Flipping in Fifth is Moving to Third!

I once heard that the only one who welcomes change is a wet baby.  I don't think that's necessarily true.  Change can be a good thing.  Change revitalizes us.  Change helps us grow.  At least that's true for me.

Flipping in Fifth is Moving!

Next year I will be flipping in third grade.  That's right!  I will be teaching third grade next year.  I must mention that it's the only primary grade I have not yet taught.  So, that means I will need some fresh new ideas, not to mention a new blog name.  I thought about Flip with Fish.  Friends refer to my husband and my boys simply as "Fish".  There's a Big Fish, Little Fish, Fishx2, and just Fish.  I think I will leave that for the men in my life.  Anyway, I am trying out some new names: "Flipping with Fisher", "Flip with Fisher", "Fisher Flips" or maybe even "Fisher is Flipping".  (Insert smiley face) Not quite sure yet.  The URL address is still the same (Flipping in Fifth) for now anyway. If you have a preference for my new blog name, please post it in the comments below.

I am excited about this new change in my life.   I have been watching videos on The Teaching Channel for new ideas. I will also be looking for some third grade blogs to follow for other great ideas.  And of course, there's always the awesome new team that I will be working with.  We are our greatest resource! 

See you next year!

Math Review

So what did we do today to review for our math test tomorrow?  I put out a few of our "old favorites" and the students rotated through the different stations.

Investigations, Array Cards

 Students use the array cards to play games that help develop an understanding of multiplication.  In multiplication pairs, the students select a card.  If the dimensions are shown, they give the total.  If the total is shown, they give the dimensions.  Click here to see an explanation of the different activities for array cards.

Tower of Power

 There are lots of different varieties of "Tower of Power", a game where students group cards that belong in the same category.  Here the students were playing Geometry TOP.  They needed to collect cards with the name, definition, and a picture of the geometric figure.  Once the set is complete, they keep the set of cards.  The student with the most cards wins.  Click here for "TOP Tenths".

Make Three

This is one of the many partner games I've used this year.  I can't remember where it's from, but I will add that info. when I find it.  They are practicing adding fractions with unlike denominators.  The student puts their counter on a star containing a fraction then move along the line to add another fraction.  The student who comes closest to 3 without going over wins.


I also want to share a great math site I recently found.  It has math videos for every standard.  The site says "middle grades to Algebra 2, but if you click on "common core" you will find videos for all levels (first grade to high-school). If you have time, you should really check it out.  What is it?  Glad you asked.  It's called Virtual Nerd.  By the way, there's an app for that! (One of my students found it) I wish I had found this site earlier in the year. Oh well, there's always next year!

In my last post I shared my feelings towards the test.  Here is a photo one of my students posted to the class on Edmodo. She said she spent a long time making it. :-)

No Stress Here!

Confessions of a Fifth Grade Teacher

Here goes . . . No matter how hard I try not to, about 1 month before I always seem to start stressing over the end-of-the-year test.  In Georgia it's called the CRCT (Criterion Referenced Competency Test), and for 5th grate students it determines whether or not they will be promoted to the sixth grade.

Yes, I know the final decision to promote or retain must be a committee decision, but let's face it a lot of students, parents, and I suspect teachers find this test to be a little stressful.  After all if the student passes the test, there is no need for a committee to meet or make that life changing decision. (Studies have found that "6th grade students rated being retained as the most stressful life event higher than the loss of a parent or going blind.") I can't imagine it's much different for a fifth grader, but that's a topic for another post.

Most of the year, I refuse to allow my teaching to be dictated by a test that lasts 5 days; I use the standards and what I know about how students learn to guide my instruction.  But it always seems that about a month before the test, I start to pull out multiple choice reading and math practice tests.   We spend time practicing how to "rule out 2",  "slash the trash" and all the other test taking tips.  I start to stress about "showing your work" when most of the year we valued students being able to solve math problems mentally.  We watch  motivational videos on taking the test.  Here's another one a teacher shared that is a parody of "Let it Go" from Frozen. and another called "Rock This Test. Cute, but I can't help but think that the time I spend on testing skills and review could be better spent doing science labs or investigating something . . . anything!

I have read posts from other teachers who say they do not do practice type tests with their students and their students do well on the test.  I have no doubt that the students that  are going to do well will do well regardless.  I just think about the ones that are teetering on the edge and could fall on either side of the testing fence.

Do you spend time reviewing for the test or do you trust that what you've done all year long is enough?  Testing begins in 3 days!  I guess I need to "let it go"! :-).  Ok. . . I just asked my students how many of them were stressed about the test, and only a few hands went up.  Maybe it's just me! 

Measuring Angles & Classifying Polygons

I love to use music to help cement concepts the students have to learn.  To start off our geometry unit, I used 2 songs from Dr. Pasley's  Math Party CD, "Polygons" and "Angles and Triangles".  The lyrics actually define the different types of polygons and triangles. My kids love it!  Click here to read article about Dr. Paisley-Henry.

Once we understood what a polygon was, we took a look at the characteristics of triangles.  I am such a visual learner myself, so I had to have the students actually tear off each corner of a triangle to "see" that the angles all add up to 180 degrees-a straight line.  I learned this while I was working on my Math Endorsement certification.  We also used protractors to measure the different angles so we could classify our triangles.

Flipping in Fifth

Next, we looked at quadrilaterals.  The students worked with partners to complete a Geoboard Activity.  They used geoboards to make different polygons based on the characteristics given. They had to evaluate their partner's work before they moved on to the next figure.

Flipping in Fifth

 I started to pull out my plastic geoboards for this activity and that's when the kids reminded me that we had a geoboard app.  You can also use the online version. 

Flipping in Fifth

  I also found a great Quizlet that reinforces important geometrical terms they need to know. That will be a great review before we play Ge-O!

Classrooms Should Be Places for Second Chances!

Image from "Hardik's Views"

3rd quarter report cards went home today. . . Was it a coincidence that I just happened to run across this post I had re-tweeted a while back.  I think not!

Cells and PicCollage

PicCollage is not just for posting selfies on Instagram.  It is quickly becoming one of my favorite apps for documenting student work in the classroom.  Last year my class was a BYOD (bring your own devices) classroom.  So when we made cell models, most students recorded their work on paper and a few used their own devices.  You can see that here. But this year was different.

This year we have a class set of iPads and most of my students used PicCollage (a free app) to record their work.  After they made their models using cookies and other tasty treats, they took photographs of their work,and then cropped their pictures to remove distractions like: the plate, or the table, or books on the table.  Finally, they labeled their organelles, added a title and that was it. I could quickly see whether or not my students knew which organelles are found in plant cells, animal cells, or both.  I think their models look marvelous!  What do you think?

What's Your Excuse?

Let me start by telling you a little about myself: I am fifty-something years old.  I always have to ask my husband how old he is, then I know I'm one year younger.  I think I began forgetting how old I was in my mid- forties.  Nothing earth shattering happened; I just always seemed to be off 1 year whenever anyone asked me how old I was.  Anyway, I tend to go off on tangents. Some of my friends tell me I need medication.  I prefer to think of it as being able to multitask, which I found out recently is impossible to do. (That was another tangent). I don't consider myself to be technologically gifted; even though I guess I have learned a lot about technology within the last 2 years. I just learned how to take a screenshot on an iPad this year!

What I do possess, however, is a deep driven desire to learn. The last course I took someone actually asked me why was taking the class. I was the oldest person there.  Even older than the instructor.  It was obvious that I could retire from teaching in 2 years and here I was taking what was a grueling 2 year course to get my math endorsement.  I must admit I even asked myself that question more than a few times as the course went on.  "Why am I doing this?"

I'll tell you why I took that course and it's the same reason I started flipping my class two years ago.  I absolutely LOVE teaching and making a difference in the lives of  the children I teach!  I always want to be able to offer my students the best that I have.  And sometimes that means I have to do better.  Sometimes that means I have to stretch myself.  Sometimes that means I have to ask someone else how to do something.  Even if no one in my school building is doing something that I know is good for children, I need to find a way to find out how to do it. 

I was talking with another educator friend of mine and she shared that some teachers were not flipping because no one in their school was doing it and they did not have anyone to show them how.  People, your Professional Learning Community has got to be larger than the building you work in. So if no one in your building is flipping their class, and you really believe it would be best for your students, then you have got to go to the places where it's happening. So, what can you do to get started?

• Join the Flipped Learning Network Ning. This site has different communities you can join to learn more.

• Read other teacher's blogs who flip their class.  Even though I teach 5th grade, I learned a heck of a lot about flipping from reading  Crystal Kirch's blog.  I also learned a lot from Delia Bush. I have never met either of these wonderful teachers but I feel like I know them well. There are lots of other teachers who blog about their experiences flipping. 

• Follow other educators on twitter who are flipping their classes.  Another friend of mine said he would join twitter when Jim Trelease is on twitter.  "Jim Trelease, why aren't you on twitter?" 

• Go to Sophia and take their course to get Flipped Certified. They also have free webinars to help you get started flipping. Right now you can go to Sophia and register to attend a webinar with Crystal Kirch on March 11. 

  So I ask again:  What's your excuse?