I linking up a little late .... ok two weeks late but better late than never right?!?!  I've been super sick the last few weeks and I'm finally getting busy on my summer to-do list.  My favorite part about summer is getting to really read again.  I have so many books on my to-read list and summer is the perfect time to finally read some of them.

One of the first professional development books that I'm reading this summer is Debbie Miller's "Teaching with Intention".  I'm very excited to link up with the one and only Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard for his book study.  

Here are my reflections on Chapter 1...

Chapter 1 talks about the ideal classroom.  I LOVE the third grade classroom that Debbie Miller talks about in chapter 1.  The classroom was child centered and one where the students were taking charge of their own learning.  It is definitely a classroom that I would hate to leave and one that I would love for my sons to be in one day...or one just like it!

My number one goal each year is to create a classroom environment that will make my students feel safe to take risks and know that they have choices in their learning.  I want people to feel that the moment that they walk into my classroom.

In my ideal classroom, the students are working independently and are engaged in conversations about their learning.  I LOVE working in small groups and while my students are working independently, I'm working with others in a small group.  I also love walking around the classroom and participating in their conversations.  I love asking questions and being there to push them in their thinking.

Anchor Charts

I LOVE anchor charts....the problem is where to put all of them without making my room look super cluttered.  I created this super easy anchor chart storage by just using sentence strips and two clothespins.  I have taught my students that they can easily flip up the anchor charts to see the one that they need.

I LOVE the super cute anchor charts, but I've learned that simple ones get the job done too!  I create my anchor charts WITH my students and one thing that I'm working on for next year is to have student input and writing on them as well.  That definitely will help with my ideal classroom that I described above.

Independent Reading Choice

I passionately believe that the ideal classroom NEEDS to have a welcoming and engaging classroom library.  Most importantly one that offers my little readers with CHOICE.  I don't organize my books in just one way and I LOVE that.  I have books organized by level (they are in the magazine holders with the black dot labels), chapter books (they are in the bins to the left), books organized by genre (they are in the bins to right), and books we are currently reading (they are in the library shelf), and of course big books (they are on the floor in the big blue tub).

It might seem like the books are organized in too many different ways, but it works friends.  It gives my students CHOICE and when we are learning about the different genres it helps a lot.  It breaks my heart when my students come in from first grade and they can't tell me the title of their favorite book.  I work all year to change that and so far each year they always leave with at least one favorite book that they can tell me by heart.

I also give my students choice in book clubs.  They vote on the books that we read and they have conversations about each of the books.  This year their favorites were Nate the Great and Mercy Watson.  I mean a pig that eats toast and has her own room.  Who wouldn't LOVE that?!?!

Organization

I'm the queen of organization y'all!  I don't think I could function in a room that wasn't organized.  I mean I do have piles of stuff, what teacher doesn't, but my room is super organized other then my few piles.

That's super easy...letting go!  I love how Greg described how he is a "guide on the side".  I do that about 50% of the time but I need to learn to let go a little more and let my students take charge of their learning more.  I definitely need some tips and tricks on that one.  I hate to say it but I need control.  I just need to let go more!

Also, displaying student work.  I do great at the beginning of the year and then I notice it's December and my students' work from September is still hanging up in the hall.  Am I alone in this?

Thanks for reading about my reflections of chapter 1.

Make sure you head over to the chapter 1 hosts' blogs to link up with your reflections of chapter 1.

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Stephanie

Today is the first day of summer y'all!  I can't wait to hit up the pool with my two little cuties.  Well as soon as we kick these sniffles that we've been having...YUCK!!

It's so fitting that today is the official first day of summer because today is technically my first day of summer vacation.  I'm completely moved out of my old room and yesterday was my last day of training (well until the end of July).  I went to Singapore Math training, new Math TEKS update (Texas equivalent to Common Core), Learning.com training camp, and a super cool iCreate on a mobile device training.  So cool that I hope to have a tutorial up soon of some of the apps I discovered.

So I decided to link up with Ashley over at Just Reed to start her Ten Pin Linky, I'm new to the party and late but I am super excited to link up.  Just click on her super cute Linky button below to link up as well.

 

This week I'm sharing 10 of my favorite Classroom Management Pins and let me tell you I had a "different" year this year.  Yes "different" is the word for last year.  Things that normally work great for me I had toss out the window and things I thought that would never work, worked like magic.  I was gone on maternity leave for 8 weeks and the truth is no matter how great your sub is, they aren't you and they don't manage your class the way you would if you were there.  So here are some things that worked for me last year and a few that I wished I would have found earlier.

1.  Class Dojo worked like MAGIC for my kiddos this year.  It's super easy to start an account and it's free to join.

 

The kids can earn or lose points depending on their behavior during the day.  It has a few options set up for you like staying on task, completing work, and helping others.  I added a few of my own like being a bucket filler, good lunchroom behavior, great hallway procedures and of course the opposite bucket dipper, silly lunchroom behavior, and silly hallway procedures.  The kids hated getting those!

The site even has a super cute introduction video that you can show the students.  Here it is so you can see it.

 

Also check out Mrs.Wills' Kindergarten, she has an awesome Class Dojo certificate that you can grab.  I wish I would have seen it in time to use with my kiddos this year but I will definitely use it this next year!

2.  My old teacher partner, who I miss terribly, came up with these awesome DeBug System steps for kids to follow.  It's been five years since we started teaching together and I still use it.  Check out her site and grab her DeBug freebie.  I put it in the front of my student's Getting Organized "G.O" binder that they take home everyday.

3.  I also use this Conduct Form that I send home in the student's G.O. Binder.  I put it behind the DeBug System.  My friend Amanda has one that you can grab.  Just click on the picture to pick it up.

4.  I also just started to use the Too Loud app in my classroom.  I did have a few students that would like to make noises to make it go off but nothing that Class Dojo didn't fix :).

 

5.  The Desk Fairy was my kids favorite...although she only visited a few times "teacher fail"!  Maybe the kids' desks just weren't up to her high standards!

Check out Sarah Cooley's blog First Grader...at Last! to hear more about The Desk Fairy.

6.  I think this would be a great "whole group" incentive.  The kids have to work together to earn the parts to complete Mr. Potato Head.  They could earn the hands for helping others, the mouth for using inside voices, the shoes for showing great hallway procedures, and so many other options.  I'm definitely going to try it next year.

7.   I have a terrible time getting kids to return books that they check out and take home after guided reading.  I pinned this app that allows you to scan your books, import your student roster, and check the books out to your students.  I can't wait to use it!!

 

8.  I had an awful time last year that student would take other student's materials or spot while the student was in the bathroom or in small group.  I found these reserve signs that I am totally using next year.  I hope it will save me a lot of tears!

 

9.  No matter how hard I try my class still gets a little noisy during stations.  Not bad noisy, just engaged and sharing noisy.  Reagan Tunstall has these awesome "Quiet Phones" that her students can wear if they want to not be distracted by the noise.  I think it's the perfect way to reuse old broken headphones.

 10.  It was hard to pick a last one but I think I like ..... this "I Can Be a Good Listener" from Christie at First Grade Fever!  I love how it has a visual of each step.  The "Look" is my favorite :)

       

Well those are my Top 10 Pins for Classroom Management.  Sorry it was so long but I hope you found some of them to be helpful.  As a thank you for staying with me this long here is a freebie for you for next year.  I got the idea of making a punch card from Amanda Richardson.  My kids loved eating lunch with me, so I decided that was a super reward.  The kids earned hole punches on their card and when they filled their card they got to pick two friends to eat lunch in the classroom.  Click on the picture below to grab my newly updated :) "Lunch Bunch Punch Card".  Thanks Amanda for the inspiration.

Have a great first official day of Summer!

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Stephanie