Recently, my son was teased for the shape of his head. His head? Really?

After we sat and talked about what happened, he felt like there was nothing special about him! Ugghhh!

This was completely unacceptable!

​So Of course, I whipped out my favorite picture books and started reading with my whole crew. (His favorite was definitely I don't want to be a frog. My daughter insisted that my book, Flamingo Hugs, was her favorite, Secretly I think she preferred Brontorina. It's okay, my child, it's a great book.)

Afterwards, we shared what made each of the characters special. We connected the characters' uniqueness to our own quirkiness.

​By the end of our reading, we realized we can't control what others think of us. But we can be proud of who we are!

It occurred to me that celebrating uniqueness is something I need to do in my classroom every now and then. My students are special and I don't always have time to highlight that individuality.

But I plan to! We will be reading these wonderful books and using this  fortune teller I created to celebrate us!

Do you have books that inspire you to be you? Comment below and let me know! 

 (Our students come in all shapes and feathers.

Some students will flock together,
Others won't.

​It can be challenging getting them to be kind, work together, and find their place in your flock.

read alouds are one of the best ways to build classroom culture and community. Each bird in these stories has it strengths and weaknesses. Your students will laugh at their antics while learning to accept themselves and others.

                                Teach It!

Reading-

Compare the character's flaws and examine how these birds undergo Change.

Let's Go Hugo- Fearful
Flamingo Hugs- Clumsy
Wordy Birdy- Chatty/Doesn't Listen
Nerdy Birdy- Wants to fit it

Class rOOM mEETINGS-

sET rULES FOR yOUR rOOST.
cREATE fRIENDS fLOCK tOGETHER POSTERS
Have students create tweets about the positive things happening in your room (Click the fake tweet below for a Tweet generator.)

Ahhh. October the month of falling temperatures, leaves, and....falling apart?

Unfortunately, everything is not always pumpkin spice and everything nice. But I've learned to keep on pressing on. 

Something that's helped me this month in my classroom is setting a goal. So we've called it Goal-Tober. My students each set their own personal goals and then planned steps to achieve them. Each week, I checked in with them during project time to ask them about their goals.

The first two weeks I heard a lot of excuses. And I don't blame them! But last week, they told me, "I know you were going to ask so..."

And as you may know, I teach the whipper-snappers. Therefore, I was held me accountable as well!

So for me, it was Goal-Tober: the story of the Fantastic Five. 

I set a goal in the following areas-

Faith
Family
Financial
Fun
And Physical!

(Okay yes, I cheated on the last one, in more ways than the spelling. But you get the point!)

My students have encouraged me. I know Goal-Tober is almost over, but I bet you can reach a small goal if you try! So go out my friends and try!

I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a comment below. 

Tip # 2

Have a way to keep all of the papers together!

Whether it is a file folder, regular folder, or clipboard,  a stray paper can really throw off your groove.

Tip #3-

Have something little for the kids to work on. Word searches, coloring pages may not have a place in the regular school hours, but it will help the parents get those pesky papers filled out faster. :)

Fun Idea! Create your own word search with your students' names. Here is a word search maker, 

Tip #4-
Create a brochure or handout for parents that has all your info. 


But trust me on this, keep it short and simple. In my house, (I have five kids.) any piece of paper that can't be hung on the fridge for quick reference makes it to the trashcan faster than Capri Suns disappear on a hot day in Texas.

I recommend creating a class site with all this info. If you are at all techie driven. Weebly is super easy to use. :)

.Tip # 6
Have a question sheet or area posted?

A place where parents can write questions will allow them to have something to do while they wait to introduce themselves.

Some parent may need to sneak out because they have other kids' classrooms to visit. 

Or, another parent has a great deal to tell you and you can't seem to get away to answer other questions.

I love having parents write them on sticky notes and putting them on my whiteboard. Or, you could have them write them on a clipboard.

​Asking them to email you is fine, but chances are if one parent has a question, others will have the same. 

 T
ip # 7
Plan a way out!
Some parents like to talk. (I'm one of them.) They are entrusting you with their treasure! I get it. You're excited to have them. But, there are SO many people who want your attention. 

Be prepared to re-direct the chatty parents to other staff members.  
"I'm so glad to hear you are a reader." (Walk towards door or your classroom library.) The library  is over this way. Why don't you see if we have anything you (student) might be interested?"

"Oh! You had (insert last year's teacher)! Have you seen her yet? Could you give her a hug for me?"


There you have it! Have a great "Back to School" night! 

Below are a few more resources for the beginning of the year if you are interested! Any tips, tricks, or books you like to share?

“Does anyone have any questions?” 

My students look at me with blank stares and crickets sing. 

Oh my popsicles! Did anyone get anything from this lesson? 

“Okay... let’s try this again. Can anyone tell me what we learned about today?”

Large pause... for the love of sweet watermelons! 

“No one?” 

Finally, eager beaver in the back lifts hand. “Fractions?”

“Why does that sound like a question?!” 

Does this scene sound familiar? If it does, how do we fix it? 

Tips and Suggestions...

1. Refer to that objective, often. Ask the kids to tell you what you are learning several times. 
2. Write how you want something done step by step. (If a student gets lost, you can ask them what step he is on. But be aware that you will need to differentiate for your faster friends who may choose to solve a different way.) 
3. At the end of the lesson don’t ask, “Do you have any questions?”
Instead, use this as an exit ticket and say, “What questions do you STILL have?”
Using this, you will know who gets what and where to differentiate the next day. 


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​Ever try to solve one problem only to have your “solution” create brand new chaos? In these two hilarious books, the main characters experience just that.
 
Excellent verb choice and delightful illustrations in these books will keep your kids laughing and engaged.
 
Teach It!
Early grades can use No Frogs in School to teach days of the week and types of animals (amphibians, mammals, etc.). There are also a plethora of great reading connections like sequencing and cause and effect.
This is Not a Dragon Party has a higher vocabulary perfect for grades 3-5. The main character’s voice shines in this! So, consider using it to teach voice during your writing block.
This book would be a fabulous for a quick review of cause and effect. (The main character attempts to get help getting rid of her dragon problem. Hilarity ensues.) You could also use this text to practice persuasive writing. Although the author’s purpose is not persuasion, this story lends itself beautifully to that genre of writing. Journal prompt idea: Convince me why I should/shouldn’t invite ogres to my party!
 
The school year is quickly wrapping up! Stay strong my friends. You’ve got this!

If you're anything like me, the more you write the less words like to flow. After a while, nothing seems to connect. You look back at your narrative, or your students', and wonder where in the universe did that come from?

Squirrel!

​This is not the glorious piece of writing you thought it would be. Your ideas just aren't connecting.

You need words that glue your piece together.

But the go to transitions have lost their sparkle. First, next, then, so. Well, they had to go.

So, Pinterest here you come.

 Moments later, you are happily pinning picture books and finding this blog post, right?

Well, let's turn Unimpressed Squirrel around and make these ideas flow. Check out these funny stories with great transitions. 

Finally, here is a mini anchor chart I made for using transition words in narratives.

Classroom culture is one of the leading factors that will determine your class'' success. Regardless of your teaching prowess, if a student doesn't feel safe or welcome in your room, the student in question will be hard pressed to make growth academically. 
(If you would like more tips about building a positive classroom culture click the image with the bee.)

I love using STEM and Glyphs to help build classroom culture. But using various versions of Stone Soup will forever be a favorite activity of mine!

Each version of this story shares several commonalities. Travelers reach an unfriendly town. Through the use of a small object, the citizens are encouraged to contribute to a soup or stew. Each person discovers that they have something special to contribute to the "soup". 

After we read several versions, we compare the stories' elements: characters, setting, conflict, resolutions. In years where I felt comfortable, I asked parents to send one item of food to school. We celebrated the unit by having our own little feast! Each student contributed their item to our pot. (When I worked at schools where I knew my parents struggled to send extra, I provided the ingredients for my students.) Man, do students love to eat!

Finally, I asked the students to reflect on "gifts" they see in others. They journaled and I looked over them. We sat in a circle and I called on volunteers to share about their classmates' gifts. Most of the time, I ended up teary after hearing what my kids said about each other. Some years, I jotted down what the kids wrote and posted it on the wall. It was a neat reminder of the things we cherished in each other. 

​Do you have an activity or book that you love? Comment below.

"We wish you a Christmas Merry..."

​ Wait... What? That is out of order! See, sequencing is an important skill after all! Here are two great books with clear. easy to follow events to help you teach plot or sequencing this holiday season.

Teach It!
1. As you read, have students write down events on sentence strips. (Or you can do this beforehand!)
2. Mix the events up and have the students use the text to put them in order. (Or hand out the strips before you read and have students come up and place them in order as you read!)
3. Finally, have them use post it notes to add in transition words!

Happy Holidays!

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