Since I started blogging back in July, I have been trying all kinds of new things. I'm sure I say this weekly on my blog. But it's true. I've been introduced to so many new ideas and been inspired to give things a try. I started the year by really working on my literacy centers. I got Debbie Diller's Literacy Work Station book. I adapted some of her ideas and started making it work for me. I also tried to do Guided Reading. I've been struggling with these concepts since I've started teaching. I've never been able to get either one to work for me. This year was the first year I had really gotten literacy work stations or centers to work for me. But Guided reading just wasn't happening. I was starting to work with my kids some one on one and I enjoy reading with them and working on what they needed. In January, I introduced Daily 5. Well actually I just introduced Read to Self. We built up our stamina. Now I was struggling with doing guided reading, literacy center and daily 5. Oh and by the way I wanted to introduce math work stations. I read a blog post from Mrs. Patton's Patch about how she wasn't doing guided reading anymore but reading conferences. This stuck with me and helped me to finally be able to let go of something. But I still was having trouble getting everything I wanted to do done. Before spring break, I really looked at my schedule and completely reworked it. I decided to do my phonics/word study lesson in groups rather than whole group. While I've only done this one week, I can say I love it. I feel like I'm slowly making things work for me. Here's my new schedule:
7:50-8:20 - Morning work and bathroom break. As I check their work, they start going to read to self.
8:20-8:35 - Read to self - During this time I meet with several of my kids. I also have a list for my assistant to read with too. I worked this into my lesson plans. I made a plan of what kids to meet with on each day. My goal is to have them read to someone every other day.
8:35-8:50 - Morning meeting and calendar
8:50-9:15 - Whole group reading and phonemic awareness. We practice a poem everyday and do some kind of activity with that.
9:15 - Snack and go over letters and sounds.
9:20-9:45 Literacy centers and small group work - During this time I am lucky because I only have 10 kids in my class. My ELL students are in their pull out class. I have 6 out of 16 students out. But next week I'll get to see how this works with a larger group. So my group is split into 2 groups. One is approaching and on level. I work on what is in the reading basal usually with this group for phonics. The other group is my above level group.
Here's an example of what I did with each group on the day we introduced the letter v. My students for the most part know all their letters and sounds because we go over them all everyday. The first group we read a book about v, worked on a circle map of v and then did the workbook page together. The second group we added to the circle map of v and then they made a little book. On each page they wrote a sentence and used a v word.
On another day, we sorted different words and wrote sentences with them. This was great for differentiation because I used cvc words from on and approaching group and then some harder words for the other group. I was also able to use this time to work with them on writing.
9:45-10:00 - We work on writing. I would like to meet with kids during this time but it's not happening right now.
10:00-10:15 - Sight word practice
10:15 -10:50 we do math. This is my next small group area to work on. I want to do a whole group lesson and then during their math station time meet with some students on specific skills. But I haven't gotten it together with that.
We're technically a half day kindergarten. So most of my instruction is done by this time. But I only have 3 kids that leave at 12:30. The rest of my class stays in the extended day program. I use the afternoon time to do a lesson with my ELL students. I usually do the phonics lesson I did with the on and approaching group but try to increase the vocabulary part of the instruction.
I am in love with this! I feel like I'm working really hard all day long but it's so rewarding. I am so glad that I'm laying the groundwork for this method for next year when I'm in first grade with these kids. I feel like I'm really meeting my kids where they are at.
I'm also so excited I finally found a way to make this all work for me. I think that's the biggest part of incorporating new ideas. There is no one way to do things. You have to take a little bit here and there and eventually it works for you and your class.
What is something that you've made work for you? How do you do small group instruction in your class?
Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends tomorrow night. Click here to go to the post.
Showing posts with label management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label management. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Monday, September 12, 2011
Morning Meeting Promethean Style
This week I'm going to share some of what I do with my promethean board in my class. I've had some people want to see my flipcharts and I think I've figured out how to share them.
I love love love my morning meeting and calendar time with the kids. I think I love it so much because I use a flipchart that I'm really proud of. It is a combination of different ideas and trial and error and searching promethean planet for things that work for my kids. I love it because I can adapt to fit whatever my kids need. All I have to do is add another page.
When I first started teaching kindergarten, I wrote my morning message on a small white board and did my calendar time on a bulletin board. I had a good routine with them. I keep my students for two years. I have them in kindergarten and then first grade and by half way through first grade I was tired of my morning message and my kids didn't seem to need it. But by using my board, I don't get bored or tired of it. I love it!
Here's my morning meeting routine:
When they first come in they see a chart that has their routine for the morning. I use pictures of what they are suppose to do and the words. I saw this idea on Mrs. Wills blog and just adapted it to fit my needs (At lease I think that's where I saw it. I can't find it now). The students can see what they need to do. As they are working on their morning work at their table, they answer a question on the board. I started this year with their favorite color. They moved their name underneath a square of their favorite color. I started these graphs to help them recognize their names. The next one they do is if they are boys or girls. This starts to get them used to the yes/no format we use the rest of the year and they can "read" it themselves. Then they have a yes/no question they answer everyday. I use their popcorn words and different themes and concepts we're working on. I also use a lot of graphing and math concepts with this chart.
When morning meeting starts, we start with a Dr. Jean song I've embedded in my chart. Then we go over our rules which I got from The Polka Dot Patch.
Here's a list of the next slides:
If I could figure out how to show an image of it I would. Hopefully soon I can figure that one out.
Here's my flipchart for download in google docs. It took a long time to upload, so let me know if you were successful in downloading it.
I love love love my morning meeting and calendar time with the kids. I think I love it so much because I use a flipchart that I'm really proud of. It is a combination of different ideas and trial and error and searching promethean planet for things that work for my kids. I love it because I can adapt to fit whatever my kids need. All I have to do is add another page.
When I first started teaching kindergarten, I wrote my morning message on a small white board and did my calendar time on a bulletin board. I had a good routine with them. I keep my students for two years. I have them in kindergarten and then first grade and by half way through first grade I was tired of my morning message and my kids didn't seem to need it. But by using my board, I don't get bored or tired of it. I love it!
Here's my morning meeting routine:
When they first come in they see a chart that has their routine for the morning. I use pictures of what they are suppose to do and the words. I saw this idea on Mrs. Wills blog and just adapted it to fit my needs (At lease I think that's where I saw it. I can't find it now). The students can see what they need to do. As they are working on their morning work at their table, they answer a question on the board. I started this year with their favorite color. They moved their name underneath a square of their favorite color. I started these graphs to help them recognize their names. The next one they do is if they are boys or girls. This starts to get them used to the yes/no format we use the rest of the year and they can "read" it themselves. Then they have a yes/no question they answer everyday. I use their popcorn words and different themes and concepts we're working on. I also use a lot of graphing and math concepts with this chart.
When morning meeting starts, we start with a Dr. Jean song I've embedded in my chart. Then we go over our rules which I got from The Polka Dot Patch.
Here's a list of the next slides:
- Morning message (I enjoy playing around with the backgrounds depending on the season and holdiays)
- Calendar
- Days of the week (Dr. Jean song embedded)
- Days we've been in school hundreds chart
- Months of the year (Dr. Jean song embedded)
- Weather (Dr. Jean song embedded)
- Season
- Temperature
- Patterns with shapes
- Number patterns
- Schedule
If I could figure out how to show an image of it I would. Hopefully soon I can figure that one out.
Here's my flipchart for download in google docs. It took a long time to upload, so let me know if you were successful in downloading it.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Blogging Project Update
I seriously have the best, most wonderful boyfriend in the world. Monday after I posted my blog about the blogging projects I wanted to work on, he took me to the Dollar Tree, Dollar General and JoAnn's to find some materials for the projects I wanted to tackle. I was looking for some bags to use for the carpet bags (which I'm going to call Gear Bags because every time I say carpet bags I think of carpetbaggers.) I couldn't find anything at Dollar Tree that weren't too girly and my class is almost all boys. I did find some silly straws for the birthday balloons. So he suggested that we go look somewhere else and we went to Dollar General. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted but this is what I found for $ .75 each so I got them.
But not before looking all over the store and obsessing about candy to put in my treat jar I had found. He didn't rush me, he just offered an opinion. I also bought a photo album to put another idea I had seen into place. This can be found at A Garden of Children. I think I'm going to do their pictures and then their I am sentences they wrote week before last week.
Then he took me to JoAnn's where they had their huge packs of scrapbook paper on sale for $9.99. He helped me pick out some that weren't too girly and even paid for them. So I'm set on scrapbook paper for a long while.
I used the scrapbook paper and the straws to make this birthday surprise for my kids. I'm excited I got it done early. My first birthday in the class is Thursday.
I also finished my gear bags. I first had to decorate them a bit. I only got 10 so the kids are going to have to share because my space and budget are limited. I put a whiteboard, marker and sock for each student in the bag. There is also the basic red, blue, green, yellow crayons for each student and a pencil.
Here's a peek at what's inside them.
Eventually I'll put their calendar folders when we tackle that project in the bags. I also plan on putting baggies with the math manipulatives that they need. Passing stuff out takes just way too long. So hopefully this will help.
Here's what they looked like when completed and stored.
But not before looking all over the store and obsessing about candy to put in my treat jar I had found. He didn't rush me, he just offered an opinion. I also bought a photo album to put another idea I had seen into place. This can be found at A Garden of Children. I think I'm going to do their pictures and then their I am sentences they wrote week before last week.
Then he took me to JoAnn's where they had their huge packs of scrapbook paper on sale for $9.99. He helped me pick out some that weren't too girly and even paid for them. So I'm set on scrapbook paper for a long while.
I also finished my gear bags. I first had to decorate them a bit. I only got 10 so the kids are going to have to share because my space and budget are limited. I put a whiteboard, marker and sock for each student in the bag. There is also the basic red, blue, green, yellow crayons for each student and a pencil.
Eventually I'll put their calendar folders when we tackle that project in the bags. I also plan on putting baggies with the math manipulatives that they need. Passing stuff out takes just way too long. So hopefully this will help.
Here's what they looked like when completed and stored.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Literacy Centers
One of the things I've been seeing a lot in the blogging world is literacy centers. This is something I have never been good at it. But I really wanted to try this year and with all the support in the blogging world I think I can do it. We've just been having play centers the past 2 weeks. I have been a little discouraged about starting some literacy and math centers because my kids seem so young and like they can't be independent. But after getting some inspiration from a variety of blogs, I think I'm going to try to introduce some learning centers this week. I need to work with some of the kids in a small group. My ELL students need some extra help with sorting in math and some of the students need some practice with holding their pencils and writing their names. I would also like to do some assessing at some point. So trying literacy centers will hopefully help that.
We need to do some work with our names and I love the idea of a stamping center where I can just change out the words to stamp. So the first center I'm going to introduce to them is a word work stamping center. I've made a sheet to practice writing their names and then stamping them. (click here to get it) I was inspired by the stamping sheets on work smart not hard teaching kindergarten. Click her button to get some more stamping sheets. I plan to introduce it whole group and show them what to do and then pull them with groups to let them practice it while the rest of the class is having their center time. We'll talk about how to take care of the stamps and what to do with their work when they are finished. I'll introduce this one Tuesday and Wednesday.
We need to do some work with our names and I love the idea of a stamping center where I can just change out the words to stamp. So the first center I'm going to introduce to them is a word work stamping center. I've made a sheet to practice writing their names and then stamping them. (click here to get it) I was inspired by the stamping sheets on work smart not hard teaching kindergarten. Click her button to get some more stamping sheets. I plan to introduce it whole group and show them what to do and then pull them with groups to let them practice it while the rest of the class is having their center time. We'll talk about how to take care of the stamps and what to do with their work when they are finished. I'll introduce this one Tuesday and Wednesday.
The next center I'm going to introduce is a math game center. We're working on sorting and classifying and the vocabulary same and different. The math series provides some centers for the kids to use. I'm not crazy about all of them but the first one is a memory matching game. The kids have to find the matches that are the same. Again I'll introduce this game whole group and then we'll take the time to play the game with partners.
The third center I would like to introduce this week is some kind of alphabet center. I've already introduced them to the idea of using play doh to make letters. Last week we made the word can out of playdoh as a class. I got the letters from Kindergals (Click here to see their post). I've glued them to card stock and laminated them. We'll do a whole group lesson again to review and hopefully they'll be ready. The plan is to be doing these learning centers and some of the play ones on Thursday and Friday after spending Tuesday and Wednesday introducing them.
Wish me luck! If you have any hints or tips for starting literacy centers, be sure to let me know. I've been doing some research on the blogs. I'll update with pictures hopefully later this week to let you know how it's going.
Writing this post helped me to sort it out in my head what I wanted to do and gives me a little accountability to actually do it.. Another perk of teacher blogging.
Writing this post helped me to sort it out in my head what I wanted to do and gives me a little accountability to actually do it.. Another perk of teacher blogging.
Monday, September 5, 2011
My favorite blogging projects
I follow over 50 blogs on my google reader and then I have some that I have bookmarked. I love love love looking at what other people are doing in their classrooms. It has helped me be more excited about teaching and it gives me an outlet for my own creativity. But I have a horrible habit of trying to do too much. I have so many ideas swimming around in my head from other blogs, it is becoming a little overwhelming. There are so many things I want to try and make that I can't quite keep up with them all. So instead of awarding my top 10 blogs because I don't think I could choose just 10, I'm going to post some of my favorite lessons and projects that I want to try.
The biggest change I wanted to make in my class this year that I have been inspired from blogging is to work harder with my literacy and math centers and small group work. I have a post about how I'm doing that coming up this week. That's an ongoing major change that I'm making.
I'm a list person. It helps me to make a list of the things I need to do or want to do to actually get them done. So I'm attempting to make a list now of all the projects and lessons I would like to try and then blog about each one. I'm learning that blogging is giving me a different accountability.
So here's my list in no particular order:
The biggest change I wanted to make in my class this year that I have been inspired from blogging is to work harder with my literacy and math centers and small group work. I have a post about how I'm doing that coming up this week. That's an ongoing major change that I'm making.
I'm a list person. It helps me to make a list of the things I need to do or want to do to actually get them done. So I'm attempting to make a list now of all the projects and lessons I would like to try and then blog about each one. I'm learning that blogging is giving me a different accountability.
So here's my list in no particular order:
- Carpet bags from Kindergals - I think this will really help organize the kids materials and hopefully make transitions smoother which help my mental state during math time. With the new evaluations that we're going through this year, that is something that is evaluated and right now I stink big time with it.
- Whose in the Club? book from Kindergarten Rocks! I've seen this idea on a variety of blogs. This was just the one I found most recently. I like the idea of having a book for the students to sign when they complete something. I also like the idea of posters around the room but I'm not sure where I'd put them. I'm still mulling over what categories I would have but it's something I need to get on. We still do a Brigance assessment at the end of the year where they need to know their birthday, address and phone number so I can see this helping with that.
- Calendar notebooks - I've seen these all over the blogging world too. I downloaded the freebies at Growing Kinders and have Kim Adsit's packet on TPT on my wish list. I love this idea but I'm a little scared to try it. Right now my kiddos are just not ready. I'm hoping by October they will be and if not then I look at starting this in January. I like the idea of them being more active during calendar time and this is similar to something my mentoring teacher did when I was student teaching.
- Writing Center - I have seen so many good writing centers and I have all kinds of ideas of what I want to do in my head. I just can't seem to get on it. Some of the sources I want to use are the posters from Chalk Talk and then some word cards with different pictures depending on the unit or theme we're studying. I found some back to school ones and sentence frames from Teacher Bits and Bobs.
- Birthday balloons - This is another idea I've seen in various places in the blogging world. I liked this one from Kindergarten Rocks. Using silly straws with a balloon for a present for the kids. I have my first birthday this week so I need to get on this one.
- Lunchroom Expectations - I loved this idea at Kindergarten Kindergarten about working on cafeteria expectations. We started this project but haven't finished it yet so I'll post some pictures when we finish. The lesson went really well. They were good at coming up with the good and bad choices. Check this lesson out.
- Germs lesson- Over at Little Miss Kindergarten she has a great lesson about germs. I need to do this lesson this week. I've already got kids coughing all over each other and not covering their mouths. I think this will be a great visual to help the kids remember not to spread germs.
- Tattling Lessons - There are some great tattling lessons out there in the blogging world. Tattling drives me crazy but I have to remember that the kids don't know what it is until I teach them about it. I'm going to start with this lesson from What the Teacher Wants. I also love the idea over at Kindergals for discouraging tattling.
- Kind words lesson - I saw this great lesson on someone's blog which I cannot find right now where they had kids say unkind things to a paper child and crinkle the paper. Then they said nice things and uncrinkled the paper showing how it still hurts the kid. Hopefully I can find where I saw it and give them credit. I love this idea.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Frustration, soapbox, and help needed!
This past week was really difficult. I know that the beginning of the year is tough in Kindergarten. I'm not expecting things to run smoothly until the first six weeks is over. The kids are doing pretty well. They've picked up on the morning routine pretty well and they can use my promethean board on their own pretty well. What is frustrating me are things that I have no real control over. The sink and bathroom area in my pod are going through a makeover to accommodate students with special needs. I completely understand that this needs to be done and am excited at how nice it will be when it's complete. But the men doing the makeover were not using their looking eyes or safety while completing it. They brought up large pieces of wood in the middle of 2 kindergarten classes and left a lot of power tools laying around unattended. This made me so angry which is kind of ridiculous on my part I know. I just hate being interrupted and the part of the day from lunch to getting to specials is my most difficult part of the day as it is.
Then the second thing that is frustrating me is our new math series. I can't get a handle on how it works and I only have part of my teaching resources and materials. I was really hopeful about the new series and I am still trying to hang on to that optimism. It's the Envision math series created by Scott Foresman. I think part of my problem is how I'm setting up the lessons. I have always taught my math whole group on the carpet to introduce the concepts. But my carpet area is not working. The kids don't seem to have a concept of what is their space and what's their friend's space. So I think I'll try at their tables for part of the lesson. If anyone is using this series and has some advice, I would appreciate it. I'm just having trouble getting a handle on it. Of course it doesn't help that I seem to run out of time before I can get a lesson done. That's another frustration. Only having 3 hours (minus bathroom breaks, snack and transition time) to teach everything I need to teach. It seems like something suffers each day. I read DeeDee Wills' post about transitions and time saving yesterday so hopefully I can put some of that into play and do better managing my time. I'm also considering trying the carpet bags that I saw on KinderGal's blog. So if anyone has any suggestions or experience with trying these ideas, I would love to hear them. I've got to figure out some ways to make these things run more smoothly before I have an evaluation. I know these are things that I will be marked down for. (Another thing stressing me out)
Here's my soapbox for the week. Kids spend too much time playing video games and watching tv. I have several kids in my class who have no experience with pencils, crayons, scissors, glue or interacting with real life kids. My boyfriend is always saying he's not going to have cable and I just about die. I don't know what I'd do without my trashy tv but after these few weeks in school I might have changed my mind. It isn't that my kids aren't capable of using those materials they just need someone to show them how.
Ok my soapbox is over with and so is my venting. I'm so thankful to have this blogging world to get those things out and to look for resources to help me. I would appreciate any comments with suggestions that you have.
I've been trying to list the positives and things the kids are doing well with. So here they are:
Then the second thing that is frustrating me is our new math series. I can't get a handle on how it works and I only have part of my teaching resources and materials. I was really hopeful about the new series and I am still trying to hang on to that optimism. It's the Envision math series created by Scott Foresman. I think part of my problem is how I'm setting up the lessons. I have always taught my math whole group on the carpet to introduce the concepts. But my carpet area is not working. The kids don't seem to have a concept of what is their space and what's their friend's space. So I think I'll try at their tables for part of the lesson. If anyone is using this series and has some advice, I would appreciate it. I'm just having trouble getting a handle on it. Of course it doesn't help that I seem to run out of time before I can get a lesson done. That's another frustration. Only having 3 hours (minus bathroom breaks, snack and transition time) to teach everything I need to teach. It seems like something suffers each day. I read DeeDee Wills' post about transitions and time saving yesterday so hopefully I can put some of that into play and do better managing my time. I'm also considering trying the carpet bags that I saw on KinderGal's blog. So if anyone has any suggestions or experience with trying these ideas, I would love to hear them. I've got to figure out some ways to make these things run more smoothly before I have an evaluation. I know these are things that I will be marked down for. (Another thing stressing me out)
Here's my soapbox for the week. Kids spend too much time playing video games and watching tv. I have several kids in my class who have no experience with pencils, crayons, scissors, glue or interacting with real life kids. My boyfriend is always saying he's not going to have cable and I just about die. I don't know what I'd do without my trashy tv but after these few weeks in school I might have changed my mind. It isn't that my kids aren't capable of using those materials they just need someone to show them how.
Ok my soapbox is over with and so is my venting. I'm so thankful to have this blogging world to get those things out and to look for resources to help me. I would appreciate any comments with suggestions that you have.
I've been trying to list the positives and things the kids are doing well with. So here they are:
- I love my kids! They have great personalities and are so excited to be at school. I'm enjoying getting to know them a little better each day.
- Morning Routine- putting their backpacks up and notebooks in their cubbies
- Lunch time - They've improved in going through the line and they also do a great job of being quiet and eating their lunches.
- Being creative in the house center and the block center
- Getting books to read after they finish their work.
- They "read" their brown bear, brown bear book they made.
- Dismissal routines
- walking in the line - I gave them numbers and a line order and that seems to be helping a lot with the kids who couldn't stay in one spot in line and liked to skip ahead.
- Crying - I didn't have any tears Friday when they were coming in or when I was taking them to specials.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)