A Teacher's Legacy

     I have been watching a fair amount of coverage lately on the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library. A lot of discussion has been had about his legacy. Presidents each get up to speak to what a great man he is or what important accomplishments he achieved while in office. None of them mention the things he did that they may have disagreed with or the policies they themselves may have changed. Each of them do however, refer repeatedly to his legacy. Obviously, one's legacy can be both good and bad depending on the perspective. It made me stop to think: Are legacy's something fancy and important only reserved for presidential types? Does everyone have one? What is mine?
     I currently find myself in the midst of a huge professional change. I am transferring from the elementary school that is one mile from my home, the place where my now adult children went to school from kindergarten through fifth grade, the school I taught at for 14 years, and the place where I have watched hundreds of students grow from non-reading 5 year olds to hormonal middle school bound preteens. I am leaving a place where I know everyone, have incredible friends, have a respectable reputation, know every inch of the space, every custodian, cafeteria worker, office staff, copy room quirk, administrator... you get the picture.... comfort and safe zone. If you have read this blog before, you have seen pictures of my classroom and understand the joy it brings to me every day. I took pictures of it the day I left, now empty and quiet. I had planned to post them here, but they are just too depressing. I liked it better bright and full of life. It has caused me to reflect on my years spent at my previous school. During those 14 years, I have had 6 different principals, seen many assistant principals come and go, and taught over 300 students. But I haven't really thought much about the administrative changes. I have thought mostly about the students. What I wonder most is: What do they remember about me? What is my legacy that will stay with them and make them smile when they hear my name? I have no way of knowing. What I do know, is what I hope they remember. I hope they remember that I love to read and tried my hardest everyday to get them to feel the same way, and that some days we didn't get to all the plans because we were at a part in our book that we just couldn't put down. I hope they remember that I taught things until they learned them and not in a hurry just to cover it before "the test". I hope that they remember that I love to laugh, which we did together a lot, and that even though there may have been a few frustrating moments along the way - I always respected them and held them to the highest standard. I hope they remember that our classroom was a safe and happy place, one where we could laugh it out, cry it out, or scream it out - but always come back the next day with a clean slate. Everyone deserves that chance. I hope they remember that learning in our classroom was hard but rewarding and most often fun. I hope they remember my favorite, "How's that workin' for ya?" and if it isn't working that they have the power to change it.
    As I said, I will never know what they remember. I do know I was loved by most of them (and all were loved right back!) and they all learned a great deal in our time together. As did I. So, as I reflect on this legacy of mine, I am content and feel lucky beyond measure to have had the experiences I had with all of them along the way. I realize that I am about to start a new chapter and a new legacy that I will one day once again leave behind. How amazing it will be to start from scratch. What will I do differently? Who will I influence and how? The how is up to me. And I am ready for the challenge. As hard as it has been to say goodbye, I am ready and grateful for the opportunity.
    As I get ready to start my summer "break" (I have lots of high school reading to do!), I am excited, terrified, eager, and overwhelmed. All in a good way. I can't wait to get started. I have a new legacy to work on.
     Happy summer to my teacher friends! See you at the beach with a good book and a relaxing smile.
     Mrs. Beck

In a Word.... Testing

     Testing. State standardized testing came and took over our lives for the month of April. Sure, we had Spring Break that first week, but the next week testing hit us hard. Every day, five days that week. It took at least two hours a day, and the stamina required for that type of testing is pretty intense - especially for elementary students. I understand the need for a measure. I don't understand why this has to be it when there are so many more viable, legitimate, and meaningful options out there. And for my LD, EBD, and OHI students? I almost feel like I build them up all year just to slap this down on their desks as if to say, "This is all you are supposed to know. Good luck." Of course, that is insane and only in my head. I tell them this is their chance to show how much they have learned this year, do their best, and don't worry about it! At this point though, they are old enough to infer (maybe I should have skipped that skill!?!?!) what the stakes are and what the results mean. I truly hate this time of year for them. They all have worked hard and are much more than a number on this test. I hope they realize that at some point. I also hope that they can continue to believe in themselves despite those numbers and realize this is only the blink of an instant in comparison to the rest of their lives. It is! I believe this with all my heart...and then we get the email that the scores are in....and I walk slowly with feelings of dread to the office to see the scores of my kids....and I feel defeated when I see the numbers of the ones who weren't successful.... Imagine how they feel? Some of them have never passed. Imagine that! Why would you keep going back to the place that makes you feel that way? 

     So, this brings me to two things. One is - my hopes for them. I hope and pray that their futures are filled with teachers and parents who believe in them and their strengths despite the numbers on their tests. They are headed off to middle school next year, and we all know how tough that can be. Hormones hit harder, peer pressure increases, computers/texting/Facebook/Instagram are all more of an influence than human interaction, and they still have a lot of academic ground to cover and a lot of tests to take. I hope they keep it in perspective. I hope they don't get to discouraged and if they do, I hope they have someone supportive to talk it out with. I also hope that some of them exceed all expectations and blow us all away with their successes. Some of them will, I have no doubt. I can't wait to see it!

     The second thing is more of an inward reflection and a hope for me. I was once told that if nothing else, I always had the ability to make kids believe they could do anything I asked of them. It was my assistant principal who said: "You make these kids feel like they could walk to the moon and back simply because you told them they could." Wow. I can only hope so!! I spend a lot of time on that each year. That is after all, 98% of the battle, right? And not just for kids, but for adults. You know who we you are.... It is sometimes hard as teachers to not get discouraged by things we cannot control. And by some things, I mean A LOT of things. However, my hope for all of us is that we can focus on our accomplishments with students and not just what we didn't achieve. That's what I tell my students - so why can't I take that same advice? My hope for me (and all my teacher peeps out there) as this year winds down, is that we focus on how far they (and we!) have come. Always room for growth, but let's all take a minute and celebrate the progress. I am going to make a list. Bet it's miles longer than the "Does Not Meet" list when my test scores come in.... Probably about as long as a walk to the moon and back. 

Happy countdown to summer, friends!

Mrs. Beck

Math Notebooks

     Literacy is obviously my first love in the classroom, but if you have noticed.... there are other things we must impart to the children. So, with that in mind, I have to make sure I keep a good attitude about Math. It isn't that  I don't like Math. I just don't love Math, and is that fair to the kiddos? Nope. Clearly. As much as I LOVE my Reader's and Writer's Notebooks, and with as many ideas as I have seen (read: borrowed/stolen) from Pinterest about Math Notebooks, I really had no excuse not to give them a shot this year. In the past, I had half-heartedly used three ring binders for the students with sections to hold their "stuff". B-O-R-I-N-G. So, I picked out some scrap book paper, wrapped up some journals, and off I went.

     If you have read my previous posts, you know everything else is in black and white (as far as their journals go), but I wanted these to be different. I chose this pattern because it was fairly neutral but also represented a shape (hello Geometry!.... stop laughing).
     I have a memory from 7th grade and Algebra. The teacher made us keep a three prong folder that held all of our assignments and required an extremely specific and orderly Table of Contents. I loved that folder. I loved using the ruler for the perfect lines, having everything spaced out just so on the page, the look of the full  page representing accomplishment..... OCD much? Notice this has nothing to do with the Math? Did I mention I don't love Math? Anyhoo... this is the one I have the students keep in their journals.

     I let them use this as a resource so I am very specific about how they title their entries. The actual entry ideas I either find on Pinterest or create myself based on student needs. Notes go on the left and foldables/models/drawings go on the right. My favorite is the fact fluency graph. Being in the 5th grade, my crew really needed to work on multiplication fact fluency to be able to tackle the higher level skills. This graph has helped them more than I could have EVER imagined. It is visual, keeps them accountable and competing against themselves, and provides me with data for IEP goals. Win-WIN! They actually request to do these fluency checks so they can add them to their graph. What?!

These graphs have also helped them learn and apply how to find their percentage based on the number they have correct. 

Here are some more pictures of entries and foldables. Like I said, Pinterest has more ideas than you would ever need. I have a million more pinned to my Math board if you want to check that out. 

  This was a lesson on coordinated pairs that included the negative numbers. The color coding helped tremendously. 

Greater than and less than with decimals

 Operations rules for decimals

 Equivalent Fractions and Decimal Models

 Factors and Improper Fractions

 Number Form and Mixed Numbers

 More Improper Fractions and Types of Numbers

The one above is an example of how I add their vocabulary to the notebooks. They write the word, define it, and then draw an example. I had initially thought I would keep the vocabulary in a separate section, but as I worked through it, it made more sense to keep it with the actual topic so they could find it easier. 

     Not bad for a first attempt at Math Notebooks. These pictures only represent a few months. As I mentioned, I started them later in the year. The potential though, is staggering. The kids LOVE them, I LOVE them, and let's face it.... it encourages us to almost love Math. 

     Happy weekend, friends! It is pouring rain outside so Mr. Wonderful and I are headed to the book store (AKA: Heaven). Now go read something!

Mrs. Beck

     

Classroom Quotes

     I use quotes in my classroom. A lot. I use them to teach mini-lessons in my daily Social/Emotional groups at least once a week. We all have a quote that speaks to us, and we all hear quotes that are inspiring but forgotten in even a few minutes. I have some tried and trues that you will even hear my students use among themselves (which always makes me smile), and then some I find and swap in and out of the frames around the room. Adults use them, too. After all, can't we all use a little inspiration every now and then?

     This one I heard from Dr. Phil. Now, I am not a fan of Dr. Phil, but this quote is perfect, really. I mean...if it isn't working, fix it! Do something different! You will hear this all the time in my room from the students. They get it! I printed it on my classroom paper and put it in a cheap, black frame from IKEA.

I heard this line in Bridesmaids a few summers ago when I saw it with my daughter. I laughed out loud. So simple and so true!!

     Here are a few I found on Pinterest and just printed out. When I put a new one up, I have the students try to figure out the meaning, and then we discuss it. Sometimes they see it from a totally different point of view that actually makes perfect sense. Many of them support types of figurative language as well.

 This one is actually a greeting card I found. 

     The picture above is my "Attitude Wall". The anchor charts are used every single day. When you teach students with Emotional/Behavioral deficits, the point is not about you changing their behavior as much as it is teaching them how to change their behaviors. They need options! After all, they leave you in a few years. At that point I cross my fingers, hold my breath, and hope against hope that something stuck. I have high, high aspirations for every single one of them. The good news is, for many it does stick. You just have to give explicit instruction on how to react to certain situations and feelings. I had a student that I taught from K to 4th grade. He left for another school the summer before 5th grade and we were both suffering extreme withdrawal. He cried the last day and said, "How will I do this without you? How will I do this without those charts?" Well, friends, he promptly got his very own charts (and almost me to go along with them!), but we talked about how it was up to him now, and he could totally handle it. It was a rough start. But now friends, he IS handling it. He uses his strategies and he is in control of his behavior. Now....on to middle school. Fingers crossed!!

Here are the anchor charts close up.

     These give them options and ways for them to be in charge of their reactions. I promise, they work! After teaching them and having the students add the options to their Notebooks (I LOVE my Morning Group Notebooks!!), you can refer to the options in a moment's notice. By also giving examples of what they can't do, it gets them to stop and think that maybe their current choice is not such a good one after all. This does not happen overnight. Or over the first months they are with you. But...stay in the fight! We are in this not just to survive our current grade level, but to help them get through life. Suit up! Nothing will make you smile faster than a student in full melt down mode who rushes over to the charts and just starts reading. That shows they are trying to handle it on their own. They are striving to get control. Nicely. Done.
I wish all my teacher friends in GCPS a wonderful Furlough Day tomorrow!
Mrs. Beck

Graphic Novels

     I attended a Reading Conference two or three years ago in Perry, Georgia. My fellow teacher friend (read: teaching soulmate) and I eagerly signed up to hear Donalyn Miller, Jeff Anderson, Harvey Daniels, and a host of other amazing speakers. At one point, and anyone who has attended one of these types of event can relate, our schedule left us with a gaping hole in which no one we wanted to hear speak was available. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, we signed up to attend a session on graphic novels. Ew. Graphic novels? Who teaches with comic books? Well, neither of us - that was certain and true, but we couldn't very well waste the time and money invested in this conference so away we went. The speaker (and this is horrifying to admit - but I cannot even remember his name - I am so sorry - I told you we weren't thrilled with the topic, right?) was AMAZING. He was energetic, he was funny, and he knew his stuff. He taught us how to read a graphic novel. Imagine that, teacher friends, explicit instruction. And it worked! He showed us how to draw in our most reluctant readers. He taught us how to hook our most off task and unfocused students. My friend and I left in awe of graphic novels and all they had to offer! We even had the perfect candidates picked out in our classroom. And then....  school/life/planning/teaching/families happened and we promptly forgot about graphic novels. Now I know you can relate to that as well.
     Fast forward to this current school year. I pride myself on inspiring my readers. I can usually choose a book for any student and eventually they will have the one they love. My current group is with me for a third and final year. I have had them since third grade and off to middle school they go next year. I am truly going to miss them. What I was NOT going to miss, however, was how out of love they had fallen with Reading! What happened? I had instilled such reading passion in them!! Hormones happened I think, but I digress....        As I sat a few weeks ago, literally staring at my computer screen despairingly  and trying to plan the Literature groups for my boys, I was struck with the thought: graphic novels. What the heck. I'd give it a shot. Off to Barnes and Noble I went. I was desperate, after all.

     Welcome to the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi. I bought two copies of Book 1 (at $13 each, I felt I should gamble small) and presented them to the group of two boys I wanted to read them. I, of course, read it the night before. Now - I cannot say I loved it. The story was good and had a great ending, but I was distracted by all of the beautiful artwork on the pages. And the layout left me wanting to clean off the pages and neatly line up all the pictures and put the words in some kind of order...I was not, however, my target audience.
     I will speed it up here and say: They LOVED them. No, love doesn't do it justice. They cannot get enough of them. I can't get them to put them down long enough to do anything else. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Yes! These are my most, maybe the most ever, reluctant readers!! And you should here the discussions! I was speechless and screaming with joy all at the same time. Here are some shots of the crew devouring them.

**Saw this chair strategy on Pinterest. Even my gigantic 5th graders love to read this way.** 

     Inspired my success, we branched out. We read Sticky Burr and of course Mo Willems for my younger (and even some of the older) ones. 

     So friends, you have got to check these out! I promise to find that wonderful, inspirational man from the conference and send him a heartfelt thanks. Sometimes, you just need the spark to re-energize your readers. Thankfully this one worked, and I have the waiting list for these books (of which I have now purchased all) to prove it! Admittedly, I started with the boys. My girls were reading (and crying over the ending of) Stone Fox. Now, however they ALL want them. And seriously... the discussions. S.U.C.C.E.S.S!!!!! As my one most reluctant reader said: "Mrs. Beck - these books just grab you." WOW.
     *Disclaimer from me: Be careful about your choices of graphic novel. I find mine in the children's literature section. There are tons and tons and tons based on Marvel comics, Japanese style writing, superheroes, The Last of the Mohicans, even the Twilight series is done in graphic novel form in the adult graphic novel section. In a word: Inappropriate. The art, the themes, the violence, the topics.... be careful. That surprised me greatly. I feel sure they can handle them in middle school and beyond, but not yet.
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Beck

   

Reader's Notebooks

One of my favorite things in the classroom is Reader's Notebooks. I have been doing them for several years, but here lately (at least in the past two years or so) everyone has started them and the ideas are AMAZING! Just hop on Pinterest and see for yourself. Some teachers order those expensive pre-made ones. Not me - mom of two in college - so I make my own. The way I did them this year will now be my go to procedure. Paper, journals, three pieces of packing tape, a mailing label and voila!

     The classroom colors are black, white, and red so I went with the black and white paper set. There are many, many sets to choose from at Hobby Lobby. And the font.... Janda Swirly Twirly. Love. It.

    

I explicitly teach the students how to care for these journals and truly, they last all year. They are "as precious as gold" and should be treated as such. At least, that's our mantra. They store them in their book boxes, not their desks (aka: black holes) so the tabs stay in good shape. They store their books and all three journals (Reading, Writing, Math) in their book boxes.

     Some of the early entries set up our Reader's Workshop procedures. Such as...

We talk a lot about Real vs. Fake Readers. They illustrate examples of each then copy the anchor chart we generate into their notebooks.

I also  teach what qualifies as an appropriate independent reading level book by the codes E (Easy), JR (Just Right), and CH (Challenging). We use the coding system in our Reading Response letters as well. 

These are the rest of the Reading Codes. Some of them are of course from Strategies that Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis. We use them all the time!

The two on the left are based on the amazing book Comprehension Connections by Tanny McGregor. When I taught the students about metacognition for the first time you could almost see the light bulbs going off over their heads.Using the paint color cards is not only free (although I did ask to make sure), but it is a visual that totally makes sense to them. I tied it in with the Post-It note thinking rating system (shown below) and they had it down amazingly well. It truly gave them ownership of their thinking. 



I enlarged the graphic from McGregor's book and let the students write on it so they had another level of visual support for metacognition. I also made an anchor chart for the room.

The Post-It note thinking is something I adapted from Pinterest. I had been looking for a good way to have them rate their thinking and it went well with the above metacognition lessons so I went with it. I need to add a picture of the anchor chart we did together,but here is an individual journal entry.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, The Cafe Book changed the way I taught reading when it came out a few year ago. After identifying the area of need for each individual student (fluency, accuracy, comprehension), I start explicitly teaching the strategies. Those are the anchor chars you can see hanging on the Starbecks CAFE wall earlier posted. I also have them keep track of the strategies in one section of their notebooks. When teaching about fluency, I have to define it for them clearly. We did a word splash of what fluency is and is not, then each of them graph their words per minute (WPM) monthly based on either a formal or informal running record.





The fluency graph was adapted from this site http://helloliteracy.blogspot.com/2012/06/progress-monitoring-vs-progress.html. I honestly try to give credit when I show something I got from Pinterest! Her blog is wonderful. The word splash is, well - a word splash. But I did see it on Pinterest as well. I had already come up with it myself though! Great minds. Seriously, follow my boards (Mechelle Beck) and I will follow yours. No need to re-invent the wheel, am I right? I am happy to share. In fact, as soon as I figure out how to add my attachments I will put them all on here. Let's not judge my lack of technological skill, please.

My favorite part of the Reader's Notebooks is the Reading Response Letters (RRL) that I have them write each week. They sometimes have a task such as writing about the theme of their book, telling me how the author's perspective affects the story, etc. Most of the time they are just asked to write. It is surprising how well they do incorporate what we have learned all on their own. Ahhh...the sound of learning and readers who think and reflect on their reading. Reading SUCCESS!

They have one letter due each week. I always return them the following Monday after I write them back. Some teachers grade these. I do not. They are a grade free, judgement free, write what you are thinking assignment. I tell them they have to write about their reading in the body of the letter, but may include a personal question or thought in the PS if they wish. Notice, I want Olivia's boots for Christmas. They really are great boots!! The letters not only show me how well they are thinking about their reading, but they also show me what they truly can apply and understand and what we might need to revisit. Love, love, LOVE them.

Okay...world's longest post. I could go on all day about these. I have a whole post about graphic novels (that I HATED and now I love) that I will do this week. Spoiler alert: My most reluctant reader, maybe the most reluctant reader in HISTORY, has devoured a set of graphic novels that I found. He actually said to me on Friday as he finished book four: "Mrs. Beck, those books just grab you in and won't let you go." Whoa. Reading SUCCESS.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Beck