How Did Book and Crown Become A Thing?
The nature of teaching math keeps teachers at the board for an extended period of time. When teaching an involved mathematical process, it is hard to complete a step and then run around the room like a track star, ensuring every student is on task and at the correct place in the process. For years, this wasn’t a problem because I had an Elizabeth.
“What is an Elizabeth?” you ask. An Elizabeth is a paraprofessional who can be the “track star” while you deliver all the knowledge.
I began to notice that one class always struggled more than the other. If I had three classes, then one would do great, and the other two would have a difficult time. The class that always did the best was the class with the Elizabeth. Why? Because she was the track star. She kept everyone on task while I was tied to the front of the room, methodically going through whatever mathematical process was on the agenda for the day.
And Then She Was Gone
You know the old saying, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone?” Well, I was reminded of that phrase a few years ago when I did not have a paraprofessional in any of my classes. I felt the lack of assistance more heavily because the class composition was a mix of strong personalities. Keeping students on task was where I was spending most of my time. While this is not new in the classroom, it was more trying because I had no Elizabeth.
I decided I needed to come up with a way to be me and be an Elizabeth.
The End of the Elizabeth Era
Let me set the scene. I was without help in a class of strong personalities and quite a few “fly under the radar” students. It is time to teach 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication.
I. Was. Dreading. It.
I had arrived at school and was still trying to come up with something to make sure everyone stayed on task while I was introducing the topic. I remembered some videos I created the summer before as a resource for students struggling with multiplication. The videos were all on my laptop that I happened to have with me.
I thought, “What the heck!” I grabbed the laptop and a flash drive, downloaded them, and then uploaded them to my school desktop. Then I cranked up my projector, and away we went. I could control the computer from my iPad and play and pause the video as I walked around the class.
From the beginning, it was AMAZING!!
In case you weren’t aware, the number one rule in classroom management (at least in Odenland) is proximity. Being free to walk around the room and still teach was everything.
If I noticed a student off task, I could mosey over that direction. They would get right back to work. When I thought a student might be struggling but was not asking questions, I could head in that direction and help them before they got too far behind. It was the turning point in the increased success of my students. I knew this was the direction I had to take in my teaching to best benefit all students.
The only problem was that I only had them for multiplication. Since the division algorithm was coming up in a couple of weeks, I decided to bust my butt and throw something together.
The Beginning of Book and Crown
Division 1.0 was a hot mess! I had to correct and work through a lot of issues. The amount of time it takes to create a PowerPoint with that many precise animations is unbelievable. It took several evenings to complete one PowerPoint. When I finished, I had a reasonably useful resource to test my Elizabeth theory.
The Result
To my complete and total delight, my students picked up division quicker than any year previous. Using the resource in PowerPoint form as opposed to video allowed for more control. When a student had a question about a step, it was so much easier to back up a few steps using the cordless mouse in my hand than running up to the front of the room to erase and redo them. Students even commented on how much they liked them.
An added benefit that I hadn’t been expecting was that they could help catch up a student who had been absent or was struggling. I just put the PowerPoint on a computer and had them go through the PowerPoint to catch up. It worked like a dream.
Book and Crown Becomes a Thing
After the multiplication and division resources’ success, I decided to slowly build my library to include all the concepts taught in 4th-grade math. While I was spending hours making them, the improvement to my classroom management and student success made it worth my time.
I had several people tell me I should offer them to other math teachers. I’m embarrassed to admit that I sat on these resources for several years. I was too afraid people would find the idea silly and useless.
It finally occurred to me that they could hang out on my computer doing nothing or sit on the TpT website and possibly help out a few fellow teachers. So, this past April, I finally decided to offer them up to others.
My goal has never been to replace myself or any teacher in the classroom. Students need positive learning interactions with adults. The PowerPoint will provide the process. The teacher puts his or her spin on the lesson.
I am thrilled that I have been able to help other teachers.