Oh, Snap, It's Almost September!

I am finding it particularly hard to believe that I am already preparing for September.  While school has not started in our household, it is right around the corner-Tuesday, August 19th, in fact!  We are trading our swimsuits and pool bags for school clothes and backpacks.  Where have the last 10 weeks gone?  While jam-packed with fun, it has flown by!

In order to keep up with all that the fast-paced school year brings, I am teaming up with my teacher friends and and sharing some teaching resources for September.  While this month tends to be loaded up with establishing routines and assessing student ability levels, it is also a time when we take time to remember a HUGE event from our American history-September 11th.

I struggled to find a resource to share what that day was like four years into my teaching career, so I created a reader's theater and reading literature toolkit in order to help my students best understand the events of that day and the impact it had on Americans.  Your students will LOVE performing this reader's theater script and then having the opportunity to compare it to a nonfiction selection.  The discussion that this resource generates it priceless.

Included in this 23-page toolkit:

• clear directions for easy implementation
• CCSS covering both ELA: RL& RI and History:R.H.4-8.4
• 7-page, 12-character reader's theater script
• reader response questions
• context clue word work
• an informational text with reader response questions for Close Reading and compare and contrast work
• a Venn diagram for compare and contrast between the two texts
• interview questions
• research sites for student research
• research bubbles, an interactive tool for recording research 

Click either image to grab this 23-page resource for $2...

Best of luck navigating the start of school, the month of September, and everything in between. Check out these other great September resources...

Do This! Not That...Back to School Blog Hop

I am teaming up with my Lesson Delicatessen friends to bring you our DO THIS! NOT THAT Back to School Blog Hop!  As teachers we are always reflecting on what works, what bombed, and what needs some tweaking!  I am all about self-reflection.  Read on if you want to find out about a blunder I have made for awhile as a 6th grade teacher...grab a great FREEBIE, and find more valuable ideas and goodies from my buddies as you head through the hop!  The last stop lets you enter to win a $100 TPT Gift Card!

I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas this summer and meet 1,100 other teachers that are passionate about their work in the classroom, blogging, and creating the best classroom resources.  It was an AMAZING adventure and I was so fortunate to share the experience with my children's kindergarten teacher, Jonelle Bell from A Place Called Kindergarten.  I adore this lady and am so grateful to have had this experience together!

I attended blogger meet-ups and had the chance to learn a great deal in different conference sessions.  What I wasn't prepared for was introducing myself repeatedly and sharing "All About Me."  I was separated from Jonelle due to teaching different grade levels, and it was a bit overwhelming to branch out and talk to so many others I truly wanted to "Get to Know."  I wanted to meet everyone, but the environment was busy, loud, and a bit intimidating, at times.

What I realized is that so is EVERY SINGLE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!  For so many of my students it is busy, loud, and overstimulating.   Add to it a first day activity that I thought was fun for the students, but has potential to be truly uncomfortable for many.  You know the one, students have to get up out of their seat and ask everyone in the class a question, then get all of their peers to sign next to said questions on their paper?!  For a number of years I decided to implement this Class Signature Scavenger Hunt on the first day of school without realizing how it is loud, it is busy, and it is overwhelming to new and introverted students. DON'T DO THAT! I, too, plan to take a break from these intense hunts and I plan to...

DO THIS...(and grab this FREEBIE)

The purpose of this Getting to Know You! Chit Chat Cards resource is to allow students to have the chance to share about themselves and listen to a peer while providing them with a focal point to begin their conversation in order to generate even more thoughtful discussion.  These question cards give students the chance to engage in conversation with a peer or small group without overwhelming them and sending them all over the classroom.   

Simply PRINT, LAMINATE, CUT, and EXPLAIN!  Have students share their thoughts with a partner or in a small group.  These cards will encourage positive peer interactions from that very first day of the school year, while making students feel more comfortable with one another.  That is our ultimate goal, right?! 

Enter my ELA Made Easy Upper Elementary Bundle Giveaway (a $90 value) below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Then, head to my friend Amy's blog, Teaching Ideas 4 U, and snag another great tip and FREEBIE!  Best of luck as you and your students tackle the 2015-2016 school year!

Back to School Book Favorites: The Recess Queen and a Chit Chat Card FREEBIE

What back to school books do you love to share with students on those first days of school?  I have a bunch that I have adored reading aloud to my my own children and my enthusiastic 6th graders over the years, but the picture book The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill has quickly become one of my newest favorites and one I can't wait to share with my 6th graders.

The Recess Queen is a fun, rhyming story with perfect illustrations that truly showcase the impacts of bullying and how bullies truly have the ability to negatively impact those around them.  Quick summary-"Mean Jean" wants to be included in recess activities, but has no idea how to go about playing thoughtfully with her peers, and she bullies them.  So a new girl, Katie Sue, arrives at school, not knowing Jean's reputation, and asks Jean to jump rope.  Jean's bullying ways change immediately, and she realizes how nice it is to have someone to play with at recess.  It is a light-hearted look at a serious topic that is overwhelming students in our schools today.  I promise, even 6th graders will love it! 

This book opens up the opportunity to discuss with our students, "How can we be less like a Mean Jean and more like a Katie Sue?"  To encourage even more discussion with this text I have created these FREEBIE chit chat cards to get students thinking, reflecting, and chatting.

Simply...
•Print and laminate Chit Chat Cards. You will need a few sets for student work/chit chat.
•Read the picture book The Recess Queen.
•Pass out the Chit Chat Cards.
•Partner students and allow them time to read through and discuss the Chit Chat cards.
•Have them discuss as few or as many as time allows.
•Bring group back together for a whole class discussion

Your students will love this book and the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about this thoughtful book.

Best of luck combating bullying in your classroom and school setting!  I hope this resource gets your students talking, thinking, and reflecting on ways to make bullying a thing of the past.

Check out these other great Back to School favorite reads...

An InLinkz Link-up

Daily 5: Tried and True Resources for Grades 4-6

Have you read this book?  

I can promise that it will transform the way you teach in your ELA classroom. The premise of this must-read resource is "students select from five authentic reading and writing choices, working independently toward personalized goals, while the teacher meets individual needs through whole-group and small-group instruction, as well as one-on-one conferring."
The Daily 5 choices include:

Read to Self is a time where my students focus on their own independent reading of a text and incorporates novel units, close reading passages and poetry.  While we utilize novel units, close reads, and poetry for whole group instruction as well, students need to be able to read independently and engage with text that is at their reading level for age-appropriate periods of time. I have created as many novel units as I can create in order to engage my students in their Read to Self time.

Read to Someone is a favorite time of my students because they have the chance to interact with a text and a peer.  They can share ideas, insights, and discuss the text they are working to navigate through.  I LOVE walking around the classroom during Read to Someone and listening to the thoughtful commentary taking place between my kiddos.  I will have students partner read novels and other close reads. 

Listen to Reading is essential for my 6th graders.  I utilize reader's theater scripts, picture books that I share, and novel read alouds for Listen to Reading.  While many of my students are on-grade level readers, hearing fluent reading and listening to text being read aloud enhances their listening comprehension and imagery skills.  I LOVE when we are getting ready to switch classes and my students are bummed and wanting me to "just read one more page!"

Word Work incorporates both spelling and vocabulary in my classroom setting.  Word Work begins our class with morning or bell ringer work and is a focus in various texts we read.  Students need continued work with vocabulary-using context clues, identifying synonyms, antonyms, prefixes, suffixes, and roots  in order to tackle more difficult texts and comprehend what they are reading.  For Word Work I target instruction with Word of the Day, Context Clue Task Cards, and BOGGLE.

Writing is always taking place within my 6th grade classroom.  There is always a piece in progress, a response getting evidence gathered, or a prompt being considered.  It is necessary for students to be able to respond to text, respond to prompts, and share their ideas and insights on paper.  I utilize end of book projects, writing units, and journaling in order to cover all of the elements of writing my students must grasp before moving on to the next grade. 

I am certain that you are incorporating each of these components into your daily ELA work with students...the tricky aspect is allowing students to have the opportunity to choose what they want to work on during a given amount of time, which is a Daily 5 concept to promote independence and choices. This aspect continues to be a work in progress for me, as well.  That is my work for this summer-strategizing the best way to help my students work to become more independent with their Daily 5 choices where I feel as though they are working and not wasting the time that is given...I, like my students, am a work in progress...

 

While I am still working to implement all of the components using the choice method with my students, what I have nailed down and want to share are the resources I have created to coincide with my work with the Daily 5 in my classroom.  I want to make sure students are getting all 5-components and are finding success through their growth as readers, writers, and listeners.  You can click on the cover image and grab the preview...

Within this 20-resource bundle, I have included each of the tools and how I utilize them with my 6th grade students to enhance their work with the Daily 5.  Take a peek at how I have organized this Daily 5 Bundle of Resources for Grades 4-6...

  

  

I would love to hear how you help your students make the best choices while working to instill choice and independence through your classroom Daily 5...Keep me posted and share any insights you have below!  I am all ears!

Summer Stock-Up: Classroom Organization

I am a huge advocate of including my students in as many classroom procedures as possible.  I want them to take ownership of the classroom, so they feel more compelled to take care and show respect for our learning space.  Therefore, they get jobs...

My 6th grade students love to help out around the classroom.  I often have students arrive early each morning in hopes of having the opportunity to tackle some small task around the room.  My students truly enjoy feeling responsible for different chores that make them feel as though they are contributing to their learning environment.  And so, I created this Classroom Jobs for BIG KIDS resource.

Ideas for Classroom Use… 

PRINT, LAMINATE, DISPLAY, EXPLAIN!

•Print and laminate each of the Job Titles and Lanyard Tag pages 

•Cut and display the Classroom Jobs in a visible spot as a reminder to both you and your students.

•Explain each Classroom Job and display the job descriptions so students are aware and can perform the job accordingly.

•Use clothespins with student names and clip them to the displayed Job Titles-clothespins are inexpensive and stay in place.

•Allow students to wear the Job Title Lanyards upon entering the classroom and hang up upon their departure.

•Rotate the jobs weekly, or as you see fit.  I rotate in alphabetical order.

•One way to make everyone have a weekly job is to make everyone a project manager.  Even BIG KIDS like to feel like they are serving a special purpose.

Enjoy some time this summer knowing you have the perfect classroom jobs resource for making students accountable for different tasks around your learning space!  Happy Summer! 

Back to School: A Few of My Favorite Things For Upper Elementary to Middle School

If you are like me, you are wondering where in the world the summer has gone and how on earth it can possibly be a new school year...I feel like I was just blogging about how I was going to manage three kiddos at home for the entire summer.  I was just enforcing Xtra Math and reading during quiet time, planning play dates to the park, packing and unpacking our vacation bags, making nightly ice cream cones and milk shakes to eat while playing with buddies outside, and like that, it has come to an end!  Here are a few of my favorite pics from our summer adventures...

Ice cream fun!

Hula hoop dinners!

Tricycle rides with "sweet" shades!

Boat rides with Pappa!

Adventures at the pool!

More ice cream...

Today, I will be sending two kiddos on their way to the elementary school, my sweet girl to kindergarten, and my oldest to third grade.  YIKES!  It has truly been a flash and they are BIG!  Not one of my favorite things.

To make me feel a little more upbeat, I have linked up with a few of my teacher friends to focus on the positive...

As teachers head back to the classroom, I wanted to share a few of my favorite "teacher" things that you can find on sale tomorrow (a favorite thing), and I know will quickly become a few of your favorites, too...especially at 28% off!

Here are my top 5 must haves and tools I have used in my classroom...

#5:  Hello Fonts by Jen Jones!  Have you seen her fonts?  They are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  She can make even the most unexciting lesson more fun when you create with her fonts.  Check this out!

#4: Catching Fire Novel Unit by Tracee Orman

I have never had more engaged readers than when my students read Hunger Games and Catching Fire!  Her novel units are packed with EVERYTHING you might be able to come up with yourself, but you'd gladly pay someone to create because it is done so well!  She thinks of it all!  I want to be a student in her class.  If you are even thinking about reading this book with your students-you NEED this novel unit!

#3: Hunger Games Novel Unit by Tracee Orman

Well, of course you needed this one first!  Again, incredible resource that has it all!  She includes project ideas, powerpoint games, EVERYTHING!

#2: Would You Rather Questions for Kids! by Rachel Lynette

Do you ever have those moments at the end of class when a teammate isn't quite ready to switch classes, but your crew is in line waiting and ready to go?  Look no further, this is the perfect tool to keep those kiddos ready to transition successfully and keep their minds engaged, thinking...and not causing problems!

#1:  Reader's Theater MEGA Bundle for Middle Grades to Middle School by ME!
Finally, here is a favorite that I am really proud of...I wrote each of these 15-reader's theater fun packs that your students will LOVE! Each script includes: word work, reader response questions, and other reading literature tools that will enhance fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.  Each fun pack is also the perfect resource to leave for a substitute when you are forced to be away from your classroom.  This is the perfect tool for your ELA class.

Be sure to snag some of these MUST-HAVE resources! Your students will thank you!
...and keep me posted on any tried and true tools that you love for your upper elementary classroom!

An InLinkz Link-up