest of the school year.  I still want the kids to learn and there are still things that need to be taught.

Earlier in the year, I made a place value choice board for my kids to work on.  I always have a few kids who finish every thing early and are always asking me what they can do next.  So, I made a simple choice board for them to work on.  They loved it!  It was like I was asking them to do something that wasn't work.. say what?  So, that's where I got the idea from.  If I could make a choice board that reviewed everything we have learned this year, it would be a great way to get the kids to retain our precious knowledge I have been pouring into their sweet heads.  I've been working on it a while now, and I'm glad that I have the first one complete.  I was going to wait until I had them all complete, but I just can't wait (and I know you are all looking for fun things for your kids to do, too!)

We broke it out today and the kids did so well with it!  They read directions and really seemed to enjoy the work.  The pattern blocks activity was by far their favorite.

Here are all the choices... so many to choose from!

I took the time to go over each activity with the class.  Then, I helped them choose the ones they were interested in. 

As the students were working, I was walking around assisting and assessing.... and taking pictures ;-)

Add coloring to anything and the kids love it!

Great prime and composite activity with reflection questions!  He was thinking really hard!

 These activities can be completed as stand alone activities for a unit, as small group instruction, as math centers, or a way for students to review.  Overall, the kids were excited to try something different and have a say in what they do.  

And... for sticking with me until the end.  Here's the place value choice board I made earlier this year.  It's a little simple, but to the point.  Just click on the photo to download.

Please check out my Common Core Choice Board.  It's on sale today and tomorrow for 20% off!

Differentiating Instruction Book Study

Hey ya'll!  I have been reading Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom by Diane Heacox for some time now.  Actually... I just love all the information the book has.  It's such a great read.  If you have never heard of it, you should check it out.  So, I wanted share what the ideas presented with my readers because it has great and useful information that any teacher should use in their classroom.  Several of the ideas in the first few chapters are good practices that all great teachers use.  However, it is always nice to get a reminder every now and then.  So, Each week I will be posting a summary of each chapter along with some connections I made with the text.  I know it's a crazy time of year to do a book study, but I am all done with state testing so work is not so stressful for me anymore.  If you would like to purchase a book and read along.. great!  If not, then you can use the information I present to decide if it is something you would be interested in.  I'm also wanting to do this so I can have a reminder of these practices on my blog.  You can find all the posts on the Find It Fast section of my sidebar.  Just click on the Book Study link.

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Interactive Anchor Charts

Hey, ya'll!  Welcome to my Anchor Chart Thursdays!  I know it's getting a slow start, but I wanted to find a way to share my anchor charts with you.  How many of you use interactive anchor charts?  I like to have my students interact with the anchor charts as well using them to help record our learning.  This particular anchor chart was one of our first when we introduced fractions this year.  We used every day objects that the students are accustomed to seeing.  When we use every day objects that students can relate to, it gives them something to activate their learning.  This anchor chart was also used in small group instead of my activating / mini-lesson.  When I use the anchor charts depends on what I want to do with it and what objective I have for the students.  How do you use interactive anchor charts in your own classroom?  This is something I discuss in my upcoming product,

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Save this one for next year!

Hello again, friends!  Today was our first day back since spring break.  It went really well considering no one was wanting to be there ;-)  The Zombies students were half asleep, but seemed to wake up (and did they) after lunch.

Anyways, I have been meaning to share this with you.  These activities/centers are something I did with my kiddos before our spring break.  You can put this in a file to use for next year.  I wanted something fun the kids could work on the Friday before spring break... which also happened to be the Good Friday.  I've seen how some of the primary teachers incorporate plastic eggs into math/literacy centers, and I wanted to do this for my 4th graders.  These two center are essentially matching games, but they do require some thinking and working :)  Which you know I love.  I have a difficult time giving students
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Hey, ya'll!

Good Sunday!  My spring break is coming to an end which I am very sad about.  I have so enjoyed staying home with my sweet boys this past week.  A few weeks ago, I go on my blog and realized that something was going on.  My background wasn't filling up the entire background and my fonts and such were not what they should be.  Anyways, I played around with it for a while and realized that I needed to start from a blank

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