Spark Student Motivation Saturday

I really enjoy linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays.

I've always struggled with teaching writing. No matter what grade level I was teaching. Writing is hard for kids, so they're not always motivated to do their best. So often, I find that students rush through writing assignments just to get them done. So, this year I decided to go back to a classic Writer's Workshop. Students have journals, folders, writer's offices, these great prompts from Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations, and we have quiet writing time. I can conference with individuals, pull small groups for skills work (Like my Making and Changing word lists), and kids can begin to love writing, while building stamina and improving!

I still have writing tasks and assignments, but not all the time. And when kids finish those tasks early, they know how to write for themselves, for fun!

I think giving kids choice is always motivating! And it build independence. That's a BIG plus! :)

Spark Student Motivation Saturday

I'm here to link up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays!

I downloaded these great science kits for Valentine's Day this year. Instead of loading my kiddos up on MORE sugar, I made these science kits. It worked out really well because our Valentine's Day celebration was the day before our week long winter vacation! So, the second graders had some great science experiments to get them through the vacation!

Now, that was so successful, that I decided to purchase more of the Science kits from TPT and send science experiments home for the next vacation that's coming up, too! My school does not give second grade a time to teach science (we teach it through our ELA time), so we do not get to do as many experiments as I would like. Kids love hands on experiences!

Click here if you're interested in Teach-a-Roo's Science kits!

Spark Student Motivation Saturdays

I'm here to link up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays!

Just a snapshot of the writing in my second grade class!

I have been using Reader Response Journals since I was a fourth grade teacher, and I still love them. Basically, I write a letter to each of my students each week, and they write back to me. You can see from above that some kiddos get more scaffolding than others, depending on their needs. The first paragraph is personal and fun, and the second paragraph is focused on our most recent guided reading text.

I really love pulling these journals out during parent-teacher conferences for families to observe how far their children have come! I encourage students to do the same, reminding them that each letter should be an improvement, and our focus is on growth.

Spark Student Motivation Saturdays

I'm here to link up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays!

I was a fourth grade teacher for five years, and last year I switched to second grade. It has been a GREAT transition. One area I've always struggled with, though, was word work. I could create spelling activities, but coming up with the making and changing words activities on the fly was a big challenge for me. I felt like I was always making my word work too easy for my second graders.

Then, I thought about my close reading and my read aloud time. In the beginning of my career I thought I could come up with text-based questions in the spur of the moment. When I started to re-evaluate my close reading and read aloud time, I realized that my questions weren't always text-dependent. I started jotting down some questions ahead of time on a Post It and saw great results. So, I applied that same strategy to my word work!

I spent my February vacation generating 267 Making and Changing words lists, organized by text level, to implement during my Daily 5 time as a partner activity with whiteboards AND for my own use during small skills groups. I am super duper excited about this addition to my classroom and I think it will be SO motivating for the kiddos!! I mean, come on, kids love whiteboard time! (And if they do a nice job following directions during Making and Changing words activities, I usually give them 30 seconds of doodle time. They LIVE for that!)

Check it out here! :)

Spark Student Motivation Saturday

I'm here, linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching, for Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

Our class had so much fun with our SECRET AGENT day!

(Grab the FREEBIE here!)

I used white string and black lights to set the stage. 

Kiddos were each given a badge, glow stick, and spy glasses.

They also used their Flashlight Friday flashlights and our lanterns around the room to see their work!

I had a CCLS aligned task to go with each subject area, four total.

The close reading and summarizing piece was my favorite! We worked at the back table in small groups to read and highlight the important information with a lantern, and then turned off the lantern so the black lights made what we highlighted GLOW. It made summarizing the MOST important information that much easier for the little second graders.

It was a fun day!

Spark Student Motivation Saturdays

Meg here, linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching, for Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

I set up a new writing station using this gem from Mel D-Seusstastic.

We do SO MUCH nonfiction writing, and the kiddos in second grade needed some help with their creative writing game. These organizers and templates help the kiddos jump right into writing.

....Instead of "thinking" about what to write for 20 minutes. :)

I'm really liking the set up, too! I used file folders stapled on the bulletin board as pockets. The colors go with my classroom color scheme and it's easy access for kiddos! I also put the example writing piece on the outside of the file folder so 1) the kids can see an example and 2) I know what to photocopy more of when they run out!

This has been a hit during Work on Writing time in Daily 5, so YAY!!!

Spark Student Motivation Saturday

I'm here, linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching, for Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

Class t-shirts!

I think that making your class as EXCITING as possible is always the way to motivate kiddos! Every child in my school knows that our class creates these AWESOME class t-shirts every year, and if you're in my class, it's definitely something to look forward to.

Each child uses a fine Sharpie to draw themselves and sign their name on an index card. (We discuss exaggerating our character traits or something unique that makes us special - like glasses, curly hair, earrings, etc.)

Next, we choose a t-shirt color. Kids pay $8 for a t-shirt. If they can't pay, I usually pay for them. Every year, I've had at least one parent send in extra money to help pay for another student's t-shirt because I do work in a lower income district and $8 is not easy for everyone to come by.

I send our pictures and money to Whitney Daniels Designs, where they are famous for this "self portrait" t-shirt. In about 6 weeks, we are sporting these stylish t-shirts that kids can keep for years to come!

I've been creating these t-shirts for five years now, and they are always beautiful. I do order a few extra, just in case we get new students throughout the year. We wear them for special days at school, field trips, etc.

Spark Student Motivation Saturday - January 9, 2016

I'm here, linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching, for Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

This year, I have a lovely class. But they need a lot of motivation! I feel like I'm constantly one upping myself to make our lessons even more engaging and exciting to get them going! In order to introduce my latest read aloud, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we had a yellow brick road leading us from the classroom doorway to our meeting area, where the book was located and introduced.

While reading this beautiful pop up book, we enjoyed a visit from the Wicked Witch of the West. (I stuff striped tights with newspaper and hung the legs from behind a curtain in the classroom.)

Next, we ate cupcakes make to look like witch's hats with ice cream cones on them!

We're finished with the book, but we'll be watching the movie and doing some comparing and contrasting next week. In addition, I'll be baking a layered cake with the colors of the rainbow on each layer for the kiddos to enjoy while watching the movie!

Happy weekend, everyone!

P.S. I'm having a 20% off EVERYTHING sale on TPT. Check it out!

Spark Student Motivation Saturday

I'm linking up on this LOVELY Saturday with Joanne over at Head Over Heels For Teaching. You know what that means...Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

AdaptedMind

Has anyone tried Adapted Mind? 

It's a website that teachers can sign their classes up for. Each child has a password, and as they answer reading/math questions, the website differentiates automatically.

I guess it's usually around $200 for a yearly subscription, but right now they are having some special deal...another teacher in my district sent me an email that if we get 5 teachers in the district to sign up, the subscription is FREE!

Spark Student Motivation Saturday: Plickers

I'm linking up on this relaxing Saturday with Joanne over at Head Over Heels For Teaching. You know what that means...Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

This is a sweet idea that one of my colleagues found online that I've been fiddling with all morning! A neat way to quickly assess students through the use of multiple choice questions...

PLICKERS!

So, here's how this free site works. Sign up FOR FREE using an email address. Create a class and add your students. Print the cards. (Each kids receives their own card, and the cards look kooky...but by turning the cards, they create A, B, C, or D answers) The teacher downloads the plicker app to a phone or iPad. When asking questions, the teacher scans the room as kids hold up their individual cards. Immediately, the responses are graphed on the iPad! You can display the data and discuss or use it to drive instruction!

Kiddos hold up their individual cards. Directionality determines their answer choice.

Cards!

Immediate results!

This seems like an awesome way to motivate students and act as a GREAT formative assessment tools for teachers! I'm trying it this week!

Spark Student Motivation Saturday

Happy Saturday!!! I'm linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays!

Not sure if anyone else has this September issue, but I always have June fourth graders stuck in my head in September. I think that's why the beginning of the year is so challenging for me...my last memories of teaching a class is full of kiddos who love learning, know the routines, and are completely self-motivated. But I have to kick myself in the pants and remember that we, as awesome teachers, must GET THEM THERE!

So, how do we do it?

Choice is so important. 

I battled one student last year. Over and over and over again during Writing Workshop. He refused to participate in any of my fabulous writing projects. REFUSED. Now, this young man was beyond smart, but lacked motivation. Finally, I gave in. I asked him what he would like to write about. I let him get on a computer to type, like a real writer might do, without drafting or editing or ANYTHING. It was tough for a control freak like myself to let him go do his thang, but he did. He spent the majority of the year working on his NOVEL. Yep. Chapters and characters and a plot full of fantasy. At the end of the year, the novel was not completed, so we put it on a flash drive and he took it home to continue working on. I spoke with his dad recently, and apparently the novel is still in the works. I guess giving up control and trusting the kids can work!

This year, I have a little boy who hates writing. Like, all writing. So, instead of doing our writing pieces, he has asked to research rocks and minerals - his passion. I allowed it, under one condition. He must take notes. And he does. 

So, I suppose there are students who need the structure and guidance their teacher provides and there are some students who need freedom and choice to flourish. 

Spark Student Motivation Saturdays

I'm a day late...but I'm still linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays! (Sunday...oops!)

Today is all about my FAVORITE FREE IPAD GAME! It's educational and awesome. And it's called...FRACTION KITCHEN!

Now, my school has an iPad cart with 25 iPads, so I requested this game be put on each iPad for when I borrow the cart. I also have a few iPod Touches in my classroom, so I put this game on those as well.The kiddos will literally do ANYTHING to play Fraction Kitchen. Motivating, right?

This game is cool because the kids select which meal they would like to make. They slice fruits and veggies and place a certain fraction in tupperware. They need to crack a fraction of a dozen eggs. They need to convert times when using the microwave. Lots of fractions and math! It's so much fun!

One warning: Sometimes it's hard. This is not a September in fourth grade game. I introduce it in January, when we've dipped our feet in the fraction pool a bit.

Spark Student Motivation Saturdays Linky Party

I'm linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for Spark Student Motivation Saturdays!

"Let It Go," from Frozen, is a catchy song. Pretty awesome and very popular right now, obviously. Not sure if anyone else saw this version of "Let It Go" that some super cool teachers recreated for their students during testing week, but it is very motivational! One of my teacher friends told me about it, and while I did not use it the morning of the test...because "Let It Go" hums would be heard during the test, I'm sure....I did show it to my kiddos and they loved it!

Let It Go Testing Song

In fourth grade, we also like the parody that gained popularity last year, "Test Me, Maybe." It's a testing version of "Call Me, Maybe." Of course the boys are quite dramatic and cover their ears because they are now too cool for this song, but the girls liked it!

Test Me, Maybe


In other student motivating news, I've been quite busy recently, preparing for our annual class Reading Marathon! We spend an entire day reading! Kiddos wear pajamas to school. Their morning work is to select their books for the day. Usually I ask for 3 novels and no more than 10 picture books. Next, we all find cozy places and READ! I read, too! Sometimes I read with kids, sometimes I read my own book! I try to set a good example, you know, show that I love reading too!

Anyway, I have "checkpoints," where kids answer questions in a Reading Marathon trifold. The questions might be about visualizing, theme, character traits, etc. They finish the question, share with a neighbor, and get back to reading! I even make each child a Reading Marathon water bottle. Gotta stay hydrated during a marathon!

Reading Marathon GoogleDoc