Grammar [doesn't have to be a] snooooze

Let's be honest, grammar can be insanely boring. I've tried so many different ways, including direct instruction, including worksheets, including workbooks uggghhh. Then I found this article on Scholastic's website, I liked the idea of a grammar journal and brought it to them. I've since made it our own and set up a routine that the kids are loving! The best part is, they are becoming better writers and are..... wait for it.... enjoying writing! It also helps that they are earning marbles like crazy (more on that later)

Day 1: New concept notes (one page)

Not too pretty, but it works :)

The class now has a FIND IT mission, anytime they find the concept in ANYTHING they read, they record the sentence (making sure to cite textual evidence explicitly - comon coooore!)

For the next few days the routine goes as follows:

Each day we 'check in' our findings

The first to find one!

(I take volunteers the first few days)

I display student notebooks under the document camera. We read their textual evidence as a class, then decide if it does in fact fit the grammar concept we are studying. If it does, I highlight the rule (conjunctions at the moment) and we get a marble!

Next, we practice it

I give the class a prompt (they've actually been coming up with their own lately, high interest!)
I then set the timer for 4 minutes.
Noooone stops writing until the timer goes off. Captains then pass out highlighters and students highlight the grammar rule they have used in their own writing.
They show me on their fingers how many conjunctions or prepositions or phrases (you get the idea)..... they used. The first day, almost everyone used 1 or none, by the third day I have some kiddos using 4 or 5 correlative conjunctions in one piece of writing! Wooo!

Daily Five + and Prove it Posters

My BUILD math centers did not translate well from 2nd grade to 5th grade... bummer! Good news is, this led to adding math as it's own 'center' during our Daily 5 time (now 20 minutes almost every day!)

I tried to do the math games deal but I kept falling behind on adding new games :/ I've definitely noticed that when something isn't interesting or exciting enough I tend to forget about it more often. Pretty sure I have adult onset ADHD, is that a thing?

... but, I digress....

I have FINALLY found something that works for our math center AND is super easy to prepare for AND is so Common Core with the amount of writing my kiddos need to do! Yay!

I write a math problem, word problems included too of course, on a 3x5 card. On the back, I give the answer away for free. Students must then PROVE the answer is correct using PICTURES and WORDS (love that immediate feedback and problem solving if their answer doesn't match mine!)

The "prove it cards" (3x5s) are numbered - I also plan on color coding them by CCSS strand, maybe a summer project. I put these, along with paper and math "tools" aka manipulatives in a few bins right underneath our agenda.

Students who 'check in' for math during our scheduled Daily 5 time (two ten minute blocks on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays - otherwise we are in the computer lab) meet up with a partner and work on their Prove it Poster together.

Love how they snuck in some Minecraft 

Grading made simple.... sigh

I think I miiight have heard the Hallelujah Chorus in my head when I finally figured this out!

I've seen the Fist to Five check aaaallll over Pinterest, but there is a difference between pinning my life away and actually using these things in my classroom.

I began by using the Fist to Five as a quick check during a lesson, I like to try to make it happen before and after when I can, and I've even noticed that it makes my kiddos feel great to go from a 1 to a 5 within the course of the lesson!

The BEST part about this - I am now using the same parameters of the fist to five for almost all of my grading. Every Friday, I take home the 2,3, or 5 (eeek! I'm the worst!) assessments that I give the class that day. As I grade, I keep in mind just how much the students can demonstrate their understanding *** what's up Common Core! ***

Redos: Students who score 1s or 2s have the opportunity to ReDo their assessment, these must be turned into our INBOX within a week, otherwise their scores will remain the same. Students who score a 1 - are part of my re-teach group (during Daily 5) I'm still working out some kinks here and there - like when to re-teach just Math and when to re-teach ELA, I'm thinking about trying 2 days for each. We make Daily 5 time a priority and are now having at least one round per day - the kids LOVE it. I'm also going to start keeping track of how many ReDos we have for any given assessment for my own planning purposes.

Meanwhile, the first Trimester in 5th grade was a hot mess when it came to missing assignments and last minute grading. After some brainstorming, I've come up with a procedure that is not only helping keep my kiddos accountable for their missing work, but is saving me a ton of last minute grading headaches - the eternal procrastinator, grading 33 assessments is bad enough.... waiting a few weeks and letting 99 assessments pile up, no fun.

I am now sending home a progress report every Thursday, sounds nuts - but it is keeping me (and my students) accountable. It is keeping my grading on track and is empowering my students to come to me and ask for help waaaay more often! I have a missing work log on the wall - I add names on Monday and give these students the week to both ask about and complete their assignments. I am not lowering grades for late/missing work within this week because I feel that the grade would not be a reflection of student knowledge and isn't that what grades are all about? However, and I've been super clear about this with my class, after a week - I won't accept anything that was missing. The log is erased and the grade remains an M.

Grading is a breeze now :) Now the only thing I need to do is focus on grading aaaaallll this writing!

Yay! Common Core App, right over there -->

Sensing the shift to Common Core standards much more than ever lately, you know what that means - time to teach myself! love it!

Thanks to First Grade Delight I found this awesome app that you can add to any blog/site. I am definitely going to add it to my classroom website too! *I wonder if they have them in Spanish too... hmmmm*

I am delighted with my new friend over at First Grade Delight. My very first follower, I should add! Thank you again!