Taking on Second

Spray Painting=Addiction

I'm linking up with Mrs. D and Miss V's Busy Bees to talk a little about my Classroom Decor!

Oh my gosh! I LOVE spray painting!!! I will try to spray paint anything...just ask my husband;) He hates when I say I need to get some spray paint! ha! Tomorrow is my first day back to the grind stone.. A teacher day full of meetings, getting ready for open house, and getting ready for the students to come on in! I have went a little spray paint crazy this year...I want EVERYTHING to match. It is hard to just step away from the cans...

This is my second batch of stuff to spray paint.. Earlier I did more of the black magazine holders. I am a little spoiled(Thanks babe!) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tiffany Blue and gold. So Ocean Breeze was the closest Tiffany's color I could find, and it was perfect! I also got the Metallic Brilliant Gold for my gold color!

Both of the drawer holders are for my counter. I got rid of my desk last year and it has been the best thing that has happened, except now my piles end up on the floor:) Oh well! I have a lot more space in my room now! I can't wait to show off my classroom in the upcoming grade my classroom! It is really coming along awesome! I still have a lot I want to do to make it mine, but it will all happen. I am coming to the realization that it does not all have to happen before Friday! Happy Back to School week for me!

My Beliefs on Education

Hi! I am linking up with The Primary Gal to tell you about my believes on education. This is a very important subject and is the basis for why I teach, learn, and do the things I do in my room. Everything I work for is because I believe in education and the power of a great educator. So here we go!

I became a teacher because I believe...

1. I believe all students can learn. Each student has their own personal way of understanding the material presented. This is why I like to have students make pictures, use manipulatives, talk to each other about the topic, use their classmates as resources to learn, and give students who are quieter their own special attention to make sure they can be comfortable with asking me questions.

2. I believe the teacher is in the classroom as the facilitator of knowledge. We are in our classrooms to help students rise to their full potential.

3. Having a safe and positive learning environment is crucial to a successful classroom. I never liked to ask questions. I struggled in math big time because I hated asking questions. I just didn't know how to ask what I needed to know, usually it was everything. I need my students to feel like they can ask me questions and I try my best to be patient and understanding to their confusion.

4. I believe in the students using technology inside and outside of my classroom. Students are going to school to become prepared for their future, whatever that may be. Technology is a huge part of today's world, and they need early experience with all different types of technology available. This will help their future teachers build upon their prior knowledge, not have to recreate it all the time.

So what are your beliefs on education? How do you help your students rise to their full potential?

Guided Math Book Study Chapter 9

This was the final chapter to our Guided Math Book Study. I enjoyed reading this book. It was especially nice to see how others felt about the chapters too. I gained a lot of knowledge that I didn't have before about math in general. I learned about the concept of guided math.

While I do guided reading on a daily basis, I never thought math could be done in such a way. I guess I was making it harder then it really is (I usually do this)! Now that I am finished with this book, what professional book should I read next? Any great ideas?

A lot of changes are going to take place this upcoming school year with my math block.

1. First, I will continue to use Envision Math because this is what our school adopted. However, I will use our daily topic as a mini-lesson that leads into independent work, math stations, and guided math.

2. I have found math stations centered around Laney's ideas for independent or math station work. My work stations will be: math facts, math journals, math investigations, math center activities, math games, problem solving, and technology.

3. I have taken the above topics and used them with The Primary Gal's Bubble Page

You can buy these from her teacher pay teacher store here for $1.00. They are well worth the money if you are looking to differentiate instruction during work time.

4. I am going to have guided math time with the teacher. I am going to use many forms of assessments (checklists, rubrics, notes, formal assessments) to keep track of data and progress. I will provide instruction during these math groups based on the results of the data from the assessments.

5. I am creating a math bulletin board and focus wall in my classroom. I can't wait to use it next year.

6. I have purchase the book Math Stretches by Laney Sammons to use during my instruction

6. Finally, I will do more math warm-ups in the morning! We have great pages with our Envision Series to do just that! I will make packets for the kids to complete when they come in, in the mornings.

What does your guided math block look like? What resources do you find helpful for math instruction? Does anyone reading this use Envision Math? What are your thoughts about it? How do you incorporate this series into Guided Math and Math Groups?

I hope you enjoyed all of the posts and blogs related to Guided Math. Have fun trying out new math ideas, concepts, and teaching methods in your class! I can't wait to see how it is going! We will be doing a follow up soon! Stay tuned.....

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