Blog - Page 7 of 17 - Core Inspiration

Latest from the Blog

Core Inspiration classroom library wide angle shot

Six Steps To An Organized Classroom Library

Organizing your classroom library carefully can boost reading engagement and foster a more calm and efficient learning environment. In this post, I am answering a question I get a lot. “How do you keep your classroom library so organized?” In hopes of saving you time when it comes to organizing your own library, I am going to share six tips that have made the classroom library one of our favorite and most organized corners of the classroom. Decide How To Sort Your Books When it comes to organizing a classroom library, it is important to have a simple plan for how books will be sorted. I highly recommend dividing fiction from nonfiction to support your students’ ability to distinguish between these two genres. From there, decide whether you want to sort by sub-genre or by reading level. This decision will likely depend on your philosophy behind reading instruction, emphasis on

Place Value In the Wild is set up with a story to create excitement for students.

5 Essentials For Project Based Learning (PBL) Success In Your Classroom

Project based learning (PBL) is one of the most engaging ways for students to learn and master concepts. You probably already know about the cross curricular benefits, how it boosts communication opportunities for language learners, and builds essential life skills in our young learners…but in order to reap the maximum benefits, there are few things you need to consider as the teacher. Here are five essentials for PBL success in any classroom. 1: GUIDE ON THE SIDE MENTALITY Project based learning is all about students being fully immersed in a learning experience, and taking the the lead in their learning. Begin your project by introducing the purpose, the deadline, and the logistics. Equip your students with the supplies they’ll need to succeed, and let them take the wheel. For the duration of the project, become a guide on the side rather than a sage on the stage. Some of your

This grading drawer is empty because this teacher uses efficient systems for grading.

Three Tools to Reduce Grading Time While Boosting Student Growth

When adopting workshop-style teaching and learning, you need a clear plan for how to keep students accountable without drowning in papers to grade. Many teachers ask how I manage grading the work my students complete during Math Workshop each day, and still find time to plan for workshop the following day. The three tools below help me build a clear picture of my students’ progress and needs, keep my students’ parents in the loop about what their child is working on in class, and help me maintain a light load when it comes to grading. Rubric Drawers These drawers are my number one time saver. Each week my students are required to complete at least two Problem Solving Task Cards (these in-depth word problems take some time). They submit their completed problem solving recording sheets to these rubric drawers. As they turn in their work, students grade themselves according to

Double chime hand chime to help students calm their voice level.

Five Tips For Quieting A Chatty Class

Some school years we have classes that are chattier than average. Although notably more exhausting, I always find these years to be the most enjoyable because chatty students are more willing to share their ideas and display their curiosity. An important role for teachers is to help these more social students understand the balance between appropriate times to chat socially, and times to chat academically so they can maximize their learning each day. Here are a few strategies that work well in my classroom to foster an appropriately conversational environment. Using Chimes As Nonverbal Signals One of the most powerful ways to reduce chatting or excess noise in your classroom is to use something other than your own voice to calm the noise. When you use your voice, you are modeling the opposite of what you’d like to have happen; you are adding to the noise produced by vocals. Instead,

Core Inspiration math workshop storage corner.

Third Grade Classroom Tour : Designed For Self-Directed Learning

This year, I decided to make some modifications to my classroom decor, and I am thrilled to share this reveal with you all. This post contains affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase. Before I describe each area of my classroom and share links, a bit of background information about the process behind designing this classroom layout. I have been teaching for seven years, and have consistently used the same blues and greens throughout my classroom design. This is a huge money saver because I can spend a little extra on higher quality organization tools, and decor items that get reused year after year. Those of you who have read my previous classroom tour posts will notice many of the bins and shelving units used in my first years of teaching are still used today, and

Consistent schedule displayed on classroom board.

How To Create A Simple Schedule Your Students Will Love

During the summer months, one of the most common discussion topics in our Third Grade Teacher Facebook Group is focused around what a daily schedule in third grade looks like. Although scheduling changes from year to year based on the ever-changing school environment, this post includes an outline of what my schedule has generally included over the past few years. Schedule Background Notes A few notes to keep in mind as you read this. I teach in the state of California at a public school. I teach all subjects and students do not rotate to other classrooms at any point in the day. I have around 25 students per year with no general ed classroom aides. My school currently has several specials – classes that provide enrichment to our students. With the exception of P.E. I attend these specials with my students because there must be a credentialed teacher present.

Three Interactive Back to School Activities With EXPO Dry Erase Ink Indicator Markers

Launching the school year with interactive activities can help your students settle back into the school routine while enjoying the movement and socialization they grow accustom to during the summer months. This back to school season, pick up a set of EXPO Dry Erase Ink Indicator Markers, and give these three activities a try. Thank you to EXPO for sponsoring this post. All opinions stated are my own. Activity 1: The EXPO Ink Indicator Challenge Routines and procedures are a major focal point during the first weeks back to school, and proper classroom supply use is top priority. The Dry Erase Marker Challenge is a wonderful way to reinforce the expectations associated with responsible dry erase marker use in your classroom. Provide each of your students with one EXPO Dry Erase Ink Indicator Marker. These dry erase markers allow students and teachers to keep an eye on their ink supply through

Core Inspiration Must Have Resources for Third Grade

My Classroom Must-Haves for Students & Teachers

During the last few weeks of school each school year, many teachers learn they will be changing grade levels in the coming school year. This often sparks the question…”What should I stock up on to get my classroom ready for my new grade level?” This frequently-asked question inspired me to feature a series of stories on my Instagram account called the Classroom Must-Haves Instastory Series. Throughout this week-long series, I featured classroom must-haves that my students and I use most frequently. Now that the series is over, I am taking the time to post everything I shared in one place for ongoing reference. This post contains affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase. Here’s what you’ll find below: Five classroom must-have categories The video clips from my Instagram Classroom Must Haves Series for each category A list

$Core Inspiration Telling Time Project Based Learning Unit$

Top Five Ideas for Math Workshop At Your Seat Activities

Math Workshop makes differentiating instruction seamless. If you want to learn more about the framework for Math Workshop, please read this post first. What Happens During The At Your Seat Rotation As students work through their M.A.T.H. rotations, they have the opportunity to work on activities that are just right for them. One of the rotations where personalized learning can be maximized is the At Your Seat rotation. During this rotation, students complete a variety of differentiated independent math activities at their seat, or in a place where they can focus around the room. At the beginning of a new unit of study, At Your Seat activities can mainly be a review of skills introduced during the previous unit. As the unit goes on, more of these activities should be related to skills from the current unit. This boosts student success, and provides opportunities for enrichment and deeper understanding. Also

$Poster Used For Introducing Students to Math Triads$

How To Boost Student Independence During Math Workshop With Math Triads

The difference between a classroom with a smooth-running workshop model, and one where students are off task during MathWorkshop is simple. In the former classroom, clear expectations and routines that promote student independence are a non-negotiable. Your students must know exactly what is expected of them for the duration of your workshop block so you can focus on one-one-one conferences, and small group instruction. In order to establish this student independence, you must take time to clearly introduce your students to the framework of Math Workshop, and set clear expectations for how they will successfully work independently. This process will take days (likely even weeks) when you first launch Math Workshop in your classroom. One of the routines you may want to introduce to your students is how to effectively and efficiently work with math partners, or as I call them – math triads. What Is A Math Triad? A

Resources for maximizing your M.A.T.H. Workshop data tracking routine.

5 Steps To Efficient Data Tracking: Math Workshop Meet With The Teacher

If you are living in a constant battle between tracking data and planning instruction…you know you’re not alone. Like most teachers, you are probably looking for ways to minimize the time you spend grading, and recording data so you can maximize your time planning and prepping. You’re in the right place. The most important shift you can make as a teacher is to set up systems that allow you to be more present during instruction and practice time in your classroom. Creating a simple framework that embeds data tracking into your workshop time will allow you to genuinely focus on your students’ strengths and needs, minimize the need for lengthy assessments, reduce tedious grading, and maximize student engagement. Currently, the five steps below are working well to do just that during my Meet With The Teacher rotation during Math Workshop. Give them a try, and tweak them to be your

$Math Workshop Small Group Organization$

How To Organize Small Groups for Math Workshop

Grouping is an essential component to Math Workshop success in your classroom. After your warm up and mini lesson are over, students will rotate through M.A.T.H. practice activities each day. If you are not familiar with the Math Workshop framework, please read this post first. So, how do you group your students to ensure efficiency and success for all? A quick pre assessment is worthwhile in helping you design differentiated groups, and will make your daily M.A.T.H. rotations more efficient. Once you’ve got your pre assessment results handy, use the guidelines below to help you establish your groups for the unit, quarter, or trimester. Skill Level Grouping This grouping approach comes in handy when your assessment results show student understanding of the skill(s) being introduced is scattered. To group by skill level, begin by determining the number of groups you will have. Three Groups Three groups is appropriate if you plan