Owl Paws Test Blog: Test Post

Welcome to Teacher Appreciation Week! It's that one time each year where people hopefully pause to say thanks for everything teachers do for their students on a daily basis. This week comes at a time when teachers all over the country are overwhelmed with exhaustion from the end of the year tasks and events and could definitely use some pampering! This linky is all about celebrating teachers...the true heroes! I hope that you take some time this week to browse through the classroom ideas shared by fabulous teachers in classrooms just like yours. We also have put together a couple of amazing prize packages that are certain to brighten the week for the lucky winners!

My first tip is to include spiraling review each day in your classroom. Why is spiral review important? Today's curriculum is jam packed with skills and objectives that are challenging to say the least for young learners. When the curriculum is spiraled, it is revisited over weeks and even months. When this happens the kids are getting the added time they need to master tougher objectives. Each time it is reviewed, they have the opportunity to hear it explained again, possibly using a different method.

This year, I have been able to utilized the spiraling review program published by Mountain Math/Language. Mountain Math/Language has different presentation methods available. My classroom lacks both space and technology so we use the table top flip chart. At the beginning of the year, students complete 4-6 problems when they come to small group instruction time. This is a quick way for me to review skills that we have already learned and to informally assess where reteaching is needed. One of the great things about this program is that the teacher can adjust the pacing for the students.

Once individual students have mastered the concepts, the spiral review can easily be added to math rotations so the learning can continue to solidify. I love how incorporating these few minutes of spiral review into my day has helped my students retain skills as we quickly move through the required curriculum.

Another secret for success in my classroom is purposefully teaching my young mathematicians how to become problem solvers. Problem solvers are able to apply the skills and concepts they have learned in meaningful, authentic situations. Unfortunately, problem solving skills do not come easily for many young learners and must be purposefully modeled, taught, and practiced.

I have found that the most beneficial thing a teacher can do to help develop problem solvers is to be consistent. It is important to incorporate problem solving and mathematical thinking in some capacity on a daily basis. Inconsistency will almost definitely lead to failure.

Regardless of the problem solving format I am using on a particular day, I always guide my students to 1) understand the problem, 2) devise a plan to solve the problem, 3) implement the plan to solve the problem, and 4) reflecting on the problem and how a similar plan could be used to solve other problems.

Although there are many effective problem solving methods, I follow these steps with my students.

Study the Problem

Read the Problem

Restate the Problem in Their Own Words

Question the Problem

What is being asked?

What are you trying to determine?

Prepare for the Problem

Reread the Question

Determine exactly what you are looking for

Eliminate unnecessary information

Devise a plan for solving the problem.

If you don't regularly use problem solving in your classroom, here is a freebie to help get you started. I encourage you to give it a try before the school year is over so you can work out all the kinks and be fully prepared for the start of school next year.

Finally, I wanted to share a couple of quick organizational tips that help keep my classroom running smoothly.

Do your students occasionally forget to put their names on their papers? Mine forget ALL THE TIME! No matter how many times I remind them, I still have kids forget. The frustration of trying to figure out whose paper is whose has led to the development of this turn in system. Each student has their own pocket of a hanging chart. They turn in their work in the pocket that corresponds with their classroom number. When I go to collect papers at the end of the day, I can quickly see who hasn't turned in an assignment and solve the mystery of the no name paper! This has been an almost daily sanity saver in by classroom.

Secondly, I gave up student desks several years ago because I simply hate messy desks! I have found that simple dish trays work well on tabletops to keep materials organized and easily accessible.

In my opinion, teachers can simply never be thanked enough!!!! But, we have tried to put together a couple of exciting prize bundles that will show just a piece of how much we appreciate what teachers do everyday for students in their classrooms. You will not want to miss out on the chance to win one of these prize bundles. Don't forget the more tasks you complete on each rafflecopter, the more chances you have of winning. Also, to double your chances, you can enter to win both prize bundles! Good luck....I would love for one of my readers to be able to win!