Student Led Learning {with Aloha to Second}

One thing that I teach in kindergarten is how to be responsible, proactive, and independent problem solvers!  I think being able to work on your own and problem solve is a crucial skill to know!

One way I help my students be independent and lead their learning is by providing my students with various resources around the room and letting them choose what is best for them. 

They each have a writing folder and within the folder they have some resource pages.  They use this one to help them keep track of their stories and to see if they can add more to their writing. 

Students can also use these orange folders to help them with their writing.  They use these to check letters, sounds, and various words.

Each student also has a checklist in their folder to help them make sure that their writing is neat and ready to read. 

I provide the students with various resources, and then it is up to them to lead their learning and push themselves to be better students.  I love seeing my students grow in their learning when they get a chance to be in charge!

Integrating the Arts {with Aloha to Second}

With all the new standards and new testing, I often find it difficult to add in the arts to my lessons. I decided when I was teaching second grade that it was crucial to have art within my lessons.  Therefore, I wrote reading unit plans that included fun crafts or pieces of art for the lessons.

For my November unit, we learned about character traits.  We read a story as a class and completed a character trait book and craft to go with it. 

This is the story we read.  It was perfect because it wasn't very long and it showed character changes within the story. 

Here is the chart we used as a class. We would discuss what a character trait is and how characters can change based on what happens in the story.  We used post-it notes to show how the character changed from the beginning to the middle and then the middle to the end. 

We made this cute guy for our character trait book. 

The ladies were able to make a pilgrim girl. 

Then, the students completed the character book. 

You can find this unit with the crafts by clicking here! 

I also did this cute craft with my after school club.  I thought I would share it. I used cardboard squares, hole punched two holes at the top, used a pipe cleaner for the beads, and then we painted our hands for the turkeys. I thought they were really cute! 

Teaching Then and Now {with Aloha to Second}

One thing I have changed over the years is data tracking in my classroom.  I used to track so many things, and it was too overwhelming.  Now, I choose/have my kids choose a personal and academic goal that is challenging yet maintainable.  Then, they work towards reaching that goal.  We track it as a class and in their personal binders.  Here is our most current tracking system. :] 

Throughout the school year, my students and I work to set classroom goals that we track.  We also track them in their leadership binders so they can see their individual growth.  We begin by finding a personal goal and an academic goal to focus on.  

Personal goals:  A goal that has to do with you as a person, to make yourself better, something nonacademic.

Academic goals: A goal that allows you to focus on something academic in the classroom, a goal centered around the standards

Once we establish one personal and one academic goal, we then vote on a way to celebrate it if we achieve our goal.

I typically give my students options and they vote on them.  It is much more productive and then I am in control of the amount of money I spend. :]

Once we vote, then I make a classroom tracking display that we work towards filling in to reach our goal, and I also make individual tracking pages for their leadership binders. 

We also establish an appropriate deadline to reach our goals.  I find using holidays to set our goals much easier.  The students are able to understand when the holiday is coming and it helps us have a focus.  

Each week, each student is pulled to practice/review their goals for the week.  We also assess once a week and record the outcome in their binder.  If students reach either of the goals, I add their name to the classroom display.

I send home activities to help my kids practice at home, and I also provide extra support at school so that we can all reach the goal. 

Above, you can see our first goal for the year.  We wanted everyone to learn their letters and sounds by Halloween.  That was their academic goal.  The personal goal was to learn their personal mission statement that they recite every morning.  Once we all reached both goals, we got to chew gum for a day!  There was one piece of gum placed in the gumball machine for each goal. 

Here is our most current goal.  We want everyone to be in the 100's club and put first things first by Christmas.  The 100's club consists of counting to 100 by 1's, 5's, and 10's.  We put first things first by getting to school on time, coming to the classroom ALONE, and putting our things away before starting our morning routine.  I have had a big issue this year with students being late and students' parents walking them to the classroom and unpacking their child's backpack for them.  This is a very important goal that we are tracking each day!  Once students are able to achieve both, they get to put their names in the pizza and we will then have a pizza party!

I hope this is useful for you!  I have found it to be a fun way to track our classroom goals and to help us stay motivated. :] 

Tricks and Treats {from Aloha to Second}

I have a few tricks that I use in my classroom.  One of my tricks is to give each student a name tag necklace.  I write something on it, such as a skill they need to work on.  My students have been working on letters and sounds, so I have been writing letters on their necklace for them.  Then, throughout the day teachers or students will ask them to state the letter and sound.  This is so easy, and my kids benefit greatly from it!  I have so many students that are picking up their letters and sounds quicker because of this.  They also love wearing the necklaces. 

Another trick I have is to write on post it notes skills my kids need to practice. Each week I assess my students on various skills.  If they have not mastered the skill, then I write it down on a post-it note.  I put the post-it notes on my clipboard that holds my lesson plans.  Throughout the day/week, I'll flip up my lesson plans and quickly assess my students on the skills on the post-it notes. 

              

Here is a treat for you!  It is a fun number match with pumpkins!  My kids loved it.  Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy the tricks and treats. :]

Assessment {with Aloha to Second}

I assess my students several different ways.  I keep a large 2 inch binder that I divide into sections for each student.  I place all their assessments behind their section in the binder.  This makes is so much easier for me when report cards come around.  I can flip to their section and easily figure out how to fill out their report card. 

I assess students in reading, writing, and math.  Each unit I have an assessment that I give the students and I make a copy for me to place in the binder.  I also send a copy home to parents. 

One of my favorite assessments that tells me so much about each student are my monthly assessments.  I quickly assess my students each week based off of our word study skills, a math skill, and another kindergarten skill.  I highlight where they need to practice and place a checkmark next to those they complete correctly.  If there is more information I want to remember, I write it in the notes section. 

 I may assess by having them fill out a quick exit slip, one-on-one questions, use a white board, or through classroom observations.  

At the end of each month, I send a copy home to parents and they are asked to sign and return the bottom portion so I know they received it.  I also jot down on a post it note skills I need to review with students based off the assessments.  I then pull the students throughout the day or ask them when we're lining up for lunch to help them practice.  If we have a parent volunteer, I also have students work with them on these skills.

I LOVE this.  It holds me accountable, it makes report cards easier, and it helps me really know which students need more practice.  I have found that my students have improved so much more since I've started this.  If you would like a copy of what I use this school year, click here!

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by. :] If you have any questions, feel free to ask. 

Teacher Time Savers {from Aloha to Second}

I am ALWAYS looking for ways to make my life easier as a teacher.  Here are a few things that I have found that have really cut down on my time for prepping.

I bought this file folder bin at Wal*Mart.  I can easily place hanging file tabs in the folder and then use file folders to label and sort my materials.

I place all my reading and math worksheets in this bin.  I am not a big worksheet person, but it is a great way to pull something when I need to cover a certain topic.  So, I went through all my files and printed one of each sheet to place in the appropriate file folder.  I know using the computer is much easier, and eco-friendly, but I find this much easier for me to pull and print! 

Here are some of the topics I use when sorting my files:

Comprehension, Fluency, ABC, Sounds, Phonemic Awareness, Digraphs, Diphthongs, etc.

Patterns, Numbers, Counting, Sorting, Shapes, Adding, Subtracting, etc.

Each week I prepare all my activities and materials.  I place each activity in the correct bin that matches the day of the week.  This makes my life SO much easier.  Also, if I were to be sick and not be able to prep like I usually do for a substitute, this is a great way to allow them see what we are using for the day. 

I also save time during transitions in my classroom by quickly going to my bin and grabbing the next activity.  I stay so much more organized this way and I feel much more efficient! I bought this from Lakeshore Learning. :]  However, I have seen bins like this at Target in the Dollar spot!

Here is another time saver for me.  When I have students that finish early, they have an independent work folder.  I place them in this small bin, and my kiddos walk over on their own, find their name, and grab a sheet to work on.  

This is perfect because each student has work that applies to their skill level. I can easily differentiate their work.  I use the bin from above to pull skill worksheets to copy and place in their folder.

My kids LOVE using their independent folder.  They get so excited when they finish work early and get to grab work from their folder. 

I hope that these tips help you work faster in your classroom.  It may take time to get them started, but it is so worth it once you have it!

Cramming it all In {from Aloha to Second}

This is my sixth year of teaching, and I am getting closer to making a schedule and routine that will work for my class. 

One thing I do is post the schedule each day.  This is helpful for me and for my students.  I write the time next to each activity to help me stay on track.  I can't even begin to explain to you how much this has helped me!

After we complete an activity, we place a dot next to it on the board.  For my kiddos that have a hard time focusing or getting through the day, this is super helpful for them.  They can then count down how many more activities we have until lunch or a special or the end of the day.  It also stops them from asking me when we will go home. :]

This is my little teaching area at the front of the room.  I have my basket of goodies/resources and all my teaching books.  I also use my handy clipboard to place my lesson plans for the week. This is great for me to keep everything together.

If you are interested in checking out one of my lesson plans for a week, you can click on the picture below.

You can also check out my daily schedule by clicking on the image below.  We have specials at a different time each day, so it makes scheduling a little difficult.  However, I do the best I can! 

What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching {with Aloha to Second}

When I think back to my first year of teaching, oh I think about how much easier it would have been if I had started with a few extra supplies!  These are my top three items I wish I had when I first began this wonderful world of teaching.  I hope you find them helpful. 

I wish I had known about Scholastic Book Clubs.  This is a great online resource to purchase books for your classroom.  You earn points each time books are purchased and then you can use those points to buy books in your room.  The points give you FREE books!  

I was spending so much money in the beginning purchasing my own books.  This website is also great because it allows your families to buy books for their homes, and you receive points each time they buy.  It is SO easy that families can even purchase them online.  You set up an online account and you are given a code.  Then, give the code to your families and they will enter it at checkout.  If they enter your code, it syncs to your classroom and you earn points.  The books are also shipped to school so you can easily distribute them to your students.  Click here to start your book club today!

I wish I had book bags when I first started teaching.  These are my favorite items in my classroom.  They make transporting classroom books so much easier.  My kids are much more responsible and the love carrying their book bags around.  

They simply enter the classroom, place their book bag in their reading bin, and later in the day during book shopping time they can return their book and get a new one.  I also keep a reading folder in their book bag for them to record the books they read.  You can find the book bags here from Really Good Stuff and the take home reading folder information here it is by Rachelle Smith!

I also LOVE my white board easel.  It is small and I can move it all over my room so easily.  I usually have it on my small group table and it makes it easy for me to demonstrate things for my students.  This easel is so handy and even has pockets on the back to store materials in!  I purchased it from Lakeshore Learning.

I hope you are having a great start to your school year, and I hope you find these tips useful for you!