Back to School Prep - Digital Paperwork

I could joke that I have nothing to do now that I've switched up to 8th grade, but that wouldn't be true. 

I have found that it is far less physical prep for back to school than it was in the elementary grades. Yeah, I'll have to shove furniture around in the classroom, but I'm not packing pencil boxes, creating folders, etc. anymore. It's more the mental and digital prep in order to prepare for a new school year. 

Every summer I still go through my computer file folders to make sure they are still relevant. There's always the chance that I didn't file something correctly in the craziness of the school year, and I have to go through my "Go through" file - yep, I named it that. 

I'm still using Microsoft Teams for my classes - mainly for assignments and posting our daily agenda, and every year I'm creating more photos and details to upload as references on the assignments. The photo below shows part of my direction screenshots.

So I go back through last year's Teams to grab screenshots of my assignment details to file in the correct file folder. It has helped to remember exactly how I explained it last year. If you do this, remember to label the screenshots when you actually take them... learn from me, it's a pain to do it later. :)

I also go through my Week by Week plan and update based on last year's planner. 

After my first year in 8th I created a simple template that I filled in what we accomplished based on the weeks of the year. It's just a simple Week 1-19 on the front, and 20-38 on the back. These simple papers have helped me remember where we're heading while planning out the next unit. It also helps me to not constantly be flipping through last year's planner to check.

ELA Pacing

SS Pacing

Yearbook Pacing

Hope this helps. Next up I need to update my family's school calendars into the computer - min. days and vacations.  This next year we will have 4 schools that we are juggling - 2 colleges, a high school, and then mine. Yikes! When did my kids grow up??

Hope you have a great day!

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,  

My First Week Plan

A couple of years ago I shared this picture over here and wrote about my first week plans.  I have one post for Teamwork and Growth Mindset activities, and another post for first week Mentor Texts.  Check out those links if you want.  :)  

I wanted to share how this has morphed into my current plan for the first week. Most of it is still the same, but I have changed a bit too. This isn't everything, but these are my goals for the days that first week.  

First Day of School:

*First Day Powerpoint: On the first day my brain is usually scattered with a lot of things to go over, and sometimes I forget the simplest thing... like recess. A few years ago I made up a powerpoint with everything on it.  I'll share about it more in another post. Then I just click through the day. Sometimes I don't even share the slides with the kids, it's just my checklist so I cover what I need to cover.  

*Read Aloud (am): The Important Book and hand art project. They trace their hands and then decorate the paper with whatever colors, words, and pictures that describe them, then they cut them out.  These get hung around our window for the year, reminding them about how participation is important.  

*Independent Work: Letter to me - Kids share what they already know about 5th grade, what they want me to know about them, and what they are looking forward to.

*After lunch read aloud (pm): Juice Box Bully and taking the pledge - they sign their names around the pledge and it makes an instant poster for our class. I like keeping the visual up all year.

*Brainstorm rules for our classroom - what are most important? I have a bunch of memes in that first day powerpoint that I share before we brainstorm.

*Class Motto - Work Hard, Be Kind.  We have a class discussion and then we brainstorm on another poster that is then hung up. 

*Independent Work: Student Survey link - Last year I put a student survey into Survey Monkey - asked about their favorites - books, ice cream flavors, home life, hobbies, sports, etc.  

2nd Day:

*Morning Meeting - What are 4 wishes you would make? We also go over what our typical morning meeting will entail.  

*Read Aloud - Rock Paper Scissors and discussion about teamwork

*Independent Work: I am Poem and then volunteers share. I collect from everyone whether they share or not.  

*Engineering Process Crash Course Kids: We watch the video and go over the process - we make a poster for our science board, and they write it in their Science Notebook.

*STEM Engineering Activity: They need a piece of paper and scissors, then work with teammates to figure out how to recreate the picture.  I use this website to help with the lesson. 

*I Like My Neighbor Who Game: We get up and moving, learning about each other.  Chairs in a circle around edges of room, one chair missing.  Whoever without a chair says, "I like my neighbor who __ (example: is wearing tie shoes)" and only those kids would switch seats.  Then the new person would come up with another unifying factor - has a sibling, likes to read, is in 5th grade... and they keep playing.  They LOVE this game, and they love it when their teacher plays too.  This is what kept us sane last year during distance learning, we played it a lot the last 5 minutes of each day, turning on cameras to show unity.  

*Math 4th grade review: I have task cards that I stick around the room, and we practice the Scoot rules. Kids create a grid on their copy paper, and they scoot around to the different cards, answering math questions from last year.  They write their name on the paper, and we go over it afterward so they can check their work, then they turn in their papers so I can get a glance at what they remember.  It's not anything official, but it does help with learning procedures and expectations.  

*Independent Work: District ELA Pretest

3rd Day:

*Meeting - How can we show kindness to others?

*Toilet Paper Time! - Pass around rolls of TP and they take how much they think they will need.  This gets silly...  After everyone has their amount, they need to share a fact about themselves for each square of TP. You can do this whole class or in small groups - usually I do small groups due to time, then everyone shares one fact they learned about their table mates.  It leads to a nice discussion about group work - that discussions need to have everyone contributing, but that one person shouldn't hog the entire conversation.  

*Set up our ELA notebook - Reading vs. Writing: We label the tops of some pages in our notebook. In the Reading section we write the different strategies and skills on the top of a page, so we can fill them in when we are reviewing.  

*Reading: We start reading Frindle and go over Setting and Character.

*Mentor Sentence: The Golden Rule - we start our first Mentor Sentence (from Jessica Ivey) and fill in the notebook.  

*Summary Writing: We go over expectations for summaries and add them in our notebook.

*Math Book Look Through - What do you notice? Does it look like fourth grade? What's the same?

*Independent Work: District Math Pretest

 

*Game: Would you Rather. I have the set of cards from the game in my classroom, and I also picked up a couple of TPT powerpoint slides for even more options - one from Hollie Griffith and one from DiGiGoods. Past years' classes have loved this game.  It's fun to have them get up and the kids have to move from one side of the classroom to the other depending on their answer.  

4th Day:

*Morning Meeting - What is your favorite fall activity?

Reading Materials (Wonders) Look Through - What do you notice? What will we use? What are the expectations? What is the same as 4th grade?

*Math Notebook: Set up math notebook with affirmations on the first couple of pages, then create a multiplication table inside.

*First Math Lesson and continue Frindle

*Cactus Lesson: Growth Mindset - I have artificial cacti around my entire room as reminders of this lesson. We read about cacti and connect them to growth mindset.  Fancy Free in 4th has a great lesson I use, and then we brainstorm goals for the year.

*Paper Chain Growth Mindset Challenge: Kids work in teams to take a single paper and make the longest chain possible.  This works on discussion and it is a team competition, all in good fun.  

5th Day of 5th Grade:

*Partner Walks and Reflections: On Friday mornings the kids come in and I use Class Dojo to make partners.  Partners switch from week to week for the kids to mix up.  We have a lawn right outside our room that I instruct the kids to walk around as they talk over their reflections for this week.  

What is something you are proud of? 

What is something you learned? 

What is a goal for next week?

They can both have a chance to share in one lap.  It takes about 5 minutes.  Then they come in and we go over it together.  

*Essential Question Grid: On my whiteboard we have a chart of Essential Questions, I Can statements, and I Know I Can Because... Fridays are the day we go over the I Know I Cans. Table groups discuss, and then they share out. Sometimes I have the kids write on post its individually, sometimes as a group. But this is when we fill it in.  

*Back to School Escape Room: Another teamwork challenge with 4 different tasks to tackle.  This is new this year, but I'm super excited to see them do it.  

*Book Tasting!!! During recess, lunch, or PE (whenever there is time), I set up our Book Tasting. All the materials came from Joanne Miller.  We go over our favorite genres, and then I give them time to look through my books. Last year with distance we did it all through our anthology, this next year I don't know yet if they will be able to touch the same materials.  But somehow we will be doing it.

*40 Book Challenge and Class Library Grand Opening - We go over the challenge for the year, I introduce Book Talks, Book Beads, and the goals.  We create a class graph of favorite genres, and I let them choose 3 books to have at their desk at all times. Reading is our go to when there is any waiting involved.  

*SS Book Look Through - What do you notice? What are expectations for the SS Notebook?

*Independent Work: Letter to Self - What do they want to accomplish this year?  They write it down and get it back at the end of the year.  What promises can they make to themselves? 

*Fun Friday: Yep, first week everyone better be able to participate.  We go over options if they have everything done.  Lots of STEM stuff. Still waiting to hear what they will be allowed to do this year.  What they are allowed to do together, vs have to do alone?  What materials they are allowed to touch? We'll see...

Okay - this is a general outline of my first week. We usually also have an assembly with admin, have to go pick up our textbooks, and practice procedures a ton.  I hope that we are allowed to start House groups again too, where we mix up the entire grade level into groups we call Houses. We usually kick that off the first week too, those every other week meetings are when we go over our Social Emotional curriculum.  

Hope it helps someone!

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! 

I Picked Up My New Planner!!!

What is it about a new planner? It just makes me feel hopeful.  

I'm not writing it in yet, just admiring how empty it is, the colors, and kind of figuring out how I'm going to do things different for next year.  I did print out the school calendar for next year, I couldn't remember what day I have to head back... ahhh, summer brain. :)  Yesterday I also forgot the day of the week.  Ha!

I've gone through quite a few different ones over the past 21 years, this blog has seen me through a lot of them.

When I first started teaching I used the Scholastic and Teacher's Press versions.  They were thin and got the job done. Those were the days that I would go into a teacher supply store and compare them in person. Oh, I miss the teacher supply stores. It was a happy place full of stickers and bulletin board sets.

Then I switched to printed pages in a binder. I could customize it all. My team planned together so we all had the same plan. 

Then I started the blog and found out about Erin Condren.  Y'all made me do it.  I went through the EC phase for years. Colors and prettiness. 

Then I went through the Plum Paper phase when I saw them on Etsy - where I could completely customize everything inside with the colors. What layout, what subjects and times already printed, what start date, it came dated too!

Then I went through the Blue Sky phase when I wanted something thin again. It also came dated. Had everything I really needed. The link is for the coming year.  

Then I started the Bloom phase where I get the colors I want, it's a vertical layout so I don't have to flip the book during the day, but I'm back to having to write everything in.  But as we've all learned, things can drastically change from one day to the next... The lines are big and since I write huge, well it works for me.  

My teammates really like the Happy Planner. Other friends really like Planbook.com. It's nice there are so many options out there.  

This is the one I had last year.  

Anyhow, this is the one I chose for this coming year. I'm in a chalk board mood. Not that I ever want to have to write on or clean a real one again... I like that it comes with an extra clear cover for extra protection. Here's the link if you want to check it out. Love Amazon Prime.

And, like I say a lot - not an ad, just sharing because I like to share... 

Hope you have a great day!

ELA Review - Shout Outs for Great Resources

In one week the kids will be taking the ELA state tests. You know, the tests that I didn't think would actually happen, but it's now back on... hmmm... I think I have figured out a game plan for testing... But first it’s last minute review time. We have been spiral reviewing all year, and with ELA they either know it or they don't.  But usually they do... I finally settled on a last minute cram plan over spring break - in class vs homework, whole group vs breakout groups. All with the knowledge that in just 5 days my class will not be altogether much anymore. It will be 3 separate groups, moving at their own paces, as I am with the kids testing for hours upon hours...

Back to ELA...

When I moved from 4th to 5th grade I didn’t really know what to expect for state testing, I mean I knew it would be similar, but there's the additional pressure of learning something new.  Jennifer Findley made it easy with her blog posts and her resources.  I met her in real life years ago at a conference, she was so friendly and personable.  I felt like I could trust her advice, so with the move to 5th grade, it was easy to trust her blog.  Today I wanted to share some links that I have found helpful.

Her blog posts about testing... she even has a some free resources. I'm all about not recreating the wheel... I use her post about Test Taking Strategies throughout the year.  I use her free Reading Test Prep Helpers as reference in their notebooks.  I also use her 10 Days of Test Prep Freebies and then have modified to fit my own classroom.  I also use her Test Prep Coloring Pages to help relieve some stress...

This week I am using her Reading Test Prep Task Cards whole class, a handful of questions per day. The last couple of years they have helped to hit all of those standards one more time. I have them printed and will snap a picture to add to our morning conversation. That way the kids at home can click the picture and enlarge it on their own screens. I will then put my copy under the ladybug so kids in class can also follow along.

I also purchased her ELA task cards Rock the Test task cards. I have those prepped for one day to slide into our color channels. It’s a couple pages of task cards per skill. One center per color channel. The kids will get into breakout groups to have a race, and will slide through the rainbow together, answering questions. My in class kids will use their pouch of Brain Flakes to show off what color (aka center) their team is currently working on. 

Rock and Roll theme - I bumped it up a notch and brought in my son’s musical decorations from his bday celebration, and even bought a banner to keep at school. The kids went nuts yesterday when they walked in and saw it. 

Another day we will be working through Jennifer's Survival themed Reading Review.  It's all about survival this year... This is both informational and fiction.  There's also a cute bulletin board prompt to put up.  

For Homework, the kids will be doing another set of review task cards by forkin4th. I'm uploading the task cards to their TEAMs assignment, and the kids will fill in their answers on a separate page before uploading.  

I also like to put these little testing notes by Math Mojo on their desks for testing days.  Just a little something to let them know that I know it's not fun, but that I'm proud of them for their perseverance.

All these resources have helped me keep my sanity in the jump to 5th grade.  I use other things for all year long, most that I've found and bought, some that I've created. I'm the type of person that needs to know that something works before I will buy it, so that was my hope today. Just in case you didn't already know these existed.  These are great review and they are awesome.  I hope this helps you!

My Plum Planner

The past three years I have bought a fancy planner that has cost more than any other book I own.  I justify it that it breaks down to about $1-2 a school week... and I absolutely love that I made the upgrade.  This year I decided to bump to a different brand of fancy planner, and I'm really happy that I'm stepping outside my comfort zone.  I wanted to share some actual pictures, in case you were wondering what a Plum Large Teacher Planner really looks like.  

Disclaimer - Plum Planner hasn't asked me to share, they aren't giving me anything for these pictures, this is all just me wanting to shout their goodness from the rooftops... I found them when I bought a personal planner on Etsy and have been in love since!

Above is last year's planner from another brand (rainbow), and this year's new planner from Plum Planner (black/white/pink).  It's the same size and thickness.  The other planner has a laminated cover cover, the PP has a laminated cover with the addition of another piece of lamination on top for extra protection.  Both had tons of options to choose from, and both were able to be personalized.    

Inside the months have colors and tabs (just like the other planner - which I love), however in this one the tabs also include the month's lesson plan pages.  A BIG perk was having everything come PREDATED.  I could also choose when I wanted the planner to start... I chose to have July at the beginning since I have trainings at the end of the month, plus I had room to write my summer prep list.

Each month tab has a goal section at the top, room for the student birthdays, reminder sheet, and note page.  

The lesson plan pages run vertical (which will be a transition for me after 16 years of horizontal plans), but I LOVE that it came predated and I was able to customize my subjects/blocks on the left side of the page.  My sections are Math, Language, Reading, Writing, Science/SS, Intervention, and Workshop.  

On the right side of the planner pages, there is a built in weekly list and prep work notepad.  

At the back of the book there are 4 more tabs... these hold Class contact information, Checklists (I'm using as my grade book), Note pages, and To Do Lists.  I took pictures below so you can see them.  I did add more pages into the checklist and to do list sections - this teacher needs room... but it was really cheap to do so for a ton more pages.   

The Checklist pages have 31 lines.  I have 32 students... I was willing to write my 32nd student's name (actually their classroom number) on the bottom section under the lines because it was worth not having to write all the dates and subjects into this planner.  It's the same size as the other spaces.  I'll just write the total amount of points at the top of the page.  It was worth it!   

The To Do List Pages are broken into 4 sections.  They are printed double side.  Thinking of using these pages for my different student groups.

The class information pages have plenty of room as well.  There are a couple of different forms in this section.  

Overall, this planner cost half of what my other planners had cost, even after I added all those extra perks.  I love how they were able to personalize it to fit what I need, and I LOVE that I didn't have to write in a single date or subject.  This company has their own website and is also on Etsy.  I used their website and was able to pay via Paypal (which was really nice).  

I really hope this helped someone.   :)  Have an awesome day!