March Currently

Haven't blogged in a week.  Last week only got crazier and this week is looking to be the same.  I'm so excited about my new unit (as you can probably tell by all my IG posts).  I decided to do a  Farley Currently.  

This year has been extra challenging, and as much as I try to block out the negativity of lower grades, their warning of the years to come aren't any comfort. Challenging years make me a better teacher.  Just not sure how many more challenging years I can handle.  Today I felt like I was being pulled in a million directions.  Kids crowding around my desk, all talking at the same time, and a parent observing to boot.  (Watching her child, not me BTW.)  IEPs every day, final PST meetings, awards, grades, parties...I'm not sure when "teacher tired" is worse: August or May.  Right now, I vote may.  12.5 DAYS!!!!

What Works! Teacher Appreciation Linky

There's no one who appreciates teachers more than another teacher!  I've joined this link because I believe in the power each of you have to make a difference in a child's life.  While it isn't all cotton candy and gum drops, at the end of the day it is worth it.  

I've included a few of my "secrets" that help me keep my sanity in the midst of empowering students to reach their potential.

In my students' interactive notebooks, I have them keep up with their grades.  Each new grade, I grade them in a timely manner (usually by the next day), return them to the students, and they record their grades.  Together we then practice averaging them.  I just started this recently and it has saved me.  

At any given moment, any of my 83 fifth graders know their reading average.  I was having a huge problem with parents complaining about not knowing their child's grade.  We send home graded papers, put grades online, and send home progress reports.  Evidently, it wasn't enough.  Now students feel more ownership of their grades.  

Document.  Document.  Document.

I document everything from missing assignments to behavior.  After reading Harry Wong's books, I made it my mission to keep parents informed and have documentation in case it was needed for referrals. I created my own version of the "pink slips" and "choice slips."  You can find them on my TpT store!

Now I'm excited to reveal our first prize bundle!

Don't forget to enter multiple times by completing the rafflecopter giveaways.

Just take a look at everything you could win...One lucky reader will win this entire prize package!!!

Prize Bundle #1 Includes

Mountain Math/Language Resource of your Choice (up to $99.95)

$100 Gift Card to Teachers Pay Teachers

$50 Amazon Gift Card

Smart Class Website Designed by Flapjack Educational Resources

Pencil Sharpener by Classroom Friendly Supplies

Year-Long Writing Prompts by Mrs. D's Corner

Mentor Sentences Unit by Jivey

Dealing with Math Homework by Teacher's Clubhouse

Your Choice of Melonheadz Graphics (up to $7.00)

Growing Bundle Purposeful Problem Solving by Pawsitively Teaching

Pop Art Coloring Page for Seasons and Holidays by Art by Jenny K

Game Pack from Flap Jack Educational Resources

PLUS....$140 Gift Box of Fabulous Teacher Supplies sent to you from Amazon

We aren't finished yet....take a look at everything a second lucky winner will win!!!

Prize Bundle #2 Includes

Mountain Math/Language Resource of your Choice (up to $99.95)

$100 Gift Card to Teachers Pay Teachers

$50 Amazon Gift Card

Smart Class Website Designed by Flapjack Educational Resources

Pencil Sharpener by Classroom Friendly Supplies

Year-Long Writing Prompts by Mrs. D's Corner

Mentor Sentences Unit by Jivey

Dealing with Math Homework by Teacher's Clubhouse

Your Choice of Melonheadz Graphics (up to $7.00)

Growing Bundle Purposeful Problem Solving by Pawsitively Teaching

Pop Art InteractiveColoring Page for Seasons and Holidays by Art by Jenny K

Mega Task Card Bundle from Flap Jack Educational Resources

PLUS....$140 Gift Box of Fabulous Teacher Supplies sent to you from Amazon

Be sure to enter both rafflecopters for a better chance at winning one of these amazing prize bundles!

Enter to Win Prize Bundle #1 Here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter to Win Prize Bundle #2 Here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You won't want to miss out on all the other great secrets being shared by successful teachers!  Be sure to check out all the other great posts below.

An InLinkz Link-up

You Are Appreciated!!!

You don't want to miss out on what's coming up on Monday!  Follow me to find out more!

Moment of Reflection

Today I was reminded how little I know about the lives of my students.  Sure my students share with me, but what they don't say speaks louder than what they do say.  As a teacher, I don't pry for details about my students' lives.  I'm afraid to find out the worst.  Just when I think I know the worst of it, I find out more.  Ever been in a situation where you want to do more for a student (outside of academics), but were afraid a parent would be offended?  It has happened more this year than ever before.  God tugs at my heart strings and I just trust Him.  I follow through with what He wants me to do, praying He will take care of the rest.

Whether it's clothes, shoes, food, or just an extra hug, students need us.  We are on the front lines.  Constantly scrutinized and under appreciated.  But for those of us called to teach, it's not about that.  Yes, we like to be appreciated, but something within us is deeply satisfied when we can help a student feel loved and cared for.

Just today I saw a former student at Target.  He asked if we had read Maniac Magee and I had given everyone a Butterscotch Krimpet.  He may not have remembered learning figurative language or theme with the book, but he remembered those moments with a great book.

I have 16.5 days left with my current group of students.  I pray I take advantage of all the moments and create more memories.

What My Kids Read

It seems like with each new class comes new tastes in literature.  Mythology.  Historical Fiction.  Anything Diary of a Wimpy Kid like.  Fairy tales.  Superheroes.  With each year, my classroom library grows.  I thought I'd share what my students love and hope you find something here that you've been looking for!

The Never Girls Collection

by Kiki Thorpe (and various authors)

I stumbled upon these at the beginning of the year.  I had quite a few girls who didn't like to read  between the third and fourth grade level.  It only took one girl to get hooked before these became the most sought after books in my classroom library.  The series follows four girls who find themselves in Neverland.  Complete with fairies, fun, and friendship, The Never Girls series is a hit.  (also has an interactive website)

Spy School

by Stuart Gibbs

I read the back and I was hooked.  I knew it was the perfect book for one student in particular.  His name also happened to be Ben like the main character.  My fifth graders love books about middle school, so they absolutely loved a book that had a middle schooler in SPY school!  A number of student requested that I buy other books by this author because they loved it so much.  With the EVIL Spy School sequel, these are perfect for your classroom.

I Survived Series

by Lauren Tarshis (and various authors)

These books are so popular they never make it back to the shelf!  They go from student to student with a never ending wait list.  My students love historical fiction this year.  Whether it's about Titanic or WWII, these books will be find themselves in the hands of eager readers within seconds.

Ever After High Series

by Shannon Hale

Along with The Never Girls, these were a hit with my girls.  The children of the fairy tales all attend high school together...royals and rebels.  The size of the books intimidated some of them, but they were so enthralled with the story that they finished it before they realized it.  With my own obsession with princesses and fairy tales, I have added these to my own reading list!  (interactive website)

"Do Schools Kill Creativity?"

Every now and then I run into an assignment for graduate school that gets me fired up.  I watched this video and shouted, "Amen!"  I even clapped!  Sir Ken Robinson delivers a TED talk explaining how schools are killing creativity.

"If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original...  

We now run our education system where mistakes are the worst thing you can make.  

We are educating people out of their creative capacities."

Every year I have students with special gifts in the arts.  While some of them attend classes outside of school for these gifts (dance, music, art, etc), many do not.  They feel defeated because they don't make grades like so-and-so or they never "clip to the top of the chart" because they are always getting in trouble.  Public education has put intelligence in a box.  These students are so out of the box, they don't know where the box is!  By the time many of them get to me, students are so discouraged by the snickers and remarks from their classmates that they won't even attempt to answer.  They won't ask questions because a teacher thought their ideas were crazy or didn't make sense.  It hurts to know that at such an early age they've learned that their differences in thinking are wrong.  

My goal next year is to do more activities that promote different talents.  One of those ways is project based learning.  I want students to feel successful in my class.  My favorite assignments in graduate school are when I get to be creative....use my clip art, cute fonts, etc.  

How do you incorporate creativity in your classroom?

Teaching with Scholastic Catalogs

I LOVE Scholastic catalogs!  Even the most reluctant reader gets excited at the opportunity to flip through the pages and make a wish list.  Here is a great way to use those catalogs to review genre.  Students look though the catalogs and identity nonfiction and fiction books or sort through different fiction genres.  Students can write the title, order number, or even cut out the pics if you want.  I'm planning on updating my products in May.  If there's anything you would like to see added, I'm always open for suggestions. Have a great week!

Earth Day and ReadWorks.org

I'm working on updating my TpT products so for now I'll just blog about products and websites I love to use.  With testing all this week, I can't wait to get back to teaching!  Next week, we'll be celebrating Earth Day with Erin Cobb's Earth Day plans which means we will be watching WALL-E! (Promise I am receiving NO compensation from Erin, I just LOVE everything she makes!)

Another resource I've been using a lot is ReadWorks.org.  This completely FREE website has helped me support my instruction and differentiate.  Passages include lesson plans and worksheets and can be selected with your criteria.

Lessons are organized by book, skill, and even reading series.  

Or you can select using your needs...

I would LOVE to know how you have used ReadWorks or how plan to use it!

Happy Friday!

Stepping Out of the Boat!

I have worked in a departmentalized upper elementary setup since my second year of teaching.  As a new teacher, I followed what was expected when it came to curriculum.  With each year, I felt more comfortable to change it up and stretch my creative wings.  I began to see flaws with the reading program at the time and felt chained to a teachers manual.  We were teaching stories and the test instead of skills. I was discouraged and dreading reading just as much as my students.

As if on cue, TpT shows up on the scene!  What a breath of fresh air!  Teachers daring to do what's best for their students.  Teachers sharing ideas and materials.  One seller in particular impacted my reading instruction the most: Erin Cobb!  Using her interactive notebooks gave me some freedom while still using the latest curriculum adoption.  I slowly branched out and quit using the textbook all together.  Students couldn't wait to read the next chapters of our books and enjoyed cutting and gluing and coloring notes.  

My students loved using the notes.  I have middle school students who say they kept their interactive notebooks and used them in middle school.  These notebooks are the core of my classroom instruction.

But I still felt like something else was missing.  

THE LOVE OF READING was missing!!!!  That's when I read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.  For two years now, I've used class sets of books and taught using the interactive notebooks.  I monitored independent reading using AR.  I was already rocking the boat by not teaching the adopted curriculum, but Donalyn Miller wanted me to jump out of the boat all together!!!

So here's the deal.  I need help taking my first step out of the boat.  I feel like I have a good start.  How do you plan?  How do you keep your students accountable?  What order do you teach everything?  Do you still use class novels?  Read alouds?  What TpT resources would you suggest?  What do you do with your students who just won't read?

I always tell parents my goal each year is to have my students fall in love with reading.  You'll be hard pressed to find someone who loves reading that isn't good at it.  All it takes is the right book.

Can't wait to hear from you!

New Blog and First Sale!

I'm so excited to start this new chapter!  I'm throwing my FIRST sale on TpT.  For those who have purchased my products before, get ready.  You maybe seeing updates and new products.  My latest projects are to do more research projects including planets and famous people.  If you have any ideas, please share!  In the meantime, have a great weekend and BREATHE!