Daily 5 Chapter 1 Questions

Okay, here are my answers to the questions posed for Chapter 1. Be sure to stop over at Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten to see other bloggers posts.

How do I teach new behaviors?
Model and practice, model and practice, model and practice, model and then practice some more! The beginning of the year is tough because you have your kinders in mind from the end of last year and all that they could do. Then the first day hits, and you realize that this group doesn't know ANY of those things yet... model and practice, model and practice, model and practice...

How do I teach expectations?
Some of my kiddos come in with NO preschool experience, so some of them have literally no idea what the teacher expects of them in school. Again, I think it goes back to modeling and practicing and a lot of talking about it. Charts, visuals, samples help too.

How do I monitor student behavior? Whole group? Small group? Individual?
I admit it- I do a chart with green, yellow and red cards. But I don't have the students names on them. Each student has a number assigned to them and the number is on the chart. That way, students don't know really whose card is red a lot (who am I kidding, yes they do). I am planning to go to the clip system next year. How I monitor whole group and small group depends on the class that year. Each group has its own personality and what works for some groups- table points, stickers, etc... doesn't work for another. So I have to experiment a little at the beginning to see what motivates the group as a whole.

What do I do when a student is not exhibiting desired behaviors?
I like an immediate consequence and one that is a natural consequence of the behavior. If they are playing at a work station instead of the task, then they miss the work station for a brief period of time. If the behavior continues, they turn their card and miss recess. I know- it's awful right?

Whose classroom is it?
It is our classroom! We live their together. We have to establish routines, procedures, and rituals together. But I am the driving force and, yes, the one who has final say on decisions.

Locus of Control
That's hard- I don't want to give up control.... I am working on that!

Where are the supplies stored?
It depends on the supplies. Pencils, scissors, glue sticks, paper are all out there for students to get and use when they need them. Other specialty supplies are kept in places accessible to students, yet they need to ask to use them (stapler, markers, colored pencils etc...)


Next up is Caitlyn from Kindergarten Smiles. Head over there to see what's in store for Chapter 2.

Kindergarten Smiles



Leave a response here- would love to hear your thoughts. And head to Tammy's blog to see links to what others are saying.

Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten

Happy Reading!Karla

Daily 5- Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

I can totally relate to the description of the first years of teaching
- that constant redirection of those few students
- the piles of center activities that kept the students busy
-the time spent changing out centers

Okay, that hasn't been me for a long time.  My workstation routines are fairly established and most years my kiddos move pretty independently through activities.
But the quote that really got me thinking was- "But did those things just keep our kids busy or were they engaged in literacy tasks that will make a difference in their literate lives?"

For me lately, I am always questioning my work station activities- is the activity linked to a common core standard, is this something meaningful for the students? I try really hard to do that- but still, in the back of my head, I sometimes feel like I am just keeping them busy while I meet with a small group.

That's why this "student driven management structure designed to fully engage students in reading and writing" appeals to me.

The cynical teacher in the back of my head questions how my kinders will stay engaged in a literacy block like the one described in Figure 1-4 on page 14.  Some of my kinders could barely stay focused on something for more than 5 minutes...

But I need to remember a point that keeps popping up in everything I am reading this summer- I need to let go of a little control and TRUST in the students more... trust that they will have that internal "locus of control", trust that they will be able to make the decisions they need to make about their literacy learning, trust that they are invested enough in the system to fully engage in reading and writing.

I am excited to be a part of this book study. I look forward to hearing your comments and I can't wait to read more!

Daily 5 Book Study

I am linking up with Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten and some other fabulous blogs to study the book The Daily 5.  Join me as we learn and grow together.  My next post with discuss Chapter 1.  Feel free to leave comments or link up to join the fun!

My Brain is Too Busy!

I know, I know, summer is a time for relaxing by the pool and taking time away from school thoughts!  But, right now my brain is on overload with lots of new ideas and thoughts!  First of all, I am reading the book In Words and Pictures by Katie Wood Ray simutaneously with her other book About the Author.  I am in awe of the classrooms she visits and works with and I am inspired by her insights.  I have not been happy with writing in my classroom lately- too much controlled, contrived Write From the Beginning type writing- and her ideas fit perfectly with how I really want writing to look like in my classroom.  So, I have a lot to think about to make changes to my writing time.

Then, I have been blog hopping too much and I am getting too many ideas from some great sites.  Over at the Kinder Gals blog http://kindergals.blogspot.com/ I started thinking about math and making some math anchor charts for numbers and for strategies. 

Then I see this http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Seusstastic-Classroom-Theme-Decor-Set  over at Kreative in Kinder's blog http://kreativeinkinder.blogspot.com/ and I make the decision that Dr. Seuss will be my theme this year.  I did it a couple of years ago and really liked it- was thinking about it for this year- and seeing this just made my decision so much easier.

So then I went shopping at Teachers Pay Teachers... 

Then I found some Whole Brain Teaching stuff that intrigues me and I decided to watch some YouTube videos and download some of their materials.

And it's only 8:15 in the morning!

So, realizing that I am overwhelmed and a little out of control (LOL)- I decided that what I really need to do is blog about it- and then go and make a list of things I need to do. A nice checklist where I can mark off things when I have finished them.  That way I will feel like I am accomplishing something instead of just sinking in a pool of great ideas!  Speaking of the pool, maybe that's a better idea...

Happy Summer!

Karla

Common Core and Nursery Rhymes

I've been thinking a lot about the Common Core Units that are becoming more popular out there lately.  Last year, our district purchased a lot of books to align with these Common Core Units but did not provide us with any real guidance about how to implement the units- should we give up what we're doing and use these books/units exclusively, do we use them as extra, do we have to follow the sequence of the units, how do these units tie in with our curriculum maps??? We were filled with questions and, quite frankly, we still are.  But Unit 1 is called A Colorful Time with Rhythm and Rhyme and it has a lot of nursery rhymes.  I like teaching nursery rhymes in the beginning weeks of kindergarten so it really fits right in.  Last year, I copied several nursery rhymes on sentence strips and each week we had one in a pocket chart.  It became a shared reading for us and a work station as well.  So, now I decided to type them up and make them look a little prettier.  So, here's a link to my first one I've done- Jack and Jill.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhymes-Jack-and-Jill-Pocket-Chart-Activity    I have plans (and cute graphics thanks to www.digiwebstudio.com) for many more.  It's designed for a pocket chart and you can use the version that has each individual word in a text box or the version with phrases.  There's also a page at the end that can become part of a poetry notebook where the children illustrate the nursery rhyme. 

Cheers!
Karla

School's Out for Summer

Wow!  It's hard to believe that the end of the year has come.  Thursday was our last day!  It was a bittersweet moment saying goodbye to all my little kinder kiddos who have come so far and accomplished so much this year!  I think about them at the beginning and am amazed at all they have learned this year! 
I hope to relax a little bit this summer, play a lot of baseball with my son in the wee hours of the morning when it is still cool enough to do things outside (I live in Arizona),  read some good books, make some things to sell at TpT and plan for the next year.

In between, I will try to blog a little about the teacher resource books I have on my reading list...
Happy Summer Everyone!

Fairy Tales and Maps

Wow, the end of the year is upon us and I have had literally no time to post anything.  We're finishing the end of our fairy tale unit and I also incorporate maps into the unit.  Here's a link to a blank map of Little Red Riding Hood's forest.  https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4suMYsG-K9oT3RMNGhjZHk3VW8  We made the key together and then the kiddo decided themselves where to put everything.  We also did this with The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  Here's the blank map I gave them for that one. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4suMYsG-K9oNThDTHhwWV9mN0U  Below are some student samples.