A Reflection on a WONDERful 2017 School Year

It has been such a WONDERful school year so far! As I reread through my previous Wonder post, it's great to reflect on the year. Not sure if I'm alone on this, but I always come into a new school year super ambitious. Then reality sets in a little bit, and time tends to slip away. I made a "bucket list" of goals, and I didn't complete each piece yet, but it's exciting to see what new ideas have come up, and what adjustments I have made. Here was my bucket list:

My Bucket List:

• Wonder: Certified Kind Classroom Challenge
• Precept Picker
• Mystery Meet Ups
• Classroom Community Service
• Engineering Design Project
• Incorporate Related Nonfiction Text
• Kindness Ambassador

I'm going to start by sharing some of the unplanned twists and turns I took this school year. After hearing discussions from students and learning so much from the NCTE conference, I did some new activities that really helped build community. 

Unplanned Excitement!

Wonder Themed Halloween Costume!

Remember in my last post when I said I only got to dress up as a Wonder themed Halloween costume once?? Well, yet again I fudged the rules! Our theme this year was Emojis....so I DIYed my own Emoji...The kids (and families) loved it! 

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Oct 31, 2017 at 2:25pm PDT

Wonder Family Movie Night

OK, talk about HIGHLIGHT of the school year so far!! I invited families from my class this year and last to join us for a movie night at a theater nearby. The turnout was incredible! I booked one whole theater (the biggest one) for the class, and it was completely filled. The class was SO excited to be there, and it was so special to have the families see how special the story is, too. AMC made it incredibly easy to plan, too. I literally just booked the room. They waived the fee, and parents paid when they got to the theater!

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Dec 1, 2017 at 7:11pm PST

Wonder Debates

I have to say, seeing students do this was a proud teacher moment. When I was in a grad school class a couple years ago, I saw this video showing Pinwheel Discussions. I immediately thought that it would be interesting to try something like this with Wonder. The whole idea of it really captivated me, but I had a hard time figuring out how to get fourth graders to do something this rigorous.

It's different from a book club, and in my opinion, more powerful. 

Here's what I did:

• GOAL: STUDENTS lead a discussion to debate/share higher level thinking about the text: (ie. how their characters would respond in different situations, themes, etc) 
• They have to empathize with the characters,  infer & provide evidence to support their thinking, build on others' ideas, respectfully communicate with one another
• Students were assigned a role: Discussion Director or Character (Auggie, Mrs. Pullman, or Via)
• Discussion Directors had to generate and ask questions to keep the conversation going. They worked as facilitators, ensuring each student gets a voice and that each student is providing evidence to support their thinking. 
• Characters had to become experts on a certain perspective. They had to do research beforehand, analyzing character traits and providing evidence to support thinking. 

What do I LOVE about this activity? 

• Students ran the show. Literally, I just facilitated. 
• It required students to think on their feet! 
• It gave students a voice! 
• They felt accountable. Each student took their role incredibly seriously! 
• Students were ENGAGED!! Every. Single. Student. BEGGED me to do the activity again, and had ideas of what they wanted to debate.

I'm SO sad I don't have any pictures or videos of this. I was observed for this lesson, so I didn't want to be recording the whole time. Not to toot my own horn, but my principal really loved the lesson, too.

COMMENT BELOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW I IMPLEMENTED THIS, MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY DISCUSSED, AND WHAT I PLAN TO DO NEXT WITH DEBATES! 

"What's Your Story" Themed Literacy

With our Personal Narrative unit, I kind of had a "What's Your Story" theme to it (again, THANK YOU to my Advanced Learning Facilitator for helping my students with this so much). We watched a TED Talk, inferred from pictures from Humans of New York, and Skyped with a real-life Auggie! The whole idea is that everyone has a story that should be heard. Naturally humans tend to "write stories" for others, but that can lead to judgement and misunderstanding. Through this we discussed the power of sharing our stories, our perspectives, and taking risks when writing. The discussion we had, and the content of the stories was really incredible. I will absolutely be doing this again! 

COMMENT BELOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW I IMPLEMENTED THIS!

Bucket List Reflection

Wonder: Certified Kind Classroom Challenge

The class has really enjoyed the different components of this. We designed shirts, and have been doing the kindness jar since day 1! Unfortunately we didn't win any of the contests yet, but it has been fun to be a part of such a special community.

Precept Picker

This has been a meaningful part of our weekly class meetings. What I love most about this is that it is a subtle way to give all students a voice. I love seeing what each student picks each week. If students finish early or if there's ever any down time, classmates get to post responses to the quotes. I look forward to seeing how their responses grow over the course of the year.

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Nov 15, 2017 at 7:08pm PST

Wonder Mystery Meet Up

If you read my last post, one of my goals was to start doing mystery meet ups. So far we have connected with classrooms in 6 different states! Students are really eager to take on this challenge, and I love seeing how they work together! We've made so much growth with communication since our first Mystery Meet Up!

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Sep 7, 2017 at 8:43pm PDT

Classroom Community Service

I have not yet dabbled in this piece. Again, I struggle with asking families for money. Does anyone have any suggestions? I DID get this idea from the Facebook Wonder group:

For our Kindness Wonder Jar, instead of using marbles for each act of kindness, we use pennies. When we fill the jar with pennies, we pick an organization to donate to!

Engineering Design Project & Incorporate Related Nonfiction Text

After collaborating with our school's Advanced Learning Facilitator, she made some good points about students designing for the engineering design project...Their designs will probably be more thoughtful if they build their background knowledge on peoples' differences. I plan to do the design project at the end of the year now, and have been building their background knowledge throughout the year. I did an "empathy" themed guided reading week where students did activities that helped them empathize with people who have differences. We then read Nonfiction articles about adaptive technology. Here's a collaborative anchor chart we made. Does anyone have any other resources to help students empathize?  

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Nov 29, 2017 at 5:43pm PST

Kindness Ambassador

I'd love to improve with this. Right now our school is doing a kindness challenge, so the kindness ambassadors have been the ones to remind the class of the weekly kindness challenge. They also keep an eye out for students who haven't been recognized for being "Wonderful" and write Wonderful Student cards for them (see previous post). Does anyone have any other ideas of ways to utilize kindness ambassadors best?

On a Different Note...

I'm working on some new TPT products. I made some Valentines (or really anytime "greeting cards")  for students. More to come, but here's a start!

 Valentine Variety Pack - Style 1

Valentines that are Out of This World! 

TPT Bucket List: 

• MORE Valentine styles
• Wonder Brag Tags

Any Requests?? Comment below!

Looking Forward To...

• Reading my students' Wonder chapters!! They're due this week, and they were SO excited to get creative with this project!! 
• Engineering Project
• More debating!!!  

How I Use Wonder (by R.J. Palacio) to Cultivate my Classroom Community

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Aug 14, 2017 at 5:44pm PDT

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is my absolute favorite children's book. Whenever I introduce the book to the class, I tell them about the first time I read it.

It was summer vacation, and I was on a plane on the way to Europe, and I heard great things about this book, so I decided to jump in and read it (not knowing much about it) since I had about 10 hours to kill, and I thought at least I might get a good start on the book. Now I'm the kind of person who, even when seated in the middle row, falls asleep on a plane before flight attendants even go over the safety procedures. I then wake up, drooling, as we prepare for landing (I know, #blessed). I started the book as I was waiting to board, giggling, as I imagined how my students would react to the fart story in the book. Fast forward what seemed like just a couple minutes, and I was in my seat hiding my Kindle as the flight attendants walked past (I know, guilty, don't tell). I just couldn't put the book down. Auggie's character just drew me in, and I needed the know his story. THEN I got to the Via chapter and realized that this book was in multiple perspectives. Game changer. I was so invested in this book, and so thankful that I had hours left of my flight to read it. It was an emotional roller coaster. At a few points I had to put on my sunglasses because I was sobbing. My brother was so embarrassed.

Now this is where my students interject, "WHY WOULD WE WANT TO READ A BOOK THAT MAKES US CRY?!"

Well, some of the time I was crying because I was so happy. Some of the time I was crying because I was sad. At some points, I felt angry, or guilty, or just extremely connected to one of the characters. I always tell them that if a book can make you have a kind of reaction like that, it's worth reading. I finished reading Wonder that flight. Didn't get a blink of sleep, and was totally jet lagged for the first day or so.

As an adult, this book helped me empathize with students in a way that I really hadn't before. From the variety of themes found throughout the book, to the different perspectives children get to see, I feel that this book is a must read for children in elementary school. Wonder is just one of those books that makes you think...which is why I used this book to help cultivate my classroom community.

I started with designing a positive learning environment. 

I made some paintings for the classroom of memorable lines from the book. 

I posted these around the classroom to spark discussion and get students thinking. Whenever we get to the part in the book when one of these quotes is stated, I see about 10 hands shoot up, "HEY!! THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ON THE PAINTING!!" Cue the in-depth discussion. 

For those who are not artistically inclined (or just less obsessive), these printables get the job done, too. 

Click Here

Click Here

As a pre-reading discussion, I did the crumpled paper activity.

After doing the crumpled paper activity, I ask students to listen for times in Wonder where a character may feel like this piece of paper. 

I created a positive reinforcement plan inspired by Wonder. 

Together we brainstorm ways to be kinder than necessary or ways to be Wonderful students. I mention that a lot of times it's easy to focus on or draw attention to the negative, so I challenge students to be on the lookout for positive things their classmates do. When they catch a positive act, they fill out a Wonderful student card and put it in a box. At the end of the week we empty the box. The Kindness Ambassadors (student job in the classroom) will read the anonymous Wonderful student cards. Students will then be given a sticker that says, "Ask me why I'm Wonderful." When they wear that sticker, other teachers and staff, family members and other classmates are brought into the picture. Students get to share what good deeds they did! I really feel that this has made the biggest impact on my class. It's such a special time of the week, and the smile on these students' faces when they are told that they are wonderful is so rewarding.

Click Here to Purchase

Be on the lookout for a post that describes this positive reinforcement plan more thoroughly:

• How to ensure EVERY student feels Wonderful
• How to avoid students just writing Wonderful student cards for their friends
• How to encourage bigger acts of kindness
• SUCCESS STORIES: How "attention-seeking" students flourish! 

As I get to powerful parts of the story, I do a close reading activity. 

With our reading curriculum, we unfortunately do not have the time to do an entire novel study on this book. I found that doing these quick close reading activities helped students understand these crucial parts more deeply, it was a nice way to switch up the reading workshop routine a little bit, AND they meet the fourth grade standards!

Click Here

Click Here

And I mean, come ON. Look at the quality you get from these kids!! 

I've also had students log a Precept journal on year (they literally begged me to let them do this). I do, however, find this tricky to keep up with on a daily basis, so read to find out how I plan to modify this to make it work for my fourth graders. 

Click Here 

I dressed up like the book.

Ok, unfortunately this was only one time. Our theme one year for staff Halloween costumes was superheroes, so I got a little punny and became WONDER WOMAN! The class LOVED it, and enjoyed brainstorming what super powers Wonder Woman would have! 

Fun Fact: I tweeted this at R.J. Palacio, and she favorited it. I was STARSTRUCK! :-P

I researched book signings in the area to include family in the wonder of Wonder. 

I was SOOOOO devastated that I had already booked a flight to visit my family the ONE time she came to the area! Luckily a family generously got me a signed copy, and told me all about what R.J. Palacio had to say! It was so great to hear how much fun the families had!

I have Wonder themed Literature Circles & library organization.

I haven't had a student yet who doesn't love this book...but even a great book like this doesn't flick that switch in some readers' minds that reading is AWESOME. I think we can all agree that a community that supports being lifelong readers is SO important. 

Often times I'll hear, "Well I like WONDER, but there aren't any other books that good." 

I have a whole book bin (or two) in my library labeled, "If You Liked Wonder..." Those books are usually checked out within 2 days of starting the read aloud. I also have literature circles with books with similar themes. I've listed some of my favorite titles below:

• Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
• Fish in a Tree by Lynda Hunt
• Rules by Cynthia Lord
• Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
• Ungifted by Gordon Korman 
• Rain Reign by Ann Martin 

I relate the story to anything and everything.

Literally. Content? Student disagreements? Writing styles? EVERYTHING relates!

I integrate Wonder into the curriculum. 

Second Step is a social-emotional program for students, and our writing program allows for some flexibility, so I merged the two together to make my FAVORITE writing project of all time. Here's the gist:

• Students pick a character to empathize with.
• Students pick a moment from the book that this character experienced. 
• Students write about that moment from that character's perspective, being sure to quote text from previous chapters to tie in the perspectives. 

Click Here 

But wait, there's more!

With the excitement of the movie coming out, I see this school year as my LAST CHANCE to have that raw and authentic reaction with the book and my class. SAD...But I also see it as an opportunity to really take my Wonder obsession to a new level. Here's my Wonder bucket list for this year: 

• Wonder Certified Kind Classroom Challenge!!! - I am SO excited about the different activities provided. We're going to design the kindness shirts the first couple days, implement the kindness jar right away, and do the discussions throughout! 
• Precept Picker - This is my new classroom job. Each week one student will get to pick a precept out of the 365 Days of Wonder book.  They will write it up on the bulletin board, and students will have the week to put post-its up of their thoughts and reactions about this precept (so it's more of a collaborative bulletin board). During our weekly meeting we will reflect on what this precept means to our class. The Precept Picker will document this in a book for our class. 

A post shared by Lauren Salsinger (@diaryofa21stcenturyteacher) on Aug 16, 2017 at 8:45pm PDT

• Mystery Meet Ups (AKA Mystery Skype) - I'm calling it a meet up because I'm using Google Hangout instead. I plan to connect with multiple classes around the US (MAYBE internationally if we get lucky) to discuss different parts of the book. I have been so excited about it, I already created some forms to help me organize it. 

Click here to download, and comment below if you'd like to connect!! 

• Classroom Community Service - I'd love to do a community service project with the class. One that doesn't require raising a ton of money (I don't want to put the pressure on families). I plan to brainstorm ideas with the class to see what they come up with. Has anyone done a community service project with their class before? Suggestions? 
• Engineering Design Project - You've probably heard of Novel Engineering, but I want to tie in more of an empathy theme. I'd love for students to be able to design something for someone who is viewed as different. This is a work in progress -- YAY for having an Advanced Learning Facilitator who is just as excited about the book! 
• Incorporate Related Nonfiction Text - I found this website, Common Lit, that has Nonfiction text that relates to Wonder. What I love is that you can search by novel!! Only down side is that I think most of the text is going to be a little too tough for my fourth graders, but there's gotta be at least one article that will work! 
• Kindness Ambassador - This is another classroom job that I currently have. Their role will continue to be sharing the kind gestures from classmates, but I want to add another component to it -- almost like an upstander of the week who has a challenge to spot something good in an assigned individual as well as the other classmates. I also want them to come up with good deeds! I don't know exactly how it's going to work, but I'll post about it once I have a better idea. 
• Fabulous Bulletin Board Ideas - Sorry, no spoilers..you'll see soon! 

How do you use R.J. Palacio's Wonder in your classroom? 

SPOOKTACULAR [Common Core] Way Keep the Learning Going Around Halloween Time!

Candy? Costumes? Parties? Parades? Spooky stories? Staying out until dark? 

Can you blame them for being a little rowdy this time of year? 

Grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and relax. 

This Halloween Close Reading lesson requires students to read nonfiction passages from National Geographic about unique, spooky animals. Each of the animals have qualities that are similar to either a vampire, ghost, or monster. Students will then be expected to infer which animal is considered a vampire, ghost, or monster, and provide evidence from the text to support their claim. 

These passages are fascinating, and had my students saying, "MS. MILLER, DID YOU KNOW...?!" 

Have a Spooktacular time, and be sure to spruce up your room with some banners as well by stopping by my TPT Store! 

Download

New NONFICTION Common Core Close Reading Activity!

Nonfiction reading is a really large focus of the Common Core Standards. In Social Studies my students learn about the first 3 settlements: Plymouth, Jamestown, and Roanoke. Our textbook doesn't get very "meaty," so supplementing with more engaging text is extremely important to me. Why not throw in a little bit of close reading and technology while I'm at it?

I've expressed my love of LearnZillion in previous posts, but it's a free website with Common Core close reading lessons organized by standard. It makes me want to shed a tear, but I'll try to keep it together for the rest of this post.

I find it difficult to follow through the lessons without any sort of graphic organizer for my students to use, so I've used LearnZillion's resources, and created my own supplements to make the lesson a little more student-driven and require them to be a more text-dependent.

Take a look at the lesson on LearnZillion, and get the enrichment component through my Jamestown Common Core Close Reading product in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

I have a similar product (my personal favorite) with the Casey at the Bat poem. Love the poem. Love the rigor. Loveeee this activity! Download here.

5 Great Ways to Get Your Students Thinking Abstractly About Words

Word work and vocabulary are such important parts to literacy instruction. I'm currently working toward my masters in reading, and will soon be a reading specialist. Through this opportunity, I've learned an abundance of strategies to not only reinforce skills students, but add rigor to my literacy instruction. My Teachers Pay Teachers store has a great item with 5 word work strategies that can be easily implemented with essentially any reading program. These activities require students to think abstractly about words, and then the new words will stick longer! I like to use these with content vocabulary. Click on the images to download!

 

10 Ways to Start Out the First Week of School...Like a 21st Century Teacher!

Common Core, Habits of Mind, and the Charlotte Danielson framework have a large focus on student-driven learning. Here are ten ways to have your students own their learning from Day One!

1. Allow students to organize the classroom library.
•  For all you OCD teachers out there, this isn't as scary as it sounds! When I have students organize the library, I introduce three jobs: Macho Men/Women, Label Masters, and Organizers. The Macho Men/Women carry the bins of books from one place to another. They need to communicate with both the Label Masters and the Organizers to figure out where the books go. The Label Masters identify categories of books and label them for other students. The Organizers sift through all of the books and put them into categories. All of the students tend to be Organizers at some point or another. I don't assign them roles, and I don't expect them to stay with one role the entire time. I simply explain the roles and give students free reign. What are the benefits to this activity? You can see the students who take on leadership roles, and those who need help. It is clear which students work well together, and ones who do not. Students get to see all of the books in the library and find books that interest them. Most importantly -- it gets students excited about reading! 
2. Assist students in creating an online portfolio to document student learning. 
• Allow each student in the class to create an online portfolio to document their work. This can be in the form of a blog with regular updates, or a website with links and pictures of projects completed by the student. Play around with what website you want to host this on. Two great options include Google and Weebly. Last year I used Weebly, but I think I'm going to switch to Google this year. As a first week of school activity, I start out with having students do an about me page so they can familiarize themselves with the program. What are the benefits to this activity? It allows for great student-parent-teacher communication. This is evidence of all the great things you and your students are doing in the classroom!  
3. Introduce a Help Wanted board. 
• I used a help wanted board for a student-driven project last year, but there's no reason it can't be used from day one. Simply put a sign that says, "HELP WANTED," on an easily accessible bulletin board. Designate one color post it or notecard for questions and another color for answers or suggestions. Designate appropriate times for students to access the Help Wanted board, and allow them to use each other as a resource. Make it as focused or as vague as you want. This could be help in a specific subject, random quandaries, tech questions, book recommendations, or all of the above! If technology is easily accessible, consider adding an online Help Wanted board. Padlet would be a great website to host a Help Wanted board. What are the benefits to this activity? It helps create an environment where students are dependent on each other. This promotes curiosity! It helps meet the needs of students in another way! This provides opportunities for students of all levels to help one another.  Make the interactive bulletin board instantly by downloading the FREEBIE from my TPT Store! 
4. Designate TECHsperts (or other experts). 
• Embrace students' strengths by allowing them to complete an expert application. The application should require students to reflect on traits and qualities they possess that make them reliable resources for students. I make this optional. Select the student expert, and let students know that this is the initial go-to person in this area of the classroom.  What are the benefits to this? This makes students feel special and needed in the classroom. It gives students a sense of responsibility in the classroom. This embraces all kinds of talents. Enjoy my freebie of a classroom application!
5. Implement the stoplight cup procedure. 
• This is more of a classroom management tool that requires students to reflect on their immediate needs. When students are working in a group or on some sort of student-driven project, provide students with three solo cups -- red, yellow, and green. Red = I need help and can't move foreword without it. Yellow = I need help, but can work on something else in the mean time, it's not urgent, or a classmate might be able to help. Green = I'm working hard! What are the benefits to this procedure? This requires students to reflect on their needs and how the teacher can assist. It encourages students to rely on peers for help. Visually, it's totally manageable for teachers to see which students need help!
• 
6. Implement a student-led positive reinforcement plan.  
• Students enjoy compliments for good behavior, and being recognized for what they do right. Want to know what they love more? When OTHER students are the ones pointing out these things! Bucket filling is a common positive reinforcement plan, but I put my own spin on it since we were reading the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Take a look at it in my TPT Store to download my Wonder by R.J. Palacio Wonderful Student Positive Reinforcement Bundle. What are the benefits to this? It makes students feel good about themselves, and gives all students a chance to stand out. 
7. Write goals with your students, both academic and behavioral...Then REFLECT!
• Holding students responsible for their own learning is extremely important. I incorporate students' goals into their online portfolio. Students reflect each week in their blog as well. Click here for the Weekly Reflection Prompt Freebie. What are the benefits to this activity? Writing and setting goals hold students responsible for their own learning. 
8. Start a class newsletter. 
• Give students choice and freedom to write about the classroom happenings. Be sure each student is assigned a role (ie. editor, advice column, math report, reading report, book review, PE sports report, etc.) Rotate roles and publish the newspaper weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Switch up the roles each time so students get a chance to write something new, and get creative with topics! What are the benefits to this activity? This keeps parent-teacher-student communication open. It takes less time on the teacher's end (crafting newsletters can be extremely time-consuming). Students are able to practice writing skills in an authentic way. This allows students to be reflective of what they are learning. 
9. Write classroom rules and expectations together. 
• Create an anchor chart (or something along those lines) and provide students with post-its. Brainstorm expectations of the classroom. To guide students a little more, I make these anchor charts very focused, here are some examples: "What Reading Looks Like," "When to Use a [insert volume] Voice," "What I am Doing vs. What the Teacher is Doing." What are the benefits to this activity? This allows students to be reflective of what their expectations are. It allows students to feel as if they are part of the classroom community. Students are held responsible for their actions.
10. Partake in a collaborative technology project. 

• Use this as a way to familiarize your students with technology. Provide students with a task, such as creating a How-To of classroom procedures or informative posters for the classroom, and allow students to work together in a group to complete the task. Challenge your students to problem-solve with technology by not allowing them to use a voice! I'd use Google Drive to do this activity. Any Wiki would do, though! What are the benefits to this activity? This allows students to experiment with technology and rely on others for assistance. 

Click here to see how the Danielson framework and Common Core Standards align. 

How Kahoot Made My Students Give a [ka]Hoot!

I was finding it challenging to motivate my students toward the end of the year last year, and I knew I needed to add some fun, interactive activities to keep my kiddos engaged!

One of the coworkers I carpool with was fiddling around on Twitter and asked me if I had ever heard about Kahoot! The second I got to a computer, I played around with  it a little bit, and within 5-10 minutes I had the next day's Science review made and ready to go! Kahoot had a search engine with quizzes that were already made, and it was simple to tweak and add more questions. I added videos and pictures to allow students to apply their knowledge better. 

The day I first used Kahoot was really exciting for our class. I had students partner up and use iPads. They got to create usernames (which were hilarious, ie. Geniu$$$$, etc.) and had to work quickly and quietly to answer the questions. As soon as the game was done, they were begging to play again. 

Kahoot was simple enough to create that I gave students the opportunity to create a review for another subject. This required the students to think about possible answers that other students may select. It required the students to go back into their notes and books to confirm the correct answers. Finally, students practiced questioning skills by coming up with questions that required higher level thinking. Ahh...student-driven learning at it's finest! 

How have you used Kahoot? 

Embarking on the MESSY Student-Driven, Process-Centered Research (PSI) Journey

After much preparation on determining types of questions, exploring Bloom's Taxonomy, writing researchable questions, generating Google search key words, incorporating reflection into daily activities, offering peer feedback opportunities in many mediums, and more, I am beginning my PSI journey.

I am piloting PSI with a few others in my district. PSI is like Genius Time/Passion Hour/20% time, but (from what I've seen) PSI takes it a step further. PSI is a student-driven, process-centered opportunity for students to explore their own interests. Students have been given time to identify a challenge, problem, or question that they would like to explore. For two weeks, we are dedicating 90 minutes that allow students the freedom to think independently, take risks, and learn from their mistakes.

I'm scared, too. 

My ten commandments (so far) of surviving this process include:

1. Model.
2. Provide feedback. 
3. Reflect.
4. REPEAT. Constantly. 
5. Accept that they will mess up.
6. Accept that the process is more important than the product
7. Allow students to learn from each other.
8. Welcome creativity. 
9. Try activities yourself, it's not easy!
10. Laugh. Often. About everything. With anyone who will listen. 

While I'm sure I will have a melt down about these projects at some point or another, the laughing "commandment" has been a great coping mechanism so far. I decided to go through this process along with my students, researching about going to Australia on a budget and catering the trip to my interests. The teacher I am piloting PSI with decided that she wanted to research as well, and collaborated with our gifted teacher. I hope you enjoy the email banter as much as I did.

Other 4th Grade Teacher    Re: PSI 
And since I love Lauren's idea, now I have to come up with my own research question. (or just hop on a plane with Lauren.)  Think I can do something related to Bachelor???  It is a passion of mine. ;)

Gifted Teacher      Re: PSI 

You must pursue your passions.  Let me help you with some research ideas:

• If I were to be the next Bachelorette, how could I plan the perfect group date and individual date in ________ country?
• If I were Juan Pablo, how would I clear my image?
• What diseases can be transferred from one person to another...or one person to multiple people?

Love working with these two, and can't wait to share more about the process!

Some resources are available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, while others are scattered around my classroom website. Resources will be available in one location soon! I want to test them out before sharing. 

Words Their Way for Dummies

Last year our principal came to my fourth grade team with the Words Their Way program. The phrases:

"Differentiation!" 

"Developmental model!"

"Application of spelling!" 

"No more memorization!" 

were thrown around, but all I saw was a confusing checklist, a series of books, new terms to describe spelling, and about a hundred different word sorts. Prior to Words Their Way, my preparation and class-time spent on spelling was very minimal. I had two lists (fourth grade list and challenge list). The only in-class instruction and practice time was the pre and post test. The rest of the practice was done for homework at home. This seemed like a great program, but the two questions that hung over my head were:

1. How will I find the time to do this in class?
2. How much additional time is this going to take to plan? 

Overwhelmed was an understatement. 

Our district did a wonderful job of training us on how to give the placement test and form our groups. YouTube has a number of videos to show these steps as well. View my Phonics Assessment presentation I made for Grad School to get a better idea of how to get started if you'd like.

Although the training and grouping was pretty painless, the part that worried me was the added work I was about to have. One afternoon my team and I sat down. We organized the sorts, came up with a general packet, created a weekly rotation, determined an appropriate homework assignment, and started Words Their Way pretty painlessly!

Work Smarter NOT Harder!

Organization

What You Need:

• Hanging file folders (color coded = much easier!)
• Filing bin/cabinet (easily accessible)
• Labels for file folders
• Master copy of each sort 
• Copies of the table of contents from each book you are using
• Make each sort cluster on a different page
• Paper clips

I have to admit, this part is time consuming, but preparing it all ahead of time is so worth it.

The labels should include: Spelling stage, level (early, middle, or late), sort range, spell checks checks (if any).

Section Number (VII), Spelling Stage Title (High Freq. Words/Contractions), Sort Range (43-44), Spell Checks (10-11), and Level (L-Late)

Hanging file folders should be coordinated with the book color: Alphabetic Spellers (Red), Within Word Patterns (Yellow), Syllables & Affixes (Green), Derivational Relations (Blue)...etc. 

Each file folder should be labeled, and separated by sort cluster and identified between early, middle, and late. There will be about 10+ file folders per book. 

Within each file folder should hold a master copy of the correlating lists (in order). This will make copying easier in the future! 

Put the file folders in order of earliest to latest developmental stages. 

Within Word Patterns, Syllables & Affixes, Derivational Relations

Come Up With a General Sort

Words Their Way has a number of sorts and endless possibilities of ways to practice words. I simply don't have the time to generate and teach new types sorts for students each week. I felt that providing students with a routine would be most beneficial. Lucky for YOU, a general sort is already made. 

This general sort requires students to manipulate the words, rewrite the words, test themselves on the words, and generate new words that fit in the sort. 

Another activity to add rigor to the general sort is a feature analysis, which requires students to look at meaning, origin, word parts, and more. 

Weekly Rotation 

I meet with one group per day, four days per week for about 15-20 minutes. Students' tests and homework due dates are staggered (which is an adjustment at first, but manageable after practice). I recommend communicating with parents about the staggered test/homework dates to avoid confusion. Each day I project the rotation, and students are held accountable for their daily work. Purchase the rotation from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. The rotation correlates with the general sort packet. The sorts are described in more detail in the document.  

Before fully implementing the Words Their Way rotation, I model each sort/page of the packet then have students practice each type of sort full class, with an easy list. 

Homework Assignment

I use class time as spelling and phonics practice mainly. The focus on homework is the meaning. To keep things interesting, and to allow students to challenge themselves appropriately, I give them choice on their homework. You can download my homework page from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

TIP: Have students underline their spelling word and write their spelling group at the top of their paper. Since you're grading multiple spelling lists, that makes it much more manageable! 

Parent Communication

Our school has an immense amount of parent involvement. Whether that is the climate of your school or not, I recommend keeping parents informed. This will make the homework/testing transition easier. We sent home a letter to parents explaining what the program is all about, and how we will be using it in the classroom. 

My class has really grown to enjoy Words Their Way. If you like the idea of minimal planning, manageable grading, and a smooth-running class, then feel free to download my Words Their Way bundle. It includes all you need to get started with Words Their Way (and it's slightly cheaper than buying all the components separately).

If you want to pick and choose, by all means, download whatever you'd like, my products are very flexible! 

And...if you have other smarter, not harder ideas for Words Their Way, PLEASE SHARE! I'd love to add a new spin! 

Here are some resources that I found helpful when getting started with Words Their Way: 

• Words Their Way Official Site - Provides a variety of sorts, PDFs of Words Their Way materials, videos, games, and more! (NEED A LOGIN)
• Sorts in a PowerPoint - This is great to link on your webpage, I know I wouldn't have the patience to make all of these myself! 
• Pinterest - What else would I waste away my time on? 

My Top 5 (Common Core) Technology Resources and Tools

Is your school pushing to incorporate technology, too? Are you searching for lessons that align with the Common Core Standards like everyone else? These are some of the websites I have found to be extremely helpful.

1.   - LearnZillion is organized based on the Common Core Standards. You can filter the grade levels and search by the standard or the domain. After selecting the Common Core Standard, you can choose from a variety of lessons (and they seem to add more each time I go on). Each lesson has an interactive video which is a good reference for the teacher, as well as a great way to assist students. The best part about this website -- it's free! 
2.  - I use Reading A-Z every week for guided reading. This reading resource provides a plethora of leveled literature. The levels correlate with Fountas and Pinnell, Reading Recovery, DRA, and Lexile. If you do not use these assessments, there are also age and grade level correlations for each piece of text. There are leveled books, mixed ability reader's theaters, fluency assessments, and (Common Core) reading activities to go along with each! You can get a 7-day free trail to test it out, but it is well worth the >$100 per year. 
3.  - KidBlog is a collaborative tool for students that can be incorporated across all subject areas. It doesn't have as many features as Edmodo, but students learn how to maneuver around the website instantly. There is less room for misspelled logins and passwords, and less time spent troubleshooting. I'm all about jumping right in! Teachers can modify each post and comment, and it's just easy. Another perk -- it's free! 
4.  - Into the Book is a great way for students to independently practice the eight reading comprehension strategies (Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating, and Synthesizing). There is a teacher section, which is a great reference, as well as a student practice page. Also, it's FREE! 
5.  - The BBC "Maths" section provides math games that look like video games! These help reinforce Common Core math concepts! And...drumroll......it's FREE! 

After trying out some of these resources, please share how you have used them! If you have any other ones that you feel are "Top Five" worthy, I'd love to hear about them! 

Preparing for a WONDERful Year!

Wonder by R. J. Palacio 

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?




Over the summer I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio, and LOVED it. Loved might even be an understatement. I obsessed over it, and told everyone who would listen about what a great book it was. Needless to say, I decided to incorporate the story into my classroom this year. 

My crafty self started with some classroom decor (to get the students excited and thinking about the book early on).  The large middle canvas is what the book cover looks like, and the other canvases are quotes that I pulled out from the book.

 Turns out my grand plan worked! When I introduced that Wonder was going to be the first read aloud of the year, I heard shrieks around the room, "That's the book on the wall up there!" "I heard about that book!" "My sister told me to read that book!" Wow, I didn't even have to talk this book up, it already had a great reputation. Instead of giving a brief introduction to the book, I did a lesson that I had always wanted to do. 

This lesson really did make an impact on many of the students, and some of their comments and discussion gave me the chills! After the great discussion I began reading the book. A few days (and a couple chapters) later, I felt that the students were engaged in the story enough to begin the positive reinforcement plan! 

The WONDERful positive reinforcement plan is a way for students to recognize when their peers are doing something right. This has been a great addition to my class this year. Students make stronger connections to the book and are more mindful about their choices. This plan strongly encourages "Choosing Kind" and "Building Monuments." Check out my Teachers Pay Teachers store to find out more about the plan! 

I have also created a fourth grade Common Core Close Reading activity to go along with the book. I plan to introduce precepts as well. I believe these activities can be used in other grades, too. Hopefully there are more to come! These two activities go along with the quotes I incorporated in my paintings as well as my behavior plan. 

Click here to purchase this from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Click here to purchase this from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

I look forward to implementing these activities in my classroom, and I'm curious to see how they work in yours! Please comment with any questions or ideas! Have a WONDERful day!