I just LOVE
Kenny Chesney… Don’t Blink
“DON’T BLINK”
Don’t BLINK!
DON’T BLINK!
I don’t like things on my head.
I do enjoy a great laugh.
I want to participate with the group.
I am a TEAM PLAYER.
There! I said it!
I am the “old teacher” who does NOT dress up for Halloween.
WHY? I dunno.
Just never got “into it”.
The whole “make-up, costume, prop thing” just doesn’t appeal to me.
I don’t get the whole “dress up as someone else”, thing.
DON’T GET ME WRONG!
I love HALLOWEEN!
I dressed my kids up in HOMEMADE costumes AND store-bought costumes.
They were SO CUTE!
I just can’t do it at school!
My kiddos are NOT allowed to wear costumes to school.
I will NOT, if they cannot.
I wouldn’t dress up, even if THEY could. Sorry, Not me!
A cute T-SHIRT! YES!
Maybe. Maybe not.
Maybe??
This post might help me…
WOW! CUTE hat!… Maybe… Gotta go…
I think I found a HAT I LIke.
Stay tuned. Check out my Instagram.
There may be a HALLOWEEN pic.
Maybe. 🙂
Help me out…What do YOU dress up for on HALLOWEEN?
Leave me a comment. 🙂
Wendy
Reading-
Reading Passage
Comprehension Printable
Reading Response Printables
Vocabulary Pocket Chart Cards
Poem ( And Cut a part printable )
Writing-
Spelling List Forms
Word Family Charts
HFW Lists
Journal Pages & Covers
Interactive Journal Pages
Flap Book Graphic Organizer
Assessments-
BPST printable
Fluency Assessment
HFW List
Grade 1 / 2
We have a two-week FALL vacation.
(NO COMPLAINING HERE!)
BUT…
We return on Oct. 18.
MONDAY
21 days (exactly ) until…
YOU KNOW IT
Sunday, October 31, 2021.
Thank You HALLOWEEN for being on a weekend!
Says EVERY teacher, EVERYWHERE!
HALLOWEEN!
Parties,
CANDY,
Kids who can’t wait to get home ( highly DISTRACTABLE!)
(some schools…not mine….)
COSTUMES!
When we go back,
Do I put out HALLOWEEN themed centers?
Do I just “touch” on the “HOLIDAY” stuff…and Promote the FALL stuff?
Do I add THANKSGIVING?
Should I keep it ALL going until THANKSGIVING?
What to do? What to do?????
BTW… I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE FALL!
My favorite season.
YUMMY!
But…
CONTENT is EVERYTHING!
My students MUST take a BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT in December.
I want them to do well.
( I don’t think there will be a
HALLOWEEN question on it.)
Unless it’s about
HOW MANY CANDIES DID YOU EAT ALL TOGETHER?
So ..what to do? What to do?
I must teach SCIENCE and SOCIAL STUDIES!
( Living things…life cycle…Plants/animals…Lifestyles Long Ago..)
Reading:
I am checking my district curriculum
( yes, we have one )
for REQUIRED (Tested ) Skills & Strategies for this quarter.
As we delve into our reading…I make SURE to incorporate TESTED strategies.
Questioning? Sequencing? Retelling? Etc..etc…
Vocabulary? Again…check NECESSARY vocabulary for success!
I spend A LOT of time on the necessary vocabulary. I have 10-12 English Language Learners.
They need visuals, modeling, & practice before they can “TAKE ON” the new information
.
Phonics? Spelling? Grammar?
Required phonics skills for this quarter.
What to use for Spelling?
BOTH!
Required spelling skills AND thematic vocabulary words.
WHAT? WHY?
Because…I want them to have some INTRINSIC vocabulary to use easily in their…
WRITING!
I want MY Mummy! 🙂
Sorry…. couldn’t resist.
Again…I am checking my district curriculum
for REQUIRED (Tested ) Skills & Strategies for this quarter.
Whatever our REQUIRED writing prompt will be
( I already know mine is INFORMATIVE)
We will practice, practice, practice!
I won’t skip the other genres.
Just FOCUS on the INFORMATIVE!
BUT wait!
I want crafts! I want CUTSIE! I want products!
And so…we will make CUTSIE lapbooks, paintings, charts, stories & crafts
about???
Fall, Halloween, pumpkins, apples
, plants, Christopher Columbus,
Squanto, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving
DON’T tell our FIRE MARSHALL.
I might HANG THINGS UP!
Definitely!
I won’t tell if YOU won’t tell.
MATH:
Lots of Graphs, addition & subtraction, problem-solving, story problems
ALL ABOUT THEMES!
How many apples, pumpkin seeds, candies, turkeys, Indians, etc, etc.
(Math Journals are GREAT for this!)
and, yes..
I will need to keep it going until Thanksgiving.
And I will need to use EVERY MINUTE of EVERY DAY!
And yes… it will take planning, and prepping…
Bat craftivity
BATS!
Black Cat Watercolor
Black Cats
Growing Pumpkins
Making APPLESAUCE!
Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!
And YES
I WILL LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
You see…
FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR!
To those of you who hung in there to the bottom of this LONG POST…
A FREEBIE FOR YOU!
Happy FALL!
Boo Bang FREEBIE!
We ALL get nervous speaking to a room of parents!
I can speak to a group of first graders all day every day…but a roomful of parents?
My palms sweat & my brain “freezes” up!
(Wear good deodorant, use a breath mint, and wear comfy shoes!)
So..THEY are coming.
CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!
I work in a Title 1 school.
Most parents DON’T WANT TO COME to SEE ME!
So I have to make it very “inviting”.
I tell the kids to “drag” their parents to talk to me.
(Not literally!) Two hands!
I give stickers to kids who “hand their parents the BTS night NOTE!”
And then…
A bowl of apples, a plate of cookies, popcorn, Mini bottles of water!
CHOCOLATE CANDY!
They will come for food!
I also put the Class DOJO sign-up link on a BIG POSTER
NEXT to the FOOD! Eat, text, and make the teacher HAPPY!
Even though parent conferences are MONTHS away…
MAKE a chart of dates & times YOU are available,
(You will send a reminder note as it gets closer..let them choose first!)
Put out sticky notes & pens for those who want to write it down AND
a poster to remind parents to TAKE A PICTURE WITH THEIR PHONE of the conference chart, to remind them!
If you have any WISH LISTS or things you might need…
( We can always use glue sticks, expo markers, tissues, etc)
AND LAST…
If YOU want volunteers for classroom work, parties, field trips, etc…
HAVE THEM SIGN UP!
This is the ONLY night they will ALL be in YOUR classroom!
USE IT!
Sometimes a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE…is a good thing!
So.. Just a quick reminder
DOJO, Conferences, Wish Lists, Volunteers, etc.
4. Breathe, bring water for YOU! Smile.
For more info on BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT:
Good Luck!
Reading Workshop
“Creating a Community of Readers”
When I teach reading, I don’t want my students to stop and ask for help.
I want them to have the skills to be independent readers.
I want them to be problem-solvers.
So, I am…
How to create a community of readers
Keep reading for a FUN FREEBIE
Freebie for Followers
How?
What do you do BEFORE reading?
*Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking, distort comprehension, or is unfamiliar to them.
When you finish reading, do something!
After reading..then what?
Reread it for NEW information.
Retell it to yourself or a friend.
We use our 3 fingers to retell.
I love this part…DIGEST IT!
Just as a good meal…when you are finished, appreciate it.
Think about it.
ENJOY IT!
Read MORE!
When you finish…read more!
My kiddos love to stack ALL of their books on the left..
as they finish reading a book…
place it in a pile on their right.
Keep reading!
Their goal is to
read more every day!
STAMINA!
Reading MATS are used to make goals.
Our goals are to read MORE!
Use your eyes to read…not your fingers.
We want kids to quit using
their fingers to read.
“SCOOP” up words (phrases)
with your eyes.
When reading, put 3-4 words together
and read the phrases!
*GREAT time to teach
prepositions & prepositional phrases!
Always reread text
You will see more, read more, and understand more when you reread a story.
Read it to a partner, a
parent, or a friend.
The same book can sound new
when you are reading it
for the second or third time!
So there you are…
GET READING!
Remember…
When in doubt…
ALWAYS make it
For more early literacy
reading and writing resources
Check out
Click HERE for
FUN FREEBIE
Freebie for Followers
Signature
Bringing it BACK!
It’s time for…
This week’s theme…
If YOU need CLOSE READING info…
just ask
PINTEREST!
From HANNAH @ The Classroom Key
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430164201886627298/
From Jen @ Teacher Karma
and from
She has a GREAT blog post about
CLOSE READING!
If you are learning…check it OUT!
Gotta know YOUR standards!
And so…
to help US all
DIVE INTO THE TEXT…
Here is a little FREEBIE
from ME to YOU!
Enjoy!