Feeling the love

I think I have the best class ever.

I know, I know... we all say that.

But...

I think I do.

(By the way, sorry for neglecting you. I have just been so busy with start of the year 'stuff'. Settling in, classroom routines and expectations, getting my student teacher organised, planning, parent meetings,, regular meetings, swimming carnival, homework, assessment... and we have only been at school for ten days!)

Back to the point of this blog post, my fabulous class.

They are all settling in quite well and I have had very few issues (even including the little person I was quite concerned about at the end of last year!)

This week (week three of the first term) has been just as busy as the others but it included my birthday, a swimming carnival, Chinese new year and St Valentine's day... and it isn't over yet!

Anyway, my birthday was on Tuesday and I was given lots of cards and presents from the children.

 

 

 

Cookies, cat toys (I was wondering why they were asking if I had a cat!) and a garden gnome, flowers and chocolate! Aren't my students just the best?!

 

Today is St Valentine's day and after our swimming lesson this morning, we returned to find a mysterious box and note on one of the desks.

 

 

How exciting! We uncovered the surprise inside and found...

 

 

WOW! One of my children's parents has out done themselves... but wait, there is more!

 

 

Amazing, right? This is what we found when we cut into the cake. The children were beside themselves (not to mention me!)

 

Little did they know that one of the other students had already snuck their surprise into the room, to hand out to their classmates, at the end of the day.

 

 

Valentine lollipop flowers!

 

 

I just feel so spoilt and am really 'feeling the love' in our room this year. I had to share the lovely little surprises which are making the hard work so enjoyable. I hope that you have a happy little time this Valentine's day too!

 

 



New School Year, New FREEBIE!- Quick Notes Home

Since my new year has started so swimmingly (quite literally, swimming starts on Monday!) I thought it would be a good way to celebrate by sharing a freebie.

Here are my 'quick notes home'. So handy for reporting little incidents to parents, especially when you are time poor like most teachers! I send one of these home for notifying of a small injury or illness (such as a tummy ache), bad behaviour (those which don't really require direct contact with parents via phone or meeting) and GOOD behaviour (I find that parents enjoy hearing the good news stories too and it retains positive home-school connectedness).

Click here to download a copy for your own use!)

There is a space at the bottom for your name and contact details (I just have my name and work email there).

 

 

One thing to note, I also write the incident notification in my 'parent communication' log, in my plan folder, with the date. This ensures that I have a reference if there are any further issues or if it is recurring.

 

I hope you find these useful, send me a comment if you download and use them, I appreciate any feedback!

 

 



Happy 'firsts' week, Australia!

This week marks the first week of school after the summer holidays for Aussie kids (I do believe there are a couple of states yet to return?)

 

Happy 'firsts' week!

 

I had my new grade of 3/4's for the first time since transition today (the first 'official'  couple of days of school were professional development days).

 

 

Well, I've tired myself out, trying to get everything perfect for the beginning of the year. I even managed to get a batch of mini cupcakes made as a welcome gift for the children! They adored the surprise and none of them touched the cupcakes until they had permission, they really are adorable children.

 

They are confetti cupcakes with marshmallow frosting and sprinkles! I downloaded the little wrappers and toppers from www.paperglitter.com and made a little message for the topper too.

 

Well, I have to mark some maths assessment but I'll leave you with a picture of my messy little room... finally in use!

 

I'm just so happy!

 

 



Freebie! Template for IEP's or ILP's or whatever you call them!

I was just finishing up a little IEP (Individual Education Plan) for each of my children and it occurred to me that I should give you a copy!

It is very basic but I update it regularly with easily achievable goals.

Some students have just one page, a little goal and that is all... others have a page for EVERYTHING (behaviour, literacy, numeracy, attendance, home/school links, social etc). 
Some students need extension, others monitoring and retaining current level, others need intervention as they are 'at risk'.

Our state department has mandated that some students MUST have IEP's (funded, Koorie students, out of home care, ESL etc) and since that makes up the majority of my class, I just go ahead and write each student a learning plan. It is surprising how many bases it covers. Teaching goals, parent communication when issues arise, accountability, assessment and reporting... you name it!

Anyway, here is my cute proforma. I hope that you find it useful. Change it as you please but I'd love some credit (eg a link back to my blog) for it if you use it in any way in your own blogging adventures.

Click here to download.

Let me know what you think and if there is any feedback you have.

Cute stuff!

I just had to show you all.

I got these from the online Australian Geographic Shop and they were only $5 each! I think the sale goes on for another few days.

I also got a set of headphones for listening post $5 each too... you'd have trouble getting them over the internet for that price!

Happy :)

Classroom Makeover- Completed stage one

As the title says, stage one of my classroom makeover has been completed! I've been in there for days preparing for the 29th of January when we go back to school after summer break.

I call this 'stage one' because I haven't done labels and stuff yet due to the printer being offline. Oh well, it gives me a chance to create them so I can print them all of in one go.

Anyway, here are some pictures!

 

Going clockwise around the room. The 'on the mat' area. I would love to get a big mat but haven't gotten around to it yet. See the trolley with the document camera? It was old, brown, laminated wood grain and in pretty bad condition. Nothing that a couple of cans of gloss enamel can't fix! I also painted my desk which was also wood grain. See the clipboards near the desk? They are for student drawings. I have a 3/4 so I won't get as many as in a very young class and I can rotate them as they arrive.

 

 

There's the desk to the left. I made some checklists for beginning and end of the day, they are in frames on the wall beside the desk. Also, my No Name clips (for un-named work) and fabric shoe storage for individual pigeon holes for each student. I can set these up with individual's work before the day starts or return graded pieces here. See the little bath mat by my desk? That's a classroom management tool for anyone who is not doing the right thing when on the mat.

 

No chairs yet, I still have to get those and please excuse the junk on the table. I was testing a new way to make chair bags. In this pic you can see my couch and class library in the corner. My favourite spot.

 

 

 Moving around. Entry door (with parent news cork board/student reminder board) and computers. Beside the computers is an access door to a withdrawal room/storage area.

 

Another display wall with storage and learning objectives.

 

 

A close-up of my guided learning area. We will sit on the floor. Also, you can see my metal tray groups display for reading and spelling. They will have the names on magnets so they can easily be moved around. They also have magnetic clips on them so I can clip spelling lists etc to them. They are painted in chalkboard paint.

 

My desk. Fruit bowl (no breakfast club at our school and kids sometimes arrive hungry). The file folders have days of the week labels on them. They hold the copied work for the day. Rotating spice rack has little supplies like pins in it. Oh, and one more picture frame with 'Eldest in the family' list for handing out notes.

 

I don't usually have a teacher desk in the room but this year I'm trying something a bit different.

 

Picture Book section of the class library. We don't have shelves in the rooms so I went with foam boxes.

 

Novels/fiction. With a basket full of 'reading buddies' (soft toys).

 

External entry door with news/reminders board. Excuse the shortish curtain. The room didn't have curtains so I used flannel backed tablecloths and shower rings with a ribbon tieback (cheap alternative) and they were a fraction short.

 

Well, that's about it in a nutshell for now. I want to dangle more paper lanterns in the space behind the couch and have to put my displays, labels and chairs with pink and blue chair bags in. I may post some updates another day.

 

Thanks for looking! I'd love to know what you think, please leave a comment.

 

 



Freebie- planning template and how I do it!

Hi all!

I've been working on a new planning template to cover some differentiated teaching and learning and to plan for my classroom aide and student teacher (I'm so lucky to have helpers this year!)

Being pretty experienced, I don't have to write everything out in full so the planning document can be quite compact.

A little background information: At our school, we have an hour mathematics session every morning (I like to squeeze a bit more in if I get the morning admin and jobs done quickly) and then after recess, we have a 2 hour literacy block. This has traditionally been an hour of reading (including a focus, small group work, guided reading and sharing) and an hour writing block (including spelling, grammar, handwriting and punctuation etc). Of late, we have placed a greater focus on spelling and have stated that there is now a mandated 20 min section within the 2 hour literacy block for word work. This has been interpreted as: 50 minutes reading block, 20 minutes word work, 50 minutes writing, by most teachers at the school.

The senior end of the school has really gotten into working in a Literature Circle routine where the Foundation grade - grade 2 children generally work in centres for their independent reading time.

Through analysis of surveys (completed by parents and students), assessment and observations, we have established that there is some room for improvement when the students transition from grade 2, into grade 3.

Guess where I'm teaching this year?

In order to follow the school's mandated time allocation for these main subjects and to address the transition issue, I've started working on a mutation of the centres AND Literacy Circles, mixed together.

I'll try to explain.

Mathematics is quite straight forward for me. I first take the curriculum and the assessment records of the students and plan for the year in terms.  
Then I break each 'standard' into weeks and sessions I believe it will take the students to grasp the concepts and plan at a 'week' level, then a 'per session' level. I make sure that I am familiar with standards above and below their level, so I can adjust the teaching and learning to accommodate individuals.
Then weekly, I fill out my planning document based on my 'big picture' planning (the year, term, week overviews). I do leave a small amount of time for adjusting and re-teaching of concepts if things don't quite go as I expect!

Literacy is a little different this year. Like I said, I'm trying something new. I still do the overview plans for reading, writing, speaking and listening and grammar, punctuation and spelling, but the way I'm delivering it will be different to the way I have done in the past.

My idea is to begin with reading TEACHING. This is a whole class focus time with a book, teaching specific concepts. I'm thinking this will go for 15-20 mins.

Next, students will break into their 'Book Clubs' and practise independent reading as well as completing a Literacy Circle type task which is geared to their ability level and discussing reading/learning.

During this time, Some students will be completing their tasks based on a book at the listening centre, some will be working completing theirs on a digital text or website on the computer, some completing their tasks independently on their own books and some in a guided group with me or the classroom aide (following the group work, we will rove and take assessment notes).

PHEW!  

This should take around 20 mins and will have a 5-10 minute discussion about their learning, within their groups (30 minutes all up)

Are you still with me? 20 minute reading focus, 30 minute independent/group. 50 minutes so far.

Next, students come back to the floor for a 10 minute spelling/grammar/punctuation focus and 10 mins to complete a quick task based on their levelled spelling words or the grammar/punctuation focus. 20 mins total.

(We are up to 1hr, 10 mins- 50 mins to go!)

Next is writing focus, again 20 minutes, whole group. (30mins left!)

Students will then independently write. The theme, audience and genre etc will be established during a focus on that day or previously. They may be at various stages in the writing process. Myself and my aide will have a guided group and then rove, taking assessment notes- 20 minutes. 

Students will need to share their learning or make organised presentations of their writing so this will be the last 10 minutes of the session (covering some of the Speaking and Listening component of the curriculum).

Yep, that's 2 hours!

Running records will be undertaken daily during a 10 minute D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read) time after the lunch break, before moving into specialist subjects for an our in the afternoon.

I have uploaded a copy of the template I'm hoping to use for session planning (including pages for guided work). 

I am tempted to also upload the overview curriculum plans but I think it is important that teachers know the curriculum thoroughly and plan their own overviews (planning them SURE helps to get to know them back to front!)

Please let me know what you think of my document, planning process and lesson structure. I'd also love to know how you do it!   

Click to get a copy of the template