No Whiteboards? No Problem!

Do you like those mini-whiteboards? I love them. They are great for class competitions and checks for understanding. Unfortunately, the price for those whiteboards is beyond my budget. Since I have larger classes this year, it is imperative to include a system that helps me look at student work without using a lot of paper or notecards. Therefore, I decided to make my own “whiteboards” this year.

For my whiteboards, I used plastic sheet protectors, decorative papers, and blue painters’ tape. I inserted the sheets inside of the sheet protectors and then taped them to my student desks with the painters’ tape. I like the painters’ tape because it doesn’t leave a sticky residue on the desks. Total cost to adhere whiteboards to my desks: less than $10.00. That is a considerable savings over traditional whiteboards.

It’s best to use black markers with these types of whiteboards. Reds and oranges will stain the plastic. In order to maintain the whiteboards as long as possible, use a mild cleaner on them at least once per week. Of course, changing them is simple!

By the way, I’m giving away some freebies on my TPT store this week. Today’s freebie is a place value chart. Students can represent numbers from the 10 millions to the millionths.

 

Stay tuned…

 

 

 

Never Lose Dice Again with Dice Poppers

I love using dice in my math classes. They are versatile and students can use them to reinforce a variety of concepts – from fractions to probability. The main problem I’ve had with dice in the past is that students tend to lose them. Students love rolling the dice, but sometimes their desks (and even the floor) don’t give them enough distance. Looking for dice during the course of a math lesson can take away from valuable instructional time.

 

Once I saw a picture of dice in a plastic container on Pinterest and a couple of other websites, I knew I had to make dice poppers. To implement my plan, I headed to my local dollar store and picked up 2 packages of dice (ten per pack) and a package of clear plastic containers (package of 10). Based on my experience and other photos I’ve seen, the containers shouldn’t be more than 4 ounces. In total, I spent $3.00 plus tax.

 

Set up is easy; open up a container, throw in some dice, and cap on the lid. Students shake the containers instead of rolling the dice. I like having two colors of dice per container because it allows me to better identify what I want students to use the dice for when working on an assignment or activity. The probability of picking dice off the floor all day long has pretty much been reduced to zero.

 

I thought about sealing the containers with glue or tape because I know some of my more “innovative” students will want to open the containers, but I decided against it. I want the ability to reuse the containers for something else at a later date.

 

Local dollar stores should have the materials teachers need to make dice poppers: (1) dice and (2) containers.

 

This week, I’m blogging each day about some things that have helped me along the way and some things I want to try as the new school year approaches. On my TPT store, I’m giving away five days of FREEBIES! Today’s entry: a quick review of the commutative property.

 

 

 

Stay tuned…

Mission Organization: The Messy Bookshelf

When I returned to my classroom last week, one of the first tasks I tackled was my messy bookshelf. It had become a storage area for many of the materials we use during math rotations, but it was disorganized. During the summer, I spent some time on Pinterest and my local dollar store. I am convinced that the best way to stay organized this year is by keeping materials separate with color-coded labels and containers. My budget: $20 or less.

After removing all of the stuff from the bookshelf, I organized the materials I use most, such as dice, tape measurers, integer chips, and geometric shapes into the bins and baskets I purchased from the dollar store. I used 2 rolls of wrapping paper ($1.00 per roll) to cover the back of the bookshelf. I reshuffled the shelving units to create a smaller space for my smaller containers. I did decide to recycle some items and to throw some of the older, unusable things in the trash. Just over two hours later, I had a brand new, organized bookshelf. It is more student-oriented with fun colors! I think the kiddos will enjoy it. I feel much better about the space and I am determined to keep it neat during the school year.

The new school year is on the horizon (and some teachers and students have already returned to school)! On Monday through Friday of this week, I’ll be sharing some of my other tips and tricks for room organization and a thing or two about assignments and interactive notebooks. I’ll also be offering some free materials on my TPT store. I’m calling this week “Five Days of Freebies.”

Stay tuned…

Creating Effective Student Incentive Plans

It started with the prize box. When students earned good grades or had a wondrous math achievement, I would allow them to choose a prize from the box. After some time, the little odd toys didn’t appeal to them. Once the number of students expanded to more than 100, I couldn’t afford to keep replenishing the box. Next, I chose coupons. A little “homework pass” here and there. You know it’s bad when students lose interest or are not motivated by the prospect of getting some time off from the nightly homework grind. Plus, I gave them out haphazardly. Students didn’t know when they could earn them. Despite these setbacks, I am a firm believer that incentives are important. Students want to receive recognition for their work (that philosophy also applies to adults). When I reflected on my incentives, I discovered that I had to make some changes to make them more effective for student motivation.

Planning for the short and sweet

The first thing I did when revamping my incentives was to make a planner. I needed to have set dates for incentives. I made a list of all the incentives I wanted to offer and if there was a cost associated with acquiring the incentives. I also reviewed the incentives students liked the most. I noticed that students seemed to “get numb” to incentives after 6-8 weeks, so I decided to change what I offered each grading period. I came up with themes and designed posters so students would know what they could get and what they needed to do in order to receive an incentive. I also felt it was important that each student and each class had an opportunity to earn something. So, for example, during the first grading period, students had the chance to “grab a hand.” Oriental Trading offers sticky hands for a decent price, and kids loved using them to grab their papers. To earn a sticky hand, students had to successfully answer a 100 multiplication problems within a certain time period (yes, I have students entering my middle school classroom who do not know how to multiply, but that is a topic worthy of an entirely different post). I created a “hand” bulletin board so once students earned their hands, I would add their name to the board. It was short and sweet, but effective.

So the majority of the incentives I choose have (1) a well-defined goal communicated to students, (2) last a short time to maintain momentum, and (3) give every student and opportunity to obtain an incentive.

Last year’s short term incentives included: sticky hands, the proverbial homework pass, listen in class music pass, sit where you want pass, scratch-offs (Oriental Trading), little Earths, and bendable people. Classes could earn outside learning days or math play days.

Rewarding effort on a consistent basis

Certificates never get old. There’s nothing like being able to go home and show parents or guardians a certificate. That’s why I continue to give them out each grading period and at the end of the year. Of course, I recognize good grades, but I also give certificates for showing improvement and for attending tutoring sessions. I change the design of the certificates each grading period. There are several great websites for creating free certificates, but I will purchase some colorful ones from my local dollar store when they are available. In addition to certificates, I also recognize students “publicly” with a hallway or classroom bulletin board.

If you’re planning your lessons in preparation for the new school year, consider planning an incentive system for your students. Based on what I’ve experienced in my own classroom, incentives increase motivation and enhance the learning environment. Incentives don’t have to be expensive! Remember, showing and telling students they are doing a good job goes a long way.

Yes, a 20-cent Record Can Transform a Math Lesson

Real-world math. If you’re an educator, know an educator, or even if you are a student, you’ve heard about the real-world ad nauseam. I’m quite guilty of using the term. Far too often, that “real world” is something students read about in math problems and not something they experience. As the new school year approaches, I’m beginning to think a lot more about the real world and how I can help students live it in my classroom.

So, I’m working on a unit rate lesson. One of those lessons with the real world on paper. I needed a break, so I decided to visit my local Half-Price Books. I noticed a sign for old records for 20 cents a record. The proverbial light bulb turned on in my brain. I remembered when I used records for a circumference lesson a few years ago. Students were fascinated by the records. Many of them had never seen a record. They wanted to know how the music sounded when a record played. They made me wish I had a record player so they could experience the sound. The connection between those records and circumference may seem a bit far out, but later in the year, students talked about those records in reference to circumference, diameter, and radius. Isn’t that a real-world connection?

I picked up a record. It had two duets by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. Yeah, my students would probably give me the blank stare if I mentioned those singers in class. My eyes gravitated towards the length of one of the songs – 2:55. The record wasn’t spinning, but my mind was. My light bulb was getting brighter. I sifted through the records until I found one with 45 R.P.M. on the label. Forty-five revolutions per minute. I thought about the time of the Ross-Gaye duet. I wondered how many revolutions that record spun to play the song from start to finish. I could see my students quickly trying to multiply 2.55 x 45. I would ask them: Does the 55 represent fifty-hundredths or 55 seconds out of 60 seconds? In order to answer this question, it would be easy to type up a problem and print it out. But I want my students to hold records. I want them to look at the times and perform their calculations. Then, I want them to find time length their favorite songs and calculate how many revolutions a record would spin if it included their favorite songs. I started thinking about other record speeds, CD speeds and download speeds. I realized that I could transform my lesson on unit rate and give it a bit of real-world history with a simple 20-cent record.

Truth be told, I spent more than 20 cents. I purchased a class set. The cashier gave me a funny look as I stacked up my set on the cash register. I smiled and told him, “It’s for the kiddos.”  Although I’m not sure if the records could count for bringing technology to the classroom, I’ve been invigorated by the prospect of finishing a good lesson that my students enjoy. Now, if I could only find a record player…