Schedule Tweaking...

Well, I made it through my first full week last week! That said, I'm oh, so thankful for this Labor Day! I definitely needed the extra day to rest and relax. I spent some time playing volleyball with my kids--in the pool and out of the pool, baking Banana Oatmeal cookies for hubby, and making sure all the laundry was done for the new week.

 

I also ran out of coffee...this is not good. Those of you who have read our blog very long know that I have a "coffee drink" every morning. You may be thinking...go to the store! Well, I live about 25 minutes from the nearest grocery store and I didn't want to make the trip. I did call the gas station and found out that a small can of coffee would be $6.29. Um, no thank you. I will survive...maybe!

Last week was all about getting used to my schedule...which looks like this on paper:

7:40 Contract time begins

8:00-8:30 Plan time*

8:30-10:00 Reading*

10:00-10:30 Recess*

10:30-11:40 Math

11:40-12:10 Lunch*

12:10-12:40 Writing Workshop*

12:40-1:00 Science/Social Studies

1:00-1:30 MTSS (or RTI if you aren't in Kansas)

1:30-1:50 Kindergarten Music

1:50-2:10 1st Grade Music

2:10-2:30 2nd Grade Music

2:30-3:00 Snack/Story/Pack-Up*

3:00-3:30 Plan time*

3:50 Contract time ends

All those little * mean something, of course, so let me explain...

First plan time from 8:00-8:30 with no secretary (praise the Lord I think we have one now) who is also the nurse means one of those mornings, I spent that plan time in search of ice packs and baking soda paste for two of my little sweeties who were stung by wasps on the playground.

At 8:30, we meet in the gym and say the pledge and have any morning announcements before stopping by our lockers and then heading to class which means I don't have nearly enough time to teach reading. This is something I'm going to see about tweaking...

Recess - Each of us takes one week of recess duty at a time so I haven't had duty yet and I don't this week either. Woohoo! That being said, I think when I have duty it is going to be rough not having that little break!

Lunch is not so much lunch as it is getting ready for music. :-(

Writing Workshop doesn't start on time because of a restroom break after lunch...

Snack/Story/Pack-up should really just be called chaos. I HATE strongly dislike this time of day. I tried reading the story while they are eating their snack, but they are just done and ready to go home so I feel like I'm wasting my breath. However, the reading prevents the talking. Beginning next week (not tomorrow), we are starting Mission Possible Math with our "calendar time" so I am strongly considering moving it to this time of day. The kids will be busy with something they enjoy...we will see.

 

And then plan time again...which after that crazy afternoon schedule is more like sit and stare at the wall time, trying to get up the energy to think about planning.

 

As I read back over this, I realize it sounds very...negative. So let me tell you the positives of my new school and schedule.

 

1. My new teaching team and I are having a lot of fun together!
2. Small school - means the "team" includes everyone. Everyone pitches in to help out when needed.
3. No morning duty (unless someone gets stung by a wasp).
4. Did I say small school?
5. Fitting reading AND math into my morning.
6. You guessed it! Small school!
7. The morning meeting in the gym... There are only around 60 students in the entire school. It is pretty neat when we are all saying this school pledge:

 

Today, I will try my best,

to do my best.

I will listen.

I will follow directions.

I will respect the rights of other people.

I can learn.

I will learn.

Say it, and do it!

*Pam and Debbie - Forgive me if I messed it up. I'm still learning!

 

Sorry, no pictures...that shows how my week went. I will try to do better this week! We have started Read to Self, Word Work, and Read to Someone. We're going to keep practicing them this week before adding our other Daily 5 components. This week we're starting our reading series--2008 Reading Street. I'm so excited about this website I found with LOADS of resources for it!

 

Have a great week!

 

 

How I Organize My Reading Materials

I finally finished unpacking in my new room! Can I get a WOOHOO?!?!?!

 

The room is far from ready, but I am super excited that there are no more totes or boxes begging for my attention. I spent some time up there finishing them off and organizing my reading materials. I had finally found a system that worked for me wonderfully last year, and I wanted to have it all ready to go for this year.

 

As you're reading this, I'm probably having a scan of some kind on my gall bladder. I think the threat of surgery has motivated me to get busy... I will say--as I write this--I feel better than I have since the "attack" and am hoping they will still be able to see a problem. The battle between being hungry and the fear of eating is no fun!

 

Sorry if that was too much information...

 

Anyway, take a look at what I accomplished today!

 

First up, my leveled readers. These come from the company divided in levels - below, on, and above. I kept them (at my old school) that way for the first year, but I didn't like having to grab books from three different spots each week. The colors are all the same (within a level) and you can't quickly tell where one week ends and the next begins. Instead I merge the three boxes! That way I can walk over and grab all the books I need each week for my groups. LOVE THIS!

Second, I know many people love organizing their materials in binders, but I LOVE my hanging file folders. They can hold more bulky items...as you will see in the next few pictures I have a lot of premade cards, etc. to store. You can see that I label each folder with the unit number and week number. The big bold writing on manila folders is not mine. The former teacher left those for me. Doesn't she have nice handwriting?

I take the hanging folders for the unit I am currently working on and move them to this crate on my counter. That way I don't have to go digging through my filing cabinet when I need something--or when I find a paper that should be put back in a previous week. I also started this last year and found it worked great for me!

Close up of what you see when you walk up to my crate. I keep the current math unit here too (maybe another post)...

Here's a peek inside my Unit 1 Week 1 reading folder. I have my word wall words, vocabulary word cards, retelling cards, sound spelling cards, I Have...Who Has (for entire Unit 1 - I always start playing the first week so the kids get plenty of practice by Week 5), and the little envelopes have some word cards to make sentences because that is our grammar skill for the week.

I also have my Amazing and Spelling Words posters for my focus wall. If you use 2nd Grade Reading Street, you might want to check these (and much more) out in our store.

This is what the previous teacher left me...fluency passages.

Sometimes I will put a folder within a hanging folder.
Here is Unit 1, Week 5.

Inside I have a "Digraphs" folder because it is our phonics skill for the week and I have a lot of resources to practice (see below).

Kagan Cooperative Learning materials that I have made. I believe these came out of a K-2 Language Arts book. Anyway, on the left is Showdown. On the right in the envelope are the digraphs students can put on the pink sheet to make words.

Our grammar skill for that week is exclamations and questions. This is another Showdown activity I use so it is just loose in the hanging folder.

That is how I organize my reading materials...works for me! I hope it will give you some ideas too. I've linked up with:

 

 

 

Head on over and share your organizational ideas too!

 

Have a blessed day!

P.S. Stay tuned for something big this week! I'll give you a hint. It starts with "F!" ;-)