Settling In to my New Position

Hey there!

Have any of you missed me? I know I have popped in a couple times for Wisdom posts, but I haven't "just posted" in awhile. You might remember my new position, the Title I teacher, and honestly that has not been what has kept me away. This time of year volleyball consumes a large amount of my time--after school for practice, Tuesday (and sometimes Thursday) game nights, and all day tournaments on Saturday. This, along with the crazy notion I had to start working on my Masters Degree as a Reading Specialist has been...well...kicking my tail (you might say).

I've wanted to post about my new position for awhile and just hadn't found the time. Every spare moment has been used on homework (at which point I ask my hubby to remind me again what I was thinking...).

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE my new job. My schedule is jam packed meeting with kids one-on-one, two-by-two, and in small groups. Right now I'm working with K-2 students until 1:00 and then I head to the Intermediate building (20 minutes away) for the remainder of the day. That has been a bit of a challenge...many days I forget things at the other building or wish I had something that was at the other building. Even that is getting better...although on Tuesday I had a mini panic attack when I got to work without my computer and wondered what I had done with it. Thankfully, it was safe---in my other office!

As a classroom teacher, there were days when I felt like a rock star teacher and days I wondered if I had successfully taught anything. 

I know you know what I mean! 

I've come to realize that as a Title teacher that feeling can change every 10-15 minutes when I grab a new kiddo for another lesson. ;-)

I do love that I am able to individualize instruction so much more than I could as a classroom teacher, and my students are becoming "my kiddos" just like before. That was something I was worried I would miss about not being in the classroom!

Now for a look at some of the things that have helped me jump right into teaching "my kiddos."

Six Minute Solutions - I have eSolutions for the older grades. You're also seeing a picture of one of my kiddos' data folders, something I was excited to continue from days in the classroom. The rings in the baggie are for sight words (I'll explain in another post).

This product has been a lifesaver for working with my K students. So easy to use. The hardest part was putting the pages in plastic sleeves so we could use dry erase markers on them. 

Pathways to Reading, of course. Absolutely love this program.

Now for a couple of things I have figured out on my own...

I needed a way to jot notes about each of my kiddos. This is what I came up with. So far I am liking it!

I also figured out right away that some of my students needed a little motivation either to follow my STAR rules or to work hard.

My second graders earn a star sticker for following these rules:

Sit up straight.

Take turns.

Attentive listening.

Respect others.

My Kinders earn a sticker for working hard and/or completing a "Be a STAR!" chart I make for them with the letters we are working on.

So far the kiddos I see form the other grades haven't needed a STAR chart. I'll just have to give them a "fun day" or something. I still don't know what we will do when the others get their charts filled up...one of my 2nd graders is getting so close. He has been giving me some ideas. :-)

Hope you're having a great week!

Monday Made-It - Fact Fluency Sticker Charts and Calendar (Freebies)

Happy Monday! 

I'm at a Pathways to Reading (PTR) training today through Wednesday. I absolutely love PTR! I was first introduced to it when student teaching with Kristi, and then of course, I had to be trained in it when I was hired on in that district/school. To be honest, I felt like that training taught me more about teaching kids to read than any college course that I had taken. 

My new school is going to be implementing PTR this school year. The other teachers went to a Year 1 training, but since I had already been I'll be at the Year 2 training. I'm a little nervous...I will actually be working with kiddos (that's the fun part) but since I didn't really do PTR last year, I'm feeling a little rusty...and I think other teachers and the trainer will be watching me. Ack! Hope it all comes back to me and quick!

Okay...enough about that. 

I'm linking up with Tara for Monday Made-It. I still haven't gotten crafty this summer (except for the Pinterest party wreaths), but I did manage to get some fact fluency sticker charts finished.

Last year, I started using the ones from The Curriculum Corner (great site w/ lots of free resources). The kids loved having a sticker chart on their desk, but they were all the same. I wanted to be able to see at a glance who was working on which set of facts so I decided to make up ones for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

 Let me explain a bit. I do math timed tests in my room two or three times a week, and no it is not the kind that gets my kiddos all stressed out and worried. I keep it very low-key and fun...joking about when to start, etc. In fact, my kiddos are always begging me to take timed tests. I'm also a bit of a softie and if I can tell someone has been working really hard to pass, I will make up a reason to give the class a few extra seconds to work that day.

Each time they pass (all facts finished and score better than 95%), they get to put a sticker on their chart. When they pass a mixed facts page and move to the next level, I buy them a pop. I had a handful of second graders that made it to division facts last year, and one that was soooo close to passing her mixed division. Through the year, I buy 12 packs of pop at a time depending on what they request. Then at the end of the year, I use the leftovers to have a float party...works out pretty well.

So...if you're interested, click here to grab your free sticker charts.

I also managed to upload my second how-to video. Click here if you missed the first one. Check it out if you want to see how I change up a PowerPoint file quickly by swapping out graphics (remember I don't claim to be an expert :-)). In the video, I changed our free robot calendar to a kids calendar (so it could be used with almost any theme).

Yours free if you'd like to have it. Just click here (TPT) or here (TN).

Looking forward to checking out the Monday Made-Its! Here's hoping I haven't embarrassed myself at the training...yet. :-)