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Chapter 3 and Time for a Freebie!

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It’s time for my reflections on Chapter 3!  I love that we are getting into the nuts and bolts of D5 now.  This is the putting it all together, getting organized and making it work  . . . all starting to come together little by little.  So here’s what I came up with while I followed along with Tammy’s guiding questions:

1. Establish a gathering place for brain and body breaks. (Do you call your gathering place anything special? A few of my teammates did. Annie called hers the “Family Room” and Kim calls hers the “Learning Space.” I need to come up with something better than “the carpet” lol!)

Ok honestly, I call mine ‘the floor.’  It’s not original, it’s not fancy but they know what I mean.  “ok everyone, to the floor.’  I do have a nice area dedicated to meeting as a large group which is no easy feat in my little tiny room.  Remember my floor plans:



You can see my ‘whole group area” right there in the middle.   Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of my meeting area without kiddos in it so that’s on my to do list for sure. 

2. Developing the concept of “good fit” books (There are LOTS of examples of different good fit lessons in blogland AND Pinterest) 

Although I like the “sisters” I PICK method, I think I will be looking for something a bit more ‘kinder friendly.’   I found these on pinterest and you click on them to go directly to their link.


From Zeekszoo.blogspot

I like this for the sisters example of ‘fitting’ like shoes.

From First Grader At Last Blog
From Mrs. Richards First Grade Blog

But I have to say, I really like these ‘simple’ ideas almost better. They’re very visual.  Kinders ‘get’ riding a bike and Goldilocks. Just click on them to see the original posts. 

3. Create anchor charts with students How will these be visual in the room? Where will you store them? What about small spaces?

When my students come in at the beginning of the year, my walls are bare.  When we make anchor charts together, I just start tacking them up where ever I find space.  By the end of the year the walls are covered.  Since I don’t use the same charts every year, I don’t store them, but I DO think it’s time to start taking pictures of them because I can never remember what exactly I did the year before. 

From Mrs. Terhune Blogspot
I do have to show you something I found for displaying them that I am loving . . . take a look at how this teacher can put her charts up and take them down with just some clothes pins . . . She HOT GLUED the clothes pins to the wall . . .love it!!! I’m so doing that.

I honestly don’t have space to hang the charts up or roll them up to save them for next year. For this year, I will probably post them until they are ‘mastered’, take a picture and put the picture in a book for students (and me) to refer to after they have been removed from the wall.

4. Short, repeated intervals of independent practice and setting up book boxes (How are you going to keep track of stamina? What will you use for book boxes? What are you going to put in those book boxes on the 1st day of school?)

Well you know what I’m using for stamina, right?  But just in case, here’s a picture to link you to the printable if you would like it.



And as for book boxes . . .  remember all my goodies that arrived the other day?
Well inside, this is what I ordered just for Daily 5 student book bins! 

 
I ordered 30 of them just to be sure I had enough. ( Yes, they could stick as many as 30 or even more kiddos in my room but the most I have had is 27. )  So here’s the why and where.  I choose these because they are plastic and I do not like to replace things every year.  It’s too expensive to keep buying cardboard AND I don’t have the time to ‘cute up’ a cereal box or anything else. I would rather make the investment now and have them for several years.  I purchased them from The Container Store.  



And as for labeling . . . well you know how I LOVE vinyl chalkboard.  So I cranked up my Silhouette SD (I’m saving for the big daddy someday but for now the SD will have to do.) and cut out some cut little labels.   


By using the chalkboard vinyl I can easily erase and write a new name as students move in and out and at the end of the year.  LOVE IT.  

While I was ordering, I also purchased Really Good Stuff’s Universal Bin Label Holders for my book library totes.  Have you seen these things? 



 I had to have them.  I have tried velcroing on labels and those adhesive labels, but these little treasures go on ANY tote or container and all you have to do is make the label. 

Yes, they do come with a little label for you to write on but I went ahead and made up my own that were  . . . a better fit for me and that works perfectly in the holder.



What do you think?  I think I’m getting a bit ahead of myself but I wanted to get my library going and couldn’t wait to share these with you.  If you’d like them, please feel free to download a copy.  All I ask is that you please consider following my blog and they are yours. 



You’ll notice on MY picture I have a little number in the corner.  This is how I will label my books so that the kiddos know which book goes in which bin.  If the book has a little sticker on the back with a number 1, they don’t have to remember if it’s an animal book or a reptile book or whatever, all they need to do is find book bin 1 and put it back in there.  The picture labels are just a way to make ‘shopping’ for books easier for them.  Also, just as a note: there are some labels with names of book characters such as Clifford or Franklin that have only the label written but not picture attached.  I can’t place the picture on the label without getting into copyright trouble.  So they are there for you if you want to cut and paste your own picture to them or leave them blank.  It’s up to you.



I have also included labels for your leveled reader book bins as well.  I’ll be using them the same way as I do with my other books but for leveled readers there will be a letter on the back of the book for easy referencing as to where the book should be placed.



5. Calm Signals and check in procedures (Do you already have a signal? How will you handle check ins?)
Admittedly, this is tough for me.  I am not a ‘calm signal’ kind of girl.  I’m a classity-class kind of girl.  I like whole brain teaching class management because I know that my students have to respond to me when I say ‘class-class.’  I am willing to give a calm signal a try.  This is what I’m contemplating.  Have you seen these?  Let me know if you have one and you like it.  I’m still trying to find something that ‘fits’ me and my teaching style. 


6. Using the correct model/incorrect model approach for demonstrating appropriate behaviors. (Will you keep track of inappropriate behaviors? If they are not doing what is expected, then they are calling out for attention…what other ways can you give them some extra attention so that they can be more independent during D5?)

Hmmm…I hate feeding into negative behavior.  I do like how the ‘sisters’ have the students who are having the most ‘trouble’ with appropriate behavior, demonstrate the ‘right’ way to behave.  I also believe that there will be some students that may just need to be given special  ‘tools’ to keep them on track.  That may mean being assigned a specific spot to work in or a specific partner. I’m sure it’s going to be a work in progress. I’m anxious to hear whatever one else is going to do for sure.

Well, that’s it for me for this week’s reflection.  I’m anxious to hear from you all and remember to ‘follow’ me if you aren’t already so you can get all my latest freebies first. 

Also, if you’re a blogger, link up to my bloggy pal Tammy’s Kindergarten Daily 5 Chaper 3 post by clicking below:


Keep reading!



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Marsha Moffit McGuire

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