Pi R Scared

  This maze has students simplify cube roots with only numbers. The maze includes problems that can't be simplified. This would be a great classwork or homework for students. Cube Root Maze

❤  I’ve heard from the beginning you need to find your tribe but I didn’t know what my tribe looked like or how to find it. Looking back my tribe has always found me.  Why is your tribe important?  For me, they make me laugh or smile on a regular basis.  They keep me straight with deadlines, due dates, and drill times. Apparently mine has always had a jokester, caretaker, and an organizer.  The jokesters have definitely made for good laughs from taking 100+ group selfies when someone left their phone to fart machines, they keep you on your toes. The caretaker always reminds us to eat our lunch, take a break, brings in food to share, and asks about family.  The organizer person helps keep me straight.  When I want to rearrange my room, they suggest drawing a picture before moving objects or putting all my supplies in different colored bins.   At each school, I've found my people but it's looked very different.  In the beginning it was mai...

    Hidden pictures or color by answers bring some excitement to a typical worksheet and allow for self checking. You can create these assignments in Google Sheets or Google Forms depending on how you want students to submit their work.  I like these activities because the students receive instant feedback when they put in their answer.  If they are correct a color appears if they are wrong nothing happens.  In order to ensure they are doing the work, I have them send me their work once they have completed the picture.  Below are activities, 3 of which have been tried in the middle school classroom.  If you are interested in creating your own, check out the video.  I had my students create their own and they came up with some amazing pictures.   Angles of Polygons Hidden Picture Emoji Color by Number - Recognizing Numbers 1-10 Tax, Tip, and Total Bill Hidden Pictures Winter Wonderland Color by Number Multiplying Polynomials

  Google and Donorschoose have partnered up to offer free training and a gift card.  I’ve used the Applied Digital Curriculum several times in the last few years but they have added some new coding curriculum. If you have the time, I’d suggest signing up for one of the trainings. My favorite part of the training was learning how to create a hidden picture and color by number activity.  The student version of this included short videos explaining how to create their own.  I am trying the activity with my students this week.  After completing the training, you get a $100 Donors Choose gift card while supplies last. Check back tomorrow for some activities with hidden pictures and color by number. 

During our school day we have a social emotional focus time. As Thanksgiving approaches we have started to focus on what we are thankful for. Yesterday we made a thankful tree. Each student sent me a list of what they were thankful for and I typed the list into a word cloud website. Our tree is above.  If you have some time next week this was a great activity and only took about 15 minutes.

  While the same routine every day provides great structure and can ease anxiety the same activities can produce a lack of interest or excitement. My students like to play bingo so I have been mixing up the way we play bingo to keep them on their toes.  This round of bingo includes the wheel of the names.  I give the students the bingo board and a timer, they can work on all the questions they want while the timer is going.  Once the timer is up, we spin the wheel to see which pattern they need to be a possible prize winner.  By not telling them the pattern in the beginning the students are solving more questions to ensure the best chance of winning.  Below is a video on how to make a wheel in your assignment, this way you have the wheel for future use too.

  Back in September I shared about this organization working to get a second screen for teachers. I applied at the end of September and heard yesterday that mine is being shipped.  I am very excited as I currently use a chrome book and laptop each day. They are still taking request, if you are interested here’s the form .