Papers…Classes…and Books…Oh My!

Hi sweet followers!  It’s actually me, Lacey!  I hope you are enjoying the guest bloggers I have been having, I know I am loving their posts!  Some adorable and creative stuff for sure.

I have been busy with grad school lately and am currently trying to keep my head above water!  I’m taking two classes: a teaching and learning psychology course and a research course.  I love them both but they’re crammed into 4 weeks so it’s very fast paced.  I’ve been writing papers, reading books and sitting in class!  I have SO much to share with you already so look forward to that in July!

In the meantime, I hit 400 followers!!  I just simply didn’t have the time to put together an incredible giveaway BUT I think I might have figured out something you will like.

Who doesn’t love a good BOGO?!?!  And even better, you don’t have to use it right now!  The only restriction is that you can only use the code once.  To use the code, just email me {laceykyates@gmail.com} after purchasing with the code, your username on the site (Teachers Pay Teachers/Teacher’s Notebook) and what item {of lesser value} that you would like for free!  Please please send your username because we need to play fair here!

Also, I have another part of this giveaway….one person…can win….my ENTIRE Teachers Pay Teachers store {including ALL FUTURE PRODUCTS}!  Just comment below with your favorite product or a product you would like to see created!  Be sure to leave your email!!!

Thanks for following!  I promise I’ll be back in July with some goodies, but until then, enjoy my guest bloggers!!!

Welcome Stephanie from Falling into First: Illustration Rubric!

Hey all!! This is Stephanie from Falling Into First and I'm super excited to be guest blogging today!!

I heart Lacey's blog and I know you all do too, so we all already have that in common :)

Today I want to share with you all something new I will be implementing in my classroom this year! It's the first of many self assessment writing rubrics I will be teaching my first graders how to use. I'm on the curriculum committee at my school and one of our big goals for next year is to improve writing at all grade levels K-8. As part of this process, something we would like to see happen is to have teachers post exemplar writing pieces in their classrooms to show students what our expectations are for great writing. We also want to promote the habit of self assessment.

The more we talked about it the more I thought wow, why haven't I thought of this before?! Hollar if you're a visual learner!! I know I am. I know most of my kids are too. So why not give them clear visuals that show them exactly what it is I'm asking them to do?!

As with anything, the concept of self assessment and rating their own work is going to have to be introduced slowly with lots of modeling on my end. So to start off the year I created this. Meet my Illustration Rubric.

Yep, I'm the budding artist of these three masterpieces :)

The first quarter of first grade is NOT the best time to try and teach my kiddos how to evaluate their own writing. We're too busy learning the basics: writing from left to right, using proper spacing, using nice hand writing, and learning the pieces of a complete sentence. But from day one regardless of if a student is willing to write one word or 40 words,  I have them add illustrations to their writing. They illustrate all year however, I still have kids trying to turn in pencil colored bare bone illustrations in May. {This. Drives. Me. Loco.} But hopefully, this year will be different!

Here are some close ups of each exemplar on my Illustration Rubric. 

           (1- Scribble city! Look familiar?)

(2- This one is on the right track...)

           (3- And this is what I'm looking for!!)

I also made this to help teach my kids HOW to draw people.

As the year goes on I will begin to introduce samples of 1, 2, 3, and 4 pieces of writing . By the time we get there I think my kids will have a firm grasp on how to use a rubric to check their work. I also think the Illustration Rubric will be a great way to begin conversations about adding details and defining what details are.

If you think you can use either of these tools in your classroom then you can download the templates for free HERE in my TPT shop. 

I would love to hear how you use self assessment strategies in your classroom or what your thoughts are on it!

Thanks to all of you for checking out my guest spot today!  I hope you will remember to come by and visit me sometime. And a big thank you again to Miss. Lacey for letting me fill in!!

Welcome Mrs. Cote from The Hands-On Teacher: To D.E.A.R or NOT to D.E.A.R?

To D.E.A.R. or NOT to D.E.A.R.?
No, not dear, but D.E.A.R….ever heard of it?
Before I tell you all about it, let me first tell you a little about me! I’m guest blogging today for Lacey!
My name is Marie from The Hands-On Teacher in First!
This is me:

If you haven’t stopped by before, I hope you’ll will!
Now, let’s get back to the topic: D.E.A.R. time… Drop Every Thing And Read!

Some of you may have heard of it, and some of you may even celebrate this in your own school and class. At our school, it’s somewhat of a hot topic right now…not because it’s a new thing, but because our administration has decided to change it up.
For years now we have celebrated D.E.A.R. time. What that means, is each day we have DEAR in our class. For fifteen minutes, students sit at their seats and read a book of their choice. Now, I’ll be honest…typically, while the students are reading, I tidy my desk, check my work email, or prep for other lessons. I generally do not sit and read at my desk.
This is where the questions come up….If DEAR time is “DROP EVERYTHING AND READ”, should the teachers also do the same?
Well, the administration at my school has begun to question just that, and has decided that there will be NO D.E.A.R. time, unless it is utilized differently by the teachers. They want it to be a more interactive time or a true DEAR time, meaning teachers are also reading.
The other ideas they have given us would be allowing students to partner read during this time, or allowing students to choose from a set of activities to do that would correspond to what they have read during the DEAR TIME. I actually think they may be onto something here....
I remember having DEAR time when I was a child, but never really took the time to learn more about it. UNTIL NOW…
So, here is what I found (all from http://dropeverythingandread.com/NationalDEARday.html )
There is actually a NATIONAL D.E.A.R. Day that is celebrated on April 12^th, which is Beverly Cleary’s birthday.
“Why is National D.E.A.R. Day celebrated on Beverly Cleary’s birthday?
Beverly Cleary receives thousands of letters a year from young readers, many who have participated in D.E.A.R. at school. Their interest in and enthusiasm for this special reading activity inspired Mrs. Cleary to give the same experience to Ramona Quimby, who gets to enjoy D.E.A.R. time with the rest of her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8.” ( Quoted from www.dropeverythingandread.com)

Now, DEAR time could be an amazing thing, but like so many other ideas, there are always going to be people who misuse or mistreat it. Remember, DEAR time is a time set aside for students to read. This is not something to use anytime you need an extra few minutes to plan, and should not be for an extended period of time. Remember, it's to engage students and get them excited about READING! So, telling them each day to "Pull out a book, sit, and read quietly" may not be enough.
What are your thoughts on D.E.A.R. time?? How does your school utilize it, or do they? What would you like to see happen during those 15 minutes? Do you agree or disagree with having the teachers also D.E.A.R?
I’d love to hear back from ya’ll!
Thanks, and remember to visit me! And, Lacey, thank you for allowing me to be a guest blogger on your amazing blog! I love following you! J
Marie
The Hands-On Teacher in First!

Welcoming Ms. Boyle from Great {First Grade} Expectations-Mathtastic Work Groups

First things first, can I just say I am THRILLED to be guest blogging at Wild About Teaching from my usual little spot at over at Great {First Grade} Expectations! I'm all about warm and friendly welcomes, so consider this my hug from North Carolina saying how excited I am to be sharing some info about how I run ship...the math ship...in the classroom!

True confession. Math was never my forte.

I do not mean to imply that I don't recognize the MAJOR importance of problem solving, formulas, and the like, but I truly remember the moment that I recognized I wasn't "good" at math, and it was all over for me. I like to blame my lack of personal enthusiasm for the subject on the way I was taught to memorize in grade school (which I could totally do!) and then I hit more advanced concepts where I was expected to understand the way the numbers and symbols worked with one another. When it came time to not just "know", but truly understand and apply, I was toast.

This is why I now love teaching math! I have adapted styles of guided math groups and Daily 5 Math to work specifically for the group of little ones I teach this year, and I have been amazed by their growth and mastery of understanding how numbers work!

My version of Daily 5 math operates under a 1 hour time block, and this session is jam packed! The basic structure goes like this:

• 10 minutes: Whole group mini lesson to introduce concept of the day. We go for high energy, interactive lessons that keep their hands and minds busy!
• 15 minutes: Rotation 1
• 5 minutes: Check in
• 15 minutes: Rotation 2
• 5 minutes: Check in
• 10 minutes: Wrap up lesson, Review of previously learned objective, or let's be honest...squeeze in one of the never-ending assessments that we are all required to hand out!

Ok. So that's the basic time outline I use, but of course this is easily adaptable based on how long you choose to make your mini lessons or number of rotations you are able to complete in a day! I really do recommend giving the full 5 minute "check in" time a try though because it is insane the quality of work my kiddos turn out in a short amount of time when they know I will devote a full minute or so on each small group while providing instant feedback (usually...PRAISE!) They love this time, and each little math brain is super motivated to not just get through their work, but to go above and beyond to show off their smart thinking!

So my rotation labels are as follows:

Solve 2 Self: Think "Read to Self." I simply place whichever activity and materials in labeled tub and students in this group visit the bin and return to any place around the room where they can focus independently. Keep clipboards handy! I do admit...many times I will place assessments in this rotation so that I do not have to use precious instructional time delivering one of the bajillion required assessments while feeling like I'm wasting time walking aroudn the room. They can handle this independently...I PROMISE! It just takes a lot of training during the first quarter!

Foundational: This rotation is completed in pairs or small groups. Oftentimes students are using manipulates such as connecting cubes, shapes, dice, etc. to put to practice what we are currently working on in our guided math groups. This station is always a hit!

Writing: My favorite!! While I do enjoy teaching math now, writing is still holds a tender place in my heart<3 I have a variety of writing papers that require students to create their own story problems practicing a variety of different strategies to solve. Also, many times they will write response statements to observations we have made during whole group mini lessons. Think mini thesis papers about math, shapes, probability, graphing. So stinking smart...I'm always absolutely amazed!!

Fact Fluency: Yes, there is a time and place for memorizing! Do y'all sometimes struggle with explaining to non-teachers how memorizing multiplication facts is just not appropriate for the average first grader?! I mean...they are all special, not average, but still...it's not doing them any favors! I know. I was a queen memorizer, and eventually it caught up to me when I didn't know what on earth the numbers and symbols meant! This is a sigh of relief for the adults who want to be able to do some sort of drill and practice at home! AFTER, the kids have proven to me they understand a concept we have learned, and practiced, and practiced some more...they may then memorize in this center! We use dice, number lines, modified flash cards, and memory games to build their fluency with manipulating numbers. It is important to be efficient after all!

Investigate: This rotation is for discovery! Students might go on a measurement hunt, look for
shapes in their classroom environment, or poll other members in their group to create a variety of graphs.


Lastly, it is important to recognize that one of the groups is working with the TEACHER! During both math rotations I am working with a small group on our classroom carpet or gathering place.

I have divided my class into three groups, and it is unlike Daily 5 in that my students don't choose the rotation they would like to visit. I use my Smart Board to move the group names to where they will be working. Then, they move as a collective group like a little gaggle of geese to their specified location. It's a grab-and-go of their tub of materials and we're off to learning!

Phew! I hope this is not too overwhelming or confusing! I adore questions though, and would be excited to see what y'all think! What approach do other teachers use when setting up math rotations?

Thanks again to the fabulous Lacey for allowing me to visit and guest blog on her adorable page this evening! You are always sharing such wonderful ideas, and it has been a privilege to share with you!

Happy Learning!

All about Centers: a series by Ms. Patterson from Pocket Full of Kinders

Hiya Peeps

Ms. Patterson here

from POcket Full of Kinders

I am thrilled to be guest blogging for Lacey!!!!

I so heart her

Can you tell I am thrilled?

No really that IS my thrilled face!

Not really BUT this is the first picture that popped up so hey we are going to
roll with it

Rolling on

Anyhoo

I am joining you to blog about my fav time of the school day……………………………………………………….

Centers!

Welcome to my center series

I will be blogging each Thursday in the month of June about a different topic related to centers

Today I will be blogging about how to organize centers

So what are centers?

Why are centers needed?

Where do I start?

I know as a first year teacher all of these questions ran through my mind. I was at a complete lost and it took me a while to figure out what the heck I was doing. By no means am I an expert but my principal calls me the small group queen so……………………….

I guess I will toot my own horn

Toot, Toot!

Moving right along

I don’t want to lose you

Back to the matter at hand

It can be very difficult for a teacher to meet each individual child’s need especially when that teacher has 33 kinders (that would be me) for the first 2 months of school! How do you do centers when you have that many children and how do you do them successfully?

I eventually ended up with 29 kiddos and I had 14 stations. I have 2 students per group which made my center time so much easier

I have tried groups of four or five and it was just too darn many and all they did was argue!

Sorry so off topic

Must stop rambling

Must stop rambling

*Shake, Shake*

I think it is all out of my system now

We may now more on

*Shake*

Centers are a great way to differentiate instruction and provide students with opportunities to learn independently

So here goes

Setting up stations

Step 1: Plan your space

Decide how many stations you would like to have and how you want to arrange those stations. It is a good idea to arrange your stations from quiet to loud or loud to quiet. You don’t want your library station right next to the listening station, now would you?

Maybe you would but I sure don't

I don’t have a large room by any means but I did run 14 stations for literacy and 14 stations for math! It was very messy but we lived

I mean it looked like a hurricane and an earthquake came through and we were the remains after the storm

But it is okay we were learning

Don't be afraid of a little mess

All of my stations were portable and the students would either go to a table or use the floor for stations.

Mostly the floor because the kiddos liked to lay on it after sitting in chairs all morning

When I set up my room I did so with centers in mind

My stations were arranged as follows

I had my centers arranged so that they flow around the outer edges of the room in a circle

So that when students moved to their next rotation I didn’t have to lose time with them trying to figure out what station to go to next! They just simply moved to the station that was to their right

Here is an example of my station list

Station One being the quietest station and the stations gradually get louder the lower down the station list you go  then gradually back to quiet

Remember my station are set up in a circle so Station 14 is actually next to Station 1

Station One: Alphabet/Buddy Reading

Station Two: Listening Station

Station Three: Word Work

Station Four: Library

Station Five: Spelling

Station Six: Computer

Station Seven: Sensory

Station Eight: Word Family/Word Work

Station Nine: Magnet

Station Ten: Word Wall

Station Eleven: Pocket Chart

Station Twelve: Write the Room

Station Thirteen: Phonics

Station Fourteen: Journals

When planning your space make sure that you clearly section each area and define each center space. You can do this with a bookshelf, furniture, or rugs.

Step 2:How will you store your center material?

When planning for your stations it is important that you plan how you will store your material

I have a teeny tiny problem with cute storage containers so I use these to store my center materials in

I am very ocd about my center buckets. My centers usually have several parts: games, manipulatives, crayons, pencils and etc

These were my center buckets at the beginning of the year. I don't have many bookshelves so I had to make one out of crates

The baskets on the top row  are for literature centers and the red baskets are for math stations

The buckets are two to a crate so that students know which basket to go and pull. In the first crate there are baskets for stations 1 and 2 in the next crate stations 3 and 4 and so on. The baskets are in the correct order of the stations for example the blue basket in crate one is for Station 1 and the purple basket is for Station 2. The center captains of responsible for getting their basket and putting it back. ( We will talk about center captains in another post)

Below are some examples of how I store my material

Each basket has a label so that I along with my students know what belongs in what station.

Inside the spelling station basket is everything they would need to complete the station

I don't allow my students to walk around during center time so I take a little extra time preparing my centers so that everything students would need is already in their center bucket.

The listening station material remains next to the listening station.

 Listening center materials

A book inside the ziploc bag with the cd

Game with pieces and boards for when the students finished listening to the story

Station 3. Setting up your small group area

When my students are in centers that is when I pull my small group

Here is a look at my small group area

My small group area is located in the back of the room so it is far away from the other students will still close enough for me to monitor them

I have a space for my anchor charts that I create with my groups

A pocket chart for various activities and my letter tubs in the windowsill for easy access

The area below the pocket chart is magnetic so I utilize that space also

A white board is a must!

IF you don't have one a table top one will do

The purple bucket on the white board holds student's pointers for guided reading

I have two buckets that hold my pointers, small anchor charts, sight words, alphabet cards and picture cards. The crates on the left side hold activities that my small group is working on that week and also binders for me to track their progress.

The pink container in the middle also holds games and reading buddies

The two crates on the right hold another set of alpha cards and also the students guided reading books

Peace out Peeps

Don't forget to check me out next week

Next up is

Organizing stations and managing them

Make sure you come back each week

there might be a boatload of goodies for you at the end but you didn't hear that from me!

Pin It

Currently…and Are You a Real Teacher?

This is my first time to link up for Oh Boy Fourth Grade’s Currently!!

Can you tell I want to go to the BEACH!?!?! Haha.

Now…I’m in L-O-V-E with Pinterest! The other day it was acting wonky and I thought I was missing a limb!!! I just love all the ideas out there!!  So I thought I’d link up with Falling into First’s A-DORABLE linky party-Are you a real teacher?

I actually have two must dos this summer! First:

Source

I have a whole class set of old clipboards and need to do this!  Also…they sell duct tape sheets (I saw some at JoAnn Fabrics) and I’m thinking it may make this a little simpler? We’ll see!

And my second:

Source

LOVE these and the idea of duct tape!  Need to make these too!

Hmmm. I must be on a duct tape kick!

Stay tuned for the first of MANY fab guest bloggers this week!!

Winner of the Blog Design!

Hi!! The move is well….over.  It was ROUGH in every sense!  But, it’s over and I’m slowly getting settled!  Just wanted to pop in and post the winner of the blog design!

Mrs. T. Williams at 5th Grade Tomfoolery is the lucky winner! I’ll be emailing you shortly to set up installation!

As far as more designs…they will be coming.  But, I want to keep this blog purely educational {my first and true love!} so I will have a different blog for the designs I do create.  I will probably not start that venture until AFTER my grad school classes are finished this summer, but I will post a link on here with the address when it’s up and running!

I’ll be back later this week with some fun educational finds! Have a happy week of summer {well most of you}!