How to Keep Your Pencils from Disappearing in the Classroom!

January 23, 2017 createdbymrsbLeave a comment

Do your personal teacher pencils disappear? Do you feel like you’re always buying new ones for yourself and your desk? If so, look no further with this FREE and easy way to keep track of your pencils!

When I taught fourth grade, my pencils went missing daily. Sometimes it was fault. I would walk around with a pencil and know that I didn’t bring it back to my desk. By the end of the day, the pencil was nowhere to be found and it never was…

I also had a feeling that at times my pencils ended up in my students’ hands. I wanted to get to the bottom of my missing pencils. What was happening to them?

So….

This simple trick that took minutes was all it took! I took a sharpie, made an easy design by the eraser, and POOF! When my pencils went missing I could do a quick glance around the room at all the pencils being used or laying around the room and could easily find mine!

Hope this makes you as happy as it made me HAHA!

-Mrs. B

classroom management · daily 5 · ELA · literacy centers · reading intervention · Uncategorized

Reading Strategy Cards

October 13, 2016 createdbymrsbLeave a comment

I remember a day a few years back when I was reading with a student. That student was completely guessing on words she didn’t know. I had recently taught the class the strategy “cross checking” (Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?). I knew that we had an anchor chart displayed in the room somewhere and I kept reminding this student to look at it. It was apparent that the student needed a reminder right in front of her to help her with this strategy. So, I created READING STRATEGY CARDS!

Here’s what you do:

Print a bunch of them (I suggest at least 20 of each strategy card)
Laminate and cut them all out
Organize them in baggies, a file folder, a binder with sheet protectors and dividers, or any other way that works for you so that you know how to easily get to each strategy card
Have them ready wherever you work with students (mine were in a binder on my guided reading table)

Then, when you are working with a student and you see that they need to be taught/reminded of a strategy, bring out the card, teach/reteach the strategy to them, watch them practice it, and send them off with the strategy card. They can keep them in plastic bags or keep them on binder rings.

I have all my students have all their strategy cards out in front of them while they read in the classroom. When I meet with students one on one to read, they have them out and we review them. When I meet with small guided reading groups, they have them out. When they partner read, they have them out. They are ALWAYS out when reading.

When I notice that a student doesn’t need that strategy out as a reminder anymore, I have them return the strategy card to me. This just makes it so they don’t have 15 cards out in front of them. I suggest no more than 3-5 cards at a time.

I have created 36 reading strategy cards that are all aligned with the Common Core Standards. Here are the strategies that are included:

You can get the reading strategy cards here!

Still aren’t sure you will use them and LOVE them? Try a few out for free here!

Let me know how you like them!

-Mrs. B

back to school · classroom management · routines and procedures · Uncategorized

Welcome! Back to School Routines and Procedure FREEBIE

September 8, 2016July 20, 2017 createdbymrsb1 Comment

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the very first post on Created by Mrs. B! I want to personally thank those of you who are reading this…you’re here at the beginning of my blogging journey! Thanks for joining me on this new adventure!

A little about me:

I’m born and raised in sunny California. I live with my husband, son, and many animals 😉 I have taught English Language Development, 4th grade, and 2nd grade. I love to read, travel, and spend time with my family and friends.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic beginning of the year so far! I personally think the first weeks of school are so important in setting the tone for the rest of the year. Routines and procedures were my #1 focus (even before the content) during the first few weeks. If you get your classroom management set up correctly, you will save SO MUCH TIME each and every day and maximize your students’ learning time!

I’m a little crazy when it comes to routines and procedures. I have one for nearly EVERYTHING you can possibly think of in the classroom (tissues, broken pencil, asking for help, you name it!). It’s a lot of time and effort to model, teach, and implement each routine and procedure, but I PROMISE the pay off is huge! My students pretty much run the classroom and there is little need for student discipline because of all the routines and procedures in place. I’m never nervous for substitutes or guest teachers and they always comment on how smooth my class runs.

I’m sure I’ll have many other posts about specific procedures and routines in the future, but for now, here’s a FREEBIE for you!

BACK TO SCHOOL ROUTINE AND PROCEDURE CHECKLIST

It’s a checklist of the majority of the routines and procedures that I teach at the beginning of the school year. Just print and check off each one after your students have been taught the procedure or routine. Remember, each routine and procedure takes TIME! You must teach, model, practice, and repeat multiple times for it to be successful!

Good luck teachers and happy teaching!

-Mrs. B