Write On Plastic Pocket Charts

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

Check out this cool idea a reader submitted. It’s simple, but genius!

If you use a pocket chart to hold vocabulary words, you can diagram them right on the pocket! Use an overhead marker or a whiteboard marker to diagram words onto the clear front pocket of the chart! This way, you can leave it up for the week while you’re focusing on a specific principle, and you don’t have to write on the word strip.

Have any other great ideas? Send them to me (squareheadteachers at gmail dot com) and I’ll post them on this blog! Thanks!

Last Minute Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

Sometimes I don’t get my act together in time to pull off the fabulous crafts that other teachers do. So here’s a collection of easy last-minute Thanksgiving crafts you can do with your class (or any kids):

Paper plate turkey! Click here for directions.

Paper loop turkey! Click here for directions.

But what if you’re tired of doing turkey this and turkey that. I hear you, my friend!
Try these non-turkey crafts:

How about a cute popsicle stick scarecrow? Click here for directions.

I absolutely loved this one! The Mayflower often gets forgotten among Thanksgiving crafts but this hand print Mayflower craft is too cute and too easy NOT to do! Get directions here.

Make a thankful leaf wreath (say that 3 times fast!).
Sorry, no directions available, but here’s where I found the photo.

Have any other ideas that need to be shared? Let me know! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Equivalent Percents & Decimals

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

Thanksgiving equivalents STICKER Converting percents and decimals is easy as PIE… especially around Thanksgiving! But seriously, practice makes perfect. For me as a young student, this was just something that eventually clicked one day; the more practice, the better. Here’s a page of practice with equivalent percents and decimals with a Thanksgiving theme.

Click here to download the page: Thanksgiving Pie Number Matching – decimal percent 2

What’s My Equation? Array Math Puzzles

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

Here’s a simple idea that one reader submitted. Cut out a bunch of paper fall leaves (or any seasonal shape, like snowflakes for winter, hearts for Valentine’s Day, etc.) and laminate them. Then attach a magnet to the back.

Then put an array up on your white board. Ask your students what equation is depicted. There will be more than one way to write the equation.

Then discuss the answers as a class. For younger grades, the answer could be “4+4+4 = 12″ or +3+3+3+3=12”, but for upper grades the answer could also include “4×3=12” or “3×4=12”.This would make a great warm up for math lessons. Have any great ideas for building number sense? Send them to me at squareheadteachers at gmail dot com. 🙂

Thanksgiving Number Match

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

Thanksgiving number matching STICKER Still working on matching numerals with word form numbers? Check out this simple page for kindergarten or first grade. Students write the numerals in the pie with the matching word form number. Enjoy!

Click here to download: Thanksgiving Pie Number Matching – younger grades

Tangrams Turkey (Pattern Blocks)

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

I was TOTALLY inspired by this picture:

(photo source)

Yes, it’s an adorable paper Thanksgiving craft. But it could be SO MUCH MORE! Imagine doing this with your 5th or 6th graders. You first tell them to make a turkey, using any shapes.

Then after they’re done putting the shapes together (and BEFORE they glue on the turkey’s body), they have to figure out all the math characteristics of their project. Including:

number of triangles, rectangles, squares, trapezoids, etc.
Number of vertices, edges, etc.
acute, obtuse and right angles
And the list goes on!

Anyway, I thought this would be a cool way to merge math and art. Know of any other great Thanksgiving crafts or activities for kids? Let me know!

Minimize Distractions and Visual Clutter in Your Classroom

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

Piles and clutter drive me crazy (in my classroom and my home)! And it’s not just physical clutter that I can’t stand. Visual clutter also bugs me. Here’s a super easy trick to hide stuff and minimize the visual clutter in your classroom.

Use panel curtains and a tension rod to hide sections of a bookcase and other areas. But more important than addressing my pet peeve, these curtains minimize the distractions in your classroom. If every inch of your classroom has multiple colors, shapes and patterns in view, your students will have a harder time concentrating on what you’re saying and showing them. I recommend choosing a solid color or light pattern for your fabric. It doesn’t have to be boring white, but it shouldn’t be super eye-catchy. While it’s pretty trendy right now to pick a bright color scheme and use it in every pattern possible all over your room, think about what it does to your students who already have a harder time focusing. Kids only have so much focusing power in them, so help the focus on what’s really important (which probably isn’t your cute color scheme). 🙂

How have you minimized the visual clutter in your classroom? Send me a picture (squareheadteachers at gmail dot com) and I’ll post it here to share with other teachers. Thank you!

Reading Groups Named After Pets

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Squarehead Teachers

I’ve heard all kinds of debate about whether to name leveled groups using colors, animals, etc. One year, my guided reading groups were all animals, which I didn’t think would be a problem. But I had a fellow teacher criticize my naming of groups because “6th graders are too old for animal groups.”

A friend showed me this idea that I really like. The reading groups were named after pets that the teacher had owned over the years. One of the pets was a dog named coco. The group wasn’t called “the Cocos”, but were called “Coco’s Team” or “Team Coco” so that the students were team members rather than animals. (Since the theme was pets, the teacher also chose a weekly “Top Dog Reader” to spotlight good work or improvement.)

I thought this would be a clever way to help your students get to know you while helping with the group naming situation. I’m definitely trying this in the future.

Have a great idea? Send it to me (squareheadteachers at gmail dot com) and I’ll post it so other teachers can benefit. Thanks!