Planning for Next Year

Many teachers are unwinding and counting down the days, but one of the most important aspects of our job is to reflect and revamp.  This is the perfect time to look back over the year and decide what worked and what didn't.  What concepts really "stuck" with your students and what concepts need to be taught differently next year to achieve that "stickiness"?  Which units went on too long and which units really needed more time?  What great ideas have you seen this year that you'd like to implement next year?

Taking the time to address these questions and make notes for yourself, will really improve the quality of what you do next year.  Things get stressful when we wait until the last minute to do them, so why not get a head-start now?  You will thank yourself next year...I promise!

In a few months you won't remember all of the stumbling blocks you encountered unless you make notes now.  So, get out the Post-its and start making notes.  Another great idea comes from What the Teacher Wants.

Be sure to check out and download their FREE Planning Ahead List.  I don't know about you, but as a science teacher I always feel like there is something I should be gathering for an upcoming lesson/lab.  To keep items from sneaking up on you, you could insert these planning lists in your Teacher Binder and start working on your prep work a week or two earlier.  This would also be a great To Do list for a teacher's aide.  I try to have a student aide each semester, but there are always days when I can't think of anything for her to do.  This would prevent that and take the stress off of you.

It's also time to start looking back through all of those Pinterest boards.  GO HERE for a step-by-step tutorial on how to print out your Pinterest boards.  Then print out this unit planner sheet (I especially like the last page of the planner) and start organizing your pins for the next school year (by unit).  Gone are the days of remembering you had a great idea from Pinterest AFTER you have finished teaching the unit.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.

This year, I'm going to find a way to incorporate all of those great ideas I've seen on Pinterest into my unit planner.  GO HERE to check out my Create Your Own Teacher Planner on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Just last week, I printed off my 2-page monthly spread calendar and started planning in reverse.  Beginning with the end in mind, especially if you teach in a state standardized assessment grade and content area, is a great approach.

     1.  First, determine when the state assessment is.  How much time do you need to review before that?  That is sacred time that you can't afford to lose, in my opinion, so I get it on the calendar immediately and don't let anything I do alter it.

     2.  Get out your district/school calendar and write in when the grading periods begin and end.  What holidays and planning days are built into the calendar?  How many instructional days do you have before state assessment?  Don't forget to leave some wiggle room for things that come up throughout the year like field trips, assemblies, pep rallies, state assessments in other content areas, early release days, etc...

     3.  Begin mapping out your year-at-a-glance and determine how much time is needed for each unit.  Do you have extra time?  Have you figured in formative (ongoing, throughout the unit) and summative assessments (culminating assessment over the entire unit) to this time frame?  Does your district require you to administer common benchmark assessments throughout the year?

     4.  I highly recommend having at least 2 planning calendars.  I have a monthly calendar and a weekly calendar.  My monthly calendar is used for rough planning and the weekly planner involves more detailed components of my planning.  Included on my weekly calendar are my state standards, unit focus questions, vocabulary students need to be familiar for the unit, and ways to differentiate or modify instruction for lower-level or more gifted students.

I know you want to just kick up your feet at this point and ease up on the homestretch, but before you start working on that tan and the long list of books you want to catch up on, go ahead and do these few simple steps and I promise you will rest much easier this summer.

Hope you all had a wonderful teacher appreciation week and have an even better last few weeks of school.  Love on your kiddos before they leave you.


   

May Currently

I am linking up with Farley for the May Currently.  I know, I know....a bit late, but I have excuses (just none you will want to hear).

Listening:  A few years ago, my principal had our entire campus doing a study on Ron Clark and his book "The Essential 55".  Most of his stories seemed crazy to me, but I was inspired by his unconventional methods of motivating students (and typically the hardest to reach students).  So, when nothing else is on and I need a little "pick me up", I can count on good ole' Ron Clark.

Loving:  This evening I am heading to the Austin area to take part in a very unique opportunity.  I was chosen by TEA (Texas Education Agency) to serve on a Life Science Standards Setting Committee.  They have been so gracious in taking care of my hotel, travel, and food arrangements (they are even reimbursing my school for the cost of a sub)!  I am excited to see what being on this committee entails (I think I will be deciding what proficiencies new teachers will need to prove their competency in before earning their teaching certificate.)  Very cool.

Thinking:  I have been working on several new products for interactive science notebooks for many weeks now.  I am super-pumped about finishing up my chemistry one and can't wait to publish it in my TpT store (It's a big one!)

Wanting:  My hubby announced to me that for Mother's Day, he wanted to get me an at-home laser hair removal system, so he's been busily researching online.  (By the way, not sure if I should be excited or offended, but either way, I would love to have one.)  I think I've decided on the Tria Laser, which runs around $500.  Anybody out there know anybody who has used it??  I'd love to get some "real people" feedback instead of the online or commercial comments from "actual customers" (I never believe those.)

Needing:  It struck me just yesterday, that I am going to be in a swimsuit next Friday!  Sheer panic!!  Our GT students are doing their culminating activity at Schlitterbahn waterpark in New Braunfels, TX.  Maybe a Moo-Moo will do.

Summer Bucket List:  With all of my recent success on Teachers Pay Teachers, I would really like to take my family on a tropical vacay (complete with my daughters' first plane ride and crystal clear beaches.)  Still going back and forth between a cruise and an all-inclusive resort.  Thoughts?  Ideas?

Teacher Appreciation Week SALE on TpT - May 7-8

As you start counting down the days, reflect on this school year and think about all of the items you've had on your wishlist for next year.  Teacher Appreciation Week is a great time to take advantage of the sale being offered on TeachersPayTeachers.  All items in my store will be 10% off + an additional 10% off when you use the Promo Code: TAD13.

I have many flippables and foldables for interactive science notebooks, with more on the way very soon.

Thanks to all of my loyal followers and bloggy buddies.  I appreciate all of you.

Happy Shopping!

Reviewing for the Grade 8 Science STAAR Test

Well, it's that time of year again...
If you dream about STAAR test questions, ways to prepare your kids, and stress about how they will do, you might be a Texas Science Teacher!

I've spent a lot of time collecting great free resources online, so I thought I'd share them with you.  Many of them are from some spectacular talented Texas Teachers and a few are my own creations.

This year, I decided to teach my 8th graders how the test is laid out (4 Reporting Categories) and the percentage of Readiness and Supporting Standards that will be tested in each of those categories.  I think to be successful, you must know how the test is created and what you are expected to know.  All of this information can be found on the TEA website (click HERE for the Blueprint).

I only have 12 class days to prep my kiddos, so I wanted to make sure I was as organized as possible.  My class periods are already color coordinated, so I've purchased a folder with pockets and brads for each student in their class color.  I have created a calendar that I will have each student place in the brads along with the TEKS organized by Reporting Category.  I also have the DynaNotes Review Guide for each student (It's like a reader's digest version of the TEKS).  On my Teachers Pay Teachers, I have 6 different editable brochures that I print out  for my students, each brochure focusing on different topics that may be tested on.  To check out my brochures, CLICK HERE.

If you are looking for some fun, interactive ways to review big picture ideas in science, CLICK HERE to check out my Easy as Pie Series.

The following are resources I found online at Blalack Middle School's Website.  I want to thank Kent Trulsson for all of his hard work on the STAAR Science Tutorials.  Click HERE to check it out.

The main review materials I am using this year are these beauties!  I created the one for Reporting Category 3 and I think the original source for the other 3 is Sugar Land Middle School.  Click HERE to be taken to the site or simply click on the individual links below.

Click HERE for Reporting Category 1 student sheet and Teacher Answer KEY

Click HERE for Reporting Category 2 student sheet and Teacher Answer KEY

Click HERE for Reporting Category 3 student sheet and Teacher Answer KEY

Click HERE for Reporting Category 4 student sheet and Teacher Answer KEY

After spending about a week working on these in class (and maybe what isn't finished in class for homework), I am going to let students determine which TEKS they need more practice on - I went through each Reporting Category Review and determined which TEKS each question was covering.  That way, if they miss that question or flat out didn't have a clue, they can highlight that TEKS and practice it more the following week when we go to the computer lab.  Once they have determined that, we will spend several days in the computer lab with students working on individual weaknesses in the form of related online videos, readings, and review games that are specific to the targeted TEKS they have determined as weak areas.

What I love most about this plan, is that I am freed up to move around the room and facilitate individual learning and I can spend more time with the kiddos I am most concerned about.  Then, when we go to the computer lab next week, everything is directed to the individual student.  It would be impossible to teach all 135 of my students the same review topics and expect to get great results.  Every student has their own strengths and weaknesses and I hope this plan will meet the needs of the individual.

How do you review for the STAAR test or your state standardized tests?

Clearest Way to Teach Moon Phases...EVER!

I originally found an idea similar to this online and I knew that I had to immediately make a run to the Dollar Tree and rummage through our science storeroom to collect the needed supplies to make this. 

Essentially, this Moon Phase board allows students to visualize and better understand the cause of moon phases and comprehend the 2 different views that are often given on a diagram (view from space and view from the Earth). 

Up to this point, I've done a Lunar Lollipop Investigation, which I thought was great, but this beats it by a long shot!  A large majority of my students don't really understand why the lit part of the moon doesn't face the sun on part of the view as seen from Earth on every moon phase diagram (see below). 

Even though I give many different examples and explanations, I still see a puzzled look on several of the students' faces.  I really think this method will clear it up for even those puzzled kiddos. 

From this angle (see below), students can quickly see that the lit part of the moon is always the side of the ball that is facing the sun.  Pretty uneventful, but definitely clarifies this view.  But as students take the Moon Board and place their head through the hole, they are immediately taken to the view from Earth (their head being Earth or it could be explained that we LOOK out from Earth and see the moon as it revolves around the Earth). 

 

 

In order to give you a clearer idea of what the students will see, I placed my camera in the hole and continually rotated the board around counterclockwise (direction of the moon's revolution around the Earth).  Here, you can see the new moon.

Followed by the waxing crescent.

The first quarter.

Then waxing gibbous.

Full moon

Waning gibbous

Third/Last quarter (oopsy....this ball got a little tilted when I glued it down)

And finally, waning crescent.

 

I have chosen to leave each phase unlabeled for my 8th graders, but I am thinking about making one Moon Board with labels for my SpEd and ELL students until they get more comfortable with the names. 

To make your own, you will need the following supplies:

• Black foam board (got mine at Dollar Tree for $1)
• Box cutter
• Circular shaped object to cut around (I just turned my office trashcan upside down and started cutting!)
• 8 ball shaped objects to represent moon (ideas: ping pong balls [use black sharpie], Styrofoam balls (paint with black acrylic paint and sponge brush, wooden balls, etc....)
• Hot glue gun
• 1 ball to represent the Sun (larger than moon ball) This is optional; you could always just write "Sun" on one side of the board with a paint pen, but I think the added visual is great!

Since I didn't have these made when I taught moon phases earlier in the year, I am going to use them when we begin to review for the state assessment.  I can't wait to hear the oohs and aahs and FINALLY see the looks of confusion go away.

 

Asenath Andrews One Liners

Yesterday, I had the honor of spending a short time with Asenath Andrews, principal of The Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit, Michigan (an alternative high school for pregnant girls and teen mothers).  After spending one-on-one time sitting next to each other during a workshop on Monday, I was inspired by her and compelled to attend her keynote on Tuesday.  She's just one of those people who, when she speaks, you listen.  She has a wonderful balance of anecdotes spiced with a "smart mouth", as she calls it.  I tend to gravitate towards sassy, spunky, powerful women, and she is all that (and a bag of chips!  Sorry...I just couldn't resist.)

Besides her inspiring stories, I was most impressed with the powerful one-liners she shared with the audience.  It was like an Oprah show for Educators... A-Ha! moments abounding.

I wanted to share some of her most inspirational one-liners.

Everyday, Asenath makes her school announcements and she closes by saying "When you leave here today, you should be smarter than when you got here.  Because smart is what you get, not what you are."  What a powerful, empowering comment to hear and be reminded of every day.

So many students become bogged down with their home lives and their individual circumstances, but we must hold EVERY student to the same expectations that we would hold our own children to.  Each individual must be motivated to create a future for themselves.  "No body can hold you back, except for you."  Asenath says that it is "our job to take away their shoes and give them wings."

"Don't try and make the kids fit the school.  Make the school fit the kids."

We need to do a better job of marketing the courses we offer.  Every other media source targets our students and does a great job of marketing to them, so why shouldn't we.  When she began offering an Anatomy and Physiology course in her school, they placed signs around the school that said "This class is only for smart people, dummies need not sign up."

"There can't be a rule against something no one has ever done before.  Don't tell yourself no, let them tell you."

"You can't learn everything you need to know in a school building."

"Give them time to think about what you're teaching them."

Asenath began a garden (that more resembles a farm) in the middle of Detroit.  She feels strongly that these young women need to know how to provide for their children to avoid the path of poverty, and this is one way she has fostered their learning outside the walls of the school building.  She has taken girls to South Africa to teach the people about sustainable growing.  One of the Catherine Ferguson girls commented after the trip, "My son will never be a neighborhood boy.  He will be a man of the world."  What a gift to give a young woman and her child!


There were so many more one-liners that have inspired change within me.  I hope you have the opportunity to hear her speak or meet her in person, but if not, she has some great videos on YouTube.

And with a sad face  ): I must pack up this laptop and head home...what a great experience the SXSWedu Conference has been.

Now back to the classroom to inspire my students with new vigor and purpose.  More than anything, I've learned that in this ever-changing world, I must allow my students to discover what truly inspires them and do everything I can to support that.

You can watch her keynote here: http://vimeo.com/61439892

Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning

I just attended a discussion with Alan November of November Learning. He discussed how we as educators need to be willing to let students use the technology that is at their fingertips. Despite all of the concerns that we have, students should be using their phones and other electronic devices to access information.

As the discussion was going on, I began thinking of ways that I could incorporate technology into what I do. Considering that parental involvement is the single most important factor of student achievement, I want to integrate technology ideas that will involve the parents of my students. Up to this point, I haven't been a huge Twitter person, but I am beginning to see how its use in my classroom might be beneficial.

This year, I began using the Remind101 app to remind my students (and their parents) of upcoming assessments and activities. I have even used it to pose questions to the students, but the missing component has been the ability for students to respond to me or have discussions with each other. Collaboration is a 21st Century skill that all of my students need, but I haven't been allowing it to take place...mostly out of fear. We are told to limit our communications with students, to keep things professional (which I totally understand and agree with), but shouldn't learning be able to take place outside of the school day? Shouldn't our students be taught the skills of collaboration that they need? Doesn't this happen 24/7/365? And don't we need to include the parents in the learning process (considering their involvement may determine whether or not the students will prove to be successful)?

In order for this to be done correctly, students need to be taught digital etiquette & citizenship, and we, as a school, need to do everything in our power to insure that EVERY parent has the ability to connect to these resources. We cannot continue to wait for 100% of our families to be connected to the global world. Surely there was a time when all families were not able to purchase paper or basic school supplies for their children, but did education come to a halt? No, educators and schools took whatever actions were needed to bring every student and their family "up to speed" so to speak. Maybe families don't have the wi-fi needed to connect to the internet, but just maybe there is a local store (or even your school) that can provide that resource for free. So, what can we do to get every parent connected to this new digital teaching world we are upon?

It is going to take baby steps. First, we need to incorporate it in our individual classrooms and find ways to get all of the students on board. For me, giving every student a laptop/ipad and getting them connected to the web at home, just isn't feasible. So what can I put in place immediately? For the most part, a large majority of my students have a cell phone (or a parent that does) and the majority also have texting capability. (By the way, I live in a small town, with a very large minority population and an ever-growing population of Mexican immigrants who speak very little, if any English. A little over 50% of our students are economically disadvantaged and at-risk.). So using Twitter as a method of communication and collaboration would be a simple addition.

I can foresee posting pictures of what's happening in my classroom because it would be great to allow the families access and a look into my classroom! And I'm sure you parents can agree with me, but isn't it annoying when you ask your child what they learned at school, and their response is "I don't know." So if I begin posting questions for parents to ask their students about that evening, it gives families a conversation starter and my students will be continuing their learning outside of the school day- what an awesome gift!

My ideas are flowing, but I want to be realistic in what I can easily implement. I'd love to hear from other teachers who are implementing technology to involve parents and foster student collaboration.