And it has begun...

Hard to believe it's already October and we've been in school for over a month already.  As I've said before this year is different for me due to my schedule.  Teaching 5th and 6th grade Reading/LA blocks and working on Reading Interventions with 1st and 2nd.

Since this year is so different I'm trying out different things with my students.  One of my favorite new things so far is their Book Journals.  Students read for at least 20 minutes every night and pick a way to respond to it from our list in their journal.

This list is great because these are ideas the students created.  After coming up with this list we practiced what each response should look like.  It was decided that all writing entries should be at least a full paragraph and any drawing entry needs writing with it as well.  Once we decided on the rules all students copied this into the inside cover of their journal.

On each page the students label before they write.

Date:

Title:

Time Read:

Signature:

Students get it signed every night by a parent.  This helps us to keep ourselves organized.  Here's a sample from one of my fifth grader's journal:

These have been amazing to see everyday and the things they create have been very impressive!

Happy Journaling!!

Wal-Mart is joining the Back to School fun!

I'm not sure if you're aware but the Back to School season is upon us.  Stories have started their mean streaks but putting up the displays and making school supplies seem tempting to buy by marking them down!  I admit I have already this summer fallen victim myself to the excitement of new, shiny, pretty school things.  I promise though that I will be doing this in a better way this year.  I will shop smart!!

In my first effort of this I wanted to post about this new deal with Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart is doing a deal where from July 25 to 31 they're giving back to all teachers.  Buy your school supplies from Wal-Mart, register your receipt and you'll get 10% back via e-card, which of course can be used to buy even more school supplies.  Here's the article with all the fine print.

Happy Shopping!!

FREE CLASSROOM BOOKS??

Okay so not all of these ideas are free. I don't know about your classrooms, but I feel like I can never get enough great books in mine!  I know what you're going to say, books get expensive! I have few ideas to get some books at a cheaper price or even free.  Check out these ideas!


 1. FREECYCLE
Freecycle is an online site where you can find people in nearby areas giving things away for free!  The groups are monitored by volunteers and you can search for whatever types of books you're looking for.


2. Garage Sales
It's summer time and I feel like every neighborhood has garage sales constantly going on.  If you can check to see if they have a lot of children's items.  These houses will be more likely to have children's books.


3. Library Sales
I used to work at my neighborhood library and I know that twice a year we would go through and pull books that we either had multiple copies of or just weren't getting checked out.  Quite often these were all GREAT books.  Check in with your local library and ask when they're having their next sale!


4. eBay
Everyone knows eBay has tons of stuff so why not check this out for books?  Just watch out for the shipping prices of course!!


5. Thrift stores and Goodwill
I've had some great luck with finding gently used books at local Goodwill stores.  A lot of the time they'll have color sales(certain colored stickers) or items sale. Just ask an employee when/if books will be on sale.  If they look at you with a weird face just tell them you're a teacher.


These are just a few of the ideas I've been able to come up with and use myself.  If you have more please share!!

You want me to read over the summer??

Have these words been spoken by a child you know this summer?  I know some of us are only a few weeks into our summer break but we can't forget how important it is to read every day.  Barnes & Noble is doing a great program this summer.  All a child has to do is read 8 books and fill in the B&N Summer Journal.  If they complete the journal and bring it into a B&N store they'll get to pick a free book.  This great program is for children going into grades 1-6. 

As an adult I can't help but love B&N for my own reading.  This summer program is a great incentive!  I know I gave my students forms for it before school was even out.

B&N Program INFO


Since we're on the topic of reading, what is everyone reading this summer? Adult or YA? Titles??

Starting Out

Hi,

I figure the best way for me to get this blog starting is to tell you why is was started.  Next year will be my 8th year as a teacher, scary right?  You'd think by now I'd have it down to a science, but surprisingly I don't. (Teacher sarcasm)  Next year is a whole different ballgame for me so I want to share my hits, misses and everything in between.

Starting in August I'll be teaching 5th & 6th grade Reading/Language Arts and be working as my schools first ever Reading Specialist!  Splitting my time between the two will be a first for me as I've always done one or the other.

I'm going to use this space to share great ideas, tips and books.  Probably while also working out my struggles from time to time as well.

So let's hope for the best and get ready for an exciting year!

Jen K

“I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” 
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland