Work Station Debriefing Cards

In DC Public Schools, I work with teachers to improve their Work Stations and their teaching at the Guided Reading table. 46 schools have chosen this focus area for the school year, called Small Group Literacy Instruction. We use the work of Debbie Diller and her book Literacy Work Stations. We use "I Can" Lists and we also make it a habit to debrief the work in stations.  Stations may begin with a mini-lesson and end with debriefing.

What could be taught in a mini-lesson for Work Stations?
How to use a new material.
How to solve a common problem.
How to work with others.
How to do anything better in Work Stations.

The teacher will then let students do their work in Work Stations and teach Guided Reading, but not being out there with students during Work Stations is hard.  The only way to get the information you need from students work in Stations is to ask them! We do this using debriefing cards as a routine part of our Work Station routine.

Teachers will meet with the group and ask one or two questions from the cards.  This gives teachers a chance to get valuable information from students and helps students be metacognitive about the work! It's a win-win for all involved!

You can get your cards in my TpT store! FREE!
Happy Work Stations!

Share Stations

Goodness I sure do love learning something new! I think once we stop learning- we should stop being teachers. So today, in a training in Texas I learned something new from a teacher.

SHARE STATIONS.

It's an idea for student accountability- otherwise known as- "You better be doing what I told you to do" during Work Stations.

There is an identified share station each week- or I assume it could be a different one each day. It may be designated on the Work Board by a special S sticker or some kind of cute clip art on the rotation chart.  This just indicates to students that they will be SHARING their work at that Station with the class. Sharing means showing what they created/made/did etc. and perhaps being the students that also answer questions during the debrief; what did you like doing at your station? What did you learn while working at your station etc.

I love this idea for allowing kids to show and share their work. You can imagine students take their work more seriously when they know they are (or could be) at a SHARE Station in the week.

Thanks for the great idea Megan!

How do you hold students accountable for their work during Stations? Post your idea in a comment.

Top 100 Books! What's Your Number?

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook recently. It is a post fro the New York Public Library for the TOP 100 Children's books.

I scrolled through and added up how many I had read personally. I am kind of ashamed to say I'm only 45! Really?

Oh well. Scroll though yourself. What's your number?

http://www.nypl.org/childrens100

In addition to your number, which ones were you most happy to see on this list?

I personally don't think this list would have been complete without:

Ramona
and
Pippi

Creativity in Schools! We need MORE of it!

Y'all I am just amazed at this! I believe this child is smart for sure- but there is so much of this creativity in all kids. Like a diamond just needing to be polished. How can we encourage more of this in our schools? I want to find out!

October Currently

It's that time again. Time to link up with Farley for her October Currently. I'm number 290. Yikes! I've been 2 before... and probably 90.. but not 290!  It kind of snuck up on me this month. It's already the 9th... but what do they say? Better late than never.
So here goes.

Listening: Planes are so loud! It hurts your ears after a while. I'm headed to one of my favorite places... Texas! Going back to my old stomping ground at Region 12! I'm their keynote speaker in the morning. Big Lessons from Little Learners.

Loving: It is FALL in Virginia! Seriously! It's amazing! My favorite season and I am in jeans, boots, long sleeves. The windows can be rolled down. The leaves are starting to turn! Woo Hoo!

Thinking: I'm so late doing this. Oh well. If nothing else it is a chance for ME to be reflective right? A few moments of writing. It's worth it. Really cute design this month eh?

Wanting:  I'm so excited for this weekend. Now- don't make fun of me- but I am a scrapbooker. I can't paint- I can't draw- but I am a creative person and I get my creative on by cutting paper! I love to journal in my scrapbooks too and it is my guilty creative pleasure in life. So... what does any of that have to do with Friday night? On Friday night I will be at a retreat for scrapbookers- Friday night 9pm ish until Sunday afternoon! Yep! Me! I can't wait. The luggage was a little extra heavy this trip. Had to bring all my "stuff" for the retreat!

Needing: I really need to be a better blogger. I just have no time. I thought if I set a certain time for it, but that didn't work. I've been through the writer's block thing- that's not it. I have tons of stuff I want to write and share- I'm just too tired- or I'd rather catch up on DVR. Oh- and reading blogs? Haven't done that in I don't even KNOW how long! Poo.

Trick or Treat? It really is going to be a TREAT to be back at R12! I'm excited.

Check It Out

In my procrastination of PowerPoint today, I was on the Internet and look what I found:

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support: www.pbis.org

Some of you may know of this body of work, but it was brand new to me. My favorite part was the link under SCHOOL then PRIMARY LEVEL and BEHAVIOR EXPECTATION EXAMPLES
You can get right to it by clicking here. There are some great ideas and things to print and use in your own classroom.  I hope you'll click around and check it out!

This was a good find on Saturday morning. Does this mean I need to get back to PowerPoint now?

September Curently

Yep! It's that time! September already. Where did August go? Where did the entire summer go? It will be Christmas again before we know it! Good grief- time flies when you are busy!

I'm hooking up with Farley for her Currently.

Listening:  I am "Up North" in Michigan right now. Spending time with my parents and going to a wedding this weekend. It's so quiet here and peaceful.

Loving:  Living in a different state than my family is so HARD! I hate that I miss so many things. Mom is making dinner right now and we are just hanging out.

Thinking: I really don't have days of doing nothing! I just don't! I wish I did. I should make time for it- but there is always something to do.  Being in Michigan allows me to find some time to DO NOTHING.  I took a nap! I read a book! I started this blog post. It was relaxing. I needed it.

Wanting: My phone is on its last leg! It doesn't hold a charge. It doesn't turn off. I need a new one, but I am going to get every last second from the one I have first.

Needing:  My job is out of control. I love it- don't get me wrong- but it is the hardest work I have every done.  I need more days to get the work done or someone to split the workload with me. Any takers?

Heart Happy Goals: Oh I love reading! It is a simple pleasure and a gift every time I can do it. I set a summer reading goal of 10 books- only made it to 6. I need to read more in the month of September. Period.  I also need to take more time for ME at the gym.  When I'm at the gym, I am focusing on myself. Not the laundry, not the dog hair on the floor, not the dishes in the sink. I am focused on me and I am worth an hour a day to do that! Not to mention I am not fitting into clothes the way I used to! So... September will be a good month of reading and the gym. Oh- and I'm going to make some things! You know all those things I've pinned? I'm going to FINALLY make something of those boards! :)

Parent-Teacher Communication Logs

If you are reading this, you survived your first week! Some of you are in love and celebrating what might be the best group of students to date. Others of you are confident some of your students are going to kill you before the year is through.  To all of you- I say congratulations in completing your first week!  

It was usually over this long weekend that I would regroup. I would shuffle my lesson plans. I would rearrange my room. (Why does it always look bigger until the kids get in it?) And I would start my Home/School communication sheets.  

Many teachers use Friday Folders. I was one of those teachers. Every Friday, my students would take home their folder with a School/Home Communication sheet inside. Which means every Friday, I had a chance to send a personal message to every child’s family.  It also meant that to start every Monday I got a personal message back.  

We don’t get accolades often as teachers, but these School/Home communication sheets were mine. Parents would often thank me for things. They would tell me how excited their child was about things we were learning.  These sheets made me smile. They helped me build the partnership that is so vital for a successful school year. If you want to try it- my School/Home Communication sheet is available for free in my TpT Store.

Up, Up, Up

Just a reminder to all of you out there praying for the end of the first week of school.

It is tough!

It is tiring!

Your feet hurt!

Your voice is fading.

You aren't getting enough sleep because you are dreaming about school.

This is the hardest week of them all!

My first year of teaching Kindergarten (after having taught 3rd grade the year before),  I had to get a theme song. In order to walk down the hall to GET my students from the cafeteria in the morning I had to play myself a song. And the song was: Up by Shania Twain.

Up, up, up. Can only go UP from here!

When the day is long and hard- just remember- Up, up, up! Can only go UP from here!

First Day of School Lesson Plans

Just a walk down memory lane! I dug these up last night to remember the FIRST day of school.  So much just about rules and routines! Spent the morning in a DC elementary school and it things have not changed. Rules, rules, rules.  Happy first day of school everyone! 

SMILE!

 It’s the first day of KINDERGARTEN!

Tuesday August 28

7:35 Pick up students and say hello to each one  

(remember some of them will have parents with them and you'll need to determine how they will get home)

7:45-8:30 Students take things to their seat and start to color and cut K.P Bears

** Go to student tables one at a time and help them unpack and show them what to do in the morning. PUT THINGS AWAY, LUNCH TALLY, ANNOUNCEMENTS, PIN ON NAME TAGS

AIDE- Go around and write names on their bear and help by taking PICTURES of each student outside by Chicka Tree  

8:30-8:45 Morning Group/What We Will Do Today

 ** Teach sitting in lines for morning group, talk about how we sit at the carpet.  Say good morning to each student by name. As you say good morning, glue their bear on butcher paper.  

8:45-9:00 Read Aloud the Kissing Hand and discuss feelings about going to Kindergarten today. Give HEARTS to students that want one. Send students back to seats.  Cut out brown hands and draw a heart to glue on a poem for Mom and Dad.       
HAVE STUDENTS WRITE NAMES and PUT IN THEIR FOLDERS TO GO HOME

9:00-9:15 RECESS 

** RULES- Rocks stay on the ground

                  Dirt Stays on the ground

                  Play where your teacher can see you

                  Play without touching each other

                 ** Listen for me to call you to line up- RUN **

                  

9:15-9:25 Bathroom Break in Hall   
** Teach QUIET hall behavior.
One push of soap and three pulls of paper

9:25-9:35 Snack  
** Teach talking quietly at table about the playground

9:35-9:55 Shared Writing Chart - _________ likes the monkey bars etc.

** Teach sitting in rows at carpet with tape

Rules: sit still with legs crossed

Look at teacher

Keep hands in lap

Sit in your row

Raise hand to share

When we get to the carpet we stay at the carpet together

9:55-10:05 Introduce Fine Motor Center: Play dough

** Teach/Show how to use it and how to clean it up **

10:05-10:25 Play dough

10:25-10:45 Word Study- Phonics ELC1 p. 71 Making a Name Chart with Pocket Chart and Cards       

10:45-10:55 Get Ready For Lunch 

 ** LUNCH RULES    
Whisper when in cafeteria line

 Remember your manners

 EAT

 Raise your hand ONLY for help

 Have all the things you need help with READY

 Who Is In Charge

10:55-11:25 Lunch **ABC ORDER** 
(Remember you will have to stay with them for a little bit to help them)

11:25- Recess 
** Remind them of the recess rules before they play

11:45 Bathroom and Drink Break 
** Teach/Remind about hall behavior and bathroom behavior

12:00-12:10 Calendar Carpet 
** Review carpet behavior

12:10-12:20 Read Aloud Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Big Book

12:20-1:00 Introduce Pattern Blocks and let students explore at table with the math manipulatives and foam pads

1:00-1:20 Introduce Suzy Circle

                  Use a Circle to do a Bubble Map of MATH and NUMBERS

1:20-1:30 Pack Up and Pass out First Day Newsletter

1:30 PE AND MUSIC

2:50 Closing Group and Dismissal  

**Teach them to stay by me out in the car pickup outside **

    Teach them to say goodbye!