New to teaching reading?

Here are some resources that helped me when I was first converting from traditional reading groups to guided reading groups.  I've also been fortunate to meet Pat Pavelka and sit in on one of the professional developments that she lead in my county.  


All of these book covers are linked to Amazon so that you can read more about them!!

My guided reading mangement is full of sticky notes, group meeting plans, and notes filled with ideas...it is very well used.

The Making Connections book was a HUGE help to me and helped me to realize that I really wasn't putting enough wait on getting my students to make connections with what they were reading.  I HIGHLY recommend this book.

                       (Amazon does not currently have this book in stock.)

During the 2nd semester I give the question prompt book to my literature circle group and let them use it to come up with questions to ask each other.  It is great for self directed learners!!

The Create Independent Learners book is new to me and I haven't read it, but if it is like all of the other Pat Pavelka books, it is highly worth purchasing!

If you are knew to differentiated learning and how it can shape your centers, this little book is great, too!

Good luck with reading this year.  If I can help in any way or if you have questions that I can possibly answer, I am here, or just an email away!

End of the Year Tool Box Items: Outpost by Auroric Dreams

Every year, as the end approaches, I look for items or tricks of the trade that will help me keep my kids excited about learning and on the less rowdy.  So...this year.....here is something from my toolbox that I am REALLY excited about!

This weekend I talked with my cousin Tony Gerber, on Facebook.  He and I have spent years working on our family's genealogy together and love to trade stories.  He lives in Nashville, so he is very involved in the music scene there.  But, you won't connect Tony with the Grand Ole Opry....he has his own brand of music!  

This is what allmusic.com says about him:
Musician, visual artist, and record-label entrepreneur -- Tony Gerber has proven to be the Renaissance man of Nashville's music underground. Prolifically creative, Gerber has helped broaden Music City's artistic palette. As a member of the trailblazing electronic music band Spacecraft and as the owner of the Internet-based Space for Music record label, Gerber has helped popularize space music both across the United States and in Europe.

When we were talking, he filled me in on one of his latest musical adventures, Outpost. All of his music is VERY relaxing, so I grabbed it to use in my classroom while my kids are working.  Tony uses electronic equipment and has a variety of friends with different talents and they all work together to create 'space music'.  I'm not sure what the definition of 'space music' is, but I love the soothing tones and rhythms of the music!!   

You can click on the link under the album cover/button to find out more about Tony's music and even download it from iTunes.  I HIGHLY recommend it <not just because Tony and I are family> but because it is such a good classroom management tool at this time of the year!

                                                              Outpost - Auroric Dreams