META TAG

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Thankful

Since Thanksgiving is only a few days away, I would like to share a few things for which I am most thankful.  I am certainly thankful for more than these things, but these are at the top of my list.

1.  I am thankful for my freedom and the amazing men and women who put their lives on the line to protect it.

2.  I am thankful for my family!  I don't know where I would be without their love and support.

3.  I am thankful for my friends!  They are my "chosen" family.  You know the saying, "you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends!"  My friends keep me grounded and help me soar.  They laugh at my dumb jokes, and kidnap me when I need to escape.

4.  I am thankful for my senses! 
  • Sight: Life is vibrant and colorful.  
  • Touch: holding hands with my nieces and nephews
  • Hearing: Conversations with family and friends, music, laughter, listening to the wind
  • Smell:  scented candles
  • Taste: sweet fruits, savory chicken recipes, and of course chocolate! 
  • Common Sense: So thankful I have this.  So incredibly thankful that I have been blessed with common sense.  

5.  I am thankful for my colleagues!  They share my passion for learning and teaching, and many I consider good friends.

6.  I am thankful for my cellphone: (Yes, I went there.) It makes it possible for me to keep in touch. (Plus I unwind with a few games.)

7.  I am thankful for doing work that matters.  I live and breathe teaching.  I get to work early so that I can not just prepare for the day, but also so that I am finished before students arrive.  Often I allow my students into the classroom  instead of sitting out in the hallway.  By letting them come in early, they can finish their homework, get a little extra help from me before the day starts, help me (boy oh boy do elementary aged students LOVE to help), use the computer-internet based learning programs, talk to me about something that is bothering them, and/ or just come in to get started, etc. 

There are only a few times students aren't allowed in before the bell: If I have a conference/ meeting, if I have too much work to do with students in the room (sometimes I just need a little extra quiet time), or if they were in trouble the day before.  I have very few behavior problems because most of my students want to come in early.  

8.  I am thankful you are reading my blog.  Thank you for joining me in this blogging adventure!  

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading this post today!  I hope you enjoyed it and continue to read and follow my posts.  I'd love to read about what you are thankful for in the comments section below.  

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Gobble Gobble!  
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Sunday, November 17, 2019

Differentiation is Challenging ,,, but Worth It!

Hi there!  

 Last week I shared 3 tried and true differentiation strategies that I use on a regular basis.  Were you able to try any of them?  How did it go?  

 I LOVE differentiating instruction. I equate differentiation to a giant jigsaw puzzle with student needs being the pieces. 


 Once I fit the first pieces together, the next few pieces fall into place. There are moments of frustration, but the result is always worth the effort.
Like puzzles, differentiating instruction can be complicated. That's why I only shared 3 strategies last week.  It's important to start small.  If you dive straight in and try to differentiate everything right away, you will probably become overwhelmed and frustrated rather quickly.  If you do need some tips to keep your stress low and to stay safe, click here for a super-helpful post about sanity savers for the school year!
After all, teaching is not easy. We are used to things being "hard". So, why would differentiating instruction be the exception? However, just like teaching, differentiating instruction is worth it!  I promise you that with practice, you too can become comfortable with differentiation.  

I would like to clarify some common misinterpretations of differentiation.
#1: "Differentiation means I have to plan something different for every student."
Reality: Differentiation means that your students are engaged in learning that is appropriate for their level, and they learn at their pace. Differentiation also considers student interest and preferred learning style. These criteria can be addressed without planning for each student individually.
Now, what?  Pre-assess students. Look for patterns of performance to initially group students. Then, formatively assess students and regroup them as their needs change. 

#2:  "Differentiation is easy, just give the high students more and the low students less."
Clarification: Differentiation is not more or less. Think quality over quantity. One high-level question can be more challenging than twenty low-level questions. Plus, being asked to show mastery of a concept or skill twenty times builds frustration for high-achieving students because they don't need the practice and similarly produces frustration for struggling students because they are practicing the skill incorrectly 20 times.
#3: "Differentiation is incompatible with standardized testing."
Reality: Without incorporating differentiation based on formatively assessed needs, students shut down because they believe that they cannot succeed.  We know that not all students learn at the same pace and may not process skills and concepts in the same way.  Therefore differentiation is the solution to maximizing the number of students who can apply their understanding of standards on high-stakes tests. Simply put, differentiation uses time allocated during the school day more effectively to meet needs of all learners. With more of your students meeting the standards, you can provide more in-depth learning experiences.
If you are new to differentiating for your students, be kind to yourself.  Be patient and if a piece isn't fitting, reflect and try another piece. Differentiation may never be easy, but it will always be worth the effort.

Wishing you a great week at school,

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Sunday, November 10, 2019

How to Differentiate Instruction in Your Classroom

How can you deliver your lessons to reach everyone in class? Consider differentiated instruction—a method you may have heard about but haven’t explored, yet. This method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability or gifted.  Differentiating your instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, OR it may require you to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty.
These leaves are just like the students in your classroom!  Just as no 2 leaves are exactly the same, 
two children do not learn in the same way or at the same time!

Today I would like to share with you three easy ways that I have differentiated for my students during the past twenty-something years.  

1. Create Learning Stations

Provide different types of content by setting up learning stations (centers) — divided sections of your classroom through which groups of students rotate. Each station should use a unique method of teaching a skill or concept related to your lesson.
For example, students can move between stations that involve:
  • Watching a video
  • Creating artwork
  • Reading an article
  • Completing puzzles
  • Small group lesson with you

2. Use Task Cards

Like learning stations, task cards allow you to give students a range of content. Answering task cards can also be a small-group activity, adding variety to classes that normally focus on whole-group instruction.
To make your own, first, write questions that you’d typically find on worksheets or in textbooks onto individual notecards.
Third (and final step), set up work-stations around your classroom and pair students together to rotate through them.

3. Use the Think-Pair-Share Strategy

This strategy exposes students to three lesson-processing experiences within one activity. It’s easy to monitor and support students as they complete each step.
As the strategy’s name implies, start by asking students to independently think about a given topic or answer a specific question.  Next, pair students together to discuss their results and findings.  (I like to have students "turn and talk" to their neighbor.  If you have an odd number of students, you can also do a triad.)
Finally, have each pair share their ideas with the rest of the class.

Will you try any of these 3 tried and true strategies?  Do you already differentiate, and have an amazing method?

Share your favorite way below.  I look forward to reading your comments.  Have a great week!

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Sunday, November 3, 2019

Epic Win!!! "Gamifying" Your Classroom


Games can be a very strong motivator for students in school. By “gamifying” your classroom, you can use game elements such as challenges, feedback, levels, creativity, and rewards to motivate your students to learn, and master concepts.  If you "gamify" your classroom, your students may benefit from increased motivation and engagement. 

Students are learning while having fun
+ Teachers can remediate or enrich in a game format
It’s a Win-Win!

Keep reading to learn about three easy steps to gamifying your classroom.

STEP 1: ASSESS YOUR STUDENTS
Identify your students’ trouble spots: Pinpointing student trouble spots will help you determine the best gamification strategies for your classroom. 
For example, if you notice PowerPoint presentations cause your students to not pay attention, add interactive elements.

STEP 2: DEFINE LEARNING GOALS

Set learning and behavior goals: To gamify education, you need learning (remediation or enrichment) and behavior goals that address the areas you identified.  I don’t mean behavior goals as if a student is misbehaving.  The behaviors I mean are working efficiently and concentrating on their work.

For example, you may set a learning goal to have students master a specific skill by a certain deadline. A behavior goal may focus on empowering students to ignore classroom distractions.


Video games typically allow players to make choices that challenge them and suit their abilities, so consider offering choices when it comes to projects.  For math, I typically set up Prodigy.com accounts for my students each year.  Then I use their teacher planner to assign specific work to each student.  Hello differentiation!  In my fifth grade classroom, I can tailor practice problems to student IEP’s or RTI targets.  Student A may receive single digit multiplication for 2 weeks, and Student B may receive fraction multiplication for a time period that I set in the planner.  Both students are playing a game, leveling up, persevering through challenges, and having fun!

STEP 3: STRUCTURE THE GAMES 

Use stages:  When you are looking at your state standards and the curriculum you need to teach, you help your student progress through skill-building all year.  You refer to your teaching units and topics all year long, but you need to use student-friendly terminology with your students. 
Try calling them stages.
While topics and units have provide clear focus for teachers, students may not easily see how they fit together.  On the other hand, it may be natural for students to understand that to reach the next stage they need to overcome challenges. You can highlight this by naming certain everyday classroom activities as prerequisites to reach the next stage.  For example, unless students do homework, participate in class and turn work in on-time, they won’t be ready for the next stage.

Hopefully after reading this post, you will agree with me that gamification makes learning fun.
And while “making learning fun” is cliché, I have found that there are three key points that gaming helps my students with:
  • Focus — Students who have a hard time focusing may find it easier when tackling an engaging topic.
  • Skill-Building — Students may shy away from building certain skills until they see the importance.
  • Content Delivery — Students may have trouble processing content presented through traditional methods, such as textbooks.

Have you gamified your classroom? Please share your lessons learned and best practices in the comments below.


-Sandra @The HappyLearning Den
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