Homework, behavior feedback

Yesterday I asked students who had NOT finished an in-class math assignment to take it home to finish. This was practice with "multiplication menus." Students build a "menu" of multiplication facts for a given factor. For example, knowing that 1X16=16 helps students to find 2X16 (doubling), 10X16 (a "Mrs. VanClock fact"!), and 5X16 (halving). It is a small leap from this to combining the product of 1X16 and 5X16 to find 6X16. Why do this? It is a stepping stone to efficient long division - a big goal! Kids use properties of multiplication to perform mental math magic and tackle big-number division. 

Yesterday I also encouraged students to spend a little time at home (if able) on Dreambox. I have assigned work with division arrays that will help them with their modeling in class. I plan to review the division strategies I've been teaching tomorrow with Home Connection 34. I will ask students who do not finish (working alone, with a partner, or in a group, and with my help) to bring this home Thursday.  
I will give students a quiz in Math this Friday morning, before they go off on break and forget it all! I don't want them to be stressed about this. If students find when they return in January that they are disappointed with how they did on this quiz, I will give them an opportunity to retake the quiz. 

 So, that is Math. I also want to let you know that I shared a small behavior report with students Tuesday, and asked them to bring it home for you to see. The form comes from Mrs. Stephenson, and is one she uses regularly. Students first self-evaluate, putting their initials on a line to indicate how well they think they are doing. I then placed my FISH below the line where I believe they are doing. What students noticed is that I usually rate them higher than they rate themselves! I told them for the item "does best work" that this may mean that they are not truly doing their best, but that I THINK they are because they have never shown me how well they can do! That is a wake-up call to start putting their best foot forward! 

 I do not need for you to sign this report and return it, but will collect them if students bring them back. My main purpose is for students to evaluate themselves, and see how I think about their classroom behavior. 

 Last thing: Class has been CRAZY with chatting and call-outs these last days. However, most seem in good spirits. I am sorry that the majority of my students, who are QUITE focused, must practice patience. I tried to make the connection to students between disruptive behavior/lack of participation and endless teacher talk (and repetition!), and I'm afraid that the only students who really got the message were the ones who did not need it! It is frustrating for me, too. I truly want more talk from the kids, and less from me. I want more time for independent work, and less whole-class talk time. This will be even more important in January, February, and March. Meanwhile, my thanks go to those students who are the "wind at my back": listening quietly and attentively, but also using their voices to contribute ideas, ask questions, and engage in the intellectual life in the classroom. I especially feel their positive presence when they show interest, optimism, and understanding that others...well... that others may NOT be showing!

We have just a little more solid work to put in, and then I think we can relax Friday after the Math quiz and a little more Science. I plan to post plans tomorrow for our time on Friday. 

NOTE: I went back and made formatting changes to my previous blog entry. This one includes important information for students experiencing problems at school. It is much more readable now!