First of all…boy does it feel good to be back and blogging! My little side project turned in to a rather huge, time-consuming focus project and took me away from blogging a bit longer than anticipated. J To get back in the swing of things, I am linking up with KinderGals and
These last few weeks I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like to but I’m here to give you an update. Most important thing you need to know: I’m not abandoning Core Inspiration…but I am taking a blogging break. I was recently inspired by some fellow teacher creators (crazy thing
Spring parent teacher conferences are coming up next week, which means we are busy giving our end-of trimester assessments, entering grades and writing report card comments this week. It’s definitely the time of year that I realize I am NOT built for a desk job as I get all antsy sitting
Read and Respond Journals are the glue that holds our Reader’s Workshop together. I like to think of our journals as a map of each student’s learning and reading progress through the year. On the first day of school, each student gets his/her own crisp journal and we begin mapping
“Time for reading is time well spent.” – Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer. In Miller’s class, students spend half of their reading block engaging in choice reading while she sprinkles meaningful, targeted instruction around the room…sounds like my cup of tea! I agree with every study she cites and all of
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of the Reader’s Workshop model I love so dearly…a bit of background. My classroom is a place where students learn from hands-on experience, explore their interests, converse, make mistakes and problem solve. I love to equip my third graders with tools that help
One of the most difficult challenges in my first years of teaching was making the most of my Reader’s Workshop block. Finding a balance between teaching students reading skills tailored to their individual needs, giving students a solid block of reading time, conferring with students about their reading progress and
New year. New start. New adventures. New resolution goals. Yes, resolutions are fun and get your blood pumping, but I decided to abandon making one for 2014. I honestly can’t remember making a resolution I have kept so I decided to make a more “official” commitment to achieve a few desirables this
Today is the final day of idea sharing for the We Are Thankful Linky Party over at Blog Hoppin’. I am truly thankful for all of the amazing new activities and tips I have picked up from my fellow bloggers and I hope you’ve all had a chance to swing
Today over at the BlogHoppin’ We Are Thankful for Linky Party, everyone is linking up classroom activities they are thankful for. In the spirt of fall, thanksgiving and parent-teacher conference season, I have a few activities I enjoy doing with my third graders this time of year. Fall Activity Every year
Today’s linky over at Blog Hoppin’ is all about Helpful Hints. Here are a few hints that help me in the classroom. Hint 1 – Sub Plans Made Easy Easier Any teacher knows it’s often less stressful to come to work sick than to prep for a sub…so sad…so true.
This week, I am participating in the “We Are Thankful For” Linky Party Week over at Blog Hoppin‘. I am thrilled to start with time savers that help me increase efficiency around the classroom. Since my enthusiastic third graders are always inspiring me to create new and exciting lessons, I have