Product Update: Writer's Mini-lessons

One of my favorite assignments I give to my seniors is the writer's mini-lesson. By the time they are seniors, there is very little actual new information for them to learn regarding grammar. Most of what they are doing in their writing is improving, maturing, and simply adding sophistication. So, for our grammar and writing review, I have the students teach most of the lessons.

The best part about student-led instruction is how much better they retain what they taught. And I've been really surprised by the different ways they have come up with to practice the information or skill! Some of them have gotten really creative!

The down side of all of this, which I learned the hard way the first few years, was the organization of it all. I have one group present each Wednesday, and they all have due dates based on when they present, so it can get really difficult to keep everyone on schedule and organized. I made myself a chart for each of my hours to try and stay on top of it, but I mostly relied on the kids to be aware of deadlines and get things to me. They are seniors, after all. I tried my best to remind them, and they did get points deducted if they missed a deadline. I just let them know up front that they were in charge, and it seemed to work well enough.

I have certainly learned a lot through trial and error with this assignment, but I think I've streamlined and organized the process now (mostly). So, to reflect that, I've updated this product to include some more documents and helpful tips and tricks. Click here to check it out!

DIY Ruler Growth Chart [Tutorial]

I LOVE getting to be crafty in the summer! And as my kids are growing like WEEDS, I decided I needed to make this project a priority: a ruler growth chart!

Here's what I used for my project:

• a 2" x 6" x 6' board
• a hand sander
• 50-, 100- and 150-grit sandpaper
• a light stain
• some clean cloths or a brush to apply the stain and finish
• a tape measure or a yardstick
• printouts of the numbers 1-6 in your font of choice (mine are HERE and they were 288 pt.)
• a Sharpie (you could paint the lines and numbers, but I'm not that steady!)
• a clear polyurethane finish

First, I sanded the board using a hand sander, starting with the 50 and working up to the 150. I didn't need it to be too smooth - just enough so that it didn't scratch. I wanted a little bit of a rough look. I also slightly rounded the corners with the sander.

Then, I applied two coats of stain using a cloth. I used Minwax Colonial maple. I would not suggest going too dark, because you want to be able to see your numbers easily and your marks for the kids' heights.

After the stain dried a full 24 hours, I went to work on the numbers and marks. I decided I wanted a mark every inch, and I made the 1/2 and 1/4 marks (at 3", 6", and 9") longer. I laid out a tape measure beside my board and marked at 6", because that is how high I was going to hang it off the ground. My family is fairly tall, and I wanted to make sure this baby could accommodate tall boys, so I started my numbering at 6" and it goes up to 6' 6"!

Using my tape measure, I marked off at 6", 1' 6", 2' 6", etc. all the way up to the top. I used a square tool (like the one pictured to the left) to mark lines in pencil that were 3" long for each foot. However, if you wanted your 1/2 marks to be longer than your 1/4 marks, you'll want to make these 4". Then, I marked every three inches with lines that were 2" long (make your lines at each foot 3" if you want your 1/2 lines longer), and finally I marked every inch 1" long. This part took a little bit of time, but it was super easy. After I did it all in pencil, I went over it in a new black Sharpie.

For the numbers, I put the paper on top of the board where I wanted them to go (I centered it off the foot marks) and traced over it, pressing down hard, with a mechanical pencil with the lead retracted. It left an impression in the wood, since I used a pretty soft wood, that I then simply traced with Sharpie and colored in! You can sort of see the impression here, and in this closeup pic, you can see the coloring lines a bit, so if that would bother you, I'd fill in the numbers with paint.

I gave the Sharpie a good 24 hours to set because I wasn't sure if it'd bleed or not, and then I put two coats of satin-finish clear polyurethane to seal it.

To hang my ruler growth chart, I scoured the Internet but didn't really find the suggestions I was looking for, so I went to the hardware store to browse and ended up coming home with these flush mount hangers. I screwed the hanger to the board and screwed the other one to the wall (making sure to use a level), but it still was a little wobbly hanging, so I added three Velcro 3M strips to stabilize it, and I feel much better about that. The best way I found to attach those was to put the strips on the board, then attach the other strips with the Velcro, then peel off the backing and hang it on the wall. Then I pressed really hard where the strips were, removed the board, and pressed them in some more. I don't want this baby going anywhere!


I'm so happy with how this turned out! Labor-wise, it probably took me only a few hours to sand, stain, draw the numbers and finish. There was some wait time in between, but it made a really good naptime project for me! To mark their heights, I used three different colors of Sharpie. And the kids LOVED getting measured, especially baby girl, who modeled for me without me even asking. :)

Making my Masterpiece

... OK, I'm not sure this one is my "masterpiece", but I do think it's a really fun unit!

This week's challenge for the Teachers Pay Teachers Sellers Challenge (hosted by Amber at PreppyZestyTeacherista, Ashley at Teach Create Motivate, Emily at Third in Hollywood, and Jen at Sparkling in Second) is to create a new product. I had been meaning to get my "Surprise Endings" unit ready to sell basically since I taught it. I loved teaching it, and at the end of the year, several students told me it was their favorite thing we did all year.

Basically, I recap plot, characterization, and tone/mood by using Pixar shorts, and then we read three short stories with twist endings ("The Black Cat", "Lather and Nothing Else", and "The Open Window") to practice analyzing those skills. Finally, the kids get to write their own short stories (this was the part they loved) with their choice of four surprise endings. Then, they write a paragraph analyzing their stories and explaining how they used elements of plot and characterization and how they created the tone/mood.

The best part of this challenge is that they told us to find a partner to evaluate it and give us tips on how to make it better. It was awesome because that is something I have never done before. Based on that feedback, I reorganized some things, I made some things more noticeable and clearer, and I took out some things that were in my personal plan that aren't included in the product.

I'm so excited for this one, and I'm working on putting up the individual lesson plans as well.

If you think this unit sounds like something you'd enjoy, you can find it in my store here!