Middle School Matters Blog

Friday Favorites!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:02:00 +0000

It's time once again to share with you some of my favorite finds of the week!

First, especially poignant this week in light of Teacher Appreciation, I found a link to a great video clip via The Teaching Channel. It's a performance of Taylor Mali's poem, "What Do Teachers Make?" I know that many of you may have seen this already, but much like my inexplicable desire to reread "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" every December, I love revisiting Mali's words and hearing this emotional response to a common question during this week every year. While the calendar says that it's "Teacher Appreciation Week," and it's wonderful to feel the sincere recognition and appreciation for the challenges that teachers face on a daily basis, it is still clear that our profession continues to be maligned and misunderstood by many..."What Do Teachers Make?" reads like an anthem to me. I hope you find it as inspiring:

My next favorite of the week is a blog post from Erin, a bloggy friend at Miss Lifesaver.

I love her blog and all of the great ideas that Erin shares. Usually, on Tuesdays, Erin shares a Teacher Tip - something that she has found from a variety of resources and tried in her classroom. This week, however, she had a different kind of post, and I loved that she shared it during Teacher Appreciation Week. In the post, she explains how she, like many of us, spends so much time and energy focused on students that are behavoirally challenging and interfering with the learning of others - and that, also like many of us, she struggles to find ways (and time) to provide positive reinforcement to students that always seem to make the right choices. Erin explains how she decided to show one such student in her class that his positive attitude and outstanding efforts, both academically and behaviorally, were noticed and valued. It makes for a great Teacher Tip post! Take time to visit her blog and read her story. It serves as a great reminder that, as she wrote, "everyone wants to be appreciated."

Lastly this week, I want to share something a little different. Besides some of my more obvious loves of reading, writing, blogging...I also LOVE to cook! I can't get enough of Food TV and The Cooking Channel and I'm constantly adding to my cookbook collection and Pinterest boards. Yet, with busy weekly schedules, not to mention my son also getting older and becoming more involved in different activities, I'm finding I need to choose recipes that are not only healthy, but quick to prepare during the week. I tried a good one and want to share it with you! It's a quick crock pot, kinda dump (the ingredients in) and go (get on with your busy day) kind of meal. Make a little rice and get out some yummy taco toppings at dinner time, and you're done! Here's a link to Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken via Skinnytaste.com. It was super yummy, and even my little guy - who is the pickiest eater I have ever known - liked to help me make it AND tried it. It was a winner-winner chicken dinner...for real! I hope your family might like it, too.

Any favorite things that you have found this week and would like to share? Post in the comments below. We would love to see them!

Brand New Look!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:41:00 +0000

I am so excited to be writing my first post on my newly designed blog! In the spirit of spring renewal, thanks to Megan at A Bird In Hand Blog Designs, Middle School Matters Blog has a whole different look. I've been wanting to do something like this for a little while, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. Now, I can tell you that if you also happen to be a teacher-blogger and are thinking about a redesign, don't hesitate! It has been really easy to work with Megan, and the results have been so much better than I even hoped for. She has lots of different packages to offer - and they are all created with teachers in mind. An even better idea...if someone you know is a teacher and either has a blog or is thinking of starting one...what better gift for Teacher Appreciation Week then hooking that lucky person up with a brand new design? Just a thought! :-)

Speaking of Teacher Appreciation Week, I just want to take this opportunity to remind you about the fantastic sales happening right now at both Teacher's Notebook and Teachers Pay Teachers. Both of these online resources for teachers are showing some love - details below:

Check out both sites to find great savings across the board! Be sure to visit you wishlists and make the most of this opportunity!

Characterization FREEBIE

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:37:00 +0000

Introducing a brand new FREEBIE: Characterization Graphic Organizer (for any text)

(click on image above to download)

Focusing on the the CCSS in Reading for Literature, specifically looking at Key Ideas and Details as well as Craft and Structure, middle school students are asked to demonstate such skills as to "analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot)," (RL.7.3) and to "determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text." (RL.8.2) The first step to begining such tasks is to understand the concept of characterization. (HERE is a link to a great summary of the difference between direct and indirect characterization via Read.Write.Think.org.) Addressed and practiced in earlier grades, the above graphic organizer will assist students in navigating through text details to glean information about specific characters. Supporting details recorded on this page can then be used to respond to questions pertaining the more complex analysis of a character's development.

I hope you find this FREEBIE useful. I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for April 22nd. Be sure to click on the link below and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:13:00 +0000

One of my favorite things about the teaching-blogging world that I've discovered during these months in which I have become involved is the willingness to share and support each other. I love knowing that there are others, just like me, who love teaching - with all of its ups and downs - and have days so full that often things like sleep and time to exercise are sacrificed to fit it all in...yet are never too busy to share a tip or resource to make the days a little easier for others. Whether it's a funny meme on Facebook or a poignient post communicating the real and troubling concerns about the path down which education is being steered, I love knowing we are negotiating the day-to-day challenges for teaching together! For this Friday, I will be sharing with you some places to look for great resources to help with planning and creating fun and interactive lessons and activities for your students:

First up, you may have seen that one of my favorite blogs, Teaching Blog Addict, is celebrating its 2nd birthday this April! Starting today, April 5th, you can go to this site and download literally hundreds of products that have been created for teachers - by teachers, and are absolutely FREE! What a way to celebrate and share some love! Lots of Middle School resources can be found within the 5th and 6th grade collection. I've found some great things in the PreK- K and 1st-2nd grade collections to use with my little guy at home, too. Thank you, TBA, for such a fantastic opportunity to share. Happy Birthday!!

Next, just in time for Poetry Month, Pam at Mrs. O's Rockin Resources has put together a Poetry Linky Party which already has tons of great materials and resources for all grade levels. Take a moment to visit and check them out and/or share some of your products as well. It will be time well spent, for sure!

Lastly, I'm sharing with you a link to the Education section of today's New York Times. In it you will find some fantastic ideas for teaching narrative, argumentative and informative writing - alligned with the CCSS - using baseball as a theme for this week's writing prompts.

New York Times Writing Prompts

Common Core Practice | Narrative, Argumentative and Informative Writing About Baseball

The baseball season has begun, and our New Jersey classroom collaborators -- many of them passionate Yankees or Mets fans -- explored America’s pastime for this week's writing prompts.

Be sure to also take a moment to check out last Friday's post on Preparing for Testing and the Linky Party that is ongoing here. There are a couple of great posts that have been shared, thanks to Erin at Miss Lifesaver and Kristy at 2 Peas and a Dog. There's still time to share your ideas and tips as well. Hope to see you there! :)

Helping Each Other To Help Our Kiddos

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:33:00 +0000

As promised, for this Friday's Favorite Find post, we will be doing one of my favorite things! Considering that "Testing Season" is either newly here or right around the corner for many of us, we all know that the pressure's on - for us and for our students. If there are ways that we can making preparing for our assessments a little more enjoyable, and therein make taking the tests a bit less stressful, let's share the love!

To start lending a helping hand, I am making everything available in my TpT and TN stores for 20% off - and making my Common ELA Vocabulary Review Game Pack FREE in my TpT Store from now through this Monday, April 1st (No April Fool's joking going on here...I swear. Lol)!

**What Customers Are Saying**

"Useful tool."

"Another homerun! Thank you! I've also subscribed to your blog! Great stuff!!!"

"Thanks for creating these fun and educational materials!"

Grab it for free while you can!

Please be sure to look around, grab a FREEBIE or two - and share with your colleagues, too!

For the following linky, create a blog post that shares an idea or tip that you've used or found that can help with content review or test taking strategies. Are there things that you or your school district do to remove anxiety and motivate kids to try their best? How do you use technology in your classroom to help prepare? Have you created products that make preparing for state assessments more enjoyable - games, activites, strategies and suggestions for home? A free product, to start, would be awesome...then feel free to add links to a paid product or two as well. Anything you are ready and willing to share will be greatly appreciated!

This Favorite Find Linky will start a little later this afternoon and be available to link to through April 6th, 2013 - so be sure to come back with a post that shares lots of helpful resources. Then, look around for some new ideas to take back to your classroom!

To Link-up:

-Grab my Middle School Matters Blog graphic below to place in your blog.

(Please be sure to then attach a link back to this blog post using the above image.)

-Link up your post! :)

I can't wait to see all of the Favorite Finds we can share! Thank you for trying this out with me. I would truly love any feedback or suggestions for this Linky in the comments below.

We Are Our Own Best Teaching Resource

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Although our spring break dates may vary a little, the season of seemingly endless assessment is just around the corner for most of us. Good times! Well, at least preparing for them doesn't have to be awful times, right? During the next two weeks I'll be sharing different games and activities that I have created and used in my ELA classroom to help with reviewing the vocabulary and practicing necessary skills. I'll also share the resources that I've found along the way that may be helpful in other content areas as well. I know one of the greatest resources we have as teachers is each other, and in that spirit, later this week I'll be giving you some chances to share the strategies that you use and products that you've found or created that help your students feel assessment-ready. Gather your best ideas and be sure to stop by on Friday, March 29th, to link up your favorites!

For today, I'll start by linking up my newest FREEBIE to Charty's Classroom Freebies. Click on the image below to download my Literary Terms Word Search. A quick activity to be used at a literacy center or for a "Do Now" or "Ticket Out," this word search will help you find who has an understanding of basic terms often found in middle school ELA assessments. Your students will need to answer the clues and find the words in the puzzle. Several terms are hidden in the puzzle that are NOT answers to the clues, so they will need to be careful...using the puzzle as a word bank may not be the best strategy! :)

(You will find both the puzzle and the answer key.)

I hope this post gets you started in thinking about the ideas you may want to share. I'm looking forward to seeing how much support we can give to each other during this - the most wonderful time of the school year. ;-)

Be sure to check back soon!

SPRING Into a Good Book!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:19:00 +0000

It seems strange to be creating and posting these free bookmarks today, as the county where I live in Upstate New York is under a Winter Storm Warning for later today and tomorrow. I know that Easter is a bit early this year, but that little bunny is going to be hopping through some crazy snow if Mother Nature doesn't catch up with the start of spring! So, though I would like to say that I am preparing for spring-themed prizes and/or class gifts ahead of time because I'm am highly organized...I believe the truth is not so much, and it's more out of wishful thinking.

(Click on the link to download, cut apart and share! :) )

It's also a Monday, so I'm linking up to Classroom Freebies! Be sure to take time to look around at the great resources that are being shared.

Have a great week...even if it snows! ;-)

Lucky Me...Lucky You!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:51:00 +0000

Happy St. Patty's weekend! Besides the facts that I love weekends, the color green, corned beef and cabbage with a nice pint of Guinness...and, of course, Leprecauhns, I am feeling celebratory for a few more reasons. Here's why:

1)Lucky me...lucky you! I have some great news, and in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day this weekend, I will share it in the form of a limerick:

There was once a Deal of the Day
That made me so happy to say,
“Teacher’s Notebook’s the place
To put a smile on your face
With forty percent less to pay!”
(Thank you...Thank you...LOL)

What does this mean for you? Well, Teacher's Notebook has started a new program called Deal of the Day. Sellers bid for the chance to be featured, and I won the spot for 7th grade TODAY! This means a 40% savings for you on the product of my choice...which is: Content Area Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes - PowerPoint and Memory Match Centers (Originally priced at $9.00 - today it is on sale for $5.40!)

(Click on the image to see the Daily Deal at TN.)

In addition, I have put the rest of my products at Teacher's Notebook on sale, too!

Take a look and click an item that interests you! :)

2) Teachers Pay Teachers SALE - Well, I need to share the luck, I think! All products at my TPT store are 20% off as well!

(Click on the image to go dirctly to my TPT store.)

BOTH SALES RUN TODAY and TOMORROW - 3/16 and 3/17!

Lucky me...Lucky you!

3) The Teacher's Chair Giveaway - Talk about some incredible luck...There's still time, my friends, to enter a fabulous giveaway being held at The Teacher's Chair! Make sure you head on over in the few hours remaining to check out all of the fantastic prizes that will go to one lucky winner.

You have a crazy number of chances to win and you may find some great new blogs to follow in the process.

May our good fortune continue to grow! :)

Enjoy!

Friday Favorites!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:11:00 +0000

This was another of those crazy busy weeks where you just don't seem to know if you're coming or going! Between the usual routine of school and home, getting ready for some St. Patty's celebrating and our son's growing involvment in swimming and Taekwondo...forget about the lion. This month is coming in like a whirlwind! One of my favorite moments of the week actually shows how quickly time is going by:

This is a picture of our 6 year old getting his green stripe in TKD. He looks like such a big boy! How can this be? Wasn't he born just yeaterday? ;-)

So proud of him!

Since this day in the middle of the month - known as the Ides of March thanks to Julius Caesar and some amazing play writing talent from William Shakespeare - falls on Friday Favorite Day, I'm also sharing another favorite. Flocabulary is a fantastic educational website that has several free videos. One that I have used in my classes is about the elements of fiction, and my kiddos LOVE it! The information from various subject areas is shared through hip-hop style songs and videos that are so fun. We all (absolutely including me) sing and dance right along to this one imparticular:

These Are the Five Things: "This song covers the five main elements of a story: setting, plot, characters, conflict and theme. Whether you’re studying a short story, a novel, an epic poem, a play or a film, if you don’t find these five elements, you’re not looking hard enough. With a catchy chorus that’s hard to forget, this “five elements of a short story” rap will get you or your students hooked." - www.flocabulary.com

There is a fee for full use of this site, but there are several things offered for free - including printable lyrics and lesson plans that go with the videos - that make visiting the site worth while. Take a look...they keep adding new resources all of the time.

To go with my link to this favorite video of ours, I'm also including a FREEBIE! I have made some bookmarks that students can use to remember the elements of fiction. Just click on the image below to print your copy, cut them apart and share.

(Click image)

What are some of your favorites from this week? Consider sharing in the comments below. :)

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:24:00 +0000

My Friday has been exceptionally nice here this week! We had a little bit of snow on the ground when we went to bed last night...and lo and behold: SNOW DAY today!! The only thing better than a surprise snow day as a teacher was seeing my Kindergartner's face this morning. He was up with the phone call (at 5:46 AM), way before he needed to be, but he was not tired at all. His was the kind of happiness that only Santa, the Easter Bunny and...some good ol' snow can bring, and it was my favorite moment of the week. :)

This opportunity to have a lazy day with my boy leads me to my first favorite I'll be sharing today. I happened to catch this craft project on The Chew today, and instantly thought how this would be awesome in a classroom. It's a DIY Dry Erase Calendar that seems pretty easy to make, and looks pretty sweet!

Picture from The Chew @ ABC.com

Here's the link to materials and directions: Clinton's Craft Corner Coasters and Calendar. (The coasters are petty cute, too! Scroll down the page. The calendar is the 2nd project.) I'll wait a day or two to see if a video clip of the project is added to their site and I'll post the link for that, too.

The second thing I want to share with you for my Friday Favorites this week is a video that has been making it's way around the world of social media. It was actually brought to my attention recently by a person who posted it on my Facebook wall. She also made a simple, touching and quite eloquent request. She asked me to please "tell all of the teachers this. It is true. "Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you," is the biggest lie that parents and teachers tell. Those of us that survived being bullied, did it by believing the bullies were wrong. But we will spend the rest of our lives with the doubt. This is the best thing I have ever seen explaining what it feels like."

I was touched by her honesty and her desire to share something that was so personal in order to make sure that this moving video about the power of words continues to be seen. The To This Day Project is well worth the time to watch for both teens and adults. Containing an important message that is shared in a way that will undoubtedly get the attention of middle school students, this is a perfect catalyst for free-writes or discussions. If you haven't come across it yet, please think about taking a few minutes to watch...and consider passing along.

Lastly, I just want to remind you that a fantastic giveaway is still going on at The Teacher's Chair!

There's still time to see if March 17th will be your lucky day! If you haven't checked out all the great prizes (including a product from my store), take time to visit and enter to win!

Have a great weekend!

March Currently

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 23:23:00 +0000

Holy March Madness, Batman! It's the third month of 2013 already? Where are the days going? Seriously. It may be because my son seems to be growing up right before my eyes. It may be because the 3rd season of Downton Abbey just ended way too soon - and in a shockingly horrific fashion - as I was just getting the story line figured out. It may be because I will be leaving my 30s behind this year and turning the BIG 4-0 over the summer. I just don't know...but things are moving a little too quickly lately!

The good part about starting a new month, however, is that Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade has created another Currently! Here is mine for March:

LISTENING - our son's favorite movie changes from time-to-time, but since Dr. Seuss' birthday yesterday, we have watched The Lorax 87 times. :) He knows all of the lines and says them with the characters, which is cute, but nothing compared to a 6 year old dancing around and belting out, "How baa-a-a-aaad can I be? I'm just doing what comes naturally." Hysterical!

LOVING - our new healthy banana oatmeal cookie recipe. Only 3 ingredients...plus we added chocolate chips. Still pretty healthy, though! Here's a link to the recipe if you are interested: Skinnytaste Healthy Cookies. You'll love them, too!

THINKING - about March...see my introduction. Enough said. ;-)

WANTING - to look into National Board Certification. I'm thinking more and more about going down this road. I know it's a huge investment in time, and it would prove to be a challenge to find a balance between work, study and family time. I may wait until our son is a little bit older...but I am definitely feeling that I am interested enough to begin investigating my options.

NEEDING - I found a meme this morning that read, "My blood type is COFFEE." Could not be truer, my friends.

LIKE, LOVE and HATE: This month Farley asked us to use the first letter of our first names for this category. My letter is "S" since my first name is Stephanie. This led to my picks of "spaghetti squash," (yummy alternative to pasta), "son's smile" (sweetness) and "sickness" (Hate is tough for me, as I instantly hear my mom's voice in my head, scolding me for using a very strong word as soon as I think about it. Sickness is something that I can say I feel that strongly about.)

I love this idea and the opportunity it gives me to think, write and share with you. Be sure to go to Farley's linky party to learn about other bloggers...some may be your favorites that you already follow and some may be new to you. Either way, there's lots of fun reading there!

Enjoy!

Friday Favorites and an Upcoming Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:00:00 +0000

TGIF! Seriously. Just one of those weeks where I'm glad to have a chance to reflect and share with you some favorite things to remind myself of what's important...things including kindness and compassion, a new freebie AND this week, a little news about an up and coming giveaway that I'm super-excited to be a part of because it's celebrating a fantastic bloggy-buddy!

First up is my favorite find of the week. This video clip has been making the rounds, and though you may have seen it, it's worth a second look. Consider making time and sharing it with your students and your children, too. It's another great example of young people stepping up and and showing that kindness and compassion do exist in our schools. These student athletes have followed the examples of the adults in their lives - specifically parents and coaches in this instance - to go above and beyond in making sure that a very deserving peer is able to experience success on the basketball court. A must-see:

Love it!!
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Next up is a FREEBIE! March 1st it is (SO hard to believe it's already here) ...so here is the next in my Cooperative Learning Partners monthly themes. This month it's:

(Click the image to download.)

Make copies on cardstock, if possible, to make them more sturdy.

3-hole punch them along the top so that they can stay in the front of each student's binder for quick referencing. :)

(Click HERE for the October post that started it all and explains how to use them in your class. Check out my FREEBIES page as well to collect the previous months if you would like, too.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lastly, I'm so very happy to share some big news with you!! I can't give too many details yet, but a wonderful bloggy-buddy is planning to share some really great stuff this Saturday. Tracey from The Teacher's Chair has created the Teaching Blog Circle (a true example of kindness in and of itself) and many of us in it are participating. She has posted some details of one part of her giveaway already and I would love for you to see it. Click on the image below to check it out. Then, be sure to stop by The Teacher's Chair first thing tomorrow to find out how to enter for chances (That's right! Way more than one!) to win. What a great way to start a long-awaited weekend, right?! Yay!! :)

Enjoy the weekend...and good luck!

New Puzzle for Suffixes

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:50:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I wrote a post titled Puzzle Me This...Prefixes that had some great response. Many people asked if I would be making any more 12 Square Puzzles, and in fact, I have! I have now combined the prefix puzzle with one for suffixes (for a total of two separate puzzles) and have them available for free in both of Teachers Pay Teachers and Teacher's Notebook stores.

Click here to download:

TpT

Hoping you like them! :)

Friday Favorites...This Time From Our Winter Break

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:48:00 +0000

This week has looked so different across the country: some schools had a long weekend for President's Day while others have had a week-long break. For us, Winter Recess has been a week of family fun and good times. The kind of times that, as I sit and reflect on the days we've just spent reconnecting, will make great memories for my husband, my son and myself. I am truly thankful. Of course...our time away has kept me a bit removed form Middle School Matters Blog this week. As I settle back in and begin finishing a couple of new projects that I have started and am hoping to share next week, I'm hoping you don't mind if my Friday Favorites this week are more personal than professional in nature. These finds may not be directly classroom connected...but there was a lot of learning that happened this week! Here are some of my family's favorites:

1. Those of us in Upstate New York remember the snowfall we had a couple of weeks ago, but the New England States really got dumped on by Nemo! We went to Mystic, Connecticut to visit the aquarium there, but along our road trip we made a couple of stops. One of our favorite places to eat is a little place called Sylvester's in Northampton, Massachusetts. We could not get over the snow that was still there and our little guy had never seen such mountains of snow! Keep in mind that time had passed since the storm AND it had rained the night before...that's a lot of snow, friends!

2. Another stop that we made was at our favorite shop - Yankee Candle in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. If you are ever in the area, you need to go! It's way more than candles. Santa's Workshop, a Bavarian Black Forest (inside - decorated with lights and snow. Amazing!), a castle, entertainment for kids (We saw a performance of The Little Mermaid that was interactive with the audience and really well done.) are just some of the things you'll find. My husband's favorite though, surprising as it was, was actually one of the candle displays. The Man Cave included Buttered Popcorn and Bacon...mmmmm, bacon...scented candles. Crazy!

3. Once we made it to Mystic, the aquarium was our first stop. We love it there, and again, if you happen to find yourself in the area it is one of many great things to do. Mystic is full of maritime history and great food...including Mystic Pizza, for any Julia Roberts fans. ;-) The best part for us this time, though, was Mystic Aquarium. We had taken our son with us a couple of years ago, but he was too little to remember, so this was like new to him. Randy and I have been many times, and still saw new things. It was Weird Science Week, so there were many things to observe and do. We were able to pet stingrays, saw a 4D movie, toured the Titanic (A. Ma. Zing. Seriously.), watched a great sea lion show, and spent time at each of the beautiful exhibits. Here are some of our favorite sights:

Sea Turtles - Little Man wanted to bring one home, but we settled on a stuffed animal version.

A Touch Tank with baby stingrays and starfish. He wanted no part of it...until we went the big tank that had adult stingrays. We all were so busy interacting with them that we didn't get any pictures. Lol

Titanic Exhibit - Iceburg

I really wanted him to reach his arms out and cry, "I'm king of the world!" but he didn't quite get it. Generation gap...some day he'll see the movie and meet Rose and Jack.

Learning the difference between seals and sea lions - it's all in the flipper!

Sea Lion Show

My FAVORITE picture - up close and personal with a beluga whale! It swam back and forth and played with us for a while. So cool!

I'm including links to the favorite places we visited this week. If you are ever planning a trip to this part of the country, I hope you consider creating some great memories in these great places, too!

Yankee Candle - South Deerfield, Massachusetts

Mystic Aquarium - Mystic, Connecticut

Have you ever been to these places and have favorites moments of your own? Please consider sharing below. I would love to read about it! Here's to taking time to make memories...may they get us through to the next opportunity! ;-)

A Quote for Short Response Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:06:00 +0000

There's no better time than now, as we approach the marathon that is the test taking season, to not only practice strategies for success, but to inspire success as well.

Share this quote, one of my favorites, and use it to empower your students. Give them time to reflect and make them think about how it could apply to their own lives while practicing RACE - a tried and true "formula" for answering short response questions:

Click HERE to download and print a copy. Project the quote and use the question sheet (which also includes the quote) for your students' responses. Share answers and discuss how powerful a positive attitude can be!

I hope that both you and your students find this freebie helpful. I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for February 11th. Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Enjoy!

7 Reasons Why the Teaching of Roots and Affixes Is a Middle School Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:29:00 +0000

In the 14 years that I've been teaching, I've seen a real shift in the philosophy of English Education. When I started, whole language was the focus of all reading and writing instruction. Quite honestly, this was a shock to me since, as a student in a very small K-12 school in upstate New York, I only knew traditional methodology. My English classes were filled with diagramming sentences, memorizing the forms of the verb "to be," and studying vocabulary - including root words and affixes. That being said, as you can imagine, seeing my own students read and write just for the love of reading and writing...not concentrating on the number of complex sentences versus compound-complex sentences in a passage, was exciting! I loved it! My students loved it...ELA was fun!

But...the question of whether or not it was wise for the pendulum to swing so far to one side and seemingly abandon the systematic teaching of grammar, conventions and vocabulary - specifically Greek and Latin roots and affixes - now arises. Is there something to be said for the shift to a "back to basics" approach that the Common Core Standards require? When looking carefully at the CCSS and researching the benefits of learning and internalizing the basic building blocks of language, to me the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" The interesting thing I found is that the CCSS vocabulary standards pertaining to Greek and Latin affixes and roots begin at 4^th Grade and end at 8^th Grade. Here's some of what I've found and why I think this is so:

1. Quite simply, let's start with knowing the parts helps our students to understand the whole. Knowing commonly used roots and affixes can help students infer the definitions of new words in context.

2. The ability to infer meaning: Knowing Greek and Latin word parts helps students recognize and gain clues to understanding of other words that use known affixes and roots (Nagy & Scott, 2000).

3. Over 60% of the words students will encounter in school textbooks have recognizable word parts; and many of these Latin and Greek roots (Nagy, Anderson, Schommer, Scott, & Stallman, 1989). This means that word study can helps students' comprehension in all content areas.

4. Recent reading research has supported the morphological approach to vocabulary development in elementary and middle school. In linguistics, this practice of identifying and analyzing the parts of words in a given language is helpful in its acquisition.

5. Content area vocabulary is largely Greek and Latin-based and research supports this instruction, especially for struggling readers (Harmon, Hedrick & Wood, 2005).

6. Knowing commonly used suffixes can help students identify a word's part of speech, further helping with correct usage in writing.

7. Lastly, standardized tests assess students' vocabulary. Whether we like it or not, state testing seems to be here to stay. That being said, giving our students the tools necessary to be successful can turn what is often a stressful situation for many into an opportunity to confidently show what they know.

In doing some research to answer my own questions for this post, I also found a very well-written and thorough research summary on the topic created by the National Middle School Association. In it you will find a great deal of research that not only supports the instruction of vocabulary in language development, but the need for word study at the middle school level.

So, with all of this said, we now need to examine how. How do we meet the needs of our students without swinging the pendulum all the way back in the other direction...forsaking student-centered instruction for skill and drill? I think balance is the key. Direct instruction of vocabulary is a place to start, but time should be given for students to explore and analyze word parts in small groups or learning centers and on their own. This gradual release of responsibility approach - which we know so well in the instruction of reading - pertains to vocabulary as well.

In an effort to help you find materials that can help with organizing cooperative learning opportunities for word study, I'm also including a link to my Content Areas Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes - which includes a PowerPoint for reviewing word parts and their roles in language.

CCR and CCSS aligned for ELA 5 - 8

It includes charts and Memory Match cards for roots in ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies as well as for commonly used prefixes and suffixes. My Student Accountability Form and my My Vocabulary Keeps Growing graphic organizer are also included.

Please feel free to click HERE if you would like more details.

In providing links to some of the free materials I've created for vocabulary, and following the post I wrote for Common Core Classrooms, I've received some great feedback, and questions as to the whys and hows have been asked. I'm hoping that I've given you some more information, places to look for additional answers, and have offered some resources that may be helpful. Are you teaching roots, prefixes and suffixes in your classroom? If you have fun ways that you have had your students review or practice...please consider sharing more in the comments below. The more insight and resources we can gather, the better!

Harmon, J., Hedrick, W., Wood, K. (2005). Research on vocabulary instruction in the
Content areas: Implication for struggling readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 21,
261-280.

Nagy, W.E., Anderson, R.C., Schommer, M., Scott, J.A., & Stallman, A.C. (1989). Morphological families in the internal lexicon. Reading Research Quarterly, 24(3), 262-282.

Nagy, W. E., & Scott, J. A. (2000). Vocabulary processes. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. III, pp. 269–284). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Valentine Parts of Speech Fill-in FREEBIE

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:35:00 +0000

Let's hear it for some Parts of Speech-love for Valentine's themed review!

(Click on link to download Google Doc.)

Your students can complete a valentine for their mom. The finished piece will not only be an expression of love that will touch both hearts AND funny bones.

I hope that both you and your students have fun with this freebie. I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for February 4th. Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Also check out:

Friday Favorites, a Freebie AND a Big Sale? Good Times!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:49:00 +0000

It's that time once again...Friday is here and there's much to celebrate! (I'm hearing Kool and the Gang in my head right now..."Ce-le-brate good times, come on!")

First, I would love to share with you a couple of great finds that I made recently. One of them is a video that was brought to my attention by a former student who thought it might be something "cool to share on my blog." (How much did I love that, by the why? It made my day!) He was so right, and I posted it to my Middle School Matters Blog FB page, not knowing who Kid President was but loving everything that he said in the short clip that is both inspirational and guaranteed to make you smile. Wouldn't you know, I then saw Kid President was featured on the Today Show a few days after? Social Media is amazing. Who would've thought it possible that Matt Lauer would be taking cues from me? ;-)

In his "A Pep Talk from Kid President to You," this adorable 9 year old's platform is simply that "it's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance." It's one of the best pep talks I've heard, touching both my heart and my funny bone.

In case, like me, this is the first you've heard of Kid President, there are other sweet video that your kiddos will love...even if they've seen them before. They are great catalysts for discussion and/or writing prompts, for sure!

My second favorite I would like to share is a blog that I discovered through my first giveaway last week!

This is a great blog to visit to find TONS of creative ideas for your teaching and for your classroom. Tina offers her own creations, but she also generously shares ideas she discovers from others so that her audience can easily find them, too. Talk about "bloggy love!" What better way to start February - the month of hearts, valentines and all things kind - then to bring your attention to a blog that shares the love all year round?! Speaking of Valentine's Day, I also have a new FREEBIE that I would like to share. The beginning of a new month means the introduction of a new theme for my Cooperative Learning Partners:

(Click on image for download)

This month, I decided to ignore the temptation to focus on the "lovey-dovey" theme that Valentine's Day brings immediately to mind and chose to focus on perfect pairings for food - a theme much more palatable for middle schoolers. :) Be sure to click HERE to visit the first post about how I use Cooperative Learning Partners as a classroom management tool for cooperative learning. By visiting my FREEBIES page, you'll be able to pick up previous months' themes as well.

Lastly, I want to make sure that you are aware of two fantastic sales going on this weekend - as if the Super Bowl doesn't bring with it enough excitement! Teachers Pay Teachers AND Teacher's Notebook are both offering amazing deals on their own...and I am also providing additional discounts at both of my stores. MANY teacher sellers are taking part and making similar markdowns, so be sure to take time this weekend to visit all of your favorite stores and attack those wishlists!

Teacher's Notebook: Sale Saturday and Sunday (February 2nd and 3rd) all products in my store will be will be 25% off!

Teachers Pay Teachers: I will be running a sale for 20% off both Saturday and Sunday (February 2nd and 3rd) AND on Sunday, February 3rd, TpT will be contributing and ADDITIONAL 10% discount off my already discounted price! (That's 28% OFF! Sa-weet!) Just enter promo code: SUPER at checkout on Sunday.

Check out the savings at all of your favorite stores.

Have a great weekend filled with family, friends, football, fantastic food and FABULOUS SALES!

Good Students AND Good People - 10 Tips for Success

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:14:00 +0000

Yesterday was a bad weather day for us here, so I was able to spend some extra quality time with our son at home. He just started Kindergarten this year, and even over the past few months, I can't get over how my little guy is changing; my baby is definitely not a baby any longer! As we were making cookies, ~~carefully~~ ~~measuring each ingredient~~ scarfing down chocolate chips, my kiddo chattered away about school and friends. Just a short time ago everything was new and intimidating. Yesterday he was a confident, happy little person standing next to me in the kitchen, sharing the things he's learned about reading, writing, math...humanity...and life as a Kindergartner. Hearing all he's learned so far made me think of a letter I wrote to him...for him...for me, as he began school in September.

The following is a post I wrote in another blog that I started at the same time as Middle School Matters. (Being so new to this, I thought it would be easy to keep up with two blogs - one for teaching and one for simply recording our thoughts and experiences during our son's first year of school. I was wrong. Cra. Zy.) I've decided to focus on Middle School Matters, but yesterday this particular post came immediately to mind. It's advice to my son - as his mommy, but also as a teacher - to help him navigate through the maze that school can be. As we are now at the half-way point of the year, heading to celebrating 100 days of school, I'm reflecting on what I thought he needed to know:

Even at five, our little man has been the recipient of many letters. The first was written before he was born and included things I wanted him to know about how much he was loved from the moment we knew he was coming into our lives. Then there was the one of thanks from our Bo-Bo Fairy, given to him when he was ready to give up his pacifier (Bo-Bo). It was time to have our Bo-Bo Fairy take it to a new baby who needed it, and she felt he needed to be congratulated. Since then, letters from us on birthdays and from Santa at Christmas have become traditions in our family. These letters hold words of love and the recognition of milestones that have been met along the way. Little Man looks forward to these letters now. In fact, this past Christmas, truly understanding what an undertaking it is to deliver toys to deserving boys and girls all over the world, he was concerned that Santa might not have time to write a letter since he was so busy. I felt pretty confident that Santa would come through.

It has become easy to see, that even at a young age when his daddy and I still need to help him read these letters, the written words have had a great effect on him. He knows we are proud. He knows his actions are appreciated. He knows he is loved. As his mother, I know how important all of this is. That being said, I'm also a middle school teacher. After fourteen years with tweens and newly-turned teens, I've seen a lot. In fact, I've often told my students that they are the subject of a book I've been writing. The working title is The Things I Never Thought I Would Have to Say, But Do In Middle School. They think I'm so funny! I'm not kidding.

As my little scholar begins his future in public school this week, I feel another letter needs to be written. This one, however, will not be filled with the warm fuzzies of the others. This one has a need for practicality and a degree of bluntness that will allow some very important advice - not only for Kindergarten, but for life as he goes through school - to be gleaned. It will include the following pieces of advice that, as his mother and a teacher, I know he needs to be made aware of and will help him to be successful:

1) Don't feel the need to be perfect. No one is.

2) Not everything is going to be easy. Whether it's learning to read, tackling math facts or climbing the rope in P.E. - just keep trying.

3) Please use a tissue. Please do not use your hand, your sleeve or the paper you are giving to your friend or teacher.

4) You will come across bullies. It will happen...and most likely it will be when an adult isn't right there to help. I know this can be scary, but I don't want you to be an audience to this. Don't just let it happen. You don't have to say a thing to the bully. In fact, I wish that you wouldn't. He or she probably won't hear what you are saying anyway. The person being bullied, however, will be straining to hear ANY kindness in that moment. Be THAT voice. Be his or her friend. Will you be best friends from that moment on? Maybe not, but your kindness will be remembered - and on a day when you need it - maybe it will be returned.

5) Use your manners. A simple "please" and "thank you" make more of an impression than you think.

6) Please revisit #3. Seriously.

7) If someone asks you to do something that you know is wrong - whether it is unkind or unsafe - say, "No." If you feel you need a reason, use me. I'm happy to be the "mean mom" if it gets you out of an uncomfortable situation.

8) School is not a race. You do not need to be the first person finished to show how smart you are. Take your time and do things well. Take the time to show what you know.

9) Part of growing up is realizing that you may not choose to be friends with everyone with whom you have to work. From peers to adults, I know it can be difficult to work with people when you don't see things in the same way. Yet, you need to be respectful and willing to work together when necessary. Your future teachers and employers will find much value in this skill.

10) Mommy and Daddy have spent a small fortune on school supplies. Please keep them out of your mouth. Nothing is more gross than chewed up pens, pencils and marker caps that are covered in spit. Nothing except...well, once again, please see #3.

As you can see, this is a different type of post than usually seen in this blog. I'm not examining the Common Core or sharing resources for helping our kids be successful students. I'm looking at my son, and our students, and thinking about the things they need to know to be, simply, successful humans. How does my list fare? Considering your children and the students that you see each day, what tidbits of wisdom would you share for their consideration during the rest of your time with them...and as they grow?

I have linked this post to:

Find lots of fun "Top Ten" Lists on all kinds of topics!

Giveaway Winner AND Valentine's Day Bookmarks FREEBIE

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:22:00 +0000

Thank you so much to all of you who participated in my very first giveaway here on Middle School Matters Blog. Congratulations to Tina C.! She will be receiving a FREE item of her choice from my TpT store. If she is even half as excited about this as I am, the news has been a great start to her Monday morning! I'll be doing something like this again very soon, for certain, so keep checking in. :)

No need to wait to get ready for Valentine's Day! Alone or with other sweet treats added by you, these free Valentine bookmarks will hopefully encourage your readers to fall in love with a good book! With 4 different designs made with upper-grade students in mind, just download, copy (probably on cardstock, if possible, would be best) and cut apart to use these as a gift or prize on Valentine's day.

(Click on the image to download.)

Sa-weet! :)

I hope you find this FREEBIE helpful. I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for January 28th. Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Thanks for stopping by!

SURPRISE!!! It's a Flash Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

(Sorry about all of the exclamation points...I'm just super excited about this! :-) )

So I just noticed that Teachers Pay Teachers has altered their product statistics pages a bit, and sellers can now see the number of items placed in wishlists. I was SO excited to see the number of people interested in my products and I've decided to...make someone's wish come true! :-) This is my FIRST little contest, and it is a SURPRISE: Flash Giveaway - the prize being one item of your choice from my TpT store...FREE!

Just take a look at the Rafflecopter widget below...and if you would like to try for a chance to win, choose one or both options for entries into the giveaway. That's it! This will run for Sunday, January 27th (only one day)...and then the winner will be randomly drawn. When I wake up Monday, I, with coffee in hand, will email the winner. I really can't wait to see which item will be chosen. Best of luck - being a winner is a great way to start your week!

(Click here to go directly to my TpT store and look around.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Week's Friday Favorites - January 25, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:58:00 +0000

And another week has flown by! Time for Friday Favorites, a moment that I like to take to share things I've found over the week that are inspiring and motivating. It can be anything that can help enrich instruction in the classroom, touch the hearts of teachers and parents alike...or anything in between.

This week, before I show you some of my favorites, I would like to once again thank everyone who participated in last week's Favorite Finds Linky Party by either linking up a post, or taking the time to check out the great ideas and finds that were shared. I plan on having another linky party with the same theme next month, so be on the lookout for some great ideas to share. I can't wait to see what February will bring!

Now (cue drum roll), on to my shares:

First, I want to share something that, as a blogger, has already changed my life. I was so lucky to come across a FB post by Krystal of Lessons from the Middle, which happens to me one of my favorite middle school blogs. (Click on the link and take a look if you haven't found her already. Hey, I just shared a favorite without even trying! Lol) Anyway, she shared a post from the blog Coffee Cups and Lesson Plans that shared a link to a FREE...I know, that's right...a FREE Blogging Planner for 2013 created by Confessions of a Homeschooler! I clicked on the link and checked it out, downloaded the planner and had to check back a few times to make sure it really was for FREE. First of all, these are b-e-a-utiful! Then, even before I started printing the pages I knew this was just what I've been trying to create for myself, but still being kinda new to this whole thing, didn't really know how to best put it all together. I've started using it already this week and, between this and figuring out HootSuite for scheduling posts on FB, I'm really starting to feel a little more organized and am starting to gain a bit more blogging confidence. If any of you are also new to blogging, or thinking about starting a blog, click on the link for Confessions of a Homeschooler and take a look. I just know you'll love it! I know I really appreciate all the shares that led me to my "bloggy bliss," and I hope this may help you, too. :)

Secondly, I want to share a beautiful story that is sure to inspire. I came across this via a FB friend (She also happens to be the beautiful wife of my cousin, mommy to 3 fantastic young children AND a brand new teacher to boot!) who posted this link to a news video clip from wltx.com. It's a story about a beautiful young woman's true passion for teaching and determination to break through stereotypes to meet challenges and make her dreams come true. This is perseverance at its best...and a love of learning that is contagious. It's my gift to you - to warm your heart on this cold winter day (at least here in the Catskills...brrr!).

Anything that has inspired you this week? Feel free to share in the comments below! :)
Have a great weekend!

Puzzle Me This...Prefixes!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:56:00 +0000

I'm SO happy to share my newest FREEBIE with you! I so love games and puzzles. I know that my students do, too. The challenge of solving this puzzle certainly helps motivate students to learn the meanings of the commonly used prefixes that are featured in this 12 Square Puzzle:

(click on the image to download it here)

Simply print one copy to place in a folder for an answer key. Then, print and copy the puzzle (on cardstock, if possible). Have students cut the pieces apart on the dotted lines and mix up them up. To play, have them match the prefixes to their definitions to put the puzzle together. Ready, set, GO! This is great on its own, but it would also be a great addition to my Content Area Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes PowerPoint and Center Activities. This pack also contains a chart of prefixes that are used in this puzzle. Feel free to stop by TpT or TN to take a closer look. The pack is 20% off today (1/21/2013) at both stores!

I hope you find this FREEBIE useful. I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies' Manic Monday for January 21st. Be sure to click on the link and check out all of the great resources available to you!

Have a great day!!

New Linky Party - Favorite Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:17:00 +0000

One of my blogging goals for this year is to make sure that I stay true to my original vision of Middle School Matters Blog. I want this to be a place where, yes, teachers can come to find resources that may be helpful in their classrooms, but to also find a supportive community in which we can share things that motivate and inspire. I want this to be a place where, knowing the challenges we are all facing in education today, we can find strategies to help work our way through some of the muck and mire that surrounds our profession, and still feel passion for what we do.

In an effort to start sharing some of my favorite things I've found that inspire me, I created Friday Favorites. Last week, a fellow blogger, Erin of Miss Lifesaver, suggested that I turn this into a Linky Party. What a great suggestion!! I have taken part in many the last couple of months, but I've never held one myself. Could I? Should I? Then I saw this on FB:

(from http://ow.ly/i/1nj5s)

Well...OK! Here goes nothin'!

WELCOME to Middle School Matters Blog's first Linky Party! I'm hoping to make this a regular event if this goes well. I can't wait to see what happens!

First, here is my favorite piece of inspiration I've found so far this week. It's a video clip of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Kids SportsKids of the Year. I've been frustrated as of late about the amount of attention being placed on assessments and test scores...at the expense of the time we have to teach all of the other things that are so important in the growth and development of our children. This video is short on time, but long on examples of kindness, compassion, empathy, tolerance...love. You know, all of the qualities that make up excellent people, not just excellent test-takers. ;-) Take a moment to watch and be reminded that there is so much good in the world. Then, show it to your students. Have them talk about it, write about it, reflect on it and respond to it. There are tons of ways that this could be used as a catalyst for all kinds of authentic writing practice that could easily be aligned to the CCSS for ELA. It's my favorite find this week!

So, again with thanks to Erin for the idea...it's your turn! :)

Here's what you need to do to link-up and share:

1) Create a blog post that features one of your "Favorites." This could be a lesson you've just done, a strategy that you've found successful - or want to try, a new website or resource, something you read or wrote...or something that simply inspires you or your students.

2) I'm posting this now to serve as a heads-up for tomorrow. If you're interested, and oh, I hope you are...just follow my blog and come back to link up starting tomorrow, January 18th. The link will be open all weekend, so if you need to write something for this linky, you may be able to find some time.

To Link-up:

-Grab my Middle School Matters Blog graphic below to place in your blog.

(Please be sure to include a link back to this blog post.)

-Link up your post! :)

I can't wait to see all of the Favorite Finds we can share! Thank you for trying this out with me. I would truly love any feedback or suggestions for this Linky in the comments below.

I am posting this on Teaching Blog Addicts's Ultimate Linky Party Page. Click above to find other opportunities to link-up and find resources to share! :)

My Vocabulary Keeps Growing!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie ) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:04:00 +0000

"Why do we have to learn Latin and Greek in English class?" Good question, and one that I'm sure your students have at least thought of - even if they didn't go as far as to articulate it.

The truth is, beyond the fact that root words, prefixes and suffixes are specifically addressed in the Common Core, reading and writing English can only become easier by learning the Greek and Latin roots. If we are to guide our students to reading both literature and informational texts closely, empowering them to analyze and truly comprehend a text, and then take it a step further to acquiring knowledge from that text, the ability to decipher meanings of new words is essential. Not only in the ELA classroom, but in all content areas, students can only be more successful if they understand what they are reading and what they are being asked to do. Recognizing the patterns created by commonly used roots, prefixes and suffixes will help them negotiate meaning in challenging texts and the kinds of questions that are being asked as students write and speak about what they are reading.

One tool that I have created to help students with developing these language skills is the My Vocabulary Keeps Growing graphic organizer.

(Click image for FREE download.)

This graphic organizer is also a part of a much larger bundle for literacy center activities pertaining to roots, prefixes and suffixes. Feel free to stop by my TpT store to check it out, but please be sure to download the above FREEBIE either way. I hope you find it helpful!

I'm linking this post to Classroom Freebies to make it easier to find. Be sure to click the link below to stop by the site and see all of the other great FREE resources for your students.