I Just LuhhhV My Job! & Where I've been!!

Have you ever just had one of those weeks (or a day) when you think.. "I love my job." I definitely had one of those weeks this week. Teaching can be a very tiring job but it really is just the best! It's a job (and I am sure you know) that makes you give everything you've got each day. It takes a lot of drive/motivation and all your patience to get through the day. Then, when the kids leave your pooped! That's me! That was me this week! But, each day when the kids left I was so happy. They left and I knew that day went smoothly... they all learned and they left giving me hugs and smiling. Today, I got my first, "I'm really going to miss you when I leave for second grade." comment. Uh, rips out my heart. I am finding that I really find myself attached to my kids each year (my whole 2 years of teaching) and I end up not really wanting the year to end. I know at the end of this year though I am going to feel so good about what I did for these kids.

This year I have had a particularly challenging group of students. I have a lot of different needs in my classroom and being a second year teacher I needed a lot of guidance which thankfully I received from some colleagues. But, this year I know that I gave it My ALL every single day and I am doing all that I can to make sure my kids are getting the best out of me!

I am beginning this MIA post with that because people I am SCRURRED!!! My fiance and I are moving next year and that means I have to find a new position. I have just been doing a lot of thinking about... what if I don't find a position... what on earth am I going to do to not only fill my time but satisfy my need to TEACH! Of course, TPT could keep me occupied but people... those ideas come straight from my kids and our discussions together! -- Okay, whew enough sweet talk!! :) Now, onto my week because friends; I have been MIA in this blog world.!

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Part 2: I promised a good 2 weeks ago I would be back with an update on my reading stations and how guided reading is going in my room. Like any teacher, I am evolving and finding new (not really) ways to make things work better in my classroom. My reading time is basically Daily 5 with different stations. (Read to Partner, I-pad, Raz-Kids, Writing, Literacy Station). The kids rotate every 12 minutes and I meet with at least 3 groups a day.

My last post was about how I was having the kids read the same book and differentiating the comprehension concept. That worked for a hot week and then I said, "Yah, scratch that." Why you say?!! BECAUSE... we got Raz-Kids! Now, I can differentiate students reading levels as I couldn't before because we did not have differentiated reading materials that were leveled and consistent. So, here are some photos and snip-its of what we have been doing during reading! :)

Right here is a sloppy copy of my guided reading plans. I always type them up in a document so their readable! But, the students are broken up into groups 1-5. Each group reads a different level story and depending on their readiness depends on the comprehension concept that we work on.

The past two weeks I have really been finding my groove in this whole guided reading thing. I do two lessons with my two struggling groups of phonics instruction and phonics readers. We work on spelling and fluency for a good two days. We also work on the concept being covered for the week or the previous week.

The rest of my groups go right into a story with me and a comprehension and language concept.

Here are some pictures below of them hard at work after we read our story and discussed it.

We do lots and lots of talking in guided reading! I <3 it!

These kiddos are reading their books on Raz-Kids and the other one took a quiz on the book we read this week in guided reading! (He got them all right) Whoop, Whoop!!

In the picture above we were working on identifying things that are real and make believe in a story. It was harder for them than I thought it would be. They really had to dig in deep and think of each part of the story.

This group worked on identifying a problem in the story and then coming up with possible solutions to the story! So fun!

This little cutie was working on expanding on her thoughts when retelling a story. A lot of my students struggle with retelling stories using their own words so that's something I have been hitting hard with those students who are having a tough time! I told them, "No more picture drawing about the stories... Now, it is time for sentences!!!" :)

This is how I am organizing my guided reading materials as of right now except I added numbers to the outside of them to correlate with the groups number. My room is teeny tiny so this is really all the space I have to store stuff. A whole two shelves.-HA! My next goal is to set up a guided reading bucket of manipulative materials that I have found my self using over and over again during my small group instruction. I just need to find space to put it. It's looking like the floor will have to do! Fine by me!!

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Now, stations! If you have been keeping up with my blog you know that stations are something I kind of had a tough time with this year. My students like I said earlier struggle a lot with all sorts of things. Organization and problem solving are tough for them so I really had to try to simply and make sure everything follows a routine to make this time of the day run extra smooth! Hey, it's okay right? We're always evolving!

I'm only setting out one 'required' literacy bin a day. So, when the kids visit that station that is their must do activity. If they finish it before the station time is up then they can re-do an old station, catch up on an old station they did not finish or complete a desert bin activity which is the picture you see below.

There are manipulative materials, a word search and a sight word activity in here.

This coming week I put a roll and read and a sight word memory game in there for the kids to do.

For some excitement I bought some JUMBO pencils from wally world! The kids LUHHHV them!!

I am figuring out my writing station too. People... my kids LOVE to write so I have to make sure to do a lot of it during the day! So, each week I put blank paper in one tray and then a sentence activity and at least two writing prompts at the writing station. The kids choose what they want to do but... they do have to finish the sentence activity. This week it is going to be a sentence scramble. They choose which day to do it but it has to be done before Friday. They're pretty good at it.

**Notice the writing above... I just wanted to share it**

-How to pull a tooth-

"First get a string and a remote control car. Then you tie a string to your tooth and make the car go. Then it is out Yaaaa Wawp."

*Can you say ADORABLE?! I giggled when I read this one!!*

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Okay, this last station will soon be having a post of it's own but for now here it is.

The kids have their I-pad station they visit each day. I figured out the whole QR code thing as in making them and how to get the kids to figure out how to use them too.

This week was the first week students had actual activities to do with their i-pads with a recording sheet! They totally rocked it out! They had to unscramble sight words and spelling words. They also put spelling and sight words in ABC order.

I have new ones out for next week from my March QR code literacy station packet! I can't wait for the kids to break into these ones!

 I WILL be back Sunday to share my visual plans and maybe some 100 day stuff! I have all kinds of stuff to catch you guys up on! 

Nighty Night!

Oh, almost forgot!! I have a funny. Look at what one of my kids brought in to share today...

I am one of those people that thinks farts are funny and the kids know it... Needless to say we just shared the cover because boy did this go in depth! Like from elephants to humans... to turtles!!

HA!! Now, you have a good night!! :)

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This Weeks Visual Plans!

It's a short one tonight because we are getting ready to watch us some Walking Dead! Does anyone else love this super gory show?! It's a disturbing one BUT... OMG the suspense! It's addicting!!

Here are my plans for the week. You will notice I am once again attempting to research Polar Bears because we did not get to it last week due to delays and a cancellation...let's pray this is our first normal week since winter break! Who is with me?!

Here are the links to the items that I will be using this week!

Valentines Day Literacy and Math Stations

Winter Literacy Stations

February Interactive Math Journal

Love Splat Literacy Unit

Love Splat Literacy and Math Stations

100 Day Activities

Chat with you soon this week for some Guided Reading Workshop updates!

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Intro....Guided Reading Workshop!

The name of what I am doing and so original isn't it? So, I promised that I would do a blog post this week on my 'new and improved' reading instruction! I am not doing anything super new but I loved it this week (the whole 2.5 days I got to do it anyway). (Oh...snow days)

Guided Reading Workshop basically is this: Daily 5 with a teacher table station. Rotate every 10-15 minutes and go to a new station. At the teacher table students are getting direct reading instruction on a comprehension concept. I am starting out with our basal series and only differentiating the comprehension activities. 

Here are the stations that we do in our 'Guided Reading Workshop' Rotations.

Teacher Table

-Direction Comprehension Instruction

I-pad

-Assignment or phonics App

Raz-Kids

-Read at level text on i-pad. Listen to it, record yourself reading it and take quiz.

Writing

-Students either have an assignment or work in their February Writing Prompt Journal

Literacy Station

-One station bucket is set out and that is their assignment for the day.

This station covers a language standard or the phonics skill for the week.

Here is the rotation board that we use. It looks a lot like Daily 5 and guided math type stuff!

When we switch I simply jingle some bells and say, "Quietly head to rotation #2.."

That is why there are numbers above each card. It makes it really easy for kids to see which rotation they are going to!

I wanted to also show you the kind of activities I did this week with the kids at the teacher table. I will try to blog about our differentiated activities each week to help you out too if this is something you want to try in your room!

Like I said before; we all read the same story this week but worked at a different level on the comprehension concepts. 

To begin our week we worked on confirming predictions.

I did a mini-lesson with the whole class to go over the concept and I read Snowzilla by: Janet Lawler.

Students wrote a prediction on a small piece of paper--we snowballed it and then opened up our predictions (quickly). Then we read on and confirmed our predictions.

Then, I introduced station activities and we were off!

At the teacher table the students and I read the story, "Rolling Rice Cakes." (Part of our Basal)

It is actually a great story so yes, I used the basal this week but don't worry---only the story ha ha!

We worked on confirming predictions in small group too!

Here are some pictures!

For this lesson it was really nice to be able to watch the students do write their predictions and confirm them.

1. It was nice because I could have a discussion with each one of them

2. I could help with writing mechanics!

From now on though I will probably do a prediction lesson as a whole class because it didn't take too long and it's something they have down so no more need for small group instruction anymore!

The next day (I got observed this day AHH)--the skill was sequencing. I started out with a mini-lesson.

I read the students the story, "The Snow Day" by: Ezra Jack Keats.

Then, we sequenced the story. I simply typed up events from the story and we sequenced the cards in a pocket chart. Quick and easy! --Confession: My students forgot was sequencing was!! People we basically had 8 days of school in January...so regression is an understatement!

After we sequenced the story we were OFF for our Guided Reading Workshop fun!

On this day students had a different writing assignment. The day before we learned a little about Walruses and completed an anchor chart of "How to Brush Walrus Teeth." Their writing assignment was to write their 'how to' writing during their writing station.

At the teacher table we re-read, "The Rolling Rice Cake." This is where the differentiation really came into play!

We worked on sequencing like I said before--each group did it a bit differently!

This is the activity I completed with my struggling students. We read the story, sequenced the cards and then numbered the cards on the sequencing sheet. 

The next group had to make their own cards--they were excited about this!! They had to choose one event from the beginning, two from the middle and the last event in the story to include on their sequencing cards. This was already great practice to gain the big idea of the page!

My higher group make a sequencing book. On each page of the book they wrote about what happened on each page in the story. They were working a lot of identifying the big idea of each page and putting it into their own words. We worked for 2 days on this together.

Sometimes I will have students at the teacher table finish early and you better believe they're not just going to sit there. So, I have extra story response copies made for those extra few minutes that some of the students may have.

I had two students finish their sequencing activity early so they wrote about their favorite part in the story.

Today, we read a story called, "The Rat and The Cat." (Also, in basal)

Today, we worked on comparing and contrasting the two stories we read this week.

This is how I differentiated this one:

Some students cut and paste comparison cards like seen above.

Some students sorted the cards and wrote the comparisons.

Other students came up with and wrote their own comparisons between the two stories.

The mini-lesson on this day was not about comparing and contrasting because that would take too long.

Instead, we did a mini-lesson on what their literacy station activity was.

Here is what we did before we got started on Guided Reading Workshop on this day!

Today, I began the lesson by asking kids if they have ever come across a big word and could not figure it out?! Hands shot in the air... and then I said the magic word...syllables. Today, I taught students to recognize syllables in a word and how to separate them to sound them out when they come up in something that we are reading. We matched two parts of a word together to make the words you see above.

Then, we practiced finding words with 2 syllables in the poem above. I completed the first three sentences with them and sent them on their way with their reading buddy. They highlighted it, re-read them poem together and then illustrated to show understanding of the poem.

When they finished I said, "So...guess what you literacy station is today... and they pointed right to the pocket chart!" There is their literacy station activity above! I allowed them to use the cards on the pocket chart to make the words and then complete the form. They LOVED it! They kept taking turns because the 'teacher' during literacy station with their group members! (insert - melting heart)

So, why 'guided reading workshop' you ask?

...Because, I get to differentiate each lesson to my students needs and I really get to see WHAT they know and I am there to support them when they need it!

Normally after teaching reading I am feeling exhausted and like I didn't do a good enough job... I don't feel that way right now. I feel really great about the instruction my students got this week and I feel like I finally got to meet all of their needs! Not to mention... I wasn't tired ONE BIT!! It was so calm and such a great learning environment!!

Stay tuned for next week!

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My Confession & Visuals!

We'll just start this blog post off with an explanation or three...

1. I did not watch the Superbowl tonight -- only the halftime show... I don't like football unless it's the Bengals and even then it's hard for me to pay attention.

2. I am still trying to figure out how to do stations in my classroom...You'll see...

3. I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT TEACHING!! Yes, that's a confessions because I have a million other things I should be thinking of and I always think about--but, instead here is an insight inside of my brain on any given day-- "I should do ____ (I read a new blog post) in my room... wait no.. this person has a good idea I should try that...Ooo good idea for a new Tpt product...."Yeah... that's my mind all day!!

Right here is evidence of me changing something in my classroom once again. Before I start I want you to keep in mind that I am a 2nd year teacher... so, I am still figuring out how I want to do things within my classroom. 

Here is my dilemma; maybe you can relate...

1. I want to differentiate my instruction during reading

2. I want to meet the common core to a T 

3. I want to do stations that are meaningful

Today, I was reading through Reagan Tunstall's blog about guided math and I did do this in my classroom but we really don't have a lot of time in our day (due to 2 recesses...don't get me started). So, I only do math stations and use that time for my intervention. Then, I got to thinking...I literally spend over 2 hours on READING instruction! OMG! Part of it whole group, phonics, try to write, literacy stations, guided reading & intevention. Are you getting my drift? It was not working for me. So, this is what I am trying...By Golly I hope it works!

I am trying the guided math workshop approach and transforming it into my reading instruction! We all read the same story and focus on the same comprehension concept BUT the reading concept is differentiated! I will be teaching reading in small groups for 12 minutes to each group and I will meet with all 5 groups in a day.  I was inspired on this idea by reading Fabulous in firsts blog and how she does shared reading. She has all students read the same story BUT their recording forms are differentiated on their abilities.

So, here is the kicker... my groups are not based upon reading level but ability to comprehend and understand read material.

I am using the stories from our basal series until I figure out how to get multiple copies of other books. I created differentiated forms on prediction, sequencing, comparing and contrasting and authors purpose. I would share but this book is only available in the basal soooo it's kind of pointless.

Click on the picture if you would like these labels!  

These are the 5 rotations that my students will be visiting each day. To see what they are doing this week at these stations you'll want to click on my visual plans at the bottom.

I will only have one literacy station out a day that students must finish before moving on to their next station which is i-pad. Each day at the writing station students will get out their February writing journal that I just purchased from Curriculum Castle. They keep these in a yellow folder in their book bin.

 I have students who work fast and accurately so I always have to have extra stuff for them to do and these are it. They can complete activities we didn't make it to in previous weeks in the pink bins or they can practice their spelling words using manipulative materials in the clear bin until the station time is up.

Now, we are going to transition...MATH!!

Before I go on you may have noticed that everything I do is very simple... I don't want it to be this simple but if it isn't my class is all kinds of confused. I have quite the group this year and I have to make a lot of accommodations for students so this is my reasoning for trying to figure all this out. :)

My math stations are completed after our whole group lesson and when students complete their assigned math journal page. Students complete their math station on their own at their table. I only put in math stations that have been taught and mostly mastered so then I can work with students with other concepts at this time.

Each day students get a bin on their table and that is their assigned math station activity. They complete it and then they can choose a math game that we have learned.

This is how my bins are labeled. It is nothing earth shattering but it works. On Monday the green table has this bin, Tuesday-blue table, Wednesday-Red table, Thursday-Yellow, Friday is GAME DAY!!!! It makes students accountable and it helps me make sure all students visit each bin each day. I have some sly ones in my room this year...or they try to be. ;) I love them... they're the ones that make me smile! lol I don't know why... I always like the ornery kids!

Here are the stations that the students are working on this week!! 

This is basically what the bins look like. Super simple and nothing earth shattering here. Just simple clear bins from the dollar store! Some day I will make things cute... but until then... I just want to get it all figured out!

We are also learning a new game this week that can be found by clicking below.

There is also a little craft and number story activity included too!

Okay... Now for my plans for the week!! I am so hoping we do not get a snow day this week because I realllyyyyy want to teach a full week and get some learning done!! 

Click on any of these to get a closer look at my plans~

Here are the links to some of the things I am using this week!

Long I Printable Activities with the Magic E

February Interactive Math Journal

Winter Math Stations

Interactive Math Journal

Winter Literacy Stations

Winter Sentence Centers

Enjoy your week! I will be back this week to let you know how my new reading routine works!!

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