Qr Code

How To: QR Code Poster

What is a QR Code and How do I Use it?

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This flyer can be used:

• during a parent-teacher conference as a handout
• at Back to School Night to demonstrate technology integration 
• at Open House to showcase student work!
• as a flyer to send home to parents
• to share with colleagues and posted in the teacher’s lounge to share with PTO 

Click here to get the file!

Common Core Math Diagnostic Tools

The files below are a quick way to capture a students understanding of the various strategies used in Addition and Subtraction units. Each question within an activity is designed to progressively become more challenging, allowing you to quickly identify each student's instructional level. Answer sheets are provided, but are only possible approaches, there may be other ways to demonstrate understanding. 

Addition Within 1000 and Applied Problems

Student Friendly Standards
* OA1 I can solve word problems using objects, drawings, and equations.
* OA2 I can use mental strategies (using doubles plus one, bridging through 10) to easily add within 20. 
* NBT5 I can easily add numbers within 1000 by using strategies I have learned
(decomposing, branching, partial sums, etc)
* NBT6 I can add up to 4 two-digit numbers by using strategies I have learned. 
* NBT8 I can add and subtract 10 or 100 to another number in my head.
* NBT9 I can use place value to explain addition.

This packet can be used:
~ as a formative assessment to share with parents
 ~ as a common assessment to use for regrouping among grade level teams
~as a tool to set ability groups and differentaite instruction
~ as a tool to fill the gaps and find individual strengths and weaknesses
~ to group students by the skill or standard that they have not yet mastered
~ in small groups as a tool to instruct, offer guided practice, and monitor independent practice

Here are just a few of the strategies that I have introduced to my students:

Decomposing 

Composing 

Branching 

The Pull Down Method 

Partial Sums 

Open Number Line 

  

Here are a few samples! There are 10 sheets and 10 answer sheets in the packet!

Click HERE for link to the Packet

Click HERE for link to the Packet

I have provided sample answer sheets. Please note that because the Common Core asks children to think critically, while being able to justify how they arrived at their answer in an efficient way. The answers provided are considered “POSSIBLE” answers. Children may have others ideas. However, they must be able to demonstrate how they arrived at their answer. “I memorized it” is not an explanation. The Common Core also encourages automaticity while exercising flexibility in adding and subtracting through the breaking apart and putting together of numbers. This is why showing doubles and bridging through 10s and 20s in Mental Math activities must be practiced and demonstrated.

 I feel that it is important that my students demonstrate mastery of the various strategies. Later, as I provide performance tasks, I will be asking the students to choose a strategy from the ones above or a strategy that they have created themselves; as long as they can articulate their mathematical thinking clearly to others. Practicing and mastering the above strategies while eliciting other approaches will help children acquire a deeper understanding of our Base Ten System.

Mental Math Strategies

Mental Math

Addition and Subtraction

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This flyer can be used:

• during a parent-teacher conference 

• as a handout in small math groups  

• as a resource for an anchor chart blown up and used placed on a bulletin board 

• laminated and placed in a math center  

• as a handout for students to place in their math notebooks or journals  

• cut apart and used as flash cards

Click HERE to get the file.

Here we go!

Beginning of the year is always exciting! I've been on a mission to create a classroom environment where children feel free to be expressive, inspired, and become thinkers! 

Here are the before images...meanwhile, I am on the hunt for Expedit Shelving from IKEA at a drastically reduced price via CRAIGSLIST! You definitely want to give yourself about a month to find the right piece and price! 

Our Fire Marshal did a sweep and enforced the 20% paper only in our classrooms. Luckily, I was going in that direction anyway as the natural color of the walls began to look more appealing than the brightly colored paper. For some children, it is overwhelming! 

Off with the paper! 

You know this feeling...yikes! How many days do we have?

This year, it's 30 desks for second grade. :( 

The metal overhang was created by my husband, but I would not suggest doing it as it is very heavy and sharp. Luckily, he knows a lot about construction and safety. 

My classroom is a rectangular portable. Unfortunately, we do not have magnetic whiteboards. I'll have to keep an eye out on Craigslist for some. 

Here's the AFTER!

The classroom library is my home away from home! The table in the center has plexiglass on top displaying shells, honeycombs, artifacts, rocks, and so many unique pieces that inspire the scientific, artistic, and historic minds of our future. It was originally from IKEA. I paid $30 for it. It has a drawer to easily slide items in and out while keeping them safe from unknown quick fingers. 

Hanging from the overhang is a gold leaf covered map. The class receives passports and each week we travel the world. I use pinterest to quickly access images and sites that I share with students. I also use Google Earth as we ascend and descend to our destinations. At the end of each week, we scratch off a country! They LOVE it! 

I picked up the IKEA shelf off of craigslist for $40. Chairs from Big Lots and Walmart! I adorn the shelves with artist brushes, catapults, pendulum balls, and goggles!  I also have each cubicle categorically labeled. I'll add the files soon! 

 

This design is a lot of fun! I added one more square because I now have 30 cuties! 

The READ BOOKS sign I found at Marshalls.

This is our Classroom Economy List with description for each job! I'll attach a file soon! 

The yellow is coming down soon, but you can see the doc cam, projector and 6 students fit perfectly around a rectangular table that I have sitting on top of two sets of file cubbies. This offers a lot of additional storage. I have my students in groups of four because I am dead set on having them work in cooperative groups. I am a GLAD Key Trainer and this model works beautifully! LOVE IT!

Here's my sweet Bearded Dragon, Auzzie!

I'll add more soon!