New Desk Name Plate

Hello!

I have spent long hours trying to learn photoshop to start making my own things for the classroom. That way I can have things just like I want. So after watching many many tutorials on youtube, I was able to learn how to make them on photoshop as well as how to turn it into my first product on teacherspayteachers. Since I have always had a polka dot theme in my classroom, I have decided to add owls to that theme. This led me to making polka dot owl name plates for my kids.

Check them out at my store:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Owl-Desk-Name-Tag-1339849

I am starting to get really excited for the beginning of the year with my new name tags!

Math Daily 3

Math Daily 4

I just went to the Daily 5 conference workshop in Tacoma and the sisters talked about Math Daily 3. Math is an area where I struggled with setting up the perfect setting and opportunities for all the diverse learners in my class. I had started last year, trying to set up my math block more like reading. This summer I am spending time researching ways to become a more effective math teacher. I am thinking that I will be doing Math Daily 4. My four choices will be math by myself, math with someone, math writing, and math technology. Math technology isn't a choice from the sisters, but my school gets access to Dreambox website for each student so I want to make sure I am using that. I had all these choices last year, but the choices within each one would be different based on the standard we were trying to master. 

Math by Myself - This is where I put in our district math sheets and give additional tasks that help students learn the concept.

Math with Someone - This is where they work on a math game with someone

Math Writing - This is where students are doing problem solving and then writing about it. This is the most difficult for my first graders, but I saw the most improvement over the year with their ability to explain how they solved problems. 

Math Technology - Dreambox or other math websites

The set up of math daily 4 is very similar to literacy daily 5. I start with a whole group lesson on a standard. Then students make their first choice. Now last year, I would either do a follow up lesson or work on number talks. The sisters talked about using the mini lessons for gradual release. The first mini lesson is I do, second lesson is we do, and the third mini lesson is you do. I am going to use this ideas most days this year, but also keep number talks and number sense routines. I am just starting to read Number Sense Routines by Jessica Shumay as it was recommend to me by a math coach. 

I will let you know what routines I am planning for next year after I finish reading it :)

Daily 5

I love Daily 5! I love how students get a chance to become independent and motivated to read because they are choosing the books that they want to read. It also allows me to work one on one with my students and really give them individualize instruction.

I start with daily 5 first thing in the morning. We start by reminding each other of the expectations in our class and do a quick good morning to each other. Then we jump into our first mini lesson. I have learned that it is very important to have "mini" lessons in first grade. My lessons never go longer then 10 minutes as I know by that time, I have lost the attention of some of my students. My first lesson tends to be a comprehension strategy. Then my second mini lesson is focusing on accuracy strategies and final mini lesson is either fluency or expanding vocabulary. My school does have a literacy curriculum that I am expected to teach. So I use that curriculum as a resource in conjunction with the CAFE menu. 

After 9 minutes of teaching, it is time to let the students check in with their choices. I keep track of their choices on a clipboard for the week. My students not only check in with their choice, but also with their reading goal. This is to focus them on the purpose of that choice and what they are working on. The five choices in my class our Read to Self, Work on Writing, Read to Someone, Word Work, and Listen to Reading. Each student must do read to self at least once a day otherwise it is completely their choice. They also can choose library once a week to shop for new just right books. 

During rotations, I am conferring one on one with students about their reading goals. I do not pull groups based on reading levels and tend to not pull lots of groups. If I pull a group, it is three or less students and is based on a strategy that they need to work on. Once my students have full stamina, each rotation is 20 minutes.  

Daily 5 is amazing because it teaches students to be independent as well as taking responsibility for their own learning. It lets them make choices that motivates them to do their best. The best way for students to become better readers is to read and that is what the daily 5 structure allows students to do. 

I cannot recommend daily 5 more in any classroom. I used it in 5th and 6th grade as well. 

New Blog!

Hello!

 I am very excited to start my first blog. I have been wanting to do this for awhile, but couldn't commit. I finally took the plunge today. I will be sharing all about my classroom. 

I am currently teaching first grade, but I have taught 5th and 6th grade as well. First grade was such a big change after teaching intermediate. This is my first year and it has had some bumps along the way. 

I went from independent kids who understood sarcasm to kids who were crying on the first day of school for their mom. My kids have grown so much this year and I couldn't be more proud of how independent they are now! 

I look forward to sharing how we got there :)