What's Developing - Academic Pom Poms

I love coming up with ideas to make the room cute. It's a bonus when I can find an academic use for them, too! This year, I'm missing my half-time classroom from last year so much! I could hang stuff from the ceiling there, and it really made a huge difference. My school this year has motion-sensors, so anything hanging in the room could set them off. No fun!

One of my favorite functional decorating items were these pom poms that I hung over my different center tables. Depending on the unit or the time of year, I would change the vocabulary words that were attached to the poms poms. Instead of saying, "Group 1 will be at Table 1" or "Go to the Blue Center," I'd used current vocabulary. "This group will go to the Addition center, and this group will go to the Sum center."  This reinforced the use and the recognition of academic language.  Before sending my first graders to their centers, I might say, "Today, you're going to the Total center. What's another way to say total?" It was so efficient and took seconds to ask the question and get answers, and it was really fun at the same time. Students were very interested when the words were changed. 

As we got deep into the testing season, I switched it up a little more. I wanted to empower my students and plant a little seed to help them feel confident and smart. I changed the labels to Genius, Smarty Pants, Einstein, and Brilliance. It's the small things, but I could see them light up a bit when I told them they were in the Smarty Pants or Genius center that day! I love the little things! I really love classrooms that don't have motion-sensors. I'm still trying to come up with a creative way to designate my centers next year. I might have to build some desktop topiary!  =) If you can hang things in your classroom, consider these pom poms. They're eye-catching and can be a great way to expand your word wall and remind your students of the vocabulary at hand.

What's Developing: I Used an Adult Word

These extra inclement weather days allow me to share more with you. Putting these posts together make me miss my students, but I hope they're getting to play in the last bit of snow before it all melts away. I am sharing one of my favorite reward and incentive bulletin boards. I came up with this one day when a fifth graders told another one, "You better finish your homework. He is already cross." Cross? I asked her to verify what the word meant, and she told me upset and angry. I was thrilled! She was taking chances with new vocabulary she learned in reading or another class. I decided to reward this risk-taking behavior in a cute way, using a play on words. By taking risks in their social language, I thought she should be honored, and I was determined to make a big deal of it. After all, we make a big to-do about things we don't like all the time. That student inspired the I Used an Adult Word Wall. Whenever I hear students attempt a word beyond their reading level or their language proficiencies in an organic way, I tell my student to "Get a Ticket!" to their delight. We fill in the ticket and highlight them on the class board. After last year, I took down the tickets and made a Hall of Fame booklet that hangs on the wall next to the bulletin board. Students like to refer to these for new words, and I think having their picture attached gives them a lot of pride! Building confidence is one of my favorite things! To date my favorites are from my first grader who told me his dream about a teleporter and one for fifth grader who told me about levitating in a video game. =)

I've added these simple forms to my Google Docs drive for the sharing. Yay for FREEBIES! If you think this would be a great thing to add to your room in this new year and approaching testing season, feel free to download your own copy by clicking on button below.

Just because I was ready to give my board a little aesthetic oomph next year, I create a graphic copy as well. If you want a little more pizzazz, I've put a file on Teachers Pay Teachers. This is different than the Docs file. Click on the cover to go to my TPT store.