How am I Doing?

Every "report card" time, kids will undoubtedly ask, "how am I doing?"

Of course, it's great that they care about their achievement, but seriously, they're in school every day doing the work. They're in class, participating and engaging in work all the time. So, shouldn't they already know how they're doing?

What do you think? Yes, report cards are all about reporting to their parents. They have a right to know how their child is doing. They see the children through homework, encourage them to do well, and want to know about their child's successes! 

This post isn't about report cards and reporting to parents.

It's about giving feedback to the children every single day!

Brain research tells us that frequent feedback is essential to learning. 

A good place to start is making sure every child knows their strengths!

 

I believe in encouraging children every time you see them doing something right. It could be ANYTHING they do well. Here are some examples:

• staying organized
• smiling at classmates
• participating in group discussions
• greeting classmates when they arrive
• positive attitude
• listening
• following directions
  
• getting to work right away
• following rules
• working independently
  
• staying focused
• helping classmates
• helping teacher 
• putting forth effort
• showing growth
  

In fact, this information should be made public. Everyone in the class should know who is good at knowing math facts, and who is good at following directions. All students should know who they can turn to for figuring out an unknown word, solving a math problem, where to find extra supplies, or sketching a cat for their journal. This is all part of the teamwork. And I'm sure you'll agree, all children have strengths!

All children also have areas that need improvement, don't they? The only way they will improve in these areas is if they are aware of their weaknesses and put in the effort to improve them. I prefer to think of these as "skills the child is working on," rather than weaknesses. It's just a bit kinder!

Although the whole world should know the strengths of your students, the opposite is most definitely NOT true!

 

I schedule meetings with individuals every so often. How do I find the time? I meet with individuals instead of reading groups for a couple of days. (See THIS POST to see how I organize this!) I spend a few minutes with each child, and honestly, those few minutes make a world of difference and are totally worth missing a reading group or two!

I use a 2-1-1 strategy! I start with 2 statements about what the child is doing well. These can be about ANYTHING the child is doing in school, as long as it's honest praise. (See THIS POST about giving honest feedback!) 

After the happy celebration, I mention (carefully) one thing the child needs to work on. They usually know, and agree they need to work on this. 

Wanting to leave the conversation with a positive note, I'll mention one more thing the child does well. This doesn't have to be academic, just a little something to keep the conversation upbeat. Quite often, it's something like, "I'm glad you're in my class!"

You've probably already spent a lot of time building relationships with your students, and these personal conversations should simply amplify these relationships. Of course, make sure it ends with a smile!

How do you keep the children informed about their progress?

Seven Ways to Be the Teacher They'll Remember

I'll bet you have a teacher you remember from your own education. If you're anything like me, you want to be that teacher for your own students. Here are some suggestions!

Get to know them individually!

Each child has a special personality, special interests, and special families that love them. Getting to know all those parts to each child is no easy task. I find having a Morning Meeting sharing time helps getting to know them. I also have an end-of-the-day "High-Low" meeting (See THIS post and THIS post.) I also find that having private conversations, when possible, is also a great way to know them as individuals.
 

Let them get to know you!

Tell stories about yourself and your loved ones when you can fit it in. I always share at Morning Meeting as well as High-Low. I also share connections that I have with books we read and things we are learning. They particularly love when I tell about my cat!

Let them know you care!

I never miss an opportunity to let them know that I care. If someone is absent, that's my low of the day. If someone arrives late for class, I'll stop everything and let them know how glad I am to have them there. If someone is upset or hurt, I make it clear that it upsets and hurts me as well.

You may have heard it said before: they won't learn anything from you unless they know you care!
 

Be their biggest cheerleader!

Feedback is always important in the classroom. Most of the time, it should be positive. For some struggling students, that's not always easy, but I've found there's always something the child is doing well. Find that thing, and celebrate it! It doesn't even have to be academically related, but I'm sure there are plenty of those! Just a warning: not everyone wants to be singled out. Know these students, and be a private cheerleader for them. (Most students love getting notes celebrating their accomplishments!) This all reflects back to #1: Get to Know Each Child Individually!
 

Do fun things!

I'm sure you're already doing this one, along with most of the others! (Teachers who read educational blogs are always trying to make themselves better, agreed?) You probably already have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, but here are a few suggestions. 

• Do STEM/ STEAM projects!
• Play educational games!
• Bring "Team Building" games into Morning Meeting. (Some ideas HERE!)
  
• Include art projects and crafts!
• Find a super fun way to present research projects!
• Have them create puppets and put on shows!
  
• Have an "Author's Night!"
  
• Record and videotape educational activities! (Be careful who has access to this, of course!)
  
• Do a class play!

This last suggestion is near and dear to my heart. Why? Well, not only because I enjoy performing in regional theatre myself, but also because of the excitement! Brain research tells us that memories are very much connected to emotions! (See THIS post for more information!) Whenever students come back to visit, they always mention the plays and performances we shared. Such a shared experience is also great for building teamwork and community! (Want some scripts? Try THESE, or if you want something curriculum related, try THIS!)

Keep a safe classroom!

We've all heard "Maslow's Before Blooms," and I truly believe this matters.

As classroom teachers, we probably won't be able to reach all these levels, but the very basic needs are essential before any learning is going to happen! If they don't feel healthy and safe (Physiological Needs and Safety Needs), we might as well just toss the curriculum out the window. That third level, Love and Belonging, is one we can work on as well! Again, Morning Meetings are great for building community and making each child feel like an important member of the classroom!

Be a role model

This is more of a responsibility as much as a suggestion. If the children remember you, you want that memory to be inspiring. Some suggestions:

• Let them see you getting emotional when you read books.
• Let them see you making mistakes, and responding appropriately.
• Talk about something that bothered you, and what you did about it.
• Let them see you showing kindness and respect to the other students as well as other adults in the school.
• Write thank you cards for gifts they give.
• Let them see you taking care of your health. Talk about the exercising you do and the healthy food you prepare.
• Be a good listener.
• Talk about how you stay organized.
• Let them see you doing things you don't necessarily want to do... with a smile.
• Be positive, even when times are tough.
• Always say please, thank you, and all those other magic words!
• Think out loud. Let them know the reasons for your actions.
• Show extra respect to all the extra helpers in the building: secretaries, custodians, kitchen workers, and assistants. Let the children see that you appreciate what they do for your students.
  

 

 

Twelve Reasons to Use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards!

There are so many reasons to use Boom Learning Digital Task Cards!

In fact, here are twelve!

#1

They can be used on any device!

Seriously, any device! Desktops, laptops, iPads, tablets, iPhones, androids, you name it! It's easy!

#2

They're paperless! 

Unless you want to print out a report, there's no paper involved, ever! There's plenty of practice and assessments for the children, and you can even read all sorts of reports, but no paper!

 

#3

Kids love them!

They really do!

#4

Teachers love them!

What's not to love? Easy to use, plenty of feedback, the kids love them... and read on!

#5

They can easily be assigned for homework or remote learning!

Parents do love seeing what their children are doing, don't they? It's so easy to send an assignment to the children. (It can be sent through Google Classroom and other platforms, too!)

#6

They can be used while the teacher is with with a group!

Boom cards make great centers! They definitely keep the students engaged while the teacher is working with others!

 

#7

They can be used with partners for rich conversations!

 

When you get a couple of kids together, they have amazing conversations! These conversations help the children understand what they're learning.

#8

It's easy to differentiate!

It's amazingly easy to assign different levels of practice to different students. The teacher can look at the data and determine if the child is ready to move on to the next level.

"Getting to the next level" is very motivating with Building Fact Fluency Addition and Subtraction System Boom Cards Bundle and Building Fact Fluency System Multiplication and Division Boom Cards Bundle.

#9

It's easy to explore and download valuable data!

It's amazingly easy to find information about what the children are doing. I've been known to share this information with students, especially if they're not doing their best on their assignments. (Yes, they've been known to "click through" just to be done) Once I show them their data, we have a little conversation and I always see improvements! (Especially on those math fact fluency systems mentioned above!)

#10

It's interactive and gives immediate feedback!

 

Brain research tells us that immediate feedback is essential in order for learning to happen. Each card of a Boom Learning deck tells the child immediately if they answered correctly or not. Even if they miss the answer, learning is happening. When they've finished the deck, they are rewarded with badges and "gems" depending on how successful they are. (These are very motivating!)

#11

It's easy to use!!

 

Boom Cards are incredibly easy for the teachers as well as the students. See THIS POST to learn more about how to use them!

#12

There are plenty of decks available!

These are some of the Boom Learning Decks I have... math skills...

 

...literacy skills... 

 ...social studies...

 

... science...

 

 

... and save money with bundles!
 

These and many other Boom Decks can be found HERE.

 

So Freebies and Dollar Deals for you to try!

Fact Fluency Level 1: The Plus 1 Fact Families

 

Fact Fluency Level 1: The Times 1 Fact Families

 

Vocabulary Builder: Weather Words, Plant Words, or Desserts

 

Does it Float?

July General Knowledge and Trivia (I have one of these for every month, but this one is free. It's not necessary to match this trivia practice to the calendar, they can be done any time of year!)

There you go, twelve reasons to use Boom! Plus, a few freebies to try it now! 

 

So now, there's no excuse not to try Boom Learning Digital Task Cards!

 

 

Boom Cards are Fun and Easy to Use

If you haven't heard, Boom Learning Digital Task Cards are becoming very popular with teachers!

I'm so excited about all the possibilities with Boom Learning, and I hope you are too! If you haven't tried it yet, I've collected a lot of links that hopefully will help you out. 

First of all, Boom Learning had a "how to" Webinar recently, and the 45 minute video is free on YouTube. Or, you could just watch it here!

 

If you're thinking about taking that "Boom Card" plunge, this is a great place to start.

I wanted to write a blog post about how to use blog posts, but so many already have, I've I've also collected several posts and instructions from others on using Boom cards. Here are several great posts I've found:

What are Boom Cards?

How to Use Boom Learning Cards as a Teacher  

5 Reasons to Use Boom Digital Task Cards in the Classroom

 

How to Use Boom Cards in Google Classroom

How to Use Boom Cards in the Classroom

How to Use and Assign Boom Cards

  

I'm sure if you googled, you'd find plenty more!

 

If you searched on YouTube, you'd find plenty more "how to" videos as well! In fact, Boom Learning has its own YouTube page, with plenty of instructional videos on how to build classes, assign cards, use fast pins or hyperlinks, whether or not you need to purchase a membership, how to find and purchase cards, and even create your own! 

 

You will truly be amazed at how easy and rewarding it all is!

Here's a link to the Boom Cards YouTube Channel

Many Boom Decks in all subjects can be found HERE.

What are you waiting for?

Brain myths: Fact or Fiction?

What do you know about the brain. Or better yet, what do you THINK you know?

There are a lot of things people seem to think are facts about the brain, yet Science has proven them to be NOT true. 

Yet, there are other things that teachers should know to be fact about the brain. 

Let's have some fun with Brain Myths. Which of these are fact, and which are fiction?

We only use 10% of our brain: Fact or fiction? I've heard this one for years! What do you think? Do you think 90% of our brains are unused?

We all use all the parts of our brain! Sorry, Science says that's a myth.

Here's another one:

Men and Women Learn Differently: Fact or Fiction? Many feel that men are better at math and women are better at language. What does Science have to say about this?

Sorry, that's a myth! Men and women are capable of learning both, and any differences you might notice have nothing to do with the development of the brain!

Let's try this one:

Some people are left-brained, and some people are right-brained: Fact or Fiction? What does Science say?

All people use both sides of their brain! I know a few  people who will fight this one, but sorry, Science says no!

What about doing puzzles? Does that help the brain?

Doing crossword puzzles improves the memory: Fact or Fiction? There are people out there selling all sorts of games, puzzles, and challenges for the sake of improving the memory. Is it true?

Nope, don't waste your money! Science says puzzles and crosswords just won't do it!

Now, about the development of the brain:

 

The brain is fully mature at birth: Fact or Fiction?  What does Science have to say?

Oh, heavens, no! The brain isn't fully developed until a person is about 25. Think of your thought process when you were a teenager, or better yet, other teenagers you know. They still have some developing to do, don't they?

What about the size of the brain?

The size of your brain determines how smart you are: Fact or fiction? That age old question: Does size really matter?

Science says no to this one as well! If bigger brains made us smarter, wouldn't elephants be smarter than us? I'd really like to see an elephant doing scientific research!

How well does the brain work under pressure?

The Brain works better under pressure: Fact or fiction? Remember when you had that big project due? Didn't that motivate you to work harder?

 

 

 

Despite waiting until the last minute until getting that project done, Science has proved that stress is NOT good for the brain! Seriously, had you budgeted your time, you probably would have been a better job.

Ok, now how about this one?

Playing classical music makes infants smarter: Fact or fiction?
Did you play classical music for your children when they were babies?

  

Science says there is no evidence to back this up! But I'm sure they enjoyed the music anyway!

Well, how about this one. Do your memories get stored in files, like a computer?

 

 

The brain stores memories like a computer: Fact or fiction? What do you think?

 

 

Sorry, the brain is far more complex than a computer. In fact, many memories are far from accurate! (Judges, lawyers and eye witnesses need to explore this!)

We were always taught that a person's IQ was constant. Is this true?

Your IQ will always stay the same: Fact or fiction? I always believed this to be true! Was I right?

 

Well, Science has disproved this theory as well! A person's IQ will fluctuate throughout his or her whole life!

As teachers, we know that everyone has their own preferred learning style, right?

Everyone has a preferred learning style: Fact or fiction? As teachers, don't we know this to be the case?

Sorry, Science has proved this one to be incorrect as well. It's true that including visuals, sound, or hands-on activities WILL help a person learn, but no one person has one preferred style.

Here are links to some articles that back up this information:

12 Popular Facts About the Brain That Aren’t Actually True

7 Myths About Your Brain

 50 Surprising Things About Your Brain We Bet You Didn’t Know

10 Brain Myths Busted

Top Ten Myths About the Brain

Debunking 10 Brain MythsD

Debunking 10 Brain Myths

10 Surprising Facts About Your Brain

 

So, you want to know some TRUE facts about the brain? Try some of these posts:

• Ten Brain Based Learning Strategies
  

• The Brain, Baseball, and Geography 

• Ten Key Points About the Brain
  

• Seven Brain Based Learning Principles
  

•  Twelve Strategies to Get From Working Memory to Long Term Memory

• Brain Facts

• Seven Benefits of Teaching Handwriting
  

• Predictability and Novelty
  

• 5 Tricks to Help Them Remember Sight Words
  

• The Brain, Memory, Emotions, and Hurricanes

• Routine and Novelty: How Can We Keep a Balance?

• Five Hints to Help Avoid False Praise and Give Valuable Feedback 
  

• Seven Ways to Brain Fitness for Kids! 

• Categorical Thinking 

• The Importance of Failure
  

What facts do you know to be true about the brain?