Summer PD

Today was the first of many professional development days I have planned for myself this summer.  I went to "Designing Literacy-Rich Classrooms That Support the Common Core" with Dr. Kimberly Tyson.  It was my first video conference style PD.  She gave us her definition of Literacy-Rich Learning Classroom:  "A literacy-rich classroom is one where students are surrounded by a print-rich environment and have multiple opportunities to engage with authentic texts for a variety of purposes throughout the day.  From the atmosphere and decor of the room to interactions with peers and teachers, every element of a literacy-rich classroom is designed to motivate students to explore the elements of literacy."

I took some notes and want to put my thoughts down to help myself better myself and to improve on myself and my teaching.

Top 10 Characteristics of a Literacy-Rich Environment;

#1 my classroom needs an area to read and write that is comfy for 4-6 students that provides browsing, reading, writing. 

I have both a reading area and a writing area in my classroom but my writing area is only set up for two students to work at.  But I feel I can improve on this by providing writing materials in all centers throughout the room.  Same as reading materials.

#2 Using Anchor charts:  I have uses some anchor charts in my classroom but Tyson gave 3 questions to ask myself about them....1. "Was it developed with students?" 2.
Was it posted to be accessible to students?" 3. Is it a record of student thinking?"

If I keep these three questions in mind will help get better use out of my anchor charts.  Also the question of how to store these charts for students to have access to was brought up and one idea I liked was taking a picture of your anchor charts, print them off on 8 x 10 paper and place in a clear shelve and then place them in 3 ring binders (for ex have a math anchor chart book, etc etc)

#3 Content posters can visual clutter if not referenced too. 

I don't use many of these. So many I need to look at this more.

#4 Displaying student work  should be representational of students showing progress not just the perfect ones.

I display all student work. My organizational charts have moved to being used on the Promethean board freeing up clutter and space and not distracting students.  Trying to remember simple is better on bulletin boards.  She mentioned explaining work in the hall way for parents and others to understand what they see and why the students are doing the work that was asked of them.  I do this.  I connect what we read to the activity for others to know why we did it and also using the standards we are covering as well.

There were several great ideas I loved to do in our school hallways. (Promoting Literacy in the hallways) 1.  Placing clips on the lockers to display that students work.!!!!!!Love this idea.  2. Posting student work or projects in the library for all others to see.  3. Having a voc bulletin board that is interactive with the students. And 4. A Graffiti Wall.  There are 3 white boards that the principal or other person posses questions for the students to respond to.  This changes about every week. I really love this idea.

#5 Student Engagement allows time for students to talk, verbalize information.  If they know the information they can talk about information.

#6 Word Walls ...can be alphabetical, using kid's names, words with pictures.  Making it easliy readable, students can help make.

The ideas I like on this I might try or older grades can do is color codes words like blue for all nouns, red for all verbs etc etc of color code by subjects.  I also liked  having a student generated word wall with a word vine and this would go great with my garden theme in my classroom.  Students add words to the word vine they learn.  I need to remember to use Spanish and English on the same word card.

#7 Labeling the classroom....create with students and connect speaking, listening, writing etc.  

We should label items throughout the school to spread learning beyond the rooms.

#8 Apps. online tools that support student learning.....using digital media  she gave a few sights to try out and also mentioned twitter.  Using Twitter to connect or follow others in education as well as meeting once a month to join groups to talk about things.

#9 Classroom Libraries....40-50% should be fiction books, 40-60% should be nonfiction, and 5-10% should be reference books. 

I would like to add menus, maps, and magazines to the class library.

#10 Independent Reading builds fluency, increases voc, and builds background knowledge.

New Beginnings

I haven't had to chance to blog much from the last school year (12-13).  This past year had many changes and challenges.  The first change was a new principal.  When I first heard my old principal was retiring I was really scared and worried about the up coming year.  My thoughts went from "OGM" to "Will I do ok?" "Will they be early childhood friendly?" "Will I work well with them?"  My new principal was coming from high school down to elementary and that alone scared me.  Most people don't view early childhood as the foundation for a child's educational start and success. As the year went on I found out she did very much feel early childhood especially pre-k was the foundation to a child's success.  Through out the year I was challenged by her and by my students.  I had a very active group of students.  It was frustrating at times to deal with over 14 boys and 5 girls.  Yes, I said 14 boys.  I had to challenge myself to find ways to connect to them, to keep them engaged, to keep my sanity, and to keep my students safe.  I felt my new principal placed a lot of responsibilities on me from being in charge of our PBIS team to taking on my roles in my school.  This has got me thinking about my future in education.  I feel I am a great leader for both students and my peers.  This got me thinking "Can I take on the role of principal myself?" I feel I a leaning towards that one day but as of now I just can't pull myself out of the classroom but I am wanting to go back to school and finish( but basically have to start over) my masters degree.

Summer has just started and changes are happening already at my school.  Many of my friends and peers are moving on to better themselves.  We had two great teachers retire.  One from 35 years of service and the other 15 years.  I will be coming on my 13th year in teaching this fall and I hope to be as great as these two ladies and to be in teaching as long as 35 years.  We have many TFA teachers have finished up their 2 year contracts and are moving back to their home states to start another career or to continue teaching.  So as you can see we will be having spaces needing to be filled and others will be moved around for the better of our school.

Healthier more Active Students!!!

 Some of the many new items my class received this school year (12-13) free from Indian Health Services grant for healthier more active students.

 It even came with curriculum for grades pre-k to 6th.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

 This past week I introduced the book CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM to my students.  I set up several centers connecting to the book.  Also we learned a really great song to go with this book.

 These two students are working in our writing center.  I cutout a coconut tree and taped it to a cookie sheet.  Then the students used magnet letters to place onto the tree just like in the story.  As you can see these two had fun "making" words on their tree.

 This young lady worked with me in small groups on her name.  The poem was getting the students to count the letters in their name.  Each student read with me the poem and we counted the letters in their name.  Then they had to make their tree.  First they took the trunk of the tree and did an according fold with it.  Glued it in place along with the leaves and coconuts.  Then they glued their name onto or around the tree.

 Another young lady in the writing center.  She found the read the room glasses and was wearing them while she worked on her tree.

 This week I also introduced the color blue and the shape square.  The students were working on their fine motor skills as well as working with glue. The students had to tear small pieces of blue paper and then use a Q-tip to dip into the glue and place the glue onto the paper.  They had to glue the blue pieces around the square.

 This week we were introduced to characters in a story.  So I used this anchor chart to discuss traits characters have.

 This week in Math we were introduced to textures with this chart.

Our Voc words for the week that went with the story FOLLOW THE LEADER.

 "Mat Man" from Hand Writing without Tears...We did this as a group with the song.

 Some of our charts I have used this week

 Our song during math time to learn our colors as well as same and different

 Our names added to the word wall

 The students made their own Mat Man on their white boards

 They did very well with this for being our 4th day of school

 Day # 5 we are already sorting colors into groups and they picked up on this fast.

 This was the second day we did Mat Man this time on chart paper.  One student asked me "What about the hairs here?" He was pointing to his eyebrows so we added hair on his head and eyebrows.  I loved how they were thinking of the details. Then after large group that is when they went to make one on their white boards.

We added the color words and animals from Brown Bear Brown Bear to our word wall

4th day of school

Today was the forth day of school.  We have had some ups and downs so far.  I started out with 11 students that I started calling to set up a time for the parents to bring their child in before school started to have them assessed with the ECAT.  During the call there was two disconnected numbers (I mean all numbers were disconnected that they put on their application) so they got dropped.  Then one momma stated she doesn't think they are ready for public school that her child has special needs.  I asked what kinds of special needs cause we can accommodate them the best we can especially if that child has an IEP.  She stated he doesn't talk and isn't potty trained (Ok my thoughts here was really at 4 he isn't potty trained).  I let her know that he has to be potty trained to start Pre-K and that she needed to let us know what they planned to do cause there is a waiting list.  Well he never showed up so he got dropped from my list.  The added more students to my list that I got to meet at Meet the Teacher Night and they set up their times to bring their child in.  So long story short I have 18 kids and 14 are boys.  Another boy got dropped from my class cause of no show (if they don't show they get dropped) I received another application today bringing my total back up to 18.

So I am going to be challenged this year with having this many boys.  I already have a sore throat from repeating myself so much and now a cough to go with it now.  Some other challenges I have had so far has to do with technology.  I have a brand new Promethean Board that has duel pens and neither one of them works.  So a work order was put in the week before school started (about 10 days ago) second challenge with the board that my wires that connect from the board to my computer are too short and i have to bring the laptop to the board and it sits in a students chair.  I have to work the board this way by using the mouse and not the pens.  Well last week the board not won't connect with my laptop so I had to come up with a backup plan (using a projector hooked to my laptop to project our calendar etc onto the board) but this has wires crossing the middle of my circle time carpet where an accident is waiting to happen.  I planned my lessons with fun activities that involve the board.  So needless to say this has been a challenge.

We are still learning the routine of the classroom and the boys rather "not" listen to what I am saying and I have to repeat myself.  So my goal this week is to find a way to connect to them to get them to follow directions within the first 2 or 3 times not 10-15 times. LOL.

I want to end it with a quote from one of my boys who was assigned to housekeeping today.  "Ms. Beavers housekeeping is boring."  Don't you love them. :)

Working hard

I have been working hard the last 3 days in my classroom.  This year we have a new principal and she is letting us into our classrooms a week earlier than normal.  YEAH! Since I have a new Promethean Board in my classroom I had to rethink my classroom layout. And I think it will work well this year.  We will have to see when I have students in the room.

This year's theme for my class is "Growing in the Garden".  I wanted to do this theme 1. I love gardening. 2. we have garden beds the students work in. And 3. I think it will connect well with learning.  So I had no idea what to do with my bulletin boards, so I went looking on Pinterest for ideas and BINGO tons of ideas came up.

This is going to be my word wall.  I am still working on it.  I had to hand make the sunflowers and still need to make 10 more.  Plus when I pulled out my letters some were missing hence the missing letters.  I am going to add green stems from each flower and then place the words we will use throughout the year on leaves and then add to the stems.  I hope this works out.  I will also add a small picture on the leaf with the word so my students can see what they are writing and learning.  Then I need to finish the tree with leaves from tissue paper.  I am also going to add butterflies to the tree.

This board is going to be my schedule, agenda, and Common Core Standards.  The ladybugs will have the student's names for them to hang up their backpacks next too.  I had a white picket fence on the green part but didnt like how it looked so I took it down and going to make a different one.  For my daily agenda I am making a beehive that will display the times for the activities and around the beehive will be bees that have the