Five for Friday: Drawer Label FREEBIE!

Good afternoon everyone! Here's what's been going on this week!

This week I created new labels for my classroom. I think they are absolutely adorable!

I decided to make them a FREEBIE! So if you like them click the image below and download them for FREE! 

This week I also received a very sweet note from a student and some beautiful flowers from another student. I love my kiddos! They sure know how to bring a smile to my face!

This week I did something different during their silent reading time. I had the students answer a question about a character the main character(s) in their AR book. The students answered the question on a sticky note and turned it in my Exit Slip folders. I saw this effective strategy {HERE} from Upper Elementary Snapshots. Our morning routine always consists of Daily Language and Silent Reading. However, 4 days a week my higher level students are working on other activities while I work with my Intervention group. If they finish the activity, then they silently read. At least one day a week they do not have an activity and they just read silently or take an AR test. I really like this strategy because it holds them accountable. Next week I'll probably ask a question about the setting or plot. :)

This week I started a new Bible study with some of my co-workers. I absolutely adore this study! It's called Loving Well by Beth Moore. Beth Moore is hilarious! I highly recommend this Bible study if anyone is interested. It discusses how we can learn to love others the way God loves. It's brilliant! :)

Welp, that's my week! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Five for Friday (on Saturday)

I'm joining up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday (on Saturday) to share with you what's been going on this week!

Monday was my anniversary! 1 year ago, I married my best friend. He's the love of my life! 

We did a little celebration at home! We watched our wedding video and ate our wedding cake topper! It was actually really delicious! We also watched The Ninja Turtles and ate pizza! lol

Treg came to visit me at work with flowers and ate lunch with me. He's a sweetheart. 

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week. I have never felt so blessed in my entire life! I have amazing students and parents. 

Super sweet letter from a father of a student.

An amazing coworker and parent gave me this fabulous gift.

This week we used the Kagan structure, Corners,  to complete a paired writing. 

First, we read two passages together. I explained that each passage will have 3 different writing prompts to go with it.

The students chose which passage they wanted to write about by using the Kagan structure, Corners.

Once they chose a passage they got back to pack with the person closest to them.

With their new partner, they found a spot in the room and re-read the passage. As they were reading, they asked each other HOTS questions.

After finish the passage, the students chose a writing prompt and completed the writing together. They were able to choose from an opinion, informative, or narrative writing. I gave them a checklist of things I was looking for in all of the writings. At the end of the lesson, one of the partners completed an Exit Slip rating how they worked together with their partner.

Here's how Corners works:

Students move to different corners of the room, depending on their point of view. This activity may help them see that not everyone shares the same point of view, and it may stretch their own way of thinking.

1) The teacher announces "corners." Then she announces the choices for each corner of the room.

2) Students are then given a small amount of silent think time to make a choice. They will write the name of their corner on a piece of paper but should not discuss it with anyone else.

3) Teacher tells students to go to their chosen corners. Once they are in their corner, they must find a partner to talk with--someone not on their regular team. (I did this by having them get back-to-back).

4) Pairs will then discuss the reason(s) for their choice. Teacher will then select a few students form each corner to share what his or her partner shared.

 I received a brand new Elmo Document Camera last Friday! I am so excited! We have an amazing non-profit corporation, The Heritage Foundation, that identifies technological needs in our school and raises money to purchase the technology requested by teachers and faculty.

I absolutely love avatars! You all know that Nikki at Melonheadz Illustrating created my own personal Melonhead. I have now ordered my very own character from Shawnna at Lovelytocu Graphic Illustrating. I am so excited to have my own personal avatar to add to the top of my blog! I can't wait to share it with you! Check her out below!

Have a great weekend y'all!

Five for Friday

Hey all! I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching again for my Five for Friday!

I just finished creating my Early Finisher Posters. They are $1.00 or you can purchase the Customizable Early Finisher Posters for $5.00. You can type on and change the fond on the customizable posters, as well as add your own activities and borders to suit your classroom! Both are available on my TpT website!

Along with these awesome posters, I designed a fabulous way to hold students accountable for their early finisher work. I also made it so that it's a team building concept so everyone succeeds! I highly suggest you read about it in my post below.  It's such a great idea!

My awesome door hanger came in the mail this week! You can see where to purchase one under My Classroom tab! I am so excited about this. I think it's just adorable!

I'm currently working on Daily 5 and Comprehension Strategy Posters! I just learned about the Daily 5 Literacy Strategy. I'm planning to use it next year, but haven't quite figured out how. I will have to tweak it a lot. I am in a small room and do not have an actual reading center or teacher table. I will of course designate areas for this to make this work, but it'll be a little difficult. I can't wait to share my posters with you all! I'm sure most of you have heard of this, but just incase you haven't you can find out more at The Daily Cafe!

I've been re-reading Strategies That Work. I'm trying to decide how to incorporate these strategies and mini-lessons into my classroom. My first idea is to have a Friday Five (instead of the Daily 5) where I focus on teaching these strategies or re-teaching anything my students are having trouble with. Then they would break off into their "Daily 5" stations. My other idea was to just teach these strategies to my small group when they rotate to me. I haven't quite figured out how it's going to look. It's so hard to figure out since I'm at a new school with a whole new schedule. 

If you haven't read this book, it is amazing! My professor, Dr. H, in college had us read this and complete some of the mini-lessons. I haven't done a very good job of incorporating it in the past, but I   am planning on doing better this year. :)

I met with an amazing principal yesterday to go over a presentation we will be doing. I'm on a Common Core Task Force Committee. We are in charge of creating Guide Books (which outline our curriculum) for the district. I'm presenting twice next week and am super nervous! It is definitely out of my comfort zone. I am very reserved and have high anxiety about things like this. So, I am so blessed to have her there with me. Although, I have to be prepared to present on my own just in case she can't be there. She just became principal this year, so she is being pulled in a million directions. I will be sure to update you all on how it goes! Wish me luck! 

Five for Friday!

During Kagan training, we talked a lot about positive gambits for students to use to practice social skills. Children often have a hard time agreeing politely or knowing what to say in certain social situations. It is important for kids to practice different greetings, partings, thank your, and so forth. A great way to achieve that is to use the Kagan structures. I decided to make some posters during one of my training days that have some positive gambits for my students. This way, I can remind students of some options while we are using the structures. 

So as most of you know I am very organized and a little OCD. I created a bunch of binders this year to help me stay organized and keep my "hamster wheel" from turning in my brain. haha Here are a some pics of just a few of my binders. You can find the binder covers for FREE here and here! 

On Monday my friend Nikki and I are going to the Whole Brain Training in Alexandria. I am super pumped! I have already done some research on Whole Brain and went ahead and created these rule posters based on the Whole Brain rules! :) If anyone wants copies of these, let me know! I can recreate them and sell them on TPT.

Check out this management tip! One of my awesome professors from college taught me this tip! Dr. H had us write our names, phone numbers, and any other important info she needed on index cards and kept them in an organized box by classes. I am going to use this tip next year so I have quick access to my students' phone numbers. I will also have them include if they have access to a computer with Internet and if they are allergic to anything. :)

Today I went with Nikki wedding dress shopping! I am so excited, because she found the most beautiful dress! I am so very honored to be her bridesmaid! I love her, and she has been an amazing friend and support. I am so blessed to have a fabulous teacher as a close friend! Here is a picture of Nikki and her fiancé with me from my wedding.