Cause and Effect in Reading Class: A Few Resources

My students are working on cause and effect in reading this week. I found a very short activity on the computer that reinforces the idea of cause & effect. Remember when teaching cause & effect that the cause is the reason something happens, and the effect is what happens as a result. There is this shockwave flash presentation all about the relationship.

Prefix and Suffix Pdf Lists

Tonight's post is very simple. My school has asked the 5th grade to come up with a list of important prefixes and suffixes that the students will track their progress on learning this year. We identified this as a learning gap in past years, as many students struggle to properly use and comprehend pre and suffixes, as well as root words and tenses. So, I went out and found a few documents that list common -pre and -suf fixes, all are in pdf format, and most are fairly comprehensive:

• Scholastic Most Common Prefix and Suffix Sheet: One page of each, very student friendly and print ready.
• Building Vocabulary: A fairly comprehensive, 5 page document that lists it all in table format. Not exactly student friendly but good if you're building a list.
• Huge List: Another massive list of many common prefixes and suffixes. 
• English Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words: I like the examples and parts of speech that are listed along with each entry.
• Table: Another nice table with all the information.
• Separated by Alphabetic Order List
• Another Big List in Table Format

These are more of a starting point for coming up with a list. When we have identified the ones that are important for 5th grade and typed them up, I will surely link to it on the blog.

Writing Journal Prompts and Resources

Writing is one of those skills that must be practiced time and again, especially in elementary school, where students are learning to master both the mechanical and creative aspects of writing.

I have my students do a daily writing journal entry based on a prompt that I write on the board. We do this in the morning during breakfast and announcements, before instruction begins. It seems easy at first to come up with good prompts, but trust me, it can be difficult to keep it going. Here are a few great places to go find some prompts or ideas:

• Daily Writing Prompts: This site at teacherscorner.net is great, it gives prompts by month, and each prompt is attached to something of historical significance that happened that day in history or around that time. 
• Creative Writing Prompts: An easy to use page with 346 writing prompts. Just hover the cursor over a number and get a prompt, very quick.
• Always Write: A fantastic page with ideas about how to make writing more interesting and fun. I love the idea of "Mr. Stick," and am actually going to introduce my own version of this tomorrow and give it a trial run in class.
• 30 Good Prompts: It is what I said it is. There's a million sites similar, but there are some good prompts of note here.

No One Is Perfect

As I sat down this morning and reviewed some of my own postings about the beginning of the school year (like The First Day of School: How it Looks in my Fifth Grade Classroom and My First Day Schedule of Activities), I realized that I missed a few things, and have a few potential behavioral issues and issues with my procedures that I'll have to get on top of this week, the first full week of the school year.

Something I've learned to accept after almost a decade of teaching in the classroom is that nobody is perfect, we all forget, we all make mistakes, and sometimes we don't catch the little things until later (if at all). That's good advice for anyone. Be willing to know that you can make these mistakes, and be prepared to go back and fix them. With my current group, I've realized already that they can't use the same procedure as my last class to use the restroom during the day, so I'm going to have to make this change tomorrow. I've also realized that they don't have as much experience with working together cooperatively, they tend to antagonize one another a little more than I'm used to, so I'll have to make this change as well.

It's important for students to understand and adapt to their new teacher, because we're not all the same. But to the same degree, teachers can't expect each class of students to mirror one another, we all must adapt. That's what I'm trying to do right now.

Of course, it is the weekend, and I do try not to let my job become a major focus on my home life (another post for another time). So after I've posted this, it's off to my family and my home time. Then work will be waiting tomorrow.

Getting Started With Labeling Your Classroom and Making A Student Generated Alphabet

As I've previously discussed, my school district recently adopted the Gómez and Gómez model of dual language instruction. Although many of the strategies they utilize make more sense in the dual language environment, they've decided to have the English only classrooms implement some of the model as well. Right now, I'm still focused on set up, which includes the student generated alphabet (a one time project in which students create a grade level appropriate list of each letter with a picture (and a sentence in the upper grades), and the labeling of the classroom environment.

The model asks for English words to be labeled in blue, and Spanish in red.

Of course, what I'm about to link to here can be used in any classroom that does labeling or student alphabets, not just within the Gómez and Gómez model (they hardly invented these things after all, they just repackaged it all).

First up, let's begin by looking at a few resources for labeling the classroom environment, and what I mean by this is actually labeling things like doors, clocks, book shelves, etc, as to immerse students in the language vocabulary.

As with most things that are out there in elementary schools, the materials are made for primary grades. As an intermediate grade teacher, I don't even flinch anymore when I see this. In almost every single adoption that has occurred in my career, the materials that are handed down are meant for primary classrooms, and the older age classes are expected to "adapt" them. This is a fancy way of saying "we didn't take the time to do this right, so you do it."

Because, after all, I don't want the same labels that are in a first grade classroom in my fifth grade classroom. Hopefully my students know what a door, clock, and board are. What we're looking for is some higher level thinking. So think of using "analog clock" in place of clock, "fluorescent lights" instead of lights, and "door hinges" instead of door, just to name a few.

• This first link, to a list of classroom labels at slatersoftware, is obviously primary grade focused. I included it to show how this works.
• This next link is just a list of some suggested words that might work in a 4th or 5th grade classroom.

Finally, I'll end with a few templates that I've come up with on my own:

• This template is printable classroom label blanks. This is a very simple pdf with black rectangles for printing. 
• Finally, here is my student generated alphabet blank template. The box on the top is for the upper and lowercase print version of a letter, and the bottom box is for the cursive upper and lower case letter. The lines next to the print box are for a sentence about the word chosen to represent this letter, and the lines at the bottom are for the same sentence in cursive. The big box in the middle is where the drawing of the chosen word goes, as well as the word written out. 

A Great Collection of Simple Online Fraction Games (GCF and LCM Included)

Of the 80 blog posts I've done, it's not even close, the most popular post is 5th Grade Math Unit 4: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents (as well as its standalone counterpart). It's obvious that fractions, decimals, and percents are a major skill of great importance in the 4th and 5th grades.

This evening, in my web browsing, I came across a collection of 11 fraction games on a website called Jamit, which does software for use on most SmartBoards (since there are so many variations out there, like Prometheans, Mimios, etc.).

The games are simple, but the premise is the same. They help with fraction skills, from basic skills to multiplying and dividing fractions. My current use, as I'm in Unit 1: Factors, Multiples, Multiplication, and Division, is the game on GCF and LCM (Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiple).

I recommend the collection of fraction games on Jamit because they're simple, they work on a SmartBoard or similar device, and they reinforce the content effectively. Give it a look!

The First Day

Today was an eventful and all around fantastic first day of school. I started the morning with 22 students and ended up at 24. When you consider that I've had as many as 33 in past years, 24 is a great number. They were well behaved, listened, and seemed genuinely excited to learn about factor trees and pre-Columbian history. Of course my well laid plans for the first day fell short, but like many of us, I believe it's better to over plan and have stuff spill over to another day than to under plan and be stuck with nothing to do (especially at the beginning, you don't want your new students to see this happen).

It's funny, for someone who is definitely into technology, I didn't even get to turn on a computer or projector today, but that's ok. It was a great day, and I'm definitely excited to be back. I hope everyone out there has a great beginning to the school year, whenever that day may come.

Why I Made the Change to Google Chrome

More than a few years ago, I stopped using Internet Explorer, and changed to using Mozilla Firefox.

I found it to be faster, more reliable, and all around more responsive. It was a good experience. I was happy, I even had my students using Firefox.

Now, for my personal use, I use Google Chrome. I'll admit, it was a tough change at first, but now that I've been using it for a few months, I'm very happy with how well it integrates into all of Google's services. Something else that I think is great is that when I installed Google Chrome onto my computer at school (my teacher computer), it looked exactly like it does at home, right down to my bookmarks and themes. 

There is a downside here. Google Chrome is a good option for personal use, but not as good for everyday student use, because of how personalized the experience is. Without logging into my Google account, I didn't like Chrome half as much.

SOOOO, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. My personal recommendation is for students to use Mozilla Firefox, but if you like the seamless integration of your personal computing experience everywhere you go (even on your tablet and cell phone), then use Chrome. I use the heck out of Google Drive, Gmail, and of course Blogger, so Chrome has been great in that respect. 

My First Day Schedule of Activities (I Hope)

School starts here on Wednesday. I've already been back at work for over a week, doing professional development and working in my classroom. I have one more day of PD and then the kids will show up.

That first day, I've given some thought to what I'm going to do within my given day. A few constants for me are the school day itself (from 8:00-2:30), lunch (12:00-12:40), and the rest of the schedule can vary somewhat. This first day of school, I have a lot on the to do list. We have introductions, going over procedures, taking questions, setting up expectations, then getting some things set up in the room. My focus with my activities will be getting to know my students a little better, and work on team building stuff. My first day will look more or less like this:

8:00-8:30: Introductions and basic information about the classroom
8:30-9:30: Rules, Procedures, and Procedural Practice
9:30-10:30: Make the PDSA board: I always have students make the letters of the PDSA board, here is the example from last year:

10:30-11:30: Social Studies introduction: How to research. Get in groups, introduce Maya, Inca, Aztec research project (more info on this project can be reached here on my blog at Unit 1: Pre-Columbian History, and you can find the student expectations and scoring rubric page HERE).

11:30-12:00: Science Inquiry: We have a variety of activities we do in the first days of school to get kids excited about inquiry.

12:00-12:40: Lunch

12:40-1:25: Math: Go over Drops in the Bucket worksheet #1 together (daily math practice for the year)

1:25-1:55: PE

1:55-2:20: Read aloud (I will begin the year with Castle in the Attic, by Elizabeth Winthrop

2:20-2:30: Get ready to go home, go over end of day expectations. Make sure all items have been passed out.

So that's pretty much what I'm hoping my first day will look like. Of course, as always, I have to be ready to change what I do depending on what is going on in the school, or changes in the overall schedule. So what does your first day look like, at least in your mind?

Illustrative Mathematics: A Great Resource To Help in the Transition to Common Core Standards

In my most recent web surfing, on Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers blog, I came across a post  called Illustrative Mathematics. After looking into Illustrative Mathematics (this link goes to that site) a little more, I really like what I see. For each grade, K-12, you can see illustrations of what each common core standard is all about and how to utilize it. The image below shows the menu that comes up when you click on K-8 Standards at the main page, with a box around 5th grade. Any standard that lines up below fifth grade is clickable for more information. It's really a great resource if you're transitioning to the common core. In the state of New Mexico, we still have one more year in 4th and 5th grades before we move to the common core, but we're already hard at work aligning our content to make our work easier come this time next year.

A Few Inspirational Teacher Videos: Welcome To Another Year of Doing Work

I've been conducting professional developments for some time. They're usually centered around technology and science instruction, which is funny, because I consider science to be my weakest subject, which is why I do those PD's, to strengthen my own skill as well as pass on what I've seen.

Anyhow, when I do these PD's, I like to show a few videos. I've had to change it up over the years because these videos are pretty widely known. BUT, I wanted to share them here for those that need a little inspiration going into this upcoming year.

Remember, teaching is a fantastic, important job, and your work will have an impact for years to come. Keep up the good work teachers!

Taylor Mali on What Teacher Make: This should be required viewing for every teacher in the world!

Sir Ken Robinson at the TED Conference: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

And finally, Dalton Sherman, a Dallas kid who spoke these great, hilarious, and inspirational words to Dallas ISD teachers.

Some Donors Choose Tips

I'm thinking more about Donors Choose on this Sunday before school begins (kids start this upcoming Wednesday here). I've had some friends and readers inquire about how to get going on Donors Choose, so I wanted to share some tips. Now I'm fairly new at the Donors Choose thing, but I've already had a little success and am already trying again. You can see my Donors Choose page here.

It can be hard to know exactly what you're going to ask for the first time you login to Donors Choose and begin a new grant request. The reason for this is that you will fill your shopping cart (your request list) from their vendor list. What I've tried to do is already know which subject area I'm targeting and what kinds of materials I'm going to be asking for (books, furniture, games, technology, a combination, etc.). You're asked to name your project before you head off to the vendors sites, but remember, you can always go back and make changes after you've compiled your list.

I highly recommend taking the time to head to each vendor and see what they have. My current project, for example, is based around social studies (history and geography). I knew going in that I was going to ask for some books, games, technology, and teacher resources. So when I went to each vendor site, I was targeting those items. Also be mindful of price, don't just start filling your shopping cart with anything that seems neat.

You'll enjoy looking around, finding items that you want, and refining your shopping cart until it's just right. I've heard that the biggest things that drive donors on this site can be geographical location (for regional donors, and there's really nothing you can do to control this), and how compelling your page is. Really show your passion for teaching and your students, be able to articulate how much of an effect the items you're asking for will have on your classroom, and be genuine. I think that if you follow those tips, and then keep on it by sharing your page on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, through email, word of mouth, etc, that you'll have a greater chance of getting funded.

Of course, I'm not exactly a pro, I'm just hoping that more teachers find this great site and give it a shot. The very worst thing that can happen is that your request won't get funded. And at best, you'll get items that can revolutionize your classroom and provide you and your students with great materials that can make the classroom a great place to be (not that it isn't now, but even greater).

Using Word Walls and Student Generated Alphabets in the 5th Grade Classroom

My school district recently adopted the Gómez and Gómez model of dual language instruction, which is being implemented in part school wide, even in non dual language classrooms. The one thing I will say is that this model refers to worksheets and language killers. I don't appreciate this black and white view of the learning tools that are used in the classroom, because when it's spoken like that, the administrators who adopt them tend to also take a very black and white view to these things and accept them at face value.

Worksheets aren't the best language learning tool, especially if they're used all the time, but in math, they can be great, because math is all about repetition, especially when a child is learning to multiply or further refine their skills. In social studies, reading, and science, a well timed, properly constructed worksheet can help review skills, or even assess them quickly. So I'm not very appreciative of being told that worksheets are language killers, because just like many other things, they have a place in the classroom if used appropriately and with skill. But that's all I'll say to start.

Now, on the plus side, this model is big on subject and age appropriate vocabulary, so that's what I wanted to get into a little more this morning. Of course, the post below is also appropriate for anyone wanting to teach more vocabulary and use word walls and such in their classroom (because, after all, it would be ridiculous to say that the makers of Gómez and Gómez invented such things) could also use these resources.

Now, first of all, to those of you out there using the Gómez and Gómez model, you're asked to do a few various items that will hang up in your classroom. And by things, I mean word walls and the student generated alphabet. I'm going to show some ideas and resources for making these things, as well as what they are, what they mean, and how they can be implemented in any classroom:

In this Gómez and Gómez model, dual language classrooms have English words in blue and Spanish words in red. They label pretty much the entire classroom using these identifying words. This is straight forward in a primary classrooms, where they'll label things like "door," "television," and "computer." As always, with these sorts of models, it's a little less straight forward, and there usually aren't any resources given for the intermediate classrooms. In 5th grade, instead of labeling the door with "door," you might use "door hinge" or something a little more advanced (and this is something that I am currently highly skeptical about using, but enough of that).

Now, the class needs to have an interactive word wall, subject specific word walls, and a student generated alphabet. So there goes every bulletin board in your classroom. UNLESS you can be creative. Use wall space instead of bulletin boards. Step into Second Grade has a great post that shows how to use wall space instead of bulletin board space for the student generated alphabet. I will post pictures of mine once it's done. I just found out about these requirements yesterday afternoon, so I haven't made one yet. The student generated alphabet, in the Gomez and Gomez dual language model must be just that, student generated. It doesn't need to be changed during the school year. Easy enough. Again, expect pictures once I have this done.

Next up is the interactive word wall. What is meant by this is a word wall in your classroom that includes words that students suggest. At most age groups, there can be teacher "suggestions" to get words up there, but the intended use is that any word a kid doesn't know goes up on the word wall. I'm still unsure as to how this will play out in my classroom, but this is how it works.

Finally, there is the most popular, the content word wall. Optimally, your contents should be separated by colors (if possible), or done separately from one another. My classroom will include vocabulary for Math, Reading/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.

Here are a few resources for vocabulary word walls that can be used in the 5th grade classroom:

MATH

• A pdf document with visual vocabulary words ready for printing. I like this and will be using it as a resource all year.
• Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary: A cool site with MANY math words. They're presented online, but this is a good place for practice or for teachers to come and find words.
• Word Wall Ideas: There's some neat ideas in this pdf document, including the "5 star words," which I'll be trying out.
• Math Vocabulary Cards: Taken from the Virginia.gov website that offers cards for K-5. There's some good stuff on these pdf documents, a good starting point for any teacher.

READING/LANGUAGE ARTS: It goes without saying that the main source of reading vocabulary should come from the books or passages you are reading with your students. Now, apart from those, here are a few resources:

• Academic Vocabulary: A fairly comprehensive document that includes academic vocabulary, prefix and suffix lists, and definitions as well.
• Edutopia Tips for Teaching Vocabulary: I read this and try to follow it in my classroom. Good tips!
• 5th Grade Vocabulary Words: At Flocabulary. This lists was compiled by analyzing basals for commonly misunderstood words.
• Anita Archer Academic Vocabulary: I'm not all too familiar with Dr. Archer's explicit instruction methods, but I came across some good resources of hers (both are pdfs). Vocabulary Logs and Practice Activities and Secondary Vocabulary Lessons.

SCIENCE: Your science vocabulary will obviously be focused around your content. So these links are a little more general in nature:

• 5th Grade Science TAKS Vocabulary: This is a very large pdf document with tons of visual science vocabulary. I put it first because it really is a great resource that you should take a look at.
• 5th Grade Science Vocabulary: A pretty straight forward pdf.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Again, your vocabulary in social studies is obviously going to be based around your content. Here are some resources:

• Vocabulary Lists K-8: These social studies vocabulary lists come in doc format. 
• 5th Grade Social Studies Vocabulary by Subject: These words are in lists by major events in United States history.

SKUNK: An Awesome Math Probability Game

Every year when I'm teaching data analysis and probability, I introduce the dice game SKUNK. Students love this game, that is part chance, part strategy, and all probability. The game is very simple:

You have two six sided dice, and each student has a sheet of paper labeled SKUNK across the top, with lines separating each letter.

Roll the two dice, and students take the total and write down the points they just got. Here's where it gets interesting. You will ask anyone if they're going to take the points and leave the round. Students who take the points are safe, and get the points they had. Then you keep rolling for the students who are still in. Here's the fun part. If you roll a 1 on either dice, any student still playing gets zero points for that round. If you roll snake eyes, anyone still in that round is out of the game with no points.

This is a great game that students love. They love to play the odds. I explain to them the odds of rolling a one each time, and we discuss the probabilities involved.

It's a fun game to play around high stakes testing time, because kids can play it for hours.

I was about to type out the rules and put them in my Google Drive, but, I lucked out. Math Illuminations already has this:

Math Illuminations SKUNK Lesson Plan

Math Illuminations SKUNK Game Sheet (pdf)

Finding Grants For Your Classroom: Places to Start

Every teacher (except for teachers who have a lot of disposable income) reaches that point where they just can't keep spending like crazy on their classroom. OR, they spend on the basic supplies, but really want supplements, technology, etc. and just can't afford the out of pocket expense.

My wife stays home with our youngest child, so we get by on my teacher income, and it's hard, not impossible, but we cut it close sometimes. For this reason, I use most of my disposable income, check that, all of my disposable income, on my family. I don't have a lot leftover for the classroom apart from extra pencils, glue, and other essentials. Yes, I easily spend more than the $250 that we can write off on our taxes. I'm willing to bet that if you're reading this, then so do you.

I'm currently wanting to get some new technology and resources for my classroom, things like tablet computers, a projector, cool science and social studies resources, and maybe even some cool opportunities for summer professional development. The teacher who learns how to write and receive grants becomes an invaluable asset to their school. Today's post is about where to start, and more specifically how to use the best websites out there that list teacher grants.

Obviously the place to look first is Donor Choose (I just got my first grant from there funded a few days ago, check out my excitement HERE). Now don't say that Donors Choose isn't a grant site, because really, what is a grant? It's you asking someone or an organization for money to purchase things, and that's exactly what Donors Choose is. It's easy to use, you can create your account and have your first request posted in well under an hour. There's really no reason not to do it, it's completely free.

OK, I got that one out of the way, now let's get started on the others:

• Grant Wrangler: Grant Wrangler is a search engine for teacher grants. I've gotten five grant requests completed from Grant Wrangler. There are small grants, and major national grants. Some are extremely competitive, and others are easy to come by. Just dig deep, and try for the ones that you qualify for. 
• Kids in Need Foundation: There are links to grants through major corporations. These grants can be highly competitive, but the good thing is that many corporations give out millions in grants, the trick is getting yours in at the right time.
• Grants 4 Teachers: This site is where you go if you're looking for a high dollar grant. You might have heard of people getting $50,000 for a mobile laptop lab, or $25,000 for iPads. There's a decent chance that they started here. Enter the information they ask for, and you'll be given a large list with many different entities that offer money. It's definitely worth a look.
• Grants Alert: Another good place to find possible funding sources.

The keys to successful grant writing involve: 

• Be precise: Grants that are general, or don't seem to have the work put into them in terms of precision, won't even be considered. If you're being asked to itemize items, reference the prices exactly, where you found the prices, and include sales tax in your state. You need to come across like you researched this and know everything, because you should.
• Grant writing isn't just something you sit down and do in five minutes. The exception is Donors Choose. You can do a good grant there in a short amount of time, and as long as it's well written and compelling, they take care of the pricing and shipping and all of that stuff.
• Focus on items that will reach a large number of kids over a number of years: Many companies that give grants will choose who they fund based on formulas that involve number of students reached, and even sometimes how many students over x amount of years will be reached. Of course the one shot grant can get funded, just be compelling.
• It all comes down to proving that you and your students are worthy of the grant, and backing it up. If the grant asks you to provide photos or proof, do it in the given amount of time. 
• Do your research: Think hard about what you need. A $200 grant won't be that hard to find funding more, but a $25,000 grant will probably be competitive and hard fought.

There is money out there for all of us who want it and will use it. It just comes down to knowing where to look, how to write, and having the passion to persist when your hard work doesn't pay off for awhile. Just stick with it, the first time you get a grant funded, there's really nothing quite like it, you'll be hooked forever. 

First Day of School Classroom Ice Breaker Activities

The first day of school is an exciting and anxious time for students and teachers alike. Everyone knows that first impressions are the most important, especially from the teachers angle. You need to come across as stern yet caring, strong yet gentle, and strict yet approachable all at once, and if you don't set that tone the first day, it can make your job a lot harder in the coming weeks and months.

Once you've "laid down the law" and gone through rules and procedures (I have some great tips and links in a post titled What the First Day of School Looks Like in My 5th Grade Classroom), you can start letting the kids get acquainted with one another, and with you. Just a few days ago I shared one of my favorite ice breaker activities, called "Me Bags." The ice breaker is the hall mark of the first day. Although many of your students probably already know one another, they probably weren't all in the same class (unless your school is very small or students move along in cohorts from year to year). One guarantee is they won't be familiar with you, even if they know you and you had their siblings in class. They will still be apprehensive and unsure as to how you will act.

I want to keep this post very simple from here out, and list some great "Ice Breaker" resources. I searched online and these are some of the best I found (obviously I won't be doing many of these in the classroom, I like to focus on just a few):

• Best of Ice Breakers at Education World: This page lists some great ice breakers that don't require a lot of set up before hand. If you want more, look at their entire archive.
• A pdf document titled ICEBREAKERS that explains the usage of ice breakers, and gives some great examples (page 2). 
• Kims Korner For Teacher Talk has this page of great ice breaker options. 
• About.com has THIS PAGE that lists a few activities, one that I'll be using called "a cold wind blows."
• A huge resource pdf page with 100 Ice Breaker Ideas. 

Multiplying More Efficiently: The Zero Trick

By 5th grade, students are working at doing math more efficiently. By this age, the expectation (and great hope) is that students have a grasp on the basic skills and can begin doing more difficult calculations, with greater speed. Speed and efficiency are important as the math gets harder, because honestly, for the kid that counts on their fingers when multiplying to do a problem like 823 x 193 would take all day.

On the very first day of school, I begin by showing the zero trick. The zero trick is very simple and, in my mind, essential for greater efficiency in multiplying.

So this zero trick, for most adults, is just common knowledge, but kids need to be taught it, and many teachers just forget about it or take for granted that it's intuitive. Just remember that nothing is intuitive in math, it needs to be explicitly taught.

I'll lay it out simply:

• For any number ending in zero, this trick will work. 
• If the number as a zero in it, but doesn't end in zero, this won't work.

Here we go: Let's start with an example...

500 x 32

It looks like 500 ends in two zeros. We're going to move those off to the side. That will leave us with:

5 x 32

That's a lot easier. OK, 5 x 32 = 160

Now, we have those two zeros. All we do is put them on the end. 

16000... That's the answer, it's 160 plus those two zeros on the end, for 16,000. It's as simple as that.

If both numbers end in zero, you just do it all the same. Kids are amazed when they realize that they can efficiently solve huge problems with this trick. Check it out...

5,600,000 x 1,000,000

WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF ZEROS! Let's just move them to the side and count them. 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 11 zeros!!!

Now we're left with 56 x 1 = 56 (that was easy)

Now we add those 11 zeros...

5,600,000,000,000

And that's it! If you're not using the zero trick by 5th grade, you're wasting precious time. It's so simple, and everyone can do it.

If you'd like an easy to use worksheet, head over to Worksheet Works and build a simple one to use in class.

A Final Day of Classroom Setup

Tomorrow I have a meeting, and on Friday, registration. It's always exciting to look at the room, set up and more clean and organized than it will ever look again this school year. The desks are ready, work for the first few days already run off, and now it's just a matter of time before the first day of school. My classroom set up was pretty straight forward this year. I didn't change anything really, other than getting a few computers out of the way (it was feeling a little cluttered).

My school district is using a new attendance and gradebook software called Synergy. I'm still not trained on it, but I got a good first impression. If you're out there looking for some gradebook software, there are a few options that I like.

First of all, there is the best in my opinion, TeacherEase. This great site offers full grade book software for something like $8 a month, but many schools will purchase a school license because it's great. If you want to make your life A LOT easier, I suggest this great teacher tool.

If you want grade book software, but you need something free, look at Engrade. It's not as intuitive or user friendly as TeacherEase, but it's a good free grade book.

Learnboost is another free grade book option. I like it, again, not as much as TeacherEase, but it works if you want to move to online grading.

If you haven't yet made the move to online grading, you should. It's great because you have complete control. In TeacherEase for example, you can set different categories within your subjects (e.g. tests, daily work, group work), and give each a weight as to how much of the final grade it is worth. The gradebook updates itself, you don't have to average grades. And, the best part is, parents get anytime access through a web browser. Many of these sites are putting out smartphone apps as well. TeacherEase doesn't have an app (although I hope they do), but their website still works great in my Android browser.

Real quickly, I wanted to add in some pictures of my classroom just to show off the hard work.

First is the back corner / sink area of the classroom. I have a science shelf there (my school is old and there isn't a lot of closet space, so we have to make do), along with the famous Aggie wall. GO AGGIES!

This photo is looking at my desk (behind the book cases), and what I refer to as "my office." 

My Donors Choose Request Got Funded

Last night, as my summer break was coming to a close, I prepared to shut down the computer after a last bit of web browsing (checking scores on the baseball games, stats on the blog, etc.). At about the exact same time that I closed the web browser, my phone buzzed. I had an email. That's no big deal, because 90% of the emails I get are garbage.

This one had the subject line: A new donation to your project: Donors Choose

Cool, I thought to myself, and reopened the browser, heading to my Donors Choose account. Much to my surprise, my first donation request had just been fully funded. And this was no minor request, all in all, it came out to $502. Two donors had completed my project.

I posted this donation grant request on July 23rd. A 14 day turn around on this blew me away. I had heard good things about Donor Choose, but wow, even this next morning, the first work morning of the year for me, I'm still pretty excited about it.

My project included math activities that I can keep set up for students in need of an enrichment challenge at any time. This isn't everything I need for the entire year, but it's a start. I asked for (and will now receive):

• Amazon Kindle Fire 8 GB Tablet
• 20 Write and Wipe Lapboards
• 1 Set of Fraction Circles
• 1 Set of Colored Dominoes
• A Large Assortment of Various Dice
• Gobblet, Math Strategy Game

I'm still pretty amazed that this project was funded in short time. I don't have expectations that this will happen every time, but it shows that Donors Choose does in fact work. Now that I have another point (you need points to post projects, you start with 3 I believe), I'll start working on another project once I receive this one. You really have nothing to lose here, sign up for a free account, and go for it.

That Time is Here

So here we are, at the final evening of what was a very restful, sometimes lazy summer vacation. That was my seventh summer vacation, and tomorrow I officially begin my eighth year of teaching with six days of professional development / classroom setup time.

I'm excited, this group of kids is already special to me, because it's my oldest son's grade. I remember when this group of kids started kindergarten, and I said then that I would stay at my current school until this group came along (although now I believe I'll be at my current school for many more years than that). I'm ready to get started, I have a lot in mind for this group, and I think they'll be one of my best classes ever (hopefully I don't end up eating those words in a few months).

So as I sit here watching the Olympics, and soon getting ready for bed, I just want to look back on the summer, and say that it was a productive one. I got this blog up off the ground, and it has become everything I wanted it to be by this point. I have many units and resources up, with more being posted every day. My goal was to have 50 posts and a good amount of page views by now, and I have over 60 page views and am averaging way over 100 views per day. I just hope this keeps growing, and I can keep the momentum as the year goes on. I have a vision for this blog, I want to post pictures of the activities my kids do, and discuss the daily classroom on here.

Thanks for reading, I hope you'll come back!

Collecting Parent Information at Registration: Make It Easier On Yourself

At student registration, my school district has parents fill out many different forms. These forms include:

• Registration document with tons of information, including phone numbers, address, who is allowed to pick child up from school, etc.
• Title I learning agreement
• Technology participation form / photo release form
• School learning agreement
• Transportation information form (how the child gets to and goes home from school)

There are a lot of forms, and this can take the parent a long time to fill out, especially for those parents with multiple children enrolled in the school.

I have another form that I like to add to the list. I find it easier to get certain information on my own, without digging back through these forms to find them. My student information sheet is also how I collect information on birthdays (it's easier than digging through registration documents), and cell phone numbers. I get permission to add parents to my text messaging list as well on this form (I have done a post on how to send mass text messages using an Android smart phone HERE).

This form also includes a second page where I ask for permission to watch a number of PG movies that I have planned during the school year. In 5th grade in the state of New Mexico, we have to have parent permission to show PG movies (I say this because I'm not aware of the policy state by state).

If you would like to take the parent information sheet I have created, you can download it below (you'll probably want the .docx one so you can make changes to it, the .pdf is a little more permanent):

PARENT INFORMATION SHEET .DOCX FORMAT

PARENT INFORMATION SHEET .PDF FORMAT

Me Bags: A Great Ice Breaker / Getting To Know You Activity to Start the Year

Two days ago I posted some advice for the beginning of the school year.

It's obvious that we're almost there, tomorrow is my final day of vacation. One of my favorite "getting to know you" activities is called "Me Bags." This is a simple show and tell formatted activity where each student has the opportunity to share 5 items of personal significance.

The actual way I do this is, I share my "Me Bag" on the first day of school, then I hand out the homework assignment to them, and they have to present theirs the next day. I like doing this for a number of reasons. It's a good way for the students to get to know me right there on the first day. It's also a great opportunity for me to see who puts the effort into returning with their homework the following day, following all directions. The sooner I can find out who my apathetic homework students are, the better.

I set aside large chunks of time the second day of school so that each student can present their bags to the class.

I have written up the sheet that I will send home the first day. You can access it below.

"ME BAGS" HANDOUT (pdf format)

Animal Identification Card Game: A Good Science Inquiry Activity

This animal identification game is very simple, and very effective to have 5th graders play. The concept is very simple. Each student will be given a card, that they will paper clip (or tape, or whatever works best) on their back.

They must then ask other students questions about the animal on their back, questions that must be answered yes/no. It can be a 20 questions game, or just an "ask until you figure it out" game. The goal is for students to get enough information on their animal to be able to guess what it is.

I searched online for free animal information cards, and didn't come up with much. The easiest way to do this, for free, is to download the templates that I list below and use them. I prefer to give students the blanks, and have them find the information for the cards on their own using encyclopedias or the internet.

I utilize this activity at the beginning of the school year in a series of science inquiry games that we play to get in to "the science way of thinking." There are various activities that we do, and this one gets students using the right vocabulary, and gives me a quick picture of what they can already do in terms of questioning and inquiry. The vocabulary I want students to use during this activity includes: predator, prey, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, camouflage, nocturnal, toxic, and hibernation.

ANIMAL BASEBALL SIZED CARDS: This first pdf is a link to some animal cards, and the last page is blanks. I use this page and have students list the information on each animal on the back of the card. The information they must find is:

• Animal name
• Region of the world it lives in
• Diet
• Life expectancy
• Classification (basic level of classification)
• Their place on the food cycle (predator, prey, etc.)

LONG ANIMAL CARDS: These cards already have the information listed. 

LONG ANIMAL CARDS BLANK: These are the same cards as listed above, with the information removed. 

Goodreads.com: One of the Best Classroom Appropriate Social Media Sites Out There

Goodreads.com is essentially a social media website that is all about books. What makes this site so great is that you can create private groups, have discussions, quizzes, groups, polls, etc. I've used it for the last four years with different degrees of success. Last year, I didn't really get it off the ground due to prior technology commitments in my reading class. In the previous two years, I had great success with Goodreads. Students used it to keep an online log of the books they had read, full with a rating of each book and a review. I had expectations laid out that everyone in my reading class would log in at least once every two weeks (I called these Goodreads windows), then update their account with newest books, and comment on the progress of their classmates.

I have included Goodreads in various teacher trainings, and it always seems quite popular with the other teachers. I get many questions about getting a Goodreads account off the ground. So a few years ago, I made some how to videos on Youtube. There are two videos, and if you're interested in starting up on Goodreads, go ahead and follow those instructions and you'll be going in no time.

If your district has a block on Goodreads, it's probably something you could successfully get over turned. I had to get the block taken off of it in my district. It's classified as social media in a lot of blocking software.

If you decide to sign up on Goodreads, look me up and add me as a friend so I can help you out.

Here are the two how to videos on setting up a Goodreads account and starting a classroom group.

Part 1

Part 2

Some Simple Advice For New Teachers

You've finally made it, you finished college, and (the vast majority of you) student teaching, and now you have your first teaching job. There's really nothing quite like the first time you walk into a classroom and know that it is yours, you can do what you want with it. The excitement and wide-eyed wonder that comes with those initial meetings, either district meetings or hopefully a first year teacher program if your district does one. The excitement quickly gives way to fear and anxiety as you begin to realize that you no longer have a safety net, you are responsible for the educations of your students, and you will be held accountable and expected to step up from day one.

The first year of teaching is very eye opening, and unforgiving in many ways. It's the year of "things they don't teach you in college," including dealing with difficult (or completely uncaring) parents, helpful and supportive staff friends, or the opposite, and challenges to implementing the curriculum within the constraints set forth by the many stake holders that influence the classroom.

But fear not, it'll be fine. Just accept that your first year will be challenging, difficult, and humbling. Many new teachers walk in thinking that their education is cutting edge, and they'll show those old washed up, dinosaur teachers a thing or two. The quicker you lose that attitude, the better. Those dinosaur teachers can be the best thing that ever happened to you, they've been around and seen it all. Seek them out, make them your friends, and things will get much better.

Hopefully you have a supportive principal, but who knows if you do or not. If you do, seek them out for advice, but don't become needy, seeking them out daily.

Become friends with the custodians and secretaries. In fact, have a positive attitude and a smile on your face, and make friends with as many people as you can.You'd be surprised how much easier your job can be on a daily basis if you're in good with the custodians, secretaries, the art teachers, librarian, PE coach, etc etc etc. Nobody likes a complainer, or a gossip, so stay away from it. I've had a few years in my career when it's been easy to get sucked into those negative behaviors, and it's toxic. My best advice is to go in to work every day with a smile on your face, even if you don't mean it. Tell yourself that you're going to have a good day, and stay positive. The second you get negative, everyone around you, especially your students, know that you have.

During that first year, you'll have ups and downs. The euphoria over having your own classroom will carry you for awhile. Don't fret when you hit the grind and start getting down on yourself, saying that you can't do it, because you can. Make friends in your building, and have a support system you can call on.

Once that first year comes to a close, you've just finished the hardest year of your career, IT WILL GET EASIER. The field of education needs its professionals to stay around for a long time. Consistency is key. You don't have to change jobs or buildings every two years, I've been in the same school for eight years now (some who have been in one place longer would laugh at a mere eight years), and I hope to stay at least eight more. Don't be afraid to stay, you'll become part of a community.

Have fun, teaching is the greatest job in the world. We don't deal with boredom sitting behind a desk. We don't deal with a lot of monotonous tasks, and every day is something new and challenging. Anybody who makes fun of you for only working 180-185 days a year is an idiot, remember that. They probably work at one of those boring desk jobs where they do less work in a month than you do in an hour. Even if they get paid more, it doesn't matter. You didn't go in to teaching to make big bucks, you went into it to make a difference, and you are making a difference.

Congratulations on joining the field. We need more people like you out there doing this work.

The First Day of School: How It Looks In My 5th Grade Classroom

It's hard to believe that the first day of school for students is less than two weeks away (August 15th to be exact).

That first day fills students and teachers alike with anticipation and nervousness. For me, the first day is something that I try to put a lot of thought into.

How you start the year out is important to the success of that year. Your first impression on your new students in those initial days will set the tone for the entire year. If you come off as wishy washy, unorganized, or weak on discipline, you will have issues that will plague your class all year.

Some of the best advice I ever received about the beginning of the year came from my dad, a master teacher with over thirty years of classroom experience. He said that you really need to let the kids know that you mean business, that they can trust you but must respect you, and that you will hold them accountable, all right from the second they walk into the classroom.

I make it a point to greet my students individually that first day. I make sure that I ask their names if I don't already know them (and as a long timer at a school that has had generations of the same families, I do have a lot of students and families that I've known for years), and I make sure that they understand that they will be held accountable for their behavior and responsibility every single day.

Some of those kids go home that first night and say "wow, Mr. B isn't as nice as I heard he was," or "I don't know if I want to be in this class." But that's ok, remember, we're not there to be liked, and sending the kids home with fuzzy goodness on the first day isn't always a good thing. Be strict, rigid, and by the book those first days, and eventually you can start to pull back, but your students will remember that they're accountable and act accordingly. This is a tried and true method, I'm not saying be mean and scary, but you don't have to try to make friends and be the popular teacher on day one, in fact I mean not to in my class.

I know I've been a little wordy here, so I'll go ahead and jump right into my plan for the first day (school goes from 8:00-2:30 in my school district, with 40 minutes for lunch 12:00-12:40) Before I begin, remember that the hallmark of that first day, and the first week, is setting up rules and procedures. Scholastic Professional has a page that is called Head off Behavior Problems With Classroom Procedures, and lists 30 things that you should have procedures for.

• First I greet the class, introduce myself by talking officially about my education and credentials (even though this will go over some of their heads). I then tell them that I have until the end of the day to learn their names, first and last, and I practice.
• Next, we go over rules and procedures. I will do the following things every day for the first five days:
• We will go back outside to the place they line up on the playground when the bell rings. I will discuss proper line etiquette, and what to do if I do not arrive to pick them up (you never know what will occur before school starts). 
• Pushing in chairs: This is very important in these large classrooms that most of us teach in these days. I set up the rule of pushing in your chair everytime you leave your desk, and diligently call every student on it who forgets.
• How to leave the room: Where the sign out sheet is, hall passes, and the expectations for behavior in the school when alone.
• Starting the day: How students enter the room. In my class, they walk in through the outside access door, empty their materials from their back packs, put their back packs in the hallway, enter the room, get breakfast, have a seat, and work on their morning journal activity while the announcements go on. 
• Supplies: I collect most of the students supplies and keep them communal. I take glue, crayons, colored pencils, pencils, and paper, and put them into large bins that we will share. Students are then given the expectations for the usage of these items and the consequences for damaging them purposefully (their parents will be asked to purchase new ones).
• Handing in work: I go over where the work baskets are located, the consequences for late work, and where to find work after you've been absent (the absent folder).
• Lining up: I normally have my students line up in a set order. I usually start with alphabetic order and if I have any conflicts, I move students around those first weeks. We practice extensively the proper line etiquette in the hallway. I gripe if they're not straight, if anyone talks, and on and on. I will always find something wrong with the line, and make them practice it many many times that first week. But after that, they line up much quieter.
• Lunch procedure: Where do they go for lunch? We do recess first, so we talk about how to leave for recess, where to line up for lunch, and where I pick them up. We practice this as well.

OK, I think you get the point. We go over all the rules and procedures, I'll stop explaining and just list all the rules that are important:

• Where to line up in the morning, after lunch, fire drills, etc.
• Pushing in chairs
• Morning routine
• Lunch routine
• End of day routine
• Supply sharing
• Group work expectations
• Where to turn in work in
• Where to get absent work
• How to use computers
• When to use computers
• What to do when done early with work
• Raising your hand before talking
• Practice walking in the hallway
• Desk organization

Yes it can be daunting, but it's necessary. Be organized, be rehearsed, and present yourself professionally. It will go a long way. Even if you're nervous, new, scared, don't let it show. Be awesome!

5th Grade Math Unit 4: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents

5th Grade Math Unit 4 is on Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. This unit is pivotal to the 5th graders future success, especially as this group of skills is seen as very important to their understanding of algebra in middle school.

This unit is placed within my static pages (the link is above). As always, I am placing that entire page here for convenience. I hope you find it helpful:

Math Unit 4 in my 5th grade class is focused mainly on fractions, decimals, and percents. In many conversations with 6th grade teachers, I am often told that if their incoming math students know only two things, it needs to be basic multiplication and division facts, and the ability to work with fractions. This is the unit that we start on coming back from Christmas break, and it carries for an entire month. Of course, the teaching of these skills begins early in the school year through daily math practice and consistent math homework as well.

This upcoming school year, we have drawn out the following schedule (our entire math schedule for the 2012-2013 school year can be accessed in .doc format HERE):


January 9 – January 18: Equivalent fractions, decimals, and percents
January 22 – January 30: Compare and order fractions
January 31 – February 8: Add and subtract fractions

When viewing the document for the entire school year, you can see that "unit 4" includes the data unit as well. This was done for our own purposes, but for the purposes of this blog, I have kept these two units separate.

Each one of the skills listed above constitutes what we call a "cycle," according to our Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) format of data analysis and collection. I will list each cycle separately below, with the necessary documents, and some valuable resources and ideas:

Equivalent Fractions, Decimals, and Percents

At one time, as many teachers have, I tried teaching these three skills separately, and found that it was redundant. Fractions, decimals, and percents all go so nicely together, and should be taught together. The PDSA for this cycle is available HERE, as well as the Unit 4 Exam (a quick note, the exam for the entire unit is what I have linked to, the first two problems (the first and most of second page) are what constitutes the exam for this section. To save time, we normally take that portion in isolation, change out the numbers, and give the test). Our tests are in the format they are in because it closely resembles the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment. Here are the resources for this cycle:

• Fling Your Teacher: An online multiple choice review quiz that eventually lets the student fling the teacher in a trebuchet.
• Fractions Through Lines of Symmetry: A simple starter worksheet (pdf) that has students cut shapes into various fractions. It's a simple way to get started or give struggling students a chance to be a little more successful.
• Equivalent Squares: A very cool dominoes style game that students will enjoy. It plays right into the very point of this skill. It's a pdf document, it comes with very clear instructions and the squares ready to cut out. 
• Percentage Squares: Another great game, it's not the same as the one listed above, but is a very good, quick activity in pdf format. Since I've listed two resources from the same site, go ahead and check out Teaching Ideas, a great site from the UK with tons of printables. 
• Equivalent Fractions Memory: A matching game played in browser.
• Math Illuminations Equivalent Fractions Builder: If you use a Smartboard to teach, use this great interactive for whole class teaching.
• Equivalents Table: This is pretty much the backbone of this entire lesson.
• Worksheets: 
• Worksheet Works Equivalent Fractions Worksheet Builder, and the entire Worksheet Works Fraction Page
• Mathaids Worksheet Builder and the fractions page
• Equivalents Fill in Practice Worksheet: An easy to use worksheet that practices the skill exactly as it appears in the unit exam.
• Equivalents Packet: A few good activities, already ready for printing.
• Fraction Strips: This is a good activity. I have students make fraction strip books based on the strips in this worksheet. It's a great visual

Compare and Order Fractions

When looking at the Unit 4 Exam and the PDSA for this lesson, you'll see that this lesson involves putting fractions (and decimals) in the correct order, and comparing them using <,>,= statements. We go up to twelfths, and use like and unlike denominators:

• Math Playground Comparing Fractions, a simple starting point: A good place for the student that just needs more practice to get it online. I have students take a sheet of paper, and work out the problems as they go.
• Flower Power: An ordering decimals computer based game.
• Worksheets:
• Are You My Equal?: A packet with some decent activities, this whole thing is put together as a unit, with a summative assessment at the end. I'm partial to the fraction templates, equivalent fractions, and dare to compare worksheets included (which I have isolated into a separate pdf file HERE). 
• TONS of Blackline Masters: I'm surprised I hadn't ever come across this page. There's tons of pdf documents available that are age appropriate for 5th grade, including fraction strips, circles, and a Fraction Number Line. This is based exactly on a lesson done in Math Investigations (but a lot less costly, free always helps).
• Math Drills Worksheets: A lot of comparing decimals worksheets.

Add and Subtract Fractions

Here's the final part of the unit. The PDSA for this lesson and the Unit 4 Exam will both show that we teach adding and subtracting fractions with both like and unlike denominators. Once students have the hang of it, move on to having them add and subtract mixed numbers:

• Action Fraction: A fun online game at Fun School. I played it for a few minutes, by Level 3 it can get a little difficult, but it's fun and engaging.
• Math Playground Practice Activity: Another nice activity from Math Playground. It gives good practice in the web browser. Send a kid with some paper to work the problems, and they get instant feedback.
• Worksheet Works: Fraction Addition Sequence (I love this activity and will be using it). There's also a nice selection of Fraction Addition Skills and Fraction Subtraction Skills worksheets there. Everything they have on fractions can be seen HERE (I absolutely love this website). With all of these worksheets, have the struggling student use the Fraction Circles as a tool to help them along.

Two Weeks and Counting: Schools is Right Around the Corner: An Awesome Desk Name Tag Idea

I put my own children on notice today, they have exactly two weeks of summer vacation left. For many of us teachers out here in the American Southwest, we go back to school in mid to late August. I'm not sure why we go back earlier than most of the East and West coasts, but we do.

Two weeks, that's not a very long time. And since I have many many inservice days before that time, I go back to work in only six days. I can't believe it, I've squandered another summer!

So what now? For me, that means I continue trying to get my resources up on my blog, and try to get into my classroom a little bit here and there. Registration in the Las Cruces School District for elementary school students is Friday, August 10th from 9:00-11:00. I'd like to have my class presentable at that time since it will be playing host to parents and students alike. That first impression is a strong one, so I've been spending mornings in the classroom organizing and basically just sprucing things up.

For my students name tags, I'll be changing things up this year. I ran across a great idea at 24-7 Teacher called Desk Name Tags: Never Distracting and Always Clean. I'll be velcroing (or hot gluing, or taping) the plastic badge holders to the corner of the desk, and than I'll make each student a business card sized name tag using Logotype Maker. This will save money and I think will keep the desks looking cleaner. Name tags have a tendency to either get torn off within a few weeks, or drawn on.

Teachers Pay Teachers: A Good Place To Find Resources Online?

I have a busy morning ahead, with school starting for me (six days of teacher inservice before the kids come back) in six more days, I'm trying to get some work done in my classroom.

What was on my mind this morning was the vast amount of teacher resources that are out there on the internet. Since I've begun running this blog, I've been posting many pages of links to resources, worksheets, and other documents. My focus has been on free resources, because as all of you know, things can start to add up quickly.

My thought is that if you find something that you like, but can't afford it (or, like me, are really frugal and would prefer to not spend anything), just tell yourself that you can find something similar on the internet, for free. This has served me pretty well. Yes, there are those rare occasions where you can't find a resource online, but if you're looking for worksheets, unit plans, videos, or games, there are millions online.

I have been browsing around Teacher Pay Teachers for some time. I like that you can buy things on there from teachers. If I'm going to spend money on a resource, I sure would prefer that money to end up in a teachers pocket as opposed to a publisher.

Not too many teachers have a positive view of the book publishers, and with good reason. $100 for a single social studies book? $400 per kid for the reading series? Yikes. School districts spend millions on these books and resources that ultimately just don't cut it, they're not good, and are just flash with no substance. Of course, sometimes these resources come in handy, and sometimes they are good, but millions of dollars worth of handy and good? I don't think so.

So back to Teachers Pay Teachers. I'm going to lay out some pros and cons of the site, but please, go find out for yourself:

TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS:

THE PROS:

• There are tons of resources, and they're organized by grade, subject, price, and even standards.
• You can download thousands of things there for free.
• If you decide to spend, your money goes to the teacher who posted the item.

THE CONS:

• The vast majority of the free offerings are of very low quality.
• Some of the resources are VERY over priced.

Ultimately, my view on Teachers Pay Teachers is the same as anything else. See if you can find it for free by searching in Google. If you can, good for you, if you can't, go ahead and buy it. You'll have the peace of mind in knowing that your money is going to help other teachers, and not line the already deep pockets of those publishing companies that most of us don't like anyways.