Meeting with Small Groups in Reading

I recently posted here about how I set up my small group rotations.  As an upper grade teacher, our district provides very little training on the HOW to do small groups.  They are very generous in telling us we SHOULD be doing them...

So...

I do them...

I basically teach the same lesson 4 different times.  The catch is that I HAVE to get every group in, every day.  If not, it gets off.  This sounds like a HUGE deal and MASSIVE amounts of planning, but I have a secret

I actually spend less time planning than anyone else on my team.  This is because the lesson I plan IS WHAT WE DO IN SMALL GROUPS.  I don't plan a separate whole group lesson and then plan additional work for practice and small groups.

So I begin with a lesson.

 As you can see, I use mark the areas that I will focus on with each group.  Pink is for everyone. Then I differentiate for each group.  In this example, the yellow was an example of using specific context to understand what is happening in this drama.  This was very concrete and explicit, so I used it with my lower learners.  To the right, in blue, was some additional and more challenging information that I only wanted to introduce to my higher learners.

In this same lesson on elements of drama, we used different colored flags to identify elements of drama.  We were able to quickly use these all week in several different dramas.  (I used the same color flag on our definition anchor chart...should have pictured that!)

   Now, in this lesson, we used highlighters to highlight the information you find in the beginning, middle, and end of a story.  It is a mystery to me why they think it is so awesome to trade highlighter colors, but talk about engaged!  They were so pumped that they got to use 3 colors of highlighters!

Let's talk supplies.  Highlighters, pencils, flags, OH MY!  Every minute of your time in small group is precious, so I keep all supplies handy in small baskets.

  

As you can see, each seat has their own supply basket.  Inside every basket you can find a sharpened pencil, highlighter, flag, think/talk button, self assess rubric, and a googley eye.  A few of these need some explanation.

• Googley Eye - my lower group uses to track text.  "Get your eyes on the text"
• Think/Talk button - math counter that I've labeled with think on one side and talk on the other.  I use these with my groups that want to blurt out answers without thinking.  Only I can turn the button over.  If it says think, you need to be thinking.  Then I turn one over for that person to talk.  
• Self Assess Rubric - at the end of each lesson, I go back over the objective and they rate themselves on how they did today.  They slide the bead on the pipe cleaner to show where they are performing.  You can find it FREE here in  my TPT Store.  

Comment below with questions!  I need some ideas for my next post in this series.  

Reading Groups in the UPPER GRADES

I am an upper grade teacher.  4th Grade to be specific is where my heart resides.  I have some experience in 1st grade, and learned so much from my mentor.  Sometimes, I still have to draw from that experience to handle my 4th graders.  

I had a FABULOUS 4th grade internship (10years ago).  My mentor taught me to really THINK about the lessons.  Plan lessons the kids would be engaged in.  Think about what they would enjoy and use THAT to teach the curriculum.  

Then I got a job. 

and I got the run down of "what to do".  Here's the gist...you should do small groups with every student, every day.  And use the leveled readers that come with our reading series.  And embed Science and Social Studies during Reading time, too.  And extended writing, because the kids are going to have to master 3 modes of writing by February.  So teach all your grammar before then too.  Oh, and HANDWRITING IS STATE LAW NOW SO DO THAT TOO.  

Am I the only one on this island.  Even as I type that, I realize there are so many more ANDS to add to that list.  

BUT...yes, there's a BUT 

I figured it out and it isn't that bad.  or require that much more work.  and it makes the kids responsible.  and it gives time to write. and to teach grammar.  

So, the first problem to tackle was how do I not spend 10 of my 15 minutes reading text.  The answer is that students do their first read on their own.  I have these dry-erase pockets from the @Target dollar spot, and I slip directions down in them.  For my lower students, the qr codes are linked to a read aloud.  Some are iTunes files, some are other students in the class reading.  I thought this was going to be difficult, and IT WAS SO EASY!  

Then it is Teacher Time.  This is my typical small group table.  Plans laid out.  Water cup at the ready.  World's Best Pencil Sharpener ready to go. I will highlight my supply baskets in a later post.  This is where all the "I do, We do" goes on.  There is also a dry erase board close, so I can write up vocabulary.  The students discuss and provide each other feedback in this group.  I will also highlight grouping in a future post.

Then seat work.  Whatever we've learned in group, they practice on their own at their seats.  This is a large group picture, but there is usually only 5-6 people at their seats.

Lastly, the writing center was tricky to figure out.  How are they going to practice extended writing and grammar INDEPENDENTLY at a center?
Here's what we are trying.  

Day 1 - Read a prompt, highlight key words.  Read a text, highlight information they need to use from the text.  

Day 2 - Complete a graphic organizer answering the prompt question.

Day 3 - write a rough draft of their essay (focus on paragraph construction at the moment)

Day 4 - finish rough draft and provide feed back to a partner.  

Friday we take a short assessment on the week's reading skill and then spend the rest of the time editing and revising our writing.  So far, it is going really well.  The best part is, I feel like I actually engage with EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY!! 

Small Group Self Assessment

I'm new to the land of small group instruction.  In my area, upper elementary teachers are not trained how to plan or manage the jungle that can be small group instruction.

Teach the leveled readers. Wait, have you READ those books?

You should meet with your low performing students EVERY DAY.  Um...I don't have time

The leveled readers incorporate Science and Social Studies.  UM...I also don't have time...

BUT NOW, I've taken the leap and I LOVE IT!  I can't wait to share some great resources for both reading and math small groups, but for now here is a little freebie I made.

Find in TPT store FREEBIE

At the end of each group, they remind me of the standard (BOOM, they know the learning objective), then they select their level of understanding.  They slide that little bead up and down the pipe cleaner to choose.  I'm in love.  It is a great way to end a group.

#BTS 2016

So...It's been a while....a really long while...like I work at a new school while...



I love my new school and my new classroom.  I can't wait to show you around and get back into this blogging thing.  I'm so excited to be on a new adventure with a great group of kids and colleagues.

BUT...I've been planning all summer :)

Click here to find in my TPT store

I love using this long term planner to pace out my units of study.  It has one grading period per page, so it is super easy to pace long term projects.  Check out this FREEBIE in my TPT store.  It is editable so that you can customize it with your own dates and breaks.

Ok, It's been awhile

So, the circus got the best of the ringmaster, but I'm back and better than ever.  I thought I'd begin with a post of how I never seem to be able to  try to stay organized.

Organization is one of those things that is SO AWESOME when it is working...and so TERRIBLE when it is not working.  My number one rule is clean off your desk at the end of the day.

because this is NOT what I want to walk 

into in the morning.

Now, this is a little extreme.  It was the end of the grading period and everything was needing to be graded all at once, but we all have these days!  

What is your number one rule to stay organized?  Can't wait to get back into blogging and hopefully sharing some great resources and ideas with all you fabulous teachers out there :)

Lunch Box Linky Party

I'm so excited to rejoin the blogging world with this awesome Linky Party!
Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics is hosting...I love linky parties because that is how I find new blogs to follow...yay!


Ok so...here's my lunch box and lunch

I usually take a whole container of something (hummus and carrots and pita chips) and eat on it all week.  That really cuts down on the things I need to remember as I walk out the door in the morning.  I love my insulated cup to drink water at work...I find that when I teach all day, I get really dehydrated.  So this allows me to keep ice and water on hand with out the cup sweating all over my desk! Plus, my managers love being the one who gets me ice...I know, right?  They also really like washing my dishes...

So...I am part of a Team that does EVERYTHING together...so my class eats lunch at 11:38, but my teammate takes them down so my lunch starts right then...I pick up both our classes at 12:08 and start the bathroom routine so that she can take a few more minutes at the end.  This works so well for us because we all get a few more minutes to eat!

Another Award

The Versatile Blogger Award rules:

1.  Thank the person who nominated you with a link back to them.  

Emily over at Circus of Learning passed this award on to me...thanks!  I'm honored.

2.  Tell 7 things about yourself.

•  I've lived in a 5 mile radius my whole life...including college
• I married my high school sweet heart
• I work on the most fabulous, hardworking 4th grade team EVER!!
• I'm a DIY diva
• My favorite way to waste time is pinterest
• I get joy out of organizing things into boxes and files
• I love tv that has no point whatsoever

3.  Pass this award on to 12 other newly discovered blogs and let them know they received an award...

I'm not quite ready to pass on my award...I'm new to blogging and everyone I follow has a TON of followers.  This has made me realize I need to venture further out into the blog world. 

I'm Loving NOTEBOOKS!

I'm saving my science notebooks until they are complete.  Masterpiece kinda thing...

but here are some pics of my S.S. notebooks...

Table of Contents.  Next year...date will be added 

Map Features. 

Facts about Ancient Civilizations.  Came from group presentations.  

Conquistadors Web.  Kids loved this one...

Although time consuming, I think the kids really learn more.  When they have to think about making the graphic organizer, they actually think about the connections it represents.  LOVE IT!

Thanks for the Awards!!!

So...I'm SO Honored to have been awarded two different awards.  Sorry it has taken a little extra amount of time to say thanks!

Loose Shoelaces and Third Grade Rock Star

Gave me the ...

The goal of the award is to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers. The rules are:

1. copy and paste the award on your blog
2. thank the giver and link back to them
3. reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
4. hope that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers

I'm not quite ready to pass on the award, but I wanted to say thank you!!!

What is the Plan?

So, I've identified my clutter with the encouragement of ...

Unfortunately, teachers tend to not be very good stewards of our resources.  Nothing bothers me more than to make copies that don't get used or clean out old binders and throw away reams and reams of paper.  I try to use it as scrap paper, but how much scrap paper can you have before that is now your clutter?

I will RECYCLE A LOT of paper in the next few weeks.  I will REUSE a lot a binder in the next few weeks. I will REDUCE the number of things I print off the internet and copy for my class.
(That's an example of modeling targeted skill...points on evaluation?)

Ok...I'm going to tackle my huge grey cabinet first...here's the before and the plan.

1. Organize plastic drawers into like items and label.

2.  Purge empty cardboard boxes just because they were there when I moved in does not mean they have to stay.

3. Ask the curriculum coach to store the extra box of leveled readers that I have (should note that I already convinced the ESL teacher to take one extra box.  How do you end up with 2 extra boxes of ESL readers!!!)

4. Label plastic shoe boxes of supplies.

5.  Find new, covered home for EVERYTHING on top.

6.  Figure out how to organize and store my large collection of posters.

Click HERE to join this awesome linky party!

I'll Show you mine...cuz you've already shown me yours

So...it's been awhile since I've posted.

Sorry...but I've been busy, I know you know what I'm talking about.  It is a little hectic right before the holiday break, and then you get this GLORIOUS vacation when you don't have to work...right?

No, that is when you have to work on your home, because that is what you neglect the other 9 months of the year.

OK...so I'm really excited to participate in the Clutter-Free Classroom's Clutter-free Classroom Project

I am a fairly new teacher, so I don't have a lot of "stuff".  This is both a blessing and an expensive hardship.  I also don't have my own children yet, so I still care that all my classroom things look nice and match.  I'm told that problem will be cured when I have my own children to worry about.  

Anyway...here is my clutter-FUL cabinets and cubbies. 

Closed...

I use the large doors for my word wall.  I had to expand it a little, however, and now the right is RLA, left is Math, and the two little cabinets to the right is Science and Social Studies.

and OPEN...

There is one shelf that is organized well...it has plastic shoe boxes with organized supplies...other than that, it is just a free for all of Dollar Tree and Target finds.  

Random Boxes, Bag of Class TShirts, and a lot of old teaching resources that "We still use".  

Paint and chemicals that I'm not really supposed to have...I mean you know how dangerous LYSOL is right!  and the health text books that "We Still Use"

This is probably the most used area in my classroom.  Bandaides and all types of bags on the left,
Glue Gun, Label Maker, Clothespins, various envelopes, and extension cord on the right.  

Sorry it is a little blurry...student cubbies are the bottom 2 rows.  We clean everything out of our desks every 2 weeks or so. This keeps us very clean and I have so many less bugs than everyone else... 

This is more student supplies, with my junk on top

The Command Center...i.e. My Poor Desk.  It is more organized than it looks.  

Student files on left, random daily files on right

top desk drawer

Ok...now I'm ready to go...I'm going to declutter and simplify my space.  I love it!  Join the Linky Party if you haven't yet and check out everyone else's clutter!

Rotation Day

Ok...so we are all feeling the pressure of tested standards.  I feel like every word I speak has to be connected to one of my state standards.  It is hard to want to do other activities with my students, but have to tell myself...I don't teach that in 4th grade.

Due to these high expectations, we have completely taken the fun, crafty activities out of the upper grades...but we do still teach children, right?

My wonderful team came up with a solution to this...and joined it together with holiday fun...and got around that pesky "no holiday party"rule.

We call it Rotation Day.  Each teacher, we have 5, plans a fun activity that corresponds with that holiday.  We have 30 - 45 minutes for each class to rotate around to each other teacher.  It is such a nice break for the kids.  It is also a nice break for the teachers.  It is so easy to plan one activity and do it 5 times in that day.  It is a great opportunity to catch up on grading/cleaning/organizing/planning/anythingelsethatyouneverhavetimetodo.

Now, this is a privilege, so you can lose the right to Rotation Day.  We only have recess 2 days per week (gasp, right).  If you go to study hall, you earn a letter toward a word and when you spell the word, you lose rotation day.  The amount of study halls determines the word.  Our words so far this year have been, Halloween, Turkey, and Noel.

Angels...they are really angels.

As I've bragged before, I have the best class in the world. Not only are they well behaved and motivated to learn, but they are so SWEET!

Example...one of my little girls, Heaven, works really hard and is in all advanced classes, but made a B on her report card. This kept her off 1st honors.

A different little girl, Angel, is a new student to our school, is in RTI, and works really hard to stay afloat in her on grade level classes...but she ALWAYS ASKS QUESTIONS. Got straight A's...and was the only one in the whole class...actually in the whole grade level.

heaven says to angel "oh, my gosh angel, that's so awesome! You must've worked really hard to do that! And you a the only one! That'S so great!"

Angel replies: "thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you. You always help me when I need some help."

So sweet!

I'm a good teacher...on PAPER TOO!!

So...I know I am a good teacher. I even find some level of enjoyment out of teaching the crap text books that my county shoves down my throat...but I recently found out that I'm a good teacher on paper too!

My state test scores were really good and my first evaluation was better than expected too...this was a little bright spot in my stressed life right now!

Shoo...Who else is stressed!

I can't quite put my finger on this, but IM FEELING STRESSED!!!! Who's with me? Our school implemented online lesson plans this year...no big deal. I know I'm lucky to have gone this long without turning my lesson plans in. The our state implemented a new evaluation system (read: ridiculous set of standards no one can meet)...s'ok. I can say the right things when people are in my room to see how fabulous I am.

What I cannot handle are people messing with my TECHNOLOGY!!!! I'm sorry mr. Computer technician, but you being able to remote access my computer does not trump UPDATING MY SOFTWARE!

These people (who must have been sent from the devil) have taken away my ability to do anything to my computer...as if technology does not pose its own unique problems in a classroom, I don't need anyone making it worse!

Ahhhhhhhh...I feel a little better now.
Love, the ringmaster

I have a great class...

So, have you ever had a class that causes people to give you sympathetic looks as you walk by?

A class where word gets out to the subs that they DO NOT want to keep your class?

Apparently, I had that class for the last 2 years.  Yes, I had a few students who thought throwing a desk was a reasonable solution to another students "looking at them", but come on they weren't THAT BAD.

Or at least I thought...until I had this class.  Almost everyday, I think when it gets really quiet, I can hear the angels singing.  My class gets a 10 out of 10 everyday in our special area classes...I didn't even know that was POSSIBLE.

I even think we won a class field trip to the zoo for selling the most in our school's fundraiser.  AND the best part, they are kinda SMART!  I'm really gonna be able to do some good learnin' this year!  (I'm from the south...don't judge)

Ok...I'll stop bragging

Classroom Layout Folder

As part of a new (sucky) evaluation system in my state...I'm having to rethink and reevaluate everything I do and say in my classroom...headache, yes!  good in the end, maybe?!?!

ANYWAY, I sat down last week and pulled out these two file folders that are printed inside with graph paper.  I measured out my classroom by counting the carpet squares (the ONLY good thing about carpet squares in a classroom) and voila...I have a classroom layout folder.

I drew all my furnature on one and only the outline on the other.  After it was laminated, I cut out all the furnature and classroom fixtures (small group carpet, library area, etc...)  Then I flipped it over and double side taped it down.

Now, I can see were all my desks need to be!  I even could very carefully plan for where my students were going to sit.  I {heart} this!

What's in my school bag...Linky Party

Ok...I'm a little late to the party, but better late than never.  I loved seeing all the great stuff in the teacher bags.

Babbling Abby at the Inspired Apple is hosting and I'm excited to join in.

My current teacher bag was a gift from hubbie...aww.  I like the size because it can fit a huge stack of papers to grade.  I also like that it is not big enough to allow me to carry home unreasonable amounts of stuff...we all try.  

.

Now to the contents... My classroom layout folder (blog post later), said papers to grade, math teacher's edition (love how skinny it is), easy grade pro, post-its, and my to-do list spiral.

The most important thing, however, is my jump drive.  I keep all my files (backed up...I think) on it and carry it back and forth.

I did, however, just order a 31 Gifts bag to replace this one...  It's the bag with all the pockets around the outside.  I just couldn't resist.

iPads in the Classroom?

Ok...so I've got a question.  Does anyone have an ipad that they use in their classroom??  If so, how?  My school has some extra tech money and has given us the option of a laptop or an ipad.  I would really like an ipad, but for personal reasons...I know that there are a ton of websites out there that tell you all the great things you can do with them, but I want real world info.

I've got DIBS...

I've finally reached heaven.

By that I mean I finally have enough working computers in my classroom to actually integrate them into my teaching!

There's even talk of us getting a laptop or IPAD, but I'm not going to get my hopes up yet.

SO ANYWAY, I'm so excited to be able to implement this strategy this year.  I have 16 students and 4 computers...that is 4 students per day with one day left over.  I made this nifty poster...

When it is a student's "DIBS" day, they get to get on the computer and play any of the educational games on my website...when they are finished with my work.  Here's what it looks like attached to my computer table...

On Fridays, only students who have earned coupons for extra computer time will be allowed to be on the computer.  This leaves me some wiggle room if new students come to our school.