Five for Friday

I'm linking up with Doodlebugs for my favorite linky!

 I'm finally getting around to reading Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids! I will freely admit that I have been dabbling in WBT techniques for a while, but with the challenges I'm already facing this year, it is high time I step up my game. I found so many AMAZING freebies on TpT to help with implementing WBT.

Some of the things I'm doing with WBT are the 5 Rules and the Super Improver Wall. I'm very happy I found this freebie from Tara West on TpT. Several of the kids are pretty motivated to move up in the levels. What I really like is that they are helping me enforce the rules with their awesome behavior.

I hate this "vintage" rust cabinet, but it is a great place for my Super Improver Wall.

I thought I had set pretty clear expectations for procedures in my classroom. I did MANY demos and modeled correct procedures. I'm sailing through my math workshop and I was so happy that kids were not sticking completed papers in my face and were going to the turn in station to turn in their work. I even heard them remembering to write their names on their papers because one of the things they have to do is highlight their name before turning it in. After school I walked over and found this:

Wah? Huh? What happened? They are supposed to put their papers in the basket facing the same way (up) and sort their papers into the correct basket. Instead, this is what happened. After sorting through the papers, I was happy to report that they all had names on them! Baby steps.

The new math program we are using is pretty good so far. I get to teach each lesson twice because I'm team teaching with my sister so I teach my class and then hers. Today was just the 5th lesson and boy did we struggle! It makes me wonder if this program is just more rigorous than our old one or if it is just developmentally inappropriate.

I can't think of a 5th thing, except that I am beyond excited to have a 3 day weekend! One last chance for a BBQ with the family and an extra day to catch up on life beyond teaching.