This was too cute not to share. This teacher gives her students “brownie points.” But the problem was that brownies look kind of weird up at the front of the room. brown squares weren’t as cute and motivating as sweet cupcakes. She uses a brownie pan as the “tracking sheet.” The cupcake papers are laminated and attached to magnets. Here’s a picture:
I saw this idea in an upper grade classroom and thought it was pretty cool. It’s a bulletin board about the things a good reader does: C R A F T
Comprehension: I understand what I read
Response to Text: I respond with thought and detail
Accuracy: I can read a variety of words
Fluency: I can read with accuracy and expression
Text Features: I understand and utilize text features
The teacher focuses on a reading skill and makes anchor charts that go with it. The anchor chart goes on the bulletin board to be referred to later.
This poster is an example of how students should do their math work. The poster shows how students should do their math work: specific heading, numbered problems, write problems left to right in rows rather than columns and the answers are circled. It’s a great way to help students remember what they need before turning in a paper. In addition, it’s a great reminder of how to do some basic math algorithms (in case your students forget).
Here’s an idea submitted by a reader. This teacher has a “calm down box” in her classroom. She put stress balls, timers and other tangible things in the box and when students get overwhelmed or need some alone time, they can sit at a table with the box and calm down.
It’s always good practice to let your students know what they’re being graded on. So here’s a generic writing rubric you can use to grade any elementary school writing project. There are 4 on a page, so it won’t waste paper. I always put a stack of these next to the turn-in tray and have students attach the rubric (along with their outlines, rough drafts, etc.) before turning it on. It saves me SO much time having them do it rather than me doing it. If I am having the whole class turn it in at the same time, I pass out the rubrics and send a few staplers around so everyone gets it staples in before they’re passed to me.
Click here for the PDF of the printable rubric: Writing Rubric – 4 per page
I recently needed a worksheet to assess students’ knowledge of adjectives vs. adverbs. So here’s a 20 question page to help you know if your grammar lesson worked or not! Enjoy!
Click here for the free printable PDF:
adverbs adjectives worksheet
adverbs adjectives worksheet ANSWERS
Here are some review pages (half sheet; so run off only half the number of students in your class and cut the sheets in half). These pages review names of 3D geometric shapes (cube, rectangular prism, sphere, etc.) as well as parts of 2- and 3D shapes (vertices, edges, etc.).
Click here for the free printable PDFs:
3D Shapes Review 1
3D Shapes Review 2
Here’s the last of my prepositions worksheets for this winter. Here’s the third grammar practice page focusing on prepositions. I used these for my ESL students. Click here for the free printable PDF: Snowman Prepositions 3 PDF
I may decide to use Squarehead Snowman in future worksheets. Any thoughts?
Yesterday, I posted my first worksheet helping my ESL students with prepositions. Here’s my second free printable prepositions worksheet: Snowman Prepositions 2 PDF Enjoy!
Squarehead Teachers 