Reading and Writing Posters

It's almost here!  Back to school time!!  In preparation, I have been using pinterest for my own personal professional development:)  Sometimes I think maybe looking at pictures of other people's classrooms and ideas can be just as useful as actual professional development! Just maybe;)

Anyway, I was inspired after seeing a couple of classroom posters:  one for reading book nooks, and one for writing rubrics.  I am sticking with my "free is for me" theory in preparation for the school year, so I didn't buy any new posterboard, even though colored posters would definitely be cuter:)

Book Nooks-Students will know where they need to be during reader's workshop.  I will use clothespins with student names on them to show which student belongs at which spot.

This is a writing rubric to leave up in the room to help students know what is expected of them during writer's workshop.

Now, let me say that these are COMPLETELY copied from pinterest.  I mean, right down to the stories that are on the writing rubric.  But, I made my own version, so I figured I would share it with my followers anyway.    Here are a few more pictures, up close.  I hope these pictures inspire you for ways to manage your classroom this fall!

Have you taken on any pinterest projects for this upcoming school year?

Fireflies Literacy Unit

Happy Friday Everyone!

**I direct that especially to my year-round friends, since technically, every day is a Friday for me right now:)  I just finished up making a new literacy unit to use in conjunction with the book Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe.  I just LOVE using this book to teach writing, because the vocabulary in the book is amazing! 

Click HERE or click the picture of the unit below to check it out in my TPT store!

Click HERE to view the book on barnesandnoble.com:

I have also recently finished up a clock label display to use in my classroom next year!  Check it out by clicking HERE, or click the picture below:

I chose purple and gold as a salute to my alma mater, East Carolina University.  ARRRGGHH!!  Football season is just around the corner!!

What are you looking forward to this fall??

Girl's Night, Thanksgiving, and Polar Express!

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  Now we are in the home stretch until Christmas break!  I would first of all like to say how relaxing it is to get to visit with family and friends during long breaks from school.  I was so blessed to spend my weekend before Thanksgiving with a close friend that I used to teach with. It was motivating to talk to someone who shares a positive attitude about our kids and their potential in meeting their end of the year goals in reference to testing.....and have a couple of glasses of vino:) Add to that a 6 day weekend with family in FL, and voila!  Relaxed and ready to go!

I have posted a new product on Teachers Pay Teachers that I will be using with my third graders in the weeks leading up to Christmas break.  It is a Polar Express Writing Unit, and is a BLAST!!  There are so many great options for using The Polar Express in the Classroom, but I absolutely LOVE using it for writing!  Check it out HERE:  THE POLAR EXPRESS WRITING UNIT

Also, here are a few pics of things that we did during Thanksgiving.  The newspapers and paper plates were used in a budgeting lesson teaching kids how to plan for and budget for Thanksgiving dinner.  Whew!  That was a toughie, but definitely an eye-opener for my students!  (Think:  What do you mean the turkey cost $20???)  Priceless!  It is amazing the street smarts that come out during lessons like that too!  (Think:  I am going to get green beans in a can, since they are cheaper.)  I hope you all had success teaching Thanksgiving to your kiddos too! 

Comparing and Contrasting the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Tribe

Budgeting sheet and plate with cut out food from the Sales ad.  For more, see my Thanksgiving Unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

We don't have bulletin boards in the hallway, so this is my makeshift attempt at displaying our Thanksgiving work:)

Getting Serious!!  Budgeting our Thanksgiving dinner!

A little Pilgrim girl and flow map for the First Thanksgiving

Bulletin Board in my classroom with Pilgrims and first Thanksgiving flow maps.  Had to post this so that everyone could see the pink/blonde pilgrim:)

Oreo Moons+Halloween Unit

Whew-So, I guess not posting in a week means that I have a lot to post about now?  School has  been crazy busy-I am sure you all feel the same way! This week, I decided to try out a few new things!  First of all, I decided that with my group this year, I needed to do MUCH MORE informal assessment to make sure that they were with me and listening!  I decided to try using questions and having the students respond with hand signals.  I like it!  I can immediately tell who gets it, and who is sleeping with their eyes open!  I am also continuing to use the whole brain teaching strategy of TEACH-OK.  It is a wonderful way of giving the lower students reinforcement, and the higher students a chance to explain their thinking! 

*By the way-does anyone else feel like they have to put on a circus act somedays?*  Luckily though, while my job is a challenge, my kids are sweetie pies this year, and I love being around them!

On to another topic:  Moon OREOS!  I took this activity from the home grown leaners blog.  It was so much fun and the kids ate it up-literally:)  The activity asked for the kids to carve the phases of the moon into the creme of the oreo.  They were definitely into it, and were using words like "waxing", "waning", "gibbous", and "crescent".  Woo Hoo!

You can totally see the phases of the moon in this kids!  He did a good job scraping!!

Had to post this-please notice the boy in the middle.  I mean, I am so happy that he was that excited about learning!

In my last post, I included the moon journal that we will be using.  It is a free download, so go get it HERE.

OK ALMOST DONE!  I have made a Halloween Writing Unit that I am selling on TPT.  It will be a week long writing unit, and will teach kids how to write a descriptive narrative.  It is super fun, and I can't wait to use it!  And-best of all, it is only $3.50!  Check is out here-Halloween Writing Unit. 

Have a FABULOUS week!!