organization Archives - The Teacher Studio

Creating a culture for successful independent reading

M Anderson — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:22:50 +0000

I highly doubt there are many teachers out there who debate the value of independent reading for elementary students. The NCTE has created a statement on independent reading that states the following:

Independent reading leads to an increased volume of reading. The more one reads, the better one reads. The more one reads, the more knowledge of words and language one acquires. (See where this is going?) The more one reads, the more fluent one becomes as a reader. The more one reads, the easier it becomes to sustain the mental effort necessary to comprehend complex texts. And the more one reads, the more one learns about the people and happenings of our world. This increased volume of reading is essential (Allington, 2014).

Why is independent reading important?

There are many reasons why independent reading is important. First, it allows students to practice their reading skills. When students read on their own, they have the opportunity to work on their fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Second, independent reading allows students to explore their own interests. When students are allowed to choose their own books, they are more likely to be engaged in the reading process. Third, independent reading can help students develop a love of reading. When students enjoy reading, they are more likely to read for pleasure, which can have a positive impact on their academic achievement.

Finding the time

Unfortunately, many teachers are hard-pressed to find time in their schedule to give students time to read “just right”, self-selected books. Although simply reading on one’s own is NOT sufficient to become a better reader, we absolutely must find ways to nurture a love of reading along with our decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, and other literacy lessons. After all, we want students to recognize that reading is a fun, life-long activity–not just a “school requirement”.

Tips for engaging readers in independent reading

There are many things that teachers can do to help engage readers in independent reading. Here are a few tips:

Make reading accessible and inviting.

Make sure that there are plenty of books available for students to choose from, and that the books are displayed in a way that is inviting. Think about how your classroom library is organized and presented. Books should be easy to find and easy to return. Check out this blog post about how my classroom library is organized!

Provide a variety of books and other reading materials.

Offer a variety of genres, levels, and interests to appeal to all students. This means that we have everything from poetry to magazines. We need books that reach all students–no matter their gender, race, background, hobbies, or skills. It’s a great idea to do a classroom library “check in” yearly to see if you are missing anything. As my school’s population has grown more diverse, I have worked to make my library reflective of that.

Similarly, if you find you have some reluctant readers, ask THEM what types of books they might like. It can help you find gaps in your collection! This is why I started adding dragon books to my collection (NOT a personal fave!)… because a reluctant reader loved dragons. You know what happened next in THAT story!

Encourage students to choose books that interest them.

Let students know that they are free to choose any book that they want to read. That’s right- don’t let grade level bands, lexiles, or guided reading levels dictate what a student can read. How do you know if it’s a good fit? Take status of the class DAILY, confer with students, and keep your finger on the pulse of what they are reading. More about this in a bit.

Set aside time for independent reading.

Schedule regular times for students to read independently. I know our schedules are tight. However, we can’t use this as an excuse. Find ways to get students reading. It does NOT mean your entire class has to be reading at the same time! Can some of your students read while you pull small groups? Also, would it be possible to work reading time into other subjects? Even a math workshop approach could find time for reading as one rotation! Added benefit? The students need no supervision, the room is far more quiet, and you can remain more focused on your math lessons.

What about those little transition times? I work hard to teach my students to move quickly between activities, freeing up a great deal of time during the day. Similarly, I teach students how to be ready with their reading materials right away so that the time we have for independent reading is focused and effective. In my room, I guarantee a minimum of thirty minutes of independent reading. It takes that long for students to get into the reading “zone” and get into their book enough to want to pick it up again the next time.

Model the importance of reading.

Make sure that you are seen reading yourself, and talk about the books that you are reading. This means talking about new books you get for your classroom, finding quality read alouds to share with the class, and discussing books you read as an adult. Don’t forget to find real world examples! Just the other day I showed a confusing website I went to and we talked about how the writer could have organized the information in a way that was easier to read. Students LOVE to see things like this!

Talk about books with students and build a reading community.

Ask students about the books that they are reading, and share your own thoughts and ideas about books. Similarly, encourage students to talk about books with each other, and to share their favorite books with the class. Here are a few of my favorite ideas!

Do book talks about any new books you get for your library. Build excitement by keeping a list of “who is next?” to read the book, and remind the first student who gets the book to stay focused since others are waiting for it!
Read the first book of a series and watch how many students get hooked!
Next, have students do occasional book talks or projects about books to build excitement. Here is one example!
Let students “Buddy Read” books at times–especially if they are reluctant readers. This is VERY powerful.
Set up challenges with your class. This year we did a ton. We had an Andrew Clements challenge. An “I Survived” challenge. We did a historical fiction challenge. All of the challenges you pick should be accessible to all your students if they so choose to get involved. This is truly one of my students’ favorite things to do–and it really builds our culture as a place where reading happens.

Most importantly

Finally, be involved in what your students read. Help them pick out books. Take status of the class DAILY. Be ready to confer with them about what they are reading. As you ask them each day what book they are reading and what page they are on, it’s the perfect time to have a mini-conference!

“I noticed you only read 7 pages yesterday. What do you think is going on?”

“You read that book in only two days! I wonder if you might want to try something more challenging!”

“You finished the first book in that series. Do you think you’ll read more of them?”

“If you liked that book, you might also like…”

“Can you read a little bit of your book to me today since this is a new book?”

Now, some teachers track this reading on a class list. I have a pretty easy system that I just love–it involves a calendar, some anecdotal notes, and a collection of TONS of information that I can use to guide my instruction and even grade students. Here is a blog post that explains it all!

Next Steps for Independent Reading

Remember, independent reading is a valuable way for students to develop their reading skills and love of reading. The more they read, the more they grow as readers. It’s that simple. Want to check out a few more posts? Here’s a post with some back-to-school reading lessons.

Need some help with independent reading? Check out my independent reading toolkit.

Want to use my reading calendar system? Here you go!

The post Creating a culture for successful independent reading appeared first on The Teacher Studio.

Classroom Organization: Designing Spaces to Maximize Student Learning

M Anderson — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Today I want to talk to you about mindful classroom design and organizing your classroom–classroom organization that leads to efficient teaching and learning. We often get so caught up in planning lessons and activities that we forget that the space we teach those lessons in can really impact our teaching–and student learning!

Every classroom is so different–it’s hard to give clear direction on this one! I have a few tips to keep in mind when considering organizing your classroom. Before I even begin–consider the role of your teacher desk. I use mine as storage and a place to put my document camera. I don’t sit at it. Ever. The last thing I want is to have my students have to interrupt their thinking to come find me–I am moving around to coach THEM. Some people can live without a teacher desk to free up space in their room. I wish that were me. I have too much junk. #truthbomb

Classroom Organization: Space Planning

Consider carving out multiple “floor spaces”. I want my students to have multiple floor spaces to work–whether they are in pairs, trios, or larger groups. When I do a new desk arrangement, I seriously count the number of work spaces I have on the floor to make sure we all have room to function without getting up into each other’s business.
Desks in small groups–always. I switch up the number of desks in each group and how I arrange them (last year I had a challenging group, so more students were facing forward in their groups than usual!). I use cooperative grouping nametags to help me quickly form groups when I need to. We work cooperatively ALL. THE. TIME.
Make conscious decisions about where to put math supplies (more on this below!) to make sure students have easy access.
Make sure all students have easy view of your main teaching area(s) and key anchor charts and displays.
Consider traffic flow. I am huge on transitions (like we practice them) because I cannot stand wasted time. If there are hard-to-navigate areas in the room, streamline them.
Make sure to avoid “hidden” areas where students might get off task when you are working with small groups.
Consider having a crate, bin, cart, or table where you keep your intervention supplies and notes so you aren’t digging for things all the time.
Find an easy storage system for games. Bins, crates, those fun rainbow carts–whatever the system, make sure students know how to use it and that it won’t interrupt others when they access it.

Classroom Organization: Anchor Charts, Walls, and More

Streamline your walls

One thing I have done more and more as I’ve gotten more “seasoned” is actually pared down what I put on my walls. I want the items I have posted to be USED, so I don’t want a lot of distractions. In the hallways, the sky is the limit! That’s where I put student work, projects, and so on–but in my classroom, I keep the walls as learning tools. I have even stopped hanging things from the ceiling to make sure my students can easily refer to my walls.

I firmly believe that anchor charts are meant to be created WITH and FOR students. That being said, I want them to be useful as well. For that reason, I work with students on a “rough draft” anchor chart…then we group things together, cross things out, and so on–and then I recopy it in a neat (well, relatively!) fashion so it’s easier to read and understand. I want students to use these charts independently, and I want to be able to send students to them–both for content information AND for expectations on how to function in my class. Here are a few examples of charts that hung in my room last year…and each year I “remake” them with my new group so they are a part of the process–and they evolve along the way!

Be mindful of bulletin boards and take advantage of that real estate as you think about organizing your classroom.

Bulletin boards can be great reference tools for our students! I keep up my growth mindset bulletin board all year and add to it as we learn new things. I refer to it often–as do the students.

Even displaying the Standards for Mathematical Practice posters (in kid-friendly language) is a great way to use bulletin board space–IF you actually use it as a teaching tool. Simply hanging up the posts (or any anchor chart, for that matter) does nothing…we need to refer to these tools, talk about them, and encourage students to use them. Click the image below if you want to check out this poster set (I have several versions in my store to match different room decor!)

I’m sure you will think of other great bulletin board ideas that can make a difference in your teaching…whether it’s for math or other content. I love displaying other work too–but I want to make sure my classroom is a place for learning and inspiration as much as possible!

Math Organization: Math Manipulatives and Supplies

We want students to be independent “users” of our supplies

One thing that I constantly talk about is the need for us, as teachers, to get out of our students’ way. We do too much! We think for them…we make decisions for them…and we need to learn to let go. Here’s an example.

Let’s say I’m going to be doing a lesson on elapsed time. To help, I put a few Judy clocks at each desk group to help them model their thinking. Great, right?

Wrong. I did the thinking for them. I essentially said, “This is a problem you need a clock to solve.”–but really, it is not.

Students could draw a sketch. Or make a number line. Maybe get counters out to represent minutes. Or use a ruler to measure out passed time. Perhaps use fraction circles where a “whole” represents a whole hour. Or maybe they will use tally marks or some sort of computation where they “trade” hours and minutes. It doesn’t matter–by giving them clocks, 9 times out of 10–they will use the clocks.

So…the moral of the story is this. Have a bounty of resources in your classroom. Have them at student-height and make them available–not in a closet. Teach the students where they are and how to use them. Create a climate where students know they can go grab whatever they need whenever they need it.

Consider small storage containers or toolboxes

One way I help make this happen is to store math manipulatives in easy-to-use containers. Snack-sized plastic storage containers are great for individual sets of counters–easy to grab and take back to students’ desks with no fuss or hassle. You can use little cubes, fun mini erasers, bingo chips–whatever you can find!I also love my toolbox as pictured below:

Each drawer pulls right out and students can take it right to their desk. I fill the drawers with different counters so students can pick what they like!

All other supplies…pattern blocks, base 10 blocks…rulers…Judy clocks–ALL of it–is on open shelves and ready for students to use when needed.

(This isn’t my exact one–but it’s a close fit. Here is my affiliate link on Amazon if you are interested in checking it out.)

Teach students about where things go and how to access them

Because of this easy access, I do make sure my students know how to use the tools, where to get them, and HOW TO PUT THEM BACK! This takes some training at the beginning of the year, but it saves so much time eventually because when students find dice on the floor or a ruler–they can just deal with it without interrupting me. #timesaver #sanitysaver
via GIPHY

Have stacking trays of different types of paper

It’s not just math supplies either! Get a stacking tray and fill it with lined paper, white paper, different grid paper, dot paper, blank number lines–anything! Students can realize that paper itself is a tool…and it may inspire them to solve problems in different ways.

Don’t assume students have supplies

One thing I didn’t think about when I was a younger teacher was that some students may not have supplies. Our supply list has things like rulers, glue sticks, and protractors–but I know not all students come with them–for a variety of reasons. I always have this type of supply on hand in my math area so there is never any embarrassment or need to ask. Again, I want students to be independent and to have access to any tool they need.

Other Classroom Organization Tips and Strategies

There are other people FAR more organized than I am who can write a better post about classroom organization. That being said, I thought I’d share a few more tips of things that actually improve the quality of instruction (or efficiency) for me.

Colored paper in hanging files

I like to use colored paper to shake things up sometimes…for problems that I have students glue in their notebooks, for directions at stations, or for headings for math sorts. I used to have to go foraging, but by biting the bullet and buying some hanging folders, my beeyooootiful paper is easily within reach at all times.

Zipper bags for math games

I like to use gallon zip bags for my games most of the time because they are so inexpensive and easy to replace. I like that you can write on them–and I even will write what supplies are needed, how many people can play, or other directions.

For the games I use for interventions, I do put them in these nice bags from Seat Sack. I like that they are oversized, super durable, and have a spot to put a label. These are all the games I have as a part of my bundled math centers…4 games and the labels to go with them! Click here to see what I mean. I love how durable they are and that I can grab what I need and hang it on a tack on the wall next to my table so it’s ready for me. They are big enough to put several sets of the game and dice, counters, or whatever is needed.

(These are the bundled game sets with labels if you are interested)

Premade exit slips and word problems

Another time saver that REALLY helps me is that for each unit, I print off the word problems and exit slips I want to use, get them cut, clipped together, and marked with a sticky note for the day/lesson I want to use them. Realistically, I don’t get through them all which is GREAT! I put the extra word problems in a vertical letter holder to use as warm ups over the next week ( I love to use problems as review even when the unit is finished!) and the exit slips in a different one. This is a different KIND of classroom organization–but one that really helps nonetheless!

I am a firm believer in continuing to measure skills–so if we finish our unit on partial products, my students can count on exit slips on partial products sprinkled in for the rest of the year. This is so important as I plan interventions–to makes sure students retain their learning and get reteaching when needed.

Get a mobile math cart for classroom organization!

Seriously. I use this cheap piece of plastic ALL. THE. TIME. It stores my whiteboards, a bin of markers and erasers, and then whatever else I want…fraction pieces if I am meeting with a fraction group…task cards if I need those…and I can move it to wherever I want. I often move my “teaching area” around the room based on how much space I need, so it’s awesome to be able to relocate this “hub” either to where I am–or far away from me if students NOT working with me need it.

Here’s a more updated version of mine–I think I’m going to upgrade! (This is an affiliate link if you want to check it out.)

Want a FREEBIE to help you do some classroom organization of your own? CLICK HERE

Have you missed the other posts in this series?

Click HERE for the introductory post.

Or HERE for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)
Click HERE for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)
Or HERE for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)
Click HERE for Challenge 4 (math organization)
Or HERE for Challenge 5 (math assessment)
Click HERE for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)

And LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CLICK HERE for Challenge 7 (math workshop)

Rather pin this for later?

The post Classroom Organization: Designing Spaces to Maximize Student Learning appeared first on The Teacher Studio.

Organizing Math Games: 5 Tips for Math Workshop

M Anderson — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 20:44:00 +0000

One of my goals for this summer was to figure out some systems for organizing my math games and math workshop materials. I didn’t get everything accomplished that I wanted to, but I made some headway. Let me tell you my thought process and what I did with math game storage and more!

First of all, I really wanted to focus on getting my intervention resources in a usable state–I have SO many games but I was always having to go dig for them and I just wasn’t being efficient. For me, these games are super important because I use them in so many ways. I thought I might share them with you in case you haven’t been using your games as flexibly as you might be!

1. As whole class review opportunities

When I plan to use a math game during workshop time, I always teach it to the whole class first. This ensures students understand the expectations and can use the game independently and productively.

It’s also a great way to mix students in new ways. Games give children the opportunity to work with classmates they might not typically partner with due to differing skill levels — and that collaboration can be incredibly powerful.

I often introduce games at the end of a unit as a meaningful way to review key concepts. They also work beautifully for spiraling instruction, allowing us to revisit and strengthen skills from previous units in an engaging, low-pressure format.

2. As intervention lessons

Using games as true “learning activities” in intervention groups is one of my favorite things to do. For one thing, students who need remediation and intervention probably didn’t learn the concept during the initial lesson–so reteaching in the same way makes no sense. Using a “game” format where I can play with the group, coach, instruct, and have fun is a perfect way to provide good, targeted instruction and really see what students can and can’t do–in a fun and engaging way.

3. As small group skill practice

Similarly, if students don’t really need reteaching but might need additional practice, having small groups who need work on specific skills or strategies play relevant games (‘learning activities”) to reinforce the skills is a great way to keep them focused and on task. Similarly, when students play games, they are working cooperatively, using math talk, all while practicing necessary math skills.

4. As replacement homework

One thing that has become painfully clear to me over the years is this: students who struggle in math often struggle even more with math homework — and for several reasons.

First, the work is often simply too difficult. Even when homework is intended to be “review” (and I tend to give very little homework, usually review-based — but that’s a conversation for another post!), it may not actually be appropriate for every learner. If a student is performing several grade levels below expectation, even review work can feel overwhelming and inaccessible.

And perhaps most importantly — we don’t want students practicing math incorrectly. Practice only helps when it reinforces accurate thinking. Otherwise, we’re unintentionally strengthening misconceptions instead of building understanding.

Similarly, many students who struggle don’t have the support at home to help…either because the family doesn’t have the skill set to assist (math has changed quite a bit since people our age went to school!) or any number of other reasons. Certainly motivation is a problem as well…and the last thing we want is our frustrated students to get MORE frustrated.

What’s an easy solution? Send math games home! What a perfect way to build relationships with home, provide that fluency practice that is needed, and actually get students feeling good about doing homework! Check out below for some ideas about how to organize this so you don’t lose track of your games.

5. As fluency work

Finally, some skills just need constant reinforcement to build fluency and automaticity. We want our students to know their math facts and other critical math skills instantly–like “sight words” in reading. Once we have taught students strategies, they need lots of reinforcement to build those connections in the brain so they cement the knowledge. Working on games is an engaging and meaningful way for students to build that fluency.

Organizing math games is key–don’t waste time looking for materials!

So…I needed to get a handle on the dozens and dozens of games in my collection. I started to make some labels that show the game name, a photo, and the skills that the game works on.

I actually made TWO copies of each label–one to stay in the bag, and one to use as a “check out card”–perfect for sending home for homework!

Math Game Storage Tips

Some of my games I stored in plastic zip bags…and just use smaller bags for small pieces. I love to keep all supplies in the bag…cards, dice, counters–whatever is needed. This way no time is wasted–whether I am using the game for a group or students are grabbing it to play. The less “transitions” and places to move to get settled, the less management issues we have.

The zip bags work great…but I wanted to find a way to use something more durable so that I can send games home. It feels more “professional” and less likely to be thrown away. I was at a workshop and got a free sample of a “Seat Sack” by www.seatsack.com and my brain started turning. Lots of teachers love these for reading groups (especially in the primary grades), but I thought they were perfect for math games!

I contacted the company and got a bunch more and I am LOVING how durable and easy to use they are. All the pieces for the games fit perfectly and they have that awesome sliding pocket at the top for me to put the game labels! I can grab a bag to use with an intervention group OR know I can send the bag home with everything remaining safe inside!

When I searched, I found a similar product on Amazon, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t confirm or deny the quality! (I am starting to make a collection on Amazon of my favorite stuff to help inspire you all!)

A little something to help…

One other task I wanted to accomplish (and I’m partway there!) was organizing math games in “clusters”. If I want to work on place value skills, I can grab those games to either use in groups or to use as a part of math workshop. I thought YOU might like this convenience as well, so I have (so far) made 3 bundles of four games. And I made the tags to go in the storage bags as well!

These are all games in my store, so they are available individually as well. You can save a bit by buying 4 at a time and you get the labels as well if that is something interesting to you. If it looks like this is something people are interested in, I’ll start creating more bundles! I’d love to hear your feedback!

Place Value Game Bundle

Composing/Decomposing Numbers to 20 Bundle

Addition Fact Fluency Bundle

Speaking of organizing math games…

Check out this bundle of 30 math games all set and ready for you to print!

Looking for more? Want to read a bit more about using math games? I’d love for you to check it out!

Would you like a FREE collection of 15 math center ideas?

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Classroom Must Haves: Teaching Tips

M Anderson — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 23:00:00 +0000

Sometimes it’s fun to reflect on our favorites and “must haves” for our classrooms. Today I thought I’d share a few of my classroom must haves.

First of all, I wanted to share one of my favorite school supplies. I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Sketch smelly markers…but when I make my anchor charts, I have found that some of the Mr. Sketch colors fade under fluorescent lights. I tried the Sharpie brand chart markers and INSTANTLY fell in love. Interested? I have included two affiliate links below if you want to check them out. Typically, I order this set, but there are other sets as well. I just love them.

Here are a few anchor charts I made with them…super clean lines, lots of ink, super nice.

So here are the links if you want to check them out…

Classroom Timers–One of my Classrom Must Haves!

Another classroom favorite is my visual timer. I use this ALL THE TIME! It has a magnetic backing so it lives on my whiteboard. I use it for small things (“You have 2 minutes to talk with your partner”) and long things (You have 30 minutes to work on your essay.”). It keeps students focused–and helps keep ME on track!

Another organizational tool I love is my small pocket charts. I use them for SO many things–from holding new vocabulary words to one of my favorites–holding word problems! Check out THIS POST for more about that! Anyway–these are smaller sizes so they fit into little wall spaces. I hang them up with small 3M hooks and they live there all year.

Another favorite I wanted to share is a favorite book. I wanted to share Fish in a Tree because it is my beginning of the year read aloud but I JUST mentioned it in a blog post (read it here) so I thought I’d share a book I got last year and read with my class–and now am going to read AND use to make a back to school bulletin board!

“Only One You” is a short picture book with quite a punch. The illustrations are so bright–but what I love most is all the inspirational quotes. I am going to have each student make a “quote” of their own…we will type them up in fun fonts, then make our own fish projects to display.

Teaching Perseverance

A third “favorite” I want to showcase is actually from my store–and is so helpful at the beginning of the year to build a culture of problem-solving. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that creating a culture of math “excitement” is super important to me. This resource is one of the things I use at the beginning of the year to help set the stage for challenge and perseverance. It’s one of my most “seasoned” resources and leads to amazing math discussions. Use them in so many ways–as warm ups, as a center, for partners–or put in the small pocket chart for fast finishers! I actually use them in all of those ways–I use some as partner problem solving experiences (great for math talk practice) and reserve others to use later!

I use it to start the year and teach how to work with partners…and that not all problems are easy….and that not all problems have one answer. These are all new for some students–especially the very capable ones!

Of course, I have tons of other items and resources that I would consider my classroom must haves, but I thought these might be of interest to you. I’d love to hear yours as well! Shoot me an email or message me on social media and let me know!

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Math Workshop Organization…a few hints to help you out!

M Anderson — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 13:00:00 +0000

As we pass the halfway point in our school year, one thing that is often a year-long issue is keeping all the math “stuff” organized! If you are doing any small group work, you know that pieces and papers and parts can end up all over the place! Here are a few tips that might help things run a little more smoothly-and save you and your students a little time and frustration. Don’t get me wrong…I have dice and counters ALL over my room–but if I didn’t have a FEW systems in place, my room would be an even bigger mess!

For me, this is huge. If I am teaching a small group or coaching a student, I don’t want to be interrupted to be asked where the rulers are or where to find something. I start my school year by showing students where everything is and how to put it away. After all, we don’t want them to only use a ruler or other supplies when we TELL them to, we want them to recognize when they are needed and go get them independently.

I often have different activities that I want my students doing during their independent or cooperative time, but they may not remember what they are called or where they go. I have a few different types of baskets and storage systems–but I hang laminated cards on each where I can either list the name of the activity or specific directions. When it’s time to switch activities, I can wipe them off and start with a new one.

I use a TON of games in my room, many of which have cardstock card decks that I make. Before I cut out the cards, I swipe different colored marker across each row of cards–and then when they are cut out, each card in the set has a colored mark. I tend to make 3-6 copies of each game, so this helps students know where missing parts go.

Much like my laminated labels, I love using one of those rainbow drawer towers for the games I want students to have access to. I do NOT leave all my games out at once–just the ones that I choose for whatever reason…fluency work, review, and so on. Not all students use games from ALL the drawers, but this way there aren’t 40 games around the room all the time. Notice that I even have wipe off labels on the drawers to write what skill that game works on.

I use a lot of baggies for games…small baggies for parts, large bags for the game boards and smaller parts. It was SO worth it to me to buy a huge pack of dice so I can put the needed dice and counters in each game so students can grab a bag and go…no searching for dice and supplies. No wasted time!

Similarly, every time I introduce a new game, I show students exactly what parts are included and how it should be stored. The goal is for ME to do NOTHING related to game organization! Students can rise to the challenge if they know the expectations.

I also keep a giant tub where I keep my “out of circulation” games. If I need something for reteaching or for an intervention group, then I have one place to go looking for it.

So…hope you found something that might be useful to you this year! All the games shown above are found in my store under my “Dollar Deals” category. They are all low prep games that are a great way to have students practice skills, to use in intervention groups, or even to send home for review. Here are a few of the ones pictured.

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Bright Ideas: Exit Slip Storage!

M Anderson — Sat, 23 May 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Today’s “bright ideas” post is the result of me having WAY too many papers floating around my room–especially the half sheet formative assessments I use ALL. THE. TIME. Because they are smaller than the rest of my papers, they are constantly getting misplaced, stuck in piles, and so on. Here’s what I did!

These little pesky buggers! They are ALL over my room! UGH!

So, when I was at one of my favorite discount department stores with red carts, I saw this wire letter holder–you know the ones I’m talking about–with three “tiered” sections? I thought to myself, “Self, if they can hold LETTERS, couldn’t they hold exit slips?” And I listened to myself–for once.

So…I took that little guy to school and hunted down all my copies of exit slips. Part of my problem is that I am “creatively organized”…what this means is that I think ahead a LOT so I prepare things, order copies, and then can’t access them when I want them!

I decided to TRAIN myself to use the three sections as follows…the front section for any exit slips for the current unit (makes sense, right? Right in front?), the middle section for the exit slips from the LAST unit that I didn’t use (I like to do a number of these AFTER the unit is over to see if it “stuck” or if reteaching needs to happen, and the BACK section for extra slips from past units that I can pull out whenever I want to spot check a skill.

I found a clear space (one of VERY few on my desk!) for my new organizer and used my first one yesterday–no hunting, no searching. LOVE IT!

Want to see an example of the exit slips I use? Click any image above or this sample below!

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Math Game Organization for Math Workshop

M Anderson — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 15:00:00 +0000

Today’s post is the result of me going CRAZY with all the math games I have been making for my students! I have tried everything from boxes to bags…and I still have them all over my classroom. I decided to keep using my gallon bags for games…but to streamline a bit. I decided to keep 10 games in circulation at all times–and I wanted a way to store them so the students could find them and put them away…but a way for me to change one or more of them out whenever I want!

Here are a few pics to show you what I did!

I used my 10 drawer file that has been sporadically used until now and stuck the wipe off labels on each one. Did you know you can write on them with a permanent marker–then use dry erase markers to color over the permanent marker when you want to change it? That will keep your labels from wiping off. I wrote the game name AND the focus skill.

I picked 10 games…a few review games, a few fluency games, and a few more “current” games. Games I use for interventions are kept in a separate place.

The games I am not using? In a big tub in a separate place! I can change out one drawer at a time–or all 10 at once. Easy! I love that my students can do a better job making “just right” choices by picking games that work on skills they need–and that games will get put away where they belong. Everybody wins! I use a ton of gallon zipper bags for games…smaller bags for cards and game pieces, and even some plastic soap dishes for some games and task cards! I also keep a bin of dice and counters within reach of students at all times so that they don’t need to interrupt me when they need something. Hope some of these tips help YOU get more organized as well!

If you want to see some of the games I use, I have a few linked below.

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(I’ve had lots of requests for a link to the dry erase labels…I’ve included an affiliate Amazon link to one version below if you are interested.)

Want to pin this post for later? No problem!

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Classroom Visit Day 2! Classroom library improvements

M Anderson — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 12:55:00 +0000

It was back to my classroom for another half day–and my main goals were to get all my new fabric finished and to get my new labels on my book bins. Mission ALMOST accomplished!

The front is ready for “learning decor”! Now…what to put there this year!

This is one area of my library…I have most of these bins arranged by series, author, or topic–and I’ve been adding to some of the bins so my labels were starting to get a little too…um….”Sharpied”.

When I don’t have enough of a series to fill a bin, I usually add to it. Sometimes a new series comes along that I end up needing a space for–so I just add those to the labels. I hated the way it looked so…

The new labels for my blue bins. I think they are kind of fun! The number on the label is the bin number…each of the books in that bin also has that number on it to make for easy organization.

I have another book shelf of bigger bins for poetry, biographies, and other “bigger books” I also have two “just for fun” bins which have great books to read when you just have a few minutes or if you need a book to read to a younger buddy.

This is how I made them…just inserted a piece of digital paper onto a powerpoint slide and then added 9 white boxes to label. The purple labels are for my big yellow spinner of books…

Like this!

I said I ALMOST finished…because when I made my list of bins I missed some–so I had to wait until I got home to make a few more labels. So when I got home from school, I had to take the cat to the vet, register my son for his junior year (Man…I do NOT think I could take the courses he is taking!!) and then I finished up my newest resource that I am SO excited about! It truly was created because I simply CANNOT find this type of math project anywhere. If it goes well, there will be more in the series! Check it out if you are interested…I have it on sale through tonight.

Next on my list? Make a list of classroom things to accomplish…items to purchase…and things to “make”! This is the time of year I start freaking out a little…so I am taking some deep breaths!

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Classroom Library Organization 101!

M Anderson — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 14:00:00 +0000

It’s time for another monthly “Bright Ideas” link up and I thought I’d kick off the summer series with something I spent years developing and might give some ideas to others as to how to organize your classroom library.

Now this became a necessity for me once my addiction to books became too ridiculous to hide anymore. As my library grew and grew, I needed a way for students (and me!) to be able to FIND books that were good fits for them and to be able to PUT THEM BACK!

A decade ago, I had lots of leveled bins but as I learned more and more about teaching reading I started to abandon that. After all, students need to learn how to pick a “just right” book, not reach into a bin of books that are assigned a level based on word count or other formula. (See my post HERE about issues related to text complexity!). I do still have 3 leveled bin in my room for my most struggling readers so they do have “go to” places to access books.

So how is my library organized? Here goes…classroom library organization–photojournalism style!

A huge percentage of my books are in my numbered bins. These bins are organized by author, series, or topic. I have everything from Andrew Clements to Margaret Peterson Haddix to Roald Dahl to cat and dog books to bins of book “Starring girls” and “Starring boys”. I have sports books…Cam Jansen…Boxcar Children…Big Nate…YOU NAME IT! Some bins have several book types in each…Judy Moody and Amber Brown share a bin because I don’t have enough of either to make a full bin and they appeal to the same readers.

Each bin has a label and a number…

Each book that “lives” in a bin has a number written on it to match. That way students can EASILY put books back by matching either the author/series/topic OR the number!

On the other side of my library is another giant shelf full of other bins. These bins have different genres and other “types” of books that don’t fit in my chapter bin collection. I have bins on everything from human body to historical fiction to mysteries to Newbery winners to science fiction to animals to poetry. Each of these bins also has a code to match…”MY” for mysteries, “HF” for historical fiction, and so on. As you can see, lots of the books on my big white shelf could ALSO fit in some of these bins…but if I have enough of an author or series to separate them out, I do.

I use labels like this to attach to some of my bins. Others have the label stuck on with contact paper. This summer one of my “Monday Made It” projects is going to be to redo all of my labels!

I also have a huge book spinner where each pocket is numbered and labeled for sets of books that I have 4-6 of but not enough for a bin. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it! My blue numbered bins go up to 40, and then I have another 16 numbered spots in the big spinner. All books that don’t have a bin, a bucket, or a spinner spot end up on three shelves like this in no particular order! Students know that any book without a number or label should be put away here.

Finally, to prevent damaged books from being put back into the bins, I have a “repair” bin handy so books can be put right in. I have parent helpers check it every so often to be book doctors!

Throughout the year I add some other bins to shake things up…”Teacher Recommended”, “Student Recommended”, and “Brand New!” bins come and go to spice things up in the classroom library and draw attention to books that are being ignored or to highlight new books before they get put into their “forever” home!

So there is my “Bright Idea” tip for June. Hope it gives you some ideas if you are having library nightmares!

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Like this “Bright Idea” and want to see a bunch more? Check out the dozens of amazing ideas by some amazing teacher/bloggers in the links below. Thanks for stopping by!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Reorganizing…One Giant Pile at a Time

M Anderson — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:11:00 +0000

I know I’ve posted about it before, but organization is not my strength. I blame it on being creative…I mean–if I focused my efforts on being organized, that would drain away that crazy “I have a great idea” brain, right?

I’m beginning to see that the opposite is true.

I’m beginning to notice that I spend more time looking for things. More time wondering if I have already finished something. More minutes freaking out because I can’t remember if I have a meeting scheduled that day.

So I am vowing to make some improvements–and I’m guessing it will reduce my stress and will hopefully make me MORE creative. That’s my story, and if you have evidence to the contrary, let me know before I waste much more time!

The first step in trying to grab hold of my life is to sort and purge the GIGANTIC stacks of papers that have been building at school. I’m note sure what percentage of my issue is my poor organization, my “interesting” class, or the fact that I am on a bunch of committees, or the fact that we keep getting new curriculum/assessment resources OR WHAT…but I have accumulated multiple, huge, towering, ridiculous stacks of papers. My student teacher is lead teaching, so I am giving myself at least one hour of each day where I don’t observe her directly or pull small groups or students one-on-one to tackle this issue.

For those of you who share my affliction–doesn’t it just wear on you? I walk by other teachers’ rooms and think, “Why can’t I do that?” and “I have two degrees–why can I not deal with these paper?” It is a huge drain on my self-esteem…and I’m going to work at it HARD. For those of you who are naturally organized, look in the mirror and pat yourself on the back because the rest of us really look up to you!

So here’s what I did yesterday…

Step one…grab on giant pile at a time and sort into categories that I created on the fly.

Grab label maker and a bunch of donated binders. (I almost got distracted with the label maker but managed, somehow, to follow through the job at hand.)

One pile at a time….sort, purge, sort, purge. LOOK! The recycling bin is literally 2/3 full!

Here’s my ending point for Wednesday! Stay tuned…

SO…I’m teaching a little more today, so I won’t have the 2 hours I took yesterday. But I am going to tackle this problem a little bit–or a little pile–at a time! I would CERTAINLY welcome suggestions, tips, bribes, candy, or other encouraging items! Have a great day…starting out at -13 here. AGAIN.

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