Here is your weekly Teacher Tip: Use your book order fliers for more than book orders! If you don't already do a classroom book order, I highly recommend doing so. If you already do book orders, you an use the paper fliers for SO MANY THINGS! Here are some ideas: -sort of nonfiction vs fiction -sort realism vs fantasy -make a reading wishlist - circle books already read (and made book reviews) -book crafts -Venn Diagrams -anything … [Read more...]
Revising Writing
We are nearing the end of our Personal Narrative unit. Ending the unit means that we are deep into the abyss of revising and editing. I don't know about you, but I struggle with revision for third graders. For some reason, it seems that my students are willing to change things and try strategies if they are presented with them WHILE they are writing. Once they are DONE writing, they seem so much more relucatant to change … [Read more...]
Narrative Writing: Gooney Bird Greene
At the start of the school year, we focus on narrative writing. We were fortunate enough a few years ago to attend a PD workshop hosted by Nancy Boyles. She was very passionate about writing and she showed us some very simple ways to help our students improve their narrative writing. She introduced us to her writing icons. This week I have been focusing on "Snapshots" and "Gestures" as my students are working on adding details and … [Read more...]
Updating Posters and Signs in My Classroom
Well, after several years of teaching, I figured it was time to update some of the posters and signs that I have made along the way. I went into my classroom the other day because I know that time in August will be limited and I dug through the things that I hang up every year. I pulled out a handful of hand written signs that were in desperate need of a facelift. I brought them home and got to work on the computer. Here's what I came up … [Read more...]
Interactive Reading Journals/Notebooks: Starting The Year Off Right
A few years ago before the school year started, I stood in my classroom with two huge piles of notebooks. I knew there had to be a way to practice our reading standards and skills while creating a reference tool for my third graders. I had always used a writer's notebook, and I really liked the way I could teach mini lessons and my students could reference the information if they needed to. I looked around online and learned about the concept … [Read more...]
Interactive Reading Journal/Notebook
This year I decided to create Interactive Reading Journals with my class. I had seen similar ideas before but none of them seemed to be exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to start creating pages on my own. So far, we are in our third week of school and my students LOVE them. They like the idea of cutting and gluing (of course...who wouldn't) and their written responses are getting better and better each day. I like that I … [Read more...]
