Spark Student Motivation:Transform Your Classroom...Classroom to Courtroom!

One of the most effective ways to HOOK your students is to transform your classroom. In can be as simple as moving desks and covering walls or as elaborate as bringing in furniture, props, and decorating the entire room with a theme. Either way, your students will love it!

Last week I decided to transform my classroom into a courtroom to get them excited about finding evidence in the text. I wanted to make it glaringly obvious when they have a "debate or argument" with someone they use elaboration every day.  They expound on their evidence by explaining and adding in more details in their conversations.  It's important to have a balance of evidence and elaboration in their writing, so my hope was this lesson would transfer that into their writing!

Florida 5th graders have a state writing test to write and opinion or informational essay. Both pieces require the use of using evidence from the texts provided and elaborating on the evidence. I found three different articles about whether students should or should not be allowed to use cell phones in school-I knew this would be a hot topic!  We read all three articles before we "entered the courtroom".

This room transformation was easy, quick, and basically free! I already had my college graduation gown (I normally use this for my multiplication graduation), plastic gavel, black paper, black tablecloths. My only cost was the printing of my jury members, but this could be hand drawn by your students. I thought of this idea on Sunday before I transformed my classroom on Monday, so no time for drawings! I also printed the Florida flag for my backdrop.

 



1. Cover front of room with black paper.

2. Move table for judge and desk for witness and cover with black tablecloths.

3. Hang jury members on side wall or tape to extra chairs on the side of the classroom.

4. Finishing touches: flag on judge's table with gavel and papers. Hang flag as a backdrop behind the judge.

 As soon as my kids walked in, they were filled with excitement and curiosity. I dressed up with my hair back and clear glasses to look more official. I grabbed the flag off my wall and placed it in a vase with rocks (also in my classroom stash) to hold it in place. I did not have a real base for my gavel, so naturally I used a pad of Post-Its! :)

Sssshhh...my favorite part was calling the court to order! (I may have done it more than once!)

We swore to use text evidence and elaboration on our all time favorite read aloud (Wonder).

I hung my12 jury members on the side wall.

I separated the desks in our classroom in half to represent each side.

Even if they didn't agree with the "side" they were on, there was enough evidence in the text to support either argument.

Each side called "witnesses" to argue their points. It was so amazing to see them all constantly referring back to the text to prove their thinking.

I love room transformations, and this one will be marked as a favorite and brought back, especially with it's ease and low cost. My students really learned from this experience and it made our learning memorable. I knew this would be a great way to review and ease their fears the week of testing.

 

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!

Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!

 

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Spark Student Motivation: Classroom Transformation

Warning: This idea is not as simple as some of my other ideas to motivate your students. This one does take a lot of prep and some investment, but it's TOTALLY worth it!

Our school conducted a book study on Teach Like a Pirate and it's filled with ideas to engage and excite your students. The idea I bring to you today is..

A Classroom Transformation!

 

The week before my room transformation I piqued their curiosity by putting this message on my board. Of course, this got them excited! I told them just to bring scarves, hats, and gloves to stay warm. This simple message can work with any lesson you want to surprise your students with and gives them something to look forward to. (I purchased this light up frame at Michael's).

 

I've transformed my room for a day before for Halloween with black paper on the windows, a fog machine, and glows ticks, but this transformation was for the week. (I wanted to get as much use for the money I spent!) Thank you Hope King for the inspiration of this room transformation. :)

 

 I purchased a snow making machine to give my students the full effect! Living in Florida this gadget was VERY exciting! We turned it on every day (maybe several times a day) to play in the snow! It's like a foam that is dispensed, but it doesn't leave any residue.

 

I wanted to cover the furniture and walls with white sheets (which were way too expensive), so I used white plastic tablecloths from Dollar Tree. They're a little see-through, but they did the trick.

 

 

Of course, once you play in the snow and get cold, you have to warm up by the fire!
We got cozy by the fire and read our articles. (My students kept putting their paper in the fire like it was going to burn!) LOL

Each day we did a different activity with our snow theme. I focused on text structure writing. The following two lessons were inspired by food, which is the way to a student's writing hand!

S'mores were made for our sequential writing assignment. It's amazing how closely they wanted to listen to directions and steps for making something when it's edible!

 Each day we transferred what we learned into our text structure writing. I modeled examples and provided my students with frames and stems to guide them through their writing. These mini-offices are a great visual and tool for my students to use while writing.

 

The writing I received this week was amazing! Yes, it was a lot of work on my part, but they did their

part and gave me their best writing because of their hands on experience.

 

 

For description writing we ate snow cones. I already had a snow cone machine, so I only needed to purchase the syrup and cups. For each type of writing I had certain requirements (a specific number of points, key words, number of paragraphs, etc.). For example, the descriptive writing had to include at least one piece of figurative language. They were super creative with these "juices"!

"The snow cone was calling my name."

"Eating the snow cone was a dance party for my taste buds."

 

 

 

 

Teaching text structure writing this week will prove to be worth the time and energy because it has already transferred over to their reading. This experience gave my students such concrete examples and something to remember and relate to, they will be able to recognize these text structures with ease.

I know this week's transformations were a little extreme, but once I started on this idea I couldn't stop! I was just as excited as my students. Equally important to me about this week is that I created memories. Lifelong memories about school and making learning fun!
 

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!

Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!

Check out all the wonderful ideas from my friends who link up and don't forget to leave some love by commenting....we LOVE comments!
***Please include the topic in the link up with your blog name.

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Spark Student Motivation: Featured Books

Do you have some special books in your class that you'd love your students to read? Have your purchased some new books that you want snatched off the shelves?
FEATURE THEM!

Yep, that simple! I am fortunate to have a HUGE library, but I wanted a new way to feature special books each week/month. So I cleared off the top of my book shelves, purchased some book displays, and made some signs...and then I had "FEATURED BOOKS"!

 

 

My students can "shop" around for any books in my classroom, but this display attracts them right away! I've noticed since I added this to my classroom this year, it's the first place they look when searching for a new read.

 

 

I love having the books facing forward, but I have so many books I can only feature a few. ( I know, it's not a bad problem to have!) I just know kids gravitate towards book covers, not book spines, which is why I decided to do this in the first place.

 

 

These are books that are just released or are new to our classroom. Just the word "new" makes anything sound better!

It's so exciting to see books flying off the display and my students enjoying these books! I don't mind having to refill my display AT ALL! :)

 

 Feature a few special books that have been forgotten on a shelf or favorites of yours to attract attention. These are displayed on plate/frame holders.

If only a few are featured, students think they're "special" and want to take them of the display!

 

Now, these books are different...I want to attract their attention and pique their curiosity, but they are NOT ALLOWED to read these books! (Which drives them CRAZY!) Why can't they read these books? These are the books that I will be reading to them! These are special mentor texts or read alouds I plan to share with my students sometime "soon".

Just putting them up on my display makes them want to take the book, especially since they know they can't read it! Aren't I mean??!! Look at the face below-she wants to read that "Coming Soon" book so badly, but I have to be firm and say NO! It just makes them appreciate the book so much more when I do share it. There's a little cheer and squeal when I walk over to my display to take a book off of my coming soon shelf to read to them!

Want to pique your students' curiosity? Do you need some display tent cards to get started?
Click here to download.
Enjoy your readers and your books! :)
 

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!

Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!

Check out all the wonderful ideas from my friends who link up and don't forget to leave some love by commenting....we LOVE comments!
***Please include the topic in the link up with your blog name.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Made It-Classroom and Home Decor, Ultimate Response to Reading Resource

Yes, I know it's Tuesday...I just always seem to run into snags, but I did make it! :)

My first made it was inspired by a chore chart post and as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make them for my classroom. I've used sticks with students names for years. I don't use them all the time, but I love if I have to pick someone on the spot to have a privilege or start a discussion, they're readily available. For years I just wrote their name with a Sharpie, but these are too cute aren't they?


On my computer I created the "popsicle stick" shape and then typed my student names. I wanted two sets, a black and white set and a color set.

 

I cut the straight edges with a paper cutter and then trimmed the rounded corner by hand with scissors. Great task while watching a movie!

 After cutting the paper, I applied a thin coat of Modge Podge (glossy) to the stick, lined the paper up on the stick, then applied another layer of Modge Podge. I think they'll hold up with one coat, but I did apply a second coat later that night just to be sure. I didn't do all that work for them to fall apart!

 I had extra room on my page of student names, so I threw in a couple of fun sticks I think my class will like. If I'm calling on students to answer questions, I may get called and have to answer. Or, your choice means they get to select someone else to answer or receive a privilege. Free five minutes will probably be decided along the way...five minutes to talk, five minutes of extra reading time, etc.

 

I use my Student Sticks almost every day. Student sticks increase engagement and eliminate the possibility of favoring specific students or only calling on the same volunteers all the time.

 

I use my sticks for:

• randomly calling on students to gauge understanding during a lesson
• assigning groups
• deciding who will receive a special privilege
• posing a question of the day or to start a class discussion
• selecting who gets to line up first or choose books first

**My students even use the student sticks when having to select a friend in the class to help with something or eat lunch with them. (this is my favorite!) They say they can't pick because everyone is their friend, so they have to use the sticks. :) 

 

You may have noticed some blank popsicle stick shapes-those are for the back of the sticks. I was a little too ambitious when I made these! LOL! I will add the backs, but not this week! haha

 

 My next made-it is for the home. I wasn't sure if this would work, but I was tired of this red flower painting, so I thought I would try painting over it. I didn't want it hung up anymore anyway, so I figured I had nothing to lose! I used the inexpensive acrylic paints from Hobby Lobby ($1). I just mixed some colors and painted over the existing flowers and then painted on a clear coat to make it shiny again. It's not perfect, but my new painting and pillows give the room a different look. 

So, if you don't like one of your existing pieces of art because of the color or find one at a garage sale, paint over it with colors that match your color scheme! 

 

 Sooooooo excited to present this made-it! It's only taken me FOREVER and a day! This is a compilation of ideas I've created and used since the beginning of my teaching! I love to engage my students and get them excited about reading and responding to reading, not reading tests, but FUN & different ways to respond to reading! This resource includes over 60 activities to share with your students before, during, and after reading. They can be used with ANY shared chapter or picture book or used for independent use. My favorite part of using these activities are the discussion sparks that fly among my students!

Grab it now while it's 50% off!!!

Click here to check it out!



 I hope you found some ideas for your classroom or your head today! :) Go check out all the other fabulous ideas on Tara's Monday Made It!

Why'd I Buy It? Things For the Teacher and Editable Name Tags

One of my BBBs AMC started a new linky party Why'd I Buy It and I think it will be very beneficial for teachers to find out about some great resources from reliable reviewers who use these items in our classrooms!

First up is the phone charger-I bought this when I went to Vegas since I knew I wouldn't be able to charge my phone during the day. I purchased it on Amazon and it received mostly good reviews, but I knew I needed something fast before I left, so I ordered it with my Prime membership hoping I'd be happy with this purchase. Well...I was very happy with it! It's a very small charger (lipstick-size) that fits in your purse, it's only $20, and it's pink! :) My phone drained so quickly when I was in Vegas, but I always was able to use my back up charger right in my purse! I definitely recommend this purchase!

Next up was just for fun...aren't these bright nail polishes so fun?

Guess what? They're even more fun because they're highlighters!!! I can't wait to bring one of these to a faculty meeting! Everyone will think I'm going to paint my nails-LOL!

Last is my favorite...if you follow my blog, you know I love black & white with bright colors. I love using pocket charts, but that blue just doesn't match my décor. A couple of years ago I tried to dye one of my blue pocket charts, that was an epic fail. Then last year, I decorated it with some black and white chevron ribbon to give it a little decorative touch. Now, finally, Scholastic got smart and read blogs and Pinterest posts everywhere of how teachers have tried to change the color of their pocket charts and they now sell BLACK POCKET CHARTS!!!

Can you hear me squealing in Florida?

My friend Amber told me right away since she knew I'd been wanting one! They're regularly $19.99, but they're on sale for $13.99-I got two for my classroom. It's the small things that make us happy! :)

Thanks Scholastic for hearing us!

I made some name tags for my classroom to match my theme. I had several inquiries about the pictures on my blog since you can see the name tags in the background, so I decided to list them in my TPT Store. I've offered several versions (editable, color, black & white). Click here if you're interested. I like how clean and crisp they look and my students have referred to them several times already during math! A win-win!

Hope you're having a super week! Two more days and then a long weekend!