Revving Up Writing

Today I am linking up with my Reading Crew to share strategies for revving up writing.  I compiled various anchor charts to assist with writers in Kindergarten-Second Grade.

Source: The First Grade Parade

Many times I would hear students say they don't know what to write about.  This year I had students create their own heart map at the beginning of the school year.  First off, it served as a resource when students needed to start a new writing piece.  I also used it as a way to get to know my students and their interests.  Students kept their heart map in their writing folder the entire year.

If you know who made this, let me know so I can give credit

Source: Mrs. Jones' Kindergarten

I have seen this chart mostly in Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms, but it could be adapted for other grades.  This serves as feedback for students as well as helping students set writing goals.

          Source: Pinterest (image only)             Source: Mrs. Wills Kindergarten

Source: Spotted in First Grade

I used this anchor chart in Kindergarten.  This anchor chart serves as a model for student illustrations.

Source: Zeek's Zoo

I used this anchor chart in 2nd grade.  The stoplight is a great visual for students.  

Source: My Crazy Life in Kindergarten

I will do another post soon with anchor charts specifically for narrative, informational, and opinion writing.

My #EdCampLDR Experience

Last week I traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for a short vacation and to attend Ed Camp Leadership.  It was my first Ed Camp experience.  Thanks @Fetters4Tweets @allisunrae and @Tchr_RachelM for the invite.  I loved meeting some of my PLN in real life.

Why go to Ed Camp?

• FREE
• Network and get to know other teachers 
• When you arrive to Ed Camp there is a space to submit ideas for sessions.  Everyone has a voice.
• You decide which sessions to attend based on your interests and needs
• Sessions are collaborative, not 1 person holds all the knowledge

Ed Camp models what we should be doing in our classrooms.  Our students should have a voice and choice in their learning.  

I am passionate about being a connected educator.  

If you do not have a Twitter account, create an account before you go to EdCamp.  

We used the hashtag #EdCampLDR to tweet our new learning throughout the day.

The North Carolina State Superintendent, Dr. June Atkinson, was our opening speaker.  It was an honor to have her attend.

The best part about Ed Camp is the open schedule.  

All of our sessions for the day.  Did I mention I loved Personalized PD?  It is a great feeling to pick your session based on your needs and interests.  You won't be bored!  It is interactive and a lot of collaboration takes place.

New Apps/Website To Try

-Voxer

Voxer is a walkie talkie app where you can communicate with individuals or groups

-Periscope

Periscope is a video streaming app.  This has been increasingly popular with teacher bloggers.

-S'More

S'More is a website where you can share resources.

-Zite  

Zite is an app that allows you to read articles based on your interests.  

If you have been to Ed Camp before, what do you enjoy most?

Together We Are Better {Making Improvements}

I am linking up with Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd and Angie from Lucky Little Learners for their monthly #2getherwearebetter link up.

Although I am job hunting right now, here are a few things I want to improve on this school year:

CLASSROOM READ ALOUD STORAGE

Source: A Cupcake for the Teacher

I like the idea of having specific read alouds set aside so you can pull them as needed.  Instead of organizing by month I would organize by comprehension skill or subject.

This year I spent way too much time trying to find books for my lessons.  My new organizational system should be a time saver.

FOCUS WALL

                                         
                                               Source: Sunny and Bright in First Grade

Learning objectives should be posted clearly in student friendly language.  One district that I worked for required objectives to be posted as part of the walkthrough criteria in addition to students being able to orally describe what they learned.  So, I want to make sure that I create an area that is accessible to students.

STUDENT WORK DISPLAY

Source: Create Teach Share

In the classroom I want a defined area for displaying student work.  The clothespins work great because each student has an assigned spot and work can be changed out easily.  Plus, students, families, and staff can recognize specific students and compliment them on their work.  

TEACHER LANGUAGE 

Source: Tales of a Tenacious Teacher

I was reading through Kelli's blog post and she summed up my intentions this past school year. perfectly  I made an effort to spend more time reinforcing what students are doing correctly.  

Example: "I like the way _______ is ________"  

A colleague recommended the book Teaching with Love and Logic.  This book closely aligned with my classroom management philosophy.  As I read this book it made me reflect on the language I use with students.  Classroom management is always an area to work on and I am glad I found what works for me.  I will continue to reflect and improve in this area.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!