things we do for the students!

Test week is here! 

I think (and hope) our encouragement helped! 

The sweet 3rd graders brought us thank you notes and cookies on Monday!  What a nice thank you!!!

 

Tuesday started our tests.  They test for 3 days!  My mentor asked me to dress up like a cheerleader with her.  She has told her students all year that she is their biggest cheerleader.  I dressed up to encourage them as well. 

My students and I went Tuesday morning to cheer them on!

A couple of my kinders made up some cheers for them.  So stinkin' cute!!!!

My favorite, "Go 3rd grade. You are the best. Never give up on your sparkle test!"

Before we left we shared some of our brain sprinkles with them.  As we walked out the door I heard a 3rd grader say that he already felt his brain growing!!! 

This took a lot for me to wear this uniform because I did not go to this high school.  I went to another one in the county so of course we were rivals!  I never thought I would wear something from this high school! 

I did it for the students!!!!! 

I owe a BIG apology to my alma mater!!!

eog encouragement

The EOG. 
It is our state's end of grade test! 
3rd graders are the first elementary grade to take the test.  I remember taking this and dreading it. 

I have never been a good test taker and just get so nervous before any big test.  I do feel bad for these kids.  I feel like there is a lot of pressure that is put on these tests. 

I am so glad I am not teaching a testing grade!!!  If I did I think I would be even more nervous than my students!

My mentor teaches 3rd grade.  I love the attitude and the way she talks about the test with her 3rd graders.

  She calls it the "Sparkle test!"

She tells them this is their time to sparkle and shine.  She doesn't tell them that they are going to have to take a state test or that this sometimes determines if they move to 4th grade.  She stays POSITIVE!

The Sparkle test is next week.  All the 3rd and 4th grades have worked SO hard getting ready for this.  I knew I couldn't do something for all the classes because I don't have enough money, but I knew I wanted to do something special for her class.

I had her come up with some good test taking strategies that she has taught her students this year and I have typed them up as reminders leading up to the EOG. 

Each day my Kindergartners are making a special delivery to the 3rd graders to give them some encouragement to really sparkle and shine on their test! 

Yesterday was the first day.  They were nervous but so cute! 
I had one student read their tip and then we passed out treats to each student and gave them big high 5's! 

("Try your best and YOU will blow the test away!!!")



I love that my kinders can be encouraging to the "big kids" and begin to hear about important test strategies.

brain sprinkles

Thursday was test day.  Writing test day.  We were given a prompt and each student had to write and draw about the prompt.  Before I gave the student their prompt I reminded each student of how smart they were and how I knew they were going to do great on their test!  After their pep talk I gave each student some brain sprinkles! 

They had to close their eyes as I sprinkled their brain and tell themselves how smart they were!

After a little while of working and I noticed the students were finished I let the students know they had a few more minutes to work. 

One student started to cry so I quickly walked over to him and asked him what was wrong.  He told me that he didn't have his sentence yet.  I encouraged him and suggested some more brain sprinkles.  He said in a very pouty voice, "no, because those things don't even work!" 

I told him that they do actually work but maybe he just needed a little more.  I gave him some more and made sure to rub them in this time!!!!

I plan to use the brain sprinkles more because by the end of the day I had a student come up to me and say, "Ms. Brown, I think those sprinkles are growing in my brain."