Sally Camden
One of the things I like most about being a teacher is having days off for the holidays. I'm wrapping up a 4-day weekend (bliss!) for Easter and using that time to stay caught up on all the details of my life. One of those details is paying my taxes. While definitely not the most exciting part of my weekend, it's on my task list. I dearly love to … [Read more...]
Mystery Science has been my go-to science resource this year, and I highly recommend it! It offers engaging, interactive lessons (they call them mysteries, which is fun) that give kids hands-on learning. My students absolutely LOVE Mystery Science, and I'm thrilled that my school has already purchased a subscription for next year along with all the … [Read more...]
Recently I've been exploring and using Google Classroom with my 4th grade students. Next year my class will go 1:1 so I'm using this time with my current students to get a jump start on learning how I might use this powerful platform. An easy way to get started for me was to use the Announcement feature in my Google Classroom. Let me share 10 ways … [Read more...]
March. April. May. 1, 2, 3...yep. Only 3 months remaining in the regular school year, which can mean only one thing - the day-to-day busy-ness for a teacher just went to a whole new level of crazy. This week, for me, it was turning in my requisitions for next year on top of attending another day's training for the Missouri Reading Initiative. … [Read more...]
I was looking at my pacing guide the other week when I realized it would soon be time to teach about personal pronouns. Confession time...things were starting to get a little stale and same 'ol-same 'ol with grammar in Room 411. If I was having a hard time getting enthusiastic, what chance did the kids have??? Do you ever get that feeling? I had no … [Read more...]
A few unexpected (but very much enjoyed) snow days had me thinking about my January plans. First, our Grandparents' Day celebration had to be re-scheduled so I'm definitely glad I prepared our MATHO activity well in advance. Next, I thought the dreary, super-cold days of this month could use a major shot of FUN. I decided to create some … [Read more...]
Welcome 2018! While I absolutely HATE the cold weather, the start of a brand spankin' new year with all of its possibilities is one of my favorite times. My futuristic self kicks into overdrive with all the goal-setting and action-planning that I find so motivating. Notice I didn't mention the word resolutions at all. Don't believe in them. … [Read more...]
The holiday season is definitely in full swing in Room 411! We are busy doing our shopping at a school fund raiser we call the Holiday Shop, and practicing our lines for the upcoming Christmas play/musical. It's hard not to get into the Christmas spirit when you work with kids, and I consider that a good thing. Acknowledging Kindness A lot of … [Read more...]
I'm wrapping up my 5-day Thanksgiving Break by attending a Christmas tree decorating party at my BFF's house this afternoon. While I don't get crazy with Black Friday shopping, I did manage to visit quite a few stores in the downtown district of my town on Small Business Saturday. I found the MOST charming little chocolate shop complete with … [Read more...]
Teaching students how to solve double-digit multiplication problems is one of my favorite skills to teach in 4th grade, which is a good thing as it is both an SLO and an ELO. (Don't you just love the educational acronyms flying around already?! LOL) Basically it means "they gotta learn it!" My grade-level team decided on four different strategies … [Read more...]