Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Word Work Idea #3 - Chalk

Today's word work entry is chalk.  Yes, boys and girls, we're going back to basics today!

When I was a kid, my chalkboard was actually one of my favorite toys.  I looooved drawing with my chalk.  I also looooved keeping my toys clean.  One day, I decided that I couldn't live with my dirty, dusty chalk anymore.  So, I took my bag of chalk to the bathroom, filled with it water, and gave my chalk a bath.

Oh, those pieces of chalk looked so shiny and new!  No more icky dust muting those lovely colors.  Of course, I was very disappointed to find out that you cannot draw with wet chalk. There may have been a tantrum tears shed.  Happily, the chalk was nice, clean, and dry a couple days later.

That story has nothing to do with word work, but I thought it was amusing enough to share.  :)


Chalk as a word work station is pretty straight forward.  Sometimes simple is better, so the students can focus more on reading and writing.

At the beginning of the year I have my students practice writing Word Wall words or words from their personal word lists.  Later in the year they graduate to using words in sentences.

I bought a set of chalkboards from Lakeshore Learning (search for 'chalk lapboard').  However, you might be interested in making your own chalkboards with chalkboard paint.  There is a cool tutorial on how to make your own boards -- and even your own chalkboard paint -- here at A Beautiful Mess.  In a pinch, you can use pieces of black construction paper (they even erase somewhat cleanly).


I store chalk in those teeny tupperware containers... you know, the ones that come with every set but are too small to fit any actual food in?  Each busy student gets their own little container, which helps to keep things neat.

I almost feel silly including such simple ideas on my word work list, but I definitely think that it is worth going back to basics sometimes.  Just remember not to wash your chalk!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

How to Make a Whisper Phone

I first encountered "whisper phones" when I was student teacher.  My (amazing) mentor teacher used them during her small group time.  It was love at first sight... I instantly knew that I wanted an entire class set.  I went home, looked them up online, and balked at the price tag.  

Way to break my heart, whisper phones.  Luckily, Home Depot was there to pick up the pieces.


I was pretty sure that I could DIY a whisper phone with PVC pipe.  I showed a picture to my dad, and he said that a piece of PVC and two elbows would do the trick.  You can see the pieces that I used above.  Each bit was under a dollar, and the total cost was about $2.50 per phone, if I recall correctly.

Once you have your pieces, all that is left to do it fit them together.  Instant whisper phone, and a very durable one at that.  This will be the fifth year that I put my DIY phones to use.


Of course, if you like to make your projects more Pinteresting...



You can add some patterned masking or duck tape.



I only did this to one of my phones.  We'll see how it works out.  While I think it's super cute, I'm not sure how practical it will be.  I like to take my phones home often to run them through the dishwasher.  First-graders are germ factories, so regular washing is necessary.  I just pop the pieces apart and arrange them in the top rack.  I'm pretty sure that the masking tape is not going to hold up to washing, so you might want to keep that in mind.

I intend to use the decorated one myself during modeling sessions.  I learned the hard way that I have to model, model, model, have them model, and then model some more.  They're just so fun, you know?  It's hard for a first-grader to resist using one as a megaphone.  After a few modeling sessions, I let my students use the phones under supervision during small group sessions.  Once I'm sure they can handle it, I move some to our reading stations.

For anyone wondering what all the fuss is about, here's why I think these phones are wonderful:

1.  They force students to listen to themselves.  It's easy for a student to ignore their own voice or let it fade into the background.  These put their own voice right in their ear, so they can hear what their own reading sounds like.

2.  Quiet.  Students need to read aloud, but it can be very distracting to their neighbors.  The phones allow reading aloud and a quiet environment to coexist.

Does anyone use these in their classroom?  Did you splurge on a store-bought version or DIY it?  Made it pretty or kept it simple?

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

THE Pencil Sharpener

Oh, how the summer flies by!  Our school year has already taken off, and I know that those of you who are still enjoying the summer will be back in your rooms in a few short weeks.

I have to admit, I feel a little silly writing about my pencil sharpener.  But guys, having a reliable pencil sharpener has changed my life made me a happier teacher.  It's the little things, right?


I have been through SO many electric pencil sharpeners.  I've broken some, my students have broken some, and I basically just want to tear my hair out every time.  I haven't even been able to keep a wall-mounted sharpener in my classroom.  Only two classrooms that I've taught in came equipped with one, and they both fell off the wall within the first month of school.  Seriously.

Another teacher told me that she had found success with a pencil sharpener from Sam's Club, so I took the chance.  I was a little wary of the 17 dollar price tag, but felt it would be worth it if it lasted.  After all, I had already spent approximately a bazillion dollars on numerous cheaper versions.


So I shelled out the money, brought it home, plugged it in, and fell in love!  Seriously, this thing sharpens pencils so quickly!  It takes noticeably less time to sharpen each pencil, keeps them nice and smooth, and I have never had to clear any broken pencil points.  It's held up for about a year now with heavy use, so I'm pretty impressed.  Obviously.

I just wanted to pass along my review in case anyone is shopping for a pencil sharpener this school year.  Here's a shot of the model number -- it's called the Royal p70 pencil station, if you go looking for it!


 
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