Tech Tuesday - Group Maker {AND a FREEBIE!}

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      Happy Tuesday!  It's my last Tuesday before I have to start back for pre-planning!  :(     This summer has passed by sooooo quickly.

      I wanted to share an app I found that can help you quickly and randomly group your students.  Sometimes, you just need to break up into groups for various reasons - they need to be grouped heterogeneously.  This little app called GroupMaker will do that for you very quickly!

      I'm going to attempt to walk you through setting it up.  :)

 

This is what the app icon looks like.  Once you click on the app, it will guide you to name your class.  You can have multiple classes loaded into the app.  Once you name your class or classes, you will come to a screen that looks like this:

      The Edit button at the top left gives you the option to delete the class.  The New button is where you can add additional classes.  

      I just need one class so I would just touch my class.  That leads me to the next screen where you start adding in your students.  

      When you touch Add Member+, it asks for first name and last name so it's up to you if you add the last name.  I wanted them sorted alphabetically by last name so I just put the last initial.  This app gives you the option of adding the gender and race of each student.  You just click on the little arrow by each student's name.  

BTW, Tiger is my D-O-G!  

        If you choose to do that and it's complete, the next step is to group your students!  Whoo-Hoo!!  This app allows you to group from 1 up to 20!  (I'm not sure why you would need the setting for a group of one, but hey...who am I to argue?!)

      As you can see from the pic above, I grouped my class into groups of 4.  In order to change the number in each group, all you need to do is slide the little slider up at the top.  As you can see, this is where you can also account for gender and race.  I'm not sure why you would need the sort randomly toggle because if it's off, it's already sorting randomly.  As for the miscellaneous toggle, I have no idea.  On the screen where you put the race and gender, there is a place for miscellaneous, but I'm not sure how to use it!  If you figure it out, let me know!!!

      All in all, this is a cool, little app for the times when you need to group students quickly and randomly.  It is a little time consuming inputting all the information in, but this is the time of the year when we have to put their names on and in everything, so what's one more thing?

      Try this app out and let me know what you think!

Oh, I almost forgot...I have a little freebie for you.  Pennants/buntings are all the rage so I whipped up a get to know you pennant for my class.  Each kiddo will complete it and decorate it and I will display it for a great back to school display.  Enjoy!!

Till next time...

Tech Tuesday - Remind 101

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      Ok, am I the O-N-L-Y one who didn't know about Remind 101. I saw a pin from Mrs. Stanford and knew that I needed to learn more!!  I am so excited to use this great communication tool with my upcoming class! I am so excited, I even made my hubby sign up just so that I could try it out!!  LOL!!

This is the app icon.  :)

      There is an app as well as a website and it is SO easy to set it up regardless of what platform you use.

      First things, first.  You must set up an account and then you add your class name.  A teacher that has multiple classes can set up to 10 classes.  I thought this was great for middle and high school teachers who have lots of classes.  It would also be great for those elementary grade levels that departmentalize.

      Next you invite your parents/students to subscribe.  If they text the code, they will receive their updates via text.  If they email the code, they receive their updates via email.

      Oh, and this is a one-way communication.  It is only for reminders, announcements, etc.  Parents/students cannot text you back through this medium.  So, your number stays private and others' numbers are not published!

      Remind 101 provides you will a flyer to share with your parents so that they can subscribe either by email or text.  It is seriously so easy to set this up!  

      Once a parent/student subscribes, they will see a text or email that looks like this:

This is the where I got my hubby involved!

      Once he sent his name, the web and app both updated listing him as a subscriber.  It automatically adds them to the subscriber list.  I didn't have to do anything in that regard.

I, then, sent him a test email and he received it very quickly!  Love this!!

      You'll notice on the pic above that my username is @rhar.  I did not like that!  On the help menu on the website, there is a step by step way that you can fix that so I just  followed those simple directions and got it the way I wanted!  :)  [The first class that you create, they will automatically set up your username.  You just have to create a new class with the username of your choice.  Then, you can delete the other class if you want.]

      I have this app already sitting in my teacher folder ready to go for the new year!!

      Hope this little tutorial/review helps.  I know I am excited about it!

Classroom Catalog of Good Behavior

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Hi y'all!

      I've had several people ask me about my classroom management system so I'm here today to explain what I do. :)

      I know so many of you use the clip chart, but for me, I don't think I could keep up with it.  I love the idea of the clip chart and maybe one day, but for now, I'm sticking with what works for me!  Kudos to all of you that can keep up with it, but man, it's enough to keep up with just this!

      So, I have this wooden clip stand.  The best pic I can find on this computer is this one...and it's from 3 years ago!!!

       At the top is a green circle, in the middle is a yellow circle, and at the bottom is a red circle.  As you can see, the red is at the bottom and you can't see the green at the top.  Sorry...that's the best I could do...

                          

      All the clips are clipped to the green at the start of each day.  If they have an infraction, they move down a level to yellow.  If they have another infraction, they move to red.

      At any time, they may work themselves back up a level.  Each level is represented by a number.

Green = 5

Yellow = 4

Red = 3

      At our school, they are given a spiral bound agenda.  I write the number that they earned each day in the agenda and I expect my parents to initial each night.  That way, the parents are always aware of how each day went for their student.  If they have a number less than a 5, I always jot a little note telling the parents what the issues were.  This also gives me a chance to write a little good note too :)!

      At the end of the week, I tally up their points that they have earned for the week and based on the points, they get to pick out of my Classroom Catalog of Good Behavior!!!  They absolutely LOVE this!! 

      I am pretty strict with the points so they really strive to keep their five for each day.  It usually just takes one time to miss out on catalog orders and they are right back on track!!

      This little catalog has been a great classroom management lifesaver, as well as a teacher budget saver. No longer am I purchasing lots and lots of items for my treasure box because my students are choosing rewards that don't cost me a single penny! 

      I just print out the pages I need, place in sheet protectors, and then place in a binder.  That way, they can browse through like a real catalog!     

  Now, that's what I call AWESOME!!!!

Throwback Thursday

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I'm finally getting to participate in Cara's Throwback Thursday linky! I have enjoyed reading everyone's and decided it was time to link up my own!


                                         

      I'm linking up this post from last year for Monday Made-It.  It's my version of the Where Am I? board that is all over Pinterest.  When students leave the room, the students move their magnets that have their magic number on it.  (The magic number is what I call the number I give them for my organizational purposes!)
                                                  


      Since I've been using this board, I know where all my students are at all times!  I know, I know, we're supposed to always know that anyway, but there are times before when I was like, "Now, where did I send them?"  Please, please tell me I am not alone!!

      Anywho, I have included a little FREEBIE to go along with this post so you can make your own board!  There are a few different color combinations for you!

     
Till next time...

Expo Removes Sharpie...Who Knew?!

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      As I was looking on Pinterest, (♥) I saw where you could remove Sharpie marker with an Expo marker!   WHAT, WHAT???!!!

      It  looked so simple and easy that of course, I had to try it!  All you do is completely cover the Sharpie writing with Expo and then, wipe it off!  It is really that easy!!

This is part of my helper chart and now 2 years later, I have this little girl's brother!  I just really HATE to drag out the cleaner/nail polish remover to clean it!  Since I had extras, I just never did...until now!

Completely scribble all over the writing!

Grab a paper towel and start wiping!  You really don't have to wipe hard at all!

Look how it is just coming right off - - - - permanent marker, who knew?!?!

And, here it is!  Completely gone!!

      Did any of you know  this great trick?  

Do you have any tips or tricks that would make a 

teacher's life sooooo much easier?

Till next time...