Classroom Makeover Ideas

Hey friends!

I'm not sure if you saw on my FB Page, but this school year, I've returned to a third grade teaching position. I'm super excited about this transition and wanted to share with you my classroom make over!

Classroom Makeover

This is what my room looked like when I walked in. 

Then we had this chair. 

My husband said that in order to paint the room, we had to "prep" the walls. In my mind, I thought just get the rollers out and paint. That was NOT the case. We had remove all of the tape and staples from the wall. Next, we could begin to sand the walls. This was probably the most difficult job.

For the record, I did sand SOME of the walls, but the spouse did MOST of it :) 

Next, we were able to paint the trim of the walls and all of the little groves. I am not sure that's what they are called!

Once we started to use the rollers, the painting went MUCH faster!

 My husband decided he didn't like the brown doors, so we removed them, sanded and painted them. This was such a chore because the doors were so heavy!

I looked at the furniture that was available and decided which pieces I could repurpose. At first glance,  I thought I was going to trash this table. After further investigation, we decided to cover it with contact paper. The biggest tip is that we covered it with two layers to make it more durable.

                                         

 He measures everything before he does ANYTHING. It's a great quality to have, I do not have it.

Final product of our table make over

We repainted this book shelf  for my math manipulatives.

Mr. Mike now hangs my bulletin boards for me. This project would not have happened without him!

I found the most darling storage bins from Kirklands on CLEARANCE!

Just when he thought he was finished hanging stuff, I needed my wall organizer hung!

We assembled this little dresser in about five minutes! It's PERFECT for the classroom. Mike wanted to get an IG account, so this was his welcome picture!

We found this little wash table at a local antique store. It's the perfect little side table! 

Curtains-- HERE

Part of my library (mid makeover)

This is the area in the back of my library. I have the reading strategies posters displayed for now. 

FANS- HERE

The library labels and reading strategies posters are all available right here. 

Here's another Kirkland's find. I purchased two of these shelves when they were on sale this summer. They are perfect for my  guided reading area!

The local news did a story on this classroom makeover. You can watch it HERE.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Five Must Have Picture Books

As we prepare to go back to school, I wanted to share five must have picture books that you need to add to your classroom library TODAY! These books are not only great for teaching rules and procedures, but creating a classroom community. Creating a group of students that willingly turn into a family. You see, that's the big picture in education that we NEED to have happen. Our classroom culture is shifting. Now more than ever, we need that sense of community. Students need to feel safe, loved and wanted. 

Five Must Have Picture Books

This story is perfect for the beginning of school when we are learning how to trust each other and lean on each other. In the story, Brave Enough For Two, the characters learn how to trust and help each other through difficult times. I 

In this book, The Jelly Donut Difference, the author Maria Dismondy does an excellent job telling a story about kindness and how we should treat each other. This is a great book to use the first week of school to model for children how we should treat each other. The book is rich in vocabulary and life lessons. The author even includes question examples for teachers or parents.

In this story, Designed to Be Different, the author tells a story of a child who is bullied. The children have a talent show and they create lyrics to a song. This part will just pull at your heart strings that we actually have children that feel the same way this character feels. The story does reference how "God made us different".  No matter what type of school you have, it's a story that should be told. I love the backstory to it as well. See, not all books are written by famous authors. This story was written by my former custodian. He is one of the hardest workers I've ever met and ALWAYS helped me out. He works several jobs and put himself through film school. I don't know what else you could need to buy, a book that is diverse and supports the little man. 

The Recess Queen is another back to school MUST READ.  This is a great book about teaching rules and procedures for recess. I love how the story is so easy for students to make connections to. Even the first week, I discuss how good readers make connections to the story they read. These read alouds are not just for helping children learn how to act, they are also great ways to start introducing students to the reading standards you will address throughout the school year. 

The story is not just for going over recess rules though. We can talk about kindness, how to treat one another and how we should look for people to invite to hang out with us. 

I love to read Enemy Pie at the beginning of the school year and then again throughout the year. It's a great story about friendship, judgement and how to become friends with someone that you might not normally be friends with. The best part is, the story has SO many reading skills embedded into it! 

Please let me know how these books work for your students!  These five must have picture books have been an amazing additions to my classroom library! You can follow along on my IG page for more recommendations on picture books!





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Using Picture Books to Inspire Writing {with a Freebie}

It's no secret that picture books are really my life. If you follow me on instagram, you know that I love the hunt for an amazing book. I use picture books to teach just about everything, but in the last two years, I've really focused on picture books that teach  writing traits. In this post, I'm going to give a few books that I like to use to inspire my students to create their own story.  I want my students to hear a story that they can relate to and create a spark for them to build upon.

Picture Books To Teach Writing

To inspire my students, I  like to start with some favorite books. One of my favorites is Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe. This book is about those special times that may only last a few seconds. It has a clear theme and lesson to the story. When I read this story, I have my students think about a time they've spent with their family or friends that was special to them. 

Another great story to use to inspire students and spark ideas is A Bad Case of Stripes. This is a classic story that is a student favorite. In this story, the character explores things she likes and dislikes. While reading this story, I ask my students to think about specific items they like or don't like as we come across them in the story. At the end of the story, students are encouraged to make a list of things they like and dislike. Once they've created a list,  they can start brainstorming on a writing piece. I encourage students to describe a time when they came across something they liked or didn't like. What was their reaction? How did it make them feel? I always tell my students writers answer questions readers ask. So just like good readers ask questions, good writers ask questions to provide an answer in the text. We use this free planning sheet after reading the story. 

This next book is one of my favorites to use at the beginning of the school year. In the story How I Spent My Summer Vacation,  the character takes a different journey during his summer than most. This is a great story for students to also practice visualizing. Students often feen like they are on this journey with the little boy! Throughout this story, I remind my students to think about an extreme vacation they would like to go on. We discuss how the story is very extravagant. When we begin to plan, we start with a map. The students identify a fancy or place to visit that they might not have an opportunity to, but have dreamed about visiting. Next, we discuss how they would get to that dream location. Then, we move on to questions such as who would be on the trip with them? What would they need to bring? What type of clothing would the trip require?  I use this free planning map with this story. 

Most of you know that I've taught 1st through 4th grades.I've used each story with all grade levels.  In first grade, we may just be focusing on creating a sentence or two. By fourth grade, I'd want an elaborate and detailed story. I just adjust the support I provide depending on their levels. 

I hope this helps your writers develop ideas of their own.  I'll work on read alouds I use for voice and organization next! 

*This post contains affiliate links that I make a small percentage back on*

Camping Room Transformation {Free Literacy Centers}

Hey friends! Every year, I spend the last few weeks doing a camp out. Since I didn't have a class of my own this year, I did the same theme with my tutoring students. They LOVED it! It was so easy and cheap to transform our library into a CAMP OUT! The students really enjoyed this easy camping themed room transformation!

We read some amazing stories! During guided reading groups, the kids read Froggy Goes to Camp, Flat Stanley Goes to Camp, Just Me and Dad, Curious George Goes to Camp, Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping and The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail

Books pictured: Camping Day, Arthur's Camp Out, The Campout Challenge, Pony Scouts The Camping Trip, Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp, Just Me and Dad

These little activity mats were a huge hit. I was able to see who really understood what they are reading!

For this activity, I just used the die cut machine to make stars. I wrote sight words on the stars and placed them around the room. Since I had K-2nd grade, I  kept each grade level of words in the same area. The kids had to "write the room" and then use the words in a sentence. The recording sheet is in my free camping center packet. 

 For this part of the room transformation, we just covered the book shelves with butcher paper. After day one, I put up the kids "Happy Campers" cover from Cara's Unit. We used SEVERAL literacy activities from Cara Carroll's  Camping Unit. I  was so busy, I didn't take that many pictures! 

For the tables, I just used picnic table cloths, campfire center pieces and tea lights from the dollar tree. The table cloths and tea lights were originally purchased for my book tasting. I need to share that with you! 

 The jumbo cut out signs came from Oriental Trading. They were only a few dollars, but really gave that "camp site" appearance. 

For literacy centers, we used Cara's unit and this unit. 

Click the picture to get your FREE Literacy Centers

Thank you for stopping by to read about our camping room transformation! 

How To Protect Your Classroom Library

It's that time of year that we start to picture our summer vacation. We might begin to make plans, schedule appointments and even book our vacation time. Summer can come up quickly, so I've made a list of a few things I try to do before summer creeps up on you! I try to tackle one project at a time. 

Inside My Classroom Library 

The first thing I do to prepare for summer is take a long hard look at my classroom library.  I've invested quite a bit and had a mentor that invested quite a bit. I want my library to stay nice for years to come. With these tips, I can proudly say after 11 years, I've barely had to get rid of ANY books. My kids know how I am about my library and they don't play around when it comes to taking care of books!

How To Clean Your Classroom Library

This is something I've always done as I've seen needed, but I don't recall ever pulling all of the books out and cleaning them until I met my new media specialist. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I walked in to the library, and all I could see was books standing open. The fresh lemon scent went through the air and made everything seem so clean! I asked her "What are you doing?", she replied "Cleaning books". She was almost puzzled like duh, what does it look like. So I watched her and quickly adapted this system. We have sure bonded over our love for books and how to teach students how to TREAT the books. 

Before I start to clean my books, I go through and pull out all of the major repairs. I determine if they can be salvaged or if they should be tossed. I use cleaning wipes and packing tape to do most of my repairs. 

The first step: Take you cleaning wipe out of the container and ring it out. This seems like another "duh" moment, but you have to do this step. If you use the cleaning wipe while it is dripping wet, you will ruin your books. I repeat, you will ruin your books! 

After I wipe them down very thoroughly, I let them air out for a good bit. I might only do a few categories a day or before I leave. The next day, I'll put them back in their basket. This way, they have plenty of time to dry before I stack them on top of each other.

Here's a little proof that with a little love, your old and dirty books, can look very good again!

Once I've cleaned my books, I want to make sure they are all in the right baskets, so I reorganize them in order to pack up. I will wrap each stack of books up with large construction paper to pack them up. I've moved a lot due to my husband's service, and this is the way that has worked best for me over the years!  I also check to make sure each book has the right label. You can read more about how I organize my classroom library here. 

I'll be back to share another tip for ending the school year smoothly later in the week! Thank you for following along! 

Job Interview Tips for Teachers

It's that time of year when new teachers start applying for  new positions. Veteran teachers that are wanting a change also start looking for positions. Job interviews can be a scary and challenging task. As an educator who moves a lot (my husband is in the military), I've found a few tips that helped me remain calm and have a great interview!

Interview Tip #1

The first tip I'd share with you is that you know the grade level and standards of the grade level that you are applying for.  Do your homework to really learn the state standards and expectations of that grade level. It's very impressive when a candidate comes in and is aware of standards before being hired. This will show that you know how to prepare and understand the rigor of what you need to teach.

Interview Tip #2

 The next tip I'd like to share that might seem obvious, yet some often forget: Be on time and dress professionally. I often see candidates who arrive late and are not dressed appropriately. If you are a female, be sure your dress or skirt is knee length. Candidates who arrive on time and who are dressed professionally, assure the administrator that you value professionalism.

Interview Tip #3

Research the school that you are interviewing at thoroughly. Look up their data for the last three years and be prepared to discuss their strengths and weaknesses. You will want to show that you are knowledgeable about general facts about the school (is the school title one?  What are the demographics of the school? etc)  Be prepared to ask questions. Google the school you are applying to and switch over to news. Make sure that you are applying for a school that would be a good fit for YOU! 

Interview Tip #4

Be honest. I think most candidates always set out to be honest. However, if they are asked a question they are unsure of, sometimes we are scared to tell the truth. If I'm ever asked a question that I do not know the answer to, I like to tell the administrator, that I'm not familiar with that procedure, resource or strategy. I will follow with saying that I'm always researching and wanting to learn, so I look forward to learning the new procedure, resource or strategy with them as my mentor. This shows that you are willing to learn and you admit that you do not know it all. That's a very good quality to have for educators! We should always be willing to learn! 

Interview Tip #5

Relax. Look at your interview as a formal meeting with a friend. Treat the administrator like you've known them forever, and  be flexible. Education is a difficult field. A person who is professional, knowledgeable and willing to learn is the ideal candidate for most schools. 

Finally, if you are still unsure of how to prepare for your interview, join our free group to chat with other educators about how to NAIL your job interview! 

Guided Reading Tips

So a while ago I posted about Guided Reading. I always meant to have a follow up post, but somehow, never got back to it. 

Small Group Instruction or Guided Reading

You will often hear the term "small group instruction" or "guided reading". I wanted to clearly explain the differences between the two. Small Group Instruction is a format. It's an idea that we deliver content using smaller groups to reach more students. Guided Reading is an intentional, data driven form of instruction. Guided reading is done in the small group instruction format.Guided Reading is NOT a program. It's a best practice of education that fits into the Balanced Literacy Model. 

Guided Reading Strategies

During your guided reading groups, you want to be sure to use a variety of scaffolded reading strategies. 

 I want to spend some time discussing what kind of scaffolded reading strategies you could use during your guided reading time.

Scaffolded Reading Strategies

Echo Reading 

The teacher will introduce echo reading and how it sounds. Once children are comfortable with the method of echo reading, the teacher’s goal is to decide how much of the text to read each time before pausing for the children to echo it back. In this strategy, I recommend chunking the text.  During this strategy, students should track with their fingers. 

Choral Reading

This is often called "unison reading". Students are reading at the same time as the teacher. The teacher is modeling correct phrasing, annotation and expression. Students are tracking with their finger while reading. Research suggests that students should choral read at the first or second exposure to a text, but should eventually be able to whisper read. 

Whisper Read

Students are reading at the same time but not at the same rate. The teacher will listen in or take a running record on one student at a time. The biggest mistake about using this strategy, is not using this strategy! Students who are always asked to choral read and never given the opportunity to read out loud for their teacher are going to have gaps created in their instruction. I like to work through each level of support depending on my students ability. Once your students are whisper reading consistently, have them remove their fingers. Tracking is helpful in Kindergarten and early first grade, but tracking can slow their fluency as they begin to read harder texts. 

The biggest take away about scaffolded reading strategies is that we should be using ALL of them. Students will need more support at different times. As educators, we have to use our own judgement for when to give support and when to let them fly. My biggest advice, is try to give students the opportunity to whisper read each day. Even your kindergarten babies! They can do it!