I absolutely loved these two ideas!!
Write and draw about where readers like to read. Check out her post here.
Showing posts with label First days of school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First days of school. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Literature Circles
http://bonniecampbellhill.com/Handouts/Handouts/NESALitCircleHandoutAthens07.pdf
• Use questions that come up during discussion as jumping-off points for writing
• Open-ended questions: "How are you like this character?" or "What do you think will happen next, and why?"
• Prompts: "I wonder...", "I wish ...", "What if ....?"
• Diary entries in the voice of a character
• Cause/effect explanation
• Letters to characters (or from one character to another)
• Sketching or drawing
• Use questions that come up during discussion as jumping-off points for writing
• Open-ended questions: "How are you like this character?" or "What do you think will happen next, and why?"
• Prompts: "I wonder...", "I wish ...", "What if ....?"
• Diary entries in the voice of a character
• Cause/effect explanation
• Letters to characters (or from one character to another)
• Sketching or drawing
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
We are all writers
Some of my favorite books for launching Writer's Workshop at the beginning of the year are books that help my students realize that they are authors too! Here's a small compilation of a few of my faves...
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
We are all special and unique
This lesson came from Scholastic.com. I read "Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon" to the class and we talked about how Molly's grandma helped her feel special. Then we read the poem that was on the Scholastic lesson plan called "Sunny Sunflowers," and discussed how we are like sunflowers because we are all special and unique
On each petal, they wrote a sentence telling what made them special. This really helped me see who could form sentences on their own, and who needed help!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
"The Black Book"
http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/search/label/Anchor%20Charts
Make a big deal of this, before you have homework
Scary music!
Make them write in it, not the teacher.
It'll be shared at conferences
I also explained to them that the Black Book will be pulled out and shared during conferences.
I have to say, this is working. I talked this up last week telling them all that it was coming to the classroom soon. Then yesterday, their first night of homework this week, I reminded them that "the Black Book would be in the classroom tomorrow." This morning as students were coming up to my table to turn in homework one boy walked up, there were 2 piles, one for Active Reading Notebooks and the other for their math page. He had his Active Reading Notebook but couldn't find his Math....at one point he put down his backpack and I heard him say to himself "this isn't happening". I cracked up. He found his paper but was worried because the Black Book was there. I do have to add that out of 22 students there are only about 4 that tend to "forget" their homework, so hopefully this will be a way to get them back in the homework ballgame:)
Make a big deal of this, before you have homework
Scary music!
Make them write in it, not the teacher.
It'll be shared at conferences
I also explained to them that the Black Book will be pulled out and shared during conferences.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Picture Prompt
· Picture Writing Prompts: Take cards/DVD covers or something with a picture on the front of it and write writing prompts on the back such as “What do you think is going on in this picture?” or “If you have seen this move before, pretend you are this character and write…” This gives kids more motivation and a better visual prompt.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tattle Monster
·
o When students want to tattle, have them write their complaint on a piece of paper and feed it to the tattle monster (tissue box decorated to look like a monster)
o Students are getting writing practice when they do this
Hand Signals
: Create a classroom-wide hand signal for thing such as going to the bathroom and getting a drink. Any time the teacher sees these signals he or she can do the signal back giving the “ok” or simply say no. This is a huge time savor and decreases interruption in the younger grades.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
applesauce
Criss-cross applesauce,
Give a little clap. (clap hands)
Criss-cross applesauce, Put them in my lap. (put hands in lap)
Criss-cross applesauce, Quiet as can be.
Criss-cross applesauce, Eyes on me. (point to self)
Criss-cross applesauce, Put them in my lap. (put hands in lap)
Criss-cross applesauce, Quiet as can be.
Criss-cross applesauce, Eyes on me. (point to self)
The Rainbow Fish
-Beginning of the year they read “The Rainbow Fish”, and make a cut out of a giant rainbow fish. Hand out a blank scale and tell the children to decorate it. When they finish put it on the fish cut-out. finish and hang in the room
. They talk about how they may all be different, but they still go together to make a whole fish and classroom
Thursday, November 10, 2011
the first days of writing
Dr. Kingsley is truely inspiring!
*First day of school- As you all sit down to talk about the summer share what you did over the summer. Hands will raise to share what they did over the summer. As the students share what they did over the summer, have them share, and make a point to say,
"That would be a great thing to write about in your writers notebook!... oh wait, you don't have one... darn."
And then move on to the next person!
After a few more people share chime in again that would be a great thing to write in your writers notebook about because you have a lot of great details and then say oh darn... you don't have a writers notebook either....
and then drop it!
As kids come up to you and try to tell you a cool or funny story interupt and say, "Oh! That would be a great story to put in your writers notebook... oh darn! You guys don't have those"
Build up the writers notebooks
___________________________________________________________________________________
The first days of writing (before writers notebooks) fill their heads with great ideas to write about.
Spend the writing period telling stories and have them write their topics on a sheet of paper. ??
___________________________________________________________________________________
Once you get into a routine tell the kids you've been in contact with the Writers Notebook Company and they are willing to give us writers notebooks but you have to submit writing to them (their very best) to prove you are worthy of (3rd) grade Writers Notebooks.
^Maybe Danny would be willing to be our Writers Notebook Company contact person?
^^ Show them an email or put Danny on speaker phone so the kids know.
Over the next couple of weeks work on improving a piece of writing.
* What if they wrote several and then we shared the writing with one another and they got to help which one was their best and that was the one we sent to the company?
Scan and Email them to Danny or mail them to Danny
__________________________________________________________________________________
After you all have established what writing should look like (see post students taking ownership on Oct. 6) as you create samples for WNC (writers notebook company)
Tell the students about the good news. Read Email or take the phone call of Danny saying they would like to issue them their own Writers Notebooks in X amount of days.
Create a count down of when they'll recieve them!
___________________________________________________________________________________
Writers Notebook should have an official "WNC" sticker on the back.
___________________________________________________________________________________
On the day of have somebody deliver them to the office and bring them down to the room (postage from where you have been mailing them)
___________________________________________________________________________________
*First day of school- As you all sit down to talk about the summer share what you did over the summer. Hands will raise to share what they did over the summer. As the students share what they did over the summer, have them share, and make a point to say,
"That would be a great thing to write about in your writers notebook!... oh wait, you don't have one... darn."
And then move on to the next person!
After a few more people share chime in again that would be a great thing to write in your writers notebook about because you have a lot of great details and then say oh darn... you don't have a writers notebook either....
and then drop it!
As kids come up to you and try to tell you a cool or funny story interupt and say, "Oh! That would be a great story to put in your writers notebook... oh darn! You guys don't have those"
Build up the writers notebooks
___________________________________________________________________________________
The first days of writing (before writers notebooks) fill their heads with great ideas to write about.
Spend the writing period telling stories and have them write their topics on a sheet of paper. ??
___________________________________________________________________________________
Once you get into a routine tell the kids you've been in contact with the Writers Notebook Company and they are willing to give us writers notebooks but you have to submit writing to them (their very best) to prove you are worthy of (3rd) grade Writers Notebooks.
^Maybe Danny would be willing to be our Writers Notebook Company contact person?
^^ Show them an email or put Danny on speaker phone so the kids know.
Over the next couple of weeks work on improving a piece of writing.
* What if they wrote several and then we shared the writing with one another and they got to help which one was their best and that was the one we sent to the company?
Scan and Email them to Danny or mail them to Danny
__________________________________________________________________________________
After you all have established what writing should look like (see post students taking ownership on Oct. 6) as you create samples for WNC (writers notebook company)
Tell the students about the good news. Read Email or take the phone call of Danny saying they would like to issue them their own Writers Notebooks in X amount of days.
Create a count down of when they'll recieve them!
___________________________________________________________________________________
Writers Notebook should have an official "WNC" sticker on the back.
___________________________________________________________________________________
On the day of have somebody deliver them to the office and bring them down to the room (postage from where you have been mailing them)
___________________________________________________________________________________
No Peeking!
Making books fun!
Before the school year started 5th grade piled all the books from their classroom library into one giant pile. The teacher draped a sheet over it and after the first week of school she unvailed it. I heard the anticipation was unbelievable.
They then sorted the books so they would know what books they have in their library and where to find it.
For the younger kids this would be great.... but the older kids I've already started to sort the books. I've been sorting them by genre and putting a colored dot on it so kids konw what it what. I guess I thought I'd be sorting them alphabetically.... but now I'm wondering if there might be a better way.
Before the school year started 5th grade piled all the books from their classroom library into one giant pile. The teacher draped a sheet over it and after the first week of school she unvailed it. I heard the anticipation was unbelievable.
They then sorted the books so they would know what books they have in their library and where to find it.
For the younger kids this would be great.... but the older kids I've already started to sort the books. I've been sorting them by genre and putting a colored dot on it so kids konw what it what. I guess I thought I'd be sorting them alphabetically.... but now I'm wondering if there might be a better way.
Creating Classroom Rules
5th grade read “David Gets In Trouble” and “David Goes To School” and then came up with their classroom rules.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Self-Portraits
At the beginning of the year have the students draw a self-portriat.
tape it to black paper so there is a small black boarder around the edges. laminate and hang up in the room.
at the end of the year have the students draw another self-portrait and follow the above mentioned steps.
use the first one to create the front of their writing portfolio and use the latest one as the back cover
tape it to black paper so there is a small black boarder around the edges. laminate and hang up in the room.
at the end of the year have the students draw another self-portrait and follow the above mentioned steps.
use the first one to create the front of their writing portfolio and use the latest one as the back cover
Peanut Butter River
If you are quite often in the hotseat when it comes to providing team-building games, this is one to have up your sleeve. The game is a test of ingenuity and problem-solving skills and so has very few rules. The aim is to get people to think, rather than be a set-piece game.
What You will Need
Very little equipment is required. A supply of some sheets of paper will do but more durable material like small carpet samples or carpet tiles are better.
Tip: The size of the carpeting (stepping-stones) is crucial. The bigger they are, the easier it'll be.
How to Play
You will need to divide your group into two unequal teams. The majority are the bold explorers trying to cross the peanut butter river while the two-or-three-person minority are the crocodiles which live in the river. You are the umpire and what you say goes.
The river to be crossed is defined by the umpire - normally from one side of a room to the other - and the banks of the river must be easily identified. Each explorer is given a piece of paper/material/tile (from now on referred to as a stepping-stone). Crocodiles must stay in the river.
The first explorer places his or her stepping-stone into the river, close enough for him or her to immediately step on it. An untouched stepping-stone can be grabbed by a crocodile and disappears from the game. Any explorers that fall in the river have to go back to the starting bank.
The explorer team has to work out how they will use the stepping-stones to get from one side to the other. Stepping-stones can be picked up and moved to another part of the river as necessary. Remember: any unattended stone can be snatched away by a crocodile.
The End of the Game
The game ends when the last explorer gets across the river, or time runs out, or the explorers give up due to a lack of stepping stones.
Mix up the teams over the course of the session and see who makes the fastest crossing.
What Happens?
When children play this for the first time they tend to be very disorganised and may lose a few stepping stones before they realise that they have to use caution. It soon becomes apparent that more than one person will have to stand on a stepping stone from time to time. Stepping-stones can become very vulnerable to crocodile attack when the explorers are sharing one while trying to pick another one up.
Variations
Forfeits
You can add a rule that if anyone steps into the Peanut Butter1 river then the crocodiles can remove one stepping stone. People on that stepping stone have five seconds to get onto another stone or the bank, without touching the river.
Working with Children
If you are working with a young group you can introduce the game in stages:
What You will Need
Very little equipment is required. A supply of some sheets of paper will do but more durable material like small carpet samples or carpet tiles are better.
Tip: The size of the carpeting (stepping-stones) is crucial. The bigger they are, the easier it'll be.
How to Play
You will need to divide your group into two unequal teams. The majority are the bold explorers trying to cross the peanut butter river while the two-or-three-person minority are the crocodiles which live in the river. You are the umpire and what you say goes.
The river to be crossed is defined by the umpire - normally from one side of a room to the other - and the banks of the river must be easily identified. Each explorer is given a piece of paper/material/tile (from now on referred to as a stepping-stone). Crocodiles must stay in the river.
The first explorer places his or her stepping-stone into the river, close enough for him or her to immediately step on it. An untouched stepping-stone can be grabbed by a crocodile and disappears from the game. Any explorers that fall in the river have to go back to the starting bank.
The explorer team has to work out how they will use the stepping-stones to get from one side to the other. Stepping-stones can be picked up and moved to another part of the river as necessary. Remember: any unattended stone can be snatched away by a crocodile.
The End of the Game
The game ends when the last explorer gets across the river, or time runs out, or the explorers give up due to a lack of stepping stones.
Mix up the teams over the course of the session and see who makes the fastest crossing.
What Happens?
When children play this for the first time they tend to be very disorganised and may lose a few stepping stones before they realise that they have to use caution. It soon becomes apparent that more than one person will have to stand on a stepping stone from time to time. Stepping-stones can become very vulnerable to crocodile attack when the explorers are sharing one while trying to pick another one up.
Variations
Forfeits
You can add a rule that if anyone steps into the Peanut Butter1 river then the crocodiles can remove one stepping stone. People on that stepping stone have five seconds to get onto another stone or the bank, without touching the river.
Working with Children
If you are working with a young group you can introduce the game in stages:
- Stage One: Play it without crocodiles or forfeits
- Stage Two: Play it with crocodiles but no forfeits
- Stage Three: Play it with crocodiles and forfeits.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
desk arrangments
Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade desks are all tables. 4th and 5th grade have actual desks.
It wasn't until the 6th week of school did I notice fourth grade desks went from being situated individually to being paired up in pods. I understand why she put them individually at first. I think it minimizes conflicts while you get to learn which students get along with which. Personally, I like pods soo much better. I like the conversation it promotes. But then.. if the kids can't handle the temptations of being seated with other students then they'd loose the privilage of sitting with others.
She assigns each desk a numbe and letter. So pod 1 is constructed of four desks. 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. Pod 2, Pod 3, Pod 4... etc.
She uses these to call on people to read, or to have people grab supplies, or answer questions.
As I am in her classroom I'm trying to see if I can figure out why she put each student where. I think back to Mrs. Nicholes class where she has a 1, 2, 3, and 4. 1 is a high student, 2, is high average (or a leader), 3 is a low average, and 4 might be a struggler. But as I learned at the TAWL conference you also have to consider personalities... I'm thinking the seating chart will be a big deal for my first classroom.....
It wasn't until the 6th week of school did I notice fourth grade desks went from being situated individually to being paired up in pods. I understand why she put them individually at first. I think it minimizes conflicts while you get to learn which students get along with which. Personally, I like pods soo much better. I like the conversation it promotes. But then.. if the kids can't handle the temptations of being seated with other students then they'd loose the privilage of sitting with others.
She assigns each desk a numbe and letter. So pod 1 is constructed of four desks. 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. Pod 2, Pod 3, Pod 4... etc.
She uses these to call on people to read, or to have people grab supplies, or answer questions.
As I am in her classroom I'm trying to see if I can figure out why she put each student where. I think back to Mrs. Nicholes class where she has a 1, 2, 3, and 4. 1 is a high student, 2, is high average (or a leader), 3 is a low average, and 4 might be a struggler. But as I learned at the TAWL conference you also have to consider personalities... I'm thinking the seating chart will be a big deal for my first classroom.....
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Roving Journals
Individual: A Roving Journal is a personalized binder/composition notebook/blog/or box that is the students to keep. It will stay in the classroom and the students will take turns writing in one anothers journal.
If it is a day when the classroom journal gets read then the students will find time to write in someone elses journal when they have free time. If it isn't a day when they read aloud the classroom journal then they write in one anothers' journals in the morning.
Students can make entries how ever they want. However, encourage them to use what you are studying in class. If you are doing a poetry unit have them write their next entry as a poem.
You can asses these by randomly reading them to see how they applying what you are teaching them. It also allows you to learn about them.
Classroom: A Classroom Roving Journal is created when the teacher writes a letter to the class. The teacher also includes an artwork of some kind. It then is given to someone to take home. Together the family reads the letter and responds to the first letter. The child who took the journal home then comes back and reads it to the class in the morning to start each day. Classroom journal goes home Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The next take home day the child will take home the journal, read it as a family, and respond to the latest letter. They'll come to school the next day and they'll read it aloud... and the process starts all over.
TAWL Conference 10-22-11
If it is a day when the classroom journal gets read then the students will find time to write in someone elses journal when they have free time. If it isn't a day when they read aloud the classroom journal then they write in one anothers' journals in the morning.
Students can make entries how ever they want. However, encourage them to use what you are studying in class. If you are doing a poetry unit have them write their next entry as a poem.
You can asses these by randomly reading them to see how they applying what you are teaching them. It also allows you to learn about them.
Classroom: A Classroom Roving Journal is created when the teacher writes a letter to the class. The teacher also includes an artwork of some kind. It then is given to someone to take home. Together the family reads the letter and responds to the first letter. The child who took the journal home then comes back and reads it to the class in the morning to start each day. Classroom journal goes home Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The next take home day the child will take home the journal, read it as a family, and respond to the latest letter. They'll come to school the next day and they'll read it aloud... and the process starts all over.
TAWL Conference 10-22-11
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Behavior Managfement
In the past I thought I liked this way of managing behaviors
Note the numbers on the clips instead of names.
I think I like the check list better because it documents everything! If I had a way to document what the child did to get their clip moved down then I would like it.
Maybe If I could sort problem behavior into 2 types. Maybe interupting and not follwing directions then I could make the left side of the hanging chart thing interupting and the right side not following directions. Then at the end of the day document on paper or the computer of how the behaviors were...
I don't know, that might be too complicated.
Note the numbers on the clips instead of names.I like the visual aspect of this because it is a constant reminder of good and bad behaviors
But I think I might like a check list better.
My third grade teachers use a clipboard to note of any behavior problems. They use one daily and everytime someone is off task or not doing his or her job they'll find his/her name and say, "that's a warning" and make a small note of what they were/n't doing to get in trouble (so not listening, etc.)
This year the kids need a lot of reminders. They give 3 steps before they have to fill out a think sheet. Normally they don't need but 2 reminders before they have to fill out a think sheet.
1. verbal reminder
2. back to your seat
3. safe seat (which I prefer to call a think seat)
4. think sheet
Maybe If I could sort problem behavior into 2 types. Maybe interupting and not follwing directions then I could make the left side of the hanging chart thing interupting and the right side not following directions. Then at the end of the day document on paper or the computer of how the behaviors were...
I don't know, that might be too complicated.
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