Teachers' Lounge Talk

Tutoring and Saturday Writing Camp

2011-01-31T21:55:00.000-06:00

Wow! I feel like my weekend went by fast. I had to help out with the 4th grade Writing Camp. This camp is to prepare the students (who still need help) to become successful on their TAKS Writing test; Texas' state standardized test. After the Writing Camp I stayed for another hour to work in my classroom. I just couldn't resist. Normally I don't go to school on the weekends.

Tutoring Monday is over with for this week. I'm surprised how fast the day went. I dragged into work in the morning not looking forward to my long Monday. Before I knew it, it was time for the kids I tutor to go home. I am beyond joyful that the five students I tutor enjoy staying after school. They say it is fun. I try to make math tutoring as fun as possible, but I still make sure I am teaching the skills they need.

Resource to Teach Main Idea

2011-01-15T16:33:00.006-06:00

Reading Passages That Build Comprehension: Main Idea & Details

Main Idea Resource

by Linda Ward Beech

• Grades 2-3

• 35 reproducible pages

• High interest non-fiction reading passages

• Targets main idea skill

• Mini-lessons

• Teacher tips

• Can be used at home and school

• Pre and post assessments and answer key

As a teacher I know the importance of teaching main idea to students. At the same time it can also be a difficult reading comprehension skill for students to fully master. It is our responsibility that students understand this skill because it is tested on state standardized tests. Also, understanding the main idea and details will help children better understand the story. Here is one resource that you can use in your classroom while enforcing main idea and supporting detail skills.

Grades 2-3

This book is targeted for 2-3 graders; however, it can be used in upper grades such as 4th and 5th if you have students whose reading level is low.

Assessments

Before you start teaching the main idea there is a pre-assessment that will help you see what your students understand about main idea. Towards the end of the book there is a post-assessment as well.

Teacher Friendly

This book published by Scholastic is very teacher friendly. It has a mini-lesson at the beginning of the book. First it shows you how to introduce the concept. Afterwards it explains how to model your thinking when introducing the concept. Next, the author, Linda Ward Beech helps define the skill on teaching main idea and details. Finally, the author gives the students an opportunity to practice the skill with main idea reading passages. Ms. Beech also provides a record-keeping sheet that you can use to track your students’ progress as each reading passage is completed.

Student Friendly

When teaching main idea you want materials that will keep your students’ interest. The main idea exercises use high interest non-fiction passages such as a short passage on Mount Rushmore. There’s also child-friendly clip art in the main idea reading passages instead of those boring black and white photographs that seem to be geared more towards adults.

Conclusion

Reading Passages That Build Comprehension: Main Idea & Details by Linda Ward Beech is a great resource under $10 that you can use in your classroom during your guided reading block. This book is also great for parents to use at home in reinforcing main idea skills.

Tutoring Begins

2011-01-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

Now the tutoring has began so we can get the students ready for TAKS (Texas' standardized test). I began tutoring today after school for one hour and 45 minutes. I really don't look forward to tutoring each semester, but I went in today with a positive attitude instead of focusing on the four months that this will last. And you know what, that hour and 45 minutes went by quickly. The five students I was tutoring enjoyed themselves. We focused on numerical fluency and estimating. I believe we had fun because of my attitude and it projected on them. I'm glad day 1 of tutoring was a success!

5 Day Thanksgiving Break

2010-11-24T01:50:00.000-06:00

Yes, I feel very liberated right now. It feels wonderful knowing I have the next 5 days off from teaching. I can do whatever I want at whatever time I want. Like right now I am still up at 1:50 a.m. Crazy hour, but if I had to work tomorrow I would not be able to do this.

I will definitely enjoy my days off. Spend time with family and do some Christmas shopping!

New School Year-4 Months Late

2010-11-22T19:33:00.000-06:00

I actually forgot about this having this blog. I'm was just sitting here relaxing at home and all of a sudden I remembered the blog. This may sound hard to believe; however, with teaching and personal issues going on this blog fell out of my radar. Better late than never!

This school year (2010-2011) is my third year teaching 4th grade and my sixth year teaching. It has been a bit of a challenging school year for me with the increased demands of the job. There has been various occasions I just wanted to walk out of the classroom and leave teaching for good. The main thing that kept me going during the last two months is the students and last, but not least; the time off. I would definitely miss it. I think the district I teach in is shifting in a new direction so this could be the increase of demands. I will ride it out, but I do believe I have to look elsewhere for another teaching position at the end of the school year. I have been at the same school for six years and this year the dynamics have changed to where I don't feel comfortable anymore. So in the meantime I will start working on that resume and cover letter. Of course, also give the best I have to offer to my students.

TAKS Is Over!

2010-04-28T18:08:00.000-05:00

Yippee!!! I am so relieved that TAKS testing is finally done for me. These last two days have been very long. The constant walking around the classroom to monitor my students made time drag. I would look at the clock and only 5 minutes had passed. Talk about boring. My feet are suffering for now and I feel worn out. Looking forward the the weekend to recuperate my energy and normal feeling to my feet.

Last Week Before TAKS Testing

2010-04-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

This is the last week before the TAKS test for Reading and Math is administered next week. I am ready to get this testing over with. It has gotten monotonous; doing one math warm up after another. Working on building the students' testing stamina has also gotten tiresome. I can just imagine what it is like for my students if I am overloaded on teaching to the TAKS. This week so far has consisted on working intensely with students in small groups. I'm surprised I haven't started having nightmares about fractions, word problems, or measurement. Thank goodness for that!

Last 13 Days Before TAKS Writing

2010-02-10T21:35:00.000-06:00

13 days left before my 4th grade students take the Writing TAKS on March 3. The 13 days on counts the actual school days and not the weekends. I am very confident in their abilities. I have been pushing these students to go up a notch. It has been difficult but I am seeing the results. I am very confident in them that they will succeed on March 3! Yippee!!

Back to My Blog

2010-01-31T02:48:00.000-06:00

Wow! I somehow forgot I had this blog. I have been neglecting it. I guess with being busy at school and still coming home and doing some work is time consuming. I definitely need to keep up with this blog.

Friday is coming!

2009-11-19T21:11:00.000-06:00

Yeah! Tomorrow is Friday! It means the weekend and then next week I just have to work for 2 days. We will be off 5 days for the Thanksgiving Break. It is a long awaited break; a time to rejuvenate myself and bring some energy back into me.

TEKS Checklist

2009-11-11T20:42:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I was in a staff development session and another teacher shared this excellent resource that can be used by teachers in Texas. The web site lists all the TEKS for grades K-5 along with activities for each TEK. These activities can be used as an enrichment for the TEK that is being taught.

I did mention that it can be used for teachers in Texas, but I think it is a great resource for any teacher to use in any state if you want to find activities for division, multiplication, addition, problem solving, etc.

The web site is called Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Activities. The link is posted below.

http://jabba.edb.utexas.edu/depts/edp/projects/teks/index.asp

Field Trip Today

2009-11-10T19:55:00.000-06:00

Today we had a field trip. Many of my students commented that it was the coolest field trip they had been on. Of course it was educational. There was Native American and African dances. The children were intrigued by the costumes. There was also animals that the children got to pet. The one that the students were amazed at was the American Bison. They were in awe of the size and the texture of their fur. The field trip was a success! A bit tiring, but I am glad that my class had a great time.

Friday Good News!

2009-11-08T00:06:00.000-06:00

This week ended well at school after a slow and tiring start. On Fridays we have assessments. My students' test scores went up from previous weeks'. That was an awesome feeling. They are remembering their reading, writing, and math strategies! Yippee!! I elimnated the multiple choice on math and reading. They were actually "forced" to show all their work on the assessments. I have found that students tend to quickly chose an answer on a multiple choice test instead of thinking it out and showing their strategies. I am so elated for them.

School Year So Far

2009-11-02T16:29:00.000-06:00

Wow I completely forgot about this blog. I have been so busy with teaching. It seems like the demands of the job have increased this year. It has been a draining year so far. However, I can say that teaching is still my passion.

I took 2 days off; not including the weekend. Today is my last day off and back to work tomorrow. Hopefully I can make it until the Thanksgiving break.

Promise to post more on this blog.

How to Stay Safe on a School Bus --- School Bus Safety Tips

2009-09-04T22:59:00.000-05:00

School bus safety is extremely important as children return to school. School bus rules and school bus safety should be stressed with children before the first day of school. A bus driver needs to be able to hear emergency vehicles, trains at railroad crossings, and other emergencies that might arise during the bus route. Children need to understand the importance of obeying the school bus rules and the consequences that could result. Below are a few tips and suggestions to help your child stay safe while riding the school bus.

Private Educational Social Platform with Edmodo

2009-08-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

Edmodo the Private Educational Social Platform
I recently went to a technology training and found a site like Facebook or Twitter, but it is safe and is actually used for educational purposes. Edmodo, is a private educational social platform that allows teachers, parents, and students to interact with one another. An excellent use for this would be to post homework assignments and projects. This is a great way for parents to see what is going on in the classroom.

Stock.xchng by Vicky S.

Classroom Set Up

2009-08-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

Today is Friday and my classroom is now set and ready to go for the first day of school on Monday. I do feel tired but I intend to relax this last weekend of freedom!

Meet the Teacher Is Tomorrow

2009-08-19T19:36:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is "Meet the Teacher" at my school. I am getting back some of my students when I taught them in 1st grade. I am now teaching 4th grade.

Health Tips for Teachers

2009-08-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

Now that school is fixing to start here are some tips we should follow to keep us healthy.

Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Keep the same sleep schedule even on the weekends.
Eat healthy foods. Take healthy snacks to school to snack on.
Relax. Don't stay after school until 5 or 6 p.m. This will burn you out fast. Learn to let go of some things.
Take multivitamins.
Drink plenty of water.

1st posting

2009-08-12T23:07:00.001-05:00

Hey there! This is my first blog posting on Teachers' Lounge Talk. As mentioned in my profile I am entering my 5th year teaching elementary school. Part of me is not ready to go back to the classroom after resting all summer long. I don't want to give up the freedom of waking up late or having to worry about deadlines.

Today I went to my classroom to set it up. My nephew was there to help me. He was great. I am not going back until Monday; that is when we are suppose to report back to work.

Am going to savor these last few days of freedom!