Math Problem Solving Chart

K-W-P-L 

What do I KNOW?

What do I WANT to know/ find out? What is the question asking? What are the key words?

What do I PLAN to do?

What I LEARNED. 

My students were very familiar with those four letters.  They made one of these charts in their math journal every single day.  They would have to use it to solve the problem of the day.  Then selected students would come to the Elmo and share how they solved the problem.  The benefit of using the       K-W-P-L was that is showed students that there is more than one way to solve a problem.  It allows them to work through the problem instead of choosing (guessing) which multiple choice answer is correct.  

Reading Center Organization

Who knew dish drying racks would make the perfect organization for reading centers?!?

My students did centers twice a week, sometimes three times depending on the schedule.  Even though I had more guided reading groups (sometimes 5 levels), I have always had three levels of centers.  Students had a reading center menu that they would use to complete centers.  They would check them off as they would go and needed to complete a certain number of assignments per grading period.  I would collect ALL of the work at the end of each grading period and assign one grade for all the work.  This way I wasn't grading tons of center papers each week and was only planning centers 4 times a year.  Win, win.  

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data

I introduced my students to qualitative and quantitative date from the first week of school. Students would make their own qualitative and quantitative t-charts in their science journals for investigations.  Sometimes I would place random objects in from of them and they'd have to describe it on their t-chart. Other times, they would use it while doing their large science investigations to describe the results.  This anchor chart stayed up in my classroom the entire year as a guide during science.  

Good Writers

This anchor chart was made with my class.  Students shared what they thought a good writer was and I added their suggestions to the chart.  

Sports Bulletin Boards

Where will I read today?

It was important for me for my students to always know what was expected of them.  This included what they should be doing, when they should be doing it and where.  Over the years, something I struggled with was centers and independent reading time.  There was too much going on around the room during that time. Some students at guided reading, others at the computer, some working on a project together and so on.  So, a few years ago I decided to make this sign.  Not only did my students know where they were reading each day, it solved the "he read on that chair yesterday" problem.  I look a picture of all of the reading spaces in the room.  There were chairs, rockers, little pillows and big pillows.  There was a place for each and every student in my room.  I labeled each picture so that there was NO CONFUSION.  Each student had a clothespin with their name on it.  I would rotate the clothes pins every week.  That way students were in one spot for an entire week before they moved to another spot.  Learning where they would read for the week was part of our Monday schedule.  This worked very well in my classroom and my students enjoyed being able to lounge while enjoying their favorite books.  

Classroom Tour 2011-2012

Here is a tour of my classroom last year. 

 I have had a sports theme over the last few years. 

 I love the sports theme because of the teamwork and sportsmanship skills you can incorporate into it. 

I love having an organized classroom.

 Everything needs to have a home.  

It kept me sane.  

Student book bins are a must in my opinion.  I bought the book bins at Ikea. Students in my class each have a number.  The number is on their name tag on their desk, put on their papers, etc.  I number the book bins that way I don't have to relabel them year after year.  I had library folders, reading folders, library books and clipboards in the bins.  

One thing that made it easy at the end of each day was the bins for turning the work in.  Depending on how many assignments were turned in each day, I would just paperclip everything together before I packed up my bag to go home.  The students never questioned where they needed to put their finished work.  This is one of my classroom musts.  

I utilized every inch of my classroom.  If I could hang a sign or poster, I did.  

These Thick and Thin questions were from Beth Newingham. 

One thing I have spend a lot of money on over the years was my classroom library.  I always wanted my students to have a variety of books to chose from in the classroom, available to them everyday.  I tried to keep it as organized as possible using the labels found from Beth Newingham. 

One thing that drove me crazy as a teacher was when students asked every day what to do after I had told them hundreds of times.  This happened the most in the morning.  So, I was elated when I found these what to do when you come in and leave posters.  Whenever students would ask, I would just point to the poster.  Eventually, it clicked (for most).  Underneath was the library sign up along with AR sign up which was part of the morning routine.  I also posted a question of the day for when students were finished with everything else in the morning.  Sometimes I chose the questions and others I let the students.  

The reading area. 

Love the sports themed posters I found.  I can't remember where they were from. 

The students always knew what was next with the schedule being posted each day.  It was also helpful to keep me on track for the day. 

Sample of question of the day.