Timed To Get Organized!

Hey everyone! It's Heather - better known as HoJo - from HoJo's Teaching Adventures! Today I want to talk to you a bit about classroom organization. There are so many wonderful ideas on Pinterest, but a few more can never hurt - right?

The first suggestion is organizational labels. When I first started in my Kindergarten room, I had a wonderful shelf FULL of materials. But they were all scattered all over the place and students had no way of putting them away in the correct space. That sort of thing drives me crazy, so I had to get organized! Click on the picture below to get your 20+ labels for FREE!

Every year I have good intentions of keeping my reading conference well run and organized. And each year I used to fail. But then I created this FREE conference sheet. It helps me track meetings with individual students. I am able to take notes about the book/page they are on, the date we last met, and what was discussed. I can meet with students individually or in small groups. To get your free copy, click on the picture below.

One thing I feel I'm fairly good at is parent communication. Aside from the weekly newsletters that my school requires, I try to send out a monthly e-mail to all parents and call them at least once a quarter. I keep track of all this through my Family Communication Log. You can get your free copy by clicking on the picture below.

Last spring I made the decision to get rid of my teacher desk. So one of the things I've been busy doing this summer is finding room for all of my "stuff". I saw the neatest idea on Pinterest (via Tattling to the Teacher) to use an old over-the-door shoe organizer in the classroom. Needless to say, I love it! I don't have a picture quite yet, but just follow me on my blog to see when I share it later this summer. 

I'm also in the process of updating my classroom library. I'm sorting books by genre, and each will also have the book level and AR level right on the inside. It's a work in progress, but here's one photo of the progress I've made so far... I just need to find the time to make labels for each bin and ensure each book is labeled to so it returns to the right home. Again, follow my blog so you can see my progress on this as the summer continues.

{Wow - poor quality pic! I'll blame my phone for that!}

Finally, I want to share my Classroom Organization Pinterest Board with you. With over 100 pins, you are sure to find something that would work in your classroom!

What organization tools are a must for you? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below or over at my blog!

A huge thank you to Jennifer for letting me stop by today. 

Thanks!

~HoJo~

And the Winner of the Backwards Planning Book is...

                          
                                 Just click here to go and read more about the book!

We already have another giveaway already in place, so if you would like to go and register for it, just click here!

Reggio-Inspired Approaches! Say What??

This book comes straight out of the School of Education at Harvard....so it will help you with your ed-you-kay-shun!!!  The information for this book came from Harvard's Project Zero.

Amazon says:  

A progressive, research-based approach for making learning visible

Based on the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, Visible Learners highlights learning through interpreting objects and artifacts, group learning, and documentation to make students' learning evident to teachers. Visible classrooms are committed to five key principles: that learning is purposeful, social, emotional, empowering, and representational. The book includes visual essays, key practices, classroom and examples.

• Show how to make learning happen in relation to others, spark emotional connections, give students power over their learning, and express ideas in multiple ways
• Illustrate Reggio-inspired principles and approaches via quotes, photos, student and teacher reflections, and examples of student work
• Offer a new way to enhance learning using progressive, research-based practices for increasing collaboration and critical thinking in and outside the classroom

Visible Learners asks that teachers look beyond surface-level to understand who students are, what they come to know, and how they come to know it.

The quest of this book is to teach teachers that education must be visible....to show proof of learning.  The authors say there are several characteristics that visual classrooms must have:  purposeful learning, social learning, learning is representational, empowering and emotional.  They believe that learning should be a collaboration between the students and teachers, and even the students among themselves as this leads to critical thinking.  The critical thinking that takes place isn't limited inside the classroom community...it can cross grade level lines or even be cross-curricular.

So....as usual, I am going to give this book away!!  Just look below for the rafflecopter entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top 10 Books for Comprehension Lessons

Are you ready to start beefing up that mentor book library of yours?  I thought this might help you get started!  All you have to do is click on the pic to go to Amazon and read more about these titles.  Every one of the books on this list is SUPER.  It would be hard to pick and choose, but if you have to, I would go for the book that helps with the skill that you have the hardest time teaching.  Just MHO!!

This book is great for grades K-3 when teaching inferring.  I wonder how that little guy off by himself is feeling??

This is one of my all time favorite books.  Not only is it great for summarizing, but it is another book that is great for inferring.  I wonder just WHAT the true story is?  Who is going to tell the true story??

This is a great book about MICHAEL JORDAN!!  I can remember watching him play basketball.  I remember learning that he didn't make the team the first time he tried out and thinking "Wow!  I wonder why he wasn't picked for the team?".  This book is great for teaching kids how to make connections to what they are reading.

This book was written for grades K-3 and is great for teaching visualization....do you see who the illustrator is??

I love this book!  I use it to reteach predictions.  My kids have heard that words several times by the time we get to biographies and/or realistic historial fiction.

This is another good one for teaching predictions!  What happened previously??

This book can be used in Grades K-3.  It is a great book to use when you need to compare 2 stories.  

The main character in this book is known for his controversy!  Written for Grades 3-6, this book can be used for making connections, inferencing, and summarization.  Maybe even some questioning after all, I know you are wondering who the main character is!!

Take a look at the author of this book!  He is better known for Chrysanthemum and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, but Kitten's Full Moon is a really sweet book.  It is perfect for visualization and imagery!

Eve Bunting wrote this book.  It is an awesome book to use when teaching questioning.  I have a question words poster pack and sort game that I use when I teach this one.

Book Study: Reading Without Limits Week 5

Hi, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by to participate in this GREAT book study again!  Are you ready for Chapters 7??  

                                    Feel Free to Pin This!


If you haven't purchased the book you can find it at Amazon!  Just click on the link below and you can go straight to the book to purchase it.

Just click here to purchase!

Here are the answers for Chapter 5:

1.  Why should a teacher follow the same procedures every time a group meets?

It allows students to memorize procedures and saves time.  It also allows students to access their schema about subjects or topics.

2.  Why do students need to read out loud?

Students need to read aloud in order to practices pronunciation of words, practices 4 fluency, and in order to practices speaking in front of others.

3.  Pages 147-152 have the procedures for a guided reading group. List them in theorder they are prescribed.

See pages 147-152 for the order.

4.  What does Maddie recommend on pg 155 as far as grouping?

Group students homogeneously and teach one grade level up.

5.  Look at table 5.1. Pick out your grade level and summarize what needs to be

taught.

(This will vary by grade level)

Chap 6

6.  What kind of seating is important for your classroom?

Students should have comfortable reading spots that lets them read without distraction.  Desks arranged in partners also helps students when buddy reading.  

7.  What does Maddie mean when she says, ‘Make college visible’?

She means that it is important that students realize that college is important and and expectation.  Teachers should talk about their experience with college and talk about classes that must be taken in order to get to college.

8.  How is your classroom set up?

Answers will vary!  

9.  What does it mean to ‘market’ your books?

Use book talks and pretty displays in order to make students WANT THOSE BOOKS!!

Somehow when making our chart for the chapter/week I messed up and listed Chapter 4 twice.....could it be because of the hoodlum munchkins that run around my house and ask a zillion questions as soon as mama pulls out the computer?  Well anyway....this is a holiday week so we can just focus on Chapter 7 this week.  Here are the questions for Chapter 7:

1.  What is one of your 'most relied upon routines?

2.  What is a muscle memory routine?

3.  Explain figure 7.1 on page 186.

4.  How can you incorporate "hot or not" in your classroom?

5.  Read through the routines on pages 192 to 205.  Choose a routine you can use and summarize it!

6.  If you will be conducting this book study with your staff (and I encourage this!) check out the webinar on the book's website and use it to teach muscle memory routines!

Recommended Books by Maddie (just click on the book to go to Amazon and look at it):

Here is a button for you to use on your blog if you would like to incorporate your thoughts into a post:

Color My Word Classroom Decor

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love COLOR!!!  I found this really cute set of backgrounds and started experimenting with my MS Publisher to see what all I could do.  Throw in a little bit of Power Point here and there for some work on the graphics, and this is what I came up with!

ZB Manuscript at TpT

D'Nealean Manuscript at TpT

Here is a collage of the D'Nealean set.  The ZB set looks just like this.  Altogether there is at least 230 pages of materials that can be printed.  I love this set so much that is has me SERIOUSLY thinking about printing and laminating and putting last year's Tie Dye Set into storage!  Anyway, I thought I would share this with you.  It is great eye candy!!

Oh, I almost forgot.  Here is a mystery freebie that goes with the set if you can use it!

P.S.  The Tie Dye Set from last year got a serious rehab, so you may want to check it out also!!

Backwards Planning--Win the book!!

Recently there has been a lot of hubbub about backwards planning in my district and I wanted to make sure that I knew what they were talking about so I purchased this book:

                               click here to learn more

The author, Harriet Isecke, wrote this book as a companion book, or even sort of a "book to turn to" because Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggens and Jay McTighe is so hard to implement. Me...I bought it because I like the cover.  Plus, I have used books by Wiggens an McTighe in the past (they were the movers and shaker of standards-based teaching, so thank them for the list of standards you have today!) and knew that they use a lot of jargon-based writing.  Not that this is bad...but when it is crunch time and you have to change the way you have thought, you don't need jargon....you need direction.  And that is what I found in this book!

Chapter 1 of this book is especially important as it defines 'backwards plannng'.  The book unfolds to explain how to plan 'backwards', check for both formative and summative assessments, progress monitoring, and project-based learning.  The author also supplies tools to help you get started.  I love the way she breaks it all down.  I give it 2 thumbs up!

Now for the good part....win this book!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reading Without Limits Book Study--Week 4

Hi friends!  We are now on week 4 so we will be going over Chapters 3 and 4 and looking at questions for Chapters 5 and 6!! Sorry that this post is going out so late, I plan to post these on Wednesday and tonight, it is getting posted around 11:30 EST.  I got it on here by the hair of my chinny chin chin!  Please let me know what your thoughts are about the book by answering in the comment area. Last week there were only 2 comments.  =(  <sniff, sniff>

Feel Free to Pin This!

If you haven't purchased the book you can still find it at Amazon!  Just click on the link below and you can go straight to the book to purchase it.  This book has made on to my list of favorite professional reads!!  And, it is pretty close to the number 1 spot and very well may be number 1 by the end of the summer!!

Just click here to purchase!

And now....here are some answers for Chapters 3 and 4.

1.  What makes an expert reader an expert?

Practice because practice makes perfect!

2.  What does stamina look like?

Stamina 'looks like' students doing what is expected of them for longer periods of time each time the behavior is practiced.

3.  What is a break book?

A 'break book' is a book that a student might read that may be on a lower level or on a topic that is not being studied at the moment.

4.  Why is choice so important in independent reading?

Choice puts the student 'in charge' and validates their learning.  <Jenn here:  There  are different ways to create 'episodes' of choice in your classroom.  There is 'controlled choice' where the student chooses out of a bucket filled with appropriate levels and then there is 'free choice' where the students are free to look through the classroom library. I suggest 'controlled choice' at the beginning of the year and scaffolding and modeling how to make good reading choices as the year goes on.>

5.  What does it mean to read in a state of flow?

Reading in a ‘state of flow’ means that the students are so engrossed in reading that they don’t realize how long they have read and do not want to stop!  I call this ‘high stamina’!

6.  What are book series that you recommend for the classroom and what grade level?

I teach 2^nd grade so I would recommend the Magic Tree House books, Flat Stanley, and Junie B. Jones.

7.  If you were going to create a 'play list', what books would be in it?

For me:  Amelia Bedelia, books by Kevin Henkes and Tomie de Paola, and fairy tales!

8.  Why does Maddie suggest that you have a partner book library?  How is it     organized?

A partner book library has books organized so that multiple copies are bundled and easy for students to grab and go buddy read together!

9.  How would you use/organize a read-a-thon in your classroom?

At the end of the school year when I was trying to get all of my running records done and end of the year testing completed, I had a read-a-thon in my classroom.  I challenged students to read a book, write a 2 sentence summary, and then move on to the next book.  I even had a prize for the student that read the most books and had really good summaries!

10.  What is a book talk?  How can a book talk be used in a classroom?

A book talk can be used to promote a book that others might want to read.  It is often used by librarians or classroom teachers to get students excited about a book.  I often read a snippet of the first chapter or the book jacket to motivate students.

11.  What would a recommendation basket do in your classroom?  How would you set one up?

A recommendation basket would bring lots of excitement to my kids.  They always want to read what I am reading or what I pull out to wow them with next!  I would probably set up a basket with my favorites from up above.

By the way have you seen the book hospitals?  These are great also!

12.  Explain this:  I do.  We do.  You do.

See this link!  It is an excellent explanation!!

13.  What are 'double entry journals' and what are their purpose?

Here is a template for a double entry journal and it even has an explanation!  Go grab this freebie!

14.  What can you learn from the table on pg 105?

I learned how to use symbols to help students link their thinking to reading skills.  Can you imagine having a poster like this?  It would make a great anchor chart!

Chapter 4

15.  How often/how long should shared reading be scheduled in the classroom?  What does it look like/sound like/include?

Maddie recommends scheduling 4 blocks of shared reading each week.  Each block should last at least 30 minutes.  Shared reading can be used to spiral skills that have previously been talked, model new strategies, and plug on ahead with ‘think alouds’.   Don’t forget Close reading!  This information can be found on pages 118-130.

16.  What is 'accountible talk'?

Accountable talk is discussions between the class or partners and often involve using sentence starters.

Jenn here—We often prod student thinking by giving ‘private think time’ after giving a sentence starter so that students have time to gather their thoughts and can be direct with their conversation.

17.  What is assigned reading? Why should we assign reading? At what grade  should assigned reading begin?

Assigned reading is when the teacher says, “Read pages ______. You will need to be done by ______.  Let’s get started!”  Maddie says that assigned reading should be used in the classroom because helps students prepare for deadlines in the real world.  I know that 2^nd graders aren’t ready for assigned reading, as their reading levels differ so greatly.  However, if used in a group by group basis and not in whole group, it might just work!

18.  Steps to Say Something pg 139--paraphrase this!

Students must decide which partner will speak.  Students choose from a list of skills that are used to discuss what was read.  If the students can’t answer any questions or discuss the book, then they reread.

Now, here are the questions for Chapter 5 and Chapter 6!!

Chap 5

1.  Why should a teacher follow the same procedures every time a group meets?

2.  Why do students need to read out loud?

3.  Pages 147-152 have the procedures for a guided reading group. List them in the

order they are prescribed.

4.  What does Maddie recommend on pg 155 as far as grouping?

5.  Look at table 5.1. Pick out your grade level and summarize what needs to be

taught.

Chap 6

6.  What kind of seating is important for your classroom?

7.  What does Maddie mean when she says, ‘Make college visible’?

8.  How is your classroom set up?

9.  What does it mean to ‘market’ your books?

Here are guided reading sheets that I use with my groups.  Just click here!

Here is a list of books that Maddie recommends for these chapters.  Just click on the pic of the book to go to Amazon and read about it!

Here is a button for you to use on your blog if you would like to incorporate your thoughts into a post:

Remember we have this WONDERFUL BLOG that we can  explore.  You can get lost in it and best of all.....it goes with the book!  Also, here is the website for the book and the Facebook page that goes with it, too!

Start School Off Right With Kevin Henkes

Today I am linking up with my favorite author and his wonderful books!!!

I love all of the books by Kevin Henkes...my students can relate to all of his characters and remember all of their details even on the last day of school.  Their favorite characters?  Wendell, Victor, Chrysanthemum, and of course, Lilly!

These books are being discounted on Amazon right now!!!  Go check them out!  Be sure to look at the Kindle prices!  They are AWESOME!!

All of these titles are already linked to Amazon...just click to go look at the prices!

 About an imaginary friend.

You have to love Lilly....there is a little bit of her in all of us!

A Caldecott Winner!!!  It is all about Owen's baby blanket!!  So sweet!

I have had some guests like Wendell before!!

This one comes with a CD for a listening center!!  Excellente!

Here is a packet from my friend Winter Bowers did that I use every year when I use the book about Sheila Rae.  It is phenomenal to use at the beginning of the year with 2nd graders.  I apologize that these are so blurry, but I snatched them off of TpT's thumbnails because Winter is off on her summer vacation!!!  There are several pages in the packet!  Below are some thumbnails of just a few.

I also found stuffed animals that students can read to during buddy reading!!!  How cute!

Look how cute Penny is!  There is also an Owen and Lilly doll!

And, if you want to make life easy, just grab this teacher's helper!  I have it and it is great!