Cooperative Groups Made (Well, Slightly) Easier Having students work in cooperative groups can be a nightmare! Often there is fighting, someone not doing his work, and/or group division. So how did I overcome this? (At least to large extent, I am not a miracle worker ;) ) Well, through trial and error of course! So here are some things I learned. Student Arguments Our first inclination when a student comes over and immediately says, “So and So just________________me.” is to go and fix the problem so we can all get back to learning. Right? Don't Do It! Instead, call the other student over and make them face each other. Have the students talk it out. Most of the time you won’t need to say much, if anything. Sometimes though, you will need to guide your students in solving the conflict. But after a while you will hear the students begin to try to solve their own conflicts first. Save your sanity and teach conflict resolution while you are at it! Group Rules and Consequence Like many of you, I begin the year establishing boundaries through a class contract. Children need to know what to expect. (Remember your Harry Wong?) But groups must also know what to expect from each other. Short Term Groups- Have students discuss the goal before ever handing out materials for the task. Next, they can orally or write how they will achieve. Who will do what? If there are tools, who will use them? How will they take turns, etc. Once they have agreed to how they will accomplish the goal then give materials. Long Term Groups- Just like you would write a class contract at the beginning of the year, have your group write some “rules”, “agreements”, etc. to guide their group work. The first few times you should definitely walk your groups through this process or you might get some superfluous rules (i.e. Everyone must wear pink on Tuesdays.). Next, I would have your groups establish a series of consequences. For example, a group verbal warning that a student isn’t follow directions. On the second violation, a student may be asked to hand over an item of distraction, give up a privilege, etc. (At my school, their ipads were usually the culprit. But it may be a toy, book, etc.) The third violation the group may vote that the student should have a meeting with Mrs. O. Notice that I didn’t have to step in until after the group had met three times. Most of the time, I had made my rounds during group work and already met with the group/student before it ever reached a point that they voted. Groups kept these contracts in a folder with their group work. Role Play At the beginning of each time you switch up groups, do some role playing to test out their conflict management. Type up some situations you are seeing in your classroom (with fake names, details, etc.) and give them to the new groups. Have the kids share how they would solve the problems. Next, have them create skits, comics, posters, songs, etc. to promote the acceptable behaviors. It may seem a little silly to them, but it’s much easier to practice this skill when no one is truly angry and allowing for creativity at the beginning of a group allows other students to see each others strengths! Literature Be sure to select books every now and then that show characters with admirable qualities and great cooperative skills. Spend a few minutes reflecting on the qualities you liked and how the conflict was solved. Reading books like this will help establish that culture, I promise! Recognize and Compliment Have a space in your room to celebrate kindness, cooperation, and good work! Your students will start to look for things others are doing well. And one of the fastest ways to get a rowdy class until control is to compliment an on task student. We all like a pat on the back. I know I do! Your kids will too. Books to use to teach about cooperation and collaboration: Being a Friend: Do Unto Otters, Scaredy Squirrel Makes A Friend, Nerdy Birdy Being an Individual: Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon, A Bad Case of Stripes, Stella Luna, Cooperation/Your Actions From Someone Else’s Perspective: The Day the Crayons Went on Strike, Cowboys vs. Pirates Hey Little Ant, Stone Soup, The Sneetches, The Dot, Princess Justina Albertina Sharing: The Giving Tree, Enemy Pie How to Get What You Want: Who Flung the Dung? Those Darn Squirrels! Pig the Pug Marlene, Marlene the Queen of Mean Responsibility/ Problem Solving: Strega Nona, The Wump World, Iqbal and the Ingenious Idea I used these books with third to fifth graders. So, do you have any suggestions or books you like?
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ESHave you ever asked a child to estimate anything before? You will get some bizarre answers. Then again how many times has a kid asked me if I was twenty and the next day a different asks me if I am in my 70s? (Not great examples of estimation, but you get my point. I look for good for 70, by the way.... And really bad for 20s. ) Any who! Estimating is an essential skill in Math. Your best students seem to do this naturally. They whiz through rote practice, conquer word problems, can pick out number intervals for number lines, and pick a part multiple choice answers like beasts. Why? Number Sense. They have it. They don’t have the cutesy poem memorized. They have major math muscles! (Ah!!! She said what?! Wait! Don't stop reading yet! AFTER, your students have a good understanding of the concept, I am all about mnemonics, songs, and poems! ) Number sense has to be built into our students. Most of our students do not come naturally to it. Therefore, it is our jobs as educators to do it daily and effectively. So how can you get estimation and number sense into your daily routine? Here are some ideas and tips… Tip # 1- DO NOT TEACH THE POEM FIRST!!!! (Forget “5 or more for a little while!” We’ll come back to it, I promise!) Tip # 2: Teach it with real world objects and situations, first and always!!!!! Here are some ideas... *Pull out different colored bears, blocks, foam pieces, etc. Then quick! Estimate how many and record your students responses. Don’t let them count! Just guess then you can count together. This is quick and easy and gets them thinking! *Ask your students… How long do you think __________________ is? Record responses then measure. *How long do you think it would take us to… *How much liquid do you think this ______________ will hold? These activities can be done at each grade level and even in Guided Math groups. Just adjust the measurements according to your standard. Younger grades may measure in hands or to nearest inches. Older grade may estimate to the nearest half of an inch, minute, etc. (Yes, you can use the candy jar, but don’t let this be your only activity!) Tip # 3-Number lines, number lines, number lines! Use them! They are your best friends!!!! I have used clothes pin number lines, students and jump ropes as number lines, number lines on the Smartboard, chalk number lines, vertical number lines, number lines that look like mountains, roller coasters, cities, etc. Number lines that count by 2s, number lines that start at 14, and so many more. When students can visually see what their number is closer to, they quickly and easily estimate. The more often they practice, the more their number sense grows! Tip #4- Use Number talks! I know you think, I don’t have time for those. And have you ever tried them? Yes! They are worth the time and effort it takes to develop, I promise. Go on Youtube and watch teachers have number talks. Develop your own routine. It helps in so many ways!!!! For now, I am going to way oversimplify this process. Give you a very brief overview of what I did in my classroom with great results. 1. Pose a problem on the board or anchor chart. Example- 58 + 61 =? 2. Give 60-90 seconds to allow kids to think over answer. 3. Call on several students to give their sum. Record under a heading with something like “Possible Sums” (Always model great math vocabulary! If you aren’t using it, they won’t!) 4. After several student solutions (no processes yet) I always give/record a “crazy answer”. 5. Next, I ask students to think/pair/share. They should discuss if we can eliminate any answers. They must be ready to prove it! (And no names when it is time to eliminate, just the answer.) 6. Allow students to tell you what they answers they eliminated and why. (You will need to model this routine for them, it will not come naturally at first.) After several number talks, at least some your students should tell you through estimation, a justification that will get rid of an answer or two. And look! You have higher level thinking, students talking and interacting, and you get to walk around and monitor thinking and behavior! (It’s good teaching and looks great on TTESS, just saying.) Example: Crazy Answer- 15 Justification- It can’t be 15. 58 is close to 60. 61 is close to 60. 60 + 60 = 120. We are finding the sum of two whole numbers. Our sum should get larger since we are joining two groups. 7. Now, cross out any sums that don’t make sense. 8. Allow students to share their processes. I always write down what they are saying step by step. 9. Finally, we solve using standard algorithm. Tip # 5- Games, Games, Games!!!!! Play games whenever you get the chance! Kids love them, they are engaging, and competition is a great way to learn! Look at my estimation page for some interactives as well as some printables. https://ciaraoneal.weebly.com/estimation.html So there you have it! Those are my five tips for incorporating estimation and number sense into your classroom. After I have built in these routines, then I teach with the mnemonics, songs, and poems. But the understanding HAS to be there first. Do you have a favorite way to teach estimation? Share it with us!!!! Check out my lessons and games on TPT by clicking the pictures below. This last year, I was fortunate enough to be apart of cohort through UT. After reading some more of the books, our professor gave us I started thinking problem solving, brain storm, and more. As an adult facing a problem, I don’t tend to generate a list of possible solutions. Through experience (and trial and error) I’ve learned what to do when various types of problems arise. But often times I forget that my students most likely won’t face problems that are not immediately solved for them by older siblings, electronics, or parents. (And yes, sometimes by myself, guilty!) Students need to spend time generating ideas about how to solve problems of many varieties. Brainstorming establishes connections between ideas and methods to solve problems. These connections will help build up your students’ mental tool box. And the more tools your students have, the more likely they are to be successful in any given problem solving situation. Brainstorming in Math- Before beginning a word problem, have your students list all the possible ways to solve it. Don’t reject any ideas, even if they are blatantly wrong. Next, sort them into Good Ideas, Better Ideas, and Best Ideas. Allow students time to verbalize or write (either whole or small groups) their justifications for the placement of each strategy. Practicing this several times a week will help your students remember and connect the skills they have already learned. It will also help them analyze mathematical process on a deeper level. It may spark an interesting debate even. Example; Mrs. O has 24 students in her class. She wants each student to have 64 cubes for the math lesson today. If she has 1,500 cubes, will she have enough cubes for each student? Strategies to solve this: Repeated Addition Multiplication Make a T Chart Draw a Picture Subtract Divide Examples of thinking: (Yes, you will have to model it for them often.) * I would put adding into the better ideas. I would not put it into the best ideas because I don’t want to add 64 twenty- four times. It would be faster to multiply. *Or, I would put drawing a picture in the better ideas because drawing base 10 blocks twenty four times is going to take too long. *We probably wouldn’t want to divide because the problem is not asking us to share 64 things between the 24 students. Brainstorming in Science Cause and Effect- Pose a problem and let students brainstorm a list of possible causes. (My plant died. What do you think happened to it? A certain type of animal disappeared from this region, why do you think that is?) Yes, you might hear that aliens abducted your cows. Allowing the creative responses every now and then is okay (and dare I say healthy for your classroom). Later, when your students sort the ideas Good, Better, and Best, your students will know that aliens did not steal the cows. J And use your judgment. If you know the class would take that response and run the wrong the direction with this exercise then don’t do whole group. Instead, allow them to generate the list in groups. Limit each group to one creative answer and two logical causes per group. They’ll regulate themselves. J Mystery Matter or Vocabulary- Brainstorm a list of question to ask about something in a bag or a hidden vocabulary word. Next, give them a clue. Let them answer or discard their own questions. Finally, have them make a final guess and reveal the mystery. (My students love this!) Part of the Whole- Show a part of a picture or article. Allow students to generate a list of questions. What does a word mean? Why does it have this? Will we be studying something to do with plants? Once a student asks a question fairly close to the content, encourage more questions along those same lines. Keep these questions until after you finished the unit or reading the article. Finally have the students answer their own questions. Okay, there you have it. Do you use brainstorming in Math or Science? Like what you read here? Check out my Teacher Pay Teacher Store! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cups-And-Pages Pig the Pug is a Winner! Well, kind of... He actually is kind of a toot! But, can I just say how much I love him anyways?! I use him all the time to solve conflicts between my kids and teach desired character traits. I have five kids! Needless to say, there is always conflict at some point! Enter Pig! This last summer I struggled to find a way to teach my ten and seven year old that it is not okay to quit games just because you are losing. On the flip side, I had to teach the nine year old, it is not nice to rub it in when you win. In Pig the Winner, Pig and Trevor face this very problem! After we all set down and read the book together, we had a family meeting about how we wanted others to treat us during games. It worked! Yay! What else does Pig teach? We all know that one on one time with your kids is a commodity. They want attention and will try anything to get it sometimes! Enter Pig! In Pig the Star, Pig and Trevor are looking fabulous at a photo shoot until Pig feels the need to hog the spotlight. After we giggled our way through the hilarious illustrations (and put the Corgi in a tutu), we had a lot of good feedback on Pig’s behavior and positive ways to get attention at home and school. So even though Pig is selfish and self centered, he always learns a valuable lesson by the end of the book! Use him in your classroom or home to teach desired traits or do a character study in the classroom. Have your kids evaluate his actions to determine his character traits. And as always ask your kids what he learned! Chances are they will recognize their actions in Pig without you having to say a word! Do you have a favorite book where the characters learn a lesson? Tell me about it in the comments below. Teachers friends, check out my teacher pay teacher products by clicking below or leave me a comment on things you’d like to see! Over the years, I have tried many different procedures to try to save myself time and energy. Most Fridays, I would get home tired and grumpy. My husband or kids would ask me if I wanted to do somethings and here I was.... -> It took time and some trial and error, but I finally found my teacher groove. No one way will work for everyone, but I found these procedures to be effective. So without further ado... Procedure # 1 “If you want a grade, put your name on it!!!” Inevitably, you have a student or two that NEVER puts his or her name on the paper. I always ask my students at the beginning of the year, "Alright, who wants a free point?" Of course they all do. “Alright, Give a put a ——- (star, smiley face, triangle)next to your name.” If anyone did not put his name on the paper, have him do so then. Some years, I even have a partner check to see if they wrote their names. After a day or two, students will ask me what they should write next to their names. After a week or so, I slowly wean them off this practice. Usually, I don't have any more issues with no names until we get back in January and then I just do this again. ;) Procedure # 2 Have a mailbox system. Don’t waste your time in the older grades passing out papers! Teach students to pass the out! (If I get any new students, they always get plugged in at the end. It’s too complicated for me to shuffle the numbers each time.) Procedure # 3 Fold graded papers, so that grades are on the inside and students can help you pass them out without breaking FERPA. I have my students fold their papers vertically (or hot dog style). On the outside, they write their name and class number (given to them based on the last name or order in grade book. And yes, this takes a little modeling at first, but it is beyond worth it). When I collect the papers, I call out their numbers. I stack them in number order. This cuts way down on grading time and trying to figure out who didn’t hand their paper in. I have a sticky note nearby to note anyone not finished or anyone absent. Procedure/Tip # 4 Don’t grade everything. And don’t try to grade it all yourself. I rarely grade student papers myself, at least initially! I feel that it is far more productive to have students grade their own papers. They gain instant feedback and can ask for help quicker. I even have them write a quick reflection of something they need to work on or why they think they understood the concept well. (Principals love to see this. This is a great way to get students to take ownership of their own learning.) That’s not to say I didn’t look over it their work. I had to deal with a little bit of cheating at first. But teaching them how to grade it themselves has so many benefits! Procedure #5 Have a place on the board where you consistently write page numbers, titles, or instructions on the board. You will quit getting so many. "What are we doing?" What page are we supposed to be on?" Procedure # 6 Post your objectives for the lesson. This practice comes in handy for many reasons.
Any questions about these procedures? Do you have any procedures you like? Like what you read? Check out my Teacher Pay teacher Store!
Whenever I am asked what my all time favorite book is I always say... I CAN'T DECIDE!!!! But every time I read this book, Those Darn Squirrels, I hug it. That's right, I admit it, I am a book hugger. And yes, my students always think I am crazy, and my own kids know I am.
There are so many reasons to love this book! Besides the entertaining story and hilarious illustrations, the reader sees Mr. Fookwire and the squirrels changes throughout the book. I have had students write about their changes in their journals or even respond to it on blog posts. It's also always interesting and entertaining to ask my students to debate on whether Mr. Fookwire should share the seed or not. Lastly, this is a great STEM read! Both Mr. Fookwire and the squirrels have to be crafty and use their resources to stop the "enemy"! Use this book to inspire your students to defend their own seed. Or use it as an engage piece for a force and motion lesson! Either way. I love this book! Do you have a book that is an absolute must read? Tell me about it below. Or, check out my Squirrelly Context Clues for activity to accompany this book by clicking the image below! Teaching context clues can be complicated. It’s hard to find text that meet various levels and provide different types of clues to practice. That is why I love using Bilingual books even in monolingual classrooms. My Spanish speakers love leading the way during these lessons and most of my monolingual students don’t know any of the Spanish words! Be sure to pick bilingual books that contain mostly English sentences with one, maybe two, Spanish words in a paragraph. Full sentence translations won’t help your students. And too many Spanish words in a paragraph can also cause confusion. Before I read, I remind students of these strategies:
I really love the Skippyjon Jones series, any of those books are great!!! But here are a few more...
Check out my web page for online games and a video on Context Clues. https://ciaraoneal.weebly.com/context-clues.html If you like what you read here or my site, visit
my Teacher Pay Teachers by clicking on the poster below! It's that time again!!!! Have you spent way too much money on school supplies???!!!! Me too!!!! Here are some fun reads to help you jump start your classroom culture of tolerance, perseverance, and learning! Nerdy Birdy- Who doesn't have odd quirks? Why try to fit it when you were born to stand out? This fun book with silly illustrations will have your kids laughing but also learning to love themselves for who they are. But will Nerdy Birdy be able to accept others for who they are? Read this book to find out! (Also, are you looking for a fun activity to go with this book for the first day of school? Check out my Nerdy Birdies activity over at Teacher Pay Teachers. If your interested by clicking on the pictures below. ;) Pirates vs. Cowboys- Okay, I admit I love Pirates. I remember my first year teaching in the States, asking my principal if I could do a Pirate theme. She said she thought it was a little too violent, Avast. I mean alas! Anyways, we have students from all different backgrounds in our rooms. They even speak different languages! It can be challenging to get them to communicate effectively even when they are speaking the same language. When Pirates and Cowboys meet up and start having communication problems, it will take an effective communicator and finding commonalities to prevent a war! Use this with your students to talk about HOW to talk to others. You could create sentence stems and have them use them throughout the year. This book would also be a great lesson in comparison and contrast! Blackout- Blackout is a great book about making the best of surprise situations! What is everyone going to do when the electricity goes out? This "when life gives you lemons" book could be a great writing prompt about how to make positive out unexpected, possibly hard situations! The Word Collector- If you use word walls, you'll love this book! Jerome is a word collector in this colorful picture book. Get your kids excited about vocabulary too! Helpful hint- have your class create actions for each word as you put it up there. Call on word leaders when you need a filler or want to review what a word means. The word leader can point at review words with a fun pointer, a flashlight, or play charades with the words!!! Alright my friends, hope you have a fabulous year. Let me know what you think or click on the image below to check out my Teacher Pay Teacher Store to find lessons, games, activities and more! |
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