I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for
Friday.
Friday.
I took a few weeks off from blogging... the school year is really in full swing now! I thought I'd take a week to share some of the organization tips that have been keeping me sane the last few weeks!
ONE: Rotation Boards
We do math and reading in small groups in our classroom so each day we rotate through math and ela workstations. That being said I've been using our classroom Promethean Board to display our rotation boards. I've created a powerpoint and a Promethean Board flipchart to display the groups and their stations for the day and it's really worked out well.
When I used pocket charts in the past I would laminate the cards with kids names and then it was just another something I had to do when it was time to switch up the groups. I'm able to switch students in and out of groups quickly with these files and the kids have had no trouble rotating with them. I also like projecting the rotation boards onto the big screen because I can see it from where I work with small groups at the back of the room. If a kids comes in during the middle of rotations I can be sure he or she gets to where they need to be quickly.
I redacted the names on the boards but for the math board I left how we organize the math tub games and the math journals. The L, R, and C for the math tub games tells the kids where they will be playing their game each day. Their spot in the room doesn't change unless their math buddy changes. The 1-4 on the math journal rotation tells the kids what table to work at. I like the kids to complete the journal independently so I try to spread them around the room... less of a management issue.
TWO: Math Supplies
I'm lucky enough to do math workshop right after our lunch period so I always have a few minutes to put out math supplies before the kiddos return to our room. But I always struggled with collecting the math workmats and markers my kids were using during the whole group portion of our workshop block.
I finally decided to put a marker and eraser in a pencil box and buddied the kids up for the whole group portion of my lesson and it's worked wonders. Not only is putting the supplies away quick and easy and allows us to move on, I love that my kids are working with a buddy to "talk math".
ONE: Rotation Boards
We do math and reading in small groups in our classroom so each day we rotate through math and ela workstations. That being said I've been using our classroom Promethean Board to display our rotation boards. I've created a powerpoint and a Promethean Board flipchart to display the groups and their stations for the day and it's really worked out well.
When I used pocket charts in the past I would laminate the cards with kids names and then it was just another something I had to do when it was time to switch up the groups. I'm able to switch students in and out of groups quickly with these files and the kids have had no trouble rotating with them. I also like projecting the rotation boards onto the big screen because I can see it from where I work with small groups at the back of the room. If a kids comes in during the middle of rotations I can be sure he or she gets to where they need to be quickly.
I'm lucky enough to do math workshop right after our lunch period so I always have a few minutes to put out math supplies before the kiddos return to our room. But I always struggled with collecting the math workmats and markers my kids were using during the whole group portion of our workshop block.
I finally decided to put a marker and eraser in a pencil box and buddied the kids up for the whole group portion of my lesson and it's worked wonders. Not only is putting the supplies away quick and easy and allows us to move on, I love that my kids are working with a buddy to "talk math".
I'm forever collecting data and taking notes and I finally have a system that's been working for me. I've taken some manila folders and I've given each of my kiddos an index card in the folder. Then I staggered the cards as I taped them down so I have an entire class set of cards that I can write on. I've been putting the folders on clipboards and I can carry the clipboards around the room as I conference with kids or as I need to jot down some things I'm observing.
I have folders for anecdotal notes, reading workshop, writing workshop, math and to keep track of any intervention groups that I pull. This truly has been a life saver for me this year. Pardon the shorthand and scribbles in the pictures... these are meant to be quick notes for me as I complete weekly comments and plan lessons for our week!
FOUR: Writing Workshop Conference Notes
I have folders for anecdotal notes, reading workshop, writing workshop, math and to keep track of any intervention groups that I pull. This truly has been a life saver for me this year. Pardon the shorthand and scribbles in the pictures... these are meant to be quick notes for me as I complete weekly comments and plan lessons for our week!
FOUR: Writing Workshop Conference Notes
Each weekend I bring home writing workshop folders to look at my kiddos writing work from the week. This helps me to figure out some teaching points I want to hit during the week ahead as I conference with each of my kiddos. We don't always get to these points as some other issue may come up as we conference, but I like to have a starting point.
I created this sheet so I could write down the areas I want to talk about in our conference and then I have a a small area where I can take notes. This has really been working for me as it's an easy way to keep track of conferences from week to week.
Five: Small Group Reading Lessons
I created this sheet so I could write down the areas I want to talk about in our conference and then I have a a small area where I can take notes. This has really been working for me as it's an easy way to keep track of conferences from week to week.
I am in LOVE with this book... so easy to plan and organize small group reading lessons with this resource. The book has tons of strategies and it helps me to make sure my kids are being taught valuable reading strategies when we meet in small groups.
Have a great weekend!
Don't forget to visit Doodle Bugs Teaching!
Don't forget to visit Doodle Bugs Teaching!
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