Category Archives: classroom ideas

Getting Ready to Go Back to School

Posted in back to school, classroom ideas, elementary by

Hello everyone! In case you haven’t heard, I am going back to the classroom next year! I am super excited! I have spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking at ideas to decorate and organize my new room! I must also confess that I have been to several dollar stores and Targets as well as buying things from neighbors on beg barter Facebook groups. I know it seems early and I see some of my friends are upset about the back to school stuff being out in stores, but I am excited to get back and don’t want to wait until the last minute to get it all together!

First up, look at these colorful totes I found in the Target Dollar Spot (I might have gone to a few Targets to get the colors I wanted)!  The labels were FREE from The Hungry Teacher.

welcome to school

Also, I found the triangles for a welcome banner using letters I already had! I am planning on adding some black and white polka dot ribbon to make finishing touches!

How cute are these colored clothes pins??? I think I will use them on this string to hang student work!

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I also found these pencil cups and used FREE labels to prep them!

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I was planning on making tissue paper pom poms, but lucked out at the dollar store and found these!

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Should I hang them from the ceiling or use them to make truffula trees?

Last, but not least, these Dr. Seuss posters were a steal… All 6 for $1 at the Target Dollar Spot!!!  The Seuss stickers were also $1 for each pack.

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Here are a few rooms that I have been looking at for inspiration:

https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/target-teacher-hacks/

And, don’t worry, I have not forgotten to prepare for the ACADEMICS!  All this cute decor is fine and fun, but we do need to think about content and curriculum! Look at my last post to see all the fun games I have been making for my 4th graders!  place value game

https://learningwithmrskirk.com/2018/06/26/super-fun-fourth-grade-math-games/

Want to see more?  Check out my Pinterest Board:

 

 

 

Discovering Multiplication

Posted in classroom ideas, elementary, guided math, hands on learning, multiplication by

Multiplication can be a daunting concept for some students. But in my many years as a teacher I have learned that starting out with a discovery activity can help students to understand the process of multiplication and relieve some of the stress.

I like to start off with a real world problem such as “Jessie has 4 plates of cookies. There are 5 cookies on each plate. How many cookies does she have in all?” I have students work in groups or with partners and with counters or color tiles to solve the problem concretely.  I will walk around the room and discuss the methods used, and give a lot of praise for effort.

cookies multiplication

After working out the problem with the counters we will have a class discussion to recognize that there are many ways to solve the problem. Some students count, some skip count, some use repeated addition and some might already know a few multiplication tricks. I validate each method and move into the next phase, drawing pictures… Again I let students work in groups to find ways to draw pictures and then we share. After sharing I show the the way I like to make my pictures:

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I continue this process with several more problems and then name multiplication as a way to solve problems with equal groups more quickly than adding.

We practice with picture problems as well and I reinforce vocabulary…

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And, as with any skill, we practice, practice, practice!!!

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I would love to know what strategies you use to introduce multiplication in your classroom! Add them in the comment section below!

 

Classroom Activities to Celebrate the New Year

Posted in classroom ideas, holidays, science, student engagement by

Looking for exciting activities to ring in the New Year in your classroom? Here are some of my favorite ideas for making the week(s) back after the holiday break special.

Make a New Year’s Eruption in Science!  Kids love chemical reactions and this one is extra special because, well … glitter is way cool!

Read special books to your class about New Year’s and talk about how holidays can be celebrated differently by different people. You could even have your class create a chart of things they do to celebrate the new year and point out similarities & unique traditions!

Brush up on Math skills with this great New Year’s Scavenger Hunt! Students will have fun working around the room finding the cute frogs and solving the problems.

Teach your class how to set goals. Then have them write their goals on special paper shaped like a party hat. Have them add a self portrait and a party blower for a fun classroom display. Another option would be to have the children trace their arms and hands on construction paper and write goals. This makes a great display with the title “Reach for The Stars”

This is a great time to review or teach your students about Growth Mindset! Have students reflect on skills that were tough at the beginning of the year and not so tough now. Talk about ways to grow as a learner!

Make a New Years Book or Time Capsule!  This will be a keepsake for years to come!

For more great New Year’s Ideas, check out my Pinterest Board:

 

New Year’s Math Fun!

Posted in addition, classroom ideas, elementary, games, kinesthetic learners, math, student engagement by

Looking for something fun to do when you return from the Holiday Break? This New Year’s Math Scavenger Hunt is a great way to practice engage students while practicing math skills!

Math Scavenger Hunts are perfect for guided math, whole class, centers or small groups! They are a great way to have students moving while working with a partner on Math.

And they are so easy for the teacher to prep! Simply print the problems, hang them around the room or another area. Print record sheets for your students and you are all set!

new years frog

You can hang the problems on the walls in your classroom or hallway.

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You can hide the problems on bookshelves or even have a scavenger hunt on the playground if weather permits! Just give students a clipboard to use while they work on their record sheets!

new years math on playgrouond

Click any image in this post to get the Scavenger Hunt!

 

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Very Merry Classroom Ideas for December

Posted in Christmas, classroom ideas, elementary, hands on learning, holidays, math, student engagement by

very merry classroom blog

Well, Thanksgiving break was a great time for relaxing and visiting with family and friends. But … Now we have to go back to school?  What on Earth will we do with these excited children while they count the days until their holiday break?  Here are some ideas to help you make the days/weeks leading up to the holiday break fun and educational.

Joy, Sunshine, and Lollipops has excellent  ideas on her blog for celebrating Holidays Around the World!

How about a Grinch Day?  Falling Into First has great ideas on her blog for celebrating Grinch Day!

Get your students moving around the room with this Math Scavenger Hunt! Your students will love solving word problems with partners.

Looking for great Read A Louds for Christmas? The Printable Princess has a collection for you.

How cute is this writing activity “If Santa Was Stuck in My Chimney…”? Check out other related ideas on the blog, First Grade Wow

These Holiday Math Games are perfect for elementary classrooms!

This Gumdrop Math Challenge is a great way to get your students using critical thinking skills while having fun!

More Math??? Here are some great ideas!

If you are having a class party, check out these 15 Class Games from A Girl and A Glue Gun.

And, how about some crafts?

 

Want more great ideas? Check out my Pinterest Holiday Board:

 

Super Fun Math Games & Activities

Posted in addition, classroom ideas, elementary, games, guided math, math by

fun math games

If you have been in my classroom or read my blog you know I love math games! Games are a wonderful way to keep students engaged while they are learning and practicing math concepts. Students who are engaged will understand and remember more or what they have learned!

Here are a few  seven of my favorite math games & fun activities!

1. Multiplication War – This is a great twist on the classic card game “War”. For directions, see my post here.

multiplication war

2. Rounding Buzz – Students will love the cute bug theme! Practice rounding to the tens and hundreds. There are “Buzz” cards which add a fun element! The “Buzz” cards give directions to pass cards to a different player or put a few back in the stack. At the end of the game, the player with the most cards wins!

rounding buzz game square

3. Multiples Card Game – Players will race to order multiples. Watch out for the smile cards … they slow you down! The cards can also be used for a sorting center!

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4. Flash Card Favorites – Use your favorite games, such as Connect Four, or Candy Land, and put a set of Flash Cards or Task Cards with them to make a classic favorite a math game. Players solve a math problem before they get to take a turn.

multiplication game

5. Fraction Matching – This game is a great way for students to practice composing and decomposing fractions while having fun!

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6. Multiplication Spinner Games – Students can spin and win while practicing their facts!  There are spinners for each set of facts on their own, and a few with mixed facts.

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7. Word Problem Scavenger Hunt – Give your students a record sheet and let them search the room for problems to solve! Is fun for partner or group work, but could also be used as an individual activity for early finishers.

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For more great math games and activities look at my Pinterest Board!

Early Finishers

Posted in back to school, classroom ideas, elementary, games, guided math, hands on learning, student engagement by

tips for early finishers.pngWhat in the world do you do with early finishers? This is a big question for teachers! I think it is important to teach your students to check their work when finished. Teaching students to improve their work when they think they are finished is a valuable lesson. But, after that, there are always going to be a handful of students who will finish their work sooner than the rest of the class. So, back to the question … What do you do? Sitting and waiting for the rest of the class to finish or doing busy work can be very boring and is not giving these students a chance to continue learning. Here are some of my favorite ideas for early finishers!

Set up a system for students so they can find out what to do without disrupting the class or asking you while you are helping other students. I love this display that can be set up at the front of the room.  The signs can be switched out depending on what you want the students to do each day.

 

 

Make sure your students know your expectations so they are not off task or disruptive. This poster is a great example and it is free! You could also make an anchor chart.

Have a place to organize the materials and supplies the students need for the activities to minimize questions such as “where do I get paper for _____ …. ?”

Extension menus are great for independent work. I like this reading menu, but you could make a menu for any subject. For example, if you are working on place value you could have a menu with place value activities for students to choose from.

Bulletin boards such as Boggle or Noggle can be fun! You can change the numbers or letters out every week or two. You could even put some students in charge of updating the board and making the answer key!

Stem Bins are a great hands on activity. Lots of fun while building reasoning skills.

Partner games and centers are a way to let your students interact with others while practicing skills.

Computer games and websites can be great learning tools. Make sure you set procedures up for how to get online and which sites students will go. Here are some of my favorites!

For more great ideas check out my early finishers board on Pinterest!

Tips to Plan and Prep for Math Workshop or Guided Math

Posted in addition, back to school, classroom ideas, elementary, guided math, hands on learning, math, problem solving by

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While there may be times that you want to use a traditional whole group model for instruction, there are other times you need to work with small groups in order to differentiate for your individual student’s needs. Math workshop (or guided math) is a very successful way to work in small group instruction time and maximize student learning. To make the best use of your time, planning and preparation are key. I have rounded up some of my favorite tips and resources here:

1.) Plan how to use your time! I like to start my Math class with a quick warm up and skill review and then move onto a mini-lesson when needed. Some new concepts can be taught to the whole group quickly and then reinforced in centers / stations. Some need longer time. This is where you have to decide what is best for your classroom, but a few helpful blogs have great ideas for scheduling:

 

2.) Find or create a simple lesson plan template and/or small group template:

3.) Set up a binder to keep schedules, plans, templates, and notes.

4.) Pick and post your rotation system.

5.) Group students by ability or interest. Grouping should be flexible and change often based on student’s individual needs.  For example, sometimes you may need to group students who need re-teaching on a specific skill and other days you may need to group students based on interests when planning projects. Another idea is to sometimes work with students you know will need extra help and pre-teach them a skill you will be teaching the whole class later in the week. This can save you time re-teaching later and will help boost their confidence and success when the class learns the skill.

6.) Teach your students the expectations for groups.

7.) Set up an organizational system and teach your students how the system works.

9.) Reflect and Plan for Next Time:  When you get to the end of the schedule, take some time to reflect before setting up the next rotation.  What worked? What was confusing? etc… This is also a time to look at your student groups and decide if you need to change anyone to a new group.

For more ideas, check out my Pinterest Board “Guided Math”.