Is it Bedtime Yet? Reflections from the First Week

It's Friday night of the first week of school.  I've had a diet coke and iced tea this afternoon to try and stay awake until my real bedtime.  But I'm dragging big time.  I've been sitting and reflecting on this last week.  Here are the highlights: 

1.  I LOVE my class.  I have 31 kids in the room, very respectful, yet I'm already seeing their personalities.  It's going to be a good year. 

2. So far most of the kids are able to track with me through the different activities.

3.  Fun Friday still works like a charm. Better get that work done to do those awesome STEM activities.  

4.  The kids aren't being bugged with wearing masks or my reminders to sanitize indoors.  

5.  I've been wearing my voice amplifier in the afternoons because my voice hurts by that time of day. I keep forgetting to drink enough water.... 

6.  We have 4 vacancies at school, but other teachers are also currently out.  We do not have enough subs, so I have been able to teach middle school during my prep as class coverage.... Turns out that it's my pandemic group from 2 years ago when the world shut down, so a lot of catching up with the kids.  :)  

7.  I sent out messages to all my parents over on Class Dojo this week, just little things to show them that I've noticed their child. :)  As a parent I like those type of messages, so it's one of my goals for the first week of school to get to everyone.  

8. We had Back to School night last night - virtual sessions again.  I had almost forgotten how to share my screen for my powerpoint... totally had a mental block.

9. Teaching 31 kids again in person for the first time in 17 months is exhausting, but very rewarding.  I hope we stay healthy.

10.  We had a lot of fun this week between Growth Mindset STEM challenges, Book Tasting, I Like My Neighbor Who, and This or That.

Now onto the beautiful weekend and then to hopefully have a calmer week next week.  :)  

Hope you had a good one too!

Back to School Paperwork - Seven Things I Tackled Lately

When this post goes live, we will currently be having our first day of school. I hope it's going well.  

For today's post I wanted to give you my list of all the Back to School paperwork that has filled the last days.  I'm ready for the paperwork to be over.... Ha! I know it's just getting started for this year.

Class Word Search:

I want to start with actually the last thing I created, probably the only fun thing I was able to do...  I wanted to do something fun for the kids, but would also be helpful for me as a time filler, as I learn more about the speed that students complete different tasks.  

It was so easy to do!  Once you have your list of names, head over to  a Word Search Generator to add them into a list.  I like this one. For my 32 kids to fit, I have it set for 20 letters x 20 letters. I copy/paste my class list (first names only) into the website, and it spits out a word search for my kids to find that first week of school. The square is pretty small if I were to print directly from the webpage, so I take a screenshot of it, add the image to a powerpoint to enlarge it, and then add our class list of names to the bottom of the page. Fifth graders seem to always love a word search, especially when it's their names they are finding.  :)  

Okay, now all the other paperwork... 

Updating the Welcome Packet: 

My grade level works together to create our plan.  We do that so that we are all on the same page, and also so that we can refer to it as "Fifth Grade Policies" when chatting with parents.  We have different sections in the 3 pages.

-Greeting and sharing a little about who I am

-All the ways we communicate (Email, School Phone Number, Class Dojo, School Website, Microsoft Teams)

-Supplies (Donation $, need for an agenda, Wish List)

-Behavior (Rules, Class Motto, Class Dojo, Rewards, Consequences)

-Grades (Grading Policy, Grading Scale, Homework, Reminders)

Parent Survey (online):

Way back when, I used to send out a paper sheet that parents filled out.  Then we switched to a free online survey website (this year Survey Planet) that has made it super simple for parents to fill it out from their phones.  Here are the questions that we ask:

-Child's Name

-Parent Name(s)

-Best email for communication (Our student portal has a ton of other resources already, so I just try to narrow down on which one is the best.)

-Share something about your child - strengths, challenges, health related, etc. 

-Acknowledgement on reading the welcome packet and agreeing to what is listed.

-Movie Permission for those PG videos we watch, listing the specific ones.

Short, sweet, and to the point.

Class Lists and Grade Sheets:

When the list is finally finalized, I take their information and create a table over in Word with my checklists. I have 32 students, so I make it with 34 rows x 9 columns.  First column is for student numbers 1-32, second column is for student names, and the rest I leave blank and easily spaced for our weekly information.  I love having a template on my computer, rather than in a grade book. It's easy to just print a few copies, and alter it when kids move, and new kids come.  I use one page per week, and jot the week # on the top (in pencil/pen). Then my goal is to have at least 1 score per subject per week.  Those can be handwritten in the 7 blank columns. It makes it easy for me to then upload it to the online grading portal which parents then view.  

Looking at Student Information on the Portal:

Before the kids come, and definitely before I make a seating chart, I go through the student information and gather some information. Here's what I'm looking at:  

-Birthday

-Medical Information (Inhalers, epi-pens, who is supposed to be wearing glasses, etc...)

-RSP/Speech/504

-EL level to know if have a pull out class

We don't have any past testing for this group of kids, so in many ways I'm flying blind into this next year.  But the information I do have does help to give me a heads up to setting up a seating chart. 

Initial Welcome Email:

Sending out that initial parent welcome letter is a huge deal.  It's like the bandaid is pulled off, and all the kids know that I'm their teacher. I tend to always include the same information.

-Welcome

-First Day Reminders (Where to line up and when the gates open.)

-Heads up about Supply $ and Agendas

-Link to our Welcome Packet

-Link to our Class Padlet

-Link to our Class Dojo account

My goal isn't to have an entire Back to School night presentation in that email, just what they need to know for the first day, and resources that I need them to do as soon as possible.

Creating the Email Distribution List:

We have a teacher portal that we can view all email addresses connected to our class. It has a way to automatically send a message to all emails on our class list.  However, every year we learn that some of those emails are not the best to contact families.  That's why I ask for families to send in their best contact, and I copy/paste those emails into a group distribution list.  This past weekend it is what I've been working on.  Parents are filling out my survey, and I'm grabbing those emails to add to the list and adding to Class Dojo to send invites.  Not a fun task at all... 

Can anyone commiserate with me? Mental effort on top of physical effort to start the school year.  But at least when it's set up, it's good for the year. 

Hope this helps! I'll let you know how the first day went. 

Setting Up the Classroom

I still love my classroom. It just takes me more than 1 day for me to set it up. I usually need 3 different occasions to tackle it, since each time has a different mental outlook. 

First Day:

It's moving all the furniture.  

All the desks, tables, carts, chairs, bookshelves, bench find their home. I check spacing. 

**Brand new teachers - please pull out the chairs as if a kid is sitting there, make sure they can easily sit in their desk and see the board.  

I have had different arrangements over the years.  With this space, there is a lot more walking room if I can put them into 3 table groups.  I hope I can. This is my starting off place for the year.  Pods of 5 or 6 work well too. If I have to change to rows I'll do that, but it's hard since all walking space is gone.

First days are always more of the physical effort.

Second Day:

It's about unloading the cabinets, fixing the walls, and prepping the white board.

This is when I think it starts to hit me that the classroom comes to life.  When personality goes back in.

This is the day that I get easily distracted and start puttering around the classroom - placing items as if I don't remember what I did last year, or what I've learned from the past. I know this bulletin board is always better at this spot, why did I want to change it? 

I bring a Swifter duster to tackle the walls, and check to make sure the bulletin boards have another year of life in them.  

Third Day:

This is when I'm making sure that everything is ready for the first day of school.  Any copies that need to be made? Everything on the desks that should be on their desks? Things written on the board. Lesson plans ready to go, read alouds pulled out... Class list finalized? Time to write names on name tags and participation sticks, and go through my first day plans to make sure I've pulled everything.  I try to think of everything I'll need and get it in easy reach.  

Today I'm in the classroom, day 3, prepping for Monday.  Final push... The kids are coming!!! 

I hope this helps,

Back to School Shopping!

I went to Target last week and it was glorious.  I went wandering up and down the aisles ALONE. My kids were at home. :) The dollar spot hit me first with the laminated reading and writing graphic organizers.  Did I need them? Yes, yes I think I do... 

I was the only person in the school supply section. I had a mission - attain my Crayola markers and Expos.  I had a plan.  I attacked it. 

20 Crayola broadline markers for the kids and 2 thin sets for myself.  Out of the 20 sets, I put 10 out in August, and save the other 10 for January.  The thin markers, well I like using them for anchor charts. They don't bleed through my anchor chart paper.  

Then I picked up some Expo markers for myself and the ultra clean whiteboard that will be waiting for me at school. 

I also picked up a desk calendar for my info board.  I like to hang one up and then update with all the important dates to know.  I hang it up with 2 binder clips and pushpins.  There is a joy that comes with ripping off the old month and starting a fresh new one.  Plus, years ago I hated having to change out the monthly numbers on a pocket chart.

My Amazon order was also delivered.  Only 2 items.  :)  I was proud of myself.  Playdough and Birthday Pens.  

Play dough to give them for a beginning of the school year project, and it does help to relieve stress.

Birthday Pens because it's a cheap, functional gift that they seem to all appreciate every year.  I give them a little note that explains the different color meanings. I have this 8x on a powerpoint page, and then print it on neon paper. An easy little gift that seems to mean so much.  

Hope this helps,

Prepping Freezer Meals - Summer Project

In July I tend to start thinking ahead to Back to School season. When life gets crazy again and I’m back to being exhausted. Over the years I’ve done different things to help the future me by prepping some meals. The week before I have to head back there are certain things that I always tackle... this is one of them. 

I love a good crockpot meal, so for a few years I would make up the different sauces from the Six Sisters and freeze them. Then I could just toss some meat into the crockpot with a sauce packet on top and be done. They now have freezer recipes too.  :)  

I made up some dump meals for the crockpot too. Just freeze them in plastic gallon bags, dump them out, and cook.

Then I started making up freezer casserole type meals after seeing some Freezer Friday Lives by PPP. Laurie is super motivating. Using disposable pans, plastic wrap, and foil make it easy. It’s just a matter of planning in advance what day to eat, and then defrosting a couple of days before. 

Anyway, here are 3 family favorite recipes on the Passionate Penny Pincher website, there are tons more favorites in the meal plan:

*Pesto Tortellini Bake

*Cheesy Spaghetti Bake

*Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Sandwich

I own the freezer meal plan, but there are tons of others out there for free as well.  Pasta casseroles always have multiple steps, which take time that I don't always have after a school day.  These seem to freeze really well.  

Just wanted to encourage you to help your future self during the summer. If you can plan and prep some easy meals for the first couple weeks of school, it can help with the stress levels.  

Some friends are making big batches of soup and freezing for easy lunches.  Others are making casseroles, freezing meat with marinades, and making some dump meals. I need to catch up and at least make something for the freezer.  My motivation has been pretty low lately.  I've been in denial that school is starting soon.  

I hope this helps,  

Summer Prepping... Random Classroom Projects

Today I wanted to share some randomness of old Instagram pictures of projects that I do at the end of summer to prep for the new year.  Super simple stuff, that I can handle when my brain is starting to ramp up to stress levels. These are old pictures because I still need to prep them for this upcoming year... when I have motivation to head to the store...

I like making a new set of these participation pencil sticks each year.  Do I really need them? No, not really.  But they make me smile every time I use them to pull a stick.  They are really easy to prep.

Items to gather: popsicle sticks, mustard yellow craft paint, rose pink craft paint, and a sharpie.

Paint the middle of the stick yellow, then go back and do one end pink - leaving room for the sharpie detail.  It takes maybe 15 minutes when I get going.  I add names and class numbers later on when that is ready.  

I also like to do this to my sets of new markers.  I only buy markers for groups to use, one set for fall, another set for spring.  I take all the markers out of the box, and then use duct tape at the caps to tightly hold them together.  See how the tape is attached? I LOVE doing it this way, because the tape makes the set stick together all year long... and it's very easy to know if the markers aren't tightly closed.  

Another project that I do while watching TV is making up my new Book Bead pipe cleaners.  I only need black pipe cleaners and black pony beads to prep.  I stick the pony bead about 1 inch on an end, then twist the cleaner so it's attached. I fold over tiny address labels around the stem with class numbers.  This helps us to figure out what pipe cleaner belongs to which kid.  Then they are ready for my mason jars at school.  

Okay, one last thing that I do when I'm daydreaming about the new year is create a basic template of my classroom.  The things that I can't move around - like the counter, doors, whiteboard, etc... After I have the things that I can't move, or that I know I don't want to move, I make copies of the plan so I can draw my different desk, table, and bookshelf arrangements without having to redraw everything.  

I haven't done much on Instagram in over a year, but at least the old pictures remind me of what I have done.  Here's my IG link if you want to go through my old feed.

 

Hope this helps, 

I Love Lamination...

It's that time of year, the chance to cover all the paper with plastic... again... At least they will remain durable over the next year.  :)  

I wanted to share what I've been busy laminating.  I still need to cut them out, but I do have some shows recorded to watch over the coming weeks.  i.e. It's a boring job...

For this coming year, I have those whiteboard signs, I showed them to you last week.

I also have prepped some Game cards by Katelyn's Learning Studio  for quick access.

And a set of Bloom's Questions by Kim Miller. These are for me to use as a reference. Sometimes I need a little help making sure my questioning goes deep.  

  

I grabbed some Math Sentence Stems from Keep Your Chin Up to add to my bulletin board.

I'm still waiting on my class list, then I will update name tags, and laminate those as well.  

There are other things in my classroom that were laminated long ago that are still in perfect shape, hanging on my walls and ready for a quick dust when it's time to head back into the classroom. Wanted to share, in case you were looking for ideas of things to prep...

I have pictures of all the covers of my read aloud novels laminated to hang up as we read them throughout the year. I shared how to do it back on this post.  

I use these Voice Levels by Fourth Grade Flair on my board at the beginning of the year.

I have these Class Dojo growth mindset signs by Whale-come to Elementary right inside my door. My students seem to always like Class Dojo animals...

I have used these Job cards by Lindsay Flood for years - I have them taped on the side of my file cabinet, and we change out the jobs weekly. 

I have all these Math Anchor Charts by Teaching and so Fourth prepped, as a quick reminder.  As a class we also come up with our own anchor chart to review our strategies for the units. I have the kids copy these into their Math comp. books. I hole punched on a corner, have a binder ring on them, and then hang them up on a magnetic curtain rod near our math board. 

I also have a pre-made set of ELA strategy anchor charts by The Stellar Teacher prepped.  These stay up on my board as a reminder, and they do copy them into their notebook as we go through them, but we do make our own anchor charts as well.  

I have all my the Root cards by forkin4th prepped. Then it's easy to throw up the certain ones that we learned that week in our spelling.  

I also have the Grammar circles by Hello Fifth to use with our Mentor Sentences by Jessica Ivey.

I have this entire math task card bundle from Jennifer Findley prepped and in task card holders. It's a lot easier to prep this kind of thing (my opinion) during the summer.

So, yes, this year isn't at all as much as past years' prep.  There's something to be said for finding things that work well that you can prep once and use a long time. A personal laminator is by far one of the best investments I've ever made for my classroom.  

I personally like the Purple Cow one the best.  :)  It has lasted the distance.  

What have you been laminating lately?

Helping My Future Self - Another Binder

I think we have all established that I love binders.  I'm a binder girl.  I really like being organized.

Last year during distance learning I had 2 powerpoints continually being updated on my computer.  One with all the weekly focuses (Essential questions and I can statements), and another with all the weekly checklists.  Maybe you had the same kind of thing happening for your classroom?  

It was the very big reminder of everything we do on a weekly basis with and for our kids.  I wrote down everything, meaning I had to preplan everything for the kids that couldn't log on to know what the class was doing.  I gave them access. I kept track of everything.  I call it being organized, my own kids might call it a little extreme...  

By Thursday of the week before, I would update our Virtual Checklist with all the must dos that the kids would have to turn in the following week.  Each day there were reminders of independent activities to tackle and what needed to be turned in.  

I would also update the next week's Focus with our new Essential Questions and I Can Statements.  Every Monday I would send both PDFs to my families via email and then go over them with the kids. The kids would fill in the I Know I Can Because... section on Fridays in their Color Teams.  

I started thinking that having a print out of the Focus would be beneficial for when I have to update my whiteboard this year. I guess last year I helped my future self.  So last week I printed them off and stuck them in sheet protectors in a new binder.  I'm planning on keeping it handy at school when it's time to weekly update the board.

Now where did I get all the essential questions?

Math - My grade level team came up with the questions. It helped to focus us when we were planning out our common formative assessments, which also helps when we do intervention and mix up our classes for WIN time.  

STEM/Science - My district came up with them for each week of our units. Backwards planning to reach our goal.

Social Studies - They are the essential questions that came with our curriculum, and then the I Cans are specific to the weekly lesson. 

Reading and Writing - I took what my kids needed via our units.  Again backwards planning, what was the big picture, and adding a little each week to reach our goals.

All the individual subject info is over in my Pacing Binder.  I showed that off last week. This is just a spin off with a weekly view, while that has everything by subject.  There's a purpose for both.  

I know I stuck to typical pacing last year.  Yes, I couldn't go as deep, and there wasn't time for as many examples or projects, but still the same pacing.  So going into this next year, the essential questions and I can statements will be close to what I can expect again.

After all this printing, I started thinking of the Weekly Checklists that I made last year. What activities and page numbers, what formative check ins I had them do, what states/capitals we learned... It's all written down already based on the week of the year. Even the beginning of the year read alouds. So I printed off a set of those, and stuck them in those same page protectors so the weeks of both corresponded with each other.  

I know I can't be alone in this, and maybe it can remind you of everything you also accomplished last year.  For a while I just wanted to forget last year, it was so hard. We already know we learned a lot of our own strength and flexibility last year.  We learned so much stuff, use that to help you. 

And if you didn't keep track last year, maybe you can keep track this year.  Maybe a quick jot on a powerpoint this year can help you in the future.  Help your future self too.  Keep track of those essential questions and I Can statements that you spend way too much time perfecting.  Use your lesson plan book from last year to remind you of what you accomplished.  

Okay, motivational speech over.  I hope you have a wonderful day! 

Let's Talk School Supplies

Since it’s been years since I’ve talked school supplies, figure I’d share what I currently use in my classroom. 

At my school pretty much all the elementary grades ask for donation money at the beginning of the year. We want all the kids to have access to the same kind of things, and we don't want them comparing their supplies to their neighbors.  We ask for $20-25 per kid, and that covers all the things we give each kid to use all year. We send home a note with report cards at the end of the previous year to give parents a heads up, and it’s also on our school website. We want to make it easy for parents to NOT have to deal with school shopping, and since we can get big discounts buying in bulk from the warehouse, well… that’s what we do. Usually most parents are able to donate, and then we can use school funds to cover the others. We do not have a supply closet and we aren't given supplies for kids to use.  We've only heard positive feedback from parents. :)  

Personal vs Community supplies:

There is a time and place for each kind. I don’t know what this next year will bring. Supposedly it’ll be back to normal. This last year when the kids came back to hybrid; they weren’t allowed to share anything. I had to sanitize things that the groups had to share. It really wasn’t a big deal. 

*Personal Pencil Pouch: I use pencil pouches vs pencil boxes. The sound of plastic boxes being knocked off desks gets old fast, and when things go flying out of the broken containers... I can’t stand the noise. So pencil pouches are better for my sanity. 

*Pencils - I give them 3 sharpened pencils to start the year. They have to make sure they are sharp for the next day. But with having multiple ones they don’t have to sharpen as often. I don’t give out replacement pencils that often. If they need to bring more from home, they will. If kids really want to use mechanical pencils they bring those themselves.  I do have some extra ready to go if needed. I used to do a Pencil Challenge to see how long they can keep them, and that just morphed into the expectation.

*Highlighters - we use highlighters of different colors every day. We color code in the different subjects, we rainbow edit, etc. We use multiple colors each day. I get the multi color packs and give them each a set.  Most of the highlighters also glow in the dark for activities on glow day.

*Whiteboard markers - I give them only 1 to start. It’s possible for it to last all trimester, sometimes even longer. I only buy 3 for each kid for all year. One per trimester. If they run out early, they need to use paper and pencil. Not a big deal. Last year with distance they didn't use whiteboards at all - unless they had them at home. I only asked them to use copy paper so they could send me their work to view.  I guess my dependence of them changed last year. We'll see what this next year will hold.  

*Glue sticks - I give them only one for each trimester. I do have extras if needed. We don’t use them that often. I used to do a lot of interactive notebooks, but when copy budgets changed, I switched to the kids just copying my version of the interactive notebooks into their composition books.

****On the first day I only have a pencil on their desk to use.  Then later on the first week, I have all the stuffed pencil pouches on a side table and call the kids over to go grab one. I have out sharpies and the kids take a few moments to label everything in their pencil pouch with their initials. The pouch, every pencil, the marker, the glue, every highlighter. Then when things roll on the ground, I know exactly who it belongs to. I have a lost and found bin that is by the door.  If something falls on the ground, it goes in there to be claimed.  Usually I can figure out names by initials.

Desk supplies:

*Whiteboard clip board - these are low profile; so they work to fit in their desks, but then also are handy for moving around the classroom and going outside. Since I keep them from year to year, I don’t write names on them. If kids leave them around the room, I just set them on the side counter and the kids figure it out pretty fast. If they are misusing them, I take it for a while and they just use copy paper.  

*Poly pocket folders - I buy 2 per kid. One is used for class work and the other for homework. Each have 3 sheet protectors inside and we add to them the first week of school when we are setting them up for the year. This year I bought red ones for homework, and blue ones for class work. Our school colors are Red, White, and Blue... American Eagles! :) 

*Composition books for the subjects - I used to have 4 per kid (Math, ELA, SS, and Science). Last year with distance learning we didn’t use them, everything was online. I’m still trying to figure out this coming year. Part of me loved having everything available online, and part of me never wants to use TEAMS again.  If I use them we definitely need one for ELA (Reading, Writing, and Grammar), another for Science, and one for Math… but I'm going back and forth about SS. I think it’s because we now have a curriculum while we didn’t used to… We used to write notes based on the articles we were reading, but now everything is in the workbook and room to write, but there is the importance to learn how to take notes before middle school. Okay, will probably still use 4 this coming year...

I picked up a ton of them 2 years ago when Target put them on sale after the back to school rush, and I still have them left. They were knocked down to 5 cents each. I cleaned out my Target and found enough for my entire grade level. 

****When we set up our notebooks at the beginning of the year I have the kids use their highlighters to color the bottom edge of the notebook paper. They hold the notebook tightly closed. Then they can view the colors while looking in their desks and grab the correct one without pulling them all out. We take time with my sharpies to label each composition book, folder, and all their workbooks with their names as well. 

Community supplies:

These are kept in drawers that kids have access to. I believe that they will continue to have access, but if needed I can spray them before they go back at the end of the day.

*Crayons - stored in plastic soap containers (Dollar Store). This year I did pick up a full class set of crayons, usually I get half a class set.  I personally am not a big fan of crayons - it's a texture thing for me, but since they are cheap and in case kids can't share supplies this year... Usually I put out half of the sets in August, and save the other half for January.  If kids can't share supplies, they will all be passed out.  

*Markers - We really only use markers for group projects.  I duct tape the caps to keep them held together. It works really well, as it's an easy way to check that all the caps are tightly replaced.  Usually I only get about 16 sets of markers when they go on sale over the summer. I save half of my collection to put fresh ones out in January. 

*Rulers - I keep them in my drawer, they aren't used that often, and that way they don't become swords or light sabers.  

*Scissors - I have a mixture of kid and (mostly) adult size for my big kids.

*Binder paper - we may not need it as often now with everyone having their own device. Between anchor charts, notes in notebooks, and turning in final drafts via computer, might work out pretty nicely! 

*Copy paper - I keep a stash in the drawer.  This is where they go and grab a piece if they have misplaced their whiteboard, or their whiteboard marker seems to have lost it's juice.  

I also have a stash of other supplies behind my white board that the kids do not have access to unless I pull them out - like Sharpies or index cards, or post it notes, or construction paper, or wet glue, or paint, or pastels, etc.  

School supplies make me happy. Hope this helps someone.  :)  

Whiteboard Signs - Easy Summer Project

After the 4th of July, I always start getting excited about the next school year.  Not that I'm ready to go back, but I start tackling some classroom prep.  Helping my future self, and all of that... I start going through my files of back to school items, and seeing what I need to print out for this coming year.  

One easy project is printing out a new set of whiteboard signs.  Easy right? Some years I get lucky and my old set is still good to go, but some years I don't know what happened and they are a messy mess.  Like this past May.  I knew I would need to redo them for this year.  

I wanted to update the font, and they just felt grimy, so I printed out a new set to use. Print, laminate, and ready to go...

The headings I stick on the board have different purposes. Here's what I have and why.

Focus board: I make a grid on the board with washi tape. 

Subjects go on the left side vertically, and Headings are on the top horizontally. It looks like this (here's my digital version from last year's distance learning):

Subjects: Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Science

Headings: Essential Questions, I Can... I Know I Can Because...

Must Do: This area is where I keep the running list of weekly in class work to accomplish.

May Do: I use this area to jot early finisher options.

Color Teams and a list of colors: I use this area to keep track of group points using tally marks. It's a great job for a kid that needs to get up often. I cut the colors apart, and they go on the board vertically under the Color Team heading. I give color points for participation, cleaning up their area, doing certain tasks, etc.  It's a competition... End of the week we tally the points and the winning group gets a prize.  

Voice Levels: I start off the year going over the different expectations, and jot down the number so there is a visual reminder.  The goal is that eventually I don't have to update the board anymore.

Book Talks: This area is where the kids jot down their name when they are ready for an afternoon conference. They jot their name down sometime before lunch, and then I go through as many as possible directly after lunch during silent reading. The goal is that everyone signs up by themselves by Thursday, or else I start calling them over to check in.  

Reminders: Yeah, reminders. :) 

Homework: In a normal year I give out homework on Monday - due Wednesday, and Wednesday - due Friday.  Last year I gave it all out on Monday - due Friday.  I don't like doing nightly homework, I used to do that and it was just too much paper coming in each day.  Comparing it all, I like breaking it up a bit so I don't have as many stragglers and have as much to correct on Friday.  But that part of the board is where I keep our list.

Help: Every kid in class has a job to complete to help the classroom run smoothly.  That's in a different area that we change out every 2 weeks.  This area is for those things beyond our normal helpers.  I jot things on post it notes, and if time the kids can come up and grab a note to complete. Things like paper book orders unclipped, or art projects taken off the wall... stuff that kids can easily do that isn't part of the normal routine, when I just need an extra set of hands. 

There is a lot that I stick up on my board.  Other than the focus grid, which takes up a large portion, it's mainly on the outer edges of the board so there is room for me to write during our lessons too.  I do mainly use the doc camera... 

Anyhow, here is my file in case it can help you. The font is KG Summer Sunshine if you want to make your own headings.  :)  

Hope it helps,