Teachers Notebook Sale

I know many of you have Teachers Notebook accounts.  I just wanted to let you know that Teachers Notebook is having a sale and I'm joining in.  Everything in my store is 25%. Hope you find something you need for your classroom.

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

Ry misses a train and begins a journey that may not be totally believable, but is a lot of fun to follow.  While he is trying to get home, we get scenes from other family members and their adventures.  I enjoyed how the plots and points of view worked together to make a whole.

Update June 2014: I created a free printable worksheet to analyze an event from multiple characters' points of view.

To find out more about my rating scale, click here.
Find me at Goodreads.



Teachers Pay Teachers Cyber Monday Sale

Next Monday and Tuesday, Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting a Cyber Monday (plus Tuesday) Sale.  Many sellers will discount their stores up to 20%.  If you use the Checkout Code CMT12, you will receive a total of 28% off.

My entire Teachers Pay Teachers store is 20% Monday and Tuesday.  This discount includes my brand new items:

Scenarios for Sequencing and



 









Scenarios for Making Inferences.

The 3AM Teacher is having a link up with other sellers who are participating.  You can visit her blog to participate in the link up.  Below are other sellers who are participating in the sale.

 

Test Scores Don't Measure What We Really Want

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Math Night at our school and watched as our students engaged in math through games and stations.  It is so different from the way our adopted curriculum expects us to teach.

The next morning, I read Seth Godin's blog post called "Avoiding the False Proxy."  The idea is that when we can't measure what we need, we invent a proxy.  "Once you find the simple proxy and decide to make it go up, there are lots of available tactics that have nothing at all to do with improving the very thing you set out to achieve in the first place."

Those of us in education have experienced a long list of these tactics.  Quality education is difficult to measure.

How would you measure eduction?

Quote of the Week -- November 18, 2012

“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” 

Will Durant

My Unusual Thanksgiving List Poem

Write a list poem called My Unusual Thanksgiving.  Try to include images and events that are not typical of a Thanksgiving dinner on TV.  What makes the way you and your family celebrate Thanksgiving unique?

This writing prompt was inspired by a parent who shared her poetry with our class.  Her Thanksgiving includes Hawaiian and East Indian traditions.

Thanksgiving in my family means getting an advent calendar from my grandmother.

What are your unique traditions?

If you need more directions to write a list poem, I have a free download at my Teachers pay Teachers store. 

Update:  I added on to this idea here.  My poem about My Unique Thanksgiving is on Poems of Silliness.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

I love to read a good mystery and I was excited to discover this series that I can recommend to my students.  Unless you just came out of a Rip Van Winkle like slumber, you know that John Grisham writes for adults.  I enjoyed this series, because he explains the legal system in terms my fourth, fifth and sixth graders will understand.  The suspense is appropriate for this age group.  What I appreciated the most is that the main character talks with his parents when faced with challenges.  It doesn't take away from his ability to solve the problems.

If you want to discuss this book with your students, here is a free worksheet for students to track their changes in thinking as they read the books.

To find out more about my rating scale, click here.
Find me at Goodreads.