Guided Reading PLUS

This year, I have decided to use Guided Reading Plus as a framework for my guided reading intervention groups.  So far I really like having a specific structure to follow, especially that I am still a new teacher.  I feel like I learn more and more about Guided Reading each day and this has really helped give me an easy framework that I can follow. 

Guided Reading Plus is also a research based RtI intervention so I feel better knowing that I am doing something that has been proven to work. 

Here is the lesson planning sheet that I have made.  I have a different sheet for each of my groups (3 right now) and I keep them at the back of my lesson plan binder.  This has really helped me become more organized and not like I am grabbing at straws during Guided Reading. 

Please use if you can! Lesson Plan Sheet

Labels

Each year, I try to figure out how I can become more organized and to make sure everything I need for the day is in one spot.  I hate when I am running around my classroom like a maniac trying to find the lesson I am looking for, a misplaced book, a file folder game, or a worksheet. 

This year I invested in a hanging file folder thing with pockets.  So far, this has worked to help keep me organized.  I made these labels to keep each day organized. 

Hopefully this works this year...

I will add a picture of my new setup as soon as I can.  Please use if you can!

Classroom Library Book Shelf---DIY

Here is another one of my DIY projects.  I really wanted to make my classroom library an inviting place to read and for me that means that everything needs to be organized.  I do not have a lot of my chapter books organized into different bins based on topic so instead they all go on a book shelf.  So, this summer I decided to make a new bookshelf for my classroom to help maximize my space without needing another book shelf from the school.



First, I started with regular old cinder blocks that were behind our house.  I used three of them.  I then spray painted them blue.



I bought a 2x8 from Home Depot.

I painted the board white first.

Here is the whole board painted white.

I then used blue painters tape to mark off different areas on the board.

More tape marks before painting.

Almost had a giraffe look when I was done taping.

I then painted some of the marked off spots blue.

I painted the rest of the spots green.  Once the paint was dry, I peeled off the tape.  (I did this whole process to both sides just in case I ever wanted to flip over the board.)

And the finished product in my classroom library.  It fits perfectly under my bulletin board.

Another look at the shelf, I have the students' book boxes and math boxes stored under the shelf, they fit perfectly.

This was such an easy and cheap project to do and I love the way it looks in my classroom!

Classroom Pictures...Finally!

I finally finished putting my classroom together.  The walls of the classroom are pretty blank because I want the students to help fill them with anchor charts and their work from the classroom.  Our wordwall is also blank because I will be adding the words as we work on each "fast word".  Overall, I am very pleased with the way the classroom turned out and I cant wait for the students to start on Tuesday.

I also need to say thank you to my wonderful husband for all of his help and my sister for helping me organize my leveled library.

This is my classroom library.  We have 3 comfy chairs, a bean bag, and some covered stools for students to read on.  My classroom calendar is also in this area.  Our bulletin board is blank right now but will eventually have "Read to Self" anchor posters on it.





Another view of the library with our window.



This is my small group area, with the SMART board and white board.

Another look at the front of the classroom.



This is our writing area.  Our word wall is up on one of the chalk boards I will probably never use and there are different areas for the students to write.




This is our sink area (which I am excited about, I have never had a sink before) I also have the trampoline in this area.



This is my desk area with "Read to Someone" in front of my desk and "Listen to Reading" on the right side of my area.  I would love to get rid of my teacher desk but I just have too much paperwork to do to not have a place to sit down and write.



"Read to Self" is in the classroom library.



"Read to Someone" is on the front of my desk.  The Dr. Suess bags have books in them for students to choose a bag during this time and read to each other (a great find at Target Dollar Spot) and the stools can be moved where ever they would like in the classroom to read to someone.

"Listen to Reading" is on the right side of my desk with 2 pairs of headphones and a basket full of books.  I will also be putting the CD player here since some of the books are also on CD.  I also have a computer for students  to listen to books on the internet (Raz-Kids, Tumblebooks)

"Work on Writing" has its own corner in our classroom with many different things to write about and its own table for students to write at.  There is also a whole tub of clipboards for students to take and be able to write where ever they would like in the classroom.

"Word Work" in near the small group area.  Those drawers are filled with different things to work on words.  There is also a whole box with letter tiles behind the table.  This area will also be filled with anchor posters as the school year gets going.

Here is our supply area.  There is construction paper, writing paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, white boards, chalk boards....etc, etc, etc...

We are lucky enough to have our own leveled library (that my sister helped me organize).  This is a wonderful resource to have, we always have plenty of books on hand for leveled practice reading and Guided Reading groups.

This is our "quiet area".  If a student needs to take a break or needs a quiet area to refoucs this is where he/she can come.  There is a trampoline to jump on to get rid of our wiggles and a basket (the blue one) filled with different sensory materials.  There will eventually be a poster of rules of the quiet area and suggestions on how to calm our body (both will be developed with the students)

This is my desk and bookshelf.  I had to take a picture of my desk because it may never be this clean again.  Hopefully when it starts to get out of control I can come back and look at these pictures and remember how nice it was at one point...

These are the windows into our classroom from the hallway.  My husband did an amazing job of decorating the window area, our classroom looks so inviting now.



Thank you for taking a tour of our classroom! 

Clipboard Bin-DIY

So, I was inspired by so many blogs this summer and all the teachers that do their own projects for their classrooms I decided to do a few myself.  I like to think that I am becoming more crafty but I will let you be the judge of that.  Earlier this summer, I also made stools on crates, you can see that post here. 

My next project was to make a bin for my clipboards in my room.  I inherited a yellow tub during the spring/summer and had yet to find a use for it until I was organizing my classroom and I could not find a good spot to put my clipboards so I decided to convert the yellow tub into the clipboard tub.



First, I grabbed my yellow tub.

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Second, I marked off the areas I wanted to spray paint with the chalk board paint with blue painters tape.



 

I painted both sides in case both sides of the tub would be showing in my classroom.



This is the chalk board spray paint that I used, bought at Home Depot.



This is what the tub looked like after I sprayed it, once it was dry I carefully peeled off the paint and it was perfect.



Here is the finished project in my classroom with all of our clipboards.  This tub sits near the Work on Writing area for Daily 5 so the students have different ways they can write or can go and write on one of the comfy chairs in the classroom.



So, that is my DIY project for this week.  I will be showing you another project I did for my classroom library that I love!