My Journey with Journeys

This year I am piloting a Language Arts program called "Journeys" by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. My school district is looking at a few programs, mainly Journeys and Open Court for the younger grades K-4, that are common core based.  I am a workshop style teacher and I loved using novels in my classroom with a combination of Read Alouds and skill work. so I was nervous about adjusting my style to suit the needs of a program.  (We had a Spelling Program for the Spelling curriculum called "Spellography" that some of the other 4th grade classroom continue to use during the piloting phase).

I spent the first few weeks of September aligning all the skill and strategy work that is in the program because I needed to see the visual piece of the year, by literally making charts for each lesson.  I also wanted to secure my homework routine and align that part of it with my Greek and Latin root word study, incorporating the vocabulary words from each week's lesson.  And....I also wanted to be able to keep a picture book Read Aloud a week that encompassed the big ideas from the BASAL reader and continue making meaningful anchor charts for each story/skill/strategy.  So far, so good.  I am truly likely this program.

Here's what I love (so far)...

1.  The structure of a program.
2.  The strategies and skill work.
3.  The online pieces (such as a listening center!)
4.  The stories in the BASAL are good!
5.  Some of the workbook pieces.  But not all...I try to steer away from daily worksheets, but I have to try all the pieces.
6.  The companion story that goes along with the anchor text ties it all in together.
7.  The home letters to the parents are informative.
8.  A great focus wall poster that you hang each week.
9.  The context vocabulary cards.
10.  The spelling words/spelling program.
11.  The ability to choose between a workshop model and a traditional model.  In the workshop model, the focus is clearly written so you can post it in your classroom or on the anchor chart.

I will be updating this post/or writing an updated post later in the year.

Care about Character | Morning Meeting Lessons

I find that morning meeting time is extremely important.  You communicate with students a variety of topics such as the calendar, schedules, etc.  One decision I made this year was to focus on themselves, focus on character.  I found a great resource which I've been using during this time.  I've mapped out a particular day to focus on character, which is on Tuesdays.

(Each morning I try to focus on something important.  Right now I have it set up like so...Monday:  Calendar and Upcoming events, Tuesday:  Character, Wednesday:  Read Aloud, Thursday:  Think about it and Friday:  Fill your book box Friday).

Each month has a different theme.  August was Optimism.  September was Integrity.  October is Perseverance. Students are given a packet to keep in their home to school binder (S.T.A.R.  Binder) and I also post the information on our "Care about Character" wall.

During the month, the students and I talk (or will talk) about what the words means, examples of actions representing the word, and if we have demonstrated any of these actions.  This has also been a great cross over to our Language Arts block because students are able to bring these Character traits into discussions about character in stories.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the year!

My Classroom Library | Second Post

Using the Library

I use a pretty simple system in my classroom.  It's not perfect, but it works for me.  It also is a simple way to have students practice procedures and responsibility.

See for yourself!

Students find a book they would like to take out and then they take the card out of the back, write their name and place it in their book box (or start reading!)  The card gets stored in a little bucket.

When students want to return a book, they reverse their operations.
They need to find the card, place it back in the book, and find the bin where it goes.
I have made little maps for the bookcases so kids could find bins easier.

One thing that has been on my to do list for a long time is to scan and catalog every book I have in the library.  That way I can easily search or find a book that I need or a student needs.  I was lucky enough to receive funds from our AMAZING school's PTSA to purchase an IntelliScanner which is specifically designed for things like classroom libraries.  My plan is to eventually get into a system, where I scan a bin of books every week or so until it's complete (I haven't gotten there yet, but I will!)

My Classroom Library | First Post

One of the reasons I love my classroom and the beginning of the school year is because I get to share my classroom library with brand new faces!  This is definitely the focal part of my classroom.  It takes up a majority of the back wall.  Right above the library are three big windows that look out onto a beautiful wooded landscape.  (I am one lucky teacher).  Also, we are sometimes visited by some beautiful birds at our window feeder including most recently a woodpecker!

I started building my classroom library since I student taught and it has grown and evolved very much since then.  I could fit all my books into once plastic bin but now I need about 10 boxes to store them all.  A quick overview of the library:

1.  Books are organized in bins by author or topic.
2.  Students "check out" books with a card system.
3.  Students store books in "book boxes" for easy storage and easy grab for independent reading.

How do I get books?

One way I gather a lot of books is at the famed Nevins Library Book Sale at Methuen Public Library here in Massachusetts.  I've been to other library book sales in the area, and this one is defnitely the best.  I can grab hardcovered books for $1 and paperbacks for $0.50.  My wallet made out easy this time only spending $20.00 but I had a bag of books!  I always go in trying to find something and the rest is extra.  My goal is to add to bins that may need a boost or add to my literature circle books so I can have multiple copies.

Another great way I can get books is through Scholastic with club points.  Which is great because I order so frequently from Scholastic that I have free shipping with every order.  It's also really nice for for families because they can order right online and have the current catalog to choose from.  A lot different from when I ordered Scholastic when I was in 4th grade.

Lastly, Amazon has a great "used book" option when you are looking for a book.  I can usually grab a book I need for a unit for about 1 penny.  The only "flip" side of that is that shipping costs about $3.95.  But to grab a great book for under $4.00 still is a great deal.

Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more posts regarding my library.

I'm Home!

I am so excited to be back in my old classroom!  My previous home for 4 years, I was in the building for one year and now I am back.  The moment I walked in on a hot summer day in July, I felt like I was home!  One great benefit, besides the amazing view, is the air conditioning.  Having to unpack and set up for 6 days in late July and early August was manageable.  Here are some great pics I took yesterday. I'm pretty happy with the set up this year.

I have a certain system that I use, which serves me and my students well.  I set up the room with spaces (or corners), designating each space a certain subject, so resources aren't scattered about the room and confusing.  For example I have "my office area", "Classroom Community Space", "Math Workshop and Resource Space" and a few more.  They are also marked with a cute little bunting that I made on word.

I chose to go with a black and neon theme this year, and I love it!  I had some inspiration, of course, from Pinterest.  Enjoy!