Google Maps- Pin your Read Alouds

I believe read alouds are the heart of your classroom! Incorporate Google Maps for an extra layer of engagement and excitement. 

Using Google Maps can help you keep track of what you have read, build background information, and integrate Social Studies. Students that have traveled to these places may be able to share additional information as well.

Click HERE for a short video showing you how to create a new map, add a location, and book to your map.

Steps to create your own Read Aloud map:

1. Go to Google My Maps

2. Click Create A New Map and name it

3. Search the location (of the setting, subject's home town, etc)

4. Click Add to Map

5. View in Maps, look at images

5. Add an image of the book and some thoughts on the book if you want

6. Make connections to other books on your map

I do bookmark it so it is easy to find, but it also shows up in your Google Drive.

Here's to traveling the country with your read alouds this year! 

Happy Reading!

 

End of Year Reflections and Surveys

As the end of the year approaches, I love to reflect on the year and see what went well and how I can improve. I also like to survey parents and students to get their thoughts and feedback. I like to see all sides and angles from all stakeholders. Remember to look for trends as you review your results.

A few quotes I love about reflection:

Use your reflection and surveys to grow as an educator and better version of yourself!

Grab a copy of my parent survey here. Remember to make a copy and edit as you need.

The student survey is the most important to me. My job is to serve and love these students each and every day. If they are concerning responses, I will have individual conferences with the students before they leave my class. I also use this survey to make some changes for next year.

Make a copy of it here and make changes as needed.

The last week of school we spend time reflecting and reminiscing about the school year. And then students fill out this Reading and Writing Reflection. I love seeing how they see themselves as readers and writers. I left the slides white so students can customize the theme to represent themselves.

Grab a copy here!

I know you have done amazing things this year as a teacher! Reflect, grow, and CELEBRATE all you and your students have accomplished!

Digital Read Aloud Notebook

 

I have been thinking about our final chapter book read aloud for a while now. I wanted to end with the perfect book. I have been influenced by Colby Sharp, and my love of Barbra O'Connor. We will be reading Halfway to Harmony. I want students to think deeply and be able to keep track of their thoughts as I read to them. My campus just became a 1-1 campus, so I created a digital read aloud notebook for us to use. I am excited to introduce it to my students and love that they will have it forever in their Google drive. Hopefully, it will be a sweet reminder of the reading community we created this year.

Click here to make a copy of my reader's notebook! 

It can be edited and adapted for ANY read aloud or ANY book students are reading. 

The notebook includes:

1. Cover Page

2. ABC Boxes-

This graphic organizer will be used throughout the read aloud and foster deep comprehension. We will fill in as many boxes as we can with words (that start with each letter) that pertain to the story and explain the word. You want to encourage students to think about character traits, themes, important events, think deep and outside of the box:)

3. Character List- 

Here we will track the characters we meet throughout the story. Encourage students to think about the strengths and weaknesses of each character, their relationships with others, what motivates them. Also, have them write their feelings and how their thinking changes. 

4. Chapter Thoughts-

We always use Book, Head, Heart and Signposts to help us think deeply and guide our conversations. (You can read more about Book, Head, Heart here.)So on these pages, students will share their thoughts for each chapter. It will also serve as a way to remember what we read the day before. 

5. Final Thoughts-

The last section will be for when we finish reading the book. Students will share how they are feeling, what they loved, what they wanted more of, discuss if and why they would recommend the book to others and any other thoughts they have.

Throughout the read aloud, I will give students time to turn and talk, share with a partner, and share out with the class. I love the conversations that students prompt, and we are able to have together. 

The power of books is amazing and leaves everyone wanting one more chapter read!

Reading Spotlight

One day, my assistant principal did a walk through and left a note of praise and asked a question about independent reading. Her question made me do some reflective thinking and sparked in me our Reader's Spotlight. I wanted a way for students to share what they were reading, thinking, and writing about during independent reading in a quick and fun way. A couple of times each week, we come together for Reader's Spotlight. (Grab a copy of my template)

Students gather together in the front of the room with their book. I ask for volunteers who would like to come forward in to the Reader's Spotlight. They simply share the title of the book and 1 or 2 things off the slide. I brainstormed a list of a few things students could share about and have a question with each to help generate some ideass. You could definitely change this up. And of course, students can always share other thoughts as well. After the student shares, other students can ask any questions they have for the reader. 

Reader's Spotlight benefits include:

1. Communication- students must be able to articulate and clearly share their thoughts with their classmates and respond to questions that are asked

2. Synthesizing & Comprehension- students must combine all the information they are reading, share what is important, 

3. Excitement for Reading- all students hear about mulitple books, authors, genres and get excited about the books their peers are sharing

My students have absolutely loved Reader's Spotlight! I believe this is worth the 5-10 minutes we spend sharing at the end of reading workshop to help build our reading community.

How else do you highlight the books your students are reading during their independent reading time?

 

The Coffee Bean for Kids

 

I finally read Jon Gordon's The Coffee Bean over Spring Break and LOVED the simple yet profound message. I knew I HAD to share it with my students! I ordered it off of Amazon and shared it with them this week. I believe we have the power to choose to make each day great and love the analogy of the carrot, egg, and the coffee bean that Jon uses to describe the power to transform our situation.  One of my student's wrote a poem/song to help us remember The Coffee Bean Rules. Listen here! It's so cute!

After we read the book, students did a quick write. I loved their realizations and their honesty. 

I am going to be passing out Shout Outs to students who are being The Coffee Bean, and students can pass them out too! I already heard conversations in our classroom like, "Are you being the Coffee Bean?" and "What would the Coffee Bean do?"

I am going to print the shout outs 4 to a page. 

Grab a copy of this shout out and my slide deck here.

Have you read it? I highly recommend adding this book to your classroom library to help build and create POSITIVE change!

March Madness Book Battle

March Madness is right around the corner, and who doesn't like to fill out a bracket and root for the underdog. Let's take the fun of the Final Four and bring it to our classrooms!

 Well, it's also no secret that I'm always looking for fun ways to engage my readers and expose them to new books and authors. So last year when I saw different teachers/librarians creating bulletin boards with a book bracket, I knew I had to find a way to do it too. This could be easily adapted for any grade level and used with Connect/Virtual Learners!

I didn't have the wall space to create a bulletin board, so I create a Google Slide with our Book Battle Brackets. Click here to make a copy and put in your own books. 

You could set up your bracket in many ways, but I'll share what has worked for me:

ONE- I set up the bracket before and, starting with the Sweet 16.

8 books we have read before and loved and 8 books are new to us.

TWO- I read the "new" book from one bracket each day for 8 days. After I read it book, students vote on their favorite and the one that will move forward. This always leads to great discussions and some great quick writes. Mentimeter is a great to use for voting and allows your virtual learners to participate as well.

THREE- Once our Elite Eight our chosen, I'll reread the book we had previously read. Then, we will vote again and the winner will move forward.

FOUR- Repeat until your winner is chosen and tweet the authors of the books that are winning. Students love being able to connect with authors. 

FIVE- Pump it up, wear your favorite college team, enjoy new books, and have FUN!

The best part? We are all winners with this March Madness Book Battle!

JOY in the Classroom (starts with ME)

 

It's been a while since I have shared anything on my blog. I have personally been through a lot with my husband having open heart surgery in early December. I have also struggled this year in feeling like I have anything good to share and that I am not living up to my expectations for myself. It has been hard teaching both in-person and online students at the same time. 

However, one thing I have not stopped doing is bringing JOY to my classroom each and everyday. So, I'm here to remind you that JOY in the classroom starts with YOU!!

I read this tweet this morning and it resonates big with me.

I have not lost sight of academics and TEKS, but this year I am sharing and looking for the JOY in each and every day that the Lord has given me. 

Some ways I am bringing JOY into my classroom:

1. Sharing fun facts and riddles on my daily slide deck with my students to start each day. Thanks Kelsey French for this idea. These always get laughs, students' sharing memories and stories, and get the day started on a positive note!

2. FriYAY 3-2-1
We all look forward to this one! We spend some time on Fridays just reflecting and sharing with one another. It builds our classroom culture. Grab a copy here!

3. Dress Up Days, Celebrations, and Escape Rooms- 

I'm an elementary teacher so I love a good theme! I find any excuse to dress up, celebrate my students, and give them activities to look forward to. JOY is contagious. The more excited I am the more excited they are!

4. Smile and Decide to Choose Joy- 

Joy is a feeling, and I decide to choose it each day even on the tough days. My students deserve it! We talk about it often and I remind them to choose joy as well. I told my students my middle name was joy this week, and the best compliment was when they all agreed it was the perfect name for me.

I know you are doing hard things each and every day in your classroom, but you are also doing amazing things! Remember above all Choose JOY because you and your students deserve it! I promise you, you'll leave school feeling better too!