Bats, Bats, Bats!

In the spirit of the Halloween season, our class just did a mini-unit on bats. I created a bat book that uses QR codes to explore bats (songs, videos full of information, sounds, etc). Each page has a different QR code for kids to scan (they can use any device with a scanning app on it), and then answer questions based on what they learned. It covers a wide range of learning objectives and the kids loved it because it naturally differentiates (some kids re-watched videos when they didn't catch information the first time, others who finished everything early went back and listened to some of the songs they really loved). It is now for sale in my TpT store. Click HERE to check it out!

Book Review: 75+ Reading Strategies

Have you ever read a book that gives you more ideas than what are contained within its pages? As a teacher I find that the most inspirational texts I read are those that influence/spark new ideas in my own mind. 75+ Reading Strategies by Danny Brassell is that book. It is full of strategies to help reading come alive in a classroom. Some strategies are more traditional and, I assume, are strategies most teachers currently use (Reader's Theater, partner reading, mad libs, using environmental print), and others are fresh ideas that teachers could adapt to their own room (The People's Court for solving conflicts and practicing oral language skills, having kids act as Hollywood publicists to determine the main idea in a story, and a bunch of ways to use beach balls in the classroom). So, if you're like me and love books that ignite great ideas for your classroom, this is a must-read. I will hang on to this one and reference it any time I need language arts inspiration. Click HERE to find it on Amazon.

Book Review: Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

This summer I read Rafe Esquith's book Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire. I want to give a quick re-cap of my top three take-aways from this particular book. First, I think it's full of great strategies (especially for older elementary students) that can be used across all subjects, but here are those that I most excited to implement in my second grade class (I won't give step-by-step details, as you'll have to read the book for those).

1. "Being constantly dependable is the best way to build up trust. ... Once the kids see you as unfair, you've lost them." The author discusses trust exercises he does from the very first day of school. He makes the point that teachers have to follow through on every promise - no matter how small. This made me reminisce to past promises I broke ("We will finish this activity later" - but then we ran out of time, etc). This seems like such a given when it comes to working with children, but honestly ask yourself how many times you have not followed through on small promises you've made because you ran out of time or resources throughout the day/week.
2. "The Six Levels ... are the glue that hold [the class] together. ... [They are] the building blocks that help my kids grow as both students and people." Esquith introduces Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development to his students to show them what motivates us. In his kid-friendly terms: 1) I don't want to get in trouble, 2) I want a reward, 3) I want to please somebody, 4) I follow the rules, 5) I am considerate of other people and 6) I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it. Throughout the year, he references these different levels as students demonstrate moral behavior. Students should have the personal goal to progress throughout the hierarchy of what is motivating them. It is a goal of mine to make a class poster of these to reference in my room.
3. The many, many, many very cool activities he details including his Buzz game to help mental math, his take on asking students to act like "test writers" to identify all the answers a test writer might give on a multiple-choice test to try to trick them, how he incorporates art, music and movies ... and most of all, how his focus really seems to focus on depth over breadth.

Overall, it's a great read to check out ... especially for upper-elementary teachers who are looking for strategies to make sure theirs is not a class students will soon forget. Click HERE to find it on Amazon.