Student Homework/Classwork Check-In

Whether you collect homework or classwork, this form will help you stay organized and save you time by having the students check in the work for you.
In my classroom, my students sit in groups. It became too time consuming for me to keep going around checking planners, then checking in any homework so I created group check in papers. Over break it dawned on me that I could digitalize my check in sheets!
I created this Google Form and set it to where it saves the email address so that way I know who is submitting the information and what time it is submitted. After the form is submitted I set up the spreadsheet with conditional formatting, this way I can quickly look at the colors and get an idea of what's been completed. 
When I need to adjust the titles of the rows on the Form, I learned to delete the current rows and then add new ones, this will create brand new columns on the spreadsheet. Then when I use the spreadsheet, I can hide unneeded columns to view only what I want to.
Here are links to a copy of the Google Form and the Sheet you can link it to, conditional formatting has already been set up. If you want to view it, right click on a cell and select it from the menu it.

Iron Chef Slides

I was introduced to Iron Chef slides at sessions I have attended by Jon Corippo and Cori Orlando. The goal is to crowd-source information and have students share it with their classmates in a short amount of time.
My first activity, suggested to me by Jon Corippo, was to have students research Parkinson's Law. In the slideshow, I added my directions and the secret ingredient, which is an additional piece they have to explain in their presentation. I then added 15 blank slides and labeled them Group 1, Group 2, through 15. 
Students got into partners and I went over the directions with them. They would have 10 minutes to research Parkinson's Law AND create a single slide to share information. We discussed the difference between thin and thick slides. Thin slides, which have images, a quote, or single words, have the presenters actually talking to the audience. On the flip side we have thick slides which are filled with text and could be copied into a paragraph, these type of slides usually have the presenters reading right off the screen. I encouraged my students to create their very best thin slide.
On Google Classroom, I added the presentation to an assignment and gave them all editing rights so it would be one complete slideshow.  As soon as the students were ready, I started the time and played the "Iron Chef" theme song to add to the mood.  My kids flipped out! Some of them were really into it and others struggled where to begin. It was interesting to hear conversations during this time and how the students organized themselves with the work load.  
When it came time to present, there were a few groups who did not finish, so we had a discussion of what their game plan would be for next time and what they learned from this first activity.  
I have seen this project be done using vocabulary words, academic vocabulary, researching important people and so much more!  Jon even recommended using this with the book, Who Moved My Cheese, in place of the typical Book in an Hour activity.
You can see my students' activity below:

Happy Techie Tuesday!

It's another Techie Tuesday! I hope your week has gotten off to a great start!  Check out this edition for some great Google Chrome suggestions from #DitchBook Twitter chat, amazing TED talk suggestions and more!

Day 11 #Trickle Challenge - #OneWord2018

#OneWord2018 has been all over Twitter and through the Hyperdocs group on Facebook. I had heard of this last year a bit, but never looked further into it. To be honest, I never quite understood it and how it was so revolutionary over selecting a New Year's Resolution.  This year I decided to give it a shot and learn more about it.
I found the #OneWord2018 Hyperdoc by Sean Fahey in the Hyperdocs group on Facebook. Looking over it, I liked the videos he included and thought it looked like fun. Honestly, I never thought it would have the impact it did one me personally.  
I thought long and hard about what my one word would be for the year. I constantly flip flopped back and forth over words - balance, creativity, etc. I decided to move on and watch one of the video clips I had never seen before, so that I could preview it before showing it to my class.  The impact this clip had on me... was crazy. Watch the clip below before continuing to read this post.

Facing The Giants - Death Crawl Scene.

After watching this I just sat there staring at my computer screen.  Thoughts began flooding through my mind as I quickly wrote them down to be sure to share with my class the next day.  
How many times do we limit ourselves by just setting a goal? How much further could we push ourselves if we could not see a physical goal and had to work our best all year? 
The next day I showed this clip to my class and they sat in silence after it was done. I was worried they were in a daze wondering what the point was, but it was the exact opposite!  They were on the same page I was! They were blown away by the clip.  We had a great discussion using the questions above as well as other ideas they brought up.
We talked about why one word would be such a better driver for the new year than setting a New Years Resolution, which when reached, seems like a dead end.  My students were so pumped and on board! Keep an eye on my Twitter for pictures of their #OneWord2018 drawings.
So.... after all of this... yes I finally came up with my one word:
PASSION
With having jumped into the #TrickleChallenge, researched how to be a better story writer, and starting to take a lot more pictures of everything. I decided I would follow and share my passions this year.
What's your #OneWord2018? Share in the comments below!

Day 9 #TrickleChallenge - Student Grading

As a teacher, nothing is more frustrating than when your students do not follow directions.  This is especially true if you have gone over the directions and expectations MANY times!
My students were preparing to take a ELA benchmark test. I had reiterated the fact as to what their short answers should look like and how they should include text evidence, explanations, etc.  We talked about how long it should be around and what an example would look like. We did the exact same thing for the essay question that is required at the end of the test.  I spent an entire block of time, just going over expectations and the general directions they would be assigned.  My students were pumped, I was pumped and thinking "They've got this!"
Last night I began grading the short answer and essay questions and I went on a rollercoaster of emotions.  It started with "Okay, this is decent..." and went to "What were they thinking?!" and then a few light bulbs "Yes they got it!".  I knew I had to do something to get their attention, because apparently lecturing and class discussions weren't cutting it. (Lecture... duh... terrible idea x.x)
Today during our ELA block I explained my rollercoaster of emotions with their answers last night and that today THEY were going to grade the answers of their peers.  I put together a Google Doc and had put the passages, questions, and anonymous answers on it. I selected a range of answers that took me on the rollercoaster of emotions, so the kids could see some great answers but also see the ones that were frustrating. I told the kids that if they recognized their answer they should not say anything, but LISTEN to what the other students were saying. The best type of criticism and critique is when it completely unbiased. 
As a class, we went over the rubric and the exact questions from the text. We went into detail as to what the question was asking and what the answer should have included in it. We had a great discussion and I really feel, them knowing they would be grading their peers (or themselves) really helped put a different spin on things. The kids were a lot more involved in this discussion than previously.
Once we had everything established, the students got into peers and began to re-read the passages and grade the answers of their peers. They were so critical!  It was refreshing though because they began to see the same type of issues I had seen, but it felt like they knew these problems were real and I wasn't just exaggerating.  The students worked together, leaving comments on the answers and giving them a score. They then put all of the information into a Google Form, so I could compare their scores to mine. 
It was definitely an eye opening experience for them and they enjoyed it a lot. I was impressed by the conversations that were going on in the partners and groups as they were grading.  Several kids exclaimed that they totally understood why I had gotten so frustrated grading and how ridiculous it was students could not follow directions.
I would definitely do this again with the peer grading to CLEARLY set better expectations and make it more personal, rather than looking over exemplars from a book.

Days 5 - 8 #TrickleChallenge

I shared Days 5 - 8 of #TrickleChallenge on Twitter:

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @CampsCrusaders

New Year! New Techie Tuesday

Happy New School Year everyone!
Here is the newest edition of Techie Tuesday. If you wish to be automatically updated when they are published you can click the "Follow" button on the right hand side. 
As always, I am always looking for new ideas to include or to drive the newsletter. Please feel free to comment here with any suggestions or comments.

Day 4 #TrickleChallenge - Morning Activities

For Day 4, I thought I would start with our morning activities my class. I like to be consistent on the morning routine, so then the students know exactly what to expect every morning. It's nice because if there is something I need to handle the kids go in and get right to it. Now I know many are thinking that they are doing seat work or just go in and silent read, because those are very predictable routines and there are some mornings where I do have my students come in and silent read just to change things up a bit. The activities I have my students working on are collaborative and allow the students to be out of their seat.  There are several activities they work on, but they can select the order they work on them. My students know by a certain time so much of the work should be done, if not fully completed.  Here are our morning activities:  Whiteboard Discussion: The kids LOVE these and you can find a TON of ideas on Pinterest. 

Scrabble: 9 Scrabble tiles are placed on the board and the students have to make words using them. Students cannot use the same word twice. There are three 'winners': Newest word, Longest word, Most points

The next several Math activities are condensed into a Google Slideshow that is assigned through Google Classroom. Students are encouraged to collaborate with others.

Here is what their Slideshow looks like: Math Routines Day 7

Number of the Day: Students are given an answer to an equation and they have to come up with the equation to get that answer. They then get to write their equation on the whiteboard. Which One Doesn't Belong: Students have to select which number/shape/graph/equation does not belong in the set. This website is amazing with the variety of problems it offers for all ages! Problem Solving: Using problems from OpenMiddle.com, students fill in the blanks to complete the problem. Estimation 180: This wonderful website gives you an estimation problem for each day of school! I love these activities and the great math discussions that stem from it. Would You Rather: Students have to use math to defend their choice. This site has some very high interest 'Would You Rather' from traveling to selecting the best deal on Halloween candy.

Day 3 #TrickleChallenge

I crazily decided to take the plunge and join the amazing @CateTolnai with her #TrickleChallenge
Fear of Commitment: Part of me wants to jump right in and say all 365 days (even though I am starting on day 3), but part of me is afraid to jump in that deep. The "What Ifs" start popping up... What if I miss a day? What if I have nothing to share? What if I fail? Then my Growth Mindset comes in! What if I miss a day? Then I will share double the next day and it will be okay! What if I have nothing to share? Crazy! There is always SOMETHING to share. What if I fail? The only way to truly fail is to give up and not even try.
Well, here we go! I am committing to sharing 365 days this year in some format. I will add more blog post, share pictures and ideas on Twitter, and I have been toying with the idea of doing a vlog from inside my classroom. To make up for Days 1 & 2, I'll be posting additional blog posts with ideas so some days will be double share day!
Want to join the #TrickleChallenge? Check out Cate Tolani's blog post about it. Click the link below.

http://www.catherinetolnai.com/?p=323

Our First Book Tasting

My students, like many, get caught in a rut when it comes to selecting books. They get stuck on the same genre or series and do not know where to go from there. To help my kids move past this, I hosted a Book Tasting in my classroom!  I had heard several teachers through blogs and Twitter do this in their class and never fully understood what it was. In short, students read different books from different genres for a short amount of time where they get a "taste" of the book. This exposes them to new genres, authors, and series to help broaden their view of books. I downloaded a fabulous resource from Joanne Miller on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Part 1: The Setup

I wanted my room to really look the part of a cafe without breaking the bank, so I went to my local dollar store. I found colored tablecloths, napkins, paper plates, serving trays, and little tea lights for each of my tables. 

Part 2: The Book Selection

I am very fortunate to have a large class library, so all of my books came from there. I have heard many other teachers borrowing books from the school library for their Book Tasting.

I selected 8 books per genre. I wanted to have a wide variety out there for the genres, so I even pulled some of my older books that hadn't been touched in years. 

 

   

Part 3: The Activities

The resources from Joanne Miller were spot on! There was so much in the download that I only used a few pieces for my first Book Tasting. 

I made copies of the Book Tasting 'menu' for each of my students. They used this as they visited the different tables. Each menu had 5 sections, one for each genre they would visit. It had them fill out information on their first impression of the book, what they thought after reading a few pages, and how the author tried to hook them into reading the book.

My students also received the bookmarks. On the bookmarks, they were able to write down the book title and author of the books they wanted to read. This way they had a new list they could follow when it came time to select a new independent reading book. 

I also made copies of the 'napkins' that asked the students for their feedback on the Book Tasting. These were used at the end so I could see how my students felt about everything. 

Part 4: The Book Tasting

I allowed my students in the room in small groups and had each group spread out to a different table. I reminded them that it did not matter which table they started out because everyone was going to be rotating. After all the students were settled at the tables, I passed out their 'menus' to record their book information on and the bookmarks for this list of books they want to read. Then the time started. It took me a few rounds of the Book Tasting to figure out an appropriate length of time for my students.  Here is what I came up with, but know that this is flexible depending on your class. The goal is for them to get a "taste" of the book, so just make sure you don't have them reading independently too long. 2 minutes: Select book & fill out first impression 4 minutes: Read independently - remind students there is no commitment to continuing the book 2 minutes: Reflect 4 minutes: Chat - allow all members a chance to share about the book they read.

  

 

Part 5: Reflection Overall, my students really loved the Book Tasting and started asking when we could do it again. I passed out the 'napkins' for them to write their own reflection and was really happy with the positive response. All of my students really enjoyed it and appreciated the way they could start a book without having to commit to finishing it.

  

 

 

 

The Importance of Sharing Part 2: Share Your Struggles

After writing my post last week on the importance of sharing, I kept thinking of my current situation and what I choose not to share.

Currently, I have been struggling with a new English Language Arts adoption. I have been trying to figure out how to make it work in my combination class without going insane bouncing around. It seemed like each week I was trying something new, based off of new feedback I was given. Then there was finally a light when we received some grade level time with a trainer from the company. Let me tell you, that room was bright with all the "light bulb" moments going on. Does that mean I'm set now? Nope, not even close but I at least have a better idea of how to implement the new adoption.

Did anyone online know I was struggling? No way. I was not going to share all of this craziness that was going on with the new curriculum. I posted in a Facebook group asking if anyone was familiar with it then was referred to another group that had more experience with the curriculum, but I NEVER shared I was struggling. You know what's sad? I wish I had shared my struggles because it would have reached a lot of other teachers and we could have formed a great support group for each other.

So many times we want people to only see the happy, rainbow, light bulb moments in our classrooms, that we forget teachers are people too and we make mistakes, get confused and struggle. We have a tendency to hide that from others and to stay on our "Island of Isolation" when it comes to struggling. By doing this, hiding our struggles, we make others feel like it should be sunshine and rainbows in their room too!

We need to share our struggles and our failures. Throw it out there on Twitter, talk about a lesson that flopped, or ask for help with something you are struggling with. IT'S OKAY TO STRUGGLE!

If we are expecting our students to believe that struggling is learning, we, as teachers, need to accept that as well. We need to practice what we preach.

You are not alone. We are all struggling with something in our classroom.

**See this post and more on my Techie Tuesday newsletter**

The Importance of Sharing

Back in October at the Kern Tech Fest, I had the opportunity to hear Christine Pinto speak as the keynote. She is a Kinder teacher who integrates technology and has her kinders using the Chromebooks for activities, reading, and projects, but also does the regular, fun hands-on activities. I really enjoyed listening to her and loved some of the ideas she shared.

Then she made this surprising statement. She said that she shares because people need to see what is going on in her classroom. While that in itself is not surprising, she continued on saying that people assume she does technology all day long because she is a 'techie' teacher so by sharing she is able to show people the variety of activities her class is doing.

Listening to this, I realized how right she was! I was one of the ones that pictured her kinders doing tech projects all day long, but seeing their hands-on activities made me realize there is more to her classroom and her teaching than technology. This made me think of comments I have heard about my classroom.

Many people think my students are on technology all day long because that is a lot of what I share. They do not see the hands-on Science and Math activities we do, or how we are still taking notes by hand when reading or watching an educational film.

I feel that there may be a stigma out there about sharing activities on Twitter. I worry that people think they can only share technology activities on Twitter because the edtech community is so large. That couldn't be further from the truth. People on Twitter share ALL activities. The important thing is to share!

We need to show others what is going on in our classrooms all day long. We need to share the good activities and the ones that totally flopped. People out there need to see that there is someone else going through something similar.

Don't be afraid of sharing on Twitter, I know that is easier said than done. Still, I overthink about what I am sharing and am working on getting past that. We worry what others are going to think or if it is going to get any 'likes' on Twitter. As educators, we can feel so alone and isolated. Sharing on Twitter helps break down barriers and connect us to others. We need to come together to support each other, sharing on Twitter or any way is a great way to start!

**See this post and more on my Techie Tuesday newsletter.**

GoNoodle Saves the Day

Do your students need brain breaks throughout the day? Are you left trying to figure out how to get in those PE minutes when it's raining or there's bad air quality?
Never fear - GoNoodle is here!!

GoNoodle is a wonderful, FREE site, filled with exciting guided dance videos, yoga, stretching, and fitness videos. When you sign up, you create a class with their grade level. Then you get to select a champ who will level up as you participate more.

I have used this in my classroom from 4th - 6th graders. Sure it takes some time for kids to get into it, but soon enough the ones that are "too cool" are the ones feeling left out because they're the only ones not participating.  If a student still does not want to participate because they are "too cool" I tell them if they do not participate, then one of my other lively dancing students will come dance by them.  Now please take this with a grain of salt, as I said I only do this with students who are "too cool", I never single out my shy students. Slowly my shy students start to feel more comfortable and start having fun with the videos and activities.
Living in Southern California, we get a lot of bad air quality days so GoNoodle has been a lifesaver to get in PE minutes when we can't go outside.
Here are some student recommended videos:      
Doing GoNoodle indoors does require some transition with students needing room to move around. This has just become part of our daily routines and procedures. My students know that if they do not transition quickly enough that they will not have a lot of time on GoNoodle.  Sometimes I use it as a reward where certain students will get to select the videos and lead the class. I cannot sing the praises of GoNoodle enough. It has brought smiles and joy into my classroom and always brightens up the atmosphere. Be sure to check out GoNoodle and try it out with your kids!
PS: They also have an app and a website if you want to sign up and use it at home with your own kids. My nieces and nephew love it!  

11/29 Techie Tuesday

The newest edition of Techie Tuesday is out!

This week we take a look at using Google Drawings to create graphic organizers. People are always amazed when I share digitized graphic organizers. Even more amazement comes when I tell them my students made my templates. I made a few of these graphic organizers that required more time and details, such as the writing graphic organizers, but the others, including more I don’t have listed, were student made. I’m all about crowdsourcing. Why spend precious lesson planning time creating graphic organizers on the computer when you can ask your students to create their own? I always put a nice spin on it. I tell them that the one who has the nicest and most effective graphic organizer will get it saved on My Drive and then shared out as a template with the rest of the class.  Once you put that spin, they take their time and produce some amazing work trying their hardest to be selected.

The Techie Tip is about using the revision history in the Google Suite. This has been a lifesaver for me personally because my cat likes to walk across my keyboard at home when I step away. Instead of clicking undo a crazy amount of times I simply access the revision history and go back to the version of my document BEFORE I stepped away from the computer.

Revision history also comes in handy with my students. With groups you get to see who has contributed, what they have done, and how long they spent on it. Individually you get to see when the student first began working on it and when they last accessed it. This has come in handy because I’ve had students brag about getting their work done late at night, so I look up their document, show it to the class and reveal the revision history which shows they hadn’t even started working on it until late at night. We then have a long talk as a class about being responsible and getting work done in a timely fashion. During class, I can also see who’s doing what on their documents and when. So when I get reports that someone is playing around, I can look up their revision history and see what they have been doing.

Finally, we tie it all up with talking about Hour of Code which begins next week! This is huge and is such a great program to expose kids to the amazing world of coding. Hour of Code puts it all in a fun perspective and shows real-world application of math. I love that they include fun and recognizable characters that the students love. If you haven’t tried it with your class, you totally should! It’s a lot of fun, even I do it with my class. Thanks to +Rae Fearing  for sharing your Hyperdoc on Twitter!

It’s Easy for You, You’re ______

It’s Easy for You, You’re (techie/creative/smart/crafty/insert whatever you’re good at)

Have you ever had these words said to you? It is one of the worst phrases anyone could say to a teacher or any professional in that matter.

I had the pleasure of seeing the amazing Dave Burgess at Fall CUE on October 28th, 2016. When he shared how much this phrase upset him and how it totally was set to destroy him, I wanted to jump up out of my chair and shout a couple of “Amens” as if I were in church. It was a point that completely hit home with me.

Being a tech teacher I hear this phrase A LOT!

It gets exhausting after a while and for some, just SOME it becomes an excuse for them not following through or not doing the work themselves. As Dave Burgess stated, “This completely dismisses all of the hard work I have done to get where I am and what I do in my classroom.”

“It’s easy for you, you’re techie.” “It’s easy for you, you have the smart kids” “It’s easy for you, your class is well behaved.” You want to ask them, how do you think I got there? How do you think I push my kids to perform their best? How do you think my class got their behavior under control?  It’s all because I worked hard, did research, and found things that worked in my classroom. It just didn’t hit me in the middle of the night and everything changed.

I love Dave Burgess's example of the “Blinding Light” syndrome where we just walk around and get hit by flashes of lights with good ideas or naturally graced with technology know how . That’s not how it works, we work hard to come up with our ideas and see them through to the end. It takes a lot of our time, lunch periods, staying after school, taking work home, until we come up with (what we think) is the perfect plan. Sometimes these ideas rock, other times they blow up and “break the class” (love Doug Robertson’s phrasing of that).

Do I have random ideas? Yes I do, sometimes. Do they all come this way? No, the majority of them I have to work for and go over the content, standards, materials, and see how I can get creative with integrating technology, PBL, go cross-curricular, etc. It takes a lot of time and work! Regardless of who you are, if you have a family or if you’re single, it takes a lot of work and this phrases just kind of dismisses all of it as if you had this great idea and then it magically left your brain and transformed into your unit, activity, or experience you are providing to your students.

People tell me I must be naturally good at using technology. They are always surprised when I tell them no. There is no way to be naturally good at something that is constantly changing and transforming. I’ve seen tech transformed from my days in elementary school playing Oregon Trail in the computer lab to our touchscreen tables, VR, AR, and robotics. There is no way anyone is just naturally good at that (unless you’re a super genius… which I am not…) What I am good at is pushing all the buttons and googling answers, and within all of that I start learning new things about technology. Just recently, I have been trying to fix some software on my computer and one of the fixes was to go into the command prompt and enter commands in the script. I was like woah… slow down… you want me to do what? Then I just went for it.

Is everyone at that comfort level? Of course not, but what they do need to realize and acknowledge is that whatever you are good at isn’t something that came naturally and easy. It took time to get where you are now and it still takes time to flesh out a good idea (even if it breaks the class). People need to just go for it and push all the buttons or take a new risk in their class.

Please… no longer use the phrase “It’s easy for you, you’re (creative, techy, smart, crafty, etc). Instead of using that phrase ask that person what tips they would have to get started on the journey.

Techie Tuesday - October 25th

Welcome to my second edition of Techie Tuesday!

The featured website in this week's edition is Class Dojo. 

Class Dojo is a fantastic site that is a new take on classroom management. Students earn and lose points based on skills/behaviors that you can select. It has basic behaviors to begin with, but then you are able to edit them or add new behaviors with point values. I really love this site because students can earn points back after they lose them. It's all about second chances and positive reinforcement.
One trick I have learned over the years, is to create a fake student. I have a student in my class named Whacky Wilbur. He serves as my warning when I am about to take away points. Typically all I have to do is give Whacky Wilbur a few negative points, the students hearing the sound and straighten up. It has been a lifesaver for those times when it's more than a couple students being disruptive.

Ghostly Goals

Goals are extremely beneficial to students, especially when students intentionally set them. There's no more "I'm going to get Honor Roll this quarter" generic goals. Now they have to explain the steps they are going to take in order to earn Honor Roll. Short term and long term goals are both equally important. I have students who need those shorter ones that help keep them on track for the larger goals, and then I have students who are always thinking big picture and looking further down the road. 
In the Hyperdoc above I included links to what my 5th and 6th grade goal sheets look like, as well as a link to a very simple SMART goal that can be used both long and short term. At my school we are fortunate enough to have planners, and that is where my students write their SMART goals.

Techie Tip of the week

A very useful trick in Google Drive is starring items. There are documents I use on a daily basis, ranging from my morning directions to my Math and ELA pacing guides. Instead of searching for them every single morning, I use the "Add Star" option.
When you come across a file or folder you would like quick access to, right click on it then select "Add Star". After that your file or folder will appear in the "Starred" section on the left hand side of your Google Drive. Isn't that handy?

Is there anything you'd like to see featured in Techie Tuesday? Any techie tips for using Google Drive you'd like to share?  Post below in the comments!

The Joys of Flexible Seating

I have had a lot of questions about my classroom arrangement, seating, and management so I thought I'd write a blog post to share with everyone about it. Okay everyone take a deep breath, I am about to say something crazy....ready?... I do not have a seating chart or assigned seating. BREATHE! It's okay. I haven't always been this way. I am now in my 10th year of teaching and up until 4 years ago my students had assigned seating, they stayed in their seats to work quietly, and there was a very rigid structure to it. I typically would assign partners for them to work with and groups for group projects. Then one summer I spent time reading other teacher blogs and articles about flexible seating and allowing students to move around more.
I will be totally honest with you. I was scared! I had to give up some of my control?! Are you serious?! Then I decided to just go for it. The outcome was amazing!! In the four years I have had flexible seating I have only had one student who just couldn't focus. He got his own seat and each day I would ask him if he felt like he could work with a group. Some days he would say yes, other days he would say no. I still gave him the option and didn't keep him from having the opportunity.  I like to look at my classroom now as organized, creative chaos. Ask my students what they like about my classroom and they will tell you that it's all the choices they get. Instead of desks I have 8 tables and have acquired some big comfortable chairs from rooms being cleaned out on campus. I like to rearrange my classroom randomly because I get bored of the way it looks. At first, I wondered if this was too much for the students, but they always get excited when I rearrange things. Most recently I received 4 bean bags, 2 camping chairs, 4 wobble cushions, and 2 fun teen chairs from a project that was funded through DonorsChoose.org. We have two black coffee tables to go with them. I then lowered one of my tables down to the lowest level, so that the students had more seating options. It's so much fun to come into class where it is a comfortable teaching and learning environment.