Loads to share

Just a few things to run by you this evening.  Can I just add, I AM TIRED!  Anybody else feeling like this? The TpT sale was fabulous!  I am never leaving it so long to do feedback again!  However, it did mean that I got a cart full of clip art goodies for half price!  *insert very happy smiley face* I finally got my 'Print and Go' Christmas Activity Pack finished.  I had the idea that on the run up to Christmas teachers all have a ton of ‘jobs’ on their ‘to do’ list and the last thing they need is ‘bits’ to laminate! So, I put together a few fun pages where you just ‘print and go’, ready to keep those early finishers occupied!
I have included a range of activities for a range of abilities, some just plain fun and some a little more challenging. A range of review skills are included and students are required to cut and glue with only some activities. A little interactive flip flap fun is also included!

All activities are in both color and black-line versions. I have organised these accordingly to make it easy for you to print whichever suits you best. Included in the pack:

1. Cover

2. Table of Contents

3. Teacher Notes

4. Christmas Words Game

5. ‘I Spy’ Christmas Words

6. ‘I Spy’ Response Sheet

7. Christmas Words Trace & Match

8. Color The Christmas Tree

9. Easy Word Search

10. Easy Word Search Key

11. Christmas Tree Jigsaw Puzzle

12. Hard Word Search

13. Hard Word Search Key

14. Christmas Word Shapes

15. Word Shapes Key

16. Christmas Words Decoder

17. Decoder Key

18. Christmas Word Jumbles

19. Jumbles Key

20. Christmas Words Secret Trails

21. Secret Trails Key

22. Label Rudolph

23. Odd and Not Odd Snowballs

24. Pictures Estimation Game

25. Christmas Cracker Doubles

26. Christmas Pictures Symmetry

27. Christmas Pictures Patterning

28. Star Path Challenge Less/More

29-31 Christmas Roll & Graph

32. Skip Counting Snowball Flip Flaps

33-62 Blackline Versions

63. TOU/Credits

Just click on the pic to check it out!

This weekend should be pretty exciting in the social media world!  I am taking part in my very first Facebook Frenzy!  I am part of the First Grade ELA/SS Group.

The image below shows you the map of all the pages taking part - just in case you get lost on the hop!

The reindeer around the edges tell you of all the other groups taking part - I think it amounts to at least 100 freebies - wow!  So far, I've made my way through the clip art hop, which was fabulous!  As I made the map into an image, the links are no longer clickable.  However I have added the clickable map {here} to help you on your way. Below is the image map to all the other groups taking part in the Facebook Frenzy.

Again, I have added the clickable map {here} which gives you your starting points for each group.  I hope you have loads of fun hopping through and come away with some fantastic freebies to add to your planning over these last few weeks before the holidays.   Just to help further - you can find all the starting points below.
K Math/Science - https://www.facebook.com/mrspspecialties

K ELA/Social Studies - https://www.facebook.com/TheReadingBungalow

1st Math/Science - https://www.facebook.com/FriendlyFroggies

1st ELA/Social Studies - https://www.facebook.com/DynamicDualLanguage

2nd Math/Science - https://www.facebook.com/AllSmilesInSecondGrade

2nd ELA/Social Studies - https://www.facebook.com/StuckeyInSecondGrade

3rd Math/Science - https://www.facebook.com/EvilMathWizard

3rd ELA/Social Studies - https://www.facebook.com/comprehensionconnection

4th - https://www.facebook.com/4thGradeRacers

5th - https://www.facebook.com/theresourecefulroom

6th-12th - https://www.facebook.com/MathScienceSocialStudiesOhmy

Music - https://www.facebook.com/IamBullyproofMusic

Clipart - https://www.facebook.com/CarasClipstpt

On a more serious note, I, along with many others, have donated to this fundraiser pack which has been endorsed by TpT.

There are 29 amazing items in this bundle. The value is approximately $120. Each item in this bundle is a 'tried and true from the classroom item' that can be used throughout the year. Every penny raised from the sale of this bundle will go directly to the family of Michaelle Drake. By purchasing, you are not only receiving some amazing resources for your classroom, but you are also benefiting a family who has recently lost a loved one around the holidays.

This fundraiser has been put together by Erica at Blooming in First Grade and you can read more about what happened and why she felt called to action.  Erica has also detailed what is included in this huge bundle for $20.  The link to the TpT store set up especially for this fundraiser can be found {HERE}

My lovely friend Lacey is having a great giveaway over on her blog The Fabulous Life of an Elementary Teacher.  She has hit a big milestone and wanted to have some fun!  

Included in the giveaway are a K-2 Bundle; a 3-5 Bundle; $25 TpT Gift Certificate, so head on over now and enter the rafflecopter that best suits you!

You might have heard some of the stories about our stormy weather at the moment, so I just wanted to share my favourite image of our little harbour on the first day of the storm.  I think it is just so beautiful!  (It was taken by a local photographer - I must find his name in the group, so I can give him proper credit).

I'm aware that many of you are experiencing snow at the moment, so to lighten the load, I'm adding this little funny - it appeals to my sense of humour!  I hope everyone stays safe!

Lastly, I couldn't finish without a special quote:

‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.’

Nelson Mandela

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EDUCATION ARTICLES FROM EXPERTS

Just about anyone who opposes the Common Core national curriculum standards, currently under serious fire in New York, is either a kook or a self-interested schemer. That, at least, is the impression an impartial observer would get from listening to many Core supporters. But the reality is quite the opposite: Education thinkers from across the political spectrum are taking on — and apart — the Core.

In the Empire State, education commissioner John King infamously declared parents and concerned citizens opposed to the Core "special interests." He made the accusation as he cancelled a series of town hall-style meetings scheduled across the state. After major blowback, he scheduled new events, but the message King delivered was clear: Many Core opponents only care about themselves, not kids.

Alas, this marginalization strategy is not confined to New York. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, arguably the Core's greatest champion, has accused Core opponents of employing conspiracy theories. And, in an op-ed being shopped to outlets around the country, Michael J. Petrilli and Michael Brickman of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute characterize Core opponents as a "small but vocal minority of conservatives" coupled with a bit of "the far left." Read: scary fringe types.

Of course there are some Core opponents who say outlandish things, but that is the exception, not the rule. And much more important is a diverse group of people opposing the Core who are the exact opposite of the schemer stereotype: education experts.

The Common Core is opposed by scholars at several leading think tanks on both the right and left-hand side of the political landscape, including the Heritage Foundation, The Hoover Institution, the Brookings Institution and my own Cato Institute. My research has shown that there is essentially no meaningful evidence that national standards lead to superior educational outcomes.

Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Eric Hanushek, a well-known education economist and supporter of standards-based education reform, has reached a similar conclusion about likely Core impotence. He recently wrote : "We currently have very different standards across states, and experience from the states provides little support for the argument that simply declaring more clearly what we want children to learn will have much impact."

Hanushek's conclusion dovetails nicely with Common Core opposition from Tom Loveless, a scholar at the left-leaning Brookings Institution. In 2012, Loveless demonstrated that moving to national standards would almost certainly have little, if any, positive effect because the performance of states has had very little connection to the rigor or quality of their standards, and there is much greater achievement variation within states than among them.

In fact, Loveless has been one of the clearest voices saying the Core is not a panacea for America's education woes, writing: "Don't let the ferocity of the oncoming debate fool you. The empirical evidence suggests that the Common Core will have little effect on American students' achievement. The nation will have to look elsewhere for ways to improve its schools."

Moving to arguably the far left, prolific education historian Diane Ravitch has also taken on the Core, noting that it is untested, was assembled behind closed doors, and was essentially foisted on schools by the federal Race to the Top funding contest. That it also seems intended to produce huge increases in test failures — as occurred when New York employed Core-aligned tests without Core-aligned curricula — seemed to push Ravitch over the edge.

"This is what we know: the Common Core tests cause a huge decline in test scores. Passing rates fell 30 percent in Kentucky and about the same in New York," Ravitch wrote on her blog recently. "Where are we heading? It won't do to keep saying, as [U.S. Education] Secretary Duncan likes to, that only extremists oppose the standards. Reasonable people question them as well."

There is an extremely well-informed opposition to the Core, and dismissing opponents as loony or selfish does New York's children no service.

As Commissioner King picks up his statewide Core tour, he owes it to the kids to seriously contemplate the massive evidence against his favored reform.

Neal McCluskey is the associate director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, and author of "Behind the Current: Assessing the Case for National Curriculum Standard."

Education experts also oppose Core

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How to Manage Students With Extreme Behavior Problems

By David Pino

Students with extreme behavior problems are often more than challenging! They can be frustrating, tiring, and draining to say the least. Students with behavior problems cause teachers to doubt themselves and can result in teacher burnout. Most people become educators because they are passionate about imparting knowledge to others, watching children grow and learn, and because they want to make a difference in a youngster's life. New educators quickly learn that classroom management needs to be in place before teaching can occur. Classroom management allows students to learn the expectations, routines, and structure of the classroom in order to function effectively in the school environment. Many students test these boundaries throughout the school year and quickly respond to redirection and/or consequences. They learn limits and are able to accept the consequences that occur when they push against those limits. However, there is a small subset of students who don't seem to respond to typical classroom management, limit setting, redirection, or consequences.

When students don't show improvements to typical consequences and interventions, teachers and administrators usually respond by increasing the severity of the consequences (i.e., getting tougher). This usually results in detentions, parents being called into school, both in and out of school suspensions, and, in severe cases, expulsion may be recommended. It seems baffling that some students continue to display extreme behavior problems despite increasingly intense aversive responses from authority figures that are aimed at changing or extinguishing the behavior problems. So, how do teachers and administrators manage the behavior of these students?

Step 1: Understand the Behavior

Before the behavior can be managed it has to be understood. Understanding behavior is accomplished through a functional behavior assessment. This assessment attempts to describe the behavior in objective and measurable terms, identify trigger events that precede the behavior, and look at the consequences that occur after the behavior. All behavior has a function, and the student with extreme behavior problems is communicating that they either want something or want to avoid something. A functional behavior assessment will help to pinpoint what the student is communicating through his/her behavior.

Step 2: Understand the Student

Develop a positive, caring relationship with the student. This can be one of the most difficult tasks when working with students with extreme behavior problems. Teachers have a curriculum that they have to keep up with, and they have other students who come to school ready to learn every day. Sometimes it may feel like too much of an effort to develop a relationship with someone who doesn't take advantage of an educational opportunity and disrupts the education of others. However, by developing a positive relationship with the student with extreme behavior problems teachers separate the person from the behavior. Many of these students get treated with a lack of respect and that is what they mirror in their behavior. For teachers to earn their trust they have to treat them respectfully, take an interest in them, and treat them fairly. These students are less likely to act out with a teacher that they respect and are more likely to demonstrate compliance.

Step 3: Understand the Student's Learning

Students with extreme behavior problems often have difficulty with academic subjects and learning. They may have an undiagnosed learning disability and are frustrated at school. Some students have difficulty attending and sitting in class for long periods of time. Having a thorough understanding of a student's learning strengths and weaknesses is very helpful in targeting behavioral interventions.

These steps to understanding extreme behaviors take a considerable amount of time but provide a wealth of information in order to develop a positive behavioral intervention plan. Ideally, such a plan has a specific goal based upon baseline data, positive reinforcement, appropriate and clear consequences, skill building activities, and home communication. Some additional points that help with students with extreme behavior problems and can be used immediately include the following:

    Be patient and calm. These students may be used to getting yelled at or treated poorly for their misbehavior. Being patient and calm will help build the relationship.
    Look for small, incremental success. These students need to have some form of success at school. Focus activities on their strengths as much as possible and then be genuine in your praise of their success.
    Modify assignments and focus on what's important. If an activity can modified and the student able to demonstrate his/her understanding in a different format then s/he has produced more than s/he would have if the assignment was not completed due to behavior issues.
    Talk to the student's parents. Home issues can impact behavior at school and it is important to understand that piece of the puzzle and have parents as allies. In addition, call home with positive news. Parents of students with behavior problems don't often get calls from school with good news, and this type of call certainly stands out for them.
    Talk to the student. Find out what s/he wants in school; try to understand what they expect, and what they think school should look like. These students are trying to find their voice and by providing an ear you will help build your relationship.
    Stay out of power struggles.
    Redirect behaviors and de-escalate.
    Be firm, fair, consistent, and positive.
    Finally, build your relationship with them! Many behavior problems are easily averted when you have a positive, respectful relationship with a student. When there are behavior issues, students are more easily redirected and de-escalated when they have a relationship with a teacher they perceive as genuine and fair.

There is no one magic answer for managing extreme student behavior. There are a variety of factors that influence behavior and some vary daily or even more frequently. It is important to understand the student's behavior, the student, and the student's learning in order to develop appropriate and positive behavioral supports. However, is also very important to remember that having a positive relationship with a student, being fair, being calm and consistent, and avoiding power struggles go a long way towards increasing compliance and de-escalating difficult situations.

David Pino Enfield CT has worked in education for the last 20 years as a school psychologist, educational consultant, educational advocate, adjunct professor, and behavior specialist. He has significant experience and expertise with learning disabilities, psychological evaluations, behavior, and special education.

He is currently serving as an educational advocate to assist families with the special education process.

Article Source: expert=David_Pino

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