My Daily Schedule

I was reading blogs the other day and ran across a linky going on over at TGIF to share our daily schedules.  Talking to my BBB's I've been realizing how different life is for so many of us - even though we are all still teaching intermediate grades.  So, I wanted to share what a typical schedule is for my classroom in CA.

Random things to know - 

*We have 19 weeks of yard duty throughout the year, it works out to being every other week, flip-flopping recess and after school bus duty.

*We have prep everyday for 30 minutes, and because we're at a K-8 school the kids get to go to a PE teacher.  The primary teachers have to teach their own PE, but they also get out a half hour before the "big" kids.    

*The kids' hours are 8:20 - 2:50 (except on Monday when it's 8:20 - 1:30), the primary students go from 8:20 - 2:20 (1:15 on Mondays).  My contract hours are 8:00 - 3:30 every day but Mondays (because our staff meetings go until 4:30).  But we all know we do way more than that...  

Updated: I forgot to share the scoop on music. Music is optional - it's not a prep. Kids have to keep their grades up, but they can sign up for a string instrument. If they are in the program it's 1/2 hour twice a week. They leave during reading time. This year I only have 6 kids that attend, and with that it's only 3 kids per day that are gone.

*My beginner and intermediate ELLs also leave class every afternoon for 40 minutes. It's during my silent reading/ workshop time since they need to be there for everything else. This year I have 9 kids that leave. 

I guess I don't know what else to share - I tend to talk a lot about my day all the time, so if you have any questions just let me know!  

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Morning Meeting and a Football Freebie

Hi everyone!  Hope you had a good day.  :)  

My class has been working on switching into "big" numbers when we are multiplying.  I made up 12 task cards to add to my morning math meeting.  They are free over on TPT.  

Side note - I love morning math meeting!  It's like "calendar" or "number of the day" when I taught primary.  It doesn't involve any copies to pass out - LOVE IT.  Anyhow, I use Tara's morning meeting pack as a daily review over key concepts, and I add other task cards of specific things that we are learning at that moment.  

The kids come in, get out their homework and put it on their desks, and then they head to the carpet with their whiteboards to solve the problems.  They get a head start going through the problems while I'm going desk to desk checking in homework.  I don't collect homework because we correct it together after morning meeting.  

During morning math meeting we go over the problems together, it's a mixture of the kids talking to each other to compare answers, and them doing the problems with me.    

I hope this freebie helps someone!  

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Progress Reports (Already)

In college I don't remember ever having a course that spoke about the trauma and drama of progress reports... Maybe it was covered, but in those classes I was so focused on creating cute lessons and not feeling like a kid during my student teaching that I really don't remember. Life experiences have taught me a few things over the years though.

*I am thankful for grading programs. I absolutley despised staying up late computing averages when it used to be time for progress reports. Technology is wonderful. 

*I have learned I am not a weighted grading type of girl. I see things in black and white, based on points- not percentages. In doing so I have learned the different point values that work for me.

For example in writing I grade with the district rubric. Paragraphs are worth 10 points. Multiple paragraphs are worth more, but it's based on the same kind of point system.

4 = 10

3+ = 9.5

3 = 9

3- = 8.5

2+ = 8

2 = 7.5

2- = 7

1+ = 6.5

1 = 6

*It's important to keep a hard copy of your grades just in case technology doesn't work as planned.  We have a new grade book this year, and already numerous teachers have lost everything as the system has been dealing with glitches.  I'm crossing my fingers and toes that my grades are safe!  

*I love categories in each grade book as a way for parents/student/me to see how the child is doing on assessments vs. classwork, etc..

Here's the categories I have in each grade book:

Writing: Final Drafts, Classwork, Projects, Spelling, Reading Logs.

Reading: Assessments, Classwork, Projects, Summaries

Math: Assessments, Classwork, Projects

Science: Assessments, Classwork, Projects

Social Studies: Assessments, Classwork, Projects

Notice HW isn't on there... On our report cards homework is an E, S, N separate thing (just like math facts)... So I still keep track but don't include in their letter grades.  For the most part it's practice.  Do it or don't do it.  Rewards for getting it done, consequences for not getting it done.... Things that I do grade/count as projects, or have their own category - reading logs, etc.

Here's how my typical grading system looks like:

1.  First I record the scores on my hard copy. I have one sheet per subject per progress section (so 2 or 3 sheets per subject per trimester). The kids are listed in alphabetical order, just like on the grading system.

2. As I record their scores on the hard copy, I write "Parent Sign _____" on the top of the student paper if the grade is less than 72% and I highlight it. In my grade book I circle that student's grade to give me a reminder. 

3.  On Fridays the papers go home and the highlighted papers must be returned with a signature the next Monday. When returned I highlight the circled score in my book. Easy way to see who brought it back and who to remind/email parents.

4.  After I record things on my hard copy I head to the computer and enter it into the different online grade books. On my hard copy I put a check mark at the bottom of the column after the assignment has been entered. 

For progress reports we just print the online reports and send them home for a parent signature. I staple the below note over the grade portion, leaving their name showing at the top so it's easy to send home.

Before I send the progress reports home I call the kids over (usually during some independent activity) and show them their grades on the big sheet and all the other information on this half sized sheet. They then go and write what they are proud of and a goal for the future.  I staple the half size on top and stick it to the side to pass out at the end of the day to take home.  Want the above note for yourself?  An editable copy of it is over on Google Docs.  The font above is Century Gothic (since I love it.) 

Kids have to return progress reports the next day with a signature. For extra incentive I give out our school "cash".  Since it is homework, if they don't remember to turn it back in by Friday then they will have to lose recess.  At that point I'll email home, checking to make sure parents saw the reports.

I also sent an email to parents today explaining that the reports are coming home with the extra note and that it's the same grades they have been looking at on the parent grade website. This year I had parents sign a separate note in my back to school packet, making sure they knew about the parent website.  I'm hoping the extra notification helps keep parents in the loop.  :)   

The first trimester is always so short that soon enough it will be report card time. Each trimester I take the grading sheets out of my binder and put them in a file folder to save for reference. Since every trimester starts over, it's just for reflection. 

I hope this helped someone. What do you do for grades?

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Show What You Know!

Wanted to share something that my friend & teacher & grade level neighbor shared with me.  

Isn't it cute and functional?

Last year I used something similar but it was on a trifold display board.  It was great that it was portable, but I wanted to leave it up all the time and couldn't due to space.  

We have used it this year to make connections to the different stories.  Post it notes just stick on top.  Love it - love how simple it works - love how it is so cute!  

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What's in my students' desks?

I know I've told you already, but this year I'm providing my students with exactly the supplies they need (rather than them bringing in their own supplies and not matching everyone else).  Some of these things will start off the year in a basket to keep them separate, but will end up in their desks after we learn some rules.  

Spiral Notebooks: 

Spelling notebook - We aren't allowed to write in our spelling workbooks - don't know why, but we aren't.  The kids practice their spelling words, patterns, word work, and cursive in this notebook.  

Mentor Sentences - Something new I'm starting this year.  This will take the place of our traditional DOL.  

Journal - I have my students do random journal writes throughout the year when I need them to brainstorm, or when they have a chance to work on writing.  On Fridays we also do our 3, 2, 1's in them.  (3 things they learned during the week, 2 things they loved, 1 thing they would change - or 1 goal to work on.)

Composition Books: 

Math - I'm getting rid of all the random papers in their binders, and it's all going into a composition book.  Problem of the day, Notes, Reflection, Tables, Graphs - basically anything that goes on an anchor chart will end up in here too.  

Reading Vocabulary - Every week we have new vocabulary we are learning for our reading.  We stick them in here in addition to our story maps and making connections lists.

Reading Log - This is mainly for their weekly homework assignment, though we will start off in August doing this full class.   

Binder - 

At the moment the binders are still locked up in my cupboard at school but they will contain their subject dividers and other things in sheet protectors.  Sheet protectors turn these papers into graphic organizers they can write with dry erase marker on.  These pages also act as dividers and help keep the kids organized.  A couple of weeks ago I made up my ipad themed Student Notebook Set - I LOVE IT!   

   

*Math divider (front) - App bubbles will be for units we learn.

*Multiplication Fact Sheet (back)

 - This section will contain different math grades, areas to work on (their Think Central and IXL sheets), and any random math papers that they aren't done with.  We make a math game list on binder paper for easy reference too.  

*Reading divider (front) - Same thing as math - each app bubble will be for our unit.

*Story Map (back) - Sometimes we do a quick story and I have them give me a story map on it.  This will help save some paper.  

*Boggle (front) - This helps out for the weekly word work game.

*Reading Strategies (back) - This goes into more depth than the regular story map.  

After these sections will come papers not in sheet protectors since they will be recording information directly on them.

*32 Book Challenge

*In class story summary - after silent reading we are taking a few moments to record what we read (not pictured - still need to buy it from TPT).

For writing it's a little different...

*Heart Map (front) - Student Generated

*Rainbow Edit (back)

This section will contain their rough drafts and works that need to be finished.  Once finished they turn it into me. 

Folders - My kiddos get 2 paper folders (other than their Homework folder)

*Classwork - inside one side says "Save", the other says "Finish"

*Sight Words/Leveled group work - these folders are kept in a basket ready for intervention moments.  I have their fluency information inside with their appropriate sight word lists.  

Then of course is their text books, workbooks, pencil boxes, etc... Books are stored in crates (1 crate per team) right next to their desks.  

What do you give your students to keep them organized throughout the year?

Linking up with Kristen and Elizabeth for their Organization Party.

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Organization: Individual vs. Team Supplies

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!  This day feels like it flew by... I messed up and looked at the calendar earlier and realized I only have 3 1/2 weeks until meetings start - and 2 1/2 weeks until I have access to my classroom.  I've been working though on trying to get as much done as possible - at least the stuff that I can tackle at home.  Linking up with Kristen and Elizabeth today to share what I've been up to.  

Individual vs. Group/Team Supplies

Now in past years in 4th grade we have sent home a list of stuff for students to pick up.  This year we are changing it up and doing what 2nd & 3rd grade do - we are asking for a monetary donation of $20 and the teachers take care of picking everything up.  I love it!  I loved it back when I taught 2nd, it's just been a challenge this summer since I don't have the things in storage.  (When I taught 2nd I would always shop the teacher sales and store them for the next year.)  Oh well, it's a chance for me to go shopping.  :) 

In my classroom each student has their own pencil box.  Over the years I have tried out binder pouches, ziploc containers, etc... and it boils down to them needing a pencil box.  I switch up groups and seating arrangements - so we don't always have tables that we can share materials.

Each student starts out the year with a pencil box (I chose the large size from Walmart 97 cents - the cheaper ones felt like they would fall apart the first week of school), a box of crayons, glue stick, 4 pencils - 2 already sharp, 2 cap erasers, a pencil sharpener that has a container to catch it all, 2 bic pens, and a highlighter.  They are getting a whiteboard (from the Dollar Tree) that has their first whiteboard marker/eraser attached to it.  

The other day my boys and husband helped me stuff the boxes.  It was an assembly line.  I love the help!  Then I realized that these fancy boxes had a circle on them that fit Tara's (from 4th Grade Frolics)  Homework Club number set.  I love the colors, so I hot glued the laminated circles onto the top of the boxes.  Those numbers aren't going anywhere.   

You probably noticed that the boxes do not contain scissors, wet glue, or markers.  Well, that is what I'm so excited about.  I AM SO SICK OF KIDS HAVING SCISSORS at their desks.  Every year I have 2 or 3 children that feel the need to cut tiny little pieces of erasers and keep them in the pencil tray in their desks.  It drives me nuts.  Since the kids do not need scissors at every moment of the day, I am going back to team supply bins for those moments.  A group of 4 kids will share these baskets.  Now these aren't completely done yet - I still need to add their team numbers to them - planning on making up some ones that correspond to my apple themed classroom.  

From Dollar Tree they had the red bins and the little green baskets.  The green baskets are for the Tiny Tidy Tubs that Rowdy in Room 300 mentioned last summer.  Basically a tiny tidy tub is for a group to put those tiny little pieces of trash in so they do not go flying on the ground during an activity.  I have done supplies like this in past years and love it!  It was just when the kids brought in their own supplies that I felt weird taking away their scissors... 

Well, that's basically it.  Hope it helps someone.  :)  

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Optimum Organization: Cords and Sandpails

Saturday (pretend to be an organized person) Time!  Linking up this morning with Kristen & Elizabeth for their weekly linky.

This week I wanted to share 2 little tidbits that worked well this past year.

This pin was floating around last year - it worked brilliant to keep all those cords organized under the computer table and near my teaching cart.  

Not my own picture - but the pin that is floating around Pinterest.  Same idea.

Since that was such a small little thing (of course remembering to save the bagel and sandwich tabs was a big thing), I wanted to share something else that I guess I never took a picture of.

Sand pails

During summer they are super cheap, but they held up to the rigors of life in my classroom.  I have them in my class colors (red, yellow, green, blue) and I stuck labels on them for the different purposes.  I store them throughout the classroom.  

*Centers pail - "Missing Pieces"

*By the door - "Lost and Found"

*On top of the bookshelf I have 3 - "Crayons" pail, "Markers" pail, and "Colored Pencils" pail.

*By the Bucket Filler mailboxes I have 2 - one pail is for index card cards labeled "Someone was a bucket filler when..." and the other one is labeled "Mailbox" for the ones waiting for me to deliver.

*I also have 2 blank ones that have been wonderful for when I need to lug water from the office sink to the classroom for art projects (I don't have water in my portable).  

I got them at the end of the summer stuff - so basically they were 75% off this past summer.  Can you say cheap!?!  The handles are a bonus.

Hope this helped someone!

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Organization, Motivation, and Bloglovin'

Motivation and Organization Time!  

Linking up with Joanne and Kristen & Elizabeth for their weekly linkies :)

I love pocket charts!!!

Yes, I know it sounds cheesy, but I do...  I use them throughout my room to make things interactive.

I use it for behavior.

The students put their weekly goals in them (that's a dry erase sentence strip).

I keep vocabulary weekly words in them - for all the different subjects.

I put random classroom pictures in them for throughout the year.

I use them for helpers.

I use magnetic ones for daily 5 stations (guess I haven't taken my own picture of it). 

Then I have random ones that I pull out throughout the year for centers, open house braille names, spelling words, etc...  

Do you also use pocket charts?  

Next up is Joanne's Motivation Linky :)

Wanted to share something I did 2 years ago that I have loved using... Vistaprint's Encouragement Cards.  

They are just their "free" business cards that I keep on my desk for a quick grab and give.    The top says, "Just a little note to tell you how wonderful you were in class today."  There is room to write a little note of what I saw that I thought they did great.  Students love them, I have seen them in pencil boxes and used as bookmarks throughout the year.  Not my own idea though, I created it from all the ideas of Stephanie in Teaching in Room 6.  She has a ton of Vistaprint ideas.  

Do you also do some kind of encouragement notes?  

Last up - remember to click the side bar button or the link

 "Follow this blog on Bloglovin".

Very soon there won't be any more Google Reader.  :(  

 

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Revisiting Dry Erase Markers

I'm still cruising along... can't wait to share my trip with you when I get back.  :)

Another revisit today from a past post:  

Something that I did last summer was hot glue a bunch of pom poms to the top of my dry erase markers.  

Guess what?  Those pom poms lasted the entire year!  Seriously!  You wonder how that happened... well those markers turned into the ones that my students could use when they needed an extra - you know, when their own markers from home ran out and they hadn't brought in a replacement yet... so they ended up being able to use mine.  I knew they were mine because of the special tops, and they were returned promptly.  I had them in a special little box on my whiteboard, so I also used them when I needed black ink - and then I just used the eraser on the whiteboard as well.  It was so handy!  Then I also let my parent helpers use them for their intervention activities... and also for my small group centers.  They lasted...

Now I went out looking for more of those markers since I loved them so much and I found the brand over at Staples.  These kind the tops turn around and attach on the base & the pom pom goes the right way.  These markers were the ones as part of the Staples back to school special, I think $2 for each package.  I will definitely be doing this again this summer, already bought the pom poms over at the Dollar Store.  

Hope this helps someone!  The green link above heads to the post from last year.  :)  

Have a great day!

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Organization Linky Party

Linking up with Elizabeth and Kristen to share organizational ideas that have worked in my classroom.  

Get ready - I took a lot of pictures this week :)

Of course some of them are pretty old too...

First up - I LOVE my magnets.  I have them in one section of my whiteboard and the kids move them over when they are done working on the big thing of the week.  Sometimes it's a permission slip, sometimes a pen pal letter, sometimes a project.  I LOVE them!

Here's my classroom library.  I have it organized in clear plastic shoeboxes with packing tape holding on the different AR levels - AR levels are color coded.  I have chapter books in the smaller boxes, and in my big tubs are picture books.  I just can't part with my picture books.  My class librarians keep everything organized.  

Speaking of boxes - I have tons of those green & white moving boxes above my rolling carts.  They are mainly class sets of books.  I'm addicted to buying class sets of books with my bonus points.  I keep 2 class sets in each box - more than 2 means the boxes get too heavy and awkward lifting down.  Believe me, I've learned the hard way.  Also above my cabinet is an under the bed lift cover type of box - I use it to store my larger posters - you know the kind that I used to buy at the teacher supply store when there was a teacher supply store around here.


As for centers and task cards, I bought some of these 3 drawer plastic things (like my fancy terms?) over at Target.  I really want to get another one to fill in that spot with the crate.  Right now in the 9 drawers I have multiplication and division fact tests (one in each), math fact games, and math manipulatives.  The math manipulatives are in larger ziploc bags that are labeled.  I love ziploc bags.  Absolutely love them.

For task cards, I am in the process of switching some of the ones that are used all year long over to those cheap photo albums from the Dollar Store.  If something doesn't have color on it, I don't usually laminate it - but I want to keep them working for years to come.  I also picked up some of these reusable sandwich bags (super heavy duty) from Target's dollar spot, and want to switch them out from the sandwich bags.  It's a process that I'm hoping to finish before May 31st when I'm locked out of my classroom.  

Onto file cabinets - well 2 summers ago I went through my files and chucked a bunch of stuff that I never look at or that was already on my computer.  If I do use it I brought it home as a summer project and scanned the material into the computer to save it in digital form.  Now my cabinets have all my copies for the year (I send them off in April), assessments, extra math facts practice sheets & tests, and extra resources like those mentor texts that I can't just put into a rolling cabinet.  This week I also added a drawer filled with the printed 4th grade Common Core Workbook.   I organized them by standard and they are in a drawer waiting for other resources to join them. 

In past years I have used the plastic shoeboxes for my student's book bins (Daily 5) but this past year I learned my lesson when the first week of school many of the kids broke them.  Instead I changed out using my plastic shoeboxes for other needs - specifically to organize them in my rotating center station. This wire system used to be in my sons' closets - but it kept falling apart, so instead my husband zip tied it together extra tight and it holds the workshop binders and up to 16 plastic shoeboxes (if I squish them in) of different activities.  I keep one side for math, and another for reading. As kids finish their work they know where to go.  

Speaking of binders - I love them too.  Inside my binders are worksheets that kids can use during Word Work, Math time, etc... I have them stuck inside sheet protectors and the kids use their dry erase markers on them.  It makes it easy to put one or two copies of a story with comprehension questions on the back of it.  

What else?  

On my desk I made up my tool kit last summer.  This has been a lifesaver this year.  It makes it so easy to keep track of things.  I also have a smaller one that I keep on my table for parents to get supplies that they need.  It isn't labeled like my big one, but maybe this summer I will get around to it. 

I like these big tubs in my classroom too:

One has all my clipboards

Another has my privacy shields/offices/testing screens.

Another has my recess equipment.

Another has my rainy day games.

I can't forget about crates:

I use them for each team group to hold their books.  Our desks are super small and not everything can fit inside them.  These can hold 5 reading and 5 math books.

I keep a crate by my "real" teacher's desk with my go to resources to plan, as well as a crate by my cart up front with all the teacher editions in it.

I'm sure there is more organization in my classroom.  I love to be organized and I'm hopeful that one day soon I will be able to know where everything is within a matter of moments.  :)  

Hope you had a great day!

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