Open House

     It has been a very busy week.  We had Open House and then two days later had the first day of school!  My Kindergarten sweeties have arrived!  Here some pics from what I did for Open House to welcome my Kindergarten parents and kiddos.  I hope you enjoy them!  

     Here is a picture of the popcorn I sat out for everyone.  With it was a big card that said, "Thank You for Popping In!" You can't see it in the picture but there were paper bags and a big scoop for them to get a scoop of popcorn to take with them.  I always not only have this year's students but former students and their families stop in too.  This was just a little thank you for coming and "popping" in.  :)

     Our school theme is tigers for Tiger Pride.  Here is a picture of the balloons I passed out to my Kindergartners.  Note to self, try to have more balloons in the future for little brothers and sisters to have one too, especially little brothers and sisters. 

     Here is my hallway bulletin board.  The hats each have a student's name on them and the tiger says, "A Class To Roar About."  The safari pattern is mine, and I can send it to you if you let me know that you would like it.  I thought it turned out cute. 

     Here is the hallway ready for student work to be displayed.  I love doing this and have done it for years.  It is so easy.  I just run border over the corkboard strip that is hanging up in the hallway.  It really brightens up the hallway and wah-lah, the hallway is all set.  This year my teacher neighbors did the same thing and we all had the same border, so it really looked good! 

     Well, that's all for now.  Thank you for stopping in.  Just leave your email address in the comment box if you would like the safari hat printable for a project or bulletin board you are creating.  Have a super week! 

     Tiger Folder and Tiger Printables:

     I've been my posting my Tiger Printables for the last few weeks.  Well now, I am updating with all of the finished products.  These are what I will be using to begin the school year.  Here is a picture of my Tiger Folder that I use for parent communication.  With the Tiger Folder, parents get a copy of a daily behavior report, school information and forms, things like the school menu, newsletters or notes, etc.  I have used a classroom Tiger Folder for many years, and love it!  It's a great way to keep everything together so that everyone gets the latest communication and keeps things organized for students, parents, and of course, ME.  :)  

     The inside has both pockets labeled, one for things that need to be signed and/or returned to school.  The other for things that stay at home (need to be removed from the folder.)  Then there is a plastic pocket sheet that contains important information that parents may need to refer back to, for example, lunch menus, classroom activity schedules, home project information, etc.  Then there is a little plastic zipper pencil holder, but I label it for parents to use for money and notes that are going to school.  

     Here is a copy of the behavior sheet that goes home to parents everyday.  Several years ago I was only sending a behavior sheet home once a week (usually on Friday) and my parents asked that I do it everyday because if their child got in trouble earlier in the week, Friday was a little late to respond to it and I totally agree. So since then, my behavior sheet goes out daily so parents know immediately.  That seems to work better for everyone. Students color in the paw print to report on that day's behavior and it goes home for parents to initial in the box.  If students had a bad day behavior wise, the paw print will have the words, see note written on it and students will not color it in.  I then staple the note to the sheet for the parent.  I also have a parent note where I check off what the challenging behavior was and ask parents to sign.  When it is returned I drop it in the child's folder for documentation. Simple and consistent works best for me.  I have the behavior forms for months August through May and they will be uploaded to the Tpt store.  Just go to www.teacherspayteachers.com and type in Shelley Brown.  It will take you there.  Also available are the other Tiger Printables which now consist of a Word Wall topper in tigers, the Tiger Folder cover sheet, the behavior sheets, and name tags.  Enjoy!  Please comment!  I will be posting a freebie very soon, so be sure to check back in.  Have a super day and God Bless!

     At last!  Yes, my classroom is ready at last.  I am not sure we as teachers are really ever done, with nothing else to do, but my room is ready for my new class of Kindergarten kiddos.  We have Open House this week and the first day of school.  I am very excited (and a little nervous too.)  I've had several people look at my class list and then giggle and say things like, "rest up."  It is going to be great though.  New common core implementation, new teacher evaluations, and of course, all the new, great ideas I can't wait to try out and implement to make things better.  Well, here are photos of my finished classroom.  I hope you enjoy them!  I would love, your comments.  

     Before:  

Everything packed up for summer cleaning.  

     Now!

                                                      

     Desk area.  I like putting students in groups of two.  It is great for whole brain teaching techniques (talk to your neighbor, tell your neighbor, and partners for practice.)  I do let my students pick where they want to sit in the beginning of the school year.  That way they have the comfort of a buddy if they want.  Of course, how long they get to sit there depends on them  and how well it works out for everyone.  It helps my mommas with the transition to Kindergarten too.  It's hard to see but the word wall is up on the wall.  It took a lot of rearranging to make space for it, but I think I am really going to love having it to use every day with our lessons.  

This is the library area.  They are hard to see but the curtains are purple and yellow, and I have yellow and purple pompoms hanging from the ceiling.  I had seen several classrooms with them on Pinterest, and loved the look.  I didn't do enough that it would be a distraction, but they look fun and cheery giving the classroom a spot of bright color.  

     My back wall bulletin board.  It says Tigers over the closets that are used for storage of materials.  I hope your classroom is all ready and you have a great start to a great school year.  I would love to hear your questions and comments.   God bless!

         Finally, some of my summer projects are ready.  I've opened a TPT store and I am very excited.  Here is one of the games, and there is actually many ways to use it.  Suggestions on how to play the game and how to easily differentiate to meet the needs of all of your students using the game is all ready and comes with the download.  The game includes numbers 1-10 and then 11-20.  You can make up enough for every student to have a game board, or play partners, or for small groups.  This makes an awesome workstation activity or to do for morning work as they are waiting for the bell.  Just download and copy on card stock, and then laminate for durability.  Good luck and happy teaching!  I have a lot more ant themed activities coming.  I will be using the ant themed activities at the beginning of the school year to teach common core objectives and all the activities will go along with an ant farm. With the ant themed activities and games I have made up, I will be using the ant them to teach with literature that is fiction, informational text, and poetry. I have made up printables for reader's theatre, and shared reading.  I have games to practice letter recognition, lots of stuff.  Also, a must have are the phonemic segmenting cards. A must for every classroom! All of this will be up and ready very soon, so be sure to check back in for more ideas.  I also have a free down load for some printable worksheets that  go with the ant theme to look for words that begin with an a like in ant, or have n in the middle, or to find words that have a t at the end.  Also, located at my Tpt store, and that is a freebie!  Actually, I will have several freebies!  So be sure not to miss out!

Happy teaching!

Shelley

 

Summer Tutoring

     Writing seems to be the key.  With my students that I tutor with, it seems like they always need more writing practice.  By writing they get a chance to practice their letters and sounds, their sight word writing practice, blending and segmenting words, getting their thoughts down on paper, vocabulary usage, letter formation, and writing mechanics.  Here is the summer journal I made to encourage my students to write about their summer school experiences, building on their experiences makes the learning meaningful and gives them a purpose for writing.  Happy Journaling!!!  Are you summer journaling too? 

Happy Teaching!!

 

Superheroes

     I love this time of year.  In the classroom you get to see a whole year of growth.  Students have mastered their letters and sounds, they are decoding, and identifying sounds in the beginning, middle, and end, they are rhyming, they are recognizing sight words, and able to write.  I love it, and they are so excited about all they can do!  They are READING!!  I could go on and on, but I want to tell you about a project my classroom kiddos did.  We've been talking about opposites, and I really wanted to give them a chance to get creative and really challenge them to use all of their new skills.  I have a lot of cartoon lovers and superhero enthusiasts.  So.....  I asked them to create two superhero puppets and they had to have the opposite powers of each other.  Then they took their puppets and created a story about them.  By this time, we've written a few books already and they like to read their creations to the class.  The criteria for the project:  They had to have a Cover and it had to contain a title, they had to acknowledge themselves as the author and illustrator and tell what they did in that role.  They had to write their story giving it structure, tall letters tall and short letters short, with spaces in between.  They did an awesome job!!  I will post pics later, when I can borrow a camera.  Then when the products were finished, they shared them, reading them to their peers.  They were all really good!  We had characters like Mr. Thin and Ms. Thick, Ice and Fire, Tough and Weak,, Tall and Short, Fast and Slow, etc.  It was really cool to see to, how some of the kids not only had their heroes with opposite powers but they also included other opposite elements to the stories as well.  So much of a students success depends on making the curriculum relevant and giving a student purpose in their daily activities.  Watching students collaborate, create, and spark ideas off of each other, sharing in discussions, and participating, all excited about their ideas and just beginning to understand all of the things that are now possible to them with their new developed skills!  My job rocks!!!

Our Super Hero Puppets!!!!  Here are just a few!!!

Happy Teaching!

                                           INSIDE OUTSIDE CIRCLE

          We are having a couple of snow days here, due to ice.  Yes, that is right, ice.  Luckily though, we haven't lost electricity.   So I am having one of those slow mornings where I stay in my jammies.  They are warm and cozy and I have orange slices and cinnamon brewing on the stove and the smell is wonderful.  Now I want to talk to you about a favorite classroom strategy. This strategy is called Inside and Outside Circle.  You have probably heard of it. If not, you need to, you will be glad you did.  I have been using it for a couple of years now and was trying to remember where I learned about it.  I think my mom told me about it a few years ago, from a workshop she had attended. My mom has taught Kindergarten, First grade, and Second grade and has been a powerful resource for me over the years, and as usual mom knows best.  Imagine my surprise when I was doing research for this blog and learned that this strategy activity has been talked about as being very powerful and helpful with students. I mean, I knew I loved it, but so cool when you find out others do too.  I always like that feeling. I learned for this blog that it is a Kagan strategy and you can learn more about how to use it in your classroom and about Mr. Kagan, the author of this strategy at http://wvde.state.wv.us.  You can also go there to learn when and where it was published. Here is how I use it in my classroom.  

1.)  I first divide students up into two groups by saying, you're a one, you're a two, you're a one, you're a two, until everyone is either a one or a two.  

2.)  I then show all the students the task cards.  These are cards that the ones will use to ask the twos a question or it can be a series of flash cards.   The cool thing about Inside Outside Circle is that you can use it for EVERYTHING!  Some examples are story questions to assess for understanding, for those cards you might have the question, "Who are the characters in the story?"  or "How did the story end?"  Was there a problem in the story and if so, how was it solved? etc.  Or flash cards for letter/sound correspondence, or sight words, math numbers, math problems, fluency sentences, etc.  Also, it can be used for any grade.  Make up your task cards ahead of time, these already need to be made up. These are just on notecard or a piece of paper or card stock if you want to use them over and over again.  Then ask the whole class, the questions, reading the cards, so they know what questions to ask when it is their turn to be a one and show them how use the cards.  For example you might say, "The one of your team is going to use these task cards and flash it to you.  You will need to read the letter and tell them it's name and sound, a word that begins with that sound or maybe it is a picture and they need to tell you a word that rhymes with it, etc.  

3.)  I then ask my students who are the ones to get their chairs and they place them in a circle facing out.  Then I ask the twos to sit on the floor in front of the ones, facing in so that the ones are facing the twos and the twos are facing the ones. (Students are facing each other).  If you have an odd number it is okay, there will just be two students who are both numbered two facing the student numbered one at that spot.  (See the above diagram as an example. The green are the ones in the chairs.  The twos are represented by the blue.)

4.)  Now each  student who is a one has one student at his/her feet and they ask that student the question or show them the flash card (whatever you are practicing/or assessing, depending on your purpose)  If letters, then student one (in the chair) shows the student numbered two (sitting on the floor at his/her feet) the letter and student two then tells the letter name and/or sound it makes, etc.  If math equations, then they would show the student on the floor the card with the equation and then the student numbered two(who is on the floor) would answer it and tell how they got their answer.  They stay there for a few minutes then you the teacher will give a word to let the twos know it is time to move. (This is the group that is sitting on the floor facing the students in the chairs).  There are different ways to do this part.  I have the row of twos all move to the right one person, and then they start over with new questions or flash cards from the next student who is a one. So again the two is on the floor but this time facing the student who is a one that was one chair to the right of their last partner.  They slowly move around the circle. They are the outside circle facing the inside circle.   I use the word, "right" to let students know when it is time to move.  We do this until we have made a complete circle and every child has visited with every person.  All twos have met up and answered questions for all of the ones.  

5.)  Then you can say switch, and the student in the chair switches with the person in front of them on the floor and the student on the floor takes the chair and the task question cards.  Then resume play.  

     This is a great way to make sure everyone is learning, to assess how much they have learned, what their weak areas are, and to reinforce skills that are being worked on in the classroom.  Everyone is actively involved and engaged.  Also, students are learning social skills and social relationships as everyone partners up with the job as a one or a two.  Everyone works with everyone else.  (Always a big plus in the Kindergarten classroom!)  I hope it doesn't sound too complicated.  It is actually really easy.  For more information you can visit the West Virginia Department of Education at http://wvde.state.wv.us They talk about this strategy.  They use it a little different than I, but that's the cool thing about a great idea, it is adaptable and can meet the needs of so many.  

You can also differentiate this activity very easily by switching out cards for  different skill levels or by being very selective as to who gets which partner and with what set of cards they practice, meeting the needs of all of your students, even if they aren't all at the same place in their learning.  For example, maybe a few students really need to work on letter sound skills and the others need to work on sight words. Or you could have two circles going at once and each work on different skills. I also like using this for missing number or what letter comes before or what letter comes.  

Happy Teaching!!

    Wow!  It was an awesome week in the classroom.  We celebrated the 100th Day of school and it is always one of my favorite days.  I love being able to share this day every year with every class! This year we did  a lot of the same activities that I hear others talking about.  We did the Hershey Kiss Number Scavenger Hunt, we sorted Fruit Loops into groups of tens and made necklaces, wrote about what we would do with a 100 dollars.   We found numbers in a Hidden Picture, counted to see how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop.   Zero the Hero and his sidekick Squiggy came to visit us and passed out pencils.  Zero counts with the boys and girls and has they jump for every 10.  We did activities like those all day and the Grand Finale was a parade through the Elementary School.  We did at the end of the day as the classes were headed to an assembly giving them an escort so we wouldn't disturb the learning going on any more than we absolutely had too.  My students took little card stock squares (in bright colors) and wrote their numbers to 100 and then taped them to their clothing.  The parade brings relevance and purpose to writing the numbers.  They had funny hats and were all dressed up in their numbers.  They had a great time getting covered in numbers and getting ready for the parade.  We sang a song about the 100th Day and paraded through the halls.  I have wonderful administrators who let us do this and understand the importance.  My kids love it!  I get comments like "Best Day Ever!" "I can't wait to tell my mom what I did today!"  and "They loved me!"  "Can we do this again tomorrow?" They really shine and that is so important.  A few years ago I was at Wal-Mart a few days before school was to start.  There was this boy there that was about 14 years old.  He was very thin and looked like he needed some work done on his teeth from the dentist, and he really looked malnourished.   He had selected two $8 shirts that he wanted for school.  He was begging his parents to get them for him and there was such longing and need in his eyes.  I was changed that day by that little boy.   The Lord used a simple trip to Wal-Mart to change me completely.   I stood around and watched because one way or another that boy was going to have those shirts.  His eyes spoke of such need for acceptance and all his hopes for the school year.  The $8 shirts were only $8 shirts, but for him it was so much more, it was about hope for the school year and  a need to belong.  That boy changed me that day.  To this day I cry when I think of that boy.  I am happy to say, he was able to purchase the two shirts.  I still pray for him and hope he is doing well.  But that boy made me realize just how much every child needs to feel like they belong and how important it is that every child feel accepted and get those moments to shine.  Then of course, they come to us at the beginning of the school year for Kindergarten thinking I am going to be the faster, and the smartest, and everyone is going to totally approve of everything I say and do, and then reality sets in and soon they realize not everyone can be the fastest or the smartest.  But you know what,  you can be YOU and YOU are awesome just as you are.   For me, that is what the 100th Day Parade is all about.  That moment when we walk into someone's classroom and they clap and encourage them.  They love it!!  It is also important that they feel that acceptance every day!!!

     So looking forward to this week in the classroom.  We will be celebrating the 100th Day of School and honestly, it is one of my favorite days.  So much fun, and then to think about all the learning and exploring we will be doing!  It doesn't get much better than that.  I have plans for Zero the Hero to come and visit with his sidekick.  The students will cut up colorful pieces of card stock and write numbers on them 1 to 100 and then tape them to their clothing.  We will color crowns, and then sing a 100th Day song as we march along with instruments at the end of the day for a parade.  We only do this at the very end of the day so we won't be disturbing classes and we ask teachers to leave their doors open if they want us to march through their classrooms or they can leave the doors shut and we will do our best to go by very quietly.  We also make cereal necklaces by counting by 10's and we will have a number scavenger hunt with chocolate kisses.  I do that every year.  We will count licks to see how many it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop.  Remember the owl on the commercial so many years ago?  I feel just like him. :) We will write about being 100 years old and find 100 sight words.  Make 100th Day Posters.  We will see how long 100 cubes are compared to 100 paperclips, etc.  Fun, fun, fun!!!

     Next I want to quickly talk about something that has really helped my students over the past two years.  I heard some teachers talking about some students they were concerned about, and let's face it with the middle of January being here, our time is quickly coming about to make academic changes.  I am not a teacher who will usually promote a program, I really feel like it is every teacher who makes the difference in his or her classroom with student achievement.  However, there is one that I have to say good things about just because I've seen wonderful results with my students, and that is why we are all teachers.  We want to help our students and I want to help you help your students. This is a super program and it has worked wonders in my classroom and it is PALS:  Peer Assisted Learning Strategies.  They have a manual for reading and math.  Reading is where I see the biggest success with my students.  With each lesson there is a teacher directed part and then it is followed up with a peer mediated part.  We do this for 30 minutes every other day.  We alternate our 30 minutes of morning between PALS reading and PALS math.  I had several who had to leave for interventions while the rest of the class did PALS, but then when they came back we would be doing Centers. I used Center time for them to make sure they too, got their daily dose of PALS (in reading) and all but one has now tested completely out of interventions.  So very exciting!!  To check out the program you can find it at kc.vanderbilt.edu/PALS.  With PALS the children practice letter-sound correspondence, decoding, sight words, and phonological awareness.  Maybe you can get your school to purchase it for you. Hope it works for you too!  

Happy Teaching!!

Welcome!

Welcome!

     Hello!  Hello!  Thanks for stopping in!   Great things are happening!  Like I shared in my profile, my name is Shelley Brown and I am a Missouri teacher with 13 years experience in the Kindergarten classroom.  Everyday is such a gift.  I love teaching and I think everyone will agree it is all about the kiddos!!!  As teachers, I know we are always teaching and then reflecting, and asking the magic questions, "How can I make this lesson and this material (maybe something that comes straight from a workbook or a basal)  more engaging for my youngsters?"  How can I help my students not only master this material but help move them forward?  How can I make this information more meaningful to my students?  How can I use this information to expand on vocabulary that will not only help them with this skill but help them later on?  Are they transferring what they are learning in the classroom (maybe in isolation, skill and drill) to being able to demonstrate this knowledge in context?  Am I presenting this the best way possible to help all my students with different learning styles? How can I differentiate with this material?  Is what I am doing working?  Why do I think so?  And of course, the questions go on and on, but ultimately how we answer these many questions and what we implement in answer to these questions is what counts the most to help us move forward as teachers and as a result, more success for our little ones. My blog is still a work in progress at this point but I will be putting up things to think about and consider as we answer those questions along with a list of my favorite resources, some are websites and some are great books.  Some are just great reads for any teacher.  

     Books, books, books!  I love books.  I use books to teach everything and to introduce ideas, etc.  I love introducing my students to a lifelong love of books.  I am always on the look out for another great book.  I read a lot of fiction and nonfiction in my classroom. The nonfiction is something I have had to work at, but I found out real quick that my students have quite an appetite for nonfiction works.   One of my favorite fiction books that I recently used in the classroom was, "Move Over, Rover!" by Karen Beaumont.  Love it! Love it! It also has won some awards. I like making sure my students are exposed to great literature, in lots of different genres.  This book has both rhyme and repetition.  It is a great way to talk about sequencing and cause and effect.  We made a big doghouse with Rover's name on it and then sequenced the animals as they came along in the story. I don't think my kiddos will forget  Rover and the letter R.   This week we read Tacky the Penguin books, by Hans Lester.  The kids loved them, and the coolest thing happened.  My students picked up on how the author uses the same phrase at the ending of the books to bring a little extra something special to the stories.  My kiddos got excited when they made the connection and then repeated the last phrase together.  I feel that it is not only important that they pass benchmark tests, be able to complete worksheets, and pass curriculum assessments for report cards, and checklists, etc, but ultimately my goal is that my students be able to go to the library and pick out books that are commercially geared for their age group and they will be able to read and enjoy them. Also included in that goal is that they learn what will help them in the next grade level.  This is a constant goal and source of reflection for me.  I think I owe it to them.  It is great to be able to read leveled books, and pass assessments but the knowledge needs to transfer to being able to read books that they may pick up, of their own interest, motivating them to read.  This should then lead to more reading, and develop into a love for books and a lifelong habit of reading.  This blog is going to plot and plan, and share ideas and will be a place of encouragement for teachers as we work to be all that we can be everyday in the lives of students.  I personally feel my purpose as a teacher is something that comes from my heavenly father, so with that said I will continue on my path and hope you visit with me again soon.

Happy Teaching!!