AND Even More Anchor Charts!

I was trying to find a way to grasp my students attention when retelling a story! I came up with the treasure map theme!

Anchor Charts Away!!

Well they say teachers have the summer off...Yea right!!! Anchor charts are my new obsession! I love making them and I love using them in my classroom! The visual they provide for the children is perfect! So here are a few I have made this summer! So this first chart is for Reading Workshop. I Notice-I want the kids to "Notice" happenings in the story and eventually write them on post-its and ....well Post it!

This chart I hope will help with their pictures. By adding details I know it will help them to visualize and then to be a better writer.

But now this is my favorite one so far and I plan on using the whole Superhero/Super Powers a lot! I mean think about it! All kids love a Superhero and to instill in them the fact that they have super powers that helps them read???? Well let’s just say can't wait! HUMMM I might just have to get a cape or two as well! Here is an idea I took from one I saw on Pinterest and adjusted it to fit my classroom!

I will use the I SPY Anchor Chart during Staggered Entry and during the first few days of the school year to help my students become familiar with their classroom. I will have Post-it notes in each square. The students will take and place them in the correct location! Fun Right??? I can't wait!!

New beginnings???

Hummm Well I have not written about all the things I really wanted to as a matter of fact I have dozens of wonderful ideas and activities that I want to share yet wow time is an issue right! So as a new goal for myself and a with a reminder from a friend I will strive to get those ideas and activities as well as those of the future on here and share! Happy New year!

Guided Reading Copy Solution!

As you know in Guided Reading groups we need a book/booklet per child. Now as a kinda new teacher, I am a little low on copies of leveled readers for my students so I make copies from Reading A-Z and http://www.hubbardscupboard.org. which is fine except my school is having a copy shortage. Now I also like to have the students write on the books. For example counting the words in the sentence, circle the punctuation, or underline a sight word so can you see my predicament? So after a workshop yesterday, my friend/team member/partner in crime/..Oh you get the idea, and I were trying to come up with a solution to this problem without spending our whole salary on coping all these booklets! How can I reuse these booklets and still have the children write on them? And I think I have solved the problem with a teachers best friend...PAGE PROTECTORS TA-DA!!! It is cheap, convenient, easy, and best of all it works!

For books from Reading A-Z single sided books: First slide each page of the booklet into the protector, fold and staple. For Hubbards Cupboard books: slide each [page in and then cut apart booklets before stapling (I tried it the other way and had a slip-sliding, uneven MESS).

Now the students can use a Vis-a-vis to write on each and every page as directed--

and then erased and reused by another group of students!!

So instead of making 20+ copies of each booklet I make 6 and I can use them year after year!! Oh yes I Am doing a happy dance while shaking my own hand!!

Summer Time and the Living is Easy!

Well the school year has ended for the students but not really for the teachers. We still go to workshops, read and research, as well as make activities and plan for the upcoming year! For those who think we only work 10 months a year.....Raspberries to you!!!! All the returning teachers at my school took home professional development books to study and share with their team!! But oh the research is so much fun! And I can do most of my work and research in my PJ's, no makeup, and  shhhh no bra!

 Pinterest is now a great resource for us teachers. But I warn you it is addictive.. Very Very ADDICTIVE!! But wow at the ideas I have for my classroom and my students!! This will be my first full year as a kindergarten teacher as I came in half way through the year. So after thoroughly emptying out every cabinet, closet, and cubby, I have rearranged the "stuff" to fit MY needs and wishes. I have wonderful ideas as to how to arrange my classroom furniture and centers to better fit the needs of my students! We will have a new literacy curriculum next year focusing more on Work Work/Four Blocks than the old scripted Imagine It we once used. And I cannot wait! Well check on soon as I will be adding projects that I am working on as well as how they worked out and changes to be made!!

Ready...Set.....Go!!!

Well I am hoping I do a better job of keeping this one up to date! I want this to be a place where I can share classroom ideas that either I have or have borrowed from another teacher. I love to teach and I am almost obsessed as I search for new, fun, and exciting new ways to teach my students. My Panda Bear Kindergarten Classroom is using the Four Blocks Literacy Program (Hall and Cunningham) and I think it happens to be the most fun to teach ever!! I will be adding new ideas for lessons as well as expansions and ideas that I and others have using their approach such as Trash Talk (first idea). I truly believe that Kindergarten students can do so much more than most people give them credit for. I have heard people say that kindergarten students can't read...My class and the classes of my teammates have proved them wrong! We have students that are reading well into first grade level! I have heard that kindergarten students are too young to learn addition and subtraction...HAHAHA so funny because our student not only can add and subtract one digit numbers they are doing word problems and place value!! Is this because we are phenomenal teachers??? Ok well yea we are but it is because we challenged our students to be the best they can be, that they can do anything they set their wonderful little minds to do! We tell them every single day that they are amazing, wonderful, beautiful, intelligent children, that we want..NO EXPECT them to work hard and produce their best work. I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I will enjoy writing it! I am so excited to get these ideas out there! So....Here we go!!!!