Making ELA Test Prep Engaging and Exciting

Well, friends, we are in the heart of testing season.  I know the pressure put on teachers and students can be nearly unbearable, but I have some ideas and tips that can hopefully ease the pain of end-of-the-year testing.  

Tip 1:

Don't wait for the last minute to prep for end-of-the-year testing.  I use daily warm-ups that rotate between grammar skills, test prep questions, and academic vocabulary.  (I commonly share my warm-up of the day on my Instagram account in my stories, if you are interested in seeing them you can follow me by clicking here.) I find that it gets students used to the types of questions they will see on end-of-the-year testing without having a last minute cram session.  As a first year teacher, I made the mistake of trying to cram a bunch of test prep the last two weeks before testing started.  It did not help improve scores.  It probably did the exact opposite.  I was stressed.  The kids were stressed and bored out of their minds.  I learned a great lesson that year, and I will never repeat that rookie mistake.

Tip 2:

Get your kids involved in the lesson.  The most successful test prep units or lessons are going to be engaging.  (I know huge shock right?) I love using digital escape rooms with my students as they get to work with a small group and it gets them thinking critically.  I find that my kids get so wrapped up in the "game" of the activity that they do not even realize they are working on a test prep lesson!  Win, win!

  

It's an added bonus if you can get them moving!If you need help adding movement into your end-of-the-year review, I highly recommend trying a question loop or question trail.  Even better than getting kids moving, these activities also get kids CHECKING THEIR OWN WORK!!!!  I will say that again, they get kids checking their own work!  How amazing is that?!  Students start at a question and based on their answer are directed to a different question. (usually they do not go from question 1 to question 2 and etc.) If kids notice that they end up a question a second time, they will know that they got an answer incorrect somewhere along the line.  They will need to pause and check their answers before continuing through the loop.  I love the conversations I hear during these activities!  

 

Tip 3:

Keep Calm and Carry On.
No matter what at the end of the day, the most important thing is letting your kids know that you care about them and believe in them.  Kids will only care about their scores if they know that you care about them.  Enjoy your kids and talk to them!

Do you have a tip that should be on my list?  Comment with it below!  I'd love to add to this list.

How Having a Class Mascot Changed my Classroom

Hey Friends!

So I created this blog to share what works in my room with other educators, and one of the things that I believe makes my classroom special is having a class mascot. When I was a second-year teacher, my favorite animal, a sloth, became a major part of my classroom climate, theme, and even a class motto.  Was this an intentional move?  If I am honest with you, not really.  I mean if I look back at my own education, one of my favorite teachers had an obsession with Sponge Bob, and I still remember that detail about him and his class.  Whenever one of us would see something Sponge Bob related, we would bring it into the classroom and it would become part of our classroom.

So, I did like the idea of adding something memorable to my class, but again, this change was something my second group of kids actually helped bring about.  Like many of you, I begin a new school year by introducing myself to my kids.  Part of that introduction includes talking about sloths and how I believe they are a reminder to "stay positive" because they constantly have a smile on their faces.  My second group of 7th graders really took to this message.  I started receiving multiple pictures, drawings, and other sloth related gifts.  All of those things became part of our classroom.  Fast forward to our field day celebration, and the kids designed #slothsquad shirts for our class.  We all loved the idea of being a "sloth squad".

A super old photo of my second-year group, taken from my beginning of the year Prezi.

I am now in my 6th year of teaching and have more sloths than ever before.  I like to think that my classes and love of sloths have made them the new "it" animal.   Now at the beginning of the school year, I introduce the sloth and the idea of being a sloth squad to my kids from the very start.  I love how it adds to our culture and community.

On my last student feedback survey, I asked specific questions about our class mascot and how it made students feel.  I am excited to share that feedback with you!   Students responded to the question, "What are your thoughts about our class mascot? Does it make you feel included or like part of a team? #slothsquad".  Here are just a few of their responses:

" I like our mascot because it's kinda like a more peaceful vibe."
"yes,having a sloth makes me think we don't have to stress about anything and can stay calm."
"I think are class mascot is very unique. It does make me feel included."
"I like the class mascot and I yes I do feel included."
"i think that sloths are very interesting and i love having one as our mascot"
"I like having a class mascot, it makes everyone who is in this class feel like one big team."
"it make me feel like everyone is accepted"
"Sloths are slow and I am too. Yes it makes me feel included."

I did not have one of my 139 survey takers rip on our mascot!  A few were indifferent, but the great majority love it and did mention feeling like part of a team.  YAY!  If having an animal around our room and mentioning the #slothsquad helps reinforce a positive classroom environment, I am totally sold forever! 

 I put together a list of animals that I feel would make great class mascots!

Owl

Unicorn

Dragon

Otter

Lion

Panda

Cat

Or whatever your favorite animal is!

I'd love to see your photos if you have a class mascot or add one to your room!  Tag me on Instagram @HowesintheMiddle!

January 2019 Teacher Finds!

Hey, friends! 

Do you ever feel like January drags?  As much as I love being a teacher, it can be incredibly difficult to get back into the swing of things after Christmas break.  I know my teaching family (pretty much everyone in my family is an educator of some sort) and friends talk about the January blues/slump.  To combat the blues, I found some new products, lesson ideas, and games to spice up your January!

Gim.Kit.com

If you know anything about my classroom, you would know that I LOVE making engaging and FUN lessons.  Gim.Kit.com was created by a high school student, and as soon as you check out the gameplay, you will see why the game platform is so popular with students.  You can take any questions and quickly make them into an engaging strategy game!  I quickly created a Gim.Kit.com game with my kids to review the parts of an essay.  It was a great way to end the last 15 minutes of our class.

Gim.Kit.com in my Classroom!  

Formulate

So, I have teamed up with Formulate to give away a custom shampoo and conditioner set!  The products are absolutely amazing!  My hair has been a frizzy mess since I was a middle schooler, and they have finally found a way to tame this crazy mane!  This giveaway only takes seconds to enter and is about to end!  Enter by following my custom link below!

Formulate Giveaway!

Question Trails & Loops

The last January game changers are question trails and loop activities!  Why do I love them?  1.  They are standards-based and make an amazing assessment.  2.  They are kinesthetic; the activity gets my kids up and moving!  3.  Students have to check their own work!  If students get a question wrong, they will figure it out because they will end up at a question they have already answered.  4.  The activity visually shows me who needs additional support on the topic.  5.  The activity is totally student-centered!  I have two question loops that are already made and ready to go!  Save yourself some time and check them out!

Figurative Language Question Loop 
Theme Question Loop

Hey, I'm Fallon!

So I am going, to be honest with you guys, I do not consider myself to be a writer.  I did not become an ELA teacher because I thought I had the talent to write.  On the contrary, I became an ELA teacher because of my appreciation of truly talented wordsmiths.   When adult responsibilities do not get in my way, I love to get lost in a novel.

I am restarting this blog as an avenue to continue to improve my practice as an educator.  Teaching is one of my greatest passions, and I strive daily to become a better teacher.  My kids deserve only the best.  I am a mother, artist, and coffee lover.

 I hope we can help each other on this teaching journey!

Are You Considering Instructional Design?

          After looking over my last post, I decided to pull a few more resources that would have been helpful when I first started this journey.  If you find yourself considering instructional design, navigate through the materials listed below and in the links section of this blog.

This first video continues to explain what instructional design is and how the average job works.  Blackboard and Articulate are discussed.

The next video I am going to share covers what an instructional designer does.

I hope these videos help you decide if you are interested in instructional design.  In my next post, I plan on sharing how I decided where I would get my instructional design degree.  Keep an eye out for it.

What is Instructional Design?

          When I first decided I was going to get my master's degree, I did not know what I wanted to get it in.  I knew I wanted to stay in education, but have the flexibility to get out of a classroom if needed.  Behavior management is one of my least favorite aspects of teaching, so I knew I never wanted to go into administration.  These notions left me confused.  Most educators I know have a masters or doctorate in administration.  I thought of the other options available to educators, I could be a reading specialist, but that did not leave me with enough movement.  I do not know of any reading specialist jobs in my district.  Schools are struggling for funding, so those jobs are often the first to be cut.  My struggle continued, I could go into ESOL, but I am not fluent in another language.  That option was not going to work for me.  Finally, I found my sweet spot, instructional design!

          I consider myself to be a creative person.  I have an interest in technology and design.  I have a background in education.  Instructional design offers a variety of employment opportunities.  It was the perfect fit for me!  If you are currently contemplating going back to school and are not interested in the typical degrees offered to educators, consider instructional design.

            What is instructional design?  Instructional design is the systematic process by which instructional materials are designed, developed, and delivered (What is Instructional Design?, 2017).  If you enjoy working with technology and creating your own classroom materials, instructional design might be the concentration for you!

Reference:

What is Instructional Design? (2017). Retrieved August 24, 2017, from https://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/whatisinstructionaldesign