400 Follower Craziness

Journaling has always been something I enjoy but don't do often enough.  This blog has become a kind of online journal of my class.  Sometimes on a day to basis or a week by week basis.  I have "met" some amazing teachers and am looking forward to an Oregon Blogger Meetup.  Those teachers out there share and show the wonderful learning communities they have created.  This little online journal...has over 400 people following it!  How did that happen?  To celebrate, we need a giveaway, of course!

This giveaway is sponsored by ManMade in OR.  One of my co-teachers husband is behind this cleverness.  For their Etsy shop, click here.  To like their Facebook page, click here.  Fill out the Rafflecopter info. and you could be the new owner of a work of art.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Happy Monday and good luck!

P.S.  My crafty friend, who hosted my last giveaway has become quite known...you can find her scarves sold in The Library of Congress.  And she just did one for Jodi Picoult with her own book text.  She is SO talented...check her out.

Giveway graphics by The (talented) 3am Teacher-

Library Love and a Giveaway to Check Out

Amy@ Literacy and Laughter is having a Library Linky Party.  I think my classroom library will always be a work in progress. How fun and now we can see everyone else's libraries too!




I recently divided my library into three sections, non-fiction, picture books, and chapter books.  

chapter books

reading charts above books

picture books

non fiction books

I always go back and forth about how to sort them, but ultimately end up going by author in the hopes that it will help students navigate in a public library, where none of the books are leveled.  All of the books have a colored dot on the spine, that correlates to a lexile range.  The tub label and lexile number is also written inside the cover of the book.  I have found that my struggling readers have a hard time picking appropriate books (they are always filling their book bags with difficult chapter books), so I do pull out all the books that are at their level and have them in separate baskets.

The books in the chapter and picture book sections of the library are sorted, almost primarily, by author.  Sometimes a series pops up, where multiple authors are present, but the books still need to go in the same bin.  Non-fiction books are in drawers with a number labeling each drawer. 

non-fiction labels

A then Abbot, then Adler, the American Girls

Underneath the chapter books, I have baskets of a random assortment of genres.  We have a class made books, student authors, graphic novels (a very popular basket), and magazines. 

There is a table in the middle of the library.  I took the legs out, so it is only about a foot from the floor.  It has the, "I Don't Know" basket (Students put books here, if they can't figure out where to put them...instead of randomly tossing them wherever they land.) and Monster Food.

on risers with pillows

Students read all over the place, but they may refer to our anchor chart about how to make appropriate choices for where they read.

on exercise balls.

 

Okay, I think that is a summary of our classroom library.

And finally a giveaway is going on over at Oopsey Daisy.  The decorative ideas that come from her blog are so cute and if you have not seen her "mommy school" packets, go check them out now!

Happy Friday,

The Boy Who Looked Like.....

Oh thank goodness for a 4-day weekend!  The 100 follower giveaway is four days away, don't forget to enter. 

My teaching friend at school does one of the most funny art projects inspired by The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln.  For President's Day we make our own version of this book.  We read the book and then think about something we love.  Then we draw a picture of ourselves as that object.  First we sketched with pencil, traced our pencil with sharpie, and then painted with water color.

 

We had Ice Cream Cups, Medusa, Lemons, Hearts, Flowers, Basketballs, Music, and all kinds of creative stuff.

Happy Friday,
Laurie

Raise Your Hand if You Like Give Aways!

I love it when kids play the "raise your hand game"  Anyway I have made it to the 100 follower milestone.  Blog-land  is one of my new favorite places!  Thanks for following and commenting, so without further ado, here is the giveaway:

Two of my friends have super cute Etsy shops and are helping out with my 100 friends celebration.

One winner for Shop 1:  Storiarts is an amazing artist!  She has created beautiful infinity scarves from book text fabric.  You will be warm and look smart!  Should you win the giveaway, you will be the proud owner of a Pride and Prejudice print infinity scarf.

One winner for Shop 2:  It's Your Party is a teacher friend of mine, with a party on the side.  She has super cute party decorations and personalized tumblers.  Should you win the give away, you will be the proud owner of a personalized 16oz tumbler. 

Also, if you use "chickadee" at It's Your Party, you will get 10% off!














Can't you already see yourself wrapped up in that cozy scarve or sipping something yummy!

You have five ways to enter:
1)  Leave a comment telling me you follow my blog.
2)  Pin something from one of my posts to Pinterest, then leave a comment telling me you did so.
3)  Pin something from It's Your Party to Pinterest,  then leave a comment telling me you did so.
4)  Pin something from storiartsto Pinterest,  then leave a comment telling me you did so.
5)  Favorite the two etsy stores, then leave a comment telling me you did so.
6)  "Like" It's Your Party on Facebook, then leave a comment telling me you did so.

Remember to leave a link back to your blog, or your e-mail address in each entry, so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner!  Contest ends February 21st at midnight, Pacific Time:-)

Happy Tuesday,
Laurie