Ch-cha-changes Part 1

We got a new administrator last March and though I am SO sad our previous principal retired, I can honestly say my new principal has caused me to rethink and change the way I put my literacy block together.  First was the light bulb moment that went off when she told me she was more interested in WHAT I TAUGHT then she was in WHAT I COVERED!  So often I put pressure on myself and my students to get through a years worth of material whether or not they mastered it and I was nervous if I wasn't moving on like the book said too.  This year I am happily focusing on taking the time to teach and getting to the next skill when we're ready.  We took the first six weeks of school to build D5 stamina, learn procedures and routines and review kindergarten material.  I truly feel it has made a huge difference and I know these kids so much better than I might have had I started Treasures the first week of school.  One of the things I am doing differently is giving spelling a pretest on Friday.  It allows me to look over what the kids already know and give them a differentiated list on Monday.  The pretest is always the 10 words Treasures recommends.  If a student knows all the words or only misses a sight word I will give them two additional words.  I look to see where they made their first two mistakes in the beginning of the year Words Their Way assessment and then try to merge that with the phonetic skill of the week.  So for last week I add the words dish, and ship to the list, giving these students 12 words.  If a student misses four words or less they will study the Treasures list.  For my students who miss more then 4 words I give them the 8 phonetic words and leave off the sight words.  I created the following forms to give the pretest and also to their spelling list home.



 

I fold these in half before passing them out to the kids and then once we take the test have them open them up to see how they did. 



Over the weekend I highlight the words the kids need to study and add words in the two blank spaces.  Once I get to school on Monday I just staple one half into their Word Work book and send the other half home.  On Fridays I use the spelling test papers from What The Teacher Wants.  This method has been working so well this year I couldn't be happier.  It makes me feel like I am really instructing all my kids not just the ones who don't know the 10 words Treasures recommends. 

 

Hellloooo Out There!

To say it's been awhile is an understatement!  What can I say, teaching, working at summer camp and my 3 kiddos have kept me uber busy!  Anywhoo, we've started a new school year here in MD and I have a new group of firsties to work with.  At the end of last  year I was really sad to let my kiddos go.  I seriously wanted to loop with them and even tossed the idea out to our new principal, but knew it wasn't going to happen.  Truthfully it's for the best since my AJ would have once again been in the same grade that I was teaching.  Having been with my new crew for almost 4 weeks now I can tell you I'm so glad I didn't!  Oh my goodness I love these kids already.  They have to be the most energetic, enthusiastic bunch ever!  They love any and everything we do.  They can be a little loud but we're working on it and they're learning.  21 sweeties who love to learn =  one happy teacher!

This year things have changed as far as our reading program and I couldn't be happier.  Our school is focusing on differentiated instruction and small groups which has really challenged me.  I did a lot more small group work last year so it's not a shock but there is a difference in being told to do something and doing cause you want to.  I am back to the D5 framework again this year and trying my best to not give up and do my own version before I give The Sisters recommendations a try.  At the beginning of this 4th week of school my students were reading 32 minutes during R2S.  Today and for the rest of the week we will be trying to do 20 minute rounds were they do either Word Work, R2S, or Work on Writing.  Since this is our trial week I am telling them were to go.  They did pretty good today.  As I have it laid out now I will be meeting with my groups M-Th, with Friday being a wrap-up day. I'm itching to get started and test out the D5 for real.  If any of you are still reading and you do D5 in your classroom along with a basal i.e. Treasures, how do you get your mini lessons in within 10 minutes?  That's my biggest fear for the coming week!

My hope is next week they can start choosing for themselves.  To avoid raising my voice and getting frustrated with my class I decided to takes things really S-L-O-W.  Over the summer my principal told my coworker and me that it was perfectly acceptable to take the whole month of September to introduce and practice routines.  She said it was ok if we didn't get into Treasures until October.  I decided to take her up on that offer and really focus on procedures during September.  It has gone really well.  I can tell the kids are ready for some responsibility and eager to start doing things for real.  Next week will be the test to see if giving them extra modeling/practice time benefited them.

I'll post pictures of my classroom in the next couple days.  I didn't think I changed much but all my students from last year seem to think I did.  I'm really happy with the way its coming along each year.  I have a few more changes to make but for the most part it feels more me then it ever has before!

Something old, something new, something borrowed, and a giveaway

I can't believe my break is pretty much over!  I had a great time milling around with my kiddos and spending time with my family.  Today my 3 are excited about eating lunch at McDonalds with my Grandpa. We never eat in McDonalds do you?  Regardless my terror squad will be making an appearance.

Anywho I am sitting here planning for next week and realized I have five more actual teaching weeks left!  EEEK!  Not sure how I will get everything I want done but the pressures on!  We actually have 7 weeks left but my school does an arts festival in May and that is 3 days gone and then the last week is half days so that's a wash too. So here is what I've come up with as my plan to finish the year...

Something Old:  Our story next week is The Kite (chapter from Days with Frog and Toad), we always use this as an intro to reading chapter books.  I will do this again this year but read the whole book as the first book club for my on level readers.
Something New:  I have never done book clubs before but have wanted and with my principals approval I am going for it!  I am going to use Jenn Bate's Save the Earth Packet  with my above level readers.  With my early on level readers I will read Mercer Mayer's It's Earth Day! and move into Days with Frog and Toad.
Something borrowed:  While looking through blog land for book club ideas I found this post from the fabulous Cara Carroll Brown Bag Book Club and am borrowing to use on Friday.  I may try and find a way to include our buddies on this but I don't know yet.

We will still read our HBR (hardback readers) and focus on problem and solution in all the stories we read.  I have two craftivities planned to use in reading this week.  We will also make a toad peak over to answer a problem and solution writing prompt.  To incorporate poetry they will use a kite template to write an acrostic poem.  In March my firsties had such fun coming up with  Limericks using Abby's unit I am sure they will love writing the acrostics.

The Giveaway:  If you read my blog you have realized I don't come up with much original stuff.  Honestly there is such great stuff out there and why not use other peoples stuff from TPT or blogs?  It leaves me with more time to spend with my own kids.   But I do want to thank everyone who has helped me by sharing their awesome ideas so I am going to give away a copy of this book:

AJ and I picked it up at BN last week and fell in love!  It is by the same author of Alexander and the Terrible No Good Very Bad Day  and the illustrations are hilarious.  I read a couple pages to AJ and then she took over.  It would be a great addition to any library and also a be a great chapter book read aloud.  Lulu is a not so nice girl who is convinced she wants a brontosaurus for her birthday and wont' take no for an answer.  I asked AJ what her favorite part of the book was and she said two things; that she could pick from 3 endings and that the author let her read a chapter from the next book in the series.

So if you'd like to enter here's how:

1. follow my blog (leave a comment)
2. blog about the giveaway (leave a comment with link)  

Since things get 12 kinds of crazy for me when school starts I will end this on Saturday at 10 pm and announce the winner on Sunday evening.  

Good Luck!  

Open Tag

Christina at Mrs. Bainbridge's Class issued an open tag that I am accepting so I can keep posting each day of spring break :) 


So... if you want to accept my tagging... please answer the following questions:

1.)  Do you scrapbook?  If so, what's your favorite tool?  If not... why?
       I use to before I had kids :-(  I no longer have time but more than anything my husband packed up all my supplies when we turned my scrapbooking room into #2's room.  

2.)  Favorite 80s TV show
      Hard one let's see, Punky Brewster, Small Wonder and Three's Company

3.)  Do you keep your toenails painted?
      Kinda in the summer yes, during the winter I keep the last polish I used on until it comes off all on its own the start again.  Weird I know.

4.)  What is your favorite bean?  (Mine is lima, in case you're curious!)
       Umm green beans

5.)  What was your favorite doll's name as a kid?  (Meggie Kay!  And I still have her!)
       I had Kirsten from AG and she was my fave, but I really wanted to have Molly.  

6.)  Coffee or tea?
       Iced coffee

7.)  Bath or shower?
      Shower, I think its weird to sit in your own filth in the tub.
8.)  What is your favorite item in your classroom?
       My smelly markers!
9.)  Funniest classroom moment summed up in 10 words or less...
     For family rule child wrote no semen drew x over mouth 


10.)  Either one name you'd NEVER name a child or one name you'd LOVE to name a child based on students you've had in your class... and you don't even have to tell us if it's a NEVER or a LOVE... just the name!  ;)


          Ellie (multiple students)

If you want to participate head over to Christina's blog :)

April Currently

Farley's April Currently Post

April Showers

How did you all decorate your doors this month?  My aid came up with this one and I love it!  I just told her I wanted rain boots and an umbrella.  It says Lovin' These April Showers.  She always executes my ideas so well.  I am very lucky to work with someone who is artistically gifted!  

Together we made this gumball machine to welcome a new principal to our school.  I was able to fit all the 2 first grades and their buddies in the machine.

Be Worthy

Each month a different teacher at my school is in charge of a hallway bulletin board. Each year I am the last to go in the lower school hallway.  Normally what I put up in April stays up till summer vacation but this year I have decided to do two. The last one I have had planned in my head for quite a while but April's was a bit harder for me to create. I normally do Easter but was debating about doing an Earth Day theme instead. In the end I decided to stick with Easter. I had planned to go with a cross in the middle and in mid March I found a technique that would allow me to use oil pastels and was sold.  I mean really who doesn't get excited to use oil pastels??  I still couldn't think of what else to do or if I should just leave the cross centered with nothing else. Thankfully I got an extra pushing seeing a blank board and after thinking it through and discussing my idea with my best friend Stacey I came up with this...

Some of my coworker friends helped me color and letter it all. One in particular did this awesome mosaic lettering...

My AJ giving final approval!

I love it and I love that 3 of my coworkers helped me pull my idea together and gave up planning periods and a Friday afternoon to get it finished