Finally Back!

Ya'll....

It has been a crazy life lately.  If any of you help out with VBS at church then you can relate when I say we had VBS last week.  I.was.so.exhausted!  Not to mention that both of my babies had a stomach bug.  I was nurse by day and craft instructor by night... and so so tired.  We didn't get home until almost 10pm every night.  Then, my Internet has been out... say what??  Not having Internet is not acceptable! I do have to say that it was kind of nice.  I did get behind on a ton of things which is no fun....

Anyways, I wanted to share a couple of things that I have worked on in the past 2 weeks.  If you have emailed or commented and I haven't responded, I'm so sorry!  Like I said... my Internet has been out.

Okay... here's my LATE Monday Made It!

I posted this on my Instagram since my Internet was out.  

Several commented wanting to know how I made it.  Well, you can find that tutorial here.  I have actually placed this on my classroom wall above my bookshelf.  I think it's a bit too large, but since I made it... might as well use it!

Next on my list... :)

I did manage to update my classroom twitter account.  I'm so excited to use this with my students!  I have also linked it to my class website so all my updates from my website will be posted to twitter.  Some on Instagram were asking how I planned on using this.  Basically, I am planning to use twitter (have my parents follow me) and Remind 101 to keep my parents updated on homework, major assignments, and tests.  This way, we have no surprises!  Here's my twitter... love it!

I love that the design not only matches my blog, but it also matches my classroom and my classroom website.  LOVE!

I've also been doing a little shopping.  This is nowhere near what all I have purchased {because that would just be embarrassing} but I fell in love with the super sized post-its.  And, at BOGO, I couldn't resist.  What will I use them for??  Who knows!

Lastly, my #1 seller in my TpT shop is my 4th grade vocabulary set.  I made this last summer and they are pretty neutral to go with just about any decor.  I used these in my classroom last year and I loved them!  

I can't tell you how often my students used them while they were working.  The headers were already up when school started.  As we learned new things, we would use the vocabulary cards during instruction and review and once the unit was over, I would add them to our word wall.  It was great!  I have decided to create the same exact file but with gray chevron.  I'm super excited about how these turned out!  I also changed the font so it's a little more easier to read from afar.  It's on sale for Wednesday only.  You can view it here.

Thanks for hanging with me!  I have a lot of other things to share but that's for another post :)

S.T.A.R. Literacy Binder Series: Part 2

Thanks for joining me again.  I've been a little busy lately, but if I'm planning on getting this series completed by August 12th then I better get busy :)

This post will be short because most of the information that will be included in this tab will come from class talks and classroom instruction.  However, there are a few things I would like to share with you that we will be using.

Genres

I want to make sure my students are reading and I also want to make sure they are reading a variety of books.  Often times, I hear students complain that they don't like reading because they can't find anything they enjoy.  However, these are the same students that are reading every single book in the same series.  If they are in the same series then they are more than likely in the same genre.  I love how Beth Newingham has her students graph the genre of the books they are reading.  This is a great monthly visual so students can see what they are reading a lot of and not enough of.  I knew this was something I wanted to incorporate in my literacy binders for my students.  Having students keep track of their reading and to be accountable for their reading variety is going to be such a benefit to my students.  Their graph will look like the one below.  It will already have the month and genres listed.  The only thing they will need to do is write their name and record their reading.  It will look like this.  I am eventually planning on adding custom clip art to each month that correlates with the month.  But, to start off, we will stick with the cute kids!

Another component of my genres tab will be a genre overview.  This will be the first page the students will see when they turn to the section.  This will be a one page visual that students can use as a resource during their reading.  It will look like this!

The last component of my genres tab will consist of any notes, handouts, or any thing else related to reading genres.  Most of this information will come from explicit small group/whole group instruction. 

This concludes the second post of the series.  I hope you have found something useful.  These files will be available until tomorrow evening only.  After that given time, they will be archived into the bundled set that will go on sale in my shop when this series concludes.  This file is only available in .pdf format to protect the copyrights of the clipart {sorry!}  To access the file, click HERE.

Don't miss my next post:

S.T.A.R. Literacy Binder Series: Part 3

Goals & Progress

Favorite Pins Friday

Hey, ya'll!  I am linking up with Cara @ The First Grade Parade for my very first Favorite Pins Friday!

If you follow me on Pinterest then you know that I LOVE to pin things for my classroom and for fashion.  I have probably made more pin-inspired things for my classroom then my home.  Sad... I know!  Here are a few of my current favs!

#1

Source: Etsy

First of all, lets get something straight.... I LOVE to shop!  Right now I am sooo wanting this infinity scarf.  It will look so perfect paired with a white tee and jeans for the fall.  Did I mention that I need this??

 #2

Source: http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com

Spelling is a huge weakness.  Heck, sometimes it my weakness!  lol  It would be great to incorporate some of these ideas into word work.  They could be used with spelling words, new words, or vocabulary words.

 #3

Source: First Grade Fresh

I just love this focus board.  I've looked at it from every angle and just can't decide how to incorporate it into my 5th grade classroom.  We don't really practice letter sounds and such so I'm not sure what all our focus would be.

 #4

Source: Just Reed!

I L-O-V-E this idea and I am soooo doing this for back to school!  Isn't it just so darn cute?  This would be great to hand out either at open house or on the first day of school.  It's a great way to have important information all together.

 #5

Source: Create, Teach, Share!

I've been meaning to make a Boggle board for my classroom.  Maybe writing about it here will remind me??  Probably not!  lol  I am wanting to incorporate the boggle board into some word work stations.  Now my mind is gearing up for where I can put it.

 #6

Source: Ideas by Jivey

Lastly, I haven't decided if I want to incorporate some type of clip chart for writing.  I don't know how this would work since it would have about 50 students using it (I teach 2 classes.)  I do like the look of it though.  This is something I am going to think about.....

Update to Blogs Designed by Me & Monday Made It

This is going to be short and sweet because my lil' monkeys are slowly crawling out of bed :)  First of all, if I designed your blog, I am sorry about all the grey boxes.  I was hoping it was only my blog... but no!  It should be resolved on Thursday.  I'm hoping this will not happen again.  If it does, I may have to look in spending a little money... which I don't want to do.  We shall see.  Again, I'm so sorry!

Okay, now for my Made It with Tara.

WARNING:::  if this is jumbled and doesn't make sense.. I'm sorry.  My three-year-old son is wanting to interrupt my morning blogging/coffee time by asking a million questions. :)

I have a chalkboard that I made.  It's ugly... and it was on my cabinet door in my classroom.  I wanted something new to go with my new classroom and I wanted something with a fancy frame I could paint.   You see... I am wanting to do a quote a week for my students.  

So, while I was in Hobby Lobby the other day, I went in the clearance section and saw this picture.  Now, this picture is regular priced at $79.99.  I got it for $7.99... it was 90% off!  I thought... I could get the hubs to cut a scrap piece of wood, paint it with chalkboard paint, and place it in the frame.

Then, I found some liquid chalk markers while I was working on getting the picture taken apart.  That's when this idea popped in my little head.  I could use markers instead of chalk... no mess!  How could I do this?  By now, my little gears were spinning.  I decided to use the glass in the frame (only I ended up breaking the glass and had to got to Lowe's to get a replacement... but we won't talk about that) spray paint the back of it black, and use the non-spray painted side to write on.  I then decorated the frame with a nice turquoise color to match my classroom.

Here's my end result.  You would understand just how special that little note is I wrote on it if you knew what I went through with that glass... I felt as if I was on Final Destination and no matter what I did, the glass was destined to break.  But, the second piece didn't... so yay!!!

Here it is on my cabinet....

I just LOVE how it turned out.  Now, if it will just stay on the cabinet and not fall!!  lol

S.T.A.R. Literacy Binder Series: Part 1

Daily 5 Check-In & Reading Log

Hey ya'll!  I'm back with my first *official* post of the series.  I wanted to make sure that I make it clear to all my readers that I have not yet implemented any of this.  This upcoming school year will be the first time I will use literacy binders for my students.  So, with that said, although some of these ideas seem wonderful... I'm not sure just how practical they are *yet*.  I do look forward to doing an updated series once school starts and going back to each of these posts to share what still works and what I had to do away with.

This summer I read the Daily 5 and the CAFE book... both are must reads for any reading teacher.  I love the way they do check-in (orally) each day.  However, my time is very short since I must teach reading, writing, and ELA in two hours.  So, I'm not so sure how the actual daily check-in will go, but I wanted a way for students to keep up with the choices they have made that week and also a way for me to keep up with it at a glance.  Basically, I want to be able to see *quickly* who is going where and if they are going some where way too often.  So, in addition to the daily checking in, my students will be required to log all their choices for each day for a week.  On Fridays, they will turn these in for me to look over.  Now, I have created two templates.  The first one can be used if you are planning to use the Daily 5 every day.  I think my format should really be called the Weekly 5 because there isn't a way we can do all 5 every day.  But, I do want the students to do all of them so we are just going to spread them out over the course of a week.  There are guidelines as to how many of each should be completed each week.  For example, I don't want a student doing word work every day.  Although word work is important, I would like for them to get a variety of things completed throughout the week.  Likewise, I do want them to read to self every day.  These reminders are at the top of the form.

Here's how the form will look.

For each selection, the students will place a 1, 2, or 3 in the choices they will complete for that particular day.  The numbers represent the rotation number.  The students will keep this as the first page in their binder when they open it.  By getting a new one each week, there should be no need for a page protector.  However, if you are going to use one that they keep for a while, I would recommend having them keep it in one to keep it nice and neat.

I'm still playing around with the way we will orally check-in.  I'm thinking about having the students check-in at the end of class for the following day.  That way, we will be ready to go when class starts the next day.  You can also use this time to incorporate some type of reflection or summarizing strategy while the class is taking turns checking in.  I'm thinking that after we orally check-in (and making sure we don't have the entire class going to word work at the same time) they can go ahead and mark it on their form so they will have a reminder when they come into class the following day.

The first tab in their binder will be the classroom reading log.  I will have a reading log that goes home as homework and incorporates some type of reading strategy (not just read and record), but this one will stay in their binder.  It gives me an idea of what they are working on in class as well as read to self / read to someone / or listen to reading.  All classroom reading will be recorded on this reading log.  When I check-in with students to talk about what they are reading (I'm planning to do this on Fridays and Mondays) I will also look at their classroom reading log.  The form will look like this.

I have a space for comments for each entry and an overall comment section at the bottom.  The entry comments will be used if I have something to say about that particular entry while the overall comments space will be used if I have comments on their progress or reading habits.  This is a very simple form, but I think it will be great for what I need it for.

This concludes the first *official* post of the series.  I hope you have found something useful.  These files will be available for today only.  After today, they will be archived into the bundled set that will go on sale in my shop when this series concludes.  It is a .zip file that contains both the .pdf and .ppt file.  You will need to download the free font KG Keep Your Head Up and KG The Last Time Bubble if you are wanting the .ppt for editing.  To access the file, click HERE.

So, I'm wondering what works for ya'll and how your students check-in for the daily 5?

Don't miss my next post:

S.T.A.R. Literacy Binder Series: Part 2

Genres

Place Value Update

Hey ya'll!  The other day I mentioned updating some of my very first digital packets in my shop.  Well, my first one is complete.  If you have purchased my place value packet, you can go back and download it for an updated file.  This file is a lot cuter :) and also has some blackline masters for copying.  Here's a preview of what you get.

Go check it out in my TpT shop!

Psssssst...  I have also reduced the price ;)

Throwback Thursday... I'll join the fun!

I've been reading every one's Throwback Thursday posts and thinking... I need to this.  Well, I finally decided to join in on the party!  I am linking up with Cara for my very first Throwback Thursday par-tay!

After years of tweaking and trying to figure it all out, last year I finally found a system that worked for me and my math stations/centers.  And then I changed grades and subjects.  Isn't that the way it goes? :)  Anyways, I love the system I used so much that I wanted to share it again.  It really worked well for me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted on October 15, 2012

Well, last Friday we had a teacher workday.  It was actually our first one this year since school started, and I am soooo happy we had a chance to work in our room since I needed the time really bad.  I had a few goals in mind for the day.

1) Make a few stations I have found on TpT for free.  It seems I am always running around the week of my new workshop rotation to 'find' good stations for my students to work with during rotations.  Usually I end up creating something over the weekend or Monday afternoon, printing it, laminating it, cutting it out, and putting it all together.  Well, on Friday I was able to create SIX new stations.

Here's one that will soon be in my dollar section on TpT.  I am going to {eventually} upload the ones I make for my students and sell them for just a dollar!  I wish I could find some that I could use and not make for $1.00.  If anyone out there has any great ones for around a $1.00 that I could use with OA 4th grade math standards...  let me know.  I like for them to take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.

Okay, so where do I store my stations when I'm not using them?  It use to be a hot mess that looked something like this.... {sorry about the small blurry picture}.

Like I said before, it was a MESS!  Notice I have some that don't have anything and some that are over flowing.  I had folders everywhere, nothing organized, and half the stuff didn't have everything I needed in them.  Actually, most of the folders are missing EVERYTHING because I would just take the station once the students were done and throw it somewhere up there to get it out of the way.  This leads to my 2nd goal of my teacher workday.

2) Organize my station storage area.  Since I teach by standard, I wanted to store my stations by standard.  Here's what I came up with.

First, I store all the materials needed to create my stations in one bin behind my small group table which is where I usually lay it all out and get to business.

Here's what's in the bin.  Markers for writing, post-it flags {we'll get to that in a minute}, labels, and plastic pocket folders without prongs.  I use plastic folders because the students always seem to rip the paper ones and destroy them.  If you want to be SUPER organized then you could have a certain folder color for each strand of standards.  I got these from Target when they were on clearance for .15 each.  They had a heaping load of purple so that's what I have.  I like the look of them all being the same color.  And... if you wanted to go even further, you could have the folder color match the bin color where they are stored {you will see that in a minute!}

Every station folder has a nice little label in the top right corner with the station title {this is what I put on their station checklist} and the CC standard the station correlates with.

Once a station is complete and ready to be filed away for later use, I take the post-it flag and apply it to the label then I place it in the bin that correlates with the standard.  I use the flag so I can see at a glance what stations I have not used this school year.  I love this idea because I use to be really confused about which stations I have used and which ones I still needed to use.  Once I take the station from the bin to be used, I take the flag off {you can then use it for a new one or trash it}.  When it is used by the students and returned to the bin, it goes in without a flag which means it has been used once before.

These are my new standard labels I created and printed to organize my stations.  I will eventually {hopefully} have two bins for each standard.  Right now, I have more NBT stations than the others because these are the standards we have been teaching since school started.  I simply taped the paper cut-outs to the bins {hence the glare}.

Here's what they look like so far.  BTW- I didn't include it in this picture, but I have a TON of stations on the shelf above this one that still need to be reorganized and redone.  Can I have another workday, please?  Also, I didn't have a large variety of colors or I would have each standard bin a different color... In the words of my three-year old, Oh shucks! {he gets that from Goofy!}

And... when I am busy through the week and have stations that need to be checked and put back together neatly before going back in the bin, I place them in this basket.  I am hoping to get in a healthy habit of checking ALL stations after they are used and before they go back in the bin.  Hopefully this will help my station area STAY nice and neat through the school year.  As you can see, I already have a few a need to work on!

Do you have any tricks you use to help keep your stations organized?

S.T.A.R. Literacy Binder Series: Introduction

Do any of you feel as though summer is slipping right through your fingers?  There's nothing you can do about it... nada.  I've been crafting and painting a lot lately {for my classroom, of course}, but I haven't *really* thought about the instructional aspect of next school year.  I just can't get focused.  Usually, I'm not that worried because I have taught math for four years.  But this year, I am teaching reading/ELA and trying to implement the Daily 5.  The best part about all of this is I'm able to work with my team teacher from last year since I'm moving from 4th to 5th!  Yay!  I'm so excited about that because she is such an awesome teacher and we will be teaching the same thing... just different grades..  **Disclaimer... when I say "I" I really mean "we" since a lot of these ideas are our collaborative effort... it just sounds weird saying "we."

So, as I began thinking about the upcoming school year before school was even over {I know, I know.. really?} I knew I wanted to implement some type of literacy binder.  Since I am teaching 5th grade, I wanted to have something the kids could be proud of and something to hold them accountable for their learning.  Binders will be such a huge part of their school day when they enter middle school.  I wanted to prepare them and teach them how to not only keep a binder, but how to organize it so they can use it as a learning tool and not just storage.

So, this is a HUGE task that I have yet to begin.  I want it to not only be organized but to ACTUALLY be useful for the kids.  In an effort to get my brain focused {which it is not}, I have decided to do a blog series on how I'm going to have the kids setup these binders.  I will also post pictures as I will be putting one together myself so the kids can have an example.  I am calling this my......

You'll understand the S.T.A.R. in just a moment.  First things first.. I'm not on any kind of schedule.. I can't keep them.  If I say I'm going to post every Monday, guess what??  It doesn't happen.  However, I will say that I will post these as I get them completed :)  And, I can guarantee the entire series will be finished by August 12th!  There may be some weeks where there are 1-2-3 or more posts.  That's okay... just pin them and read them when you have a chance.  Also, I will be combining all the files I share with you and posting them as a bundled set in my TpT shop once the series is completed.  BUT, as a follower of my blog, you will have the first chance to get these free.  After I publish a post, you will have 24 hours to download all the files discussed/presented in that particular post.  After 24 hours, the link will no longer work.

I started brainstorming and reading Beth Newingham's post about her Reader's Notebook.  Oh my!  This resource is so wonderful.  She has a plethora of information about how she does hers.  The next thing I did was to sit down and come up with my sections or divider tabs.  This is how each of my posts will be divided; I will post about each tab in it's own individual post.

Here's how the process came about....

I first started brainstorming with the pink paper then transferred that information along with additional thoughts onto notebook paper.  From that will come this series :)

Introduction:

My teamie and I wanted to come up with a catchy title for our binders.  We were in search of an acronym that would be fun and meaningful.  She came up with S.T.A.R.- Students Taking Academic Responsibility.  I said... yes, yes, yes!  I love it!  She came up with the title and I came up with the design :)  I just love how it turned out :)

You can download this editable file here.  This will always be free :)  To type in the field, just place a textbox where you want text.

Okay, so I have an adorable binder cover... now what?

Before the tabs, I will have a weekly Daily 5 check-in sheet where students will record what part of the daily 5 they are working on.  There will be requirements as to the frequency of each choice.  I'll post more about this in my next post :)

Now, we move into the tabs.  The Daily 5 check-in sheet will be the only page not in a tab.

• Tab #1: Reading log
• classroom log

• Tab #2: Genres Tab
• any information regarding genres will go here
• genres overview page 

• Tab #3: Goals & Progress
• creating goals cheat sheet
• how to monitor progress cheat sheet

• Tab #4: Mini-Lessons
• any notes or handouts that were given during mini-lessons OR that go along with our mini-lesson focus

• Tab #5: Reading Response
• how to respond to what I read cheat sheet
• read to self & read to someone

• Tab #6: Word Work / Spelling
• spelling patterns
• word work {in progress}

• Tab #7: Writer's Toolbox
• handouts
• tips
• process cheat sheet

• Tab #8: Writing
• in progress
• completed {maybe transfer to portfolio??}

So, to review... there will be 8 tabs in the binder with a daily 5 check-in as the first page.  As you can see.. right now it's a work in progress.  Please join me again {as we learn together} for my next post in this series.

S.T.A.R. Literacy Binder Series: Part 1

Daily 5 Check-In & Reading Log

Questions?? Comments?? Please leave them below :)