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

 

 

Freebie! End of year 'quick notes' (testing out Google Drive)

I've been inspired to try out Google Drive by Down Under Teacher (click to visit to her blog) and thought I'd share my end of year 'quick notes' as a freebie! (I made it a while back but it is handy and thought it'd be a good 'test' upload since I didn't have to go ahead and make it from scratch).

I've created these because our school ends homework and the borrowing of books in a staggered fashion in the weeks leading up to the end of year. Even though you might tell the children to let their parents know, or ask them to specifically get parents to read the newsletter, there is ALWAYS a parent who comes to me and says 'Why isn't ....... bringing library books/homework/take home reading home lately?'  

Click here to get the 'quick notes' free!

Enjoy! (Let me know if you like it!)

Birthday Presents, shopping & fixed pictures!

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry about the previous couple of posts, I was unaware that only I could see the pictures. I think I have fixed the problem now (let me know if you still can't see them).

Yesterday I went shopping! It is 'Back to School' sale time here in Australia and I am determined to take advantage of the specials. Sadly I didn't get some of the goodies I wanted but did manage to spend a LOT on stuff.

My best buy were sets of gel pens for birthday presents. With a little curling ribbon and a printed label from Mama Goose (Click here to visit her TpT store and get the labels for yourself) , they look a million bucks, but actually didn't cost all that much. I've popped them in a plastic zip up bag (thanks to hubby for buying new car seat covers and allowing me to have the bag for school stuff) and I will hang them beneath my birthday calendar so the children can all see.

The students will go nuts over these!

In the next few days I will be visiting school to start getting my room organised and decorated for the start of school in late January. I have already emailed my student teacher (I'm lucky enough to have a training teacher working in my room a few days each week this term) and I'm hoping she will be able to come and help me out a bit.

More pictures and updates to come! Thanks for visiting.

I got my DOCUMENT CAMERA!

Hi all,

I know I already posted earlier but I just wanted to show you all my new document camera! It finally arrived! (Got to love Christmas holidays and extra deliveries to slow things up)

Anyway, it is excellent, just as I'd hoped! It took me a few hours to set up because it didn't come with anything. Just a power cord. I had to download all drivers and documents and then figure out what I was doing with installation. I didn't think I'd ever get it but then BANG. Away it went.

I'll have more of a play with it and LABEL every part of it so it doesn't get 'borrowed' at school. Just thought I'd share because I'm sooo happy!

So cool.

 

 



FREEBIE! No Homework note

Just whipped this up today (a quick, fun job before heading into the depths of individual IEP's for each student UGH!)

It is a freebie and is a JPG (sorry, I don't have a TPT store or anything yet).

I also have a couple of other 'quick notes' made up so do let me know if you like this one and want to use it and I'll share the others with you!

Right click and save the JPEG and insert it into a document.

 

 

CUTEST (and easiest) classroom cushion cover- photo tute

During the summer holidays, I have been working so hard trying to create yearly overviews in each subject, to match the new Australian National Curriculum. I think I have done the bulk of that work now.

Today I worked for hours getting my spelling, homework and grammar/punctuation aligned to ensure I was teaching in a correct sequence (eg. teaching what a suffix IS before teaching different suffixes in spelling or sending suffix work home for homework!) I also created a 5 tier, 34 week spelling list program to match the spelling teaching. PHEW! I literally have a headache from doing that!

Now, for some light, crafty relief, I decided to sew some new cushion covers for my classroom cushions. I have 10 in total but hope to get more. My step son went home after visiting for a few weeks which means I can sneak my sewing machine into his room hehe!

I have found the CUTEST and EASIEST way to make cushion covers. I think you could even do this with strong hot glue if you are not a sewing person. However, these are SO simple, you wouldn't feel any guilt asking a crafty parent to do it.

Here's a basic photo tutorial of how to make these for your room.

This is the fabric I used. Vintage woollen blankets from the op shop (thrift store). I bought these months ago for a bargain price. They are snuggly, thick and adorable colours.

 

 First cut the fabric. It is really just a strip.
You will need to have enough fabric to create a 'flap' on each end which is about 3/4 of the cushion size. Allow a little bit of a seam.

You may need to hem your fabric to stop it from fraying. I was lucky enough to be able to use an old hemmed piece. Fold that over first.

Fold up the other flap and sew along each OPEN SIDE.

Turn the flap in the right way (it will be inside out) and slip the cushion in.

Pull the other flap over the top. That's it, DONE! Too easy.

Here they are on my home couch. I am seriously tempted to paint some big punctuation marks onto them but I might wait.

 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. Feel free to print it out and give it to parents if they need instructions.