tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14277676085547193342024-02-19T04:14:29.203-08:00A Fairytale First GradeThe learning adventures of a first grade teacher and her students in The Big Apple!Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-49681356145256585942012-12-01T16:20:00.003-08:002012-12-01T16:20:44.842-08:00For the Love of LiteratureMy mother and I hosted a baby shower for my brother, and as lovers of children's literature, we decided to do a storybook theme. <br />
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My mom found the most adorable invitations on <a href="http://www.tinyprints.com/product/35932/baby_shower_invitations_treetop_swing_autumn_orange.html" target="_blank">Tiny Links</a>. Check them out! She also got matching thank you notes for the couple.<br />
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I made a book plate that we printed on mailing labels, and included one with each invitation. We asked that in lieu of a card guests gave their favorite story book. I chose Alice in Wonderland for the label, because that is a favorite of the mother-to-be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Shower Book Plate</td></tr>
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We were so surprised that there was only one duplicate book! This little girl is going to have a great library.<br />
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One of my favorite details at the shower was our storybook lantern. The pages came from beautiful books we got from the dollar store! After a lot of hot glue and cutting, our masterpiece was complete!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXemcO6759ibY6DEkAeC-463JlIOQ1OB8rKumaZam9LVGHXmwJgcnfeas2_awss7if4IX08TdBiDx0Ch0MbMxTvtY9oWDkg5uQJN778h5MM6ZFmAN7nCAR318Fki-VH_3GqPiKEgL8hUo/s1600/IMG_0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXemcO6759ibY6DEkAeC-463JlIOQ1OB8rKumaZam9LVGHXmwJgcnfeas2_awss7if4IX08TdBiDx0Ch0MbMxTvtY9oWDkg5uQJN778h5MM6ZFmAN7nCAR318Fki-VH_3GqPiKEgL8hUo/s400/IMG_0514.JPG" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Shower Lantern</td></tr>
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My mom is an amazing baker, and she made over a hundred large cupcakes for the shower. Of course, they had a storybook theme.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfqIJzRuJ0329vnJ5wPDPNKDOvc20BueXSaGTjSCUSL2tMZyNkMtuDxL9-PyoB1P3H4AFDtEE2tHLaUn9sx1KZPYs1dnGBcT6I9Vem4qTJPn69TD5L10ArkwtrkP6knZkhPuVh_KfnNo/s1600/IMG_0506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfqIJzRuJ0329vnJ5wPDPNKDOvc20BueXSaGTjSCUSL2tMZyNkMtuDxL9-PyoB1P3H4AFDtEE2tHLaUn9sx1KZPYs1dnGBcT6I9Vem4qTJPn69TD5L10ArkwtrkP6knZkhPuVh_KfnNo/s320/IMG_0506.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Shower Cupcake Display</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2v-gxuexAEAq1sLva-KHcWEXyBI_aaxi23DMehtav4z5OeJ83D6dN2GOVo-1GC4mn0T3R2IeOqDIBF_-Ozf-lcxyYhKOn4HyPExB-eTEScZz_ZXGVJ3SQ7PJX4fH_hkBqN3x2pSq0PTs/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2v-gxuexAEAq1sLva-KHcWEXyBI_aaxi23DMehtav4z5OeJ83D6dN2GOVo-1GC4mn0T3R2IeOqDIBF_-Ozf-lcxyYhKOn4HyPExB-eTEScZz_ZXGVJ3SQ7PJX4fH_hkBqN3x2pSq0PTs/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiramisu Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan Coconut Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwUJWsWIVx3UZGyR_rzGWX0d5biAZvbcaHzce7i6BFPHUcM5PhwkarP_ZhkXvSXQKyFy0VR_tKRWWdpgC8SQs3KCkBqEdcC81U5YdH6m_DPTFdcEBPgr_vNc5F_rwzMp-5DTkRoQ3sMY/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwUJWsWIVx3UZGyR_rzGWX0d5biAZvbcaHzce7i6BFPHUcM5PhwkarP_ZhkXvSXQKyFy0VR_tKRWWdpgC8SQs3KCkBqEdcC81U5YdH6m_DPTFdcEBPgr_vNc5F_rwzMp-5DTkRoQ3sMY/s320/IMG_0510.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJsKcVo4zz0iLSkY1kPD-t4xKnoSBJ2AgnLM2WK7u1A4Jq_uQXcvMZmHSiKHPI53H9L2UnQ25PWUfrr7hJYh0GbFJiVedyQrSD9aHYLx5IRy2MoH7ynaqgnsj48M12qJ8QGCmpL3ws74/s1600/IMG_0511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJsKcVo4zz0iLSkY1kPD-t4xKnoSBJ2AgnLM2WK7u1A4Jq_uQXcvMZmHSiKHPI53H9L2UnQ25PWUfrr7hJYh0GbFJiVedyQrSD9aHYLx5IRy2MoH7ynaqgnsj48M12qJ8QGCmpL3ws74/s320/IMG_0511.jpg" width="240" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limoncello Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Limoncello Frosting</td></tr>
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I adore the chandelier cupcake stand my mom found at Home Goods!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milk Bottle Centerpiece</td></tr>
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Our centerpieces were made with old books and antique milk jugs. I was unable to capture the true beauty of the table set-up. Each of the milk jugs had a page from a Disney book Mod Podged around the bottle. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift Table</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bootie Clothes Line</td></tr>
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For our gift table, we made a ribbon clothesline attached to branches from the yard. The base is a pillar from Hobby Lobby. We attached little socks and booties across the line with nursery rhymes pinned in between. These photos are from before the guests arrived.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bookworm Party Favor</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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Finally, we decorated small bags and filled them with pink and green gummy worms. We made bookmarks that thanked everyone for attending.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storybook Baby Shower</td></tr>
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My mom should've been an event planner. We were all very impressed to see her vision come alive. I hope to get better photos emailed to me soon, and will share the details I left out!Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-30824368262329604122012-12-01T15:56:00.001-08:002012-12-01T16:20:44.841-08:00ThanksgivingI finally received the permission slips to add my students photos, so I'm super excited to share photos from our Thanksgiving feast!<br />
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Having a multicultural class, I love Thanksgiving, because it's one holiday that everyone celebrates. I do have a Jehova's Witness who doesn't celebrate any holidays, but her parents allowed this one.<br />
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We spent some time throughout November learning about the first Thanksgiving, and the history of Thanksgiving. To wrap it up, the students wrote facts they learned about on paper turkey feathers. Then they cut out a simple circle and drew a face on it. This was one of many turkeys we tried making together, and it was the simplest, because it was just a circle. In my opinion, it was also the cutest! I will never try to sketch the shape of a turkey again! I love the personality each of them gave their turkeys with the big eyes. The headband itself is made out of a sentence strip.<br />
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My room was long enough this year (and my class size small enough) to push the tables together and make one very long table. The kids loved it! I was nervous about having the table over the reading carpet, but thank goodness there were no spills.<br />
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Last year I ordered a ham and turkey from Stop and Shop. It was completely prepared, but had to be baked for a few hours before serving. The lunch aide was kind enough to stick them in her oven at the beginning of the day. Cutting it was a nightmare, and most of the students were afraid to try it. Who wants to EAT turkey after all the cute turkey crafts they've been working on?<br />
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This year I made my life much easier by buying thickly cut deli turkey and microwaving it. Once again only a few kids tried the turkey, so I didn't feel too bad about not having "the real thing."<br />
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I bought an adorable cupcake kit, but realized the morning of that I never made the cupcakes. I loved these turkey toothpicks, so I ended up sticking them in the dinner rolls. Thank goodness I didn't make the cupcakes- three different parents brought in sheet cakes!<br />
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I'm so lucky to have parents who immediately find a way to help without any directions from me.<br />
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Can't wait to read about the Thanksgiving celebrations of all my blogging friends! December is here!<br />
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Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-59663845572969783592012-11-24T20:31:00.001-08:002012-11-24T20:31:24.192-08:00Liebster Award<center>
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Happy Thanksgiving! Between Halloween, Hurricane Sandy, and Thanksgiving, it's been a while since my last post, and I have lots to catch you up on! I hope to update everyone on my holiday activities this week, but in the mean time Richi Reynolds from Ribbins, Recipes, and Rhymes, nominated me for the Liebster award! I am so flattered and encourage all of you to check out her awesome blog:<br />
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<a href="http://richireynolds.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ribbons, recipes and Rhymes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIDTRuTn6_dShQD0rP_Q6I3rL3ueVVXRlhXE2DSrDUM5mCNe7pB9EZD-w7mS9nO_jCBLQgvWZfINz9ewrXM04_eBdgdZpfhYWgTijLw0gwM6BPw0et7ZiW2fwzX2Xc9ld8R7H2E8QuYnt/s1600/button.png" height="125" width="125" /></a></div>
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So apparently Liebster is all about the number eleven. According to the rules of the Liebster Award, I am to
answer 11 questions posted on Richi's website, choose 11 people to whom I
will pass on this honor, and then write 11 of my own questions which the
new recipients must in turn answer. I cannot “tag back” the other blog, but must leave a comment on her post with the URL of my Liebster post so everyone can learn more about this blog & see who I nominate. Awards are granted to up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging.<br />
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<b>Richi's Questions for me: </b><br />
<b>1. Who is your favorite children's author? </b><br />
Wow! Is there any more difficult question to ask of a first grade teacher? Currently I am obsessed with Kevin Henkes, but that is partly because we are in the final week of an Authors as Mentors unit featuring Mr. Henkes. My favorite author changes all the time, but he is one that I consistently fall back on. I hope to post some of my Kevin Henkes work to share with my followers soon!<br />
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<b>2. Who is your favorite (personal, not children's) author? </b><br />
Yet another tricky question! I love reading, and I especially love books that I learn from. A lot of teachers complain that they don't find time to read, but as a subway rider, I have about half an hour a day of commuting time which I can use to indulge in a good book. I'll typically choose historical fiction or multicultural literature so I can get a glimpse into a time or place I don't know a lot about. I usually don't choose based on the author, but a topic I'm curious about. When I'm tired and lazy, I always enjoy a Jodi Piccoult book, which is like a good Lifetime movie. <br />
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<b>3. What is the name of your favorite cookbook? </b><br />
I have a lot of cookbooks for baking (I love the illustrations!), but lately all of my dinner recipes have been coming from Pinterest! Before that I used the online versions of Everday Food magazine and Real Simple magazine.<br />
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<b>4. What is your favorite comfort food? </b><br />
I go through phases. A few years ago, I cooked a lot of rice and beans. Now I've switched to pasta. Any kind of pasta fills that comfort food craving, but my go to dish is penne with beet sauce.<br />
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<b>5. What is your favorite food on your holiday table?</b> <br />
Right now I have Thanksgiving on my mind, so I'd have to go with sweet potatoes with cranberries!<br />
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<b>6. Beach or Mountains? </b><br />
Easy- the beach! My boyfriend and I love driving his jeep out to the barrier islands off of Long Island and camping out. I miss the summer!<br />
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<b>7. If you could meet one famous (deceased) person, who would it be?</b> <br />
Mother Teresa would be interesting to meet.<br />
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<b>8. What is your most favorite thematic unit to teach?</b> <br />
Last year I taught an amazing thematic unit on butterflies, but my school doesn't do a lot of thematic units, so it's hard to say. I hope to begin using thematic units in the future, so I can't wait to see this response on other blogs.<br />
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<b>9. Do you live in a red state or a blue state or neither (I don't live in the US)? </b><br />
Blue- GO OBAMA!<br />
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<b>10. What food do you hate, as in "I will NOT eat it, Sam I Am!" </b><br />
I hate codfish (bacalao), which is sad, because I usually love the foods it is served with.<br />
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<b>11. Which of these chefs most closely represent your cooking (eating) philosophy:
Paula Deen (southern and rich), Bobby Flay (grilled and spicy), Ina Garten (classic and comforting) or Rachel Ray (quick and easy):</b> <br />
Rachel Ray- I actually use a lot of recipes from her magazine, too.<br />
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<b>My questions:</b><br />
1. What is the best part of being a teacher?<br />
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2. If you could eliminate one aspect of your job, what would it be?<br />
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3. What extra support do you think you should receive from your staff developer (math coach, literacy coach, etc), but don't? If you don't have someone filling this role in your school, do you wish you did, and why?<br />
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4. What do you think is your greatest accomplishment so far in life?<br />
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5. What are the top three items on your holiday wish list?<br />
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6. What is your best time management tip for other teachers?<br />
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7. What song do you recommend classes sing for a winter concert?<br />
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8. What is the best book you've read this year (personal, not children's)?<br />
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9. What is your favorite children's book?<br />
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10. What is one goal you would like to accomplish in the next five years?<br />
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11. Does your school use any curriculum programs you are passionate about?Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-13428083406939345572012-10-22T15:58:00.000-07:002012-10-22T17:12:53.929-07:00It's a Halloween Linky Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceDrPlA5WZk6KXObkgX0dt5-GfwnmqR0ajoeUC_lIfxesSV7pD0yooI2xxC8uuhyphenhyphenzGLLW8vERq9zCKoWM6gpAx0wAprdIfBqNGSnY4Ey9ZpoksKwchzpf0YgwZdnaWQIPqjy6ZwEATCc/s1600/Halloween+Linky+Party+Button_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="319" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceDrPlA5WZk6KXObkgX0dt5-GfwnmqR0ajoeUC_lIfxesSV7pD0yooI2xxC8uuhyphenhyphenzGLLW8vERq9zCKoWM6gpAx0wAprdIfBqNGSnY4Ey9ZpoksKwchzpf0YgwZdnaWQIPqjy6ZwEATCc/s320/Halloween+Linky+Party+Button_1.png" /></a></div>
Join my first ever linky party! Share your favorite academic activities leading to and on Halloween.
This is a great place to showcase any mini-units you have created and share spectacular lessons you have done. You can also add a link to your blog if you showcase any pictures of the awesome Halloween costumes you and your colleagues come up with!
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<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=168762" type="text/javascript"></script>
<!-- end LinkyTools script --> (Use this code to add the linky party to your blog!)Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-58337096333783725322012-10-18T18:37:00.000-07:002012-10-18T18:37:46.481-07:00Ghoulish Games<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2ODlPT9eeAZuwYJk3_Kc3IE_MGCQ9Mf1JwX2usq8N8Ysgg7GQ3pq2-LyNryfMiqaYwoc6ymKoXdqZQP85xhz1_WqGvGjVA1KQpItwDNcOFOzvBXpqPufw7Iv-MRdGZ0lza2bf0svwAs/s1600/haunted_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2ODlPT9eeAZuwYJk3_Kc3IE_MGCQ9Mf1JwX2usq8N8Ysgg7GQ3pq2-LyNryfMiqaYwoc6ymKoXdqZQP85xhz1_WqGvGjVA1KQpItwDNcOFOzvBXpqPufw7Iv-MRdGZ0lza2bf0svwAs/s1600/haunted_house.jpg" height="200" width="157" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Halloween (almost)! I am so excited to announce my biggest, best item yet on Teacher's Pay Teachers!</span><br />
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<b>First, a little background:</b><br />
As schools are beginning to shift their focus towards the Common Core Learning Standards, following a published math program is increasingly difficult. Over the summer I attended a five day conference that focused on unpacking the CCLS. A question that kept arising was "which math curriculum is most aligned with common core? Which program should our schools invest in?" The definitive answer from all presenters was NONE. Despite what these major companies are saying, a program has not yet been created that <u>starts</u> with the common core standards. Many programs have taken what they already have and tried to mold it to fit the new standards, but a true CCLS program will use backwards design and create a program that specifically identifies these standards as their end results. <br />
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Does your school use backwards design? Backwards design is an un-traditional method of curriculum planning. It starts by identifying the results desired (the standards) with examples of evidence that will support that these results have occurred (assessments). Finally, activities are designed to help students achieve these results. Research has shown how important it is to start with goals and <i>then</i> create plans, assessments, and lesson plans, and it's pretty logical. Many teachers refer to it as a "road map." The destination is chosen first and then the map is used to plan the trip to this destination. Traditional planning has no formal destination identified before the journey begins. The math programs we are familiar with (Everyday Math, Math in Focus, Singapore Math, Explorations, etc.) were created long ago, and are now trying to fit their old guides into the new standards. In other words, they had the road map drawn out before they knew the destination. Guys, this is a HUGE money-maker in the works. Whichever publishing company is the first to sell a program that <i>starts </i>with the standards is going to be very successful. <br />
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<b>So back to Teachers Pay Teachers.</b><br />
My school uses Everyday Mathematics, which has some great lessons to use with the CCLS, but there are a lot of gaps. You may have noticed the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Everyday-Math-Pacing-Calendar-aligned-with-suggested-NYC-DOE-Common-Core" target="_blank"><b>free</b> pacing calendar</a> I posted on Teachers Pay Teachers which plugs Everyday Mathematics lessons into the Common Core's suggested scope and sequence for first grade math. I took all of the EDM lessons that address the standards and rearranged them by domain. It's a <b>very</b> rough draft that I change daily, but it's a huge help for any teachers in my shoes, who are told they need to continue with this program while conforming to the new standards. Unfortunately, taking out lessons that did not meet any CCLS criteria left several gaps in the calendar. For that reason, I had mapped out over a week in October with no appropriate EDM lessons to teach. In spirit of the upcoming holiday, I decided to create a mini-unit for my students which gives them practice with the beginning of year concepts in Operations and Algebraic Thinking. I took each standard, thought about what it wants students to DO, and then created activities and assignments that provided students with a variety of opportunities to practice and demonstrate their understanding of the domain. <br />
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Here's a sneak peak:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba8QQFHkt5qkUiXUazaqty0w9cr7q1i88GOssjE1zWsGhRH0ngLVTEywTHACsxI8NVwUmsDxlewTi65k9VNRkupeSG02haRqJuukCn6a2IdROWGS-YEWZNOtBkdgPR4IQQtG8M3z3l4g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-18+at+9.04.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba8QQFHkt5qkUiXUazaqty0w9cr7q1i88GOssjE1zWsGhRH0ngLVTEywTHACsxI8NVwUmsDxlewTi65k9VNRkupeSG02haRqJuukCn6a2IdROWGS-YEWZNOtBkdgPR4IQQtG8M3z3l4g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-18+at+9.04.38+PM.png" height="265" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-and-Subtraction-Halloween-Games-for-First-Grade" target="_blank">Ghoulish Addition & Subtraction Games</a></td></tr>
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This pack includes several small group and partner games. I also added twelve differentiated word problems for addition and subtraction. I have tried them with my own firsties, and they're a big hit! The word problems are currently posted on my bulletin board, and when the superintendent came through today, she gave rave reviews. I have also created interactive files teachers can use to introduce the games on the Smartboard. Unfortunately, as per the Scrappin' Doodles policy, I could not include them in my pack. However, I'd be happy to email them to anyone who purchases my unit and includes their email address.<br />
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Time for some trashy TV with my man, Andy Cohen! Have a great night! <br />
<br />Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-43136538261334026252012-09-24T18:48:00.000-07:002015-12-11T07:51:15.772-08:00Management WoesSometimes you are spoiled with a class that immediately catches onto your expectations and routines. The day runs so smoothly that you can't help but keep a cheesy grin on your face all day. This is not one of those years for me.... YET. Don't get me wrong, I love this group, but they need a lot more guidance than I'm used to. I have a student who has never been in school before, a student who refuses to speak in English (only Spanish), and three students who aren't Spanish (which means I can't just switch to Spanish to benefit that ELL). Twelve academic days later, we are still practicing how to walk in the hall, what to do if your pencil breaks, and how to unpack in the morning. Although I plan to pull back a lot as the year goes on, I am presently micromanaging my class to the hundredth degree. <br />
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One useful strategy for me is sticky labels. It took me a few years to learn how to make my own mailing labels in Microsoft Word. I should say, it took me a few years before I stopped calling my mom and making her print them for me and mail them from Buffalo before I finally asked someone to teach me!! Once I asked for help, it took about 65 seconds to learn. Seriously? It's that easy? Before the school year starts, I print several copies of mailing labels with the student names. As soon as a supply or new book comes in, I peel off a label and stick it on. No time is wasted looking for a sharpie and writing on everything! When sweaters come off, new lunch boxes are purchased, or book orders come in, I can simply peel the student's name off the sheet of labels and am ready in an instant. Best of all, if we have a staff developer or sub in the classroom, these can double as quick name tags.<br />
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I also have labels for every academic material I am expecting in my classroom, such as the various folders, notebooks, and portfolios. These are all color coded and then have identical labels telling parents and any classroom visitors what they are used for. The bins they belong in throughout my classroom have a large version of that same label so it's obvious where to return things. <br />
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That brings me to my second strategy- color coding. If your school didn't implement this already, it's not an easy thing to start midyear, but I do recommend it or next year! My supply list on the first day of school asked for folders in specific colors. I then used my labels to organize student folders by color. Everything belongs in a bin of the same color. For example, writing folders are green, poetry folders are red, homework folder are purple, and math folders are blue. I then color code the labels for everything to coordinate with the color I associate with that content area. When it's time to pack up, I don't have to worry about students bringing home the wrong folders, I tell them "pack up your purple homework folders," and can see from where I'm standing if the folder they have out is purple. This is BIG this year, since I keep catching students bringing home the most surprising classroom materials (and never returning them). <br />
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<b>Here is a photo tour of some of the scaffolds I've put in place to help my teacher-dependent group.</b><br />
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As soon as students arrive, they are reminded of the morning routines. Since my room has loud metal lockers that the students can easily pinch their fingers in, it is important to me that they do not need to return to their backpacks before the end of the day. The classroom door reminds them exactly where to put anything they bring to school in the morning. Sorry it's so difficult to read the steps, my camera isn't the greatest!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm1NFOsaXbL3PfOT3hIXsZCh5uVHLKzTGYOBTNY0aMA3j8r7MAij7I7KiuQydil801lTckqmyg8y9aR5RDf-Uf-DJWr1fePhFjCDOO0uVX6WIrPd9OKWo62WeR19OYfXvasn-tBBbZZE/s1600/IMG_2373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm1NFOsaXbL3PfOT3hIXsZCh5uVHLKzTGYOBTNY0aMA3j8r7MAij7I7KiuQydil801lTckqmyg8y9aR5RDf-Uf-DJWr1fePhFjCDOO0uVX6WIrPd9OKWo62WeR19OYfXvasn-tBBbZZE/s320/IMG_2373.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustrated morning routines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My Bravo Board: Table Points are nothing new for any teacher, but I
have had to become a lot more consistent and spend a major portion of
the day adding points. While before it was used for behavior, it's now
used to award any table that finishes a task efficiently. "Wow!
Everyone at your table actually took off their coats today? You get a
point!" Every Friday the table with the most points gets to visit the
treasure chest. This is a great classroom management tool because the
students hold one another accountable for their behavior, and no one
wants to disappoint their friends!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisa6ADetYvH6DnNgowNzpjl3UQ3jM4u5-uPkX2R12kG1UZuVrXcZLl4339q6xxKLGWTJPvJLKztBwc2KsHTUwgDTr321xDEyL25-MWOQyRIKdrhKNJO8ewiI-UnECwCbEnU55NCP8Q-I/s1600/IMG_2325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisa6ADetYvH6DnNgowNzpjl3UQ3jM4u5-uPkX2R12kG1UZuVrXcZLl4339q6xxKLGWTJPvJLKztBwc2KsHTUwgDTr321xDEyL25-MWOQyRIKdrhKNJO8ewiI-UnECwCbEnU55NCP8Q-I/s320/IMG_2325.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This board tracks table points.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
As you've seen in previous posts, my classroom has tables, which means no personal storage for the students. Teachers have strong opinions on desks vs. tables, and I actually love the tables. When I taught in the upper grades, I received a grant through <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/" target="_blank">Donor's Choose</a> which allowed me to replace my desks with tables, and it was heaven! Nevertheless, my students were wasting too much time digging through each section of
the caddy looking for what they needed. The caddies were a mess, and the number of personal items they began to store in the caddies became out of control. I created illustrated labels that reminds
the students where each writing tool belongs. Table leaders are
encouraged to organize the supplies at the beginning and end of each day. When I do spot checks, tables with organized caddies get a point! Here's a bonus- in first grade they still haven't caught on to the fact that if EVERYONE get's a point, no one is any further ahead. The class is most excited when all of the tables are winning. I love it!
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pencil-Caddy-Labels" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTzXe2UBpcAmHgsHvCvaLru4M8eS25NMDH5bXrS-rtOsDeiK5nVQ9K6ptFjy-BxK-8iiAEl3lhc8fL-uGSIr_XIG3EHk5lb__ufWFRI7ZOwsl2qhBCpHKIABhORfNTb0LpEsbvFbCgtc/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-09-24+at+9.11.29+PM.png" width="320" />Supply Caddy Labels</a></div>
<br />
You can download my caddy labels from my Teachers Pay Teachers store <u>for free</u> by clicking on the photo above. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSRjoZoLOGi6CeSGrj43cZnT_oqCdrWlVHcVHIKnFvY4oJptPsdkrLXZvX1MdiXzD-jNcyobyC9lqUw7p37aYTkqg5MI4H_Fa9oY_QqzJUC9jLUGY92jmG8Qnpw-V8gaaESb4C5kEj-Q/s1600/IMG_2326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSRjoZoLOGi6CeSGrj43cZnT_oqCdrWlVHcVHIKnFvY4oJptPsdkrLXZvX1MdiXzD-jNcyobyC9lqUw7p37aYTkqg5MI4H_Fa9oY_QqzJUC9jLUGY92jmG8Qnpw-V8gaaESb4C5kEj-Q/s320/IMG_2326.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class jobs & book changing chart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Check out the gorgeous ribbon that was on sale at Hobby Lobby this August! I was shopping with my mom and thought it was amazing, but didn't think I could use it in my classroom. I have seen other teachers use pretty ribbon instead of borders, but that doesn't work when you don't have bulletin boards and have to tape everything. I was so excited when I realized I could use the ribbon for my class rules and jobs charts. Onto the next management strategy. I usually change the class jobs every Monday, but this year the jobs will only rotate monthly. This gives my students more time to become experts at routines such as where we stop in the hall and how to update the calendar. To the right you can see students change their books once a week based on their table. The picture below shows the procedure students follow when changing their books. As students grow as readers, the number of books they will choose depends on their reading level. Of course, children reading early chapter books do not need nine books per week. I have also added my updated reading level chart. This is the only cork board in my classroom, so I am able to use push pins and move the pictures as their reading level changes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYe1UyWbZb7j-9AHu3ucZQG0acIcgvkNbiURtKifMyIquLNbJ1sG5UWKQP0O_M3rB1MxT-3BqhsiB28KOcH4_dOHoT5m867qV_CtGEjHDpuufYrLtrML4hheRA0T9LANSC3tZCTOjAmU/s1600/IMG_2375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYe1UyWbZb7j-9AHu3ucZQG0acIcgvkNbiURtKifMyIquLNbJ1sG5UWKQP0O_M3rB1MxT-3BqhsiB28KOcH4_dOHoT5m867qV_CtGEjHDpuufYrLtrML4hheRA0T9LANSC3tZCTOjAmU/s320/IMG_2375.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book Shopping Procedure</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYfGh8b1Um23LR4xmIJxYNPLJLe2loulUznKBr7wQ_cE_QA8L5eSwcfsr6k6A-2J2WumNBLkOhyTKNUZmZKed2Dd9UNUsADIlkoGBMwhF5AgPEvzkzwqBA_LETYC-Q8H0QLQ85fsxFss/s1600/IMG_2374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYfGh8b1Um23LR4xmIJxYNPLJLe2loulUznKBr7wQ_cE_QA8L5eSwcfsr6k6A-2J2WumNBLkOhyTKNUZmZKed2Dd9UNUsADIlkoGBMwhF5AgPEvzkzwqBA_LETYC-Q8H0QLQ85fsxFss/s320/IMG_2374.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Levels<br />
"We're Mooo-ving Up Reading Levels!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I strongly disagree with telling a student he is not allowed to use the
bathroom during a certain part of the day. When you have to go, you
have to go! However, I began to notice students asking to go to the
bathroom multiple times a day, and then "forgetting" to use the
bathroom! It's a great way to get out of the room and check out what
your friends are doing in other classes. For that reason, I have
implemented a Bathroom Procedure board. This board is magnetic. When
students use the bathroom, they slide their name to the right side of
the board. So far no one has asked to go after they have already moved
to the right side, and the number of unnecessary interruptions for
bathroom breaks has been minimized.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VxFrq3FGi3L_s66hyphenhyphenHUChBZcX6oCLEaLSwm0NITC1-nHuD5lrZPwSreEvKeDfEdZiHHndnQnF5Qu9m8NEKZdxYTCuANcFiLO1EcgkLPsWwvIGKY2qw5mFGo3UzGFYelACh_plZVGZs8/s1600/IMG_2377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VxFrq3FGi3L_s66hyphenhyphenHUChBZcX6oCLEaLSwm0NITC1-nHuD5lrZPwSreEvKeDfEdZiHHndnQnF5Qu9m8NEKZdxYTCuANcFiLO1EcgkLPsWwvIGKY2qw5mFGo3UzGFYelACh_plZVGZs8/s320/IMG_2377.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom Chart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
During writing I provide my ELL students with personal word
walls/ word banks. I would LOVE to share these with you, but a lot of the images I use are from Google images, and many of them are for personal use only. These word walls are each about a page long and have labeled pictures of the
most commonly used words for a specific topic. For example, if a
student is writing about a trip to the doctor, she would receive a
personal word wally with pictures of common things you see in a doctor's office
and the names. Once a student receives a word wall, he can keep it
for the rest of the year. I don't pass out all of the word walls at once, as this can become overwhelming and confusing. It's also important that they don't rely too heavily on the word walls and forget how to sound things out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqUgioGA7wIguMNtfcBj9ljlYJmY9tS6HywninT15ULP1MuesYgGJD1v95Ow1In_DMpN29BSFKnM6graCUYvKb4sPfryvXiJRLVbCzB1dWlNii7eqbZHfF-nZvHMj1My7YJZd4K9NJrc/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqUgioGA7wIguMNtfcBj9ljlYJmY9tS6HywninT15ULP1MuesYgGJD1v95Ow1In_DMpN29BSFKnM6graCUYvKb4sPfryvXiJRLVbCzB1dWlNii7eqbZHfF-nZvHMj1My7YJZd4K9NJrc/s320/IMG_2332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Words</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some students are struggling with having too many materials available to them and the word walls have become more of a distraction than an aid. For that group, I have hung large charts with commonly used words, such as the family members chart above. <br />
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<br />
Each student created an idea list similar to the chart below on the first day of our personal narratives "small moments" writing unit. This chart will stay up for the entire unit so students can quickly and independently start new stories.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCTtJ09JhI01ss4tofRlcJ4x5fap1rb2IekdsmYDWUk5xQjolwzqlIbIxXKOJgZodYqgpZZg9XGLi29rWpXCACKKJlUktTFHDuY-FMO4VMsidt_mAtR5jFv2DFgTt_SEmYZ_cLhm1SUA/s1600/IMG_2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCTtJ09JhI01ss4tofRlcJ4x5fap1rb2IekdsmYDWUk5xQjolwzqlIbIxXKOJgZodYqgpZZg9XGLi29rWpXCACKKJlUktTFHDuY-FMO4VMsidt_mAtR5jFv2DFgTt_SEmYZ_cLhm1SUA/s320/IMG_2333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Ideas List</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
This final chart isn't the most visually appealing, but I wanted to keep it very basic to remind students of what we do during Writer's Workshop. It's an attempt to avoid hearing "I'M DONE!"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDGqbKXWPt8V27em6Ubm6RM_-cPJ9vEIEJT-VRh8n3qw1b4PF9tQQ85px_a6AEn-tqasB_VKoYVgIn1WeeJs0-2FqZy_fhdDIAszszdQL7L8xOHzo9jrWWMA2Z1662HnZo2AdaiLok6g/s1600/IMG_2372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDGqbKXWPt8V27em6Ubm6RM_-cPJ9vEIEJT-VRh8n3qw1b4PF9tQQ85px_a6AEn-tqasB_VKoYVgIn1WeeJs0-2FqZy_fhdDIAszszdQL7L8xOHzo9jrWWMA2Z1662HnZo2AdaiLok6g/s320/IMG_2372.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, this is a quick look at how I display strategies we have learned this month in reading and writing. During the lesson the strategy of the day is displayed on the Smartboard. Following this, the strategy is printed and added to the doors below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYAxX_0zBPcnSwKk0nv4D6NbtOyZganDehc3JjTUvGW61rG71bXy0zpwoKHQev8XWmwTg8m1pmQjE3vLFasob3umPjzI_WlFLsbP1W0E9e2KCVeBwz7v2QtyVREz3bfoB3Z1jtuw48qA/s1600/IMG_2379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYAxX_0zBPcnSwKk0nv4D6NbtOyZganDehc3JjTUvGW61rG71bXy0zpwoKHQev8XWmwTg8m1pmQjE3vLFasob3umPjzI_WlFLsbP1W0E9e2KCVeBwz7v2QtyVREz3bfoB3Z1jtuw48qA/s320/IMG_2379.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PflbJTp3Tbt81nSeMswhXsscFE30CNyVhBR2CeD8czU1o3qxaoF-ET_voYkpLSGWQdLpCbRWFnHWIqLRDGT3TGhjV1BnqObgTtOI7MT8FKmK2Lf5rXQNQg57HU9cKArxfrSbjfH6S8Y/s1600/IMG_2380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PflbJTp3Tbt81nSeMswhXsscFE30CNyVhBR2CeD8czU1o3qxaoF-ET_voYkpLSGWQdLpCbRWFnHWIqLRDGT3TGhjV1BnqObgTtOI7MT8FKmK2Lf5rXQNQg57HU9cKArxfrSbjfH6S8Y/s320/IMG_2380.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
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<br />
Thanks for continuing to follow my year! I am so lucky to have a group of really sweet and loving students this year. I hope as I continue to implement more rigid routines they can also become more independent and build stamina. Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-45487549619885431792012-09-12T14:10:00.002-07:002012-09-12T14:11:01.691-07:00First Grade Poetry
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<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">One of my
best selling products on Teacher's Pay Teachers is a word study map I created
for first grade teachers. You can download it here: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/2012-2013-First-Grade-Academic-School-Year-Pacing-Calendar"><span style="color: blue;">Word Study Pacing Calendar for First Grade</span></a> For
only $0.25, this lengthy pacing calendar helps you plan which sight words and
word families to introduce each week. It also reminds you of holidays and
morning routines that are cognitively appropriate at different points in the
year. Among other helpful columns on the spreadsheet is a list of weekly
poems that relate to the season or units of study.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The Poem
of the Week is to be used in conjunction with Scholastic's E-Books "50
Thematic Songs" by Meish Goldish & "Perfect Poems for Teaching
Sight Words" by Deborah Ellermeyer & Judith Rowell). There are a
nine poems that are not found in these Scholastic books, but can be downloaded
here. These poems are not my original work, but I published them in a
more kid-friendly way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The poems
are all available for free by clicking on this link: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Poems-to-use-with-the-First-Grade-Pacing-Calendar"><span style="color: blue;">First Grade Poetry</span></a></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I use
poetry all year long in my classroom. I make two class sets of copies of
the poem of the week. Each student has a red poetry folder that he keeps
at his seat. One copy of the poem stays in there, where a collection
forms throughout the year. The second poem is sent home and used for
homework. On the day I introduce the poem, we do a shared reading on the
smart board and look for the high frequency words we know. Depending on
the poem, I will do additional activities throughout the week with comprehension
and rhyming. When the students return to their seats, they practice
reading the poem, circle the words they know, and add it to their poetry folder
Any time students finish work early, they practice reading their poems.
We have poetry slams where they can read the poems at different speeds and in
different voices. By the end of the year, most of the students have
memorized at least 15 poems!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
homework that relates to word work stays consistent in my room. This is
because most of my students speak a language other than English at home, and I
want the homework to be routine enough that they can work independently.
Below is an example of what that looks like this year. All of the sight
word/ words of the week homework is done in a word work packet that I created
based on my pacing calendar. You can find that on my Teachers Pay
Teacher's site as well! <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Grade-High-Frequency-Words-Practice-Sheets"><span style="color: blue;">High Frequency Words Practice Set</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Monday:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Write the words of the week 6 times
each. </span><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Practice
reading the poem of the week to someone in the family. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Tuesday:</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Write a sentence using each word of the week.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Find and
circle words you know in the poem of the week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Wednesday:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Write the words of the week in alphabetical order. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Find and circle rhyming words in the poem of the week in
green.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Thursday:</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Write the words of the week in four different colors
(Rainbow Write). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Color the picture in the poem of the week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
Friday:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spelling test today! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: .25in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Practice reading the poem of the week to someone in the
family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="font-family: "Boring Showers"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Wow! My
intention with this post was to give away my poetry packet, but it became
pretty promotional. I guess that is because a lot of what I sell is
connected. To make up for my sales pitch, I'm going to launch a sale on
the items posted here! I would love to hear your comments on how you use poetry in your classroom! </span></div>
Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-88815452721404576412012-09-11T17:57:00.000-07:002012-09-11T17:59:52.923-07:00MathManiaI have been collecting awesome photos of the happenings in my new class, but must wait for the photo consent forms from my class parents before I can post anything new. Until then, I have some recommended math links and a FREE resource I have created for first grade math teachers!<br />
<br />
I have to admit, I'm a fan of the Common Core Learning Standards. It's been a very time consuming adjustment, but I like knowing that across the country we're all on the same page.
In New York City, we have a helpful resource (which is public), called the Common Core Library. Although it's created by our Department of Education, it applies to any school district implementing the Common Core Learning Standards. I encourage you to visit the <a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/default.htm" target="_blank">Common Core Library.</a><br />
<br />
In addition to this website, I also use <a href="http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/" target="_blank">K-5 Math Teaching Resources</a><a href="http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/"></a>. This website recommends math literature for each standard and has printable center activities for selected strands. Again, everything on both sites is absolutely FREE! Disclaimer: I don't find the resources to be visually appealing, so I usually edit them for my own use, but they give me ideas for hands-on activities that I might not have thought of on my own.<br />
<br />
One of the greatest challenges in my lesson planning this year has been the new "Scope and Sequence" New York City has published for each grade. They suggest the order in which we should teach each standard as well as how long we should spend on the different standards. Some of the Everyday Mathematics Units must be condensed into a week, while others must be spread over ten. I've had to revise my entire pacing calendar. If you are using Everyday Mathematics in your schools, you may have noticed it is not the most Common-Core-friendly program out there. I am currently working on a FREE academic year pacing calendar that aligns first grade Everyday Mathematics Lessons with the CCLS Scope and Sequence. Click on the picture below to check out my progress so far!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Everyday-Math-Lessons-aligned-with-suggested-NYC-DOE-Common-Core-Standards" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6SJu6DrwsjH3USORWKAX035Z4Uf3L-mn39K8cQyw3v9Z6mc6Fru9IWXm-cn42oBm8EOYSpBO2p0jomxROlDBsWwGCtrRdI1WciAKqt9m-ftXTgqQYK_i2bE0H-IDOsaprYsxj_Pt8Sc/s320/Math.tiff" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Here!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Do you have any tips for aligning Everyday Math and the Common Core Learning Standards? Here's what they have to say about it: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mheonline.com%2Femcrosswalk%2Fpdf%2FEMCS_Brochure_Correlation_1.pdf&ei=DtpPUJXkBOfo0QGK2oHoDQ&usg=AFQjCNGPLxhaWNRaGfUnIe-mNXr9njH66g&sig2=9Jgo9AqSpobLfTodqsoQbQ" target="_blank">Everyday Math CCLS PDF</a><br />
<br />
Wishing you a magical week with much success in your math planning! Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-63086117566459194882012-09-04T16:40:00.000-07:002012-09-11T17:13:22.383-07:00Attention to DetailsDo you ever come up with a new idea for your classroom, and wonder why it took you so many years? Today I am going to continue the
walk through of my classroom by zooming in on different details
throughout the room. Most of what I'm showing you is common sense and is most likely already in place in your own room, but visuals always spark new ideas!
<br />
<br />
I have a fantastic Lakeshore Communication Center that is meant to house book boxes on the bottom and serve as student mailboxes on top. I purchased it because I was eager to switch from book baggies to book boxes, and I loved that transition. Since I don't have desks in my room, I prefer to use the mailboxes to store student books by table. I am a labeling queen, and I struggled with how to label the mailboxes without damaging the shelves.<br />
<br />
I started with a simple binder clip: <img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="160" data-width="160" height="160" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQlFVZkXE7fZ_FYw_1PNw39rm69SN71R4J7i0DbypTyDbfbPjXBdg" style="height: 160px; width: 160px;" width="160" /> and printed my labels on regular mailing labels, but changed the text direction so I could use the labels vertically. It ended up being a very easy task!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX-PKB6Jp7JaR0dTMBxnziuI3F-a8DFE-ZZWHqe3w_L9oLeVdmYP7AwP82DfGK__hQQ7JplDGRJEVPkTxT1WhWzlTeb66g6ZJKUag60moKbn6Y4i74IVCJw2S5igRji_pacbfkQQQ6T8/s1600/IMG_2238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX-PKB6Jp7JaR0dTMBxnziuI3F-a8DFE-ZZWHqe3w_L9oLeVdmYP7AwP82DfGK__hQQ7JplDGRJEVPkTxT1WhWzlTeb66g6ZJKUag60moKbn6Y4i74IVCJw2S5igRji_pacbfkQQQ6T8/s320/IMG_2238.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to label shelves or mailboxes using binder clips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ewqLylC9amdkM8fjaBWacNdoXY5DEygoRPu3qeb1ZdX51cqGyuw3kn7-pvvnGDYmo764Hfg5AZ1B6_quP4RQZaNNb4or089gIoFx52dLu6W15Cmo98dUzhBexwTL-bsywgX_uovn6QI/s1600/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ewqLylC9amdkM8fjaBWacNdoXY5DEygoRPu3qeb1ZdX51cqGyuw3kn7-pvvnGDYmo764Hfg5AZ1B6_quP4RQZaNNb4or089gIoFx52dLu6W15Cmo98dUzhBexwTL-bsywgX_uovn6QI/s320/IMG_2239.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each column is labeled by text book. Each row is labeled by table name.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Below are some additional close-ups of my room. For those of you who aren't yet addicted to Pinterest, I highly
recommend you check it out! Pinterest has given me many ideas for ways
to upgrade my classroom environment. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT5LsNNeg62-svax87MkUw-lKr6PyFRvKJ829eI85kN9q8fxSVd5wN9y5waYOe4URiWIPzFyIFIXNKdjjtG_cmywqU-21jkB80nh9JLMgm9KUvZANPdNeCWIw9SrWDoWUHRZTPArcBlI/s1600/IMG_2242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT5LsNNeg62-svax87MkUw-lKr6PyFRvKJ829eI85kN9q8fxSVd5wN9y5waYOe4URiWIPzFyIFIXNKdjjtG_cmywqU-21jkB80nh9JLMgm9KUvZANPdNeCWIw9SrWDoWUHRZTPArcBlI/s320/IMG_2242.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An updated photo of my writing center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc9L4zQ-ft6InqYdUQU4-Y2-XNQuxpARFhdErosgXhSuxND0I_fUfDKNZqUWQwecYzTluDm-ex0pv4lzDmQ2Xi3DJF4MSiV9toK3xu-cbXf9Zlo1sA171u_yGKk6RG_SV_988RLFjbbY/s1600/IMG_2240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc9L4zQ-ft6InqYdUQU4-Y2-XNQuxpARFhdErosgXhSuxND0I_fUfDKNZqUWQwecYzTluDm-ex0pv4lzDmQ2Xi3DJF4MSiV9toK3xu-cbXf9Zlo1sA171u_yGKk6RG_SV_988RLFjbbY/s320/IMG_2240.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing tools, accessible to students for more independence during Writer's Workshop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh93DDYgy6PHdkKjXTi7ckQJq3nkeZlHlHf4Fw-ut98HXBQPzexcLtV6FtZlb2wov0UnngxU1Eka3wpLojwNvhsy5T1jG0eBwprnyTXZrruqncHdijVenedUfi5ZA2rmQypKl3G-_QXLw/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh93DDYgy6PHdkKjXTi7ckQJq3nkeZlHlHf4Fw-ut98HXBQPzexcLtV6FtZlb2wov0UnngxU1Eka3wpLojwNvhsy5T1jG0eBwprnyTXZrruqncHdijVenedUfi5ZA2rmQypKl3G-_QXLw/s320/IMG_2245.JPG" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ikea buckets and velcro make perfect pencil holders!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2O2EBwndCKDhn3wroM1a7-Rvni7xJ5vi86uW45Nsag-r4Sg4Szd2_kCY6gmqKj6eVjEwUZx0eHAKKySb4Crf3xQ5h2LhUV8iKgHXYFNUrRe9Lg-gK_i6XXYL15hJQStTNgN6KPQCCZw/s1600/IMG_2243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2O2EBwndCKDhn3wroM1a7-Rvni7xJ5vi86uW45Nsag-r4Sg4Szd2_kCY6gmqKj6eVjEwUZx0eHAKKySb4Crf3xQ5h2LhUV8iKgHXYFNUrRe9Lg-gK_i6XXYL15hJQStTNgN6KPQCCZw/s320/IMG_2243.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Important phone numbers posted for substitutes </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTce-jxjVrofZj9CKjs-wGlUto6PybSqJ-F6-XwVnJEqvaT5nhi58n-7OjNnN5oCeO4J6YPJFvp5-blsZalT1Wp5fB2gDcE0u5MP5hlqqkrcHAoPcLwO5MBjofpQTATMUUj-Q2EqX3xk/s1600/IMG_2246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTce-jxjVrofZj9CKjs-wGlUto6PybSqJ-F6-XwVnJEqvaT5nhi58n-7OjNnN5oCeO4J6YPJFvp5-blsZalT1Wp5fB2gDcE0u5MP5hlqqkrcHAoPcLwO5MBjofpQTATMUUj-Q2EqX3xk/s320/IMG_2246.jpg" width="108" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classroom Rules<br />
(Free from mrsriccaskindergarten.blogspot.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I like to seat my students heterogeneously, but during writing it's easier to conference with small groups if they are seated homogeneously. When students return to their "writing seats," the table leader grabs his group's bin from below. Each group is named after a favorite author. The bins hold their personal word walls, writing folders, and any other resources that group needs during writer's workshop. The sign above the bins will have the students' names to show which group they are in. This will change throughout the year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLoifLG-axoBnpoeIOEIZD7wEvN43C4linKtlmuiiPlogBEFXmL3vGmooMGKU2iZNvkJeyXq2hEBHZBW1xlf_WYkXwhfMoE-WZx_cCdv22KumAe6Bj94yYTVimbHpL3SSUZIYpTil56M/s1600/IMG_2249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLoifLG-axoBnpoeIOEIZD7wEvN43C4linKtlmuiiPlogBEFXmL3vGmooMGKU2iZNvkJeyXq2hEBHZBW1xlf_WYkXwhfMoE-WZx_cCdv22KumAe6Bj94yYTVimbHpL3SSUZIYpTil56M/s320/IMG_2249.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing Groups</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDVc5JC0TNRRYPwGv_rmB8WuWcOj25Ohb4GfQqAS35-DE5oNBdulQCJvQ_YWrv85GNJsvBjWeXFy27H5y0JMhRZmziH4rJeotyu6IX0ji0NwbmULmciVMHhECcw4_j3XvRi5ARFIQJYE/s1600/IMG_2252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDVc5JC0TNRRYPwGv_rmB8WuWcOj25Ohb4GfQqAS35-DE5oNBdulQCJvQ_YWrv85GNJsvBjWeXFy27H5y0JMhRZmziH4rJeotyu6IX0ji0NwbmULmciVMHhECcw4_j3XvRi5ARFIQJYE/s320/IMG_2252.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Pinterest find!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What little tricks have you learned this year that you don't know how you lived without?<br />
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Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-38590082028220104492012-08-30T04:36:00.002-07:002012-09-04T16:07:35.924-07:00Where is Everyone?Last night was our "meet-the-teacher family orientation." After having the same class for two years, it was great to see many of my students at their second grade tables. I'm going to miss that group!<br />
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I had spent the last few days adding some finishing touches to my classroom and preparing a PowerPoint presentation for my new class. I was so excited to meet them! We started off greeting all of the families in the cafeteria and then bringing up our individual classes for a tour of the room and introduction to the grade. I don't know if the turn out was more shocking or disappointing. I have 24 students on my roster... only ONE parent showed up, and he didn't bring his child. My last class had great parent participation, which is rare in the city. Fortunately, the one parent I met last night is an active member of the PTA executive board, and as president of the School Leadership Team I know him well. It will be great having his child in my class.<br />
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Below is a picture of one of the favors I prepared for the parents. I also had lollipops for the students (none of which were given out). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWUmfsKlP-1OpQvgYg32qFarTnanhLoID7157qNHCMHrRYhyX8i5Q9YtHHL3hqnDflyz718dQi_F_ZNwl5CXAKXm3DZ2gu8F3XqfYQJ5VNXCWhyKNqCsA2LOZ_dzhXen32r3OPRtIhw4/s1600/IMG_2241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWUmfsKlP-1OpQvgYg32qFarTnanhLoID7157qNHCMHrRYhyX8i5Q9YtHHL3hqnDflyz718dQi_F_ZNwl5CXAKXm3DZ2gu8F3XqfYQJ5VNXCWhyKNqCsA2LOZ_dzhXen32r3OPRtIhw4/s320/IMG_2241.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A favor for parents who attended my Meet-the-Teacher event</td></tr>
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As promised, here are some photos of my 2012-2013 classroom. I had a vision of blue and green with pink accents. It turned out to look like a lot of pink! It's hard to believe I used the least of that roll of paper.<br />
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Note: Our first two days after Labor Day are teacher planning days, and we will have from 12pm until the end of the day to finish setting up our rooms. I will be using that time to put away the extra clutter that hasn't found a space yet. You'll see some of that in these photos. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5_bl9rqJpZSsICmfDXls92Jc3tUo-IetoKPsc1Cu2_EojA_fzp58v7EN54_iq_YoWf9FW9WoKKQroesq7fMAeTn3n8Xo8kF1gDZzeNgi6o85WKhOXlD73aJQJUWGqQEDcdF6wRDhcPM/s1600/Back+Wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5_bl9rqJpZSsICmfDXls92Jc3tUo-IetoKPsc1Cu2_EojA_fzp58v7EN54_iq_YoWf9FW9WoKKQroesq7fMAeTn3n8Xo8kF1gDZzeNgi6o85WKhOXlD73aJQJUWGqQEDcdF6wRDhcPM/s320/Back+Wall.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My classroom library, meeting area, and Smartboard.</td></tr>
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The calendar wall will also have a birthday board and class jobs. The class job chart is being laminated and the birthday board can't go up until I have student photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIkdfKdsmXENKOwe3sqSeC7yqf7DZhz50vrjQzwdq44FJU9W7fpqoJA2Da_206EfTuP2qjgHAGi4eoqXXEggn91ebbNHgX9PD2OfzTlRWFzqSy-AxR72eoOGDu8iZcUYtvCFL2eERgWc/s1600/Cabinets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIkdfKdsmXENKOwe3sqSeC7yqf7DZhz50vrjQzwdq44FJU9W7fpqoJA2Da_206EfTuP2qjgHAGi4eoqXXEggn91ebbNHgX9PD2OfzTlRWFzqSy-AxR72eoOGDu8iZcUYtvCFL2eERgWc/s320/Cabinets.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up view of my renovated cabinets.</td></tr>
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Remember these ugly chunks of metal from yesterday's post? You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find contact paper in this area. After looking through several stores, we finally found some at Staples. It only came in three primary colors, none of which matched the colors of my room. After my dad and godmother completed the task with this shade of green, we took a trip to Ikea. What do you think I found there? The small filing cabinet isn't done, but already it's a huge improvement!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGRqPyJhzbu4PIOP3ZhX3CYPcbvhtW-__bV1_ZxByC8MeUVFkVxikrbYL6jA6ddkWquDKDGC1d_sBkXtUCUxuznVBSvrz528ZEQ9AIcfkFVSm9SYuoq4LTqWJQndAxGo7VKG5RaOSVA4/s1600/word+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGRqPyJhzbu4PIOP3ZhX3CYPcbvhtW-__bV1_ZxByC8MeUVFkVxikrbYL6jA6ddkWquDKDGC1d_sBkXtUCUxuznVBSvrz528ZEQ9AIcfkFVSm9SYuoq4LTqWJQndAxGo7VKG5RaOSVA4/s320/word+wall.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literacy Wall</td></tr>
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This side of the room includes my leveled library. We use Fountas and Pinnell reading levels. Every book in my library has a small label on the top left hand corner of the cover that matches the label on the bin it belongs in. This helps keep my library organized all year. Above the leveled library is my word wall, and to the far right is my writing center. The extra bins you see in the middle hold student lunches, my listening center, and my printer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidBsg9VO9n27Bj6Dq6jx9rrCuFZbxnSIvtj8DEq_F1LbuJiJLVWW9v_dDy4txShaZJAqlbEq1awHpcoskteyOF6TyyN4sGHOK7nH_IMRioMYf9q-BqCemH_LSklk8DyGHJiOMnB68g8M/s1600/Close+up+of+word+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidBsg9VO9n27Bj6Dq6jx9rrCuFZbxnSIvtj8DEq_F1LbuJiJLVWW9v_dDy4txShaZJAqlbEq1awHpcoskteyOF6TyyN4sGHOK7nH_IMRioMYf9q-BqCemH_LSklk8DyGHJiOMnB68g8M/s320/Close+up+of+word+wall.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the word wall</td></tr>
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I found these word wall letters on another blog, and I LOVE them. They look like they were made to go with my polka-dot border. I do wish, however, that I would have enlarged them slightly before cutting out all of those circles. I was so jealous of all of you Cricut and Cameo owners as I sat there cutting! Unfortunately, the blogger who provided this freebie did not include a credits page in the PDF file, so I can't remember where it came from. Please comment if you would like me to add a link to your blog here!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2VV6c2ov1WGY-KObUo-S7VfgNpHEWwRaR08Ghb_MADus2E8N1oF0_S10qFUc-xzHNcPF0rhTv1YSQx5zQotDsTMiAEXws5dUSkzbCL8eAY3RH-MObzhczJczZnYHR5JPwaG5L4hZ7_w/s1600/Moooving+Reading+Levels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2VV6c2ov1WGY-KObUo-S7VfgNpHEWwRaR08Ghb_MADus2E8N1oF0_S10qFUc-xzHNcPF0rhTv1YSQx5zQotDsTMiAEXws5dUSkzbCL8eAY3RH-MObzhczJczZnYHR5JPwaG5L4hZ7_w/s320/Moooving+Reading+Levels.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're Mooo-ving Up Reading Levels!</td></tr>
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Click, Clack, MOO! When I finish my running records, I will post student names or photos here. As students grow as readers, I will need to remove levels A and B to make room for levels M and N. Last year one of my students was reading above a level N! It's still crazy to me how many reading levels students jump in first grade. Posting reading levels is a tricky thing. I know at this age students need a visual reminder of their current reading level when changing their books, but it can also be embarrassing for students who get stuck at a low reading level. What are your thoughts on this?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iPTGy5a6CrPYK5IMHv8jSm6plgc1eaoNtJIuBUkTraXNOkFdTeIhvksMFhMWq-7v_34QDzT7xzoImmdk3-6DQozhAgOBhyQx_CNDjqt2nsuHTnFmwJqE-PGQNbo58sMppvcXQ8T_zJE/s1600/lockers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iPTGy5a6CrPYK5IMHv8jSm6plgc1eaoNtJIuBUkTraXNOkFdTeIhvksMFhMWq-7v_34QDzT7xzoImmdk3-6DQozhAgOBhyQx_CNDjqt2nsuHTnFmwJqE-PGQNbo58sMppvcXQ8T_zJE/s320/lockers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lockers and Guided Reading Table</td></tr>
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If I could change one thing about my room, it would be these salmon-colored lockers. They're loud, they compartments are too small for backpacks, and they're ugly! In the back corner I have my teacher area and guided reading table. I decided a year ago to get rid of my teacher desk, as it was a trap for junk and took up too much room. Behind my guided reading table you will find a small student desk with items such as my pens, stapler, and tape. The wall above that has the class schedule and a very small bulletin board for some personal photos and pictures my students draw me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocTiVJsCee7ZT1DoK0A92YGTC5mATcVeLBx-utAcDrjggCtryae_dYSCXoAacCDy1kQNgbi7IAfi4Epm_Z_DlOGPsENRIbJDPK7FFiUI3INwn7WPZfKA1b644nHwpFy9UQBC73qezEec/s1600/Message+to+Class.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocTiVJsCee7ZT1DoK0A92YGTC5mATcVeLBx-utAcDrjggCtryae_dYSCXoAacCDy1kQNgbi7IAfi4Epm_Z_DlOGPsENRIbJDPK7FFiUI3INwn7WPZfKA1b644nHwpFy9UQBC73qezEec/s320/Message+to+Class.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You are the reason I am here</td></tr>
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I had to do a little photo-shopping to fit this long board into one shot. This narrow bulletin board is what you see above the lockers. The message was inspired by http://theinspiredclassroom.blogspot.com/.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRYSAzGxM-ml3NTHYY-uyqgZ2L-lJylvcyStH-VWnN44AV7C0abtaSCx4wwntzyd09RmotpbuO3oqoZODPMIqqWdG4DqHBFKWFiJ1jcm_ma84ZIR5M6n3u7eZedVpta8EAnPTyPcxzes/s1600/IMG_2248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRYSAzGxM-ml3NTHYY-uyqgZ2L-lJylvcyStH-VWnN44AV7C0abtaSCx4wwntzyd09RmotpbuO3oqoZODPMIqqWdG4DqHBFKWFiJ1jcm_ma84ZIR5M6n3u7eZedVpta8EAnPTyPcxzes/s320/IMG_2248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Math Center and back wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhGxYStfPrM35NgHZ0nJuwfnxhWYa7xoWHENyS-p2orkER_Yougru9pZD8enqKuQ3UhGusuvVLlS6hsCa6LD4NsxRiW2E-6JvkeB7hSokp98KgpfXwFn-tYY_P90LIn2xxV3BLG3rlZQ/s1600/Banners.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhGxYStfPrM35NgHZ0nJuwfnxhWYa7xoWHENyS-p2orkER_Yougru9pZD8enqKuQ3UhGusuvVLlS6hsCa6LD4NsxRiW2E-6JvkeB7hSokp98KgpfXwFn-tYY_P90LIn2xxV3BLG3rlZQ/s320/Banners.png" width="320" /></a></div>
These banners hang throughout my room. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5wE0kSw17zKArdCO9AYcOgpRT-isRy_7oubqmISFvzE19xGpdRHG53iwkfGJF16svz_6JUQhVAyKFhzWkcWTDun3yVaoCQBxTtuP_bp0ph_4ZRKkeBt2MLoKZSQ3ZceqJZDa777J9qo/s1600/IMG_2207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5wE0kSw17zKArdCO9AYcOgpRT-isRy_7oubqmISFvzE19xGpdRHG53iwkfGJF16svz_6JUQhVAyKFhzWkcWTDun3yVaoCQBxTtuP_bp0ph_4ZRKkeBt2MLoKZSQ3ZceqJZDa777J9qo/s320/IMG_2207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing Log</td></tr>
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My dad had this miniature log from some yard work he was doing and put it to great use! Not only is this an adorable display for writing tools, it will be a great visual when I teach the -og family- my students never know what a log is!<br />
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To conclude my "after" shots of the classroom, I have to share an "after" shot of my helpers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0D3T-mdbNc2B1Iwe_Gmw-Tq5Ra4JPrZIzYfMOEGU2yZpttUhcwW93GDeT7LQh1h6RMrz9_iBTDYu0qLAOnA15yrUpCx_AscLlXvoYpkkru4k0Pum8b-tIFdWR1mTcxrX83MFmEc3VfzQ/s1600/IMG_2221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0D3T-mdbNc2B1Iwe_Gmw-Tq5Ra4JPrZIzYfMOEGU2yZpttUhcwW93GDeT7LQh1h6RMrz9_iBTDYu0qLAOnA15yrUpCx_AscLlXvoYpkkru4k0Pum8b-tIFdWR1mTcxrX83MFmEc3VfzQ/s320/IMG_2221.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All worn out from the classroom setup</td></tr>
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The poor things were only in town for two days, and I had them hard at work the entire time!<br />
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I hope you enjoyed a tour of my room! I will update the photos as the week progresses. I welcome any feedback to make the room more effective. <br />
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Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-40126884308093253772012-08-29T17:44:00.001-07:002012-08-29T17:47:08.676-07:00Good ByeMy summer vacation is officially over, which means I had to say good bye to this...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt1lwskOvt_LatukBeW49S0_d1RqJw4CoS1kiYvqsMnBbvggz8hFLFHeZhbvlkzpJpGgGt8hgCQHJphBkXD_tydu-ifLN3miU01deeDaIVaftba1yX9ZBDKs7wxqtbhgjKH71W108c7M/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-08-29+at+12.59.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt1lwskOvt_LatukBeW49S0_d1RqJw4CoS1kiYvqsMnBbvggz8hFLFHeZhbvlkzpJpGgGt8hgCQHJphBkXD_tydu-ifLN3miU01deeDaIVaftba1yX9ZBDKs7wxqtbhgjKH71W108c7M/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-08-29+at+12.59.07+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babysitting my beautiful nephews</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7fL_jb-bod6UylNFtOKCrbsG2IHak_sklWzCg8msFY4YiUqbtcToHeKW1s6vTuktJHv1s9T-Qnns60ryZr9wTIft-U-V3l2ptNpPSsq29i7BB46aQ7S92kdB5RiubnwdaehiGxIpWGU/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-08-29+at+1.00.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7fL_jb-bod6UylNFtOKCrbsG2IHak_sklWzCg8msFY4YiUqbtcToHeKW1s6vTuktJHv1s9T-Qnns60ryZr9wTIft-U-V3l2ptNpPSsq29i7BB46aQ7S92kdB5RiubnwdaehiGxIpWGU/s320/Screen+shot+2012-08-29+at+1.00.30+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos taken by KitKat Photography</td></tr>
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and this...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weekly beach trips with my dear boyfriend</td></tr>
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and hello to this: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVefqvxwVldvHiB3LGV-Usb-LY8jcktw0Mz76t6xqhnCxtQLnZ4B96kaXWI-gXDIEFrcrOye3w6HyqSpeZ2enKZvyUHtYtutPfY2O6VACjQHabh16RCoeSnCRqhlC-o8Aa-fz5eQXHNhw/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-08-29+at+8.31.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVefqvxwVldvHiB3LGV-Usb-LY8jcktw0Mz76t6xqhnCxtQLnZ4B96kaXWI-gXDIEFrcrOye3w6HyqSpeZ2enKZvyUHtYtutPfY2O6VACjQHabh16RCoeSnCRqhlC-o8Aa-fz5eQXHNhw/s640/Screen+shot+2012-08-29+at+8.31.10+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bright, stifling classroom with no AC. </td></tr>
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As you can imagine, this is how I felt:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyyUCfl-b5AcMW2nFxgjqtWwEjT7MFwI1FYD_ao1FwlMLi5sE7YQFSkZSj0FpQtyk_JcJUdZhAJrVtnOVAKPD6YMoxjFZY4zPuBmVpIi1RUHzCLfmvC1Mv3-eQFBnwGujK6nI89yZbu4/s1600/sad+pug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyyUCfl-b5AcMW2nFxgjqtWwEjT7MFwI1FYD_ao1FwlMLi5sE7YQFSkZSj0FpQtyk_JcJUdZhAJrVtnOVAKPD6YMoxjFZY4zPuBmVpIi1RUHzCLfmvC1Mv3-eQFBnwGujK6nI89yZbu4/s1600/sad+pug.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I had to include a sad pug on my blog in honor of my beloved first co-teacher)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Fortunately, I had some wonderful helpers to make the work easier, faster, and more fun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkZkg5efMq1GuU4oqIOlC8WjMNc13gZwImAZ7soBaThXKYSKUzOu3e2fB1cNZf9_W9cOUs9UJB3vcabEaJ4jlNjHcmuGAk3wPpHp3oUCpZmM3Mb_DMcJw5mZZHsfcuMCEjD1Sva58rQM/s1600/IMG_2216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkZkg5efMq1GuU4oqIOlC8WjMNc13gZwImAZ7soBaThXKYSKUzOu3e2fB1cNZf9_W9cOUs9UJB3vcabEaJ4jlNjHcmuGAk3wPpHp3oUCpZmM3Mb_DMcJw5mZZHsfcuMCEjD1Sva58rQM/s320/IMG_2216.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My AMAZING godmother and father drove all the way from Buffalo to help!</td></tr>
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Check out my next post to see the results of all of our hard work!Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-26655681407966393172012-08-21T12:47:00.000-07:002012-08-21T12:52:49.236-07:00The Importance of CHARTS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh6WcIDRZGV7N1kukgFUhJDVP0ue1ppl1Ty0rP3MPnd8C6b2eV-dZSIimHgTFxHq6dGPELYXizMi_KmjCIV5qhDp8aFOY66MDHHZ2COKw7hN4898z9gaKaPVUCEHm1fGe0YWpnAuiiEI/s320/IMG_0211.jpg" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 2011-2012 Writing Center. The shelves below housed a variety of paper choices. The green folders you see are the students' writing folders, organized by writing groups. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzUrVRjMeHamEQ-Dhdr8tFUBpDmVLLIPYcsymSsxlyOK996qNhhIKxCZMNDK3ISC1k8uk6e2OmuwtT7G2q8GihJfUizu-VpFlF28pHEXSD-XH_nCyhLESjtUFbgjeROn_f-kAB21yZGk/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzUrVRjMeHamEQ-Dhdr8tFUBpDmVLLIPYcsymSsxlyOK996qNhhIKxCZMNDK3ISC1k8uk6e2OmuwtT7G2q8GihJfUizu-VpFlF28pHEXSD-XH_nCyhLESjtUFbgjeROn_f-kAB21yZGk/s320/IMG_0270.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading groups- I have greater things in mind for this display next year! My classroom doesn't have any bulletin boards. Instead, I have wall to wall chalkboards, and they're not even magnetic! The first, most time consuming, part of my classroom set up is taping bulletin board paper over every board. My reading groups change quite often, so I use velcro over laminated sheets of paper. My group names for that year were animals. As you can see, the first letter of each animal group correlates with the F&P reading level of each student. Students on the left side of the picture have just begun reading at this level. Students on the left are close to reaching the next level up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since all of my students speak Spanish at home, they can never have too many models of proper English sentences. An ESL support teacher suggested I add examples of sentence structure that the students could relate to by putting pictures of the class in action with sentences describing the picture. My kids loved seeing themselves all over the windows! This year I will use the same idea but in a time-line so it looks more organized. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This chart was a great visual for my students to refer to when comparing numbers. I used it with the song "Number Eating Alligator," found on youtube. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ynRuP-hidI0-QlJykcAZLr8s_eBF9f70TqnSnNH-hCGUtGsaBTgYH8J2kinz55Y2cSIrUldCNRaluvGEBuMmubwlLq23tOpdRcCAYIGYW2pg3Yy5fvsoOsSt7P9lvVnEjCWYmRepdHg/s1600/IMG_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ynRuP-hidI0-QlJykcAZLr8s_eBF9f70TqnSnNH-hCGUtGsaBTgYH8J2kinz55Y2cSIrUldCNRaluvGEBuMmubwlLq23tOpdRcCAYIGYW2pg3Yy5fvsoOsSt7P9lvVnEjCWYmRepdHg/s320/IMG_0247.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's nothing too exciting about this chart, but it serves a purpose. It helps students become fluent in recognizing numbers in other forms. When playing math games, I expected my students to know the numbers on a die without counting the dots.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I copied the idea from this chart from my colleague, Alison.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNN73rDqY1j_M4ya1qroDD-0YplBjan1VrZoz6sISbRBikg3u8a400DwKfyYkFne_x76hOpLHDv4ta6pwaQ6CoOt7AUvD0-s6H7CK127pgCsRd2CaetcAyNMXbxwsmfyA1kxqrg2LbNg/s1600/IMG_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNN73rDqY1j_M4ya1qroDD-0YplBjan1VrZoz6sISbRBikg3u8a400DwKfyYkFne_x76hOpLHDv4ta6pwaQ6CoOt7AUvD0-s6H7CK127pgCsRd2CaetcAyNMXbxwsmfyA1kxqrg2LbNg/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This chart comes from Pinterest!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SZcxApPHQ0MMWO1_cRUymRLv-p1KszwX8NCXG54w5g2oAUb1YesiLpMHTwTZ_o1h4q90GPvzf0MQeZ_abnMp7cLwjBGr4FU8ZkaejXXWrwuHN6goPaQJaNIi0iwz4-OQ2N44nMXXXgs/s1600/IMG_0258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SZcxApPHQ0MMWO1_cRUymRLv-p1KszwX8NCXG54w5g2oAUb1YesiLpMHTwTZ_o1h4q90GPvzf0MQeZ_abnMp7cLwjBGr4FU8ZkaejXXWrwuHN6goPaQJaNIi0iwz4-OQ2N44nMXXXgs/s320/IMG_0258.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had several blend and digraph charts that rotated throughout the year. The charts my students referred to the most were sh, th, wh, and ch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGxz2Vo8zjsb-AtZfnip7QgoAVMumXmgghuN1MVDJ1zAtXuJonEQSqUQ5brru67erwRkSRnFW2fOSZreyKQKQfxl5idJU6eHy-NP4ztXCzJtuYhEuets5GGgMhSHRANJUjuS7thjKDX0/s1600/IMG_0260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGxz2Vo8zjsb-AtZfnip7QgoAVMumXmgghuN1MVDJ1zAtXuJonEQSqUQ5brru67erwRkSRnFW2fOSZreyKQKQfxl5idJU6eHy-NP4ztXCzJtuYhEuets5GGgMhSHRANJUjuS7thjKDX0/s320/IMG_0260.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE this chart, which helped me decide where to start during writing conferences. I've seen many versions of this chart on Pinterest. Following a writing conference, students would put their name next to the goal they were supposed to focus on until our next conference.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYsa9x6QeXnlrDzpVfLLu1Xwlt9AXxfMK4uO6KpqO3I06cDhCtSR4OCwx1S3QNOc15I4xkX7f2acjO0T7fLFQYUTDdMg9tlK0kKXGKh2RGOIpAwKlSlIPTYln9X03RDb5UQNhiXcJSkE/s1600/IMG_0263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYsa9x6QeXnlrDzpVfLLu1Xwlt9AXxfMK4uO6KpqO3I06cDhCtSR4OCwx1S3QNOc15I4xkX7f2acjO0T7fLFQYUTDdMg9tlK0kKXGKh2RGOIpAwKlSlIPTYln9X03RDb5UQNhiXcJSkE/s320/IMG_0263.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe the idea for this chart came from Cara Carroll!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKMUA8yUm46MgHCwAxCEbKI8KK9kZcVk9RJfz9c3Xc2m5HJ0yYop8k5PXHMIJ9BYy8Mu1mO_b91mbfAbGMhbgfuX-Htvg5v07MZJd-klAXUOlymQ7rvRZX0ssbbQX07TEp1hYuFVcpGg/s1600/IMG_0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKMUA8yUm46MgHCwAxCEbKI8KK9kZcVk9RJfz9c3Xc2m5HJ0yYop8k5PXHMIJ9BYy8Mu1mO_b91mbfAbGMhbgfuX-Htvg5v07MZJd-klAXUOlymQ7rvRZX0ssbbQX07TEp1hYuFVcpGg/s320/IMG_0265.jpg" width="119" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another chart idea from Cara Carroll.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwL_h1kLtFPjzpQQiHkUjZxUioM5ff1IiznGPuVXzNA3pC5OdQRoZJQp-cGgMgMO7pZ8I8cJ1NSogdtV5lO0HOhs_K17EK6goNGv-fk79G1pKSurGh94uzSLQ6VOUyjpf-kTETMIznAI/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwL_h1kLtFPjzpQQiHkUjZxUioM5ff1IiznGPuVXzNA3pC5OdQRoZJQp-cGgMgMO7pZ8I8cJ1NSogdtV5lO0HOhs_K17EK6goNGv-fk79G1pKSurGh94uzSLQ6VOUyjpf-kTETMIznAI/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of how I display my charts on a clothesline. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlk-7hWtqnZ22Mn-2GCq8VCjOLL4W1sSRUIlDJufpayhoBD-D5et0VRL8B0QHmOwlrFWTYyShPph1F3AMzFDabxal2h37-RuB7vVOxD2-EHWP8kBeHXmszXH5S49PQOTcuF00a2A61zQ/s1600/IMG_0787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlk-7hWtqnZ22Mn-2GCq8VCjOLL4W1sSRUIlDJufpayhoBD-D5et0VRL8B0QHmOwlrFWTYyShPph1F3AMzFDabxal2h37-RuB7vVOxD2-EHWP8kBeHXmszXH5S49PQOTcuF00a2A61zQ/s320/IMG_0787.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this poster on snapfish, featuring a photo of each student in my fourth grade class. Although it was not educational, I loved how it looked on my classroom door!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHYd-4zVGr697AtWch1LypFrWODcSWcnkPkFpyYogzkaBVnQKbmlhh3Be9EzUD6V-SHVOQXb5HcUoN-zQLSeBVUzBiuDc89XzNyj8OWb_bYBrEtze7hSfqrCw8q_XnMXyoIfyfdXoFtc/s1600/IMG_1456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHYd-4zVGr697AtWch1LypFrWODcSWcnkPkFpyYogzkaBVnQKbmlhh3Be9EzUD6V-SHVOQXb5HcUoN-zQLSeBVUzBiuDc89XzNyj8OWb_bYBrEtze7hSfqrCw8q_XnMXyoIfyfdXoFtc/s320/IMG_1456.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This quote, above my fifth grade chalkboard, comes from a speech to students that Obama gave on the first day of school. </td></tr>
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With
so many beautiful charts circulating the Internet, it’s easy to get carried
away! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important, however, to
keep in mind WHY we post charts in our classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our charts should serve as teaching partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They should guide, inform, and inspire
our students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are not used
in our instruction and referred to when reviewing key ideas, they will not serve
this purpose, and instead become a distraction to our students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have found that the most
child-friendly charts are teacher made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When children contribute to the charts, they are even more
effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I will spend
hours on a chart, and students will never refer to it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As hard as it can be, I try to take a
classroom environment walk each month and pull down any charts I have not seen
my students actively using.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although they are not the most visually appealing charts I have created,
this post includes some of the charts that ended up being used most often in my
classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My word wall, however,
was referred to more than any chart in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of this before tearing
down my room!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other charts they
referenced quite often listed transitional words, color words, and
holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1427767608554719334.post-20977885612234705652012-08-21T11:34:00.001-07:002012-08-21T11:34:48.195-07:00The Final Two Weeks of Vacation?
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As
an avid blog-reader, my mind has been in back-to-school mode for weeks.
Most of the bloggers from whom I get my inspiration start school in
August. Lucky for me, I still have exactly two weeks before I return to
work- the day after Labor Day. Before you get too jealous, keep in mind
that in New York our summer vacation doesn't BEGIN until June 26th...
Yes, we teach until the very end of June in a building with no
air-conditioning. No need to go into detail with that! </div>
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The
resources for teachers that have begun to surface on the Internet are
invaluable. I have spent so much time putting my own spin on the amazing
ideas of my fellow teachers that I decided it's time I add to the
blogosphere. I hope my photos, blurbs, and adventures can give-back to
the teachers who have helped me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
After
teaching in the upper grades (4th & 5th) for four years, I have descended
into the grade where my heart really lies- first grade! Last year I had
the amazing experience of looping with my kindergarteners to first grade.
Our school had eight first grade classes and will only have two this
year. I spent the latter half of the year worried that there wouldn't be
room for me in the first grade for the upcoming school year, but God was
smiling down on me, and here I am, back in first grade!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am anxious to meet my new class, but
will definitely miss the group I spent the last two years with.</div>
Miss Lorentzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03864694853160369109noreply@blogger.com0