Optimum Organization

Fun in 4b and Ladybug Teacher Files are having an organization party. 

I am pretty organized....just not good about putting things away immediately.  Last summer I created some things that have been really helpful in keeping things put away and easily found.  The "famous" teacher toolbox" and then just prettifying and labeling sterlite drawers.

Here is how I organize running records...my favorite reading assessment even though my district loves the ridiculous 1 minute assessments that tell me nothing about a student reader.

I always forget to label the binder....however it is ginormous, so the size is kind of its own label!

Inside the sections are divided by the end of year goal for each grade (kindy, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd).

Behind each grade level tab is the books for those levels, and a page protector with numerous copies of pages needed to administer reading assessment.

And yesterday's post about student mailboxes, may be helpful also....
Happy Wednesday,

Mailboxes

Possibly you don't have room for a giant mailbox center or funding...I have a solution for both.  All you need is a crate and hanging files.  I used to only use one crate, but with 36 chickadees the pack up line was never ending.  So one crate is for boys and one crate is for girls.  This also helps when papers go home, that are gender specific...soccer/volleyball/flag football/etc.

Papers that need to go home are in the tray next to the crates and then each student has their name on a hanging file.   The filing team grabs and paper and puts in the matching folder.

Works like a charm!

Happy Tuesday,

Opinion/Persuasive Essays

Opinion writing is underway.  We have read lots of mentor texts are are trying out some writing of our own.  We started by looking at how the kinds of writing are different.



I found a great anchor chart about beginning Opinion pieces over at The Go To Teacher.  She has a great conclusion chart also, but we aren't quite there yet.

 From Dear Mrs. LaRue

 From Earrings

 From I Wanna New Room

 From Click, Clack Moo

 From an article we found in National Geographic for Kids

Ways we can start sentences.  After we practiced writing, students read their piece aloud and I put checks next to the starters they used.

 Today we read, My Brother Dan's Delicious. It is told from the younger brother's point of view.  He has been left alone and is convinced their could be a monster in the house.  So he then clearly lists and explains why his brother Dan would be better to eat and far more delicious.  We read and made a chart as we went along.  Students kept track on their own paper also.

Students used words or pictures to record why Dan was a better eating choice.

Then we wrote our own main idea and two or three reasons to back it up.
Long hair better than short hair

XBox better than Wii

 Roblox better than Minecraft

 Playing outside instead of watching TV

 Playing with dolls is better than math

 PE is better than music

Happy Monday,
15 more days.....

Flashback Five Linky Party 1st Timer

No school today...for the kiddos anyway, so you get for Flashback Five Thursday.  Every Friday so many of you link up, that I wanted to join the fun!  You can too.

Saturday is my last day of volleyball and is an all day tournament.  So last night the team came over to my house and we watched volleyball videos, made posters, and painted our nails to match our shirts.  Then got a team photo.  They crack me up!

Wednesday, I was out for a Right Brain Training and left a "How Well Do You Know Your Teacher" Quiz.  Miss Trayers started this inspiration and the responses had me laughing out loud!

This one is from my Giants fan.  We are frenemies....as I am a Dodger fan.  I had to go look up 
Mike Krukow....apparently he is a broadcaster for the Giants.

This one is spot on.  Sun-days....like snowdays, only for 80 sunny days, since we never get them during the school year.  I tell my class how we all have to work to keep our class clean.  I didn't spend years at school to pick up after them:-)...although being a maid, I would probably make more money.

Half my class mentioned Josh Groban!  Also, apparently I love Uncle Jesse, cuz I say capesh all the time.

Every one of them mentioned We are in the middle of studying Portland, Oregon.  At the end of the month we are going on a field trip downtown.  During class we have been making maps and adding interesting locations.  Soon groups will be choosing locations and highlighting the most effective route for seeing them.  On field trip day, they use the map as their tour guide.

And we have been making posters of all the intersting things you can do and see in Downtown Portland.
Portland has a famous statue, named Portlandia.  It is the 2nd largest freestanding copper statue in the world...Statue of Liberty being the largest.  One of my students wrote a comic for us about statues in Portland.

Happy Friday,

Who wants to join another linky party?  Click the pic for more info.

I Heart Kidblog

Many of you already do kidblog.  I have been using it for a while, and just thought I would share.  My class uses it fairly regularly, but stay within the topic of reading/books.  It is really easy to set up and each student has their own blog to change and post on.

So here is one written today...

And the conversation that follows....

I don't worry about punctuation, spelling, etc.  I may comment about it but really just encourage sharing and talking about books.

Happy Tuesday,

Last-Minute-Laurie

You know that game where you have to use an adjective that starts with the first letter of your name to introduce yourself.  Usually I use laughing...but this week last minute would be much better.  I always have plans in my head for what I want to do, but when executed don't always create the results I wanted.  So...we were going to draw a picture of the best part of our moms.  Then paint it.  Then write a poem.  This all sounded great, but I was not loving the product. 

Thank goodness for all the ideas you all share.  Did you see the CUTE project over at Soaring Through Second?  Sandy rescued my Mother's Day!  You MUST go check it out and give her brilliance credit!

Here is what she did-

I didn't have an i-pad app for typing and my awesome roommate came in to take the pictures, so I needed the mom part to be done before she got to school.  I grabbed some black paper and a bucket of sidewalk chalk and had students write.

I love them!  (The "strike a pose" one cracks me up!)

Happy Thursday,

PS...you can still join the "Fiction Teacher Appreciation" Linky Party