First Grade and Fearless

Six Traits Book Study Ch. 2

2013-06-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Chapter 2: Blending the Writing Process with the Traits for the Beginning Writer

Culham begins by giving a brief history of the development of writing instruction in the primary classroom. She also hits again on the assessment of primary writing emphasizing how developmental writing is at this point and you must adjust expectations accordingly. I like that she keeps coming back to this point because I feel we too often try to hold primary students to the same expectations as intermediate or higher students when so much of their learning hinges on where they are in their developmentally.She then aligns the traits with the writing process. Some of the match ups were understandable, but others grouped several traits together. Further attention is then given to each stage of the writing process and the traits that are associated with each.

I loved that she took the time to discuss each step in the writing process. I completely agree with the anything goes attitude & discouraging editing during drafting. So often new writers think their writing has to perfect right away not realizing that editing is the last step. Worrying about editing in drafting just stops the writing process. You don’t have all your ideas down, so how can you edit?

The suggestion of sharing your own writing and having the students help you through the writing process focusing on one step at a time is crucial. It really helps students see what they need to do in their own writing. She includes Focus Lessons for Ideas (p.50) and Revision (p.57). She includes questions to ask as the students work on revising, editing, and publishing. I think these would be great on a ring as “cheat cards” to include in a writing center for students that are reading independently or for me when I conference with students.

Still, the best tips in the chapter were the ones when she told you what to expect at each level for revising and editing. I usually conference during the revising stage and sometimes I feel as if I’m spoon feeding my below level writers. It is so freeing to know that I don’t have to push revision with the students that score a 2 or below on the Primary Traits Scoring Guide. That I can just help them edit and build ideas. It is refreshing to remember that all students in primary are a work in progress, so even when it comes to editing we don’t have to hit them with everything we got. Instead we teach them to do it themselves by having them work with the skill we are teaching in class right then. That makes so much sense. I did see my students relying too much on my editing and I was frustrated. I’m going to turn it over to them using that simple tip. What tips do you have for helping students become independent editors in primary?

Summer is Here!

2013-06-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

I have been on a blogging sabbatical while school finished up. Whew! There was so much going on, and I had gotten overwhelmed by it all. Now summer is here and I've had a couple weeks to unwind. Some days out in the sun watching my kiddos play has been great!! I hope everyone else is taking time to relax over the summer break too.You need to recharge your batteries so that you can be ready, set, go for another year.

The other thing I do to recharge is do a little professional reading. I know, I know that doesn't sound relaxing, but I enjoy reading and I enjoy studying especially when I can do it in a relaxed fashion and on my own time. So, this summer some teachers and I are doing a book study on 6+1 Traits of Writing: Primary Grades. Our curriculum coach has told us that she would like us to move in that direction with our writing. I have heard of it being used in the upper grades, but I wasn't familiar with it in primary. I love writing, so I thought what a great summer project. So far, I'm impressed. I like the way Ruth Culham thinks about writing and understands little guys when it comes to developing their skills. I'm getting excited about implementing it in my room next year. I wanted to give you the highlights of Chapter 1 for anyone else that might want to join us in the book study or is curious like I was about this writing strategy.

Chapter 1: Building a Foundation for Writing

The chapter begins by giving evidence that supports teaching writing in primary. The author points out that by teaching children early it shows that learning to write is a worthwhile activity. If students can say it, they can usually write it she argues. Once the argument has been made for writing instruction in the primary classroom then she presents how six traits can help to make that process easier for both the teacher and the student. According to the information in the chapter, the 6 traits allowha us to: (1) Have a common language, (2) Nurture process learning (process over product), and (3) Use criteria to set the standard. With the six traits we are able to answer, “What is the student doing well?” and “What can the student do better?” so that we create writers who write to express themselves and not just get the assignment done.

Beginning on p.22 she gives the reader a sample writing from a student and demonstrates how she uses the traits to provide meaningful feedback to the student and set a goal for the next writing assignment. She provides a focus lesson on p.29 for teaching students the importance of process-centered thinking, and a lesson on p.39 for teaching students how to develop and use criteria in their writing. Finally, she provides a scoring guide on p.36 for scoring students developmentally (where they are in their writing growth). She steers clear of the words “good” and “bad” as she claims this stops students’ thinking and creativity. She tells teachers to focus on the process not just the product.

Several points stood out and caused me to take a closer look at how I approach writing instruction in my classroom. First, I know from my creative writing classes in college and the writing I do now that writing is personal and criticism when not delivered well can hurt and inhibit your writing. That is true for little writers as well, so as a teacher I need to remember to tell students what they do well so they know what to keep doing. I also need to show where improvements need to be made. Also I liked how she pointed out that grammar is not the heart of what makes good writing. Writers normally look at grammar last. The rule of thumb is to write, revise for word choice, voice, etc., then go back and edit for grammar. It makes sense to teach our young writers that as well. Focusing on grammar first can be discouraging and stop the thinking process. Finally she affirmed that pictures and wobbly letters are writing. Sometimes we forget that writing can take many forms.

With writing workshop students are all working at their own pace, but some students take longer or get tired of one topic and don’t finish. The same thing happens when journaling. The focus on process lets me know this is okay. I don’t want my students to just work to get done. I want them to learn to enjoy writing and sharing what they have written. She states, “Every time a student works seriously with paper and pencil it should be considered a win.” I want to remember that as I work with my students and adjust my thinking accordingly.

Check back next week as I discuss Chapter 2!

Monthly Must Haves

2013-01-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

There it goes...January floating off around the corner, just when I was getting used to it. I had almost warmed to the snowy, wet weather especially when an occasional snow day blew by. Oh well, time to get prepared to greet the next month right? Oh, and what a saucy, little month it is as it pops out of holes looking for shadows and runs around spreading love germs everywhere:D

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So, what do you do to get ready for each month? Do you have some go to resources? I do. I thought I might share with you a few of the great finds from TPT that help me to prep for each month.

First up, I visit Jodi Southard and pick up her Differentiated Common Core Morning Work.

I love this packet for many reasons. She differentiates each morning work assignment which saves me work. I have a few students that need to have their work tweeked here and there to make it doable. I appreciate that she has already taken care of that for me. I also like that it is specific to first grade, so I know that I'm hitting my standards in both reading and math. Yes, reading and math skills on one sheet. Great! It reviews and previews skills so I'm able to check what they have retained, reteach when necessary, and do a bit of formative assessment on skills we are about to cover. Any assignment that allows me to hit so much at once is a time saver making it a definite monthly pick for me.

Next up, I make a stop by Sarah Kirby's TPT store to pick up her Reading Intervention Kit.

This year our RTI coaches had to split time between S-Teams and RTI instruction. Yes, we had certified teachers who did our Tier 1 instruction for us. We were so lucky, but not anymore. So, I started the year wondering what I was going to do. A little research led me to these packets and I never looked back. The activities stay the same and are aligned with the AIMS Web assessments, which is what we use. The words and graphics change to add variety, but the repetitiveness of the activities means my Tier 1 students can focus on the skills not on the rules of the games. I have seen real improvement using this tool. Some of my Tier 1 students came in barely reading on a kindergarten level and are now reading at a beginning first grade level. Huzzah! I like when things work.

Finally I have to do a shout out from my teaching partner. She swears by Sarah Paul's reading center packet, Literacy Menu First Grade.

What does she love about it you ask? Well, she gushes about all her center work being done and planned for a whole month for one. She likes that the activities stay the same each month but the graphics and skills change to match that month's theme. It makes explanation of centers so easy and ensures that the students are practicing skills not game rules. Finally, she likes that the games review the skills in a challenging way that pushes but doesn't discourage. She's made a believer out of me and I have added that to my monthly cart. I can't wait to try it out!

So what about you? I would love to hear how you prepare for each month. If you have any great finds, don't be stingy. Pass the tips along! I'm always looking for ways to maximize instruction while saving time. Besides, I'm just a sucker for fun, cute activities. So, please share...really!

Writing in Kindergarten

2013-01-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

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As I was walking down the hall this afternoon, I was stopped by one of our wonderful Kindergarten teachers. Our conversation went something like this:

Her: Hey, when are you going to do a writing workshop thing after school?
Me: That'd be great. Just need to find a good time.
Her: I wanted to start up writing workshop with my kindergartners. Where would I start?

Good question. I firmly believe that it is never to early to get children writing. I love to write and find the creative outlet very rewarding. I also love teaching writing.

So, where to start in kindergarten. Well, you can't bake a good cake if your ingredients stink, so start with quality ingredients. I would start with handwriting. As I tell my firsties, "What is the point of writing it if I can't read it?" Depending on your class, you may work on handwriting until Christmas or beyond. That's okay. Start your writing workshop with journals. They can draw pictures or write or both (driting). Be sure to encourage picture details because that will translate into writing later. Then work on handwriting.

When your class is ready to move into more formal writing, start with sentences. Yes, sentences. You can have the most wonderful thoughts, but if you can't express it in a good sentence it is bunk. So, teach your little angels to write an amazing sentence and illustrate that sentence. When they knock out a super sentence, then they will naturally begin to add more. As they do, be sure to insist upon quality for each sentence they write. Teach them to have that writer's mentality. Words are our tools, and we must use them well.

For those of you that like to follow a format, I hope you've come across Debbie at Sailing Through 1st Grade. She has a great format called, whatda know, Super Sentences. She debunks the mystery of the perfect sentence by giving students a formula to follow. I used them this year with my firsties. They were struggling with expanding sentences. I wasn't used to having this problem and was baffled. I stumbled across this product and thought why not. Not just one light switched on but a whole stadium full. They finally got it. So, check them out! She offers several freebies on her blog. You can find them by searching for super sentences on her blog. If you get sold on them, feel free to stop by her TPT store. She has created formats for the entire year each with a different topic or theme. Just click the picture below to take you there.

When you work on revisions, look to common core for guidance on what to focus on. You might have different expectations for each student, but remember to keep expectations high. Good luck with your writing. I hope this helps!

Reading Street Frog and Toad Freebie

2013-01-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to make a long post tonight - still in the throes of lesson planning. I will finish and have time to enjoy my evening. No really I will!

Next week my class and I will be reading Frog and Toad Together: The Garden which (for those of you with Reading Street is Unit 3 Week 4). I've made a little sort to go along with the poem Grandpa's Garden. Nothing fancy, it just has them sort the words from the poem. I hope you enjoy this little freebie!

Here We Go Again!

2013-01-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

We started back this week - just two days. I'll be honest. At first I was grumbling as much as my oldest.

"Why can't we just be out the rest of the week? It's just two days!!"

But after two days back I discovered my teaching muscles were a bit flabby. I was glad to have the short week to transition before jumping in whole hog.

I eased back into the daily grind with some help from First Grade Wow. We delved into her Happy New Year unit and Smitten with Mittens unit and had a great time. Both of these units are free I might add (all of her stuff is...and it is sooo good!), so click below to grab them for yourself.

Next week we are going to jump into learning as usual. Here are my I can's for next week. The background paper is from The 3am Teacher and the fonts are from Kevin and Amanda (Firefly Castle and Spicy Sushi Roll) and Rowdy in Room 300 (Rowdy Pirate - too cute fonts).

I'm a little scared. Am I ready to rush in where angels fear to tread?? I will add a few new "I cans."

Have a great New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our last day before Christmas Break. I have to say I was relieved. Both my 2 year old and myself came down with walking pneumonia, so I'm quite ready for a break. Looks like we may have been trading it back and forth since Thanksgiving. I'm just glad for modern medicine and that my baby is starting to act like his crazy self again.

Anyway, feeling better and ready to bake cookies, wrap presents, and enjoy a bit of holiday fun. I won't be able to go 90 to nothing like I sometimes do, but I will be able to savor and enjoy. I think it will be a nice change of pace.

I did spread a bit of holiday spirit with my little firsties before getting sick. I thought I might share some of what we were able to get done.

Every year the first grade does Holidays Around the World as a way to combine Social Studies and Christmas fun. This year we revamped our unit with a little help from Rachelle Smith from What the Teacher Wants and Traci Clausen from Dragonflies in First. I purchased their holiday packets and really enjoyed how easy it made everything. I was able to streamline the unit, add a bit of assessment, and move in a few new craft ideas and projects. The students really enjoyed learning about how Christmas and other holidays were celebrated on other continents. Click below to check these packets out for yourself.

Along with studying about winter holidays, we also did a bit of writing. We took this book:

and a bit of inspiration from Nancy VandenBerge at First Grade Wow and practiced our narrative writing skills by writing about what would happen "If you take me to the movies...".

They also practiced their math skills by using geometry to show the symmetry of a Christmas tree and to make some very cute reindeer. I had them take their reindeer creation one step further by writing about the shapes they used to build it.

Of course, our holiday unit isn't complete without Reindeer Food. The students love this extra touch. We start out by talking about how most of us live out in the country and how there are not many street lights to shine on our front lawns. Then I tell them at my house we have a tradition of making Reindeer Food to solve that problem. The glitter in the food lights up the lawn for Santa, and the reindeer get to have a little treat while they wait for the big guy. It's a win all the way around. They have such a great time making the special food for Santa's reindeer and they are very serious about it. This is important stuff and don't want to mess it up!

Click the picture below to grab your own.

Now, off to enjoy quality time with my favorite bunch of people. Have a wonderful holiday!

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementry

2012-12-16T04:38:00.001-08:00

Happy (achoo!, cough!, cough!, ugh!) Thanksgiving!

2012-11-22T16:21:00.000-08:00

Before I lost the chance I wanted to link up to A Year of May First: Stuffed with Thankful Thought Linky Party.

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But first a little tale...Our family started Thanksgiving with a round of colds that started last weekend with me and a 101 fever that ended up triggering my asthma and knocked me on my proverbial you know what! Then just when I thought I couldn't get feel worse, my oldest daughter wakes ups Tuesday morning with the same symptoms and my youngest son was sounding congested too. Thankfully the middle girl was still good, so she had to hold the fort down at school alone on the last day. Let me add that Daddy was only half off the hook. He was taking meds to fight off pneumonia...yes coughing and stuffy. Finally Wednesday, oldest is feeling better, youngest is getting there, and daddy's medicine is kicking in nicely, but I was much worse. It took another call to the doctor and some more meds to get me feeling like I was headed on the road to better.

I know, I know you are saying this is a HAPPY Thanksgiving linky party. This doesn't sound happy!!

Don't despair. Here it comes...

I'm soooo thankful for modern medicine. My family always jokes around about living during the pioneer days. Would we be the first ones thrown off the wagon train? Modern medicine is a true blessing and if you have children that blessing just grows.
I'm thankful that this is Thanksgiving Break and that my family has the week to rest and get better. It is so hard making sub plans when you are sick. I'm so thankful I didn't have to or had to choose between kids and work.
I'm thankful that my husband is a dairy farmer and his work is at his home so he could help me out, especially when I couldn't get out of bed.
I'm thankful for girls who are old enough and willing to help out with Little Man when they know mommy needs it. I'm so proud of them.
Which leaves me with my last thankful thought, I'm so very thankful for my wonderful family. I truly have been blessed by them and am thankful everyday for them.

Now it is your turn. Link before the holidays are over!

Reading Street Pumpkin Contraction Sort

2012-10-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Our school year is rolling right along with the seasons. As I was planning for "The Big Circle", our next story in our Reading Street Series, I thought....

"Hmmm, wouldn't it be nice if I had something fallish to do with this story."

So, I decided to whip something up.

We are covering contractions with not, am, and will. Contractions are tough at first, so I thought a sort would be perfect. Thanks to some great FREE clipart from Sear Bear's Kindergarten, A Turn to Learn, and Tales from Outside the Classroom it was a breeze to create. Click here or the picture to grab yours. I hope you enjoy it too!

Now, I need to get back to work and stop procrastinating. It is rainy, and nasty outside. I WANT to curl up and veg but I NEED to get some planning done. It is so hard being responsible. Oh well, let me grab a cup of coffee and get to work!

I've Been Booed!

2012-10-13T05:29:00.004-07:00

Oh my! Busy, like crazy busy year! Can anyone else relate? I feel like teaching is jazzed up on too much caffeine, spinning out of control, and I'm holding on for dear life!! You know maybe I should just let go and watch it spin. I could take a breather and wait for it to slow down.

Hmmm...Thank goodness for this little fellow who should up with perfect timing from Owl Things First! I needed a little reminder of the fun of the season. Thank you!

Here are the rules:

1. Fall is election season and we have been talking about government leaders which of course led to a discussion about Duck, as in Duck for President.

My students loved reading about Duck and his adventurous journey to the White House, which we learned has 35 bathrooms and an indoor bowling alley. They loved it when he kissed the babies. I don't know why, they just thought it was funny.

I have to give a shout out to my husband and fellow blogger at The Udder Side. My husband spotted Duck on the farm one day, but thought nothing about it.

Click to go to the post about Duck on my husband's farm.

He had no idea that Duck had ulterior motives until he spotted this little treasure.

Click to go to the posts about Shirley Cow and read about her campaign race.

That's right...Shirley Cow is making a bid for President. My husband is writing a whole series of blogs about his cow Shirley running for President. I see some election fun and writing opportunities here. You have to check it out!

2. It's Fall and that means Halloween which means bats, spiders, pumpkins, and owls. We are going to read this book by Gail Gibbons. Then the kiddos are going to record one fact they learned on their own owl and put it on a display. Click below to grab one for yourself.

3. My next little gem is another book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort that my teaching partner stumbled upon and has become my absolute favorite. You must get this book and the little freebie that goes with it (click on the pictures below) from Missy Gibbs. She also has an activity pack as well if you are interested. I know I am. My students LOVED the underpants and laughed every time I said the word.

4. Last but not least, I know its Halloween when Dunkin Doughnuts starts offering their Pumpkin cappuccinos and pumpkin doughnuts. This year they have Pumpkin Mocha and Pumpkin White Chocolate coffee flavors. I'm in heaven! You must try them.

Now to Boo! me some bloggers:

You Might Be a First Grader

Where Is Your Habitat?

2012-09-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

We have been studying animal habitats for the past 3 weeks and having a blast. There is something about children and animals. They love talking about them. A few items in our Science and Social Studies curriculum make me tilt my head in wonder, but studying animals in first grade is not one of them. This standard is a natural.

We started out by comparing and contrasting forest habitats and grassland habitats. There is a great site called Africam that lets students view animals live! They love it. I used it one year and had to leave it on all day for them. Something might happen...you never know. You can get to it by clicking on the picture below.

After that we had some fun creating forest habitats using the resources from Mrs. Wheat's Forest and Habitat unit. You can click the picture to go check it out.

After studying about the different animals and their adaptations, we created a forest habitat on one of the boards in my room.

Forest Habitat

I loved the results so much, that I just had to first thank my teaching partner for the great find, and then used her desert habitat unit when we studied the arctic and desert habitats. Click on the picture to check this one out.

After visiting Brainpop Jr. to explore the arctic habitat, we used Mrs. Wheat's unit to study desert animals and their adaptations. Then we created cactus with the help of toothpicks and tissue paper and labeled them.

They even told me that cacti have glochids that protect them from enemies and their roots spread to soak up more water when it rains. Awesome! I had to put their thoughts above the board. We also did a little desert writing.

I was so impressed with their writing and the facts they remembered! Now we are studying ocean habitats. We started by reading A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. This book is a classic and a must! Using the activity suggestions from Erin Sample's Ocean Habitat-An Arts Integrated Science and Literacy Unit, we discussed the story and created our own little hermit crabs. You can go to Erin's unit by clicking on the picture below.

I thought the hermit crabs turned out great! I literally raided my big black cabinet and pulled out whatever looked like ocean material. Floral grass became seaweed, pink pom-poms became sea urchins, macaroni shells became snails, and glitter became lantern fish. The glitter was a big hit! Then we went over the adaptations for hermit crabs and they told me all about the shell, the pinchers and the protruding eyes (their favorite part).

Now we are ready to study whales using the story Amazing Whales! a common core text exemplar. If you click below you can go to Watch Know Learn to have the story read to the students. I love this site. Many of the text exemplars are available here.

We are going to wrap up our study of habitats with a visit to the aquarium. The students are super excited about this trip because it is our very first field trip of the year. We can't take very many anymore because of budget cut backs, so we appreciate every trip we get.

Am I Doing It Wrong?

2012-09-04T19:04:00.003-07:00

As I celebrated Labor Day working on lesson plans and grading papers a question kept popping into my head:

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Am I doing it wrong???

When I say wrong, I mean planning, structuring, organizing, common core - time management. Let me explain with a sample of my "planning schedule" from last week.

During the Week

Work Day is usually 7:30 - 5:00 so 9.5 hours

After school I plan after the kids go to bed so 1.5 - 2 hours

Friday, regular work day plus 4 hours

Weekend

Saturday I visited family - an indulgence I know - so 4 hours

Sunday after church I put in 9 hours

Monday (Labor Day) I worked for 16 hours

(I paid for the Saturday indulgence - usually I put in those hours on Saturday)

So to break it down - I spend 88.5 hours planning/teaching. If I assume 8 hours of sleep a night (ahhhh, a woman can dream) then that is 56 hours sleeping. That leaves me 23.5 hours a week to spend with my family and to eat.

So one day. Oh yeah, so that is why I don't sleep. I knew there was a good reason. My groggy mind just couldn't figure it out. Ha, ha!

This is why I asked my husband last night, "Am I doing it wrong?" (Whoa, ladies, out of the gutter, this is an educational blog!)

His advice was to ask the blogging community. Pretty good advice. So I'm asking you.

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What is your time break down?
Am I doing it wrong?
Does your planning time look similar?
Thematic planning? Does anyone do this? Does it help? How do you structure it? Does it change the way you plan to make it better or worse?
Can I get my time back OR do I need to put on my big girl panties and deal with it?

I would love to hear your thoughts because I fear I'm burning out and we're only 3 weeks in. Yikes! As a 12 year veteran I know the danger of that. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this. Stress and time management are huge for teachers. I would love your advice.

Just to thank you for letting me pick your brain, here is something I made during that 88.5 hours. It is a Reading Response sheet for main idea. Thanks to Tracee Orman for the great frame! I hope you find it useful!

School Days, School Days...

2012-08-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

School days, school days,

Dear old golden rule days

Meetings, and messes, and lack of sleep,

So much to do it'll make you weep!

And so it begins. The pictures above are the horror I created as I tried to clean/set up my classroom between many meetings. As I was putting them together for the blog, I noticed my daughter - teeny, tiny in the background. I had to laugh. Like many of you I'm sure, I bring my children with me to work and throughout the day they get buried in the mess. Looks like she found a good spot to bury herself! She would never get away with that much computer time at home. She's a crafty one.

Well while the youngest daughter was locked in the computer corner, my oldest daughter decided to organize my BIG BLACK CABINET. It is the cabinet that houses everything that has no home, that is out of place, and that needs to belong. I wish I had a before picture of the cabinet and one of my daughter's face as she pulled Cheerios (for counting activities), scraps of paper (you never know), pretzels (hello...log cabins!), macaroni (I had to keep those; dried macaroni is so useful), goldfish (oceans, I don't need to explain), and other sundries from its depths. In the end, I thought she did a nice job. She works for Sonic Blasts if anyone is interested!

The rest of the room came together as well...eventually. It was a hard pull at the end. I was done around 8:00pm the night before school started. I heaved a sigh of relief as I snapped these pictures on the way out the door.

My AR board - compliments of The Teachers Cauldron
Sailing Through A.R. Pirate Theme

Part of my A.R. Library. There is a shelf like this on either side of my Promethean Board with a display shelf in the middle for the books we are studying right now. I'm fairly proud of the shelves. They were ancient throw aways that I put contact paper and polka dot ribbon on to dress up. Turned out rather nice and saved me a bundle!

My computer center. You can see the Birthday Board back there. That is from the Pirate-Themed Classroom and Decor Organizational Pack from Rachel Parlett. I used it to deck out my room in pirates.

My Math Focus/Calendar wall. Again compliments go to Pirate-Themed Classroom and Decor Organizational Pack from Rachel Parlett.

My Morning Routine, Clip Chart, Daily Voyage, and Listening Anchors. I can't tell you how many times I have said...Listen like a Pirate. At the beginning of the week it was the happy "Arggh, we listening like pirates?" By the middle the week..."We need to listen like Pirates, please." At the end of the week..."Class, are we listening like pirates? Ears, feet, hands, and eyes, thank you. (In my head I'm thinking, "For crying out loud, sit still and listen! Whose idea was it to start school when it's still summer outside!!")

My room from the door. Not huge, but it works. I love the big window out to the courtyard. It us fun to watch the seasons unfold outside.

Diving Deeper into Questioning

2012-08-04T15:25:00.002-07:00

I have spent my day in Teacher Evaluation training for Common Core. I attended two sessions and presented as well. The first session I attended was great! It talked about thinking and strategies to encourage higher order thinking in students. It tied in very well with the presentation I helped with about questioning.

One of the determiners on the teacher evaluation rubric for Tennessee Educators is questioning. According to the rubric

Questions should be varied and high quality, providing a balanced mix of question types.
Questions are consistently purposeful and coherent.
A high frequency of questions is asked.
Questions are consistently sequenced with attention to the instructional goals.
Questions regularly require active responses.
Wait time (3-5 seconds) is consistently provided.
The teacher calls on volunteers and nonvolunteers, and a balance of students based on ability and sex.
Students generate questions that lead to further inquiry and self-directed learning.

Whew! That is a mouthful! Most teachers are fine with numbers 2 through 7. It's numbers 1 and 8 (the bookends!) that get you. One deals with our friend Blooms and 8 puts questioning into the hands of students. Most teachers solve #8 through coaching, modeling questioning, and providing students with flipcards with question stems as scaffolding. I want to focus on #1 because thinking of those questions can be difficult.

I'm analogy person, so here I am thinking layers and questioning trying to create an analogy. Hmmm, onions have layers, but I don't get excited when I get to the bottom of an onion...no. Some say that ogres have layers...

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Definitely no. Then it hit me. Oceans! Of course, oceans have layers and as you dive deeper they become more interesting. I can relate this to Blooms and higher order questioning.

Imagine the ocean. You start at the top swimming happily in the surface waters of Knowledge and Comprehension. You are having fun. You are challenged, but not too much, just enough to keep things interesting. Maybe you are snorkeling or swimming or just floating.

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Then your friend comes by and wants to dive a bit deeper. You will need some support for that, so you grab your scuba gear (scaffolding, modeling, guidance, yeah, you know). Now you're diving into the Application and Analysis layer. The challenge increases but so does the interest level.

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You and your friend (because you can only get this deep with help of course...ha, ha) decide you must dive even deeper. Scuba gear won't be enough, so you grab your submarine. (Doesn't everyone have one of those lying around??) Now you are immersed in Synthesis and Evaluation. You look around in awe. It is amazing the perspective you get when you are covered by a ton of water. There was a challenge in going this deep, but the rewards are the inspiration of the beauty and wonder surrounding you.

When your students are encouraged to think deeply through higher level questioning, it makes their learning more tangible and it can inspire them to want to learn more about the topics they are studying. Our job as teachers is not just to provide knowledge but to inspire learning. Questioning is one tool that accomplishes that goal.

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One tip is to plan your questions as you plan your lesson. To pull upon a little Backward Design, start with your end in mind. What big idea do you want your students to understand at the end of the lesson or unit. Then build your questions diving deeper each time as you reach for the big idea.

Click on the picture above to grab a small freebie about questioning. It includes definitions of the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy, question stems, key words, and a guide for planning questions. You or your students can use it to practice making higher order questions. Enjoy!

Getting Ready and an Award

2012-07-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it's here...my first day of work. I go back on Tuesday. I always have mixed feelings about this. I like getting back into a routine and the excitement of a new school year, BUT I miss the lazy summer days with my family, especially my kids. I'm blessed in so many ways because my school is five minutes from my house (past a few farms, some cows, and a couple of fields), and there is a nursery on site. I know how lucky can a girl get? The whole family is in one spot! Having everyone close does make it easier, but I still miss spending time with those crazies!

Little brother on his hand-me-down big wheel.

With school starting I've been hard at work trying to get myself organized. I've spent some time at school, but I try to finish what I can at home first. This way my little shadows can continue to soak up some summer fun.

Soooo, my room is still a mess. No pictures please. I have crossed several things of my to do list though: science and social studies pacing guides, my year plan, printing/laminating/cutting my word walls, pirate numbers, and calendar/math focus pieces. I've also dressed up some power verbs for my room.

What? Last year our county decided the students needed to be familiar with the verbage used on standardized tests. When they evaluated us they wanted these words used in our lessons. These words are: analyze, categorize, examine, explain, justify, prove, summarize, compose, relevant, irrelevant, predict, compare, and contrast.

These can be difficult words for primary students to grab onto, so the teacher down the hall from me had a brain wave and made posters for each word with the definition. She hung these in the room to remind her to use them and to help the students remember them. I loved the idea, so I've dressed them up in pirate gear to match my room.

They will become my Pirate Words of the Week and I'll introduce them one at a time until my firsties have them down. Then they will be posted in the room as a little reminder. What do you think?

And now for the reward....

While I was two-steppin' in Nashville at the DFA YC Southeast Dairy Conference (loads of fun, lots of dairy info about stuff like milk prices, cheese, cows, grazing, you get the idea), I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by Laugh Live Love Learn, Crazy Daze in 1st Grade, and Smiling and Shining in Second Grade.

Now, its my turn. Here are the rules...

Follow the person who gave you the award.
Link back to the person who gave you the award.
Pass the award on to at least 5 new bloggers.

Here are my nominees...

First Grade with a Cherry on Top

Lord of the Flies and Another Award

2012-07-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year when my children, my most precious possessions, are left to their own devices. They revert back to the tribal ways of our ancestors, scavenging for food, wrapping themselves in strips of clothing, and fighting to rule the house (or what's left of it when they are done). I'm happy to say that 1) the 18 month old has held his own and still remains on top, and 2) they are coming through the ordeal just fine.

Boss in his barn boots. Not sure what he's planning...

If you are not a teacher, you might wonder what is going on at my house, but if you are then you smile and nod. You know, because the same thing is happening, or has happened, at your house.

I'm going crazy trying to pull everything together. The kiddos come back Aug. 8, but work officially starts July 31. I really want my stuff done before the year's to do lists start rolling in. Help!!

I have managed to complete a few projects:

Do you know that Weather Chart that has been going around Pinterest?

Well, I finally made mine with the help of Rowdy in Room 300 (click the picture to grab yours). I also made my own weather graph that matched so my kiddos would have a weather graph in their Calendar Journals. You can grab your copy here. I also put together my Calendar flipchart complete with math stretch templates and problem of the day.

Then staying on the subject of Guided Math, I created a teeny tiny Guided Math book to keep me organized during small groups on conferences.

I've got my Weekly Schedule in there (because I need a little road map when planning), a Quick Planner for Math Workstations, and Guided Math Lesson Plan that I grabbed from Thinking of Teaching. Click on over to grab your own copy! I also made a conference sheet to take with me. I wanted one sheet that could hold all of my students so that I could have all my info in one place. Click here to grab it for yourself.

Now I'm working on finishing up my Pirate Communication Folders that I grabbed from Jodi Southard from Fun in First. At $3.00 they are a steal and completely editable. She has several styles. My teaching partners purchased the Peace Communication Folder because they liked mine so much. Check them out here.

Rumor has it that there is a big sale is coming soon. My fingers are crossed because my wishlist is busting at the seams!

But for the best news...I was nominated for another award. I can't believe it!

Thank you so much to Katherine at Blessings of Teaching for making my day. In all the craziness this was great! This award is named for the German word "liebster", which translates to "beloved" or "favorite" and is given to a "new and upcoming blogger."

Here are the rules:

Link back to the person who gave it to you.
Post the award to your blog.
Give the award to at least 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
Leave a comment on the five blogs letting them know that they have been offered the award.

So here are my nominations. These are great blogs. You really should check them out.

A Blog Hop and an Award

2012-07-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

Two exciting things today:
1) I'm joining my first ever blog hop!
2) I was nominated for my first ever award!

is hosting a

So, let's see, I need to tell you:

What state I live in...
1. I live in the good 'ole Volunteer State of Tennessee.

...my current teaching position
2. I teach first grade and I love it!

...my teaching experience
3. I taught 7th grade Language Arts (Reading & Writing) & Social Studies for 3 years. Then I bumped down to 4th grade for two years. Finally, I scooted on down to 1st grade where I've been for 7 years. I've also been the Curriculum and Instructional coach for K-4 in my building for 4 years.

...when I started blogging
4. I started a family blog in 2011 after number 3 (known here as The Boss) was born. I didn't start my teacher blog though until...hmm...the last week of June. So that would be about 4 weeks ago. Yeah, a newbie!

...and share a blogging tip / blogging resource.
5. When I set up my blog, I stumbled upon the FREE blog templates and backgrounds of Leelou Blogs, Shabby Blogs, and The Cutest Blog on the Block. Between the tutorials and free material the find was a lifesaver in setting up this blog and dressing up my family blog. If you are thinking of starting a blog, check them out!

Now for my second exciting thing. I've been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks goes to Scrappy Teaching in FL for this nomination (and the above Newbie Blog Hop where she found me).

Now it my turn to nominate!

Versatile Blogger Award:

Thank the blogger who nominated you.
Include a link to their site.
Include the award image in your post.
Give 7 random facts about yourself.
Nominate 5 - 10 other bloggers, include their link, and let them know.

All right, I can check off the top 3. Now to tackle the #4 and #5.

7 Random Facts About Me

I'm the oldest of ten. Yes, I have nine siblings and they are all crazy enough to be interesting. Imagine the get togethers!
I adore Science Fiction/Fantasy. One of my favorite series is Firefly. Heard of it?
One of my favorite authors is Jane Austen, and one of my favorite books is Stardust by Neil Gamian.
I'm married to a dairy farmer. No, I don't milk the cows. There is a guy for that. Yes, I have had plans rearranged because of cows that decided to go for a walkabout or augers that decide to break.
I like to write and have been working on a story for...let's just say a long time. I squeeze in time between teaching, blogging, children, home, etc. Yeah...
My husband was the fire under my tooshy to get me blogging. He is a social media nut (yeah, and a farmer...odd combo). He has two blogs Silo Skies and The Udder Side.
I loved to act when I was younger and had dreams of becoming an actress. I told my parents that I was going to graduate high school and move to NYC. My brother ended up in NYC and I ended up on a dairy farm, but I put on the best show for ten months every year...six and seven year olds love it!!

Now for my nominations...

All That Glitters in First Grade

Sliding into First

My Silly Firsties

Time 4 Organization

The First Grade Scoop

First Grade W.O.W

First Grade Found Me

Common Core Dreams

2012-07-21T04:06:00.000-07:00

So last night I dreamed about common core. Let me be clearer...I had a nightmare about common core. A storm blew in waking my baby up 3 times (yeah, that was a nightmare too...but that's another blog). I would get him to sleep and BAM! I was right back in the middle of the nightmare.

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There they were...an evaluation team. Not the normal evaluators, but a team of robotic like scientists bent on common core perfection. The evaluation team flaunting their plain, white lab coats and ugly, brown clipboards walking through my HOUSE! Yes, common core had invaded my house. They strolled through my house scribbling notes, nodding heads, and pointing to my treasured items.

"Those pictures, yep, not common core. Must come down."

"That rug, definately not common core. Get rid of it."

"The toys, nah, don't think so. Have to go."

I nodded my head like a bobble head agreeing to everything they said. It was crazy!

Any other person would think I'm making this up, but you know I'm not because I bet you've had the common core dream too.

I know mine was brought on by my immersion into the beast as I made pacing guides and researched. Then when I found out first grade was going to be tested next year, that sealed it. I went to bed wondering how I was going to get my firsties ready for the test. I knew the vocabulary would get them before the information did. What was I going to do?

Thankfully, I stumbled upon a Common Core Word Wall by Anna Brantley (I love her stuff!). Click the picture below to check it out yourself.

It includes language arts and math of course, but what really got me excited was this little sentence:

"I will add the science and social studies vocabulary cards as soon as they are released."

How wonderful! I'm loving the idea of using this word wall this year.

So, how are you getting ready for Common Core? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Getting Organized

2012-07-13T05:35:00.000-07:00

Soooooo, you've mapped out your curriculum and you're feeling a little sassy about it. Then you turn and see the long to do list and your sassy flees in panic.

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Don't run away! Stay on course and do one thing at a time.

Step one - Get your year organized. Done, you now have a map of your year and you can breathe because you know that everything will be covered in time. Whew!

Step 2 - Get yourself organized.

It is a priority thing. The most important thing is that you cover the standards in an efficient and productive way. Then, you have to make sure that you are mentally and physically prepared for the year. There is a lot to keep up with and you need to be ready. Those children won't teach themselves (Interesting thought though. Wonder how that would look???)

Last year, I was coming back from a long maternity leave and skipped this step because I felt rushed to get ready. BAD IDEA! In payment for impatience, I spent the whole year juggling file folders and little slips of paper wondering if I was losing my mind. I was the Curriculum and Instruction coach for K-5 as well as teaching first grade and helping with the school play. This is also the year we introduced data, data, data and common core. That was quite a bit of paper people.

This year I'm not skipping steps. I've put together my teacher planner to match my classroom theme...PIRATES! How fun. And because I had so much fun creating mine, I just had to create one for each of my partners. Click the pictures below to get your copy. Each picture links to its own document.

1. My schedule goes in the front.
2. Student information comes next (class list, birthdays, passwords, lunch ids, transportation info, emergency #'s)
3. Monthly Calendar Pages (Year long calendar with holidays, etc marked, district calendar, calendar pages)
4. Staff and Team Meetings (paper to take notes, important staff #'s)
5. Common Core Standards (pacing guides, I can statements)
6. Curriculum planning (my passwords for district websites, technology help sheets)

7. Miscellaneous (blackline masters I use every week, whatever...)
8. Lesson Plans
9. Grade Book
10. Data Book (new for me...thinking current data for the class - STAR Reading, STAR Math, DIBELS, Fluency Logs, Discovery Math, Discovery Reading)

Now I have a one stop notebook that goes everywhere with me and has everything I need. Some may not need all the dividers. I tend to be both slightly OCD and slightly scatterbrained. Yes, it is annoying, so I plan for both states of mind.

Enjoy!

The Joys of Reading

2012-07-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

I love teaching reading because I love to read, but it always seems to be the most daunting subject to plan for in first grade. So much is involved in turning fledgling readers into accomplished, "I can do it!" readers. Phonetics, phonemics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency all have to come together under the right conditions for the magic to occur. At times it feels as if I'm stirring together a witch's brew where one misplaced ingredient would cause the whole concoction to explode.

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This never turns out well!

After teaching reading for several years and researching good reading practices, I would like to say that I have completely come to terms with reading instruction. Although I do feel more comfortable with it, I still have my panic moments, especially with my strugglers. I don't consider this a bad thing. I think any teacher worth their salt (as we say down south) should worry. No teacher wants to let their students down academically or otherwise. On the other hand, we shouldn't beat ourselves with the reading stick every time a student misses a word or gives you a blank stare when you ask them, "What is the setting of this story?"

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This actually happened to me....during an evaluation...by one my brighter students...who liked to be noticed...who smiled when she said "What's that?"...it rendered me speechless...only for a moment...oh dear!

In other words, teach the five components of reading and teach them well. Document progress and change gears when necessary. Research ways to teach reading, talk to good reading teachers, and implement good reading strategies in your classroom. BUT keep in mind that reading really is developmental. Consider yourself, your reading skills are still developing. You will never stop learning how to read and understand literature better. Reading, like math, is a skill that builds and grows with you. The same is true for our little buddies. Give them time and trust your teacher's gut.

With that said, here is my pacing guide for this year. I can't teach without a guide especially in reading which can feel so random as you move through the different skills. In our district, we use Scotts Foresman Reading Street basal. My plan is to incorporate our basal into the Daily Five. My thought is that the basal stories would be good for Read to Someone and I can pull the activities for Word Work and Work on Writing from the skills presented that week. This will free me up to tackle more complicated texts during our shared reading or mini-lesson each day. What do you think? I would love your feedback as I'm always looking for better ways to teach reading.

Click the picture above to download

If you are considering doing Daily 5 in your classroom, you have to check into the Daily 5 book study going on this summer. I have loved it and the information has been invaluable. It has been wonderful to read and see how other teachers are interpreting Daily 5 in their classrooms. I have recommended it to several teachers at my school already.

Here is a link to Chapter 1

And another one that you might like

You can also check out my Pinterest boards for more info about reading and the Daily 5. Just click the link at the top of the page.

Happy reading!

What are Your Writing Plans?

2012-06-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

So, here I am knee deep in the next phase of my planning. This week I tackled writing, which I might add is one of my favorite subjects to teach.

Confession time, before I went into education, I was an English major. Yes, I was one of those, and I fit the stereotype perfectly. I graduated with my B.A. in English Literature. I also, as many English majors did, dabbled in writing. A younger me had aspirations of becoming a writer. Oh, not a famous one, no, I liked staying in the shadows and just under the radar. It would've been great, except I began to be pulled in a better direction. But, I digress...

Click the picture to get you free guide

In first grade it is hard to separate writing and reading. They go hand in hand, intertwine, compliment each other....um, you get the idea. If you put all those standards on one pacing guide though, it is overwhelming. So, I break them up for my sanity as I've done here.

I teach writing using Writing Workshop. My buddies love it! I see such improvement in their writing by the end of the year. I don't jump in right away. I usually ease them into it making sure they have the basics first (handwriting, sentence structure, etc.), but with Common Core I've had to up the pace a bit. With Common Core they are required to write four different types of paragraphs by the end of the year - how-to (research), informative, opinion, and narrative. I want to make sure that my buddies are comfortable with each so that they are prepared for second grade. I'm hoping I can meet the pace. I'm thinking of focusing on grammar on Mondays. Then pulling the grammar in with a mini-lesson before Writing Workshop on Tuesday - Thursday. Friday will be another grammar day or assessment. What do you think?

I'll be posting Reading next...if I can decide which Common Core text exemplars to use for Shared Reading. Any ideas???

Introduction and a Freebie

2012-06-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm belly flopping into the world of educational blogs. Stand back because this could get messy! I'm not new to blogging. I've been writing a personal blog for over a year now as a way to share the highlights of my children's activities with grandmas, papaws, aunts, uncles...you get the idea, but I don't think a readership of my family (despite the sheer number of them) counts.

Now my husband, a dairy farmer and fellow blogger, has convinced me to venture into the world of professional blogging. I don't know what he's thinking. I'm already MIA during the school year (can you relate???) and now he is encouraging me to disappear even further into the depths of the computer. Hmmm, perhaps I should be concerned...

The title of my blog came from the t-shirt slogan, .

With all the changes, social issues, lack of resources, and general educational upheaval, you would have to be crazy or fearless - or both! I think most teachers fall into the fearless category. Everyday I'm impressed with the dedication and passion of today's teachers. What makes us fearless education soldiers? Our love of children? Probably. Our passion for learning? Definitely. Or could it be that despite what everyone says we really do know what we are doing and are confident in our abilities? Absolutely!!

One area I enjoy is planning. I love planning and researching ideas which is how I splashed into the blogging world. I've been skulking around blogs for awhile now and gobbling up some real inspiration.

I'm now ready to give back a little. Like most of you I'm planning for August. I'm starting by tweaking all of my curriculum guides to match Common Core. We adopted Envision Math last year as well, so I started by aligning my guide with Common Core and Envision. Now I usually don't teach strictly from the book, so I'll be adding other activities that match the Topics but dig deeper into the standards. Can we say rigor? Yes, that's a catch phrase in our county as well. You can snag a copy of my Curriculum Guide below.

I apologize for the long post. Generally I keep it short to keep up with my 3 children.(Right now my one year old is trying to tackle my computer. Wonderful!)

Let me know if this is helpful. I'll be posting my language guide soon, so check back!