Routines and my daily schedule

Ok, when I first started last year I HAD NO IDEA wasn't sure where to start planning my day. I blog stalked my life away and while I found a TON of awesome lesson ideas and materials what I was really looking for was an actual schedule - like a touch of OCD detailed type schedule. I never found one, so I thought I would share, also this might be sneaky quick way to prepare for a sub if I need to :)

One more thing! I need to share that once I had a routine - and a procedure for EVERYTHING, literally even for cutting and gluing - my day went by so much more quickly and smoothly!

 

Rather than write the time down next to each activity - I move the star down, it really helps as a visual reminder and organizational tool for my kids :)

 

8:30-8:45              Calendar Time

8:45 – 8:50           Morning Work – Students work independently while I take roll. The backpack helper does not have to do morning work he or she collects all the backpacks and hangs them up. I have had a lot of issues with toys and such, putting the backpacks away really takes care of that – also, they are not allowed to go into their backpacks at all once they are hung up – they can choose to move their clip down if it is absolutely necessary to go into their backpack.

8:50 - 8:55            I help with morning work for 5 min

8:55 – 9:00           Finish up morning work independently – students glue their work into their notebooks (ONE DROP OF GLUE! – Seriously I had to teach them this explicitly, also teach to open their notebooks to the FIRST OPEN PAGE) Early Finishers can READ TO SELF or WORK ON WRITING

9:00 – 9:30           Monday: Art, Tuesday and Wednesday: Science or Social Studies (6 week units), Thursday: Reader’s Theater, Friday: Enrichment (We play the same game every week)

9:30 – 9:45           Recess

9:45 – 10:15        PE (my prep period)

10:15 – 10:30      Sight Words and Sounds (Phonics song while the class gets a water break, Snap Spell the week’s sight words, use the document camera and sound spelling cards students come up for 30 second race we say all the sound together)

10:30 – 11:00      Lunch

11:00-11:30         Students come inside in number order, they grab THEIR whiteboard and find THEIR spot on the carpet. They work on either flash cards or Mental Math problems while the rest of the class finds their boards and sits down.

Math focus lesson: ON THE CARPET

11:30 – 11:45      Math Independent Practice – students cut and glue work into their MATH journals, they wait for a stamp from me.

Students ALL go to their seats, they put their whiteboards on the CAPTAIN’S NEIGHBOR’S DESK – because the captain has to come get the independent practice work from me. The captain’s neighbor is the student who will be captain tomorrow… they put all the whiteboards away TOGETHER by their colored star.

11:45-12:00         BUILD – Math centers  (the first student to finish in each group goes and gets the BUILD basket with their group’s colored star on it – I rotate these daily)

12:00-1:15           Language Arts: ON THE CARPET

                               

Vocabulary focus lesson: ON THE CARPET

DAILY 5

                       

Comprehension focus lesson: ON THE CARPET

DAILY 5

1:15- 1:30             Recess (this is when I give them the extra recess if SMILEY points are winning)

1:30 – 2:20           Students come inside in number order, they grab THEIR whiteboard and find THEIR spot on the carpet. They work on the week’s spelling sound – which I display on with the document camera while the rest of the class finds their boards and sits down.

Word Work: ON THE CARPET

Stretch and READ whiteboards are FROZEN on the ground in front of them. I point to each sound, at this point in the year I only have to segment, they blend then tell me the word, how many sounds, and how many syllables.

Stretch and SPELL: Students pick up their white boards, I segment each word and then we check together. I usually ask what letter they had and where, “Did you say T?” “Did you say R?” Did you say UE?” I say “When I erase” they say “we erase” ….. repeat J

GRAMMAR –I play a grammar song while the kids put their whiteboards away – the song gives the rest of the class something to do: no time to misbehave! They go row by row and have to put their whiteboard with the rest of their teams – again matching their colored star. The rest of the lesson takes place…. you guessed it : ON THE CARPET

WORK ON WRITING: Either an interactive writing lesson – if I am introducing a new concept or independent writing time at their seats.

2:20 – 2:30           CLEAN UP AND CHECK OUT

                I say “1 Minute” they say “Clean up” They come to the carpet and snap spell while every one else sits. I pass out the homework, then the teacher’s helper and supply manager pass out homework folders. Getting you folder is your ticket off the carpet. We had to talk about the procedure like 3 days ago – and it’s FEBRUARY L but hey, I am not about to let craziness ensue.

1. Stack your chair

2. Go get your backpack

3. Get in line- in your spot

4. THEN put your folder into your backpack – we had a problem with friends wanting to put their folders away right in front of all the backpacks and causing a traffic jam.

Class is where the heart is

I've been on vacation for a whole two weeks.... and I'm definitely ready to go back and hit the ground running to get my all stars ready for the CST. Today I made what was supposed to be a quick trip to my classroom to get everything set up for next week, and of course I ended up staying for at least 2 hours. On a happy note, I finally have the room organized the way I want! on a sad note, it took until December to get it going haha. It didn't help that when they gave me my keys in August the room was twice the size, then due to super high enrollment they literally built a wall and split my room in two - needless to say we are pretty pressed for space, but we are making it work and I am in LOVE with my classroom :D Here it is!:::!!!:::

Our classroom library, the book boxes for Daily 5 were the best dollar store find ever! check out the tupperware aisle. We've got the book return basket (blue) and the book hospital (green), pillows that the kiddos can take to be comfy during Daily 5 and our teddy bear, aptly named Someone - for when there is an odd number of students reading to someone.

The catch all corner - whiteboards/markers/erasers, Listen to Reading station  (love these wireless headphones!) writing paper, lit circle folders - each team has one, stoplights - my SOLO cup management system, BUILD math tubs, math manipulatives and extra reading anthologies.

Word wall - I printed each letter Capital and Lower case on a different colored  sheet of paper and laminated them.

Words with the sound of the week and sight words.

I only added this picture because I want to brag about the number line a little - it has really helped students who are struggling with comparing numbers.

The math corner - green pocket char holds examples, I'll put up random notes on the white board, the rest is student work - I have their hundred charts up right now.

I have a few kids who KEEP ME ON TIME! probably helps to have these above the door :)

PUBLISH - We are in between writing prompts - as you can see - this is the are reserved for publishing Star Writing :D the clothespins on a line make it super easy to put work up quickly. Each star has a students name on it.

laminated and stapled to the wall - not the prettiest most 'pintresty' thing in the world but it's working :)

My corner - I gave up the giant teacher desk for two student desks, shoe organizer, and my hanging files. I absolutely love how it is working out. Of course all my all stars names are right behind my desk :)

I attempted to add labels to my hanging organizer buuuuuut .....

A little bit of whole brain teaching :)

Classroom jobs rotate in number order.

A little bit more whole brain teaching. 

Part of our morning routine using our calendar and counting the days we have been in school.

The Take Home Folder.... keeping me sane

I am so happy to finally have this homework business figured out, seriously homework and the bathroom are two things that you don't realize are super important to get under control until you are in the thick of it!

Last year I did the weekly packet deal, I DREADED Monday mornings because I usually had to scramble to get the packet together, that is until I figured out/organized my homework.

This year I am going back to daily homework (much better!) and I have made one huge change for the better.... from homework folder to..... wait for it..... Take Home Folder. This has been working so incredibly well for me this year, not only is it keeping me on track with homework but it has turned into my most powerful classroom management (and parent communication) tool!

I start with the plastic folders, need those brads in the center, and you can't beat not having to laminate 20 individual folders! Add a cute name tag with the students name and # (I assign every student a number, works for EVERYTHING and anything in the classroom and keeps me so organized!)







Next, I write on the inside pockets HOMEWORK on the left side and COMMUNICATION on the right.
In the center I add:

1. Am I doing my homework? 
• Tracking sheet, I stamp this when checking homework in each day, I made sure to have a separate place to stamp Spelling and Math
2. Sheet protector - holds Monthly Calendar on one side and Daily Fluency Passage on the other
•  (I found all of the calendars HERE!)
3. The Take Home Folder (info sheet, laminated - hoping to reuse these next year) 
• Includes everything you need to know about the Take Home Folder on one side, Rules and Expectations, Student Behavior, and Rewards and Consequences on the other side.

As you can see the COMMUNICATION pocket always has my behavior management form for parents to initial. I want to keep this post just about the folder itself, so I will save the classroom management aspect of the folder for another post :)

I also include the weekly newsletter here, any communication the school, etc

Procedures/Routines
The first thing the kiddos do is come in and sit on the carpet, they keep their backpacks with them but take their Take Home Folders out. Right after Calendar/Morning Meeting I excuse students to their seats for our morning work, this is when they turn their folders in to me **** side note, the backpack helper puts away all the backpacks while everyone else works on their morning work.

During my prep period, I check each folder for the homework (1 page double sided, spelling on one side and math on the other) stamp the homework tracker, highlight their behavior chart (from the day before) and give out 'dollars' to the kids who were on outstanding (more on this to come).

At the end of the day we come back to carpet (seriously we live on the carpet) I hand out the folders one by one, this excuses them to stand - get their backpack - stack their chairs - and line up (all while the lining up song is playing btw)
It's easy to know who didn't turn their folder in that day because they are left on the carpet last, these guys and gals get a "I forgot my Take Home Folder" slip for their parents to sign, it basically just says that they will have two homework assignments the next day. I am NOT handing out homework without a folder.

So there you have it, Oh I love the Take Home Folder so <3

Charter School+Me=LOVE

Ok, life has been a little crazy lately, I'm celebrating one month of employment today! I could not be happier! I'm not sure how much of it is me being more on top of things this year and how much of it is my kiddos this year, I seriously have the coolest group of kids ever! and I am officially maxing out at 20 - what a HUGE difference it makes from the 32 I had last year o___o

Stallworth is all about class size reduction, so when we had a huge influx in enrollment the first few days, we (my new teacher bestie, another first year like me) talked to our principal about our concerns and literally the next day they hired another first year grade teacher (another first year teacher too!) You have got to love the efficiency! and how receptive our principal was :)

Moral of the story....I LOVE LOVE LOVE charter schools! While we have to do more 'work' as far as curriculum <- what some veteran teachers have said to me..... hmmm... we don't have to move on until our students have MASTERED a concept! I don't feel like I am going to let any of my kids down and I love it.

Other awesomeness: every class has PE ever day, 30 minutes (the kids get their exercise and I get prep time woop woop!) We eat lunch with our students everyday (I love hearing their stories, and it's a great time to teach them those manners) We create our own assessments and have to turn in the data every Monday (sounds like a ton of work, but it really isn't and I am loving the accountability, it keeps me on track)

And now that I am settled, back to blogging! I hope to share what has been working for me so far this year and I definitely plan on giving thanks to those who I blog stalked in the begining <3

Thank you to Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations (I bought Mel D's coupons on Teachers Pay Teachers and it they have been such a huge hit with my kids! I will never buy another 'treat' ever again!) and Extra Special Teaching - who I have REAAALLYYY been stalking lately.

          

Out Of The Box Goodbye Song

I used to watch Out of The Box waaay back in the day, let's just say I am ten years older than my younger brother! haha.

The Goodbye Song came back into my life in my classroom last year. At the very end of the day, about 10 minutes before the bell rang, I started singing this song to the class.... meaning:

1. Clean up your reading center
2. Walk to our closet and get your backpack
3. Walk back to your seat, stack your chair and wait for your exit ticket
4. Once you have your exit ticket, you may line up by the door

By the end of the year, the kids were singing the song with me :)

Click HERE for a printable version of the lyrics