Daily 5 Chapter 4

Daily 5 Chapter 4 is all about Read to Self.  Such an important part of the Daily 5.  I am SO fortunate to have first grade teachers that use Daily 5.  When kids return in September they have a lot of Daily 5 experience to build on.

3 Ways to Read a Book:
This part I kind of skim over.  I really want students to read the pictures, but sometimes when I talk about it, all they do is read the picture and then forget to add the words back in, for more understanding.

Read to Self:

I do not place students individually around the room.  We spend more time making anchor chart...."Choosing Appropriate Reading Spots".  We act out appropriate and inappropriate reading place choices.  As well as what may happen if students can't make appropriate places.

For more Chapter Four, check out,

For more Daily 5 Book Study previous chapters thoughts, check out,

And on a random note is anyone else ObSEsSeD with this guy

and this show!

I have them all dvr'd for multiple rewatchings during summer break.  So So So So So So Funny!

Teachers Have Heart....and Maybe a Tattoo or Two

Continuing with Teaching Blog Addict's Blog Hop Party...today I am posting about what teaching means to me.
As a 2nd grader, I had the most wonderful teacher, Mrs. O'Neal!  Loved my teacher.  Loved my class; we learned about the Mayflower, and butterflies.  My grandma died early in the school year, and we moved into her house, which meant I also had to change schools.  I was so so sad!  But Mrs. O'Neal gave me her address and I wrote to here every week.  I have no idea what I wrote in these letters, but I do remember learning how to spell new words and then couldn't wait to use them in a letter.  Decided and vacation are two words I specifically being excited about:-)  Anyway at my new school, I did not love my class and I did not love my teacher.  She used the word lavatory instead of bathroom (only I didn't know what lavatory meant, since I missed that part of the year) I could not figure out why people were asking to go to a science all the time.  I felt so dumb when I finally figured it out.  We switched for reading and that was the only part of the day I remember looking forward to.  That teacher retired the next year.  (And all the rest of my elementary teachers were lovely...though Mrs. O'Neal will always have a special place.)

I knew from the age of seven that I wanted to grow up and become a teacher.  Hopefully I help 28, or 32, or 24 (whatever the number be) kids each year, experience a little bit of Mrs. O'Neal and prevent what I experienced at my new school's 2nd grade class. 

Two of my tattoos express what teaching means to me.

This one is the Hebrew for jubilee.  Obviously, I have a thing with words.  My students know that it is my favorite word and get really excited when they find it in a book they read:-)
The first four definitions are all about celebrating a passage of time.
First, it has to do with rejoicing and celebrating.  Learning about new things and each other should be  cause for celebration.  Second, the word is used as part of a Jewish Celebration, from the Old Testament.  "Year of Jubilee."  During this year, debts were considered cleared, land was returned to original owners...etc.  Everything was given a fresh and clean start.  While the Biblical application of debts and land does not have anything to do with teaching the fresh start does.  Teaching means that every day is a new day.  A new opportunity to fix a problem, help a student, redo a lesson, learn and move on.  Nobody comes with a blank slate, but being a teacher means I can help write positive messages into the social, emotional, and academic slates of my students, when they might not get it anywhere else.

This tattoo is an apple inside a lightbulb.  For teachers this doesn't need any explanation.  (Someone once asked if it had to with being a scientist:-)   Anyway I think we all love the lightbulb, especially when it is a student who works so hard to figure something out....or a really bright kid whose thinking is changed or moved to a deeper level.  But it also applies to me, as a teacher.  I never want to stop having lightbulb moments.  Blogland has been amazing source for lightbulbs.  I learn so much from the amazing teachers all over the country. 
With students and myself I always want to be reminded to seek them out, no matter how dim or bright the lightbulb moment actually is....



For more teachers sporting rocking tattoos (whether they apply to teaching or not) check out Mr. B's Linky Party.

Happy Thursday,
 

To Do List...Done Number 1...For You and For Me.

TBA is Celebrating Blog Hopping.  I have created a freebie for part of the party.  Click on the Road for lots more freebies.

Every teacher has to have a schedule....otherwise you will hear the question, "When are we..........?" over and over again throughout the day.  One of my summer to do's was to remake my schedule pieces.  The "before" are from my first year teaching...10 years ago and I don't know where the original file went.  So I started from scratch.  Phillip Martin has a ginormous collection of clip art, so I knew I would find enough pictures to go with each part of our daily schedule.  And The 3am Teacher, as always has adorable stuff, so I used one of her frames.  Without further ado, here is a before and after:

Before:
They served their purpose well, I lined them up in a pocket chart each day.  The edges have started peeling and all the pieces have faded.

After:

We do not do all of these everyday, or every week for that matter...but you know how students panic if each thing is not on the schedule for the day.   If you would like to use them, click here and then leave a comment.


Happy Wednesday,
 

Music and Books

Before I join up with the music linky party, I have to share one of the most helpful websites.  Read Kiddo Read, thanks to my friend Sarah, who pinned it for me to find.  It has books sorted by age and then by genre....pretty straight forward and not as exciting as this part....

click the picture....I dare you!

 




The whole list is books geared to boy readers (although I added a bunch of them to my TBR pile)  It is separated by age as well, and give a short description of the book.  All ideas for boy readers make me happy.

Now onto the music linky over at Teaching Maddeness.  I love music, but don't really listen to music that my students are into.....why they don't love Wicked and other musical soundtracks is beyond me:-)  Anyway I am loving what all of you have been posting.  Here are a couple of our favorite songs from last year.
I'm Elmo and I Know It (for obvious reasons, we didn't listen to the original version)

The Skeleton Dance--we loved imitating the skeleton

The other way we use music in the classroom is when we start the day.  At the beginning of the year, I ask my students to bring in a cd with their favorite song, or I look for it on itunes.  (I check lyrics and language ahead of time)  Then I put all the songs into one playlist.  Whoever the student of the day is, we play and listen to their song.  Some of their song choices crack me up and when I hear their song on the radio, or in other places, I immediately think of that student.  


And of course during reading, writing, and art, we play quiet background classical music.  Some of my favorite classical cds.

One of my all time FAVORITE composers!

because the flute is my talent

and some brass...

...

How Can it Be a July Currently

I am not sure where my summer vacation is going?  How is this happening?  Anyway Farley is at it again.  

Listening:  I saw Joshua Radin and Sara Bareilles a couple of summers ago--they are so talented!

Loving:  The reading piles in my house are overwhelming....but one of the best parts of summer.

Thinking:  I am going back to a 2/3 blend next year.  Excited about keeping some of my chickadees...but gotta start thinking through common core.

Wordle of last year's class list....they'll be back!

Wanting:  Just discovered Downton Abbey on instant watch...I am addicted and waiting for season two to come to my mailbox.

Needing:  Powells is most fun bookstore.  It takes up a block and has at least 4 stories of new and used books...I have got a list of books to freshen up my library.

Reads:  Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins is one of my favorite read alouds.  (Edward Tulane is my other favorite....but since it has already been mentioned....)  My kids are so into the story and there are two sequels, so they are motivated to read the next ones independently.  Growing Readers simply separates elements for encouraging lifelong readers.  (Again, Reading With Meaning and The Book Whisperer are some favorites...but we all need a selection to choose from)

Check out how everyone else is spending July, over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade! 

Happy Monday,
 

Classroom Jobs

Everyone has classroom jobs, right?  There are some adorable bulletin boards all revolving around classroom responsibilities.  When I began teaching, I had a cute section just for putting jobs up and matching students.  We would change jobs every two weeks....and I don't even want to think about the amount of time used to change jobs.  Then it would take a week for students to remember their new jobs.....all of this drove me nuts after a few years.  


Here is what I have done for the past two years.  It is not cute....it does not create a cute bulletin board.  

On the first school day of the month, students choose a job. I pass the papers around the room, or sometimes have students choose a job when they come in, in the morning.  They keep their job for a month.  That way they still have three weeks to practice:-)  At the start of the next month, when we change again, they teach the incoming people how to do their old job.  


Thoughts....how are you all of you amazing teachers using jobs in your class?


Happy Sunday,