Writer's Workshop!

The core curriculum circles around reading, math, and science because of the high-stakes testing in 5th grade. We do have 35-40 minutes a day for Writer's Workshop. So far this year, we did a Memoir Unit and an Interpretive Essay Unit. Below is our anchor chart for our memoir unit.

 

Math Time in Room 106

In fifth grade, we do flexible grouping. I teach the high math group. This is the first time I have EVER done this! Math was not my strong suit as a student and it is not my favorite thing, however I am really enjoying it this year! I finally feel like I have a grasp on the content and can take it deeper with the higher math group. Below are some of the visuals in my room.

 

 

 

For every unit, we discuss vocabulary.  The students do double-column notes and I "take notes" on the bulletin board.  I color code each unit with the vocabulary word, definition, and example.  Then after the unit is over, I move most of the terms to the back bulletin board.

 

 

Here is a close-up of a previous unit.

For the unit we are working in, we have detailed notes on the white board.  I then transfer the words to the bulletin boards shown above.

Word problems always seem to give kids a hard time.  During one of my district trainings, we were introduced to this step-by-step system.  I keep it magneted to my white board to move it around as needed.  Anytime a student comes across a word problem, I expect the problem to be worked with this process.

We are in our major fraction unit right now.  A math professional development introduced all of these ideas with fractions.  The students' favorite is the Patty Paper.  We use hamburger patty paper (in a box, not used!) and fold it to show fractions.  It works great because it is square and can easily be colored with color pencil.

Classroom Management Ideas

Another aspect of my classroom involves classroom management. We discuss and interactive model various routines and then have a poster or other visual to help us remember our expectations.

 

We discussed and wrote our rules together. Students worked in groups and then we brought all of their ideas to the whole group.  We noticed which rules were similar and then we reworded any that needed to be stated positively.  Lastly, students signed them.

We post the Common Core Reading standards and the MN math standards.  Then we also do content and language objectives.  We call them target goals.  They are written in student-friendly terms.

We say "Show Five" to get their attention.  They made this poster at the beginning of the year after we interactive modeled the routine.  Other ways I get student attention is da-dada-da-da--they respond da-da.  I also do yo-yo-yo-yo-yo--and they respond the same way.  There are other cultural relevant attention getters as well.

Reader's Workshop in Room 106

Wow!  I knew that when I started this blog, that I probably wouldn't write in it often.  However, I didn't think it would take this long!  The school year is in full swing.  We finished the first trimester at the beginning of December and we are in full swing!  Below are some of the happenings in room 106 in Reader's Workshop.

Reader's Workshop works with expectations in place.  We did what it sounds like, looks like, and feels like so that students have examples to refer back to.  It is in the library so I can easily reference it for individuals or as a whole group.

Our first major comprehension skill was visualizing.  We made a rubric and then had student examples.

 

Next, we focused on inferring in fiction texts.  We also created a rubric and student models.

When I was absent at a professional development, I had to do a "think-aloud" on paper for an inference. We then added other inferences to the bottom to help create our theory. Students worked hard and gave text evidence to support their thinking.

 

First Day of Workshops!

So, today was the first day back to school with workshop week.  We had two different meetings, with lots of information.  Some of it was mandatory (protocols, expectations, etc.) and some of it was team related.  It was a long day, but a day that was needed.  After all of the workshops, I got down to something fun (in my sundress no less).  I put up my first outside of the classroom work wall.  I used to have one in my room, but since I moved rooms last year, I don't have space (remember the four doors!).  So, I asked permission to use the wall outside of my door.  Below is the final product. 
(I took some of the idea from a fellow teacher at Pintrest http://dandelionsdragonflies.blogspot.com/2011/08/finally-my-classroom-reveal.html.) 
I will put student names on the stars once my class list is finalized (or close to finalization) and then take the students' pictures and place them on the opposite corner of the start.  I can't wait to see all of the fantastic work displayed!! 

To make the work wall I:

1. I first used laminated construction paper and plastic clothes pins (found at Wal-mart).  
2. To put the lamination on the cinder block, I used Command Strips in the two upper corners. 
3. Then to attach the clothes pin, I used Stikki Wax (below) that I found at Office Max near the putty.  I also used Stikki Wax to put up my letters on the cinder block.

                                                                  To find Stikki Wax...

Tomorrow, our workshop's focus is Balanced Literacy and then I get to work with my team to start planning!  I can't wait!

So, I've never had a blog before.  I'm not quite sure how it works, but I thought I would give it a shot.  One of my goals as a teacher this year is to have my students try blogging.  I thought that since I was going to have my tech-savvy 5th graders do it, then I should try.

So, here we go.  Even though I'm on summer break, I just can't sit still.  My husband and I do not have our own little family yet, so I have a lot of time on my hands.  This summer, I worked at summer school, attended the Responsive Classroom 2 week long workshop, went to the North Shore, and spent some time at the lake.

HOWEVER...I also spent some time in my classroom preparing it for the fall of 2012.  I'm so excited to start this new school year, because I finally feel like I am grasping this whole teaching thing.  I have a lot to learn, but would like to share some of the things wiser teachers have passed down to me.  So, below are some pictures of how I organized and outfitted my classroom for the 2012-2013 school year (my fifth year of teaching).

My room used to be a few offices with dividers.  So, I have four (yes, four) doors that lead you into my room.  This is a view from one of the doors as you look to the left.

Here is the same view from the door if you look right.

If you go to the other end of my room, I have a second door that I use and you can see a different view.  As you can tell, I don't have a normal theme of my classroom, but I do have a color theme of red and yellow.  These are my absolute favorite colors and I love them in a classroom!

Here is a close-up of the view from my second door.

This is where I hang my hall passes.  I got this idea off of Pintrest (http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.ch/2011/08/im-workin-lady.html) and adapted it to my color theme. 

Even though I am a 5th grade teacher, my students still struggle with place value, so I have a large chart created above where I will have my math vocabulary words for the year. 

I try to make my classroom friendly, so I got these "Live, Love, Laugh" words at Hobby  Lobby and I display them by the clock with some colorful markers and color pencils inside of flower pots.

This is my classroom library.  I have fiction located on the bookshelves and nonfiction on the counter and built-in bookshelves.  Since my classroom has tables, my students also keep their work and supplies for literacy in their literacy bins located in the class library.

I also try to make my classroom a constant learning environment.  I put up Latia-American and African-American simple biographies around the room.  The Latia-American biographies are in a previous picture.

This is another idea I took off of Pinterest (http://classroomcollective.tumblr.com/post/24417857705) and adapted it for my color theme.  I used classified ads for the background and the students' names will go on the sticks.  After we decide as a class what jobs our classroom needs, I will put labels on the vanilla-colored pockets.

Another way to show place value to the decimal places is with this color-coded sign.  It is at the top of my SMARTboard and I use money to show the place values.  I got this idea from a fellow teammate!



In our school, we work with the students on being apart of an educational conversation.  My husband put up my conversation starter bubbles so they are ready to do for the school year!