Compass Points

Worksheet Wednesday: Compass Points

Here comes your first Worksheet Wednesday.  Now, let me stress, this is not (nor will my worksheets ever be) your typical busywork, groan inducing worksheet.  This worksheet asks your students to do real, minds-on thinking and learning.

Before I show you the worksheet I must clarify, I cannot claim creative license for the Compass Points "thinking routine."  I simply took the routine from  the Project Zero book, Making Thinking Visible and created a worksheet to go with it.  You can see a mini version of the worksheet below and download it for FREE by going to my TPT store.

Next week, on the first day of school I'll use this thinking routing worksheet to get my new fourth graders thinking about the year ahead.  We'll reflect, share ideas in small groups and then come together as a class to discuss our "Need to knows," "Excitements," "Suggestions," and "Worries" for the new year.  Try it in your own classroom - you may be surprised what your students have to say!  If I get any super cute responses I promise to post a follow up entry :)

File Cabinet Make Over

Here's your first "apple" on Make-It Monday:  File Cabinet Make Over

I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only teacher who's inherited some less than ideal and rather ancient filing cabinets.  Mine were especially unattractive due to some stubborn (and now dusty) tape residue.  After two years in my classroom I couldn't take it anymore.  I needed my file cabinets to be cuter.  So here's how I made that happen.

At the hardware store I bought painters' tape, metal primer, a sanding block, and metal safe latex paint.

First, I sanded down the doors.  Then I taped off the handles.  When the doors were prepped, I started to paint.  I used a 65 cent sponge brush so that I could throw it away when I was done.  each door got one coat of primer which I let dry for about 30 minutes.  Then each door got two coats of apple red paint (with dry time in-between).  When I was done, I removed the painters' tape and I had new, adorable, file cabinet doors.  Success.  

Looking at my before and after photos makes me smile every time.  I can't wait for my new fourth graders to walk in and see our made over cabinet doors.  

My favorite part about today's apple is that it's not just for today.  It's a single apple that will brighten up my classroom for the entire year but it was accomplished in just a few hours.  Let me know if you try it in your classroom-I'd love to see your results.

The Apple A Day Way

We all know the adage, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but I've never heard anyone say "You know, I've heard that 365 apples a year keep the doctor away."  Why not?  The two statements are mathematically equivalent but (to me at least) they're not mentally equivalent.  Reason number one, the primary teacher in me is compelled to point out that year and away do not rhyme (while day and away do rhyme).  Reason two (which I would argue to be the real reason), 365 apples a year sounds daunting, while just one apple a day seems manageable, even easy.  We can all handle one apple a day, one day at a time, but the idea of all 365 days and all 365 apples at the same time is utterly overwhelming!

I've found this "apple a day philosophy" to be applicable not only to my apple eating habits but to my classroom as well.  If I sit down in August and look at the entire school year ahead of me I'm flooded with all the things I need to do.  Even when I feel it's possible to cover all of the CCSS, keep my kiddos safe, engage my students, address my unique learners and not forget my lunch on the counter (Which is not always how I feel in August!),  the idea of integrating something cute, creative, interactive and Pinterest worthy into each lesson is almost too much to bear.  When I hit this moment of teacherly doubt I stop and remind myself to do things the apple a day way.

If I'm being honest, I have no idea what bloggable activity I'll be doing with my students in May - no idea.  But that's okay.  I do know that on the first day of school each student will have one of these cute "Smartie Pants" notes on his or her desk in the morning.  That smartie pants note is my "apple" (little extra) for the first day of school.  When I look at my classroom this way and attempt to find one "apple"to add to each day, things get easier.

I'd like to invite you to join me on my quest to brighten my classroom the apple a day way.  Each week I'll post three "apples" that I hope you'll find useful in your own classroom.  On Mondays I'll post something you can make, on Wednesdays I'll post an out of the box worksheet, and on Fridays I'll post something extra fun.  Stay tuned.