Clare-Gladwin Area School teachers present at state conference; connect student crafts with the Common Core

Clare-Gladwin Area School teachers Rachel DuMond, Melissa Kleiman, and Leah VanOrman presented, “The Four C’s: Classroom Crafts and the Common Core,” at the 73^rd Annual Statewide Special Education Conference last month at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. Hosted by the Michigan Council for Exceptional Children and the Professional Association for Special Educators, the teachers spoke about the variety of crafts the students make during the school year and how each project fulfills aspects of the Common Core State Standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics.

According to Kleiman, projects such as the inspirational word boards, luminary mason jars, and greeting cards address the English language arts standards, including reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. “These activities require our students to write sentences with correct punctuation, spelling, and capitalization; add drawings to clarify ideas; and ask questions when there may be a concept they don’t understand,” she said.

DuMond said the greeting cards, coasters, and notepads are just a few of the many projects that address the mathematics standards of number sense and calculation, measurement and data, geometry, ratios, algebraic thinking, and so on. “The process of making these crafts involves measuring objects, solving addition and subtraction word problems, counting, creating number or shape patterns, and understanding the concept of a ratio,” she said.

The majority of the projects help students build the skills they need in both mathematics and ELA.

“Not only do the crafts incorporate the common core, they also help facilitate self-esteem, pride, and an overall positive school environment,” said Kleiman. “Plus, the kids love them!”

The three teachers have since received positive feedback about their work from their peers around the state. “The conference was a learning experience for all three of us,” said VanOrman. “It has sparked an interest to continue to seek out presentation opportunities to discuss and share the operations here within the Area School.”

All of the student-made crafts are available for purchase at the Area School and at local stores, including the Colonville Country Store in Clare, Simply Charmed in Gladwin, and Red Bird Feeds and Pet Supplies in Mount Pleasant. Proceeds go toward the cost of field trips, classroom supplies, craft supplies, and more.