A Blooming Butterfly

I saw a post on Pinterest about Bloom's Taxonomy posters being displayed in classrooms.
I googled images of them and came across this one. Since I love butterflies and lots of color, it was a perfect fit for my classroom. 

"I am...remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, creating."
Using my Silhouette Cameo, I created one for my classroom.
"I can... remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create."

College Wall Decorations

Saturday, my wonderful hubby took me to Michael's (Arts & Crafts) and bought me a new cutting mat and a blade for my Silhouette Cameo.  I haven't been able to use it for a while, but hadn't been properly inspired to go out of town to buy the needed supplies.  After shopping, we went to the movies and didn't get home til midnight.

I got up early(ish) on Sunday and started creating.  When I move into my "new" room, I want to start a college wall.  I graduated from Florida Atlantic University and my hubby and I love the Florida Gators, so I started with those 2 teams.  Sometime back in the fall, I found 5 plain white pennants for $1 at Dollar Tree, so I decided to do pennants for each team.  I ended up making 2 of each team, one horizontal, one vertical.  I used push pins to prop them up on my bulletin board to take the pics...see below...

After I got those done and I was again bored, hubby suggested I make a Steelers pennant for his boss.  So once again inspired, I got to work.  Then, for our friend that is going through chemo for breast cancer, I made the breast cancer awareness ribbon with the Steelers logo...see below...

Ideas for Next Year

It's always around this time of the year that I start thinking about the next year.  I write pages and pages of ideas, mine and those "borrowed" from other teachers (Thank you blogs and Pinterest!!).  Two years ago, I kept it all in a word document, which I reprinted last year and adjusted.  Last year, I used most of a 70-page spiral.  Since we can not use electronics during FCAT End of Course Testing, I couldn't use my computer.  As I proctored for 6 days (3 for Algebra 1 and 3 for Geometry) in the computer lab, I fantasized about how I wanted my room to be organized and decorated.  On my walks around the lab, I would stop by and write an idea or sketch a picture.  Over the next 3 months, I would read and reread my notes, changing and tweaking til I thought it was perfect.

Well, I have pulled out last year's spiral and printed the previous year's ideas.  The big difference is that I am supposed to be moving rooms at the end of this school year.  We will find out the first week in May if they will be starting demo of half of our old school and construction of the new one on the same land this summer or next.  I have been promised an existing room on the other side of the school, since my room will be in the first phase of demo.  A couple of other teachers will be placed in existing rooms, while 7 others will get rented portables.

I am extremely excited about my "new" location.  It's not quite as big as my room now, but is laid out a little better (has a foyer and an attached office).  The principal told me about the relocation a month ago and due to my slight, ok not so slight, OCD, I have made a floor plan of the room with 6 different arrangements in MS Excel.  Here is one of them... The left side of the room will be for students daily.  The right side is where my desk and supplies will be located along with occasionally used student computers.  BTW, Lys (on pic in pink) is my daughter Alyssa.  She uses my room as her locker because I am conveniently located.  The green rectangles are 2 (1.5'x2') tables.

Here are the wall layouts with ideas...

I will post pictures as I clean and organize the new room.

Instant Data

A while back I pinned a site about obtaining data and displaying it in a way that was easy to read.  This week I used that idea for my Math for College Readiness students.  They were assigned the "Are You Ready?" section at the beginning of chapter 11 and were told to do the best they could, that I wanted to see what they know and it wouldn't be taken as a grade.

Ahead of time I created the answer sheet below.

After they were done, they graded their own work and shaded all of the ones that were incorrect.  They were more inclined to mark them wrong because they knew I wasn't actually taking it for a grade, but using it to drive my instruction (not the words I use with them!).  I used my handy dandy paper trimmer (that I couldn't live without!!) and trimmed the answer sheets down to the strip of boxes, which had their name in the top box and lesson number at the bottom.

I used a 12'x18' sheet of paper and glued them down, lining up the problem numbers.  Now at a glance I can see which ones I need to work on for the whole class and which ones to differentiate.  At the end of the chapter, I am going to assign the even problems from the same "Are You Ready?" and compare the results to the pre-test.

Here's what it looks like for 1st period...

And a close-up of the data...

Probability Vocabulary Foldable

I redesigned the Probability Unit in PreCalc this year.  My unit plan looks like this:

• Experimental & Theoretical Probability, Odds
• Mutually Exclusive/Inclusive Events – Adding Probabilities
• Independent/Dependent Events – Multiplying Probabilities (with and without replacement)
• Counting Principle
• Factorial
• Permutations
• Combinations
• Binomial Theorem
• Pascal’s Triangle
• Sierpinski’s Gasket

I created a fill-in foldable for the definitions and formulas and posted it today on TpT.  Here's the list of vocabulary: 

• probability
• odds
• experimental
• theoretical
• mutually exclusive
• inclusive
• complement
• independent
• dependent
• counting principle
• factorial
• permutations
• combinations
• Binomial Thm

 Front cover of foldable

Middle pages of foldable (preview on TpT)

I am still contemplating uploading my entire unit of notes/examples and worksheets.  

High School Geometry Reorganization

Recently, our school has been contemplating a change from 7 50-minute periods (semesters) to 5 72-minute periods (trimesters).  I have tried with a previous administrator to get the scheduled changed so that we have more time in each class, especially since Geometry has an end-of-course exam.  Our current schedule really doesn't allow us to get into the subject as deeply as I would like, so that my students leave feeling accomplished.  It seems that we have just gotten started in class when the bell rings.

In light of this contemplation, I went in search of pacing guides to revamp and chunk units for ease of understanding.  I am extremely excited with my new plan.  The units have been chunked and divided in half based on the number of days in each unit.  This sequence will work even if we don't end of changing our schedule.

Below is a picture of my hanging file folders.  I am currently going through all my previously used assignments and all the new ones I have downloaded from Pinterest and my favorite math blogs and putting them in the appropriate folder.  Once that step is done (NEVER!!!  always downloading new cool stuff!), I will go through each folder and decide what I want to use, what I can toss and what I can redo to fit my students' abilities.

Here's what is written on the tabs...  Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Reviewing Radicals Worksheet

I have spent the last 5 hours "playing" on Pinterest, looking for classroom ideas.  Since, I've been on that long, you know I've found a lot of cool ideas!

I just created a cut and paste worksheet for reviewing radicals, based on an activity from http://web.gnowledge.org/.  This would be a great activity to use when you have time left over or as an Interactive Notebook Activity.

Here is a picture and the link to download your own copy.

Data Wall Redo

This week I have updated my Data Wall appearance as well as posted 3rd interim grades on a bar graph by class.  I laminated 2 colored pieces of paper together according to my class color-coding.  Since they were laminated, I hot-glued them to my concrete wall, added clothespins, numbers for the periods and a catchy title, made in MS Word.

Here are pictures of the title and the colored sheets ready for data...

 

This was my second try at the title and I'm not sure I love it...so I'll keep it till I know what I want.  Then, I'll change it!

My New "No Homework Binder"

As I was perusing Pinterest (for hours), like I do every weekend, I came across a blog that had a great idea for those students that don't do their homework.

I took the idea and worked it through my head for a little while, then decided that I could make it work. I used the basic design of the sheet, but made mine into half sheets to put in one of my many small binders.  To make them easier to fill out, I will hole punch them at the top.

The "No HW Binder" will have 6 dividers, one for each of my classes, and a sheet for each student in the class.  I'm thinking I may color-code the sheets.  When a student doesn't have their HW done, they will have to fill out the binder sheet.  I plan on using these to show parents at Open House (our parent/teacher conferences at the midterm).

I'm not sure how to guarantee they have filled it in, if I don't double-check them.  I have so many students that don't bother to do homework, even knowing I'm going to check it!!  They will see all their missing assignments every time they miss another one.  I hope this helps!

Click here for my half-sheet version.  Or you can click the link below to see my inspiration!

Credit: Teach-Bake-Love

















UPDATED PICS:

Make-Up Work Pocket Chart

Since I have started using the interactive notebook again, I remember why I stopped earlier this year!  It is so hard getting notes done and glued into the notebook during our 50-minute period, not to mention getting/keeping all the absent students up-to-date.

So today, I rearranged how I organize make-up work.  At the beginning of the year (and in past years), I put handouts in a color-coded folder in a metal rack on the side of my shelves (see below).  This year, students don't ask what they missed when absent and totally disregard the make-up work container.  (I feel this is due to a lack of motivation that our entire school has fallen victim to.)  I decided to put in right in front of them, so there is no excuse.

Instead of putting handouts in the folder that's not in clear view or keeping them on my table (flaring up my OCD), I would put them right by the door, in a pocket chart I bought at the beginning of the year and haven't used yet.

The blue/green/yellow chart below has 9 handout-sized pockets and a 3" tall clear pocket in front of each of those.  The handouts go in the large pockets and the date number of the assignment goes in the clear pocket.  I will keep adding handouts till the pockets are full.  On the 8th, I will replace the 28 with an 8 and discard extra handouts, etc.

I will be moving my apple pocket chart (make-up tests), but I'm not sure what I will be using it for...yet.  When I give a test, I will write names of all absent students on an index card and place it in the clear pocket with the date number.