Well, it's been a while since I posted. I have been adjusting to my new role this year. I mentioned in my last post that I had a job that would take me out of the classroom for this school year. Although I miss working with students daily, I am loving my new role.
I have been honored by being chosen to work as an Instructional Support Coach for the Title 1 elementary schools in my district. I say honored because it is an honor to work with teachers every day helping them grow in their craft, supporting them as they struggle with changing their routine and taking on new instructional practices. Why would a teacher ask to be put through that kind of discomfort and change in the midst of all they do on a daily basis? Because they love their jobs, and their students even more. Because they would do anything to provide the most engaging and meaningful instruction they can offer to their students.
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The storing and organizing of your beloved task cardsIf my head weren't attached, I would seriously lose it. That is not a cliche'. I mean it.
Once I was looking all over my classroom for my sunglasses as the recess bell was about to ring, and my students were climbing the walls and I needed to get them out like NOW. I looked on my desk, my back table, even in my purse. Finally, I put my hands on my hips and asked my class if they could see my sunglasses. One of my students raised her hand and said, "They're on your head!" So, seriously, out of sight, out of mind. I can't have my precious and important class materials fall into that same dark and forgotten hole! I love my task cards, and the easier it is to access my materials, the easier it is to include them in my lesson plans. I spent many hours culling through Pinterest and many teachers' blogs looking for the best visual and economic ways to store my task cards. I was looking for ways to organize them in my own classroom. Then I got a new job that will have me out of the classroom this year. Even though I won't be needing these storage solutions myself, I feel compelled to share the collection of solutions I discovered. I just can't see that search not benefiting someone! Adventure is out there!Every teacher knows that teaching resources can be found almost anywhere, especially if you are looking at everything through the "teacher lens". I discovered what I believe (after 20 years of teaching) to be the biggest teaching resource jackpot ever! Recently, my family moved from Utah to South Carolina. I'm a firm believer that the best way to learn to enjoy where you live, is to get out and find the adventure that every state has to offer. To get my kids excited about exploring I decided to call them "Adventure Days". I make a promise to the girls to have plans but to be open to stopping when the mood hits us, and wandering down streets with funny names, or any roadside stand that sounds interesting. Our second Adventure Day was one centered around historical features of South Carolina. And that's what led me to my biggest Teacher Resource Jackpot! The last covered bridge in South Carolina, Campbell's covered bridge in Landrum, SC.
Yay math!This meme is funny because it's true! You can admit it, it's just us teachers here. How many times do you say, "it's math time," and there is a collective groan that runs through the room? Yeah, I know. We sit at home and plan our exciting lessons while binge watching Netflix, all the while pounding our heads against the wall trying to find a way to make math exciting! Some days I would even accept if a math lesson was survivable!
Then one day I created my first math relay tag product. We were learning about 2 by 2 digit multiplication. If you've ever taught this, you know that teaching students the steps is the first part of the lesson. Giving students many opportunities to practice the steps is the second part of the lesson. Good math teachers recognize that practice is vital to get kids to really embed those skills. I needed a way to get my kids to want to do their problems quickly and accurately. Teacher in LimboWell, that title might be a bit melodramatic. I'm in a bit of a transition. My family relocated half way across the United States during the Christmas break. That meant quitting my teaching job in November to prepare the house for the big pack and move, while trying to keep it spotless for the potential buyers all the while trying to have a normal Christmas for my kids (who we were tearing away from their friends and the schools they love). Yeah. We are those parents. As anyone who has made a move like this knows, transferring your teaching license and getting a job in January are all tricky prospects. I officially have a South Carolina teaching license, adding to the ever growing collection of teaching licenses (Texas, Georgia, Utah, and now South Carolina). What is still missing is a job. Well, a permanent position. I have been lucky enough to snag a maternity leave sub position at my daughter's school. The kids are great, and the school is definitely on my wish list for teaching positions. Now, if someone would just move along so I can have a job there. Sigh. In the meantime, I will just enjoy the little cuties and brush up my resume. Common and proper nouns taskcardsIf you have been a reader of my little stories, you know that I have an infinity for task cards. I love to create them for my classroom because they are the perfect activity. They are whatever you need them to be: assessment, review, ticket out the door, morning bell work, even center work.
My favorite subject to use task cards is grammar. The kids always need the most practice with grammar, and well, task cards break up the boring routines. Have you discovered task cards yet? I can't believe how a simple concept has changed my classroom practices (for the better!)
I am going to admit something to you- I resisted Teachers Pay Teachers for a while. I thought the idea was silly. I had plenty of teaching resources thank you! And things that I didn't have I could find easily, for free, on the internet. When I finally joined the rest of the teaching world and began perusing Teachers Pay Teachers I found tons of task cards all over the site. Colorful little cards on different topics, many of which I was teaching in my classroom using boring worksheets. I wasn't familiar with what they were, so I began reading the comments from people who purchased them, and discovered a whole world I didn't know existed! My very favorite part of my classroom hands down, is my class library. It is the sun of my classroom universe! All things revolve around it! When I plan out my classroom layout, I first decide where my library is going to go. After I am happy with that, I decide where everything else goes, including my desk!
Not only do I really just love books, and getting kids to love books, but my class library has been a labor of love. Now ladies, I stress LABOR. Building a large class library is work. It takes time, ingenuity and creativity to do so without breaking the bank. So, here are my best tips to help you build your own class library that your students will clamber to get into. I have a problem. A book problem. As far as problems go, I suppose it could be worse. My kids are the ones who benefit from this particular problem. See, I love books, all kinds of books. And I get so excited when I get new books for the class library and the kids get excited too. Sometimes I will line the new books up along the chalkrail so the kids can see them. They will ask every day when the books will be added to the library so they can read them. And that my friends is what it is all about!
Having a usable class library is a very important step to ensure reading workshop works in your classroom. For me, the most important thing is keeping it usable for the students. They are the ones who need to access it and find their book choices quickly. If it is too hard for the students to find what they are looking for, or to look when they don't know exactly what they are looking for, they will not check out a book. That is unacceptable to me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I transitioned to the Reading Workshop Model about 10 years ago. In that time I have watched my class library grow. Having an organization that could grow with my library has been really important. I found Beth Newingham's website and loved how she organized her massive library. I still follow her on Scholastic and am green with envy over her expanding library collection. When I decided that I liked her organziation I immediately ordered the same baskets, downloaded her basket labels and madly spent hours leveling each book, placing a genre label and a label with my name on them. Every year I have teachers who have total library envy! And who can blame them really? If you haven't heard of Beth Newingham, let me introduce you to her. Here is her page where she walks you through her layout. It includes a link for her labels as well as the chart she uses to level her books. She is amazing, so amazing that Scholastic snatched her up and has her share all of her fabulousness on their website! So how exactly do I make my library such a wonderful place for kids to discover their love of books? It's that time of year, when the kids can't stop thinking about what they are wearing for Halloween! So, reel in that energy and convert it into energy towards writing! Let me share with you my Halloween poems lesson. This lesson includes: * an extensive list of Halloween words intended to set that spooky mood * an explanation of several different types of poems (acrostic poems, alphabet alliteration poems, cinquain poems, and diamante poems) *4 pages to print off your students can write their poems on (2 in color, 2 black and white) Your students will love being able to find the creepiest words they can to write their poem! Although the common core doesn't specifically list poems in the writing standards, I can't help but think how helpful this lesson is in helping kids understand how important description is for setting scenes. So, roll out your thunder sound effects, and get your students writing! Get the entire lesson here: Halloween Poems Happy Spooky Writing! Well, the school year has taken off and I'm finally catching my breath a bit. I've gotten my students settled into most of our routines. We have finally conquered the bigger blocks of our day and I can now sit in my guided reading groups without interruption.
In a previous post I discussed how I use the reading workshop model in my classroom. I explained my read aloud method and described in overview how the workshop model works. Now I would like to share with you how I make the independent reading time work in my room. |
AuthorWelcome to my blog! I'm Susan and I am a wife, mother, runner, teacher, and resource author! I have been teaching for 21 years, and I love finding ways to engage my students in learning! Reading is my passion, and I love helping my students find their passion for reading. Categories
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