April is Poetry Month

By Deann Marin of  Socrates Lantern


I just love teaching poetry and spring is the perfect time. For me, inspiration comes from  being outside, perhaps walking on the beach inhaling the salty ocean air, or just walking through the woods with my husband and beautiful husky who is no longer with us. 

I want my classes to experience the wonderful feeling of just being outside and creating. That’s why I  teach poetry in April or May, new awakenings, flowers coming up, birds beginning to nest, and the warmth that replaces the winter cold.  So I pick a sunny day, take the class outside and have them write a nature poem using all of their senses. I tell them to breathe in the fresh air, so we take some deep yoga breaths, then sit on the grass and listen to the sounds of nature with closed eyes, making notes of what they hear, the things they see, and what they feel.

We might also hug trees, smell flowers and listen to the sounds of insects while watching them complete their instinctual activities.  One of my favorite things to do is to have the kids find a tree to lie under, to look up through the branches at the sky, or to watch the leaves fluttering in the breeze. To listen to the sound of birds and watch little insects buzzing about their business. I ask them to look at the colors and to pretend that they are the color, or the insect, or the bird, or the tree.  I want them to feel the strength of the tree and realize how secure and grounded the tree is because of it’s roots that run so deeply under the ground.

My students have created  some amazing poems from this activity and many of them have gotten published in a book entitled  Celebration of Young Poets-Creative Communication, Inc. The web address is www.poeticpower.com.

This is an example of a poem that a 6th grade student wrote after completing this activity. To tell you I was blown away by this is an understatement.

Azure Drake

Azure blossoms at my feet

Beside the road smelling sweet

To the shade of a Sycamore tree

Swaying branches over me…..Whispering

Footsteps coming down the path

An ancient one with wooden staff

Long white beard and cloak blue smeared

Electric eyes not to be feared...Scintillating

A Druid friend from long ago

The magic words sure to know

Staff held high over azure flowers

Secret words of light and power…..Conjuring

Rustling in the indigo bed

Rising up scales, tail and head

Wisdom eyes, majestic wings

Breath of lightning, Dragon sings…..Thundering

Climbing on blue scaled back

Soaring on white cloud track

Snow capped mountains, Seas of sand

Born of air Free of land….Dreaming

by Sean Hayden

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Featured Products

Interactive Notebook  Poetry Bundle

A Year of Graphic Organizers

Spring into Grammar (No Prep Printables)

 Thanks so much for stopping by.

Deann

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This is part of our Teacher Talk Blog Link-up. A great month ahead with loads

of ideas that will help get you through the rest of the year.

If you're interested in joining this unique group of teacher entrepreneurs and blogging buddies as well as our blog linky, sign up here....The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative.  If you decide to join, be sure to mention my name.

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February Teacher Talk

Posted by Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

Welcome to our February Teacher Talk.  All of us from the Teacher Talk collaborative would like wish you a Happy Valentines Day.  We have so many fab things this month from  proof-reading ideas, to ELA to math activities, to celebrating Black History Month and President's Day, you don't want to miss reading these blog posts from some awesome educators.

If you're interested in joining this unique group of teacher entrepreneurs and blogging buddies and our blog linky, sign up here....The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. If you decide to join, be sure to mention one of our names. 

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The Proof is in the Pudding, Proof-Reading That Is!

By Deann Marin of Socrates Lantern

As a veteran English and Social Studies teacher, I’d like to share some effective proof-reading tips that I’ve used to help students improve their writing skills, and to make my life a bit easier.

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Love is All We Need
By Retta London of Rainbow City Learning

Just a little inspiration for building confidence and acceptance in your learning community.
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IMWAYR: Funny Bones
By Lisa Robles of LisaTeachR's Classroom

Have you read Funny Bones? Winner of multiple awards and a great informational addition to your Dia de Los Muertos collection!

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Valentine's Day STEM Olympics

By Kerry Tracy of Kerry Tracy

Blog post outlines 5 infatuating Valentine's Day-themed STEM challenges that can be modified for use with grades 2-8. Help Cupid get some target practice, build a tower of love, design the perfect candy container, find the "heaviest" heart, and have a flower frenzy!

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 Cooperative Learning - Bring Core Subjects Together for Student Learning!

By M. Moore of Moore Resources

 Cooperative Learning - Bring Core Subjects Together for Student Learning!

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What Word Does This Say: B-L-E-N-D?

By Susan Berkowitz of Susan Berkowitz

This is part of a series of posts about phonological awareness and the different steps and skills to teach. This post is about blending sounds and syllables to hear the word.

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Teaching Self-Regulation Skills to Elementary Age Children

By Thia Triggs of Print Path

Finally! A systematic method to teach self-regulation skills to children with sensory, emotional, and behavioral needs. Color coded task cards give students managed choices to learn specific skills that meet their sensory needs and also calm them down, so that they can perform their academic classroom tasks.

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My Funny Valentine: Love Letters by Arnold Adoff

By Tracy Willis of Wild Child Designs

A review and glimpse into "Love Letters" poetry by Arnold Adoff. This post also includes a teaching idea for its use in the classroom.

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Robots + Math & Science = Total Engagement

By Megan Bodmann of Adventures Teaching 4th

Get your students engaged in learning by introducing robots into your classroom. They are not only a ton of fun, but you can easily utilize them in your math and science lessons. Find out how easy it is to do!

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Playground Problem = Real Life

By Kathie Yonemura of Tried and True Teaching Tools

The Playground Problem is a real-life math challenge! It keep students engaged and practicing their area and perimeter skills in a meaningful way.

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Understanding Fractions: A 6-Part Series

By Shametria Routt of The Routty Math Teacher

Fractions-- a single word that deflates the confidence of our most competent students and adults alike. In this series, I share some of the essential fraction understandings that I have developed over the years, including the many math tools you can use to reinforce these essential skills. With that in mind, each of the six posts highlights a fraction tool and activity that can be used to address a specific Common Core Math Standard (with a few printable freebies too). 

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Leveled Math Assessments

By Tammy Roose of Tarheel State Teacher

Do your math assessments encourage a growth mindset? Create an entry point for students who are not yet meeting the standards? Allow above average learners to show they know more than just what's expected for their grade-level? Find out 7 reasons why I'm committed to leveled math assessments this year! 

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Here's your chance to hop on over and visit the blog posts of our creative teachers.

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New Beginnings, An Organized Middle School Classroom

By Deann Marin at the Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs II

Offering for Educators, Comprehensive Teaching Aides.

If you'd like to see what else I have to offer please visit my store

It seems like every year, summer vacation goes quicker and quicker and before we know it, school comes a calling.  What I’ve always liked about teaching is that each year is a new beginning.  What happened last year is in the past and I’m always so happy to meet my new charges. New challenges, new things to teach, new things to learn, different methods and programs keep my teaching fresh.  I’m going to share some of the things that I do to organize my classroom into the best environment for learning.

Here are some tips that I've used and they’ve been quite successful.  We have two main groups of 25-30 students each. Before school my partner and I take a look at the comments from last year's teachers. We then set the children up into groups according to their grades as well as their strengths and weaknesses. We come up with  creative names for them such as: Greeks and Romans, Black and Blue, or we ask them what they’d like their group to be named and we take a vote. The kids really like to pick their own names. Of course we change them each year because we don’t want the kids to know which is the higher or lower group.

I’m a great proponent of Collaborative learning, so I set up my classroom accordingly. It works quite well for what I want to do.

I like my students to work in groups of four so  I make two rows of horseshoes. Two members of the group are in the front, the other two sit in back of them. So when it is time for group work, the front row only has to turn their desk around to face the other two. Of course this takes a little bit of practice, but they eventually get it. When we begin group work it can get noisy so I have to remind them to use inside voices, I might also hold up a finger,  ring a little bell, or hold up a QUIET sign  to let them know they need to quiet down a bit.

Groups are composed of one high level child, two with average ability and one lower level child. I also try to have 2 boys and 2 girls in each group. That way there is diversity in abilities and they can all help each other. I found that the best arrangement for groups is no more than 4 so if I have 25 students I will make 6 groups of 4 and one with 5.  Each group remains the same for one semester, and then we rotate. We would change groups 4 times throughout the year since we had 4 semesters. I liked having them work together for at least two months, getting to know each other, cooperating and allowing each child a chance to be heard.  Of course there are always one or two kids that have a hard time working with others.  If that occurs, you might pull them from the group and have them work on their own, esp if they are disruptive, until they can prove that they are able to work within a group. Setting up the rotations takes a bit of  work since you don’t want to have the same kids in the group more than once.  

Like most schools, we use a computer grading system, but, I’m a little old fashioned and like a hard copy of my grades. It’s easier to write them in my trusty grade book and then transfer them to the computer. Also, if a parent or student wants to see their grade, I find it easier to just show them the book.

1. Split book in half with a section for each group. Glue or tape

    list of type written names of students in each group into

    their designated section.

2. Label both sections with English, and Social Studies.

     For ex: Roman group: First Semester, Label the tab

    with Language arts. Count 4 pages for Language Arts,

     4 pages for Social Studies. Then do the same for

     the other group Greeks. Make sure there are

     enough pages for all of the semesters.

3.  When you finish with one semester, fold back or cut

     the pages on dotted line so you can see the

     students names. Label the  new page with 2nd

     semester, and so on.   One picture speaks 1000 words,

     so please take a look at the images of my grade book.

                                                              

Bulletin boards are next, I decorate one for social studies and language arts which I change each semester for some variety. I have a checklist for book reports, Computer Dos and Don’ts, Quotes to discuss, a rewards board and classroom rules.

Before I drift off to sleep the night before my students arrive, I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that my room is set up. I'm now ready to dive into another exciting and rewarding school year.

Image Credits

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Watson-Works

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-3am-Teacher

http://www.whimsyclips.com/

Thanks for stopping by

 Deann

Please visit Socrates Lantern’s Social Media Sites

   

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This post is part of our Sharing is Caring Teacher Blogging Collaborative. Read about  how these veteran teachers approach the beginning of the school year.

Rainbow City Learning

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