Common Core Resources by Carson-Dellosa

Have you checked out Carson-Dellosa lately? Let me tell you, they are Common Core ready! They have so many great supplemental resources for your classroom, and I was fortunate enough to get three resources to try out in my very own classroom. Here's what I chose to review!

These Learning Target Pocket Chart cards are every teacher's dream!

I'm thinking about incorporating these into my focus board. Just add small magnets to the back and you have versatile CC standard cards! They would be so easy to change out! OR... place them in a small pocket chart... instant LOVE! No more writing the standard each day/week!

How about this one?

I love the color pages. I'm always searching for good practice for my LA skills. This is the Spectrum 5th grade Language Arts Workbook! It's absolutely A-mazing! At the top of each page, it talks about the skill and basically teaches it to the reader. Everything they need for review is at the top of each page. I have already used this several times since I've received it. The instructions are clear enough that my 5th grade students have no problem at all with understanding it.

Love this one, too!

Lastly is the Language Arts Common Core 4 Today Workbook for 5th grade. This actually wasn't my first time seeing this workbook as I have used it in the past many times. I love the format of this resource because it can be used for homework or seat work. I've used it for both! This particular picture is for writing. It also incorporates 5th grade language arts skills, too!

Check out these awesome videos then go like Carson-Dellosa on Facebook!

I participate in the Brand Ambassador Program for Carson-Dellosa and have received this product for free to review.

Organize Your Teaching Resources!

I'm all about making things better for me and more efficient! And let me tell you, I've tried almost everything you can think of when it comes to organizing my curriculum. I just haven't been too good at this...ever!

I've tried file folders... only to have the paper falling out all over the place!

I've tried putting all my resources in binders... only to have so many that I didn't know which one to look through!

I've tried storing everything digitally... but the folders became too overwhelming!

I've tried folders... again! This time in a file cabinet, but I quickly figured out that by standard was not the way to go!

Finally... I came up with a solution that I think is going to work for me! After I created my year-long curriculum/pacing guide, it became clear that I needed something! It's still the binder method, but it's more organized! My first step was to pace out my school year based on my county's curriculum map. When I finished, it looked like this!

I LOVE IT! It's so easy to glance over and see what's coming up. It's also super easy to see exactly what I'm teaching each quarter. If you would like me to upload the template on TpT, please let me know. This idea lead me to my new binder system. So, Quarterly Binders were born!! If you want the cover template, please let me know! You can now download the template in my shop by clicking here.

The first thing I did was go down my pacing guide and create a tab for each skill in reading, LA, and writing. Then, I divided the tabs into 4 different binders.

Then, I went through my go-to resources and pulled out things I *KNOW* I will use and placed them in the correct binder and then tab.

When it's time for planning, I just grab my quarterly binder and find what I want to use. It's sitting right on my table right beside my desk.

It's so easy! Why didn't I think of this like 3 years ago???? What's your favorite way to organize your resources?

Here's an image for pinning!

Planning Tips & Tricks

This week, I will not be sharing my visual plans. Instead, I will be sharing how I organize my planning each week.

I remember back when I first started teaching. I would stay late until 6pm almost every day. Then I would trudge out of the school with a bag too heavy for me to carry. How was I so behind and what happened to all my time at school? When two small children came into the picture, the work at home ceased. However, I was still staying at school later than I wanted to.

Here are a few Tips and Tricks that I have found in the past year that has really helped me out in a big way. It's totally been a life saver for me!

First, this photo happened upon my news feed a year or so ago. It's from Miss DeCarbo who has such great organizational ideas. She wrote and entire post about how she organizes her planning life each week. This is where my inspiration came from!

As soon as the week starts on Monday, I start preparing for the next week. That's the ticket to not staying late day after day or taking things home. 

DO A LITTLE EACH DAY!

I use this time to get together things I use each week. I find the copies I will need for the following week and create my reading log and any other word lists (spelling or vocab). I place all the to to-be copied papers in my To Copy drawer.

• Morning Work
• Reading Logs
• Spelling List
• Vocabulary List

To help my sanity, I have a label I have created to place in my lesson planner each week. The to-do list is for the following week so I can get busy on Monday afternoons!

I use this day to get my resources together based on the skill we will be working on. I may not use ALL of the resources, but I get them together for my planning meeting. I have a planning folder I use put all the resources in.

I use Wednesdays for planning. This is the day I plan with my team. I take my resources out of my folder and write my pre-planning plans in my Day Designer planner {thanks, Ms. Leslie Ann for this idea!}. I then place the copies I'm going to use in my To-Copy drawer.

Thursday is the day where I get it all together. It is also the one day during the week that I plan to work an additional 2 hours past the time I am allowed to leave. I try to only stay late one day a week so I can go home on time every other day! I get all my copies ready for coping (we have someone who does this for us), create all my anchor charts, and plan my focus board wording. 

On Fridays I finalize my plans and write my final plans in my Anchor Teacher Planner that I absolutely LOVE! I also type my newsletter and work on my website for the following week. Once all the copies are done, I place them in my Days of the Week drawers that I pull from during the week.Now I can enjoy my weekend with no planning worries!

Don't forget your favorite pens and markers when planning!

This routine works so well for me and has totally changed the way I plan! Do you have anything that works well for you?

Peek at My Week: Week #5

I can't believe it's week #5 already. We are going slow and steady, but we will get there! Instead of a 2 week character trait unit, I'm looking at more than 3 weeks! We were a little busy last week, so we are just introducing character traits this week.

Here are some things I refuse to give up no matter how much time I lack!

• Independent Reading Time
• Read Aloud Time
• Student Conferences

 I am working on a new resource that I will be using this week. I'll be using it in my classroom first to see how it goes before I post it in my store. It's a stand-alone unit that can be used to teach character traits. I will be using it to help get my students to start comparing characters since that is our 5th grade standard. It's not ready yet, but you can find it in my store in the next few weeks.

I will be posting later this week about how my introductory (or review) lesson goes this week. I'll also include some pics of my students using my new product I'm working on.

Have you ever used Quizlet? I'll be posting about it later this week over on the iTeach Fifth blog. Go check it out! It will be posted on the 11th!

Go and link up with Mrs. Wills for her linky par-tay!