I can't believe how fast the weekends go! This weekend was particularly exhausting . . . I haven't blogged about this yet because there have been so many other things going on, but late Tuesday night, my community was hit by a series of small tornadoes (can a tornado be small?) and my neighborhood was no exception. My house was untouched, but our beautiful woods was destroyed. I ... Read the Post
Entrance Slips, Formative Assessment, Freebies, and Blog Hops!
Hello everyone! I am super excited to be a part of a super cool "Back to School" Blog Hop! At each of the 12 stops along the way, you will pick up classroom tips, freebies, and a chance to win a great giveaway at the end! Do I have your attention now? I thought so! One teaching "tip" I have that I share whenever I can is how essential formative assessment is to ... Read the Post
Launching Reader’s Workshop and Independent Reading
One thing I know to be true about fourth graders and intermediate students is that there is no ONE thing true about fourth graders and intermediate students. It seems like the longer I teach, the more compelled I am to find ways to group and individualize for students, but I have to admit--it is NOT easy for me. It isn't that I don't KNOW who the students are or what to do. It's that whole ... Read the Post
Monday Made It!
Hello Everyone! Just thought I'd share that I am linking up again with Made It Mondays over on 4th Grade Frolics! What did I make today? As you know, I am a huge fan of formative assessment--and asking students to self-assess. I often do a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" or have them rank themselves on a one to four scale. I wrote a post about it many moons ago . . . Self ... Read the Post
Monday Made It Link Up!
I'm joining up with "Monday Made It" over at 4th Grade Frolics! Today I wanted to share with you my new anecdotal reading binder that I have gotten ready for next year! I know it seems early, but I had wanted to make some changes in it and I thought I'd share! First of all, I want to share parts of an earlier blog post explaining my thoughts about my system--so here goes! ... Read the Post
Father’s Day, New Stuff, and More!
Happy Father's Day to all of you out there! This marks my father's 60th Father's Day if I am figuring correctly . . . (I am the YOUNGEST of 5, ahem). It is a little overwhelming to think of all that he has seen and experienced in those six decades! We love you, Dad! The sun is shining here, so I am hopeful we can get outside to grill, maybe take a walk, and step away from ... Read the Post
I am such a procrastinator!
So . . . instead of lesson planning cleaning report cards exercising or anything else that I SHOULD BE DOING . . . I have been working on these seasonal demand writing prompts that I have had in my mind since the middle of my vacation! I wrote down all the information on the trip and then spent today working on the format. For those of you who have seen my other demand prompts--these ... Read the Post