Healthy Rewards!

To promote making healthy choices about food, I have started a rewards chart for each student to fill as they bring in a fruit or vegetable for snack. The first day I did it, the kids crossed theirs off the list, then I found a whole bunch of fruit in the trashcan with one bite taken out of it. To avoid this wasting, they now have to show me an empty banana peel, apple core, strawberry tops, orange peels, empty snack baggie, etc to be able to cross off the next box on the list. One of my student's mom's was super sweet and gave me Dr. Seuss Rewards Charts (from Michael's I think!) so I used those. At first some of my students told me they never eat fruits and vegetables!!!!! My jaw dropped to the floor! They said their parents won't by fruits and vegetables (how true that is, I don't know). Luckily there is no excuse NOT to have a healthy snack because we are blessed with free breakfast for every student, where a piece of fruit is an option to choose. The kids are really starting to enjoy eating healthy snacks, and their bodies are enjoying it too!!!

Also, every year I teach free yoga classes to my fellow teachers every Tuesday! Around springtime and Testing time, I have more and more participants because we ALL need to DESTRESS!!!!! I wish the whole staff would join! Maybe one day :) Here we are in pigeon pose!

PEAK: Lesson Design-Clouding

So, I created a bulletin board to put all of my "Clouding" posters on! I'm going to see if my kids notice it!

PEAK: Designing Lessons

Well, I've decided to start early on my planning for the last 6 weeks of school after STAAR! I wanted to try it the PEAK way so I started using some of the templates provided in the book, Teaching for Excellence by Spence Rogers. I decided to do a zoo theme for 3 weeks. So I've thought of some math concepts that would bridge 3rd and 4th grade together to expose the students (since there is NOTHING on the scope and sequence). Using the PEAK method, I've first decided on the clouding posters I will create (since those posters need to be up 2-3 weeks before the unit starts). As I'm looking over the template for ideas, I have no clue what half of the activities for Sprinkle and Shower are! I've come to the conclusion that my next chapter that I must read to complete my lesson planning is Chapter 9: Teaching and Learning Tools. I have been exposed to some throughout the year by my awesome team members, but there are several I am not aware of. I'm excited to learn some new, engaging activities to teach the content to my students. This little unit will be a trial for planning the PEAK way :).

"Thumbunny Loves You!" Easter Craft

"Thumbunny Loves you!!!" I saw this idea while researching easy Easter crafts and couldn't resist. I added my own touches and flair to it. I used a white stamp pad, precut card stock, pink and yellow doilies that I found at the Dollar Tree (OMG SUCH a good price!), little bows, googley eyes, and a pom pom for the nose. The kids are having a blast making theirs! They come out with such character!

PEAK: Designing Effective Units, cont'd

So I went to some other colleagues classrooms and took pictures of their posters for clouding, etc. for more examples of how to set it up! I think the clouding needs to be based on how it works for you teaching wise. Some teachers had it everywhere around the room, some had it on a certain bulletin board.

PEAK: Curriculum Alignment: Designing Effective Units

For Week 2 of my Book Study, I decided to read and learn more about lesson planning the PEAK way! I heard my coworkers talking about Cloud, Sprinkle, Shower, Soak, and Drips but I only heard the surface.  Since I have a long weekend, I was hoping to finish my lesson plans for the rest of the school year (6-weeks worth!) thus calling for the need to read this chapter.

OK, so let's get on with the explanation! The PEAKsters uses the metaphor of a rain shower to describe the theory and process of planning and teaching. Most teachers teach what is on the scope and sequence when it is scheduled to be taught for the district. However, PEAK masterminds believe people, especially children, can learn multiple things at one time. When a teacher present new information and only teaches a certain objective, they compare it to a Flash Flood! Flash Floods are dangerous, destructive, and distressing to the land. Just as FLOODs of information puts students in danger of becoming frustrated, give up, and maybe even quit altogether. So by filtering in information slowly, students are prepared and ready to learn new information.

The levels of planning/exposure are Cloud, Sprinkle, Shower, Soak, and drip, Drip, DRIP. I'll explain one level at a time.

Clouds: Posters, pictures, vocabulary words, etc. hung in a certain spot in a classroom to present the "Biggest Idea" of each upcoming unit. Normally hung 2-4 weeks prior to the actual unit, students are able to observe and dwell on the information. Don't bring special attention necessarily to them, just let the students be sponges and absorb any thoughts or information presented.

Sprinkle: Just as it begins to sprinkle before a good rain, a "sprinkle" of the Biggest Ideas present by the Clouds are briefly mentioned and discussed between students. These activities should last 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Very brief, food for thought type deal. Some examples of activities for sprinkling provided from the book are:
1. Work in groups to observe everything they notice about the "clouds."
2. Choral Repetition
3. Generate list of information of what the THINK they know about the topic.
4.What might this idea be used for?
5. Look at a Word Splash (I have no idea what this is, but it's in Chapter 9, may be my next  choice of study.

This week I'm going to focus and "Plan with the end in mind!" So I'll work on deciding what the objectives are for the last few weeks of school and creating posters for them.