Mid-Year Reboot in Your Elementary Classroom

Mid-year has arrived and, if you teach in New York, the glory and wonder of the holiday season has now tapered down to the sludge and muck of winter. Cabin fever is setting in due to minimal outdoor recess and there aren't enough snow days to make up for the lack of energy you have. 

In an effort to combat these midyear woes I offer up four ideas to help give you and your classroom a mid-year reboot.  

#1: Get a Gimmick

If it's the first or third Wednesday of the month, I will be greeting my students at the door wearing my sombrero headband. This cheesy fun is a surefire way to start the day with a smile. In fact, students from other classrooms have now grown to look for the hat and if I'm not wearing it on Taco Salad Day I have some serious 'splainin' to do!

Another fun reboot that I started this week is "Fat Pencil Fridays". I found a box of old-fashioned fat, beginner pencils and wanted to find a way to wiggle them into my routine. Thus, Fat Pencil Friday was born. The faces were lit up and the engagement was 100% at my "Teacher-Led" station on Friday. They loved it.

Taco Salad Day!

#2: Spontaneous Spirit Week

To bust up the routine of school, sponsor your own Spirit Week! Some suggestions to get you started:

- hat day

- PJ day

- formal wear

- inside out day

- twinsie day

- snowman "winter wear"

- school spirit

If you are really struggling for ideas, ask your students. They are a pretty inventive group and odds are if they were part of the decision-making, they will be more likely to participate. You'll get an extra boost to your room if you participate too!

#3: Choice Day

Designate a day of the week (or a block of the day) to "choice". Students love choice and control over their learning environments. Offer them carefully selected options. Some examples:

- lunch in the room or the cafeteria

- choice of pen color to complete work (especially "boost"ful at the elementary level)

- homework A or B

- solve odds, solve evens

- activity A or B (if you use flexible groupings)

- choose your seat (if you use more traditional seating methods)

#4: Host a Book Tasting Event

This was a hit. I had heard about these in the fall but I hadn't actually completed one until this week. I set it up while the students were at special. It took about 30 minutes start to finish. 

I used:

* plastic tablecloths

* place mats

* genre table cards

* books

* student response "menu"

The students rotated through 5 (out of 7) tables in the room. Each table had a designated genre. The students sampled the books on the table for about 5 minutes. Then, they selected one book to jot down in their menu.

I can say that the level of engagement was high and the students were excited to explore at their next rotation. Plus, students finished the tasting with at least 5 new titles they want to read at a later date. 

My students asked to do it again. We even discussed them recommending books for the tasting and inviting other classes to attend. If we pull it off- I'll keep you posted!

You can read a more in-depth look at Book Tasting here:
Book Tasting 101

Get your FREE Book Tasting Resources here:
FREE Book Tasting Resources (13 tri-folds and place mat)

Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully one (or two) of these suggestions will beat back the mid-year blahs. Comment below to let me know what you do to keep your classroom engaging!

4 Ways to Use Sticky Notes

It's no secret that I have a love affair with sticky notes. It doesn't matter the color or the size, I will find some way to use them in my class. And, just as I have a love for them, so do my students.

Sticky Notes for SMART Goals

In September, I establish a SMART Goals routine with the students. We record weekly goals with sticky notes. Then, the students archive their goals within their data folders. The ability to stick, remove and re-stick is awesome! The students get a kick out of going back into their SMART Goals data and reflecting and analyzing where they were at the beginning of the year compared to where they are now. 

To get a FREE resource that will help you use SMART Goals in your classroom, click the link ---> SMART Goals FREEBIE

SMART Goals Recording Form 
I use a different color each month.

SMART Goal Anchor Chart 
One quick look and I can see if a student
hasn't posted their goal yet.

Sticky Notes for Anchor Charts

I use flexible grouping in my classroom. There is a lot of collaboration and small group/partner work. To help increase the engagement and accountability, I use sticky notes! I will prep chart paper to house the student responses. Sticky notes are passed out for students to record their thoughts. I often will use colors to distinguish which groups have responded and how many times.

Venn Diagram Comparing Cultures

Finding Explicit Details

Sticky Notes for Thinking Codes

As a part of Reading Workshop, students are asked to use sticky notes as part of their reading routine. They use them to record their "Thinking Codes" in their novels. Those codes help students respond in writing when it's their turn to write in their Reading Response Journals. They also use them when they come to the group to discuss the novel. 

Anchor Chart
Students also have a bookmark to remind them of codes. Most will
create their own codes when these won't suffice! 

Codes Within a Novel
(cut a sticky note into thirds)

Sticky Notes for Character Traits

I also ask students to use them when working on Character Traits. Students will find evidence in the text to support their opinion. They record the page number and quote.

Anchor Charts for The Hope Chest

Character Trait Mat (8.5 x 11)
Students find evidence and record it. They are only allowed three.
So, they must rank their own evidence!

These are just some of the ways I use sticky notes. If you have a favorite way, please share! I love learning new ways to incorporate these lovely little bits to increase student engagement!

How to Create the Best Home/School Connection with Just ONE App

Are you ready to hit a home run with home/school connections? Then look no further than Class Dojo.

I have been using this app for the past few years and I'm not leaving it anytime soon.

Although there is a myriad of amazing things this app can do for you, I am listing my top 3 favorite things I use it for...

#1 CLASS DOJO POINTS

Brag Tag for the Weekly Victor!

I track each student's behavior every day. They can earn (or lose) points at any given point in the day. This includes walking in the hallway, when on field trips, or at an assembly. Parents can link up to the dojo and see where and how their child is earning points. Each week the student who has earned the most points is awarded and recognized as the Class Dojo Champion!

#2 CLASSROOM STORIES

Classroom reminders help
parents keep track of
what's going on!

Classroom Stories runs like a mash-up of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The best part is, only people with the class code can see what's going on. To make it even better? The fine individuals at Class Dojo occasionally throw pre-made, ready-to-go graphics into the mix that you can choose to put into your class story!

Stories lets me take pics of what my students are working on during the day and post it for families to see. I include everything: group shots, individual shots, spirit wear days, bulletin boards. I have even taken short 15 second videos and been able to share those too! A quick click of a shot and a few swipes later and I have shared a piece of our day with my students' families. 

Screen shot flyers and
parents can refer to the
class feed if they forget!

I also use stories to take pictures of flyers for upcoming events such as: character ed assemblies, after school groups, or spirit weeks. Then, parents have a go-to place where they can access information about places and times. 

#3 MESSAGES
Class Dojo messages (similiar to texting) are a work of genius! Once a parent has linked to the Dojo I have the ability to contact everyone all at once (as a group text), or contact a selected/small group, or a parent individually. When a parent responds, the response only goes back to you. Messages allows parents to contact you about any issue using a confidential, direct format.

Ultimate Blend of
Behavior Management

Aside from the home/school connection that Dojo offers, it's a great behavior management tool. That's why I originally started to use it. But, it's now morphed into so much more. If you already have a rockin' management system in place, do not fret. Dojo can blend with anything! I have been using a combination of Dojo and WBT seemlessly for 4 years. I have simply incorporated those adorable dojo monsters onto anchor charts for the WBT prompts. And, I sometimes award Dojo points when the class beats me on the Scoreboard.

If you have not been using this handy-dandy (and free) app I highly recommend that you stop reading (!) and go HERE to download it to your device.

Happy Dojo-ing!

Connecting to Characters or, (Sh!t, Carrie Fisher Died)

As a teacher, I am always striving to help my students connect to characters. I have so many memories from childhood of curling up with books and diving into a different world. Suspension of disbelief came easily to me. It translated to film as well.

Princess Leia was the first character that I truly connected to. She was smart, strong, and sassy. I wanted to be her. I had hair long enough to not only make those iconic Princess Buns, but I could pull off the Ewok Village Headband Braid as well. 

Connections in childhood remain as we grow older. And, as we learn who the characters are played by, that connection transfers to the actual person. I never watched When Harry Met Sally and didn't think of Princess Leia, but I grew to appreciate Carrie Fisher's talent and impact on the entertainment industry.

Celebrity deaths are nothing new. But as I've grown older the impact has changed significantly. At four years old, I didn't understand why my mother was crying over Elvis Presley dying. But I get it now.

The loss of childhood connections can be an adjustment. Losing Roald Dahl in 1990 wasn't as tough for me. Although we lost an amazing writer, my connections to him remained safely secured in the books he had written. Richard Harris' death wasn't as difficult either because I had grown to love Dumbledore in the books first. My connection to Dumbledore was through J.K. Rowling; not Richard Harris.

For me, it's not grief insomuch that I knew Carrie Fisher and I will miss her personal connection to me. But, I do feel the loss of a piece of my childhood. A sadness that settles when you realize that Princess Leia is gone forever. No one will ever be able to replace her. She was the first Leia I knew and the connection is now gone.

Conversely, was I heart-broken when Kylo Ren put his lightsaber through Han Solo? Of course! But it wasn't the same level of grief because I knew Harrison Ford was still alive. Odd, but true...

Be still my Geeky Heart!

Lately, my connections to literature and film have begun to merge. The geeks out there know what the rest of us geeks want. My favorite Christmas gift this year was a hoodie my hubby bought me. Nothing beats a mash-up of Star Wars and Harry Potter!

I am not sure how my students will respond to Carrie Fisher's death when I get back in the classroom. For many of them, I imagine it's a small blip on their screen and won't be mentioned at all. But it will linger with me for quite a while. 

As the New Year begins, I will continue to encourage those character connections; keep guiding students to delve into their novels and find that character that speaks to them in a way no other character can. Hopefully, they will leave my classroom with at least one character that they will mourn the loss of later in life. But it does beg the question: Are characters in novels "safer" than those on the screen? Either way, there is no denying the deep-rooted connection I have to Leia and many other characters still "out there". Connecting to characters is an ever-evolving gift that I endure to share with my students.

I do have Episode VIII to look forward to next year. It will certainly have a much more meaningful impact knowing that it was the last time Fisher played Leia in real life. And, I have very strong feelings about what should be done with Episode IX (all Star Wars geeks do).

RIP Carrie Fisher, you will be missed.

Thank You TpT Community!

Happy Thanksgiving!

There is so much to be thankful for. As I sat down to write a new post I kept swirling ideas around in my head trying to figure out which topic and direction I wanted to pursue this month. A list? Comedy-driven? Family versus Work? It felt like an impossible choice. Then, the light bulb went on: TpT (or, rather, the TpT Community).

I have had a whirlwind 6 months. It all started last April. I took a chance, stepped outside my bubble, and attended the 2016 Northeastern Regional TpT Meet-Up and it's been "go time" ever since: Instagram! FB! Blogging! Not to mention dabbling in Periscope and Blab!

So, I dedicate this post to the TpT Community and the people who have been such an inspiration to me as I continue on this journey.

I'm thankful for...

The Flock: you create and deliver an unbelievable experience for TpTers. I never realized how much of a bubble I was in until I attended the Meet-up. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pop that bubble and reach out to fellow TpTers.

Literary Sherri (Middle School Resources)

Brain Waves Instruction (Middle School Resources)

Ellen Weber (Secondary Resources)

Selma Dawani (Primary through Middle School Resources)

Yay for Pre-K (Primary Resources)

The Classroom Nook (Intermediate Resources)

Kinders in NY (Primary Resources)

Some AH-MAZING people I met while there:

Second Grade Estrellas (Elementary and Bilingual Resources)

Leigh Sanna (Primary Resources)

Keri Brown (Primary Resources)

Special Teacher for Special Kids (Elementary Resources)

Miss Chantal Cares (Elementary Resources)

PLUS!!!!!

Tabitha Carro

Flapjack Educational Resources (Elementary Resources)

Smartphone Marketing School (Market Your Business With Just Your Smartphone)

Flapjack Factory (Learn How to Create Your Own Resources)

Hallie Sherman

Speech Time Fun (SLP Resources)

Teacher Blogging School (Learn How to Blog Like a Boss)

The CNY Group

Learning Lab (Elementary and SPED Resources)

Reading in Room 11 (K-5 Reading Resources)

Teaching Eternity (ELL Resources)

Blog Queens (They made this Blog sooooo pretty!)

Instagram Peeps

You are the place I go to when I want a "pick-me-up". Thank you for making my feed a funny, caring, and motivating place to be. 

I am now living outside my bubble. I've got a lot going on and things continue to float along. But, I've learned that there is an incredible community of educators out there and someone is always around to keep you going. With all the avenues we have today, there is no reason to live inside a bubble.

If you are ready to pop your bubble and take a chance, click the link below and come say "Hi" to me in April. Hope to see you there!

2017 Northeastern Regional TpT Meet-up

The Mistake I Make Every Year

I don't care what the Rolling Stones say: time is not on my side. I have 180 days to cram enough knowledge into my students' heads to ensure they will be prepared for fifth grade.

But, let's face it. It's not really 180 days. Things such as snow days, hour (or two) delays, assemblies, field trips, mandatory testing, etc... chip away at those 180 days until I'm left with the tattered fragments of a calendar that delivers far less than it promised. The sand starts to flow and I am never free from the fact that there are fewer and fewer grains in the glass each day.

When I first started teaching I would take the first day of school and rip through policies and procedures like a Chinese fire drill in order to get to the business of teaching. I thought that I was establishing rules and routines when the reality is I most likely had a group of youngsters that were akin to deer stuck in headlights. Yikes!

It was flawed in so many ways. I was in such a mad dash to get things up and running as quickly as possible; only to realize that adjustments needed to be made shortly thereafter. Thus, I would have to go back and reteach the procedures or rearrange groupings. Reteaching took much longer. Regrouping disrupted the flow of information. And, I don't have that kind of time.

Now, as a more seasoned educator, I have learned that slower is better. I don't panic if my reading groups aren't established the first month of school. I am OK with taking a bit more time to scrutinize the DIBELS scores before choosing an intervention to increase fluency. I am still clicking and sorting data to determine exact math needs. It's all OK. 

I always talk about how September is tough and that I much prefer mid-October. By that time, my classroom is a well-oiled machine and the focus is on students learning and watching the growth. I've come to the conclusion that not every cog needs to be in the wheel as soon as possible. It's more important to place the cog correctly. Only when the cogs are properly placed does the machine work efficiently. My goal is the well-oiled machine that needs as few repairs as possible. Slower is the way to get there.

Slower means that my reading groups will start closer to October. There are plenty of things (routines, procedures, expectations) to teach in the interim. Slower means that flexible groupings will be stagnant for a bit, but they will still be flexing where needed. Slower means that I might take 90 minutes to get the students through a 60 minute flexible grouping schedule. It's all OK.

Although I still prefer mid-October when all the "start-up" stuff is established, I have learned to like September more. I have learned to embrace a slower pace in the opening days of the year and to help the students fully digest what learning will look like in my classroom for the next 10 months. I have finally embraced the concept: we go slow to go fast. (I even have a sign nearby to constantly remind me.) Although I still feel sand slipping through my fingers each day, this mantra has helped me to at least slow down a bit and in the process helped the sand slow down too.

2016-17 Classroom Reveal, or, (The New, The Same, and The Tweaked)

Some have accused me of not being organized, while others have raised their eyebrows at the mere thought that someone could say such a thing. But, one thing is certain: my classroom will rarely look this good again.

Every September offers teachers their yearly "do over": the ultimate tabula rasa of careers. We get to decide how much to repeat and what needs to be scrapped. And, there is always the in-between: "I'm going to keep that, but this time...". Teachers are truly lucky in that regard. 

I now present to you the "new", the "same" and the "tweaked" of my classroom!

Stuff that's new this year:

MY DESK

IG Inspired Desk!

No, the desk isn't new. But, the welcome sign is! I couldn't resist. After looking at all the amazing posts other teachers had shared on their Instagram accounts, I was inspired to jazz up my own desk a little bit. And since it's most likely the first thing that draws your eye when you walk in, why not give a friendly message to the person coming through the door?

Let the Brag Tagging Begin!

Reading Log Brag Tags ready to go.

BRAG TAGS
I have taken the plunge with Brag Tags. I love the concept and have seen some positive energy coming from the students this week with all the possibilities these present. I am excited to see where these tiny bits of motivation take the students this year. 

Stuff that's the same:

MY VAN GOGH CHAIR

Stay Off!

This is my most prized classroom possession. I love this chair. I won it in a silent auction a few years back to raise money for my district's art department. The best part is, it was designed and painted by my class while in art class that year!  It's so important to me, that when I was changing classrooms I brought it home with me for the summer. (I wasn't taking any chances that it would end up in the wrong place!) By the way, I am the only person allowed to sit in this chair. You can sit in the teacher wheely chair all you want, but keep your butt off the Van Gogh!

The wooden Pinocchio in the
background was from a trip to
Italy and my father's birthplace.

A LITTLE CORNER OF LOVE

Right next to my desk I keep a few reminders of "my why". It's nice to glance over at different times of the day and see these smiling faces. It's also a nice way for the students to meet the important people in my life. I have a hodge podge of items: pictures, drawings, travel mementos, little notes, etc... If you don't have a corner of love- create one! It's a great energy boost when teaching starts to drag you down.

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

My classroom could not function without these two boards. 

Where the "magic" happens.

On the left is the "chart". It tells the students who is going where and in which order. Student groupings change daily (one for ELA and different groups for Math). Also, I will group students within groups: see the "paired" sticks? And, sometimes we "Jump the Board". That's when students work with the student across the board from their stick. 

It may sound complicated, by in less than two weeks my students can read and run this board with no help from me; which is extremely helpful on the days a substitute is in the room!

To the right is the Classroom Helper Board. I change up who is in charge of the different jobs once a week. 

Stuff that's tweaked:

MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY

After years of cramming books onto shelves sideways, I finally bit the bullet and bought new shelving. Then, of course, it bothered me that they wouldn't match. So, I then bought contact paper that was close to the theme in my room. It wasn't an exact match, but I was aiming for "close enough". This was the result.

New look = new labels!

Increased shelving means an entire
section devoted to Harry Potter!

I must say though, despite the time it took to paper the old shelves, I am glad I did it. Plus, I now have room for all my chapter books. (I haven't been brave enough to tackle the picture books...yet.)

TODAY'S GOALS (RE-IMAGINED)
So, must of us have had some sort of "Today's Goals" chart floating about for the past couple of years. Every night after the students left, I would erase the "old goals" and write the new goals for tomorrow on a dry erase surface. 

This year, I am changing it up. I decided to create a "Your Targets" poster using a Class Dojo image. Each day I will write the actual standards (4.NBT.1, RI.4.1) instead of the "wordier" version. This week we explored the different standards along with the abbreviated codes and starting next week (every Tuesday and Thursday) we will have a "Standards Check" that the students will use to self-monitor their progress towards mastery.

Brand new way to keep track of standards and targets!

WBT Rules made with fans bought at Hobby Lobby and black plastic plates.

WHOLE BRAIN RULES
I love the simplistic methods of Whole Brain Teaching. I added on the Diamond Rule this year and weeded out "Raise Your Hand For Permission to Leave Your Seat". Rule #3 doesn't work so well when you have flexible seating in your classroom. So, I got rid of that one. Thus, I am still at five rules and have kept them numbered that way. Now, if only I can remember which one rule goes with which number! (Good thing I have the visuals to help...)

Whelp, that's the lay of the land for this year. I will most likely continue to tweak here and there for the next couple of weeks. But, the "big stuff" is done. 

My room has a much more zen-like feel this year; more than ever before. I love to sit among all the changes, as well as all the familiar. I'll take all the up-front organization I can get. Because, as some of you may relate, in a few short weeks I'll be flailing about trying to find the copies I just ran, the Reading Inventory Correlation Chart, and my notes from last weeks' faculty meeting!