October PICTURES!

Hello!  I've made it through the first half term! 

As I've started my third year now at this school, the curriculum is finally clear and much easier to navigate! But with three new teachers to guide through the English...well I am still learning how to communicate expectations without being too overwhelming. How do you do that anyway? 

2 of the teachers are doing fine, but the other one is still finding her feet and I think I've stepped on her toes (not my intention but ...). Sometimes I think I do a great job as English Coordinator and then other times I really wonder.

Hopefully she will see me as someone who is here to help and our relationship will change.

ANYWAY!

Here are some pictures from my Year 5 classroom (so thankful to all the wonderful teachers that inspire me with ideas for these charts)! In Year 6 we've just finished reading Holes and lots of great creative writing with that (love it so much!!) and in Year 5 we're nearly done with Thief and the children have some fantastic writing in connection with that book. Favorite time of year, not just for the books we're reading but also the leaves and weather! I wish I had some pictures of the leaves (remember I'm from Arizona so I love changing leaves).

So I hope things are going well for you! Would love to hear from you!

Tara.Guided Rdg.Love

A few more weeks and I'm on summer break!! I should be grading our Big Writing, but I have to blog about this blog post I just read. Literally just came across it and had to talk about it in here.

This post is about Guided Reading/Intervention Groups and that pertains to me as next year I am starting up Intervention Groups up at my school!! I will mainly be teaching English (Year 5 & 6), Guided Reading, and then the Intervention Groups!!! What a schedule! So excited!

It might sound bizarre that we don't have that already, but with small class sizes at this school (12-16 chn per class), it hasn't really been a priority. I, however, have seen some children falling through the cracks and am so happy to get this started!!

Anyway...the post. Tara at Little Minds at Work. Check this post out. There's nothing I can say. Just read it if you teach guided reading or intervention to little guys.

I am so going to print off her pictures so I can refer to them when I'm planning. Go check out her post!!

Have a great day!

FREEBIE FRIDAY!

YAY!!!!!!! It's Friday!!!  What would we do without the weekend??!! I'm so exhausted and I get to sleep in tomorrow!!!!

I hope you're having a good day.

Here is a Friday FREEBIE for you! I made some flashcards this week to go along with some fluency passages I bought for my intervention students. Hope it can save you some time!

Can I just mention a few things I'm loving right now?! 

This ice cream:

 

 

I forgot how much I LOVE this show:

imovie trailer app for ipads with older students:

and I would LOVE to be here:

Have a great Friday!! Don't forget to welcome my friend to the blogging world...

Please help! Money to spend for Guided Reading books!!!

Hello! Hope you're having a good start to your week! 

I have mentioned this subject once or twice before, but now I need all of you!

I have the great fortune to spend money to update the guided reading books at my school for Year 3-Year 6 (American 2nd Gr-5th Gr)!!!

I want to get really good quality books and I've been researching this, but sometimes it's so much better to hear from those that have actually used the books themselves.

I'm trying to find guided reading books for all levels. Here's what I purchased already, or am considering: This does not include books we use as a whole class (Charlotte's Web, The Magic Finger, ect).

Thanks in advance for any more book ideas!!

As it will be Valentine's Day before you know it-have a good one!!!

Book List and Bread!

Hello! 

I'm feeling better since the last time I blogged. Things are changing at our school and it threw me for a loop (My head teacher is leaving)! I cannot imagine what the school will be like without her (leaving at Easter to have a baby)......hopefully the change won't be too bad.

 

Anyway, I've got the OK to update the books at our school-now I'm just not sure where to buy them. Scholastic, Amazon? Some of you gave book ideas and asked for my ideas. I've attached a google doc with the list I've created so far. Of course I may move around the books, depending on levels, etc. Many are British authors (since I'm in England)...anyway, I hope this helps. This list takes into account the books we already have (lots of Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz, Jacqueline Wilson, J.K. Rowling).

I'm also on the lookout for any good British comprehension assessments with links to levels (2c, 2b, 2a, etc)??!! Let me know if you've got a recommendation!

Aside from parent conferences this week (2 nights, very short, not too bad), I have had a "good" sinus day and even managed to get the gym! Our Bible study group has our Christmas party tomorrow night which I'm looking forward to and after this week I will have 2 weeks of school left until Christmas break!!

Here is my latest math notebooks/journals resource that is nearly finished:

I will end with a funny photo-I was the elf at our 'Santa grotto' on Friday for our Christmas fair!

Oh and also-this bread is soooooooo good! I make my own applesauce in the blender and cut down the sugar.

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone in the States!

Notebook freebie & Vienna pics!

Hello!

I'm on week 2 of my half term (fall break). Very lucky girl to have 2 weeks! I'm loving it!

Last week my husband and I visited a friend that's currently living in Vienna, Austria. We had both never been there so we were excited!

My friend was so generous in opening her home to us and showing us around. It was so.relaxing. Vienna is also super beautiful and Danube Valley was stunning, especially with the changing leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, sorry that was a lot of pictures!

If you're still with me, here is a freebie (until Nov. 4) that I rounded up. I had a few resources from here and there from over the years as well as recently and I put it together. PLEASE give me feedback as I'm not sure if it's better for K-2 or 1-3. Thanks!

 I'm off to enjoy some more relaxing in my pjs! Hope all is well with you!

Kelli xx

P.S. I've just started Clean Eating in an attempt to fix my sinus problems and just generally feel more healthy...do any of you eat this way?

Spelling Ideas Part 1

Most of you are probably days/weeks away from the school year finishing-SO EXCITED for you! Not because teaching isn't great, but come on-the renewal from the summer is so necessary. 

Schools over here go into July, but lucky for me I had a pre-arranged vacation to the States (Illinois to see family and Florida to a beach condo!) from late May to mid June before the school asked me to finish out the school year. Fortunately one of the weeks falls over a half term holiday here (1 week)...but still it's strange to get my cover plans together. CAN'T WAIT! 

So, in the thick of the BIG Year 6 play production rehearsals, honing in on my Year 5's English levels before they take their secondary exams in the fall, and trying to get back to the gym-it's a BUSY time once again!

I'm really excited to get through it all and enjoy next year a lot more (due to the organization and work I've put in this year). New jobs are exhausting, but rewarding right?

Among other things, currently I'm trying to make some gains in spelling for my struggling spellers. I've been reading this book,

and picked up a few valuable tips.

*Ask children why spelling is important. Many will say 'to pass a spelling test' or 'get a good grade' (yikes! Discussion quick!).

*When children have an audience for their writing, they have a reason for learning about spelling and for doing the best they can.

*It's helpful to look for patterns that emerge in the type of errors students make so you know what to focus your teaching on for individual needs.

*Spelling tests: competent spellers use many strategies to try unfamiliar words and to learn words. The emphasis needs to be on children's learning these strategies rather than getting a list of words to be learned by rote. 

Anyway, these are just a few wonderful reminders from the first 2 chapters. I'm excited about the possible changes I can propose to the staff next year as English Coordinator. 

Although spelling is a small component of English/Literacy, when there are big gaps or poor instruction...it can become a BIG component that affects other areas-don't you think?

Can't wait to tell you about a resource I hope to use with second grade and up next year to support spelling and improve vocabulary!!  (Hint: Personal Dictionaries with a twist!)

I will leave you will this because I just LOVED it!!! Click on the picture!

Have a good one!
  

Spelling ideas please?!

Hello!! I'm looking for some spelling ideas for my school. I *think* I may be able to change the current spelling program (they get spelling words based on a spelling rule, they have to write the words in sentences, spelling test on Friday, they forget the words by Monday...you know what I mean), so I'm super excited to change this!!

Some of the books I'm looking to order:

  

Any thoughts? Have you read any of these? I'm especially interested in ideas for my older students (age 9-11).

Thank you!!!

K-2 Center freebies

Merry Christmas!! I hope you're all enjoying your break and time off from school! I am thoroughly relaxed and l-o-v-i-n-g it!

Cleaning out the laptop, cameras and files brought me to this: center freebies I hope you can use! Click on picture to download : )

Kelli xx