Work Stations

I don't need to harp on the benefits of movement within the classroom. Administrators are running around with their pens in their hands, marking down every good strategy you are implementing in your classroom.

I like to make it a little easier for them to figure it out for themselves by labeling everything. My problem was in the fact that because I taught so many different groups, the Work Stations I used changed multiple times in one day. I needed something that could be flipped or switched or rotated quickly.

And then it happened ....

I was walking through my local Ikea ( 99 cents! I am in love with this store ) and I noticed these photo frames. The photos slide in through a slit on the top edge and it will hold 5 or 6 different pieces of paper. Switching Stations is now as easy as sliding out the front picture and letting the next one show. Both sides of the frame can show a picture, so one side says "Work Station #4" and the other side shows the directions for what you need to accomplish at that station.

The frames come in white, dark blue, and dark green. I purchased them all of course and will upload more pictures at a later time. I hope these help!

Writing Scary Stories - October Writing Project

So every October brings with it the opportunity to add Scary Stories to our writing journals. The kids usually really get into this. We love to publish our scary stories and read them together with the lights off while eating microwave s'mores (recipe to follow).

We start off with a Story Map and I do whole-group lessons on Building a Character, Scary Settings, Conflict and Resolutions. Then students work cooperatively or independently at Writing Work Stations to create their personal Story Plans. I pair this up with some cute paper with a bat or ghost border and the kids publish their work in preparation for the final presentation.

For the presentation, we all wear our pajama bottoms and bring towels or Snuggies. We clear out a spot in the center of the room (or in our case, a corner with a carpet ). One of my parent volunteers was able to find mini flashlights at the dollar store for each of our story tellers.

We ate the s'mores, listened to the bone-chilling tales of terror, and critiqued our stories based on the rating system used by the movies.  A great time was had by all.

If you are interested in the writing plan I used, it is for sale at Teachers-Pay-Teachers and you can access it by clicking HERE.



Microwave S'mores: Recipe
(Adults Only in charge of microwaves)
On a paper plate, line up about 5 graham crackers (I cut them in half)
Place one mini-chocolate bar on each.
Place one large marshmallow on each
Microwave on High for approximately 10-15 seconds.
Top with the other half of the graham cracker.
Now Smoosh!

I wait about a minute before handing it off to the kids so they don't burn themselves.

Words! Words! Words!

Vocabulary instruction is one of the areas of Literacy instruction that sometimes gets dull. The old Drill-n-Kill methods of vocabulary acquisition can become mind numbing after a few weeks. This goes for the students as well as the teacher.

One way we livened things up in class is to craft an unused bulletin board space into an interactive Boggle Board. I printed out these letters, glued them onto orange circles, and created my very own Boggle Board.

This is super easy to do yourself, or ask a parent volunteer to punch out the letters if you've got an Ellison die-cut machine.

One of my 'classroom jobs' is the Executive. My Executive is tasked with changing the letters on the Boggle Board each week and collecting the winning lists at the end of the week. The Executive also gets to access the Super Secret website that will give all the possible answers with any combination of letters.
(Click HERE for the link.) Please note that I am in no way affiliated with this website.

This makes for an excellent word study Work Station within my Literacy rotation. 

Re-Organizing with Labels!

I'm going to admit something. I don't like change. I can be flexible in my lessons and with the students, but when it comes to my own space, I don't like change. So imagine my horror when last year I not only got a change in teaching assignment, but a room change as well!

Of course, after my mini-panic attack abated, the first step in my plan of action was to take a look at the space I'll be working with. That's when I noticed it. There's nowhere for me to store basic supplies.

So I rummaged around in my spare closet, and found these fantastic 3-drawer storage bins. They were a bit ratty looking. After giving them a good cleaning, I started applying patterned Duck Tape to the drawers.

The final result was really quite lovely.

After I finished, I realized I needed some cute Supply Labels for the drawers. They were so adorable that I decided to offer them for free. Click HERE for a direct link to these cute labels.

Happy Organizing!