Using Your Smartboard as an "Entry Slip"

While many students need the full four or five minutes of passing time, many others do not.  Quite often, students will come into my class a solid two to three minutes before class and just sit there staring into space.

Rather than waste those extra few minutes I might have with some students, I will often project interactive games onto the smartboard.  My students know that when they see a game, they may play it.  

What is really fun about these games is that it creates a competitive edge among the students.  Can you beat the best score?  Can you improve on your last score?  

The games I project will always have something to do with what they are currently learning.  Vocabulary, grammar, verbs... you name it!

My two favorites are quizlet and classtools.

With quizlet, I create a set of flashcards.  Sometimes I will purposefully set them up to not just be translations, but sometimes of verb conjugations or even question/response type things.  I then set the quizlet set to the game of "scatter" and students can play it on the white board when they walk in.  This is also great because students can make their own sets on quizlet and play games even at home on their computers.

With classtools, you can create TONS of different interactive games.  My favorite is the dustbin game.  This game is great when you have categories of things.  Students must drag the terms into the correct "bin" (category).  This is also a timed race.

I noticed an exponential improvement on many topics when I put these games on the board at the beginning of the hour.  The competition drives students to remember the terms.  I also use this as something to do if there is a few minutes to kill at the end of an hour as well.

Check them out!

Quizlet Logo

A Traveling Teacher's Survival Guide

Like many, I am a traveling teacher.  And let's just be honest.  It sucks.  Nothing is more annoying than having to be in multiple buildings and/or classrooms in one day.  However, I'm a firm believer that life is about as difficult as you decide it is, so I have come up with some pointers to try and make life a little easier when it comes to traveling.

1. Get a nice, big computer bag

Bonus points if it has wheels.  This is my bag.  It is technically a travel laptop bag, but I absolutely adore it.  The front small pocket I can use for all of my pens/pencils/tiny things.  The front big pocket is perfectly sized for my laptop.  The big pocket (which takes up a little over half the bag) is where EVERYTHING else goes.  All of my folders/papers that I need on any given day.  Stuff to be graded...stuff to be handed back... seating charts, lesson plan book, textbooks.  You name it, it's likely there.

2. ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE!!!!

As a teacher, regardless of how many locations you are at, it is important to be organized.  It is even more important as a traveling teacher.  I use my folder system to keep papers organized in each classroom as well as in my own personal bag.


3. Stay a day ahead schedule

One "luxury" I don't have is planning the next day the night before. While this isn't a smart thing to do anyway, it's impossible for me.  My "home base" school is the school I teach at the second half of the day.  I do most of my prep work there and keep about 90% of my resources and things there.  This means that I cannot leave school until my next day is planned in case I need to bring something with me to school one.  On the days I do forget something at school two, I need to run there in the morning before school starts which is about 15 minutes out of my way (round trip).


4. Find a spot that's YOURS

Part of being a traveling teacher also means you likely share a classroom with another teacher or two.  Be sure to designate a part of the room (even if it's just one bulletin board or spot on the wall) that holds the posters and decorations for your class.  Students will know where to look when looking for your resources rather than trying to find it in a sea of other random posters.  The same goes for the desk in the classroom.  Be sure to designate a few drawers that are just yours as well as drawers that are communal (anything that's in them is fair game).


5. Communicate

If you are in the predicament of sharing a room with other teachers, be sure to communicate with them.  Let them know which things of yours (that are always in the room) that you are willing to share.  Have a classroom set of markers that you want to only be used by your students? Let the other teacher(s) know.  Planning a fun party day and things might get a little messy?  Give the other teacher(s) a heads up.  They will appreciate it.  Forgot something in the room and don't want it getting lost/stolen/ruined?  Let that teacher know and ask if he/she can put it in a desk drawer for you.




Being a traveling teacher is a tough job.  But with the right "system" it can go very smoothly and not feel like a burden at all.

Have any other pointers?  Feel free to share them in the comments!

Using Memes to Illustrate Classroom Procedure

I discussed in a previous post the importance of waiting a day or two to do classroom procedures because students are often bored with hearing a different rendition of more or less the same rules several times in one day.  I also discussed the importance of making a good lasting first impression with your students.  Why not kill two birds with one stone and have fun with teaching about your classroom policies?  It is a surefire way to help students remember them.

I decided to generate a bunch of memes and make a PowerPoint of them.  I'm hoping it is a hit!  I find them very amusing (but then again I get amused very easily), so hopefully my students do as well.

Want a ready-to-go set for yourself?  I have them HERE in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

First Day of School

Well, it is that time again.  Summer is winding down.  We are exchanging swimsuits for sweaters.  Fall is nearly here which always means the start of school.

They always say a first impression lasts forever, and that cannot be overstated when referencing the beginning of school either. 

Depending on what you teach, most (if not all) of your classes will consist of students you have never met before.  These students may or may not have heard about you already.  But it is crucial to establish a good rapport with your students because they will carry their first impression of you with them for the rest of the school year.  This impression will play a huge role in how they react to you throughout the year.

Most teachers spend the first day or two taking about rules, syllabi, etc.  I always save that for at least day two, if not later (not too much later.. we only have so much time, right?).  What a breath of fresh air it will be when they enter your classroom and DON'T have to go through another syllabus (similar to the past 5 classes of the day)!  I find that waiting until day two or later, two things are accomplished.  Firstly, you give them a break from the boring day of rules and whatnot.  Secondly, when you do go over your rules and syllabus, they are much more likely to absorb it, rather than just lumping it in with all of the other classes.

I use my first day to just get to know the students and have some fun.  They each get to pick their French name and then learn how to introduce themselves.  Then, they get to explore the classroom (I always do a scavenger hunt) to figure out how to use their resources around them.  For some of my upper level students, I have them write on a slip of paper what they did over the summer (passe compose of course!) and then I draw them from a hat and students must guess who did what. Homework that night for the French 1s is to come up with three questions they want to know about me.  The following day, we go through them (and play a game with them).  I find that telling the students everything they want to know about me not only shows them that I have more of an identity than just a teacher, but also opens them up to being willing to ask questions later.  As long as the question (or the response) is school appropriate, I tell them to ask me anything!

By lightening up those first few days, students are eased into your classroom setting and your first impression is generally a good one.  That impression can last you throughout the year to hopefully have a more successful year and for them to be more receptive of you as a teacher and your authority.

Photo from: www.psd150.org

TPT Back to School Sale

It's back to school time!

Many Teachers Pay Teachers sellers (including myself!) are discounting their stores for this major TPT sale.  This sale runs from August 4th to 5th (this coming Monday and Tuesday).

My entire store is discounted by 20%, so be sure to go and purchase some back to school essentials!  You can also use discount code BTS14 for an additional 10% off any purchases (not just from me)!

As always, my offer of a FREE gift with a $25 purchase is still good.

Long story short:
Make a $25 purchase from my store and leave me feedback on at least ONE item (feedback makes me a better seller and product maker) and I will share access with you on my ENTIRE Google shared drive.  This means you will have access to every resource that has ever been shared with me as well as every resource I have ever made and ever will make.  You don't want to miss this deal!  I'm also very organized, so you can find all of the files you will need quite easily!

If you choose to take advantage of this offer, make sure to fill out THIS FORM so I know what e-mail address to share the folder with.

So head on down to TPT and stock up on all of those back to school essentials!  Now is the time to do it as the discounts are only good for 48 hours.

Youth Exchange

My father joined Rotary when I was in junior high.  For any of you who do not know what Rotary is, it is an international organization focused on basically making the world a better place.  One of their biggest programs is the Youth Exchange Program.  Because I was only 17 when I graduated high school, I really didn't feel ready to go to college.  Apparently, however, living in a foreign country for a year was a valid alternative.

That year was one of the best of my life.  Being able to LIVE the life of a French person for a year is an experience I would love to live again and again.  I went to school there, I lived with host families, I traveled, I ate TONS of brioche and nutella...

One of the Rotary mottos I learned during my experiences was, "If every 17 year old in the world went on exchange, there would be no more wars."  I believe this with my whole heart.  Going on exchange opened my eyes to a world I had no idea was out there.  Rather than just being a citizen of a tiny town in Wisconsin, I became a global citizen. 

As teachers, it is important that we help open doors for our students.  It's not just about aiding in their classroom experiences.. it's about showing them the world that is out there as well.  Urge your students to put their skills to the test and see other places.  It doesn't have to be an entire year.. even a few weeks is better than nothing (granted.. I found that my year in France costed only about 50% more than what the annual three-week trip my high school took costed)...

For those students who WOULD do well with a year abroad, talk to them about it! Give them information.  Plant the seed EARLY!  No parent wants to have their child come to them and say, "Mom...dad... I want to spend a year abroad.  Oh.. by the way...my 20 page application is due next week." (I did that.. thankfully they were 100% supportive of me going abroad, so it was a rush they were thrilled to make for me).  I discuss the option with my 9th graders every fall, as MOST students would be applying in fall of their 10th grade year.  It gives them a year to discuss it with their parents, get some more information, maybe visit a Rotary club or two.

Obviously I am biased and will always suggest Rotary.  The biggest reason being that they are 100% not for profit (unlike other exchange companies) and they have networks all around the world.  There is a major support system and students generally get the opportunity to stay with multiple host families in a year (thus giving them different perspectives).  After all, not all American families live the same, right?  Why would it be any different abroad?

There are other programs as well.  I highly recommend checking with your school guidance counselor or even doing a quick Google search for other programs that do exchanges in your area.  As always, I'm happy to give information as well, so don't hesitate to ask questions in the comments! 

Photo from chs.d211.org

Greeting Your Class

As the years of my career continue, it is often hard to remember where I picked something up or when I even started it.  This is one of those instances, so I apologize that I cannot give proper credit.

Imagine two scenarios:

The bell rings.  It may as well not have, because your students are chattering about anything and everything.  Most likely not in French.  After a few feeble attempts to start class/shush them, finally, a minute or two later, people have quieted down and are listening to you.

OR

The bell rings.  Immediately your students stop their conversation and stand up by their desks.  You greet them with, "Bonjour tout le monde!" (hello everybody).  They reply, "bonjour Madame!"  You then tell them to sit down (in the target language of course) and dive right into the lesson.



The second scenario is how I have done it for as long as I can remember.  From day one, I teach my students that this is how we start class.  They are expected to be silent upon hearing the bell.  It is an AWESOME way to transition into French speaking and class in general.

It may seem simple, but it works.  Yes, there are days where they take awhile to stand up/be silent (funnily enough it's always LATER in the year after they've been doing it for months).  But in general, it is a great way to transition.

Culturally it is great too.  In France, this is how teachers start class as well.  Students stand and are silent when the prof enters to show them respect.  (I'm thinking that's where I got this from, but again.. I honestly do not remember).

Every time I have been evaluated by a principal, this has been something they have picked out and mentioned as one of the pros of the things I do.  They like how I use it to more or less command the attention of my class to get things going.

Give it a shot on the first day of school this fall!  You don't even have to explain it.  Just motion for them to stand up/give them the command in the target language.  Point to yourself and say, "bonjour tout le monde!" and point to them and say "bonjour Madame!"  Then try it.  Point to yourself again and say, "bonjour tout le monde!" and then point to them and see if they respond.  Then tell them to sit down.  By day three, they will have it mastered, I promise :)  It will be a great ice breaker!

Photo from www.french.ac.nz

Cheap and Easy Alternative to Whiteboards

Greetings friends! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!
 
I can't put into words how useful whiteboards are.  You can do SO much with them and you can use them with pretty much any unit to reinforce just about anything.  The awesome thing about whiteboards is you can give students immediate feedback and they can practice applying the things they have learned one question at a time.

I teach at two schools.  Thankfully at one school I have a full set of whiteboards.  However, at the other, I need to share with the other language teachers.  They also know how useful the boards are, so it can sometimes get difficult to coordinate with them. Especially if I want to use the boards last minute (if I have 10 minutes to kill at the end of a lesson or even realize in the middle of a lesson we need to stop and assess understanding).

One very cheap (and colorful!) alternative to white boards are those cheap plastic plates you can get in the summer at Target/Walmart/etc.  The only requirement is that they have a glossy finish and not a matte one.  I went to Walmart and got 8 packs of 4 plates for $8.  And they work just as well!  As you can see from my photos below, you can write on them just fine and they erase really well. (*TIP: if you don't want to pay for erasers, every time you get a hole in socks, don't throw them away... just wash them well and they work as great erasers!)

Just be sure to get them before summer is out.  They are at their cheapest now and they aren't always carried in the fall/winter.

CLICK HERE for my bundle of white board activities! $3 off for the summer.

Original plates in package

 

 

 

 

 

 

With writing

Easily erasable

All clean!

Alain le Lait

One thing I do a lot of in my classroom is singing.  The catchy tunes and rhyming words help students to remember things like vocabulary, verb conjugations and even grammar.

There is one specific Youtube channel that is my go-to whenever I am looking for songs.  The channel of Alan le Lait has TONS of awesome songs.  They are geared toward kids, so the language is simple and often the words are shown at the bottom of the video.  The songs are all animated as well.

A favorite of my kids is the number song.  It has dancing Jamaican worms that help them remember numbers one through twenty.  It is complete with a Bob Marley looking worm who jams out on the guitar at the end.

Rotation Activity for Interrogative Practice

One of the most important tools in keeping any language classroom in the target language is for students to have the ability to ask questions in the target language.  Question words and question formation are two things I stress heavily in my classroom and practicing these skills is always important.

I came up with an activity to better help them practice their question writing and answering.  For this activity I created six different "postes".  At each poste, there was a sheet of paper with a different short 6-8 sentence story as well as some blanks where students can write questions.  I have this activity go in rounds.  Each round, they end up at a different poste.  Each round (for everyone, regardless of which space they are at) is dedicated to a specific question word.  For example, round 1 was dedicated to "qui".  Regardless of where the students were, they had to write one or two questions about the story that were "qui" questions. 

I gave them roughly three minutes to read the story, look up any words they didn't know, and then write a couple of questions on the poste sheet as well as the packet I provided them.  After the three minutes, they moved on to the next station.  For this round, each group had to write a "que" question.  The next round was "quand".  Eventually they got through each poste and wrote who, what, when, where and why questions.

Once that was done, we started the second set of rounds.  For these last six rounds, they had to answer the questions in the category of the round.  The first round, they actually stayed where they ended in the last set of rounds, and they had to answer the "qui" questions that were written by their classmates.  Then they moved to the next one and answered the "que" questions.  By the time six rounds were done again, they had answered different types of questions at each station.


The kids really liked this activity because it kept them on a "schedule" and got them moving.  Because each round was dedicated to a specific type of question, it really reinforced which question word was which.

One thing I would do differently next time is to maybe give them five or more minutes for the original reading and question writing.  It felt rather rushed to only give them three minutes to do that.  Some of the questions written by students were rather incoherent to their classmates, so I also might split up the two sets of rounds (one on one day, one on the other) so I get a chance to proofread before I have them answer questions. 

To keep them accountable, they also had to fill out a packet as they went along.  There was one page dedicated to each poste where they could record the words they had to look up as well as the questions they asked and responded to.

Interested in a copy of this activity?  Check it out here.