Another year done!...Almost

Here I am at the end of another school year, finding that I didn't post nearly as much as I intended to.  Due to Hurricane Sandy, we had our regular one hour last day with the students, BUT we have to come back on Monday and Tuesday to make up for teacher days lost.  I had a productive last school day once the Sunshine brunch was done, and I left a to do list on my desk for the last two days we have to be there.  The district is using some of each day for training with the new Journeys reading program to start in the fall and we also have about 3 hours of time for ourselves each day.

I started off fully gung-ho for Daily 5, but found that I didn't follow through with the mini-lessons long enough.  The stamina really stuck for the kids and I am sending them to third grade with an enjoyment for sitting and reading, so I am really happy for that.  Mini-lessons have never been my strong point since I can't do anything for just a few minutes.  Something to continue to work on...  I also have to focus on the new Journeys program and see how the two can work together.

My decorative game plan stayed strong with the zebra last year, but I've tweaked it with a lot of visual cues from Pinterest during the year.  I loved the coordinated classrooms that I have seen there.  I took the zebra backed board from last year and ran with the black and white with pops of red for next year.  Hoping to post photos.

Keep checking back.  I promise to try to do better with posting :-)

Daily 5 Party

I have joined the party full-force!  I am reading the Daily 5 book and scouring the vast WWW to find anything Daily 5 and CAFE.  I managed to stumble and land face first in this Wonderful group of bloggers working their way through the Daily 5 book.  I am so happy to read the words of these bloggers and find that it echoes my own thoughts starting the book.  I hope I can catch up to them!  Here is the link to Lory's Page when she began this book talk.  At the bottom are a number of other bloggers, each contributing their thoughts.  All of these sites have great ideas of their own.

I am still building that black, white, and red all over bulletin board.  I plan to stop by school tomorrow to do some measuring of the board in question so that I can move forward with the whole display and not find out I made it too big when I get there in August.  Here is what I have so far...Still a work in progress.

I am reading one of the links at Fourcornerslife blog and she has some interesting points about the importance of choice and building stamina.  Returning to 2nd grade, I am excited about the improved maturity (potential?) of slightly older students.  I am hoping to build on their desire to be "big kids" and that intrinsic motivation.  I am also really crossing my fingers to build that stamina.  I find it hard to button my own  lip and let them work without praising the ones who are doing well, so I hope to build my own stamina, too.

CAFE and Daily 5 What's black, white, and red all over?

My newest bulletin board!

Following the uber-responsible example of Mrs. B, I am trying to organize my summer home time.  I am so proud of myself today - I went to the gym and spent two hours working on my teaching goals.  Yay me!  I downloaded The Daily 5  book to my iPad and I am reading, highlighting, searching online, printing notes, and working on a plan for the bulletin board I will use for the Daily 5 and CAFE.  I have an adventure theme for my second graders in September and I got a bit carried away on the last day of school and put up a WILD zebra print wrapping paper as backing for this particular board.  Now, looking at the layout of my classroom I realize that board will be a huge focus up on the front wall and the perfect place for my ambitious Daily 5 and CAFE displays.  I have to get some measurements on the exact size of the board so I can continue to create the pieces I want to make for the display.  In the next couple of days, I'll keep reading The Daily 5 and making a "sketch" of the bulletin board I want to have.  My main focus is to keep the fun zebra background in a way that doesn't make any of my students queasy come September.  Check back soon to see how I am doing.

.......A few hours later I'm baaaaaack.  I just wanted to add that Mrs. Durning's site at Second Grade Is Splendid has a great series of posts for the Daily 5 as it is in her classroom.  I find myself going back to her again and again.  Thanks Mrs. Durning!