Busy and Almost Dizzy

Have you been crazy, busy this week? I have so much going on in my classroom. We are heading towards report cards and conferences and I really struggle with comments that don't sting but need to be addressed. I think I have learned over the years how to take the "bite" out of anything but still getting my point across. Even so, it takes me hours to do this. We were off for Thanksgiving but gave out our conference slips just before leaving. Yikes... no one will even remember there is a conference so I came up with this: This is just a "friendly" reminder so I don't sit around waiting. Will it work? I will let you know.

I tried to use other hw that some of the very best bloggers gave me. So much of it was amazing quality and finally it gave me the confidence to create my own. Why? We work at a very different pace because our kids are ELL's. We need to build their academic language along with the Common Core. I also use Open Court with a very specific phonemic awareness framework. I don't give a ton of hw either. I want the kids to get a break and spend time with their family.

So here are some of the things I created for this unit and they are all aligned carefully to the Common Core.

I always post the Big Idea and Essential Questions because you want to refer to these and make your students aware of them. Ask them, "Did we answer this question?" "What do we know now?" "Has this changed our thinking?" 

This is a great visual to keep near your calendar. It can be done quickly and easily by the "meteorologist of the day." Clothespins are used to mark the type of weather and the temperature. The graphics really help support your student's understandings.

Here are 2 little books I made to reinforce the sight words we are working on right now. Our students confuse he and she frequently and I am hoping this will help them practice this language. I love trimming books with washi tape just to jazz them up a little. This is a version of paper dolls for weather! Okay don't judge.

I needed to add some math activities to this and I love using these weather frames for practicing counting and writing numbers.I also made umbrella cards with raindrops to 50. We need to practice these for sure!

I like to have my students practice working in collaborative groups and this is an activity for that purpose. I will make a recording sheet for them to use and share with the class. Our students need lots of opportunities to present in front of the class.

That's it for today. I have to finish this weather packet but I got a lot of activities made over this break in spite of having a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and shopping more than I should have.

Help! They Need to Learn Those Sight Words!

Am I the only person who feels like I am in a race to the finish line? Some of my kindergarten friends still do not know those sight words and are not all that interested in learning them. Out of fear I have been racking my brains for "brilliant and motivating ideas" to get them to interact with these words. I think I "fell" into something big... dot markers! Kinders love pounding on these to mark an answer so I am taking advantage of this with a new packet created just so students can review all the sight words for the year, in context with a related picture they draw together (imprinting). 50 words with 50 sentences to build and practice for fluency.

Easy. I love easy.

What is unique about this? Students work using a collaborative model to complete two pages together. Pair your students strategically so that they can help each other. It allows for oral language practice and the need to communicate and plan out their course of action! Our students need to learn to work together and build on each other's ideas. Yup, it starts in kindergarten so we need an easy way to implement that. 

My kindergarten teachers love this product and the primary special education teacher. However, the first grade intervention teachers saw it as another great tool to keep their students interested in interacting with these words. Who knew? 

These words are contextualized and must be put in order in a sentence with a related picture. At the end students can present their work (performance task) to others in their group. Finally, I have included a refection which is perfect for young children and easy for them to do. It gives you important feedback about the activity and how they interacted with their partner. 

So you model this, guide students through this, and finally allow them to work independently with a partner . Now you can get your assessments completed for report cards. 

Two students said to me yesterday, "When can we play that game again teacher?" That says it all.

Click on a picture to get to my TpT store to grab this one right here.

What sight word activities do your kids love?

Common Core is not just about standards...

As I am learning about CCSS I have discovered that it is no longer just about addressing the new standards. It is also important that students work using a collaborative model and no longer are we expecting quiet classrooms where just the teacher is talking and one student is responding. This is a huge shift for many teachers and will be difficult for them to alter. We want students talking to each other, using academic language and being purposeful, helping each other.  We know that this is how we all learn best. Why not promote this in our classrooms? In my new role I often collaborate with other teachers and find that I am at my best when I have the privilege to discuss new learning with others. It has made me much more effective and I find myself doing a lot me listening now. All of us need an opportunity to work with others at our grade level and reflect on our teaching practices even if it means laughing at how an activity "tanked" and you had to rethink your lesson! I have been there more times than I care to admit!
What does this have to do with this packet?
First, I had to be sure that the activities were purposeful and differentiated for all  kinds of learners. I also made sure that students had opportunities to work collaboratively, often with a partner. I had  to provide an opportunity for students to show me their learning with a performance based assessment.
All of these activities can be used during guided instruction for intervention purposes too. Hopefully, these will be highly engaging and fun for students to use. I hope I pulled this off. This packet addresses crucial foundational skills our kids must have to learn how to read and I find myself always looking for new ways to visit letters and sounds. I will post this in my TpT store and TN after the hubs edits it! 
What do you think? Are you on board with this?
Stay safe. 

Collaboration or Aggravation?

I busted out these new centers today thinking that the kids needed to be eased back into the routine of school. Maybe I was the one that needed to take it slowly. They loved the containers and the activities inside of them.
I set it up so that students had to work with a partner (yes Common Core is knocking at my door) and I watched them interact with each other. Some of them grabbed all the letters and tried to totally control the activity. Others, (mostly boys) were totally content to sit back and let their female partner take over. LIFE NEVER CHANGES. They were fine with someone else doing all the thinking. They did not take into account that I was controlling the situation and forced them encouraged them to collaborate. This is challenging in the kindergarten world- right? It's all about "I got it first!" We will do this activities like this. I wish I had filmed them. If you want a set because you feel a little overwhelmed coming back from break they are in my TpT store. If you are just starting your break stop gloating.