# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Modeling comprehension strategies is KEY for readers of ALL ages. That's why reading TO and WITH your child is vital, even if they are in upper elementary school! So much of comprehension is silent, meaning our readers never hear or see it. As I mention in our Reading Comprehension Series, we need to be explicit in thinking out loud to SHOW readers how we comprehend and monitor our comprehension when reading.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Modeling our comprehension out loud may seem quite unnatural to some of us. I know it did for me when I first started teaching. That's why I've compiled these book lists as they can help facilitate modeling comprehension strategies with your child. They are written in a way that you can't help but ask questions, or predict what will come next, just to mention a couple. These books are some favorites that I've used over and over again in the classroom, as a reading tutor, and now as a homeschooling mama.

Even if you don't feel your child needs to work on comprehension, these are HIGH quality texts than can be read and enjoyed together any time.

Books for Teaching Reading Comprehension

If you're new to the teaching of reading comprehension, I highly recommend that you get your hands on some of these books you see below {click here or on the image below} and read the seriously amazing ideas inside. If you are a classroom teacher, most of these books are geared towards you, but homeschooling parents can definitely glean from them, too.

My number one recommendation for homeschooling parents or parents in general is 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann because it is written without as much teacher jargon. If you're struggling to model your comprehension out loud and wondering where to start, Improving Comprehension with Think-Aloud Strategies by Jeffrey Wilhelm is a great read that explains the reasons behind it and steps you can take to make your think alouds ROCK!

And if you're unsure what comprehension strategies are to begin with, you'll find a quick overview of the different comprehension strategies kids need to understand in our post, Comprehension Strategies: Reading Equals Thinking.

50+ Texts for Modeling Comprehension

In the lists below, find our suggested books for each comprehension strategy!

Now you can take these book lists to the library or book store ~
Just download our printable comprehension book list!

Enjoy!
~Becky

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
50+ Books for Modeling Comprehension Strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Modeling comprehension strategies is KEY for readers of ALL ages. That's why reading TO and WITH your child is vital, even if they are in upper elementary school! So much of comprehension is silent, meaning our readers never hear or see it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Time after time I hear from teachers and caregivers that they have a child who is great at saying all the words right (decoding), but that they have no clue what they have read. Unfortunately, this is a common problem with our young readers. Generally a great amount of effort is directed to teaching a child to decode words yet the comprehension piece is not addressed with the same vigor. Decoding, comprehending and being fluent are all important pieces of being a strong reader and in my opinion should all be given equal modeling time. This week we are going to look at how you can model comprehension strategies for your child.
Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Your support of Growing Book by Book is greatly appreciated.
There are several comprehension strategies that readers can use when reading. These strategies can be modeled for very young children and work equally well for adults. The key is that we model our thinking for each strategy to the learner. When we model, we think aloud while reading to or with the student so that they can hear our thinking about what we are reading. Let's look at what this would sound like as we delve into each comprehension strategy.

Comprehension Strategies

Making Connections

Readers make connections to the text (books, magazines, etc.) using their background knowledge (schema). There are three types of connections: text-to-self (connecting a text to something in your life), text-to-text (connecting a text to another text) and text-to-world (connecting a text to something in the world).
What does it sound like when we are modeling our thinking to a child?
This part of the story reminds me of....

This makes me think of...

Visualizing

Creating a mental picture of the story as you are reading enhances your reading comprehension. I like to tell kids that as you read you turn the words into a movie in your head. Letting children draw pictures about something they have read also helps to develop this strategy
What does it sound like when we are modeling our thinking to a child?
When I close my eyes, I can see...

My mind picture is changing as I read because...

Questioning

Questioning helps to clarify and deepen understanding of text. We often categorize questions into two categories- thin and thick. Thin questions generally have one right answer and can be found by referring directly back to the text. Thick questions generally have more than one right answer and require the reader to use their own thinking plus information found in the text to answer.
What does it sound like when we are modeling our thinking to a child?
I wonder why...

What would happen if...

How can...

Determining Importance

Determining importance involves deciding what information is important and what information isn't essential. This is a key strategy to use when navigating non-fiction text. It's crucial to teach children the features of non-fiction text such as captions, titles, italicized and bold-faced words, graphs, etc. so that they can utilize that information to determine importance.
What does it sound like when we are modeling our thinking to a child?
I think the key idea is...

I'm going to pay special attention to this part because...

I'm going to look through the table of contents and the pictures first to help me get a feel for this text.

Inferring

When we infer, we read between the lines. This can be challenging for students because they have to use the text and their own thinking to develop meaning. Inferring involves predicting, drawing conclusions, finding meaning and using evidence from the text.
What does it sound like when we are modeling our thinking to a child?
When I read_____, I think_____, because_________.

As I read, I'm going to jot down notes of things that I think are important.

Synthesizing

This is probably the most sophisticated of the strategies because your reading and thinking is constantly evolving. You have to summarize, draw conclusions, pull things together and respond. Basically, you are using all of the other comprehension strategies together to shape your understanding.
What does it sound like when we are modeling our thinking to a child?
These are the facts____ and this is what I'm thinking____.

I think the author is trying to...

Reading this passage has or hasn't changed my mind about...

As I read, I'm going to jot down notes of things that I think are important.

Though it's helpful to model each strategy separately, it's important to remember that we utilize multiple strategies when reading and that some are more useful than others when navigating text. Spending time modeling these strategies when reading to or with your child will help your child develop their comprehension while reading.

Would you like to read more about helping your child with comprehension strategies? A great resource for parents and teachers is the 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann. Susan is also the co-author of one of the best and first books on reading comprehension called Mosaic of Thought.

Interested in texts that can be used to model each comprehension strategy? Check out my favorite texts to use to develop each comprehension strategy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Time after time I hear from teachers and caregivers that they have a child who is great atÂ saying allÂ the words right (decoding), but that they have no clue what they have read.Â Unfortunately, this is a common problem with our young readers.Â Generally a great amount of effort is directed to teaching a child to decode words yet the comprehension piece is not addressed with the same vigor.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Books with Adjectives

These are some of our favorite books with adjectives. Some of them are teaching books that explain adjectives and how you use them and others are books that have a good number of adjectives in them. My kids enjoy listening to me read them aloud. Afterwards, we sometimes do "adjective hunts", looking for places where the author has used a good deal of adjectives.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Books that TEACH about Adjectives

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective? and by Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky: More About Adjectives Brian P. Cleary - If you like Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein, you'll like the playful way that Cleary teaches kids about adjectives in these two books. Not only that, he has an entire series for parts of speech.

Many Luscious Lollipops by Ruth Heller- This is another series of books that focuses on the different parts of speech. I love how Heller uses pictures to help kids understand the concept of adjectives.

If You Were an Adjective by Michael Dahl- This cute book shows kids what kinds of adjectives go with specific nouns. I love the images and how some of the words even LOOK like the adjectives. And, once again, Michael Dahl has an entire series dedicated to the parts of speech, like the two other authors I've mentioned in this list.

Books that MODEL Adjectives

A is for Angry by Sandra Boynton- My tots and preschoolers love Sandra Boynton books, but this one is also great for older kids because of all the rich vocabulary and adjectives!

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes- My kids have enjoyed ANY Kevin Henkes book I've ever read to them, but this one is probably my favorite...well, maybe it's tied with Chrysanthemum.

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle- Not only the the ladybug described as grouchy, but each animal the grouchy ladybug meets along his journey is described with adjectives as well. PLUS, this is a great book for teaching time, too.

Poetry is also a GREAT place to find descriptive language. One of our favorite read aloud poetry books for doing this is The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury selected by Jack Prelutsky.

Activities that Teach Adjectives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Books with Adjectives - This Reading Mama

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Books with Adjectives These are some of our favorite books with adjectives. Some of them are teaching books that explain adjectives and how you use them and others are books that have a good number of adjectives in them. My kids enjoy listening to me read them aloud.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When we were in school, we were taught to memorize algorithms, rhymes and math facts. For some people, this worked. But for most- they hated math, thought they weren't good at math, didn't understand numbers and/or forgot the rhythms and algorithms. Math education looks so different now is most classrooms. Teachers are showing kids WHY and giving them multiple strategies that focus on place value. Students are being taught to make models, or simple drawings, to show or prove their work. These drawings don't always come naturally and often require lots of concrete practice with manipulatives. But the times is well spent. Students remember what to do and, more importantly, why they are doing it.

One of the biggest skills taught in the 3rd grade is multiplication. I love teaching it using all kinds of manipulatives and models. Here are five models that I teach my 3rd graders.

This is probably the most basic multiplication model. It really helps to reenforce the concept of multiplication as a collection of equal groups. The first factor in the math fact tells how many groups there are. Students draw a circle for each group. The second factor tells students how many objects are in each group. They can draw Xs inside each of the circles. Now students can count each X, skip count the circles or use repeated addition to solve for the product.

I think that it feels very natural to teach the number bond model after teaching equal groups. Again, it makes it easy to see the repeated addition. This model is easier to draw because the student uses numbers instead of Xs. However, this is a bit more abstract and your intervention group may need more time before jumping to this model. The large circle represents the whole or the product. Each of the smaller circles represents a part or a group. The number inside the small circle represents the number inside each group.

I call this model a tape diagram because of the math curriculum we use. If you are familiar with Singapore Math, they call this a bar model. Either way- it is an amazing model. It typically becomes my students' favorite because it can be used with any operation and with multi-step problems. It also is a good precursor for fraction models. The entire tape represents the whole or the product. The tape is then divided into equal groups. The number inside represents the size of each group or unit.

I teach arrays because it really helps students to best understand how and why the multiplication chart works. It will also help lay the foundation for solving for area. An array is also easy to use when demonstrating the distributive property. You can have one large array and use a line to break it in half to make two smaller arrays. The only downside is that the students must draw all the Xs and sometimes they are a bit sloppy with this. Graph paper makes it neater! The first factor tells the students how many groups or rows to draw. The second factor tells how many are in each group. When it is all drawn, students can skip count the rows to solve.

A number line tends to be a bit more abstract than the other models. I like to use it though because I believe it lays the foundation for using a number line for elapsed time. The first number tells the student how many jumps they will make. The second factor tells the student how large each jump will be. They will need to be able to add or skip count to make this model efficient. If they have to draw in every line and count- it takes far too long.

Teaching math models requires lots of modeling from the teacher. I typically use word problems when teaching math modeling rather than just a fact. However, students do want to draw bananas if the problem is about bananas. That is why I always call them models instead of drawings. I remind students that this is not art class!

Not all of my kiddos will master all five of these models. And that is ok! I have given them several tools for their toolbox and they can choose the one that they are most successful with. Most of my kids will master several of these models and will have a strategy to use when checking their work.

I require that my kids use some sort of math model for every math problem. We have a problem solving routine that helps them to be consistent. You can read more about that by clicking on the picture below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Multiplication Models You Should Teach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we were in school, we were taught to memorize algorithms, rhymes and math facts. For some people, this worked. But for most- they hated math, thought they weren't good at math, didn't understand numbers and/or forgot the rhythms and algorithms. Math education looks so different now is most classrooms. Teachers are showing kids WHY and giving them multiple strategies that focus on place value.

# data[].attributes.body
Mini Posters and Bookmarks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I posted before that I feel like I have nothing to offer because my district is very strict with what we teach and how we teach it. It needs to be VERY closely related to our Language Arts adoption, SRA's Imagine It! (the new Open Court). Well a few of your responded saying that you actually are fellow Imagine It'ers! I was soo excited and I immediately started digging through some stuff. These are some bookmarks I made that have the comprehension strategies on them. I am sure they can apply to other teachers out there too. Also, I am attaching some mini posters I put on my whiteboard.

Bookmarks!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Comprehension Strategies Bookmark and Mini Posters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I posted before that I feel like I have nothing to offer because my district is very strict with what we teach and how we teach it. It needs to be VERY closely related to our Language Arts adoption, SRA's Imagine It! (the new Open Court).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Second grade is a very important year where students develop fluency with two-digit addition and subtraction. It is the year that we work on a multitude of addition and subtraction strategies that students can use to solve problems. We spend a lot of time discussing a variety of strategies, using many different models, and doing mental math.

Why? To develop students' flexibility when solving math problems.

The Common Core Standard for two-digit addition & subtraction is:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.5
Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

And, the standard for three-digit addition and subtraction, to show where we're headed:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.7
Add and subtract within 1000, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method. Understand that in adding or subtracting three-digit numbers, one adds or subtracts hundreds and hundreds, tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose or decompose tens or hundreds.

Nowhere in those two standards does it say anything about the standard algorithm that we all learned in school (most likely with the language of "carry" and "borrow"), nor is the standard algorithm directly addressed in the Second Grade Common Core Standards. Read to the end to find out how I address the standard algorithm in our classroom.

Are you interested in a free sampler of some of my Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction Products?

If you are familiar with my Addition & Subtraction Word Problems, you may have noticed that I make a big distinction between the strategies used when solving problems and the models students employ with those strategies. Strategies are usually how students approach and manipulate the numbers. Models are how the strategies are organized on paper so that students can explain or see the strategy.

When looking at the standards above, I can see that the strategies are clearly noted in the standard:

In 2.NBT.B.5 and the strategies are:

place value

properties of operations

relationship between addition and subtraction

Standard 2.NBT.B.7 even notes that the models or drawings (which I also call models) are separate from the strategies that are based on:

place value

properties of operations

relationship between addition and subtraction

As you can see, the strategies are clearly outlined in the standards. Now within each of the above general strategy categories, there really are many different strategies that students can use and you can label them whatever you'd like in your classroom. I like to label them with students' names as an easy reference. That way, we can refer to Samantha's strategy when solving a problem. Or you can label the strategy with the action that the student takes in the problem (for example: Add Tens First).

However, I still make a distinction between the strategy and the model. Why? Because students can use multiple strategies with one model. There's no one right way to use the model, as long as the student can explain his or her thinking. The models (or drawings) merely give students a tool to explain their thinking on paper or with manipulatives. The thinking, or what students do with the numbers, is the strategy. What they use to show it to you is the model.

In all honesty, I'm not always consistent in labeling something a strategy or a model. I try to be, but like you, I'm human and sometimes mix them up, especially when I'm in the moment with students. It's a learning process and something I'm continually reflecting on throughout the years. All that to say, you may see a few things labeled one way and question its label. Go ahead and question it, think about it, mull it over and figure out whether it's accurate or not. All of this is still new to many of us.

Here are some anchor charts that I've used the past couple years that illustrate some of the below models and strategies.

Below are a few models that we use do two-digit addition or subtraction. Are these the only models you can use? No, this is not an exhaustive list. They are what I have found useful in the classroom for students to practice and use to build conceptual understanding and number sense.

Number Lines

I usually start with number lines when I introduce students to paper / pencil models. An open number line is very flexible. Students can make jumps of one or ten (or more) and easily manipulate it to show their mathematical thinking. I usually help students get to the nearest 10, or friendly or benchmark number when using a number line because it is easier to make jumps of 10. That is an example of the difference between a model and a strategy. The model is the number line. The strategy is making jumps of 10.

Teaching how to use number lines when using 10 to add +9 and +8 facts, solidifies this strategy when students are adding larger two-digit numbers.

Remember, the number line is the model and it can be used with a variety of strategies. Modeling and practicing using a number line with easier problems will help students when using a number line with more difficult problems.

Here are a few examples:

This is from my Winter Math Stations (which are not actually all that seasonal). In this activity, students practice making jumps of 10 and 100 up a number line. There are also versions where students subtract 10 and 100 down a number line, too. One of the skills students need to be successful on number lines is the ability to make jumps of 10 and 100.

This is an example from one of our Addition & Subtraction Word Problems where students had to figure out a separate start unknown problem. This student started at 15 and counted 35 jumps and then took one away at the end. This is also a great example of compensation (see below) because the student added one to the 34 to make easier jumps and then took it away at the end.

This is from my Second Grade Cut & Paste Math Activities. In this activity, students are practicing how to add up, starting at the smallest number and figuring out who tot get to the larger number by jumping to the friendly numbers. This student started at 19, jumped to 20, then made jumps of 10 to 60 and made a jump of 3. The student added their jumps together to get 44.

The above are a few examples from my Two-Digit Addition Math Stations. My students needed more direct practice with number lines and making jumps, despite all of our whole group practice. So, I gave them the directions and students followed them on the number lines.

Base-10 Blocks

Base-10 blocks are another model I teach students to use; however, I generally teach students to draw the base-10 blocks. We do use real foam blocks in class, but I try to move away from them as quickly as possible.

Why? Students will always have pencil and paper to solve problems, but they won't always have manipulative available to them. Using base-10 blocks also takes a lot of time. I don't mind spending the time on them, for students who need them, but I also want to push students toward more efficient tools.

Here are a few examples of how we use base-10 blocks:

The above two are using base-10 blocks by drawing out the tens as "sticks" as we refer to them in our classroom. These particular students were having difficult counting over 100 by tens, so I had them draw each number in tens, then count by tens until they got to 100, then start over counting by 10s again. Not only did this help them add up numbers beyond 100, but it also gave them more expense with our base-10 number system.

The above example is from my Two-Digit Addition Math Stations again and is just a basic problem - answer matching with base-10 block representations.

As noted above, the main three strategies stated in the standards are:

place value

properties of operations

relationship between addition and subtraction

Below are a few strategies that we use to solve two-digit addition problems. Most of them are based on place value strategies as I find those tend to be easier for students to understand and apply. Again, these are how students manipulate the numbers in the problem to make it easier to solve.

No one strategy is the "right" strategy for every student for every problem. Some problems lend themselves to certain strategies because of the numbers. Students may also switch between strategies within the same problem, depending on how they're manipulating the numbers. The key thing to look for is if the student can explain his or her thinking when solving a problem.

Break Apart or Ungroup (Place Value)

This strategy requires a bit more mental math practice, but it can be so powerful. The basic idea is that the number is broken apart into tens and ones and then, either using a number line, base-10 blocks or just numbers, students manipulate the pieces to add or subtract the the numbers.

Breaking the number part or ungrouping it helps students see the value of place value. The tens place is not just 4. Its value is 40 or 4 tens.

One resource that helps develop this strategy is the Number Talks book ( affiliate link). We do number talks through the year, starting with addition facts and moving into two-digit addition and subtraction by the end of the year. I love seeing the strategies that my students can come up! The Number Talk book is also a great book that helps develop listening skills.

Think about the problem 64-47. Students break apart the problem into 50+14-7-40 and take away the parts by place value. I'd probably start with the 14-7, but students could start anywhere that makes sense for them.

The above examples come from my Two-Digit Addition Math Stations and illustrate how students can break apart numbers and add up each place value. Breaking apart is also called ungrouping or decomposing, depending on the math program you use.

Did you notice that in one of the problems above, the student added 60 +40 and got 106, yet he wrote the correct answer to the problem? What do you think was going on with this student? Do you then he couldn't add 60+40, made a silly mistake, or is there another reason he wrote the 106? Seeing students interact with these types of strategies will give you a place start conversations with them about their mathematical thinking.

One more example from some Addition Task Cards where students only break apart the second number then make jumps of 10 and 1 using 100s and 1000s charts. Although we give plenty of practice using a 100s chart in first grade, I find that students don't necessarily transfer their learning to larger numbers in second grade.

Add Tens to Tens and Ones to Ones (Place Value)

This is very similar to the break part strategies, except without breaking apart the numbers. Students can add the parts of the number (the tens or the ones) together mentally because they know their addition facts. We basically use a v-model to draw lines connecting the tens and adding or subtracting those parts.

Here is one example of how we've used it in the classroom:

Subtract Tens, Subtract Ones (Place Value)

Similar to add tens to tens and ones to ones, students subtract each place value separately and then subtraction the ones from the tens (or add it). There are basically two ways to use this strategy. Students can decompose a the ten or students can use negative numbers.

One way that I use this strategy with students is with negative numbers. I know we don't teach negative numbers in second grade, but for some students, this is really a way that they understand and can hold onto more than the other strategies. You can see examples of this in the second and third anchor charts above.

Think about 64-47. If I subtract 4-7, I get -3. I tell students that the bigger number has the minus sign in front of it and so it still has more that needs to be taken away. Students then subtract 60-40, get 20 and subtract there more to get 17.

Count Down / Think Addition (Count Up) / Add Up (Relationship between Addition & Subtraction or Place Value)

I'm not exactly sure whether this strategy is about the relationship between addition and subtraction or place value. The Think Addition Strategy is similar (if not the same as) Count Up or Add Up. This strategy is also very similar to the Break Apart Strategy, in that students need to break at least one of the numbers apart to sound up or down by the parts of the number.

Although students can count by ones, I highly encourage you to help them move toward more efficient strategies and count by tens and then ones. Using a hundreds chart gives students practice moving by 10s up and down the chart. A hundreds chart is sort of like a compressed number line. See the above photo with the 100s and 1000s charts.

Here are a few examples of counting up:

The above two examples are just ones we did on the whiteboard and I had students write down in their notebooks.

This is a page from my Two-Digit Subtraction Flap Books. These Flap Books go through several different models and strategies and give students practice with vocabulary and explaining their thinking.

Use Compensation (Properties of Operations)

This last strategy is unlike any of the previous ones. It basically has you make sure that the numbers are balanced within the problem and that you're accounting for all of the parts. It's a precursor to algebra and a great strategy for mental math.

There are a couple different ways to use compensation, but the basic idea is that you add or subtract some of one number and add it to the other number to create a friendly number. You have to keep track of what was added or taken away and account for it somehow in the problem.

Compensation is especially useful for numbers that are close to friendly numbers, although it can be used for any number. For example, 68 - 39 could be transformed into 69 - 40. I've added one to each number. The value of a +1 and -1 is 0, so I haven't changed the problem at all.

Here's another example: 53 + 38. I might add 53 + 40 and get 93, but because I added two to the 38 to get to 40, I'll need to subtract two from 93 to get 91.

The basic idea with compensation is that you are adjusting one part of the number into a friendly number to make it easier to add or subtract. However, when you adjust one number, you have to keep track of what you've adjusted and compensate for it.

The above strategies are very powerful if students can add them to their toolkit when approaching two-digit addition and subtraction. However, to effectively use the above strategies, students need a few things in place.

Addition and Subtraction Facts - Students need pretty good fluency with their addition and subtraction facts. Do they need to have all of them memorized with speed? No. However, if students are spending too much time trying to figure out an addition fact and it's keeping them from focusing on the strategy because they forget what they were doing, then they need more fluency with their addition and subtraction facts. My Automaticity Assessments help students practice their facts by strategy.

Ability to find friendly numbers - At the beginning of the year, we spend a long time developing fluency with 10 as a benchmark number. Although we do it at the beginning of the year to help with our math fact fluency, it is also beneficial when students begin their journey with adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. Students need to know how to get to the next friendly number, which is essentially their 10s facts but applying them to two-digit numbers to find the next ten.

Adding 10 to a number - We start our two-digit addition unit with a lot of practice adding and subtracting ten from a number. This is a foundation skill in both my two-digit addition products as well as my two-digit subtraction products. Students must see the pattern of adding 10 to a number.

Place Value - To do two-digit addition, students need a strong foundation in the concept of ones and tens and what it means to break a number apart into ones and tens. From the first day of school, we are doing Daily Math exercises that build fluency with place value as well as skip counting by 10s from any number.

Yes and no. Yes, I teach the concept of regrouping and yes, I do teach students to move toward efficiency when adding and subtracting. That could include the traditional algorithm if they can understand the meaning behind it.

Students do not need to use the standard algorithm until fourth grade ( according to the Common Core Standards). Can they do it earlier? Maybe.

I expose them to it in second grade as a model they could use; however, we don't spend a lot of time focused on it, because I want students to develop strategies for solving problems, not be tied to one model.

When we do work with the traditional algorithm, we attach a lot of language and meaning to it, generally tying it to work we've already done, like our work with base-10 blocks. Here are a few examples of I teach students the traditional algorithm by linking it to models we've already used and giving students accurate language to use to explain their thinking.

Here are a few examples of how I give students experience with the traditional algorithm.

Did you notice that should say 7 tens and 11 ones? The student didn't pay attention to the base-10 blocks!

These come from my Decompose a Ten packet, which balances work the traditional algorithm with base-10 models and gives students the language of decomposing numbers.

Whew - that's a lot of information to digest! There's many different models and strategies a student can use to solve two-digit addition and subtraction problems. What I outlined above are a few that I have found especially helpful for students. They help students develop a solid foundation with two-digit addition and subtraction, create a bridge to three-digit addition and subtraction, as well as emphasize the idea of using strategies and models to solve problems, not just following steps in a process.

If you teach second grade, you might like a few pages from some of my two-digit addition and subtraction products. I've compiled this PDF of resources as a sampler from several different products that really emphasize all the work we do in our classroom to develop these strategies in depth.

Different components of the sampler can be used whole group or small group and are perfect for helping your students think outside the box when it comes to solving multi-digit addition and subtraction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Models & Strategies for Two-Digit Addition & Subtraction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Second grade is a very important year where students develop fluency with two-digit addition and subtraction. It is the year that we work on a multitude of addition and subtraction strategies that students can use to solve problems. We spend a lot of time discussing a variety of strategies, using many different models, and doing mental math.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We have such an awesome opportunity to empower students to set goals and celebrate with them when they reach their goals. Most students don't reflect on their own learning naturally. It's not an innate skill that students have when they come to school. Actually, most adults don't have that skill either. It's something that needs to be taught.

This past week, we've done quite a bit of work in our year-long journey of setting goals in second grade.

First, as I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been implementing Whole Brain Teaching. One of the components is a Super Improver Team. Here's our wall:

Each student has a star and for making improvements, they receive a sticker. When their star has 10 stickers they move up to the next level (blue - learner). They keep going. For every 10 stickers, they move up the levels.

The introduction of the Super Improver Team led to a discussion about how to make improvements and goals setting. What kinds of improvements could students make? What would "count" to get a sticker?

So we started talking about SMART goals. We started with the concept of setting "specific" goals and made this anchor chart of the concept of SPECIFIC. We looked at the word specific in a Frayer Model and looked at some examples and non-examples. That aspect is the most powerful part of the anchor chart. I didn't make it very "pretty", but students got the idea of what they word specific means.

Take a look at more SMART Goal Setting Resources in this blog post.

For our first goal, I decided to focus on behavior. It is a bit more tangible than an academic goal, and students are still learning how to "be" in our classroom, so it's the perfect opportunity to change a few things before they become a habit.

I gave students some ideas on good behavior goals. Basically, I wrote down all the things that have been annoying me, behavior-wise, for the past week. I listed them in a positive light, i.e.: what a student could do, not what they can't do.

I gave students an opportunity to look over the goals with their table groups. Each student chose one goal to work on for the next week.

I put the "Improvements" in page protector sleeves so that I can use them when I conference with a student. I can circle three or four and say something like, "I notice that you could really use some improvement on these. Which one would you like to choose to work on?" That way, there's choice within structure. I can guide what a student chooses, but the student still has choice.

I did add a couple more at the end (on the copy you see above), that aren't necessarily annoying behaviors, but improvements that my quieter students could make. You know, those kids who just sit there, but aren't disruptive!

After students determined what they wanted to work on, I had them write it down. I'm sure there's research on this somewhere, but I've heard that writing down a goal means that you're more likely to accomplish it.

In addition to the more complicated Goal Setting and Data Portfolios I have, I came up with this simple goal setting form that I can tape down to a student's desk and that we can collect over the course of the year.

We set to work writing down our behavior goals. Here are a few student examples.

You can see that some students need a bit of work on choosing ONE goal. I also realized after we did this activity, that the "I will . . . " part of the goal setting form, doesn't always lend itself well to behavior goals, since most behavior goals are an action in and of themselves. They don't always require an additional action statement that tells how you're going to accomplish the goal.

I changed up my form a bit to have a variety of options, including learning and behavior goals and a couple of different formats. Would you like a copy? Click this link SMART Goal Setting Forms or the picture below. Take a look at more SMART Goal Setting Resources in this blog post.

The final part of goal setting that is very important, especially for children is the celebration! Children need to know that there's something waiting for them when they accomplish their goal. Some people have an intrinsic motivator to set and accomplish goals. I'm one of them. But, most people don't. The celebration is a great motivator.

As a class, we brainstormed a variety of celebrations, both big and small. Most celebrations were for our class goals, but a few of these could be for individual goals, too. The idea was to get students excited about accomplishing their goals.

SMART Goal setting isn't just for individuals. I use to all the time to set class goals. We set behavior goals on our ScoreBoard (more positive than negative points), percentage goals on our computerized math program, number goals on how many stars we got for doing homework, etc.

There are a myriad of possibilities for whole group goal setting. Figure out what you want your class to do and set a goal on it.

I've done a few other blog posts on Goal Setting, if you're interested in more information:

Do you set goals in your classroom, either individual or whole class? I'd love to hear how you help students see that their actions are important and make a difference in their lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Student Goal Setting in Elementary School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We have such an awesome opportunity to empower students to set goals and celebrate with them when they reach their goals. Most students don't reflect on their own learning naturally. It's not an innate skill that students have when they come to school. Actually, most adults don't have that skill either.

# data[].attributes.body
Scroll to the bottom to see the writing goals for second grade.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I'm sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately. A big reason for that (besides soaking up some quality time with my girls) is the summer course I've been taking. I'm taking part 2 of my writing specialist right now (I took part 1 in the spring session). It's been a lot of work (so glad I decided against taking 2 courses this summer), but it's been good work. I've spent a lot of time reflecting on HOW I teach writing (which I LOVE), and I'm so excited to bring some of these ideas into the classroom in the Fall.

A large focus of my course has been on differentiating instruction in the writing classroom. One of the ways I already do this is through the creation of personal writing goals for the students. I really started my focus on this at the beginning of last year. During my first writing conference with my students (after our first diagnostic), the student and I decide on a personal writing goal based on their needs (example: organization, word choice, sentence structure, etc.). During subsequent conferences, the student and I evaluate if they have met the goal, and move on to a new goal if they were successful. Around January I decided I needed a more visual way of displaying their writing goals - hence the writing goal clip chart. The one I was using last year was a good fit ... but it wasn't a perfect fit, so I knew I wanted to work on it over the summer.

So, my Personal Writing Goals Clip Chart was born. I will use it in the classroom to help students track their personal goals. They will use a clothespin to do this (do you see my beautiful washi tape clothespins - I made them in true multi-tasking style while watching my daughters' soccer practice). I will write the students' names on the clips in sharpie (but I know some of you prefer to use numbers).

Another great part - this visual will quickly help me see what students to pull for a quick guided writing lesson. All students on the same goal strip can come together for a focused minilesson - discussing their goal in reference to the assignment they are working on.

The writing goal strips can also be used to build a set of success criteria for writing for the whole class. You could start with one or two goal strips, adding a new strip to the chart each time a new goal is taught through a lesson, ending with the full chart by the end of the year. The strips are held together with binder clips / book rings (LOVE the metallic rings I found at Staples), but in the past I have used ribbon to hold the strips together. The binder clips make it easier to change the goal strips.

There are 2 sets of goals included in each resource - one has the common core standard written on each strip, and the other set does not have the standard listed (which I will use in my class). I have sets for all grade levels - K-8. You can preview any of them by clicking on the links:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Differentiation in Writing - Goal-Setting Clip Chart

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I'm sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately. A big reason for that (besides soaking up some quality time with my girls) is the summer course I've been taking. I'm taking part 2 of my writing specialist right now (I took part 1 in the spring session).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Setting GOALS with Students ~ RtI ~ SMILE Goals for Making Progress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
GOAL SETTING FREEBIE! Teach your students how to take ownership of their own learning by setting goals for themselves. The product is designed to boost progress in your classroom and complement your RtI / intervention program.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to Workshop Wednesday!! 🙂

Today is my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! Oh my heavens, I can't believe it. I can smell the sweet fragrance of summer just around the corner!! 🙂

Before I get into the meat of this post, I wanted to let you know that Workshop Wednesday will be changing JUST FOR THE SUMMER. During the month of June and the month of July, I will have two different topics (one for each month) that will remain open for the whole month. I hope that you won't all forget about me this summer with a less frequent linky, but I just don't think my linky parties lend themselves as well to our posts when we aren't in school. I've got some ideas for these two though- I think you'll enjoy them, and they'll still be easy to link up to! 🙂 More to come soon!!

OK, so now on to the good stuff!! Today's topic is reading responses! How do you have students respond to their reading?

I'm so excited to share this with you, because it has definitely been a work in progress over the last couple of years! I teach my students to record their thinking on sticky notes as they read. This requires a lot of modeling and think-alouds in the beginning of the year, of course, but they become REALLY good at it!

**I apologize for not having any personal pictures of all this!! My kids took home their notebooks before I could snap some pics! Darn it!!**

I give them this bookmark which I made based on the "Talking Back To Books" Poster from Beth Newingham. (I print them on different colors of cardstock and laminate them- mine still have them completely intact from the beginning of this year!)

These bookmarks train their brain to think as they read. Once I feel like they have the hang of writing as they read, I discuss levels of thinking with them. I found this great anchor chart on Pinterest last summer and made it for this year (mine was already put up, so here is the original pin picture I found...):

We talk about how we only want level two and level three sticky notes because they really show we are thinking. I then teach them how to "write long" off of a sticky note. I found another great pin last summer to show this idea, although I have been teaching my kiddos for the last couple of years how to do this. Here is the pin:

It is very important that they have level two or level three sticky notes to be able to write long... otherwise, as you can imagine, their response won't be... long. Ha!

I used to have them write me letters, but I feel like sticky note responses are easier for me to keep up with as far as grading and conferring goes. I still have them write me letters sometimes, but writing long from a sticky note is done at least weekly, and it's super easy to check in on with them for comprehension! In fact- here are the labels I made for sticky note conferences! 🙂

I walk around with these labels on my clipboard and meet with as many as I can... then I just stick these down in the reading profile folders after I've filled up one label page! I have quick evidence of their independent thinking. We talk together as I fill it in about their compliment and their thing to work on!

Your turn! Make sure to grab the button and link your post back to this post (no TPT store link-ups, please), then make sure to leave some love for at least two others in this linky party!

document.write('

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Workshop Wednesday: Response to Literature {FREEBIES!!}

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Workshop Wednesday!! 🙂 Today is my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! Oh my heavens, I can't believe it. I can smell the sweet fragrance of summer just around the corner!! 🙂 Before I get into the meat of this post, I wanted to let you know that Workshop Wednesday will be changing JUST FOR THE SUMMER.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Teacher Studio: Learning, Thinking, Creating

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every year I love to help my students really reflect on themselves as readers--and I strive to help them understand that reading is more than just getting the words right...as we start the year I really try to help them understand all the different factors that impact the ability to read and make sense of texts...

reading "behaviors" such as book selection and focus

accuracy and fluency skills

building a rich vocabulary

an understanding of text structures

taking the time to read and think deeply

the ability to write thoughtful responses

literature discussion skills

and, of course, even more!

Once students begin to recognize that there are SO many components to reading, it becomes easier to talk about our strengths and goal areas as readers. Many of my students who struggle with one area of reading can recognize that they DO have strengths in others--and, with a growth mindset, we can start to tackle other areas with a positive attitude! In fact, we talk at length about how readers often need to revisit old goals when they start to tackle more challenging books--where accuracy and fluency might not have been a problem at an easier level, students many now need to revisit some of those strategies as they encounter new words. Learning to read is a constantly evolving process--not something that students can either "do" or "not do"...and I think it can be very reassuring to students to recognize that there isn't an "end" to the learning. We are ALL learning to read.

Over the years, I have "collected" learning targets related to all these different areas of reading...I have them all put together in little flip books which help me talk to individual students about goal setting and also to have learning targets visible easily for small groups. It has made life so easy--and really helps reinforce the complexity of reading...and helps students see what they are doing well!

So...a few years ago I started doing this "Me, as a reader" project that was inspired by Julie Ballew...if you haven't checked out her website, you MUST! To celebrate some of our "favorite" parts of reading--and to set a clear reading goal--we create these "Me, as a reader" projects that we display. After all our work, most students are ready to set a specific reading goal (note: We do not set goals like "I will read 5 books." These are specific goals related to improving the sophistication of their reading.). For those students who struggled with goals, some flipped through our learning target books, some met with me, and still others met in small groups to brainstorm.

Each student created three panels that reflected them as readers...some spent a great deal of time designing their panels at home...others kept it more streamlined. I didn't give a ton of class time for this...we focused on the reflections, got started on the "art", and then this became homework to finish.

The next day, we wrote our reflections on our cards, traced some "heads", had a mini lesson on face drawing (eyes aren't round, lips aren't lines, and noses aren't triangles!), and student finished assembling their projects.

As students finished, we displayed them in the hall for all to see. I love watching other students, staff members, and parents stop by to check out their cool projects!

I think this is a great example of a "project" that really has academic merit--it's not just a "craft"...and it really helped cement some critical reading "beliefs" with my students.

Interested in my reading goal resource? It has the goal posters that are shown above (I printed 2 per page) as well as student bookmarks for each one that can be used to give to students who are working on specific skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"Me as a Reader"...a reading goal project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for information about teaching in intermediate grades? Math workshop? Problem solving? Best practice? Quality reading and writing lessons and ideas? Google Classroom and other 1:1 ideas and resources? Teaching tips and educational resources?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gain access to my new VIP Resource Library: an easy-to-use library of all my freebies, in one convenient location you can refer back to whenever you need. As a VIP, you'll also get exclusive benefits on new product launches. So, what are you waiting for...?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In our classroom, each student has a data binder in which they set goals, collect data, and reflect on their work and goals. We call this binder their "STAR" binder. This stands for Students Taking Academic Responsibility. We have done quite a bit of goal setting this year, but I feel that the students are not always focused on reaching their goals. They forget about the goals when they are on a page in their binder and when it is out of sight...it is out of their mind. I saw an idea on twitter and I thought that it may be the perfect solution to our problem.

I made this grid and posted it on my wall right by where they line up when we leave the classroom. It is a constant reminder of what their goals are on a daily basis. As with everything that I do in the classroom, I have tweaked this process along the way. As you can see, some students had a couple of post-it notes in their square because they were still working on their old goal. Some students just kept adding post-it notes and never taking down their old goals. Some students were setting very broad goals or goals that were very far out in the future. After taking time to reflect on our goals in class each Friday, the students realized that they needed to narrow the focus of their goals. On Monday when they arrive in the morning, I have them get settled and think about a goal that they want to focus on for the week. I have the students set a SMART goal that they can measure and decide if they have actually reached it come Friday when we reflect.

We usually share our goals on Monday during morning meeting and then we reflect on them on Friday during morning meeting or even later in the day. The students are getting much better at writing meaningful SMART goals and really trying to reach them by Friday, if not sooner! I am even setting a SMART goal each week with them and I have found it has helped me reach my goal by having it posted in the classroom for all of my little friends to see! The students will often remind each other of their goals, whether it is an academic or a behavior goal, and they will even update their goal as the week goes on. It is also a great visual reminder for me to let me know what I can be working on with each student during that week. These goals are making us more focused and more accountable as well!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In our classroom, each student has a data binder in which they set goals, collect data, and reflect on their work and goals. We call this binder their "STAR" binder. This stands for Students Taking Academic Responsibility. We have done quite a bit of goal setting this year, but I feel that the students are not always focused on reaching their goals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In my current position as a math interventionist, I work with struggling students in grades K-5. It goes without saying that the students I see in grades 3-5 are at risk for not being successful on the state test they will take in the Spring. I've attended a number of professional development sessions over the past couple of years that stressed the need to have students involved in tracking their own data and setting goals for achievement. This past week, I began the process with my students. This should actually have been done in the fall, but better late than never.

First, let me give you a rundown of the data we used for this activity. I wanted to use the data that would be the best predictor of success on the STAAR test, so we didn't use classroom grades. There are too many factors involved in classroom grades for them to be a strong predictor for STAAR. Over the course of the year, however, our students have the opportunity to take several assessments that mirror the STAAR test, so these are the assessments I decided to use. Some of these assessments are developed at the district level. We call them DLAs, which stands for District Learning Assessments. We also recently gave a STAAR Benchmark test which, in effect, was a practice STAAR test. Because our DLAs are short (15 questions or so), we felt it was important for our students to experience a test that was the same length and rigor of the test they'll take in April (46-50 questions...don't get me started...). In addition, we have previous STAAR results for our 4th and 5th grade students, if they were in Texas and took the tests. I will reference these tests as I discuss our process.

I started with a story about running a marathon. I explained that a marathon is a 26-mile race and that people take up to a year to train for one. I told the students that in order to train for a marathon you have to set goals and make a plan, and that the goals and plan depend on my starting point.

What if I tell you that right now I can only run 1 mile. If I can only run 1 mile right now, what might be a reasonable goal for me to set for the distance I want to be able to run 2 weeks from now? (I got some pretty interesting answers to this question that were definitely a formative assessment for reasonableness!) Sure! I think if I can run 1 mile right now, I should be able to reach 2 miles in a couple of weeks.

Now, what if I tell you that I'm already running 5 miles four times a week? If I'm already running 5 miles four times a week, I'm a pretty strong runner. What might be a reasonable goal for me to reach in 2 weeks? Seven or eight miles? I think 7 or 8 miles is pretty reasonable. Because I'm already a pretty strong runner, I might make quicker progress.

The point is that you have to look at where you are right now before you can set goals. That's why we're going to take a look at how you've done on some of the tests you've already taken and then set a goal for what you want to score on the next DLA.

Now remember, if I just set a goal-I want to be able to run 2 miles in two weeks-but I don't actually go out and run, I probably won't reach my goal. So we're also going to decide on three action steps you can take to reach your goal. For example, I might say I'm going to run 4 days a week, I'm going to cut down on fast food and eat healthier, and I'm going to get at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Do you see how doing each of those things might help me reach my goal of being able to run 2 miles two weeks from now? Good! Let's get started!

We used a very plain graph, which you can download . I worked graphing skills into the activity by having the students add a title to their graph and figure out and add the missing numbers on the graph scale. Then, I told the students their scores for the previous tests, and they graphed them. I have to tell you that seeing the scores came as quite a shock to some of the kiddos. I think we assume our students know their scores and understand them, but seeing them on the graph was very eye-opening for them. I think some students were also surprised at how flat their bars were, or that their scores were actually going down. I'm happy to report there were no tears.

After graphing their scores, I asked each student to consider what they wanted their goal to be for the next DLA they will take. Some of them wanted to set the goals unrealistically high, so I reminded them of my marathon example. I still think some are a little high, but it will be a learning experience. I used a blue highlighter to mark their goal. Here are a couple of the 5th Graders' graphs. You can see that their goals are quite different.

Monday, we will discuss and decide on specific action steps they can take to reach their goals. The action steps should be very specific, such as:

Practice multiplication facts on FASTT Math 5 times a week

Spend more time and effort on my homework

Slow down and read word problems more carefully and draw pictures to help me visualize the math

Ask my teacher to move my desk so I can focus my attention better

Find a math partner to work with who can help me understand math better

These are just some examples I thought of. I'm sure the students will come up with lots more on Monday. The students are going to write their three action steps on the back of their graphs, and we'll review them every couple of weeks to hold the students accountable.

On Monday the students will also take a closer look at their data from the Benchmark to determine the standards they already know well and those they still need to work on. As we work on each standard over the coming months, we'll revisit the data and they'll be able to see growth.

Once the students take their next DLA, they'll add it to the graph and decide if they need to adjust their goal for the STAAR test.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on this process! I think holding students accountable for their own data and achievement can be very powerful and is often underutilized.

You can click to download a copy of the graph,

You might also like these posts:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Setting Goals for Student Achievement - Math Coach's Corner

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In my current position as a math interventionist, I work with struggling students in grades K-5. It goes without saying that the students I see in grades 3-5 are at risk for not being successful on the state test they will take in the Spring.

# data[].attributes.headline
Blair Turner - plans lessons for 1st-4th

# data[].attributes.subject
Blair Turner - plans lessons for 1st-4th

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I need to STOP allowing others to get me down. I know not EVERYONE I work with is going to be as CRAZY as I am when it comes to finding new or out of the box ways to do things. This fact is completely fine!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hello there! I'm Angie Olson- a teacher, curriculum developer, educational blogger and owner of Lucky Little Learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hello there! I'm Angie Olson- a teacher, curriculum developer, educational blogger and owner of Lucky Little Learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This summer was full of many adventures for me. I flew down into the heart of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and I coauthored my very first book titled Education Write Now ! I am excited to be able to share some behind-the-scenes insights about this special project with you.

When I was first invited to join the Education Write Now team by Jeff Zoul and Joe Mazza, I was intimidated looking at the list of people I would be writing with. My coauthors are absolutely my education heros, and to have my name on the cover of a book with them is an incredibly humbling honor. Each of them epitomize what it means to be passionate about education, and they consistently put the needs of kids first. If you want to improve your practices or just be inspired by the amount of drive and energy of this group, check out their social media accounts.

The premise of this book is unique for a few reasons.

First, we all flew into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a writer's retreat for about 72 hours. The goal was to write the entire book (55,000+ words) during our stay. We were each challenged with writing our own chapter, or about 5,000 words. During the 72 hours, we had a regimented schedule that included time to check in with writing partners for feedback, invaluable writing tips and tricks from Routledge Publishing Company, as well as time to write alone. I learned a lot about myself as a writer during these few days. I do my best writing away from everyone else. In fact, most of my chapter was written on day two between the hours of midnight and three o'clock in the morning while alone in my hotel room working in my pj's. I guess you never know when inspiration is going to hit you.

Second, each of the authors wrote about something urgent in education right now. I had some ideas about what I wanted to write about and topics that were on my heart and burning in my soul lately regarding education. Before my trip, I crowdsourced on Instagram and asked my followers (most of which are educators) what they'd like to see me write about. Overwhelmingly, they asked me to write about standardized assessment pressures, flexible seating and classroom design, and relationships. Luckily for me, those are three topics I felt pretty comfortable with. The topics were determined during the first day of the retreat, and I got to write about relationships in education. #luckyme #winning Specifically, I wrote about ways to build relationships between educators and students, between students, and between educators and families. My chapter offers research as well and simple practical ideas and tips (both my ideas and ideas I received from my PLN on instagram) to implement right away.

Third, while I follow each of the writers on social media, this retreat was the first time actually meeting some of them face-to-face in real life. The respect I have for each of the people I coauthored with grew every hour. They challenged me, supported me, and believed in me. They became more than just coauthors. They became friends.

I hope you'll enjoy reading this expert from my chapter of the book, Changing the Way We Think About Relationships...

Relationships Between Educators and Their Students

I once had a principal approach me a few weeks into school saying he noticed how much effort I was putting into teaching the expectations, routines, and norms. In his next sentence, he expressed concern that I had not dove deeply enough into our content yet. He asked me when I was going to get going on all of the curriculum. I told him that the first six weeks of school were foundational for the relationships I needed to establish and nurture. How could I expect students to learn from me if they did not understand me or trust me? I convinced my principal that I had a handle on everything and that I knew exactly what I was trying to do. As a result of this investment up front, we did not spend much time later that year dealing with management or expectations. Sure, some students needed reminders from time to time, but for the most part we could focus on learning and growing together. My students averaged a growth of 1.9 grade levels that year academically according to our end of the year standardized test (which by the way, relationships are not measured on). I am confident that we would not have seen as much growth if we had not taken the time early in the year to put the focus where it needed to be: relationships and growing as a classroom family. The following ideas have been classroom tested and are approved by fabulous educators around the world to help empower your students and strengthen your relationship with them.

While this was just a short sneak peek of my writing, I hope you enjoyed it. This post is actually the third in a series of posts by each of the coauthors about the experience. You can check out Jeff's post and Tony's post . The fourth post will be published by one of my new friends, Starr Sackstein . You'll want to check out what she has to say about this project!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#GeniusHour Master Course Opportunity with AJ Juliani

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This summer was full of many adventures for me. I flew down into the heart of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and I coauthored my very first book titled Education Write Now ! I am excited to be able to share some behind-the-scenes insights about this special project with you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This summer was full of many adventures for me. I flew down into the heart of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and I coauthored my very first book titled Education Write Now ! I am excited to be able to share some behind-the-scenes insights about this special project with you.

When I was first invited to join the Education Write Now team by Jeff Zoul and Joe Mazza, I was intimidated looking at the list of people I would be writing with. My coauthors are absolutely my education heros, and to have my name on the cover of a book with them is an incredibly humbling honor. Each of them epitomize what it means to be passionate about education, and they consistently put the needs of kids first. If you want to improve your practices or just be inspired by the amount of drive and energy of this group, check out their social media accounts.

The premise of this book is unique for a few reasons.

First, we all flew into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a writer's retreat for about 72 hours. The goal was to write the entire book (55,000+ words) during our stay. We were each challenged with writing our own chapter, or about 5,000 words. During the 72 hours, we had a regimented schedule that included time to check in with writing partners for feedback, invaluable writing tips and tricks from Routledge Publishing Company, as well as time to write alone. I learned a lot about myself as a writer during these few days. I do my best writing away from everyone else. In fact, most of my chapter was written on day two between the hours of midnight and three o'clock in the morning while alone in my hotel room working in my pj's. I guess you never know when inspiration is going to hit you.

Second, each of the authors wrote about something urgent in education right now. I had some ideas about what I wanted to write about and topics that were on my heart and burning in my soul lately regarding education. Before my trip, I crowdsourced on Instagram and asked my followers (most of which are educators) what they'd like to see me write about. Overwhelmingly, they asked me to write about standardized assessment pressures, flexible seating and classroom design, and relationships. Luckily for me, those are three topics I felt pretty comfortable with. The topics were determined during the first day of the retreat, and I got to write about relationships in education. #luckyme #winning Specifically, I wrote about ways to build relationships between educators and students, between students, and between educators and families. My chapter offers research as well and simple practical ideas and tips (both my ideas and ideas I received from my PLN on instagram) to implement right away.

Third, while I follow each of the writers on social media, this retreat was the first time actually meeting some of them face-to-face in real life. The respect I have for each of the people I coauthored with grew every hour. They challenged me, supported me, and believed in me. They became more than just coauthors. They became friends.

I hope you'll enjoy reading this expert from my chapter of the book, Changing the Way We Think About Relationships...

Relationships Between Educators and Their Students

I once had a principal approach me a few weeks into school saying he noticed how much effort I was putting into teaching the expectations, routines, and norms. In his next sentence, he expressed concern that I had not dove deeply enough into our content yet. He asked me when I was going to get going on all of the curriculum. I told him that the first six weeks of school were foundational for the relationships I needed to establish and nurture. How could I expect students to learn from me if they did not understand me or trust me? I convinced my principal that I had a handle on everything and that I knew exactly what I was trying to do. As a result of this investment up front, we did not spend much time later that year dealing with management or expectations. Sure, some students needed reminders from time to time, but for the most part we could focus on learning and growing together. My students averaged a growth of 1.9 grade levels that year academically according to our end of the year standardized test (which by the way, relationships are not measured on). I am confident that we would not have seen as much growth if we had not taken the time early in the year to put the focus where it needed to be: relationships and growing as a classroom family. The following ideas have been classroom tested and are approved by fabulous educators around the world to help empower your students and strengthen your relationship with them.

While this was just a short sneak peek of my writing, I hope you enjoyed it. This post is actually the third in a series of posts by each of the coauthors about the experience. You can check out Jeff's post and Tony's post . The fourth post will be published by one of my new friends, Starr Sackstein . You'll want to check out what she has to say about this project!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#GeniusHour Master Course Opportunity with AJ Juliani

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This summer was full of many adventures for me. I flew down into the heart of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and I coauthored my very first book titled Education Write Now ! I am excited to be able to share some behind-the-scenes insights about this special project with you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This summer was full of many adventures for me. I flew down into the heart of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and I coauthored my very first book titled Education Write Now ! I am excited to be able to share some behind-the-scenes insights about this special project with you.

When I was first invited to join the Education Write Now team by Jeff Zoul and Joe Mazza, I was intimidated looking at the list of people I would be writing with. My coauthors are absolutely my education heros, and to have my name on the cover of a book with them is an incredibly humbling honor. Each of them epitomize what it means to be passionate about education, and they consistently put the needs of kids first. If you want to improve your practices or just be inspired by the amount of drive and energy of this group, check out their social media accounts.

The premise of this book is unique for a few reasons.

First, we all flew into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a writer's retreat for about 72 hours. The goal was to write the entire book (55,000+ words) during our stay. We were each challenged with writing our own chapter, or about 5,000 words. During the 72 hours, we had a regimented schedule that included time to check in with writing partners for feedback, invaluable writing tips and tricks from Routledge Publishing Company, as well as time to write alone. I learned a lot about myself as a writer during these few days. I do my best writing away from everyone else. In fact, most of my chapter was written on day two between the hours of midnight and three o'clock in the morning while alone in my hotel room working in my pj's. I guess you never know when inspiration is going to hit you.

Second, each of the authors wrote about something urgent in education right now. I had some ideas about what I wanted to write about and topics that were on my heart and burning in my soul lately regarding education. Before my trip, I crowdsourced on Instagram and asked my followers (most of which are educators) what they'd like to see me write about. Overwhelmingly, they asked me to write about standardized assessment pressures, flexible seating and classroom design, and relationships. Luckily for me, those are three topics I felt pretty comfortable with. The topics were determined during the first day of the retreat, and I got to write about relationships in education. #luckyme #winning Specifically, I wrote about ways to build relationships between educators and students, between students, and between educators and families. My chapter offers research as well and simple practical ideas and tips (both my ideas and ideas I received from my PLN on instagram) to implement right away.

Third, while I follow each of the writers on social media, this retreat was the first time actually meeting some of them face-to-face in real life. The respect I have for each of the people I coauthored with grew every hour. They challenged me, supported me, and believed in me. They became more than just coauthors. They became friends.

I hope you'll enjoy reading this expert from my chapter of the book, Changing the Way We Think About Relationships...

Relationships Between Educators and Their Students

I once had a principal approach me a few weeks into school saying he noticed how much effort I was putting into teaching the expectations, routines, and norms. In his next sentence, he expressed concern that I had not dove deeply enough into our content yet. He asked me when I was going to get going on all of the curriculum. I told him that the first six weeks of school were foundational for the relationships I needed to establish and nurture. How could I expect students to learn from me if they did not understand me or trust me? I convinced my principal that I had a handle on everything and that I knew exactly what I was trying to do. As a result of this investment up front, we did not spend much time later that year dealing with management or expectations. Sure, some students needed reminders from time to time, but for the most part we could focus on learning and growing together. My students averaged a growth of 1.9 grade levels that year academically according to our end of the year standardized test (which by the way, relationships are not measured on). I am confident that we would not have seen as much growth if we had not taken the time early in the year to put the focus where it needed to be: relationships and growing as a classroom family. The following ideas have been classroom tested and are approved by fabulous educators around the world to help empower your students and strengthen your relationship with them.

While this was just a short sneak peek of my writing, I hope you enjoyed it. This post is actually the third in a series of posts by each of the coauthors about the experience. You can check out Jeff's post and Tony's post . The fourth post will be published by one of my new friends, Starr Sackstein . You'll want to check out what she has to say about this project!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#GeniusHour Master Course Opportunity with AJ Juliani

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This summer was full of many adventures for me. I flew down into the heart of the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, and I coauthored my very first book titled Education Write Now ! I am excited to be able to share some behind-the-scenes insights about this special project with you.

# data[].attributes.body
She has terrific resources!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As some of you know, I recently lost my father in law after a long battle with cancer. His last week or so was spent in a beautiful hospice facility and we are so grateful for the care he received and the kindness and support of family and friends we were shown during that time. Now that it's been a couple of weeks, I've had some time to process the whole thing and I've had some thoughts about ways that I could support a friend should they find themselves in this position.

I need to be clear that I never once felt abandoned by my friends or extended family. I was not sitting in the hospital or hospice wishing that someone would do the things I'm writing about, they are just things I wanted to make note of in order to make this process a bit easier on someone else going through it, because the truth is when you are in the middle of a crisis like this and someone asks "What can I do?" you often have no idea what to say. Looking back I actually did need things done, I needed a few things from the store, I could have used help with errands and household chores but when someone asked me if I needed anything, all I could think was that I wanted a miracle. I wanted dad to wake up. I wanted him to share a meal with us again. Have a laugh. See his blue eyes smile when he saw me walk into the room. That's what I wanted. My mind was so clouded with grief and sadness that I wasn't thinking of groceries, paying bills, or laundry. So I've gathered some ideas here to keep in mind if you have a friend spending long hours at the bedside of a sick loved one. If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments!

Texts or calls from friends and extended family helped so much. Just knowing that others were praying for us and sending us good vibes made us feel cared about and loved. Don't be upset if texts or calls are not returned. Often, things were super quiet and calm in hospice and I didn't want to shatter that peace. I was often physically and emotionally drained and couldn't imagine carrying on a conversation, but sometimes I really did want to talk and just get it out. Just know that even a quick message or text saying "thinking of you" could be the boost a friend needs to make it a little while longer. As for actual visits, just ask. There were times I would have loved a friend to visit, other times not so much. One thing for sure, I would recommend not just showing up. Things can vary from hour to hour. At times my father in law was sleeping so peacefully and at other times he was actually moaning in pain. Sometimes visitors were a welcome distraction, other times well-meaning visitors felt like an intrusion. Our sleeping patterns were all thrown off too, so we sometimes would doze off in the middle of the afternoon or right around dinnertime. It's a weird, emotional time for everyone. Just ask and don't take anything personally if a friend would rather not have a visitor.

We were lucky that the hospice center was near some fabulous restaurants, both quick and full service. We could quite literally run across the street and get a meal to bring back. There were a few times when the nurses would urge us to actually leave and go sit down to a nice meal. It was hard to do that, but we did a couple of times. When you are spending so much time at a hospice, meals become a real source of comfort and normalcy. We would bring back meals to eat with my mother in law and the three of us would sit at the table together in dad's room and have dinner together. Sometimes we would eat in the family room of the hospice, but the simple act of sitting at a table and sharing a meal as we have done so many times in the past definitely felt comforting but it also got to be quite expensive. Eating out or grabbing a quick bite three times a day plus coffee runs adds up. Find out where the hospice is and use a delivery service like Postmates, Uber Eats, or Delivery Dudes to send over a meal. Just text your friend and say "I'm sending dinner, would you guys rather have burgers, pizza, or Italian?" Then make an executive decision. Order some dishes that most people would probably enjoy and send it to them. Most of the time, your friends are not going to enjoy a meal with their usual love of food but they will be so grateful for your thoughtfulness that they will be happy with whatever you send. You could always be more specific and say "I'm sending dinner from Carrabbas, how does chicken parm sound? Would you rather have some spaghetti and meatballs? maybe a salad?" If you know several friends want to help, check out Meal Train. Friends and family can sign up for particular days so you know your friend will have meals on a regular basis.

Looking back, I can think of a few things that would have provided a sense of comfort had they shown up in a gift bag or special delivery.

* Fuzzy Socks - We would often slip off our shoes and try to get comfy on the couch or recliner. Standing up quickly to check on dad or making a quick trip to the bathroom or nurses station would have been a lot faster and more comfortable if I was wearing a nice pair of socks, maybe even the kind with little rubber strips on the bottom. Every night when we left, I would say "tomorrow I'm bringing socks" and of course, every day I forgot. If a friend showed up with a pair of comfy fuzzy socks, I probably would have cried. Well, I was kind of always crying, but still...

* Essential Oils - I'm not a huge believer that essential oils actually heal an illness, but I do enjoy their scent. If you've spent time in a hospital or hospice, there is a very distinct smell that permeates the air. It's not altogether appropriate to take out a can of room spray or perfume, but a dab of an essential oil on a pillow or even my wrist would have brought a sense of home and calm. I love the Now brand that you can get at Whole Foods. Amazon has them too, Jasmine is my favorite because it smells more like gardenia. Lavender, peppermint, and vanilla are also good choices. I actually have lavender in a roller-ball that I use for migraines, which would have been nice to throw in my purse.

* Eye Mask - a satin eye mask to keep out the light is a great idea. Trying to rest in a room with florescent lighting is not easy. An eye mask would have really helped. A cooling eye mask like this one would really be great to help soothe eyes that are swollen from crying. Throw some Visine in there for good measure.

* Cozy Blanket or Wrap - The hospice would give us as many blankets at we needed, but they were heavy and scratchy. I remember wrapping one around my mother in laws shoulders wishing it was softer, but of course I never remembered to grab a better one from home. A wrap like this would be a great choice because you can leave it wrapped around you when walking through other parts of the hospice.

* Hygiene Essentials - There were days we would be at the hospice from 7AM to midnight. I'm not ashamed to say that I would often just plop down in bed without showering. In the morning, we just wanted to get back there, so I didn't want to take time to shower or do my hair. Long days in the hospice mean you may want to remove your make up at some point or just freshen up. Some helpful product ideas: dry shampoo, deodorant, small hairspray, make up remover wipes, hand lotion, lip balm, travel size toothpaste, toothbrush, gum, mints, waterproof mascara, clear nail polish, emery board, tweezers. Something a little luxe, like a hydrating facial spray would have been nice too.

* Electronic Devices - If you know the kind of phone your friend has, consider a portable charger or earbuds. I have both of those things, but sometimes I would forget to bring them with me or leave them in a different bag. Sometimes my husband or mother in law would need them. I would have loved to have an extra set to keep in the car or leave at the hospice so I always had a spare.

* Snacks - Seems like a no-brainer, but a nice mix of salty and sweet treats would be welcomed by most people. Individually wrapped crackers or cookies or small bags of chips might be best. Fruit, nuts, chocolates...the usual yummies would be lovely to have in the room. Even if your friend is not a "snacker" it's nice to have something to offer other visitors. One day my sister brought 2 dozen donuts, a huge box of munchkins, some croissants, and coffee cake from the bakery where she works. We left most of it in the kitchen and wrote "Enjoy! Love, The Boehm Family" and they were enjoyed by just about everyone including nurses, cleaning staff, and other families. They were completely gone by the next morning. I loved the feeling that we were able to give other people a little treat in the midst of their sadness or their long work day (or night!).

Navigating through our hospital to hospice journey and all that that entails left little time for our real life. I was so blessed by my friend who teaches in the adjoining classroom. She told me no to worry about sub plans or my classroom. She offered to help my sub and make copies, etc. Not having to worry about my class was such a relief. I had a couple of other friends at school offer to help too. If you can step in and take that worry off of a friend's plate, you'll be helping them more than you can imagine.

If you feel close enough to your friend, offer to do some laundry for them. We were desperate for clean socks and undies and staying home to do laundry felt like such a waste of time. We would try to throw in a load of necessities when we got home late at night and hope to stay awake long enough to dry them. Laundry can be a little "intimate" if you don't know the person well, so maybe offer to take a load of essentials to a laundry service. Most cleaners and laundromats offer regular laundry service. Tell your friend to leave a laundry bag on their porch or in their garage and you can pick it up, drop it off at the cleaners and return fresh clean laundry.

Help with the house chores. Your friend may feel strange having you clean their house. If that's the case, tell them you're sending over a cleaning service. I would have loved this more than I can say. Many times people like to receive visitors at their home after a loved one passes and the thought of trying to get it cleaned up after weeks of neglect while you are grieving and planning a funeral is beyond overwhelming.

Offer to do the running around. The whole time we were at hospice, my mother in law's favorite watch needed a battery and she had some things in the dry cleaner that she was worried about. It would have been a huge relief to her if someone offered to take care of those things. You might think, who the heck would be worried about those things during that time? Trust me, I thought the same. But the mind works in mysterious ways. I think it reaches our for normalcy in times of crisis. Maybe focusing on those un-done tasks is a way to keep yourself from being completely swallowed in grief.

Another great way to help is to get some food in the house. There we times we just needed coffee, or cream, cereal - some staples to keep us going. Going to the store to pick up those things felt monumental. Offer to pick up groceries or use a delivery service like InstaCart to send basic groceries to their house. Just be sure to schedule the delivery for when you know they'll be home.

We all know it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I alluded to this earlier, but be direct and specific when offering your help. Instead of saying "I'm here if you need anything", say "Can I send my landscaper over this week?" or "When's a good time to have groceries delivered?". If someone asked me "When can we send a cleaning service to handle some chores for you?" I would have definitely picked a day! But there's no way I would have answered "How can I help?" with "Hey, can you clean my house?". When you are direct and specific, the person you are helping knows that you are comfortable with the offer. If you offer to do laundry or have it done, your friend will know that you are ok with the time that would take and the financial commitment you are offering.

Just one friend making a kind gesture like this can make all the difference for a friend who is going through one of the hardest things you can imagine. Putting these ideas out there and possibly making this time a little easier for someone makes me feel like maybe a tiny little drop of goodness can come from our great loss.

Until next time, my friends, be kind to each other.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As some of you know, I recently lost my father in law after a long battle with cancer. His last week or so was spent in a beautiful hospice facility and we are so grateful for the care he received and the kindness and support of family and friends we were shown during that time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As some of you know, I recently lost my father in law after a long battle with cancer. His last week or so was spent in a beautiful hospice facility and we are so grateful for the care he received and the kindness and support of family and friends we were shown during that time. Now that it's been a couple of weeks, I've had some time to process the whole thing and I've had some thoughts about ways that I could support a friend should they find themselves in this position.

I need to be clear that I never once felt abandoned by my friends or extended family. I was not sitting in the hospital or hospice wishing that someone would do the things I'm writing about, they are just things I wanted to make note of in order to make this process a bit easier on someone else going through it, because the truth is when you are in the middle of a crisis like this and someone asks "What can I do?" you often have no idea what to say. Looking back I actually did need things done, I needed a few things from the store, I could have used help with errands and household chores but when someone asked me if I needed anything, all I could think was that I wanted a miracle. I wanted dad to wake up. I wanted him to share a meal with us again. Have a laugh. See his blue eyes smile when he saw me walk into the room. That's what I wanted. My mind was so clouded with grief and sadness that I wasn't thinking of groceries, paying bills, or laundry. So I've gathered some ideas here to keep in mind if you have a friend spending long hours at the bedside of a sick loved one. If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments!

Texts or calls from friends and extended family helped so much. Just knowing that others were praying for us and sending us good vibes made us feel cared about and loved. Don't be upset if texts or calls are not returned. Often, things were super quiet and calm in hospice and I didn't want to shatter that peace. I was often physically and emotionally drained and couldn't imagine carrying on a conversation, but sometimes I really did want to talk and just get it out. Just know that even a quick message or text saying "thinking of you" could be the boost a friend needs to make it a little while longer. As for actual visits, just ask. There were times I would have loved a friend to visit, other times not so much. One thing for sure, I would recommend not just showing up. Things can vary from hour to hour. At times my father in law was sleeping so peacefully and at other times he was actually moaning in pain. Sometimes visitors were a welcome distraction, other times well-meaning visitors felt like an intrusion. Our sleeping patterns were all thrown off too, so we sometimes would doze off in the middle of the afternoon or right around dinnertime. It's a weird, emotional time for everyone. Just ask and don't take anything personally if a friend would rather not have a visitor.

We were lucky that the hospice center was near some fabulous restaurants, both quick and full service. We could quite literally run across the street and get a meal to bring back. There were a few times when the nurses would urge us to actually leave and go sit down to a nice meal. It was hard to do that, but we did a couple of times. When you are spending so much time at a hospice, meals become a real source of comfort and normalcy. We would bring back meals to eat with my mother in law and the three of us would sit at the table together in dad's room and have dinner together. Sometimes we would eat in the family room of the hospice, but the simple act of sitting at a table and sharing a meal as we have done so many times in the past definitely felt comforting but it also got to be quite expensive. Eating out or grabbing a quick bite three times a day plus coffee runs adds up. Find out where the hospice is and use a delivery service like Postmates, Uber Eats, or Delivery Dudes to send over a meal. Just text your friend and say "I'm sending dinner, would you guys rather have burgers, pizza, or Italian?" Then make an executive decision. Order some dishes that most people would probably enjoy and send it to them. Most of the time, your friends are not going to enjoy a meal with their usual love of food but they will be so grateful for your thoughtfulness that they will be happy with whatever you send. You could always be more specific and say "I'm sending dinner from Carrabbas, how does chicken parm sound? Would you rather have some spaghetti and meatballs? maybe a salad?" If you know several friends want to help, check out Meal Train. Friends and family can sign up for particular days so you know your friend will have meals on a regular basis.

Looking back, I can think of a few things that would have provided a sense of comfort had they shown up in a gift bag or special delivery.

* Fuzzy Socks - We would often slip off our shoes and try to get comfy on the couch or recliner. Standing up quickly to check on dad or making a quick trip to the bathroom or nurses station would have been a lot faster and more comfortable if I was wearing a nice pair of socks, maybe even the kind with little rubber strips on the bottom. Every night when we left, I would say "tomorrow I'm bringing socks" and of course, every day I forgot. If a friend showed up with a pair of comfy fuzzy socks, I probably would have cried. Well, I was kind of always crying, but still...

* Essential Oils - I'm not a huge believer that essential oils actually heal an illness, but I do enjoy their scent. If you've spent time in a hospital or hospice, there is a very distinct smell that permeates the air. It's not altogether appropriate to take out a can of room spray or perfume, but a dab of an essential oil on a pillow or even my wrist would have brought a sense of home and calm. I love the Now brand that you can get at Whole Foods. Amazon has them too, Jasmine is my favorite because it smells more like gardenia. Lavender, peppermint, and vanilla are also good choices. I actually have lavender in a roller-ball that I use for migraines, which would have been nice to throw in my purse.

* Eye Mask - a satin eye mask to keep out the light is a great idea. Trying to rest in a room with florescent lighting is not easy. An eye mask would have really helped. A cooling eye mask like this one would really be great to help soothe eyes that are swollen from crying. Throw some Visine in there for good measure.

* Cozy Blanket or Wrap - The hospice would give us as many blankets at we needed, but they were heavy and scratchy. I remember wrapping one around my mother in laws shoulders wishing it was softer, but of course I never remembered to grab a better one from home. A wrap like this would be a great choice because you can leave it wrapped around you when walking through other parts of the hospice.

* Hygiene Essentials - There were days we would be at the hospice from 7AM to midnight. I'm not ashamed to say that I would often just plop down in bed without showering. In the morning, we just wanted to get back there, so I didn't want to take time to shower or do my hair. Long days in the hospice mean you may want to remove your make up at some point or just freshen up. Some helpful product ideas: dry shampoo, deodorant, small hairspray, make up remover wipes, hand lotion, lip balm, travel size toothpaste, toothbrush, gum, mints, waterproof mascara, clear nail polish, emery board, tweezers. Something a little luxe, like a hydrating facial spray would have been nice too.

* Electronic Devices - If you know the kind of phone your friend has, consider a portable charger or earbuds. I have both of those things, but sometimes I would forget to bring them with me or leave them in a different bag. Sometimes my husband or mother in law would need them. I would have loved to have an extra set to keep in the car or leave at the hospice so I always had a spare.

* Snacks - Seems like a no-brainer, but a nice mix of salty and sweet treats would be welcomed by most people. Individually wrapped crackers or cookies or small bags of chips might be best. Fruit, nuts, chocolates...the usual yummies would be lovely to have in the room. Even if your friend is not a "snacker" it's nice to have something to offer other visitors. One day my sister brought 2 dozen donuts, a huge box of munchkins, some croissants, and coffee cake from the bakery where she works. We left most of it in the kitchen and wrote "Enjoy! Love, The Boehm Family" and they were enjoyed by just about everyone including nurses, cleaning staff, and other families. They were completely gone by the next morning. I loved the feeling that we were able to give other people a little treat in the midst of their sadness or their long work day (or night!).

Navigating through our hospital to hospice journey and all that that entails left little time for our real life. I was so blessed by my friend who teaches in the adjoining classroom. She told me no to worry about sub plans or my classroom. She offered to help my sub and make copies, etc. Not having to worry about my class was such a relief. I had a couple of other friends at school offer to help too. If you can step in and take that worry off of a friend's plate, you'll be helping them more than you can imagine.

If you feel close enough to your friend, offer to do some laundry for them. We were desperate for clean socks and undies and staying home to do laundry felt like such a waste of time. We would try to throw in a load of necessities when we got home late at night and hope to stay awake long enough to dry them. Laundry can be a little "intimate" if you don't know the person well, so maybe offer to take a load of essentials to a laundry service. Most cleaners and laundromats offer regular laundry service. Tell your friend to leave a laundry bag on their porch or in their garage and you can pick it up, drop it off at the cleaners and return fresh clean laundry.

Help with the house chores. Your friend may feel strange having you clean their house. If that's the case, tell them you're sending over a cleaning service. I would have loved this more than I can say. Many times people like to receive visitors at their home after a loved one passes and the thought of trying to get it cleaned up after weeks of neglect while you are grieving and planning a funeral is beyond overwhelming.

Offer to do the running around. The whole time we were at hospice, my mother in law's favorite watch needed a battery and she had some things in the dry cleaner that she was worried about. It would have been a huge relief to her if someone offered to take care of those things. You might think, who the heck would be worried about those things during that time? Trust me, I thought the same. But the mind works in mysterious ways. I think it reaches our for normalcy in times of crisis. Maybe focusing on those un-done tasks is a way to keep yourself from being completely swallowed in grief.

Another great way to help is to get some food in the house. There we times we just needed coffee, or cream, cereal - some staples to keep us going. Going to the store to pick up those things felt monumental. Offer to pick up groceries or use a delivery service like InstaCart to send basic groceries to their house. Just be sure to schedule the delivery for when you know they'll be home.

We all know it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I alluded to this earlier, but be direct and specific when offering your help. Instead of saying "I'm here if you need anything", say "Can I send my landscaper over this week?" or "When's a good time to have groceries delivered?". If someone asked me "When can we send a cleaning service to handle some chores for you?" I would have definitely picked a day! But there's no way I would have answered "How can I help?" with "Hey, can you clean my house?". When you are direct and specific, the person you are helping knows that you are comfortable with the offer. If you offer to do laundry or have it done, your friend will know that you are ok with the time that would take and the financial commitment you are offering.

Just one friend making a kind gesture like this can make all the difference for a friend who is going through one of the hardest things you can imagine. Putting these ideas out there and possibly making this time a little easier for someone makes me feel like maybe a tiny little drop of goodness can come from our great loss.

Until next time, my friends, be kind to each other.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As some of you know, I recently lost my father in law after a long battle with cancer. His last week or so was spent in a beautiful hospice facility and we are so grateful for the care he received and the kindness and support of family and friends we were shown during that time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As some of you know, I recently lost my father in law after a long battle with cancer. His last week or so was spent in a beautiful hospice facility and we are so grateful for the care he received and the kindness and support of family and friends we were shown during that time. Now that it's been a couple of weeks, I've had some time to process the whole thing and I've had some thoughts about ways that I could support a friend should they find themselves in this position.

I need to be clear that I never once felt abandoned by my friends or extended family. I was not sitting in the hospital or hospice wishing that someone would do the things I'm writing about, they are just things I wanted to make note of in order to make this process a bit easier on someone else going through it, because the truth is when you are in the middle of a crisis like this and someone asks "What can I do?" you often have no idea what to say. Looking back I actually did need things done, I needed a few things from the store, I could have used help with errands and household chores but when someone asked me if I needed anything, all I could think was that I wanted a miracle. I wanted dad to wake up. I wanted him to share a meal with us again. Have a laugh. See his blue eyes smile when he saw me walk into the room. That's what I wanted. My mind was so clouded with grief and sadness that I wasn't thinking of groceries, paying bills, or laundry. So I've gathered some ideas here to keep in mind if you have a friend spending long hours at the bedside of a sick loved one. If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments!

Texts or calls from friends and extended family helped so much. Just knowing that others were praying for us and sending us good vibes made us feel cared about and loved. Don't be upset if texts or calls are not returned. Often, things were super quiet and calm in hospice and I didn't want to shatter that peace. I was often physically and emotionally drained and couldn't imagine carrying on a conversation, but sometimes I really did want to talk and just get it out. Just know that even a quick message or text saying "thinking of you" could be the boost a friend needs to make it a little while longer. As for actual visits, just ask. There were times I would have loved a friend to visit, other times not so much. One thing for sure, I would recommend not just showing up. Things can vary from hour to hour. At times my father in law was sleeping so peacefully and at other times he was actually moaning in pain. Sometimes visitors were a welcome distraction, other times well-meaning visitors felt like an intrusion. Our sleeping patterns were all thrown off too, so we sometimes would doze off in the middle of the afternoon or right around dinnertime. It's a weird, emotional time for everyone. Just ask and don't take anything personally if a friend would rather not have a visitor.

We were lucky that the hospice center was near some fabulous restaurants, both quick and full service. We could quite literally run across the street and get a meal to bring back. There were a few times when the nurses would urge us to actually leave and go sit down to a nice meal. It was hard to do that, but we did a couple of times. When you are spending so much time at a hospice, meals become a real source of comfort and normalcy. We would bring back meals to eat with my mother in law and the three of us would sit at the table together in dad's room and have dinner together. Sometimes we would eat in the family room of the hospice, but the simple act of sitting at a table and sharing a meal as we have done so many times in the past definitely felt comforting but it also got to be quite expensive. Eating out or grabbing a quick bite three times a day plus coffee runs adds up. Find out where the hospice is and use a delivery service like Postmates, Uber Eats, or Delivery Dudes to send over a meal. Just text your friend and say "I'm sending dinner, would you guys rather have burgers, pizza, or Italian?" Then make an executive decision. Order some dishes that most people would probably enjoy and send it to them. Most of the time, your friends are not going to enjoy a meal with their usual love of food but they will be so grateful for your thoughtfulness that they will be happy with whatever you send. You could always be more specific and say "I'm sending dinner from Carrabbas, how does chicken parm sound? Would you rather have some spaghetti and meatballs? maybe a salad?" If you know several friends want to help, check out Meal Train. Friends and family can sign up for particular days so you know your friend will have meals on a regular basis.

Looking back, I can think of a few things that would have provided a sense of comfort had they shown up in a gift bag or special delivery.

* Fuzzy Socks - We would often slip off our shoes and try to get comfy on the couch or recliner. Standing up quickly to check on dad or making a quick trip to the bathroom or nurses station would have been a lot faster and more comfortable if I was wearing a nice pair of socks, maybe even the kind with little rubber strips on the bottom. Every night when we left, I would say "tomorrow I'm bringing socks" and of course, every day I forgot. If a friend showed up with a pair of comfy fuzzy socks, I probably would have cried. Well, I was kind of always crying, but still...

* Essential Oils - I'm not a huge believer that essential oils actually heal an illness, but I do enjoy their scent. If you've spent time in a hospital or hospice, there is a very distinct smell that permeates the air. It's not altogether appropriate to take out a can of room spray or perfume, but a dab of an essential oil on a pillow or even my wrist would have brought a sense of home and calm. I love the Now brand that you can get at Whole Foods. Amazon has them too, Jasmine is my favorite because it smells more like gardenia. Lavender, peppermint, and vanilla are also good choices. I actually have lavender in a roller-ball that I use for migraines, which would have been nice to throw in my purse.

* Eye Mask - a satin eye mask to keep out the light is a great idea. Trying to rest in a room with florescent lighting is not easy. An eye mask would have really helped. A cooling eye mask like this one would really be great to help soothe eyes that are swollen from crying. Throw some Visine in there for good measure.

* Cozy Blanket or Wrap - The hospice would give us as many blankets at we needed, but they were heavy and scratchy. I remember wrapping one around my mother in laws shoulders wishing it was softer, but of course I never remembered to grab a better one from home. A wrap like this would be a great choice because you can leave it wrapped around you when walking through other parts of the hospice.

* Hygiene Essentials - There were days we would be at the hospice from 7AM to midnight. I'm not ashamed to say that I would often just plop down in bed without showering. In the morning, we just wanted to get back there, so I didn't want to take time to shower or do my hair. Long days in the hospice mean you may want to remove your make up at some point or just freshen up. Some helpful product ideas: dry shampoo, deodorant, small hairspray, make up remover wipes, hand lotion, lip balm, travel size toothpaste, toothbrush, gum, mints, waterproof mascara, clear nail polish, emery board, tweezers. Something a little luxe, like a hydrating facial spray would have been nice too.

* Electronic Devices - If you know the kind of phone your friend has, consider a portable charger or earbuds. I have both of those things, but sometimes I would forget to bring them with me or leave them in a different bag. Sometimes my husband or mother in law would need them. I would have loved to have an extra set to keep in the car or leave at the hospice so I always had a spare.

* Snacks - Seems like a no-brainer, but a nice mix of salty and sweet treats would be welcomed by most people. Individually wrapped crackers or cookies or small bags of chips might be best. Fruit, nuts, chocolates...the usual yummies would be lovely to have in the room. Even if your friend is not a "snacker" it's nice to have something to offer other visitors. One day my sister brought 2 dozen donuts, a huge box of munchkins, some croissants, and coffee cake from the bakery where she works. We left most of it in the kitchen and wrote "Enjoy! Love, The Boehm Family" and they were enjoyed by just about everyone including nurses, cleaning staff, and other families. They were completely gone by the next morning. I loved the feeling that we were able to give other people a little treat in the midst of their sadness or their long work day (or night!).

Navigating through our hospital to hospice journey and all that that entails left little time for our real life. I was so blessed by my friend who teaches in the adjoining classroom. She told me no to worry about sub plans or my classroom. She offered to help my sub and make copies, etc. Not having to worry about my class was such a relief. I had a couple of other friends at school offer to help too. If you can step in and take that worry off of a friend's plate, you'll be helping them more than you can imagine.

If you feel close enough to your friend, offer to do some laundry for them. We were desperate for clean socks and undies and staying home to do laundry felt like such a waste of time. We would try to throw in a load of necessities when we got home late at night and hope to stay awake long enough to dry them. Laundry can be a little "intimate" if you don't know the person well, so maybe offer to take a load of essentials to a laundry service. Most cleaners and laundromats offer regular laundry service. Tell your friend to leave a laundry bag on their porch or in their garage and you can pick it up, drop it off at the cleaners and return fresh clean laundry.

Help with the house chores. Your friend may feel strange having you clean their house. If that's the case, tell them you're sending over a cleaning service. I would have loved this more than I can say. Many times people like to receive visitors at their home after a loved one passes and the thought of trying to get it cleaned up after weeks of neglect while you are grieving and planning a funeral is beyond overwhelming.

Offer to do the running around. The whole time we were at hospice, my mother in law's favorite watch needed a battery and she had some things in the dry cleaner that she was worried about. It would have been a huge relief to her if someone offered to take care of those things. You might think, who the heck would be worried about those things during that time? Trust me, I thought the same. But the mind works in mysterious ways. I think it reaches our for normalcy in times of crisis. Maybe focusing on those un-done tasks is a way to keep yourself from being completely swallowed in grief.

Another great way to help is to get some food in the house. There we times we just needed coffee, or cream, cereal - some staples to keep us going. Going to the store to pick up those things felt monumental. Offer to pick up groceries or use a delivery service like InstaCart to send basic groceries to their house. Just be sure to schedule the delivery for when you know they'll be home.

We all know it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I alluded to this earlier, but be direct and specific when offering your help. Instead of saying "I'm here if you need anything", say "Can I send my landscaper over this week?" or "When's a good time to have groceries delivered?". If someone asked me "When can we send a cleaning service to handle some chores for you?" I would have definitely picked a day! But there's no way I would have answered "How can I help?" with "Hey, can you clean my house?". When you are direct and specific, the person you are helping knows that you are comfortable with the offer. If you offer to do laundry or have it done, your friend will know that you are ok with the time that would take and the financial commitment you are offering.

Just one friend making a kind gesture like this can make all the difference for a friend who is going through one of the hardest things you can imagine. Putting these ideas out there and possibly making this time a little easier for someone makes me feel like maybe a tiny little drop of goodness can come from our great loss.

Until next time, my friends, be kind to each other.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As some of you know, I recently lost my father in law after a long battle with cancer. His last week or so was spent in a beautiful hospice facility and we are so grateful for the care he received and the kindness and support of family and friends we were shown during that time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you ready to jump into the world of Super Mario....I mean the classroom of Super Mario? Come along for a super engaging lesson that will be sure to captivate your students' complete attention as they work to save Princess Peach!

Just a little note before we get started. I am posting a full video below - It's a long one...I am a talker! If you know me...you know THAT! The essentials are in this post, but if you'd rather see it live, scroll down to the bottom. But first...grab a cup of coffee or an entire bag of Oreos. Heck, maybe even grab a gallon of ice cream and a pizza as well. Now let's get rolling...

I always get two main questions when I post any type of room transformation that I do in the classroom. I am going to devote an entire post to that next week, but for now I will address the top two questions that I always receive in response to this type of instruction:

1) How do you come up with the ideas?

Truthfully, I don't. These are not my ideas. What's a teachers motto? Beg, borrow, steal? Yep! That's my philosophy, too! Toy companies, game designers, musicians, and popular food brands make this happen for me. How? They are the brilliant minds creating all of the many things that kids are interested in these days. They are the ones spending hours upon hours upon hours designing things that kids enjoy. They are spending the hours that I don't, and won't ever have. I figure if the kids already love it in the real world - I will piggy back, steal their concept, and morph it into the academic world. It's as simple as it sounds. I spend a lot of time with my kids at lunch, in the hallways, and during carpool finding out what they enjoy. Then I make a note of those things in my mind. Whenever I have boring or difficult content that I know is essential to my academic goals, or I want to spice up my instruction a bit, I will use one of those concepts to drive my transformation. Because let's be honest - we can tie content to just about anything. ANY.THING! So I decide the concept first, and then I add whatever content we are working on.

2) The million dollar question - Where do you get the money?

I will link some of the materials down below if you would like to purchase the Mario products that I found and loved. Now, let's get to the nitty gritty. It's all about planning ahead. People often use money as a road block to not being able to do these types of lessons. Now call me crazy, but I refuse to let something like money determine how I am going to teach. Here are a few ways to take a little detour and not stop the journey of a room transformation altogether.

Don't take the toll road - find a cheaper route!

We all like a good toll road. Generally it's faster. But this isn't always the cheapest way to reach our final destination. I will find beautiful decorations for birthday parties (here I searched Mario Birthday Parties on Pinterest). They were gorgeous but would cost a fortune. Rather than purchasing everything on the spot, I will think of places that I can find or recreate the decor super cheap. Enter the Dollar Tree, thrift stores, IKEA, etc. I call this concept...making it happen. I will ask around, find a way to raise the funds, borrow materials, etc. until I get the job done.

Only make essential stops to reach your final destination...

Of course there are things that I purchase, but if I am going to purchase something expensive, I ensure that I will be able to use it for other transformations. Example: The turf for the floor is expensive. However, I use it for 4-5 other transformations throughout the year, so the investment is worth it.

Let's bring my honesty out to play for a second: Half of the stuff that you see in pictures (mine included) is not even needed. Turf - not needed. Mario hats - have them make paper hats instead. Wall decals - use a projector and trace/color your own wall decals. Or better yet, find an artist friend and ask them to do that for you! You'll be surprised that many will be all in for helping you create magic for kids.

I assure you the kids do not notice the imperfections nor do they deem anything as lacking. You will never hear a kid say, "This room would be so much better if...." My beginning room transformations sure didn't start out like this at all. You'll hear about that in the next concept. The decor only enhances the instruction. It makes the lesson unpredictable. It doesn't have to be perfect. Perfection is the thief of joy. Don't let the idea of the perfect decor steal your excitement. Do what you can. Do something different. THAT'S what kids will notice.

Don't try to conquer the journey over night! It's a marathon not a sprint!

Another point to note is that I have been doing these transformations for 10 years. I have built up resources over the years. Start small. I run. The hardest part of each run is getting started. So just rip the bandaid off. Get started. Start somewhere. Do something! It will get easier and even better with time.

Here's a peek at a few of my beginning transformations. Not nearly as detailed, but the excitement of my students was equally matched.

Folks, it's green table cloths and a hand painted sign. I am super proud of it! The kids could not have been more excited for this lesson. Why? It was different. Be different!

How about when I recreated the Land of Chewandswallow for our weather unit? My mom and I used butcher paper to create gigantic foods. Nowadays, people use those great giant blow up foods. Are they awesome? 100% Are they essential to get the same excitement out of your students? Not hardly!

I get this whole money question often, and honestly this is the only way that I know to answer it! No, my school does not fund my materials for room transformations. Actually, I don't even ask them to do so. Don't limit yourself. Accept the challenge. Keep an open mind. Find a way to make the impossible...possible! I promise you will be so happy you did!

The decor looks complicated, but it was actually pretty simple. I hung blue painter's drop cloths around my room (it was $15 to cover my entire room) and added some decals to give the "being stuck inside the game" feel. Then for coins I used gold plates from the Dollar Tree that I glued to fishing wire. Then I suspended them from the ceiling. Finally, I wrapped large boxes with yellow poster board and painted white question marks on them. Below is a broader look into the room.

Once I decide the concept and the decor, finally I figure out how I am going to break down the content that I want the kids to learn or practice during the lesson. During the Super Mario Challenge, the kids were reviewing all of our reading skills that were taught during a nonfiction unit of study. I thought Mario would be perfect for this because I had taught close reading, and it's just like the levels of the game - each level gets a little harder...each read goes a little deeper. I used this lesson for reading. It could easily be adjusted to math skills, science concepts, social studies themes, etc. Just choose a different skill that you want them to practice for each level.

Here's a look at some of the different levels:

Level one: The students were given a passage. They had to complete the first read and interpret each sentence to identify the key idea.

Level two: The students were practicing identifying the key idea in shorter passages. Here's a fun little twist: the students selected their tunnel (1, 2, or 3). Each tunnel had a different number of passages. If they were lucky, they chose the tunnel that only had three passages. However, they could have selected the tunnel with 8 causing the level to take a little longer to complete.

Here the students were practicing identifying text structures in a passage to help them organize the most important details. The students would roll their partner down to the end of the path, collect a short passage (there were 6), roll them back, decide the text structure, and repeat until the level was complete.

Level four: All the prize boxes

The first team to the level busted the large box. There were mini question boxes inside. They would collect one mini box that contained 10 different short passages that had them identifying the meaning of unknown words. Once they identified the meaning of each word, they would move on to the next level.

Level 5: The students had to summarize passages. They would race down to a tunnel which they had to crawl through to collect a short passage. Then they would race back, summarize, and repeat.

The students worked through each level at their own pace. Once the challenge of a level was complete, they moved on. They had to complete all six levels to rescue the princess and capture the flag. I created the flag with poster board and PVC pipe.

Thankfully, Princess Peach was successfully rescued by her teams of Mario and Luigi!

This was so much fun and the kids absolutely loved every second. But you better believe when I say each level was a challenge - it was just that! I made sure that the content was super challenging because we all know rescuing the Princess isn't a walk in the park! (Don't act like you didn't play the game...and throw the controller as a kid! lol!)

Well, I guess that's that! I hope that you will challenge yourself to do something different in your classroom. It may not be a room transformation. That may not be your style. But do the unexpected. Give your kids a reason to anticipate school the same way that they anticipate the newest release of their favorite toy or game. Standards won't make that happen. Worksheets won't make that happen. WE make that happen!

Here is the promised (LONG) video of the details:

FYI: The video is upside down for the first minute. Then it corrects. Sorry about that!

Check out these resources online:

I will be back with a Room Transformations 101 post to answer your questions about room transformations. Post your questions below, and I will be happy to break them down in my next post!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you ready to jump into the world of Super Mario....I mean the classroom of Super Mario? Come along for a super engaging lesson that will be sure to captivate your students' complete attention as they work to save Princess Peach! Just a little note before we get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you ready to jump into the world of Super Mario....I mean the classroom of Super Mario? Come along for a super engaging lesson that will be sure to captivate your students' complete attention as they work to save Princess Peach!

Just a little note before we get started. I am posting a full video below - It's a long one...I am a talker! If you know me...you know THAT! The essentials are in this post, but if you'd rather see it live, scroll down to the bottom. But first...grab a cup of coffee or an entire bag of Oreos. Heck, maybe even grab a gallon of ice cream and a pizza as well. Now let's get rolling...

I always get two main questions when I post any type of room transformation that I do in the classroom. I am going to devote an entire post to that next week, but for now I will address the top two questions that I always receive in response to this type of instruction:

1) How do you come up with the ideas?

Truthfully, I don't. These are not my ideas. What's a teachers motto? Beg, borrow, steal? Yep! That's my philosophy, too! Toy companies, game designers, musicians, and popular food brands make this happen for me. How? They are the brilliant minds creating all of the many things that kids are interested in these days. They are the ones spending hours upon hours upon hours designing things that kids enjoy. They are spending the hours that I don't, and won't ever have. I figure if the kids already love it in the real world - I will piggy back, steal their concept, and morph it into the academic world. It's as simple as it sounds. I spend a lot of time with my kids at lunch, in the hallways, and during carpool finding out what they enjoy. Then I make a note of those things in my mind. Whenever I have boring or difficult content that I know is essential to my academic goals, or I want to spice up my instruction a bit, I will use one of those concepts to drive my transformation. Because let's be honest - we can tie content to just about anything. ANY.THING! So I decide the concept first, and then I add whatever content we are working on.

2) The million dollar question - Where do you get the money?

I will link some of the materials down below if you would like to purchase the Mario products that I found and loved. Now, let's get to the nitty gritty. It's all about planning ahead. People often use money as a road block to not being able to do these types of lessons. Now call me crazy, but I refuse to let something like money determine how I am going to teach. Here are a few ways to take a little detour and not stop the journey of a room transformation altogether.

Don't take the toll road - find a cheaper route!

We all like a good toll road. Generally it's faster. But this isn't always the cheapest way to reach our final destination. I will find beautiful decorations for birthday parties (here I searched Mario Birthday Parties on Pinterest). They were gorgeous but would cost a fortune. Rather than purchasing everything on the spot, I will think of places that I can find or recreate the decor super cheap. Enter the Dollar Tree, thrift stores, IKEA, etc. I call this concept...making it happen. I will ask around, find a way to raise the funds, borrow materials, etc. until I get the job done.

Only make essential stops to reach your final destination...

Of course there are things that I purchase, but if I am going to purchase something expensive, I ensure that I will be able to use it for other transformations. Example: The turf for the floor is expensive. However, I use it for 4-5 other transformations throughout the year, so the investment is worth it.

Let's bring my honesty out to play for a second: Half of the stuff that you see in pictures (mine included) is not even needed. Turf - not needed. Mario hats - have them make paper hats instead. Wall decals - use a projector and trace/color your own wall decals. Or better yet, find an artist friend and ask them to do that for you! You'll be surprised that many will be all in for helping you create magic for kids.

I assure you the kids do not notice the imperfections nor do they deem anything as lacking. You will never hear a kid say, "This room would be so much better if...." My beginning room transformations sure didn't start out like this at all. You'll hear about that in the next concept. The decor only enhances the instruction. It makes the lesson unpredictable. It doesn't have to be perfect. Perfection is the thief of joy. Don't let the idea of the perfect decor steal your excitement. Do what you can. Do something different. THAT'S what kids will notice.

Don't try to conquer the journey over night! It's a marathon not a sprint!

Another point to note is that I have been doing these transformations for 10 years. I have built up resources over the years. Start small. I run. The hardest part of each run is getting started. So just rip the bandaid off. Get started. Start somewhere. Do something! It will get easier and even better with time.

Here's a peek at a few of my beginning transformations. Not nearly as detailed, but the excitement of my students was equally matched.

Folks, it's green table cloths and a hand painted sign. I am super proud of it! The kids could not have been more excited for this lesson. Why? It was different. Be different!

How about when I recreated the Land of Chewandswallow for our weather unit? My mom and I used butcher paper to create gigantic foods. Nowadays, people use those great giant blow up foods. Are they awesome? 100% Are they essential to get the same excitement out of your students? Not hardly!

I get this whole money question often, and honestly this is the only way that I know to answer it! No, my school does not fund my materials for room transformations. Actually, I don't even ask them to do so. Don't limit yourself. Accept the challenge. Keep an open mind. Find a way to make the impossible...possible! I promise you will be so happy you did!

The decor looks complicated, but it was actually pretty simple. I hung blue painter's drop cloths around my room (it was $15 to cover my entire room) and added some decals to give the "being stuck inside the game" feel. Then for coins I used gold plates from the Dollar Tree that I glued to fishing wire. Then I suspended them from the ceiling. Finally, I wrapped large boxes with yellow poster board and painted white question marks on them. Below is a broader look into the room.

Once I decide the concept and the decor, finally I figure out how I am going to break down the content that I want the kids to learn or practice during the lesson. During the Super Mario Challenge, the kids were reviewing all of our reading skills that were taught during a nonfiction unit of study. I thought Mario would be perfect for this because I had taught close reading, and it's just like the levels of the game - each level gets a little harder...each read goes a little deeper. I used this lesson for reading. It could easily be adjusted to math skills, science concepts, social studies themes, etc. Just choose a different skill that you want them to practice for each level.

Here's a look at some of the different levels:

Level one: The students were given a passage. They had to complete the first read and interpret each sentence to identify the key idea.

Level two: The students were practicing identifying the key idea in shorter passages. Here's a fun little twist: the students selected their tunnel (1, 2, or 3). Each tunnel had a different number of passages. If they were lucky, they chose the tunnel that only had three passages. However, they could have selected the tunnel with 8 causing the level to take a little longer to complete.

Here the students were practicing identifying text structures in a passage to help them organize the most important details. The students would roll their partner down to the end of the path, collect a short passage (there were 6), roll them back, decide the text structure, and repeat until the level was complete.

Level four: All the prize boxes

The first team to the level busted the large box. There were mini question boxes inside. They would collect one mini box that contained 10 different short passages that had them identifying the meaning of unknown words. Once they identified the meaning of each word, they would move on to the next level.

Level 5: The students had to summarize passages. They would race down to a tunnel which they had to crawl through to collect a short passage. Then they would race back, summarize, and repeat.

The students worked through each level at their own pace. Once the challenge of a level was complete, they moved on. They had to complete all six levels to rescue the princess and capture the flag. I created the flag with poster board and PVC pipe.

Thankfully, Princess Peach was successfully rescued by her teams of Mario and Luigi!

This was so much fun and the kids absolutely loved every second. But you better believe when I say each level was a challenge - it was just that! I made sure that the content was super challenging because we all know rescuing the Princess isn't a walk in the park! (Don't act like you didn't play the game...and throw the controller as a kid! lol!)

Well, I guess that's that! I hope that you will challenge yourself to do something different in your classroom. It may not be a room transformation. That may not be your style. But do the unexpected. Give your kids a reason to anticipate school the same way that they anticipate the newest release of their favorite toy or game. Standards won't make that happen. Worksheets won't make that happen. WE make that happen!

Here is the promised (LONG) video of the details:

FYI: The video is upside down for the first minute. Then it corrects. Sorry about that!

Check out these resources online:

I will be back with a Room Transformations 101 post to answer your questions about room transformations. Post your questions below, and I will be happy to break them down in my next post!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you ready to jump into the world of Super Mario....I mean the classroom of Super Mario? Come along for a super engaging lesson that will be sure to captivate your students' complete attention as they work to save Princess Peach! Just a little note before we get started.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blog about a veteran 2nd grade teacher living in Hawaii.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to part 5 of my guided math series. So far we've discussed how to set up your math block, I've shared a guided math breakdown, talked about establishing procedures, and shared some of my favorite must have materials. You can check out any of these posts by clicking on the links below.

Today we are going to be talking about how to create functional stations that run smoothly in your classroom by creating the right groups and we will also talk about how you can differentiate your stations easily.

First lets talk about student grouping. Here are somethings you need to decide.

-How many groups are you going to have?
You want to keep your groups small and manageable.

-How many students do you want in each group?

I have 5 groups and have no more than 6 students in a group.Most of my groups have 4-5 students.

Remember that Flexibility is Key!!! You want to be able to easily move students to a different group throughout the year.

I use this organizer page along with sticky notes to keep track of my groups. I write the group name in each box and then use small sticky notes with student names so I can easily move names around when needed.

Now lets talk about how to group students. There are two different ways to do this.

What are the benefits of mixed ability grouping?

-It allows students to peer teach. I often say that sometimes students learn best from one another. They learn from each other and are motivated to keep up with the group.

What are the benefits of same ability student grouping?

I choose to group my students by same ability and then my stations are differentiated to meet individual needs. Now I know what you must be thinking...how does she differentiate. It's really very simple.

Differentiation can be easy when done right. Sometimes it takes a little extra prep but not always. I have two different systems.

Use task cards with differentiated recording sheets. In the example shown below, I have the exact same set of task cards but each group may be working on a different place value skill.

I keep everything sorted by using a color system. You can use any three colors you'd like. I use these:

I use these colored stickers to label each set of answer sheets. Each group knows what color they are assigned too. This way each group is using the same set of cards but each one is focusing on a different skill. This activity can be found in my Back to School Math Stations pack or in the Yearly Bundle!

I got tired of trying to find all these different activities that were the same but also different for my students to work on. That's when I took matters into my own hands and started to create differentiated stations that would meet the needs of all my students.All activities include the same activity in three different levels.

I run each activity off on a different set of colored paper. I buy the large packs on Amazon and they usually will last me most of the year. Again, orange is for my lower students, green is average and blue is high.

Here the activity is the same, it is just using different numbers. The same recording sheet is used for all three.

Each set is also labeled so even if they aren't ran off on different colors, they won't get mixed up.

Here is a look into the subtraction set. I'm using the same three colored and they follow the same rules as the addition set. Set one covers the difference from 10, set two the difference from 15, and set 3 the difference from 20.

You can also easily differentiate with dice. I bought this set of Whiz dice a few years ago and love it. It comes with over 100 dice with numbers up to 100. For my lower groups they may be using regular dice where my middle groups my be using a 2 digit die and a 1 digit die and my higher groups using two 2 digit dice.

Here, I am doing the same activity with groups but they are working on two different levels.

Need help with differentiation? Please feel free to e-mail me and I'll be happy to help. I hope this post gave you some insight on how to easily set up your groups and differentiate your small group instruction.

Place Value (almost finished)

Want to be notified when the next post in this series is ready? Sign up below!

Want to save this post for later? Pin the image below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to part 5 of my guided math series. So far we've discussed how to set up your math block, I've shared a guided math breakdown, talked about establishing procedures, and shared some of my favorite must have materials. You can check out any of these posts by clicking on the links below.

# data[].attributes.body
Tech savvy second grade teacher.

# data[].attributes.body
She has some really great math ideas!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you need more inspiration to go and start your Wish List on Oriental Trading... Come check out my wish list! I was given items to review, but I know I will be back to use the wish list feature. (I already buy things from them all the time anyway!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome!

I'm a Second Grade teacher from Alabama! I'm also Peanuts obsessed so that's where the name Second Grade Gang comes from! This is my second year in Second Grade but sixth year teaching! It is home to me!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I'm a Second Grade teacher from Alabama! I'm also Peanuts obsessed so that's where the name Second Grade Gang comes from! This is my second year in Second Grade but sixth year teaching! It is home to me!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Where has the first half of my summer gone?! I have been so busy the first 3 weeks of summer.. any only 3 more left to go! :(

I have been doing a book study along with some other fabulous ladies this summer. If you haven't heard of the The Book Whisperer then you are in luck! You get to hear all about it this summer with us! I have been blown away thus far by Donalyn Miller's accounts of turning her students into readers. If you get the chance, I would grab a copy of this book immediately. I've already got some good ideas for next year!

Haven't we all felt that stress? The stress of somehow finding time to fit in our love of reading with our students? I know I have. So many times during my first 2 years of teaching I've WANTED to fit in free reading in my classroom and so WANTED my students to love it as much as I do. However, that is much easier said than done. During the first two chapters of the book, Donalyn went into great detail of how she made mistakes which led her to figuring out how to instill a love of reading in her students. If you haven't read the first two blog posts in this book study series, you can find those on Diana's Blog and on Jessica's Blog.

In Chapter 3, Donalyn talks about finding a time and a place for reading. While I was reading this I thought to myself... DUH! It really is THAT simple. Often times, I think we make "fitting in" that reading time much more difficult than it is actually meant to be. Donalyn gave some awesome ideas of when to fit in reading during your week.

1. Classroom Interruptions

We teachers know these all to well. The drop in of a colleague. Call from the office. Parent on the phone. Student getting sick. There are so many things that interrupt our class time on a daily basis! I know I had always known that it would be best if my students knew exactly what to do during these times, but I never really put it into practice. Donalyn's classroom looks very different from mine. She has middle school students while I have elementary students. I know my students could master this but it would take some definite prompting and modeling from me.

PLUS, wouldn't it be nice not to worry about watching the students and dealing with the interruption?! I know it would be for me!

2. Bell Ringers and Warm-Ups

Oh yes, we've all done it. Printed out mass copies of "morning work" (or busy work) to get our students going the minute they walk into our classroom. Now, don't get me wrong. There are definitely times when I need to do that to help my students practice a skill. But more often than not, I don't use the morning work for anything other than getting their brains going. Reading a book in the morning would be a great solution for me. Again, it would take some modeling with my new 2nd graders but could be so beneficial.

3. When Students Are Done

We've all got those dreaded early finishers! I have never figured out what exactly is the most productive thing to do with those students. Many people have charts that explain what to do when you're done or folders for students to practice skills already learned. However, I feel almost like I'm punishing my students for finishing early. Donalyn explained she felt the same way and began to notice students who typically finished early would take more time so they didn't have to do extra work. I love the idea of my students grabbing their book and finishing up some reading rather than doing more busy work.

PLUS, who wants to put together an extra pack of work for students on top of the regular planning?! Not this girl!

If you teach a middle school grade, this might be more of an issue for you. However, my entire class goes at one time to get their pictures made. It typically doesn't take us that long to get through the process and get back to class. But, if your students are going to be sitting while waiting for others to get done, reading a book would be a fabulous option!

Again, this isn't really an issue for me. Our library time is put into our encore or specials schedule. If you are in a school where you have a scheduled time to take your students to the library then this would be a great opportunity to let your students read a book or help them choose a book!

Now to move on to the second part of this chapter, A Place to Read. As a 2nd grade teacher it is really important to me that I create an atmosphere for reading. I want my students to have that one place in the room where they feel comfortable and want to relax and read. I have tried my best to create that reading nook the past 2 years (not to much avail). I see all these amazing classrooms and think why isn't my classroom the same?!

Donalyn explains that its not so much the area as it is the atmosphere. It was so helpful for me to read that. If I set the example for my students that reading can take place ANYWHERE at ANY TIME they will be more apt to read a book anywhere in my classroom. Although I am still going to try to perfect my nook, I know that that isn't what it's all about.

This book study has been so much fun for me. Donalyn has taught me so much about creating readers, improving readers and letting them read! I am finally feeling like my love of reading can come across to my students and that is something to be excited about!

Thanks for reading my summary to Chapter 3 of The Book Whisperer! Be sure to link up and go read everyone else's blog post!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Where has the first half of my summer gone?! I have been so busy the first 3 weeks of summer.. any only 3 more left to go! :( I have been doing a book study along with some other fabulous ladies this summer. If you haven't heard of the The Book Whisperer then you are in luck!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Where has the first half of my summer gone?! I have been so busy the first 3 weeks of summer.. any only 3 more left to go! :(

I have been doing a book study along with some other fabulous ladies this summer. If you haven't heard of the The Book Whisperer then you are in luck! You get to hear all about it this summer with us! I have been blown away thus far by Donalyn Miller's accounts of turning her students into readers. If you get the chance, I would grab a copy of this book immediately. I've already got some good ideas for next year!

Haven't we all felt that stress? The stress of somehow finding time to fit in our love of reading with our students? I know I have. So many times during my first 2 years of teaching I've WANTED to fit in free reading in my classroom and so WANTED my students to love it as much as I do. However, that is much easier said than done. During the first two chapters of the book, Donalyn went into great detail of how she made mistakes which led her to figuring out how to instill a love of reading in her students. If you haven't read the first two blog posts in this book study series, you can find those on Diana's Blog and on Jessica's Blog.

In Chapter 3, Donalyn talks about finding a time and a place for reading. While I was reading this I thought to myself... DUH! It really is THAT simple. Often times, I think we make "fitting in" that reading time much more difficult than it is actually meant to be. Donalyn gave some awesome ideas of when to fit in reading during your week.

1. Classroom Interruptions

We teachers know these all to well. The drop in of a colleague. Call from the office. Parent on the phone. Student getting sick. There are so many things that interrupt our class time on a daily basis! I know I had always known that it would be best if my students knew exactly what to do during these times, but I never really put it into practice. Donalyn's classroom looks very different from mine. She has middle school students while I have elementary students. I know my students could master this but it would take some definite prompting and modeling from me.

PLUS, wouldn't it be nice not to worry about watching the students and dealing with the interruption?! I know it would be for me!

2. Bell Ringers and Warm-Ups

Oh yes, we've all done it. Printed out mass copies of "morning work" (or busy work) to get our students going the minute they walk into our classroom. Now, don't get me wrong. There are definitely times when I need to do that to help my students practice a skill. But more often than not, I don't use the morning work for anything other than getting their brains going. Reading a book in the morning would be a great solution for me. Again, it would take some modeling with my new 2nd graders but could be so beneficial.

3. When Students Are Done

We've all got those dreaded early finishers! I have never figured out what exactly is the most productive thing to do with those students. Many people have charts that explain what to do when you're done or folders for students to practice skills already learned. However, I feel almost like I'm punishing my students for finishing early. Donalyn explained she felt the same way and began to notice students who typically finished early would take more time so they didn't have to do extra work. I love the idea of my students grabbing their book and finishing up some reading rather than doing more busy work.

PLUS, who wants to put together an extra pack of work for students on top of the regular planning?! Not this girl!

If you teach a middle school grade, this might be more of an issue for you. However, my entire class goes at one time to get their pictures made. It typically doesn't take us that long to get through the process and get back to class. But, if your students are going to be sitting while waiting for others to get done, reading a book would be a fabulous option!

Again, this isn't really an issue for me. Our library time is put into our encore or specials schedule. If you are in a school where you have a scheduled time to take your students to the library then this would be a great opportunity to let your students read a book or help them choose a book!

Now to move on to the second part of this chapter, A Place to Read. As a 2nd grade teacher it is really important to me that I create an atmosphere for reading. I want my students to have that one place in the room where they feel comfortable and want to relax and read. I have tried my best to create that reading nook the past 2 years (not to much avail). I see all these amazing classrooms and think why isn't my classroom the same?!

Donalyn explains that its not so much the area as it is the atmosphere. It was so helpful for me to read that. If I set the example for my students that reading can take place ANYWHERE at ANY TIME they will be more apt to read a book anywhere in my classroom. Although I am still going to try to perfect my nook, I know that that isn't what it's all about.

This book study has been so much fun for me. Donalyn has taught me so much about creating readers, improving readers and letting them read! I am finally feeling like my love of reading can come across to my students and that is something to be excited about!

Thanks for reading my summary to Chapter 3 of The Book Whisperer! Be sure to link up and go read everyone else's blog post!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Where has the first half of my summer gone?! I have been so busy the first 3 weeks of summer.. any only 3 more left to go! :( I have been doing a book study along with some other fabulous ladies this summer. If you haven't heard of the The Book Whisperer then you are in luck!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Before winter break began, my first graders finished up their nonfiction unit. We reviewed the differences between fiction and nonfiction, learned a few text features and how they can give us information, and we learned lots of interesting facts about the Arctic and its animals.

We also learned about igloos! We labeled the parts of an igloo after reading an article and watching a few videos about how they are constructed and then we built our own. We did this activity at our Polar Party and it was their favorite!

I got all the supplies at the dollar store: frosting, Styrofoam cups, paper plates, pop sticks for applying frosting, and mini marshmallows. Here's where I got the idea.

Another activity I would recommend if you are learning about Arctic animals is this blubber simulation experiment. All you need is some Crisco, baggies, and ice water in a bucket. I've seen this idea many different times online and I am not sure where it originated but it's awesome. It's a really fun way to drive home some arctic vocab words like INSULATE and BLUBBER too ☺

The kids loved learning about Polar Bears so at our Polar Party we also created some multimedia Polar Bear art.

We also did this adorable activity after reading Sneezy The Snowman. This free download is by Loving Teaching Inspiring. Thank you for the awesome idea and book recommendation!

Mix up some glue and shaving cream (I just eyed it) and add your snowman parts. I googled "snowman parts printable" and foundthis resource for all the cute snowman accessories.

Our next unit is all about fictional characters and building reading fluency. I look forward to doing some Readers Theater and reading LOTS of Mo Willems!

Back to school on Monday. Time to go make the most of my final weekend of freedom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Before winter break began, my first graders finished up their nonfiction unit. We reviewed the differences between fiction and nonfiction, learned a few text features and how they can give us information, and we learned lots of interesting facts about the Arctic and its animals. We also learned about igloos!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My new curriculum uses a daily worksheet for every subject. Here's where the kids place their assignments after WE check them together. I then proceed to check (quick glance at it for the second time) and then straight to my grade book.

# data[].attributes.body
The solution to reading comprehension.

# data[].attributes.body
This is the padlet from the 3rd - 5th grade common core sessions. BUT it might be helpful to you!!

# data[].attributes.body
Free online textbooks, flashcards, practice, real world examples, and simulation.s

# data[].attributes.body
Great math and ELA resources