Interactive Read Aloud Time

My district started "Coaching Cycles" for teachers in the area of Literacy. Each building has a Literacy Coach to work on a specific teaching skill during grade level "cycles". Last year we focused on Interactive Read Alouds. This has been otherwise known as Accountable Talk. Students spend time during a read aloud thinking about and discussing their thoughts, opinions, etc. Teachers plan stopping points with questions or thoughts. These questions should be open ended questions for the students to ponder and/or debate.

Let's be real. Reading through a children's text, planning stopping points, having a specific focus, designing turn and talk opportunities, planning your think aloud moments, writing questions and ideas on post-its, thinking about a good stop and jot place, and possibilities of stop and act sounds like a ton of work...which it totally is. (Many teacher reactions included: "you want us to do WHAT in addition to everything else?!") However, in my experience, payoff has been big. Students are really thinking critically about characters, plot, and literature in general. They are making connections to their own lives and viewing different perspectives. When partners disagree, they try to consider both possibilities. Sometimes they try to convince each other with further debate. First grade. For real.

Coming up with great titles for Interactive Read Alouds has been tricky. Fiction has been easier to begin with. Many of these titles can be used in various grade levels depending on your focus. Here are a few that were great to get me started:

 

Of course, non-fiction is a huge focus in the Common Core State Standards. It has been tricky for me to plan for these types of read alouds. The video below was super helpful for me!

Accountable Talk is modeled through Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project videos. They are great to give you and idea of what it can look like.

Has your district focused on this?? What titles are your favorites?

Prep-mania!

As the start of yet another school year looms dangerously close, I have a list of things to keep me busy/sane/organized. This year is a little different. I like to go in a few days before we need to be back just to get a jump on the craziness. However, I will only get three days this year because I will be returning from my honeymoon the week before we go back!!! Not only that, but due to a medical issue with my principal, we are having the "Open House Welcome" to meet the kids on a day that is normally our "Teacher Prep" day.  In a nutshell – I need to have my classroom kid-ready before we technically go back...and I have three days to get it all done!

Deeeeep breath.

I was able to snag a copy of my classlist...which I am grateful for!!! I am writing up desk tags, printing name labels, and getting ready for a great year.  I have a feeling this is going to be a good one! (At least I hope)! I would love to get a handle on back to school activities before we dive into the nitty gritty of curriculum.

So CUTE:

Life is full of beautiful things.

Pinterest is full of beautiful ideas. Thank you creative teachers for making this back to school year exciting!

I guess step one is layout. I have been working hard on setting up cozy and welcoming nooks in my room.  I found some adorable ideas!

I think the tricky part is having it look fun without being over stimulating for some kiddos.

And I WISH I was creative enough to make those cute storage crate stools!! I just don't know if I have the craft power.

 If my doorway had a layout like this picture- I would try this amazing design!

 

Right now my room will be set up like last year.  I will try to get a picture when I am granted open access to my room. I need to find a place for everything.  Storage (or lack of it) is a HUGE challenge for me in my room.  What is your biggest challenge??

Pin City

I thought it was a great idea to share some favorite pins found on the almighty Pinterest. I try to keep my interest wide – not just pinning about school or food, although that is the majority, if I am being honest. :)

Food :

 

 Best and easiest broccoli of your life! I did this – and redid this over and over. It works really well with kale. Spinach did not turn out so well.

These look like the perfect summer treat. I have not attempted this one yet – stay tuned for an "after" picture.

 Ummm...yes please! Brownie with chocolate chip cookie and Oreos!!  WHAT!?!

Looks:

Totally love this look – but I don't think these heels would work in a first grade classroom. :( Date night only.

Adorable.

Very helpful!

School:

Great idea to use at any grade level. Good creative outlet.

 

Would look so cute during our Fairy Tale unit!

   

 

Fun activity to explore labeling!

(Not sure why these won't center???)

 

NO is OK

Child: "I want that ice cream!"
Adult: "We really don't have time right now."
Child: "I WANT THAT ICE CREAM!"
Adult: "Please don't scream, we have to meet the family for dinner."
Child: "YOU NEVER GIVE ME WHAT I WANT. I WANT IT NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW! YOU ARE THE MEANEST EVER!!!"
Adult: "If I get you this ice cream you need to be so good during dinner."
Child: (miraculously calmed down with an angelic smile) "I will, I will!"

Me: WHAT?!?!?
This happens. I have seen it with my own two eyes. I try to just look away. However, that mom who is ignoring the screaming child on the ground, yet standing at a safe distance- yea, I want to run and give her a high five. No means no. If they learn that a bit of screaming will work, they will use that. Every single time. It is so hard to wait them out. SO HARD. But, so worth it in the long run.

A Pinterest find- I don't know the origin.

I have been working with families for years. I started at age 12 as a mother's helper and graduated to babysitter by age 13. I have been babysitting ever since, and have morphed into a babysitter/consultant. Now that I have had my own classroom for a number of years, I have experience with preschoolers through grade one. I don't have children of my own, but I figure managing ten 3 and 4 year olds gives me some bit of ground to stand on. Not to mention, I have a BA in Psychology, with a concentration in Special and Elementary Education, a Masters in Special Education- concentration in Early Childhood, and a Sixth Year in Administration. The top questions I get from parents are always about behavior. Some have specific questions, while others have general, "what do I do now" situations. Overall, the best tip I can give is BE CONSISTENT and FOLLOW THROUGH. So many parents and caregivers fear telling a child "NO." Many children will throw themselves into a complete fit. It's ok. They will get over it.


Here is the top ten list of ideas that have never failed me:

1. Stand your ground. Kids bounce back quickly. They might be mad when you say no, but they won't be mad forever. They still love you- I promise. No means no. Follow through is so important!

2. What is the purpose? Think about WHY they are engaging in that behavior. If they are screaming for attention, ignore it. If they are whining to avoid putting away their toys, wait until they are calm- then be sure to have them put their toys away. (Please don't do it yourself and pretend that they helped!)

3. Reward the good.  If they do put away their toys, tell them how proud you are, how fast they did it, or how they are an expert cleaner-upper. Even if this followed a tantrum, once they followed the direction, PRAISE.

4. Have fun. Make everything into a game if need be. If you are dealing with the competitive child, time them to see how much they can clean up in 30 seconds. Make it a race (as long as that will not end up with a sibling throw-down), or see how quietly they can do it. Pretend like you are not watching and shock can over take you with how quiet they competed their task. It sounds ridiculous, but the next time they need to do that task, they will go over the top to be sure you don't hear them!

5. Keep them busy. If children are busy and engaged, they are much less likely to get into trouble. Again, this is time consuming and hard work for the adult. It will be worth it having a fun day with your child/student.

6. Give choices. My secret weapon is giving them choices, both of which I might want them to do. "Do you want to walk your dish to the sink on your tip toes or stomping like a monster?" Either way- that dish is getting in the sink.

7. Be brief. Just tell them what you are going to do/need to do. You do not need to tell them that the family is waiting for them, that their friends are going to be waiting their turn, etc. The more talking you do during a meltdown, the more they are going to lose it.They will only hear you when they come out of the craziness that just happened in front of you.

8. Be clear. Tell they what you want them to do, not what they shouldn't do. They hear the last thing you say, so try and say it in the positive. For example, "Don't run in the hallways" can be "walk in the hallway." Or "Don't hit your sister" could be "keep your hands down, we keep our hands to ourselves."

9. Remove. If they engage in an unacceptable behavior, remove them from the positive situation. This means if they hit someone, they need to miss the next game. Negative behaviors should have consequences. The consequence should match the behavior. Consequences could be as simple as you now helping them if they wanted to do it by themselves.

10. Be proactive. Tell them you are going to the grocery store and you really want to get ice cream after. (It can be anything really motivating to the CHILD.) As you are walking through the store, comment on their calm body and remind them that this behavior really shows you that they want that reward at the end. This can be used on a field trip, at field day, on trips, etc. Bribery? I look at it as goal-setting!

Kids are funny. Laugh with them. Under-react. Most things are "NBD" (No big deal.)

I don't know where this originated. It was found on Pinterest and I laugh every time.

If you are a mom in the Connecticut area- check out my friend Yazmin's Mommy Blog!

She is an amazing mother of beautiful twin girls.  In her previous life, she was a fabulously talented teacher!

What works best for you?   

Dollar Spot Delight!

Dollar. Spot. Target. Need I say more? Goldmine! (Although honestly, when I saw they were in full back-to-school mode – panic struck). I was able to snag a TON of Dr. Seuss pencils, erasers, crayons, and "hats." There were also these mini Dr. Seuss tote bags. I picked up four, knowing I could use them for a center or cool "special person/reader/student/guest" thing. I also grabbed adorable speech bubble post-its and sparkly button magnets. Fun times!

You could not pass those bags up, right?

The swirly straws on the top right corner were not from the dollar section. Those gems are tucked away in the party section. I busted out the big bucks and dropped $3 per package. So worth it. I turn them into their birthday treats for the year using an idea from Once Upon a First Grade Teacher:

How easy?? I tape one of these on each straw, put it in a recycled container, and POOF! A fun, non-edible birthday treat!

And finally...

  I purchased this adorable mini filing portfolio. I think I can put sight words for my strugglers, word study ideas, stickers...anything! The other packages are three packs of reusable sandwich bags. I think these might be my favorite. There is just so much you can do! I pictured sending my kiddos home with their sight word cards tucked neatly in so that they can practice at home. 3 in each package at $1 per package! I am trying to curb my spending, but I just see these deals and it's like I can't help it!  This is what I looked like after:

I am trying to avoid doing too many teacher things over the summer, but it is just impossible. When I am not planning for my wedding, I am pinning. When I am not pinning, I am planning for next year. Can't help it. Most teachers can agree.

And something completely random, leaving you with a laugh:

Thrifty Reader ~ Thrifty Teacher

One of my favorite places is my city library. It is a huge, cool [temperature] place that I can chill out and read. Not only do they have a great children's literature collection, their adult collection is massive. I borrow all of my "grown-up books" from the library. During the year I love audiobooks since I have a lengthy commute...the library has them!  In the Summer time, I am more of a book-by-the-pool girl...library again!  With Summer comes trips, where I ditch the bulky book and slip my Kindle into my overnight bag. Again – library with the win! You can borrow pretty much anything from the library. And if they don't have what you need, they can get it for you. Amazing, and ALL FOR FREE. 

I have set my sights on watching more movies as well..they have those too. Granted, I have had to put myself on the waitlist for some of the more popular ones.

During the school year I read a lot of children's books.  A LOT of them.  I read them all year long, at different parts of the day, for many different purposes.  I concentrate mostly on picture books, of which I have had a small obsession since college.  My collection has grown over the years, although I have become much smarter as to how my collection has grown. Sometimes you need 25 books about insects. Buying all of that doesn't make sense. That is where my good friend, the library, comes in. They allow me to take out numerous books on one topic, such as fairy tales, ants, or bears. I can easily check what they have available and what is checked out by looking online. If they don't have it, and I don't need it the next day for a lesson, I can put in a request through the information desk.

BUT...

 
Sometimes you do just need the purchase. Colorful books look so great stocking your classroom bookshelves, filling the book baskets, and manning their perch at the top of the filing cabinet. Not to mention, students want to read them hundreds of times. The other benefit of my library is the "Friends of the Library" Bookshop. Most books are $1-$10. I think the most I paid for a children's book was $5, and it was for a classic Mo Willems story. You all know you would pay the extra cash for Mo too! I can stock up on some great easy readers for a buck each. I usually browse this shop a few times a week over the summer, save my receipts, and our PTA will reimburse me (I know I am so lucky that they do this), as long as the books become school property. Easy and cheap! I won't worry so much about the multiple readings each title gets, turning it to book dust.

 

Three of these are hardcover and one is that stiff- library binding. All four books for $6.00!!

Enough shop talk. Here is what I have been reading this summer just for me. That means no character lessons, strategy taught, or turn and talk questions. Just reading for fun! 

 

This was a very graphic story about a girl and her experience in a concentration camp.  Very upsetting, but a well written story. Not a light summer read. 

 

I laughed – I cried. This was a great story about a women who takes a job caring for a man confined to a wheelchair. This was a book club book and people kept telling me how they balled their eyes out. I didn't get it. And then...I did. Good read.

 

This was a typical beach read. Very light, predictable and silly. Nothing that blows your mind, but I did finish it in two days poolside. Beach approved.

 

This one almost lost me. It took awhile to get into it, but once it got going it was hard to stop. This is a great one for a book club. At the end you are dying to find someone who read it and can give you their thoughts/opinion. 

 

I have only just started this, but I am really enjoying it! It is a non-fiction account of a women who makes several changes each month and focuses on those changes to become a happier mother, wife, friend, and woman. Most of the non-fiction I usually read looks more like this: 

 

(shout out to Kathy Collins- amazing lady!)  

What are your reading (or movie) suggestions?? School or non-school related! 

Pinterest Experiments

I don't know about you, but Pinterest sucks up much of my time these days.  How do people put such cute outfits together?  How could someone possibly cook up muffins that look so perfectly gooey and delicious?  How does someone have the time to make a bookshelf out of Popsicle sticks?? (Well, that last one was exaggerated...or I just have not found it on Pinterest yet.)  I have actually tried a few of my pins, but they just never seem to come out as the picture shows. I mean, have you seen some peoples wedding boards? It seems that it can and has become a total obsession for some folks. Now that I have some time, I've decided to try out some of these magical ideas that just seem so "easy" or are "only a few steps." Since it's summer, and I am doing my best not to obsess over preparing for next year, I decided to start with something non-school related. We shall see Pinterest, we shall see...

Let's start simple:
Test #1- Sweet Potato Fries
Seems easy enough.  Trying to be healthy- but searching for the crisp crunch of a good fry.  Here was the picture- easy peasy, right? WRONG!

Pinterest Picture:

 

Mine:

#Fail

 Despite tossing them in an ample amount of olive oil, they were GLUED to the baking sheet! The worst part- they were still mushy! :( Any better thoughts??

I think that my next pin experiment will be slightly easier to impress with and significantly harder to mess up. Happy Pinning!