August 2018

Personal Narratives

with a Twist

How and when do you assess the skills of your new classroom full of writers? Are you trying to fill that first week of school with activities that assess your learners but also keep your students busy before you really know them?

The first week of school is an excellent time to begin assessing student writing skills. In fact, it is the perfect time to write personal narratives using all of those small moments your students have experienced over the summer.

I love using the mentor text, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation," by Mark Teague to inspire students to write about their summer adventures. It is funny and engaging for upper elementary and is a perfect example of personal narrative-a student sharing his summer vacation with his class. The twist in this book is the character exaggerates "just a little" about his trip out west to see his grandma. This mentor text is a great example of the author's craft elaboration or exaggeration. Your students will love writing about their summer adventure and making it even better incorporating a little exaggeration.

After going through the writing process, students can write their final copy in a "Summer Sandwich"- adding illustrations. These can be displayed on a bulletin board or greet parents on their desks at an Open House or Curriculum Night!

Your students will be proud to share their "Summer Sandwich" stories with their peers or parents. Through the process, you will also be able to observe your students as writers; how well they understand the writing process and the strengths and weaknesses they possess. You will be a great start to your writing instruction!

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Here's a link to this personal narrative in my TpT store.

Click to see all that is included in this back to school resource!

Ready...Set...Go!

4 Ways to Organize
Your Teaching Life

Are you beginning to have sleepless nights? Dreaming about bulletin boards and how everything goes wrong on the first day of school?

Well...no worries! Here's your Back To School Checklist to help you get organized for the upcoming school year!

Click here!

Put your mind at ease! Being proactive is key to getting ready for that new school year. After that, you can simply enjoy getting to know your kiddos on that first day of school!

Rather than ruining those last few weeks of summer, take small steps to get in the right mindset for a successful new year.

3 weeks before school-Teacher Prep

I call this Teacher Prep because what it really does is get the teacher excited and prepared to start thinking about a new school year. It allows you to take small steps to admit to yourself that summer is coming to an end. Here are some suggestions on what you can do.

Get a copy of your class list
Begin collecting pertinent information that will impact your planning-upcoming meetings, schedules for special classes, lunch and recess, etc.
Do something to say "welcome" or meet your new students-send a letter introducing yourself, some teachers like to do home visits or phone calls, plan an Open House, etc.
Take a motivational trip to your local teacher store to get ideas and supplies to spiff up your classroom
Definitely take a trip to Target and peruse their dollar section-so many things that you can use to brighten up and organize your classroom

2 weeks before school-Classroom Organization

Choose a rainy or cool summer morning two weeks before school to go into your classroom and start unpacking boxes, moving furniture around and pulling out things you'll use again this year. It will give you peace of mind and may even get you excited about the year ahead. Save those beautiful days you have left to enjoy your summer. Some suggestions to get a head start.

Arrange your furniture-desks, cubbies, shelves, etc. I think finding a new arrangement will spark possibilities for the new year but you may be more comfortable with the status quo. Do whatever works for you!
Create center areas in your classroom that will provide seating flexibility and easy transitions in your classroom. Some areas you may want to incorporate are a place to meet with small groups, a large group meeting area for mini-lessons, and a quiet corner for your reading area.
Create and hang bulletin boards-consider a theme for your classroom and which boards will stay up all year and boards that you can change periodically. Some suggestions are a "Welcome to Our Class" board, helpers, calendar, birthdays, a board to display student work and subject area boards. So many possibilities!

1-2 weeks before school

Below is a list of things you can do at home when you are watching a movie and enjoying those last few weeks of summer vacation. All of these tasks can be finished up in the classroom the week before school begins.

Label and hang locker tags.
Label and attach desk tags.
Organize student supplies-sharpen pencils, make supply boxes for your groups with necessary supplies for sharing keeping in mind the students who don't have their own personal supplies.
Label student folders, composition books, workbooks, etc. for easy distribution the first week

1 week before school

Get ready for that first day! It seems like I'm always doing this last minute! Help is on the way if you're like me and you need some activities to get your year off to a great start!