Organizing Lesson Plans

Three years ago, I stumbled upon a website called Planbook.com. Thank goodness!! It has helped me so much to organize and plan my weekly, as well my long-term, lesson plans. It's only $12 a year for a subscription to the site, and there are always offers to add free months to your subscription.

The site is available on all of my devices, which is one of my favorite features. If I wake up in the middle of the night and realize I forgot to write something in, I just grab my phone and voilà! Done.

Our school operates on an A-E day schedule. I was able to easily adjust my settings to incorporate this as well! It even shifts the days for me when we have days off.

After creating my daily schedule blocks, I can click on them each week and add the necessary information. It also gives me the option to add links, pictures, and files. Comes in handy!

A new feature I've been using this year is the "events" option. It's a great way to enter in special assemblies, meetings, and reminders.

While I haven't used it, there is also a way to share your lesson plans with colleagues. I can see how that would be a great way to collaborate with teammates and share with other teachers who work directly with a teacher's class.

The picture below shows what my weekly plan looks like, taken from a screenshot on my phone. You can change the colors, fonts, and set-up to meet your needs.

How do you organize your lesson plans? Do you have any tools that come in handy?

~Laura

Fully customizable - colors, fonts, events, and more! Screenshot from my phone

Mathematically Speaking...

So, let's talk about math, shall we? I have to admit... out of everything that I've had to learn this year in 4th grade, math has been the trickiest! I don't consider myself a master of math. In fact, I'm one of those people who has a fear of math.

Throughout this year, I've thought about math concepts that haven't crossed my mind in over 20 years. Long division. Vertices. Borrowing. Multiplying with double digits. Rays. Mode. Adding fractions with unlike denominators. And the list goes on and on...

I panicked at the beginning of the year. A lot. Things have gotten better, but I am consciously aware that I am still learning how to teach 4th grade math. Don't get me wrong - I don't feel I've done a bad job, I just know I can and will do better.

What I'm finding is that it really helps the kids (ok, and me) to have tutorials, videos, and cheat sheets for many of the concepts we're learning. And it makes me giddy when I find a trick or technique that really clicks with my kids! The butterfly method was one of those great finds.

I learned about it on Pinterest and shared it with my kids today. You can see the original post HERE on the Move It Math site. It's a way for kids to add or subtract fractions with unlike denominators. And I tell you... magic! It really simplifies the process and gives an easy-to-remember visual so kids will be able to easily access it on their own. I used THIS amazing tutorial from Mrs. Leoni on the Educreations site to teach my kids how it works. Below, you'll find a few pictures of us practicing the butterfly method!



I'm hopeful that I'll continue to find these tips and tricks to help me, my kids, and parents to support our learning!

Wondering...

Genius Hour. Passion Projects. 20% time. Open Inquiry Projects. I've been pondering these ideas a lot lately. So much has been written on blogs and on Twitter about how teachers are incorporating this into their classrooms. I was fortunate to also sit in on a session with Paul Solarz at the ICE conference a few weeks ago. The more I hear/read about it all, the more I know I just have to jump in.

Why am I considering adding this to our already-packed day? Why add more to our already-full plate? I think kids need it, want it, and deserve it. If we don't foster their creativity, their curiosity, and their sense of wonder, how can we help them learn what they are passionate about?

Times like this with my niece
remind me of the importance of wonder.

As I start to figure out how this will look in our classroom, I'm starting to piece together my "must-haves". After conversations with colleagues, my principal, and my friend Franki, I've come up with a few ideas to push me forward.

My "Must-Haves" as of right now...
1. My mind tells me it's not all about the name... but I think the name sets the tone for what will happen during this block of time. I'm toying with the idea of a "Wonder Workshop" to place the emphasis on the wondering and questioning part of what happens.**

2. I'm thinking about starting off next year with a Wonder Wall to encourage students to start sharing their wonders and questions. From there, we'll learn about different types of questions and higher order thinking. Some wonders may be ones that can be easily answered when others will take time... and may never actually  be answered.

3. It's not all about the product. I truly believe it's about the process we'll go through. While there may be a final product (an actual creation, a video, a blog post, a presentation, or whatever else they come up with,) our focus will be on the learning that takes place along the way.

4. Choice will continue to be key. Our classroom is already filled with lots of choices and independent thinking, and this time will be no different. Students need to choose their own topics, ask their own questions, and decide how they want to report their findings.

5. Collaboration will be encouraged. More often than not, my kids have the choice of working as a "lone wolf" or working in a "wolf pack." We use those terms often, and students are welcome to decide what works best for them.

6. My job will be that of facilitator. Nudging their thinking. Pushing them forward. Encouraging them to reflect and make decisions. Asking questions to help them ask questions of their own.

Now What?
I don't know yet where this will fit into our schedule. Is it better to devote small chunks of time daily? Or a longer period of time once or twice a week? I'd love to hear any advice or experience people have had! I love to use the last chunk of the year to try out new things to give them a trial run. I've found it shakes things up a bit for the kids and helps me work through logistics. It looks like this just might be something we try in the upcoming months!

As I'm thinking and planning and reflecting, I decided a Pinterest board was in order so I could easily locate all of the resources I'm finding. You can visit my board by clicking here.

Are you currently incorporating some sort of Genius Hour into your classroom? What grade level do you teach? What are you finding works or doesn't work? Any feedback you'd like to share would be helpful!



**It is entirely possible that others in my building are jumping on board with Genius Hour. If that is the case, I'll stick with calling it Genius Hour so we're all consistent! :)

Our 4th Grade Classroom

We were given an opportunity to do classroom walk-throughs during our institute day to take note of anything interesting or positive we found (and to steal brilliant ideas, of course!) We traveled with our 4th grade team to visit our 3rd and 5th grade counterparts' classrooms. I'm sure you can imagine the fun that we had!! My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures of the wonderful classrooms I saw. I'll know better next time.

"Your classroom is a work of art."

A 5th grade colleague stopped me in the hallway after she visited my room and paid me quite possibly the best compliment EVER. "Your classroom is a work of art." I floated my way down to our next session and couldn't get those words out of my mind. During our group debriefing session, she shared that she just wishes she could move into my room. Talk about feeling humbled. Motivated. Appreciated. It has resonated with me all day and has made me pause to think about how many times we notice things but forget to say it out loud to someone else. You just never know when someone really, really needs to hear that positive feedback to push them forward!

Angela's comments are what inspired me to (finally) share pictures of my new fourth grade classroom! 

By the way, Matt and Ryan, if you're reading this, I'd like to thank you on behalf of teachers everywhere for giving us this time. You are truly in-tune with what our team needs and what teachers want!

What do my students love about 4th grade?

As I was getting information ready for parent-teacher conferences, I put together a document for my 4th graders to fill out to help me gain their perspective for what is going well and what they feel they need to work on.

I included the topic "What I love about 4th grade" because it is so incredibly important to me. Relationships matter. Happiness and joy matter. I want to know what it is my kids love about our classroom this year. Here were a few of their responses that were mentioned frequently...

*Kidblogs
*class library
*tablets
*Miss Komos
*bean bag chairs
*Daily 5
*fuzzy carpet
*my friends
*reading and being able to select from lots of books
*my teacher for being supportive
*I love that we get to read and write every day
*her library because it is helping me become a better reader
*choices

Confession: I'm quite teary-eyed as I write this. With all of the uncertainty I've felt starting in this new journey, I know I'm doing something right. This list really shows what we value, from the simple comforts of a cozy classroom to the more complex feelings of having a supportive teacher. And like so many of my Nerdy Book Club friends, I pour money and time into our classroom library. Having their feedback on it does my heart good!

10 Reasons Why I'm Enjoying This Year

I'm all about being real, so I won't lie and say my transition to 4th grade was all rainbows and unicorns. The first month was tough. It was not pretty at times. But I am finding more and more to love at my new school, in my new classroom, and with my new class. And I really do believe that my involuntary transfer to 4th grade has been a blessing in disguise.

All of that being said, here are a few of the things I am loving about teaching 4th grade at my new school (in no particular order.)

1) Book conversations
I am having so much fun reading middle grade books, recommending them to my students, and being able to talk to them about what they're reading. My to-be-read pile has grown so much since the beginning of the year, even more than it usually does thanks to my #nerdybookclub Twitter friends. They are pushing me out of my reading comfort zone daily. One student gave me a copy of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief for my birthday, which isn't one I would've picked up on my own. I ended up liking it a lot and now have a crew of kids reading Percy Jackson books.

2) Payday Treats
The staff that eats together... well, we eat together. We get paid twice a month, and on paydays, different groups of people are assigned to bring in goodies to snack on in the Teacher's Lounge. I love how it brings people together to chat in the lounge throughout the day!

3) Book Club
I love the fact that I put the idea out there to have a book study of Chris Lehmann and Kate Roberts' new book Falling in Love with Close Reading... and there were 25 people on board within 24 hours. I guess my enthusiasm carried over to my Twitter feed, because it looks like Chris and Kate will be helping to host a chat there, too!

4) Administration
While two of our three administrators are new to their positions this year, they have still been incredibly supportive as I've made this transition. I am impressed with their vision and ability to think BIG to push us to new places! It impresses me to look up from a small group to see my principal sprawled out on the floor next to one of my 4th graders, talking about what he or she may be reading or writing. Or to see my AP walk around while my kids are reading, grab a book from the table, and start leafing through it.

5) My team
We have a team of 14 fourth grade teachers this year (13 women, 1 man,) and I have already been floored by the amount of collaboration and teamwork I've experienced with them. They have stepped in to help me as I've navigated my way through my first quarter as a 4th grade teacher. They've made me laugh and have reminded me that I do have a lot to offer them. I am in awe of their drive and focus for wanting to learn more and grow as educators.

6)  Technology
So, again, I won't mislead you into thinking it's been all rainbows and unicorns. We've had our fair share of technical difficulties. Sometimes daily. But I will say that I love having tablets in the hands of my kids. It opens their eyes to the world around them in a way that was not possible before. Most of my kids were in our school last year, so they have had experience with our tablets already. This made the process a whole lot easier for me and for the four students who are new to our school this year.

7) My fourth graders
Already, they have taught me so much. They've reminded me that much of what I believe to be true about teaching and learning still holds true in 4th grade. But they've also made me realize that I still have so much room to grow and so much to learn! They make me laugh. We've built strong bonds already which allow us to be real with each other. I'm fortunate to have one student who was with me in first grade. Seeing the person she's become in the past few years has made me smile!

8) Coffee Mugs
Silly, but true. I love walking down the hallways and seeing teachers cruising around, coffee mugs in hand. As trivial as it may be, I think it helps remind us to slow down and enjoy our coffee... our kids... our days together.

9) Breakfast Club
Food is always good. And when it comes in the way of a breakfast club meeting, it's even more delicious! Once a month, interested teachers come together to eat and collaborate on a wide variety of topics. Just this past Wednesday, we met to share ideas on how we are supporting RtI goals in our classrooms. Teachers from all three grades (3rd, 4th, and 5th) join in the fun. It has allowed me to meet and share ideas with so many people, and it has sparked further collaborative efforts. My 4th graders will be teaching some 3rd graders how to use KidBlog next week because of a conversation that started at Breakfast Club!

10) Reflecting on the decision to move me to 4th grade
I've had some time to sit back and think about the decision to move me to 4th grade. And I have to say, I'm grateful for the move. Many things have changed in my old building, and I'm not sure it would've been a good fit for me. I'm thankful that my former principal had the insight to know me and my style... and that he had the opportunity to move me to a building where I could find more like-minded people.

Yes, there are times when I miss my little first graders. I absolutely miss the comfort of a school I knew for what seemed like forever. But I do love a good challenge. And although it's been a ton of work, I am happy where I am this year.

Falling in Love with Close Reading Book Chat

I love when a comment on Twitter starts something big. And it happens often. This weekend, tweets about the newly released title Falling in Love with Close Reading by Chris Lehman and Kate Roberts quickly led us to new places and new ideas.

Chris and Kate will be joining in on a Twitter chat on Monday, November 11th, from 6-7 p.m. EST.  Our focus will be on close reading, centered around our discussion of their book.

What can you do to prepare?

*Read the book Falling in Love with Close Reading: Lessons for Analyzing Texts-- and Life by Christopher Lehman and Kate Roberts

*Visit the Close Reading Blog-a-thon

*Look for the #closereading conversation on Twitter!

I'm excited to hear everyone's thoughts and insights on close reading! Please join in the fun!