4th Grade Frenzy: 2015
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December 30, 2015

Welcoming a Student Teacher


student-teacher


You have been assigned a student teacher. Now what?
Here are 15 ways to facilitate a smooth student-teaching experience:

1. Make sure that your student teacher has a space to work in the classroom. A desk or small table will work well.
2. If possible, meet with the student teacher before his or her first official day to review expectations. This would be a good time to go over the dress code, school calendar, schedules, inclement weather procedures, etc. Exchange contact information. If you can't meet prior, go over these items on the first day.
3. Review the expectations and required tasks from your student teacher's college, and assist your student teacher in getting started with visitations and interviews.
4. Tour the school with your student teacher. Point out important places (nurse's office, media center, etc.) Consider providing a map of the school.
5. Introduce your student teacher to as many other staff members as possible during your tour of the school. Try to include the custodian, nurse, secretary, grade-level partners, special area teachers, and other staff members as well.
6. Have your students prepare a welcome banner.
7. Have your students introduce themselves. Consider having the students introduce themselves by playing 2 truths and a lie, allowing your student teacher to guess students' fibs about themselves.
8. Plan time for your student teacher to observe you before jumping in and teaching.
9. Gradually assign management tasks to your student teacher such as lunch count, homework check, grading…
10. Guide your student teacher through lesson planning and behavior management plans.
11. Observe your student teacher when he or she begins teaching, and provide frequent feedback.
12. Allow your student teacher to try his or her own lesson ideas.
13. Be positive and flexible. Sometimes the student teacher has assignments to complete that take a little juggling to fit in.
14. Communicate! Find time regularly to discuss curriculum, lessons, behavior management, and education in general.
15. Enjoy the experience of being a role model for the next generation of educators!

How have you welcomed a student teacher? How can veteran teachers help make the student teaching experience positive and productive?


Check out this inexpensive binder for your student teacher!


Click HERE to see this resource in my TpT store!

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September 22, 2015

Pope Francis!

Pope Francis is visiting the United States! This is exciting news! I have found an informative video on YouTube posted by Catholic Link that I would like to share with you:

Pope Francis on YouTube by Catholic Link

I think Catholic Kids will like it!

I have also created a project that will help kids prepare for the Pope's visit.



You can find it for just $2.50 in my TpT store:

Pope Francis Craftivity

How are you celebrating the Pope's visit to the United States?

Thank you for visiting and God Bless!

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August 27, 2015

Classroom Library Books

I recently was asked by a student teacher, “Where do you get all the books for your classroom library?” I thought that was a great question! I like to have a large selection of books right in our classroom for students to borrow for use in school and at home. Purchasing books can get quite costly, so I composed a list of 6 inexpensive or FREE sources for books.

classroom-library


1. Yard Sales - Children’s books are often 25¢ each or 5 for a dollar.

2. Library Books Sales - Your local library may have a yearly book sale with prices similar to a yard sale. Some libraries even run their sales year-round!

3. Thrift Stores - Prices as above plus don’t you love the idea of never knowing what you may find?

4. Consignment Stores - Prices may be higher, but if you are shopping there anyway, why not look around? You may find that book you have been looking for at a reasonable price.

5. Raid Your Kids’ Bookshelves - If you have your own children or nieces and nephews, ask them if they are ready to part with any of their books. My kids like to donate to my classroom because the books will be read again, and it frees up space on their own bookshelves.

6. Book Club Bonus Points - If you have your kiddos order from book clubs such as Scholastic, you can use the points to add to your classroom library. The kids like to participate in the selection!

*Need magazines for your classroom? My local library saves the old editions of children’s magazines for use in my classroom! The kids love the magazines and don’t mind that they are a few months old!

How do you stock your classroom library shelves?

Click HERE for a FREE Classroom Library Book Sign-Out Sheet like this one:



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July 31, 2015

Tutoring

Are you tutoring this summer, or do you tutor after school? I am currently helping a student with math skills to prevent the summer slide. We hit on several standards during each session using a variety of strategies.

I have the student warm up by writing out her multiplication facts on a whiteboard with fun colors, followed by a timed quiz.

Then we review basic algorithms using one of my own TpT resources:

Daily Math

Students and teachers like the format because it is not crowded. You can find it here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Math-Practice-1324839

I have also been using First Day of School in Fourth Grade by Sum Math Fun:


I like this resource because it integrates reading and math. Plus, the worksheets are fun!
Here is the link:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-in-Fourth-Grade-1363207

We spend the last 20 minutes of our session playing games. Here is one of our favorites:



Materials:

Playing cards with the face cards removed
Dice (quiet dollar store dice pictured)
Game markers (mini erasers pictured)

The object of the Game:

To be the first player to get out of the spiral

How to Play:

1. Player 1 rolls, adds the total on the dice, and moves that number of cards from the center.
2. Player 1 multiplies the total on the dice times the number on the card. If correct, the player stays on the card. If incorrect, the player goes back.
3. Player 2 follows in the same way.
4. The first player to get out wins.
Easy!

This will be one of my stations during math rotations this year!



Here is how I stay organized for my tutoring sessions:

Tutoring Binder

You can get it here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tutoring-Binder-965319

Try these Tutoring Record Sheets for FREE!


You can get this FREEBIE here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tutoring-Record-Sheet-935033

These TpT resources along with plenty of fun games make our tutoring sessions fly by!

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