Hi everyone! Were you beginning to think we had disappeared? We haven’t! We just had to take some time to take care of our families. Between taking leadership classes, building a new home, changing schools, and getting a promotion to assistant principal, we just haven’t been able to blog much.

This summer we planned for a ½ day professional development on teaching the CCRS in Math. We always start with something light when we teach a PD. This lets the participants relax a little and also lets them know we like to have fun while learning to perfect this ever changing job teaching young minds. We started by sharing this funny video. Enjoy!

      http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/said-no-teacher-ever-is-funny-because-its-true/

Our favorite thing we were able to share with others how we are using our mini file folders (4inx6in) to help with mathematical fluency. One of our PD participants sent a picture of how she is also using this in her sight word instruction. Once the students learn a word they highlight or color that word on the outside of their folder. What a great way to allow the students ownership in their own data collection.

So, here is how we use them. Create flash cards for the skill the students are working on. For example: addition facts, multiplication facts, sight words, etc. The facts/words students do not know will go on the pocket stating “Keep Practicing”. The facts/words the students are ready to have checked will be placed in the pocket “Ready to Check”. In our classrooms we also use a chart for students to gather progress data on the front of their folder. We use these for formative assessments only.

Here are some other ideas we have for using Fluency Folders:

§  #1 – Memorization Practice

§  #2 – Group Practice

§  #3 – Math Centers Games

§  #4 – Formative Assessment

§  #5 – Partner Work

§  #6 – Resource Teachers

§  #7 – Individual Practice

§  #8 – Volunteers

§  #9 – Homework

What ideas do you have for using these cute little mini file folders?

As an instructional coach, I have been immersed in integrating nonfiction, informational text into high school content. I recently started studying Kelly Gallagher’s Article of the Week strategies. In researching how to integrate this idea into high school classrooms I found Teachingthe Core. The articles, graphic organizers, rubrics, etc. are all located right on the site. I strongly recommend you check it out if you are interested in maximizing the impact of using nonfiction/informational text in your classroom! There are also some great posts on making the greatest impact. 

Look who received the honor of Eva School’s Teacher of the Year!

That’s right! Wonder Girl; AKA: Tracie Turrentine! 

She is so modest she would never announce it to you all! Good thing she has a proud sidekick! 

Just when I thought I couldn’t be more excited for her, she is honored with the title of the Morgan County Elementary Teacher of the Year. 

We have had many ask, “Who are the Wonder Girls?” So, we have decided to share a little about ourselves. Oh, and we also wanted to share this picture of us in KINDERGARTEN!

 

I am a teacher in Alabama. I have been teaching for nine years. I moved to 4th grade this year after teaching kindergarten for eight years. I had taught 4th grade once before. I also coach girls’ 7th and 8th grade basketball, serve on our school’s 7 Habits lighthouse team, and help with Student Council.  My classroom theme this year is lots of 7 Habits along with our school colors. I have added a few pictures of my classroom below. When I am not teaching and working on school stuff, I am with my three-year-old twins. I have a boy and a girl who are full of energy and very fun. They are the reason I work so hard!

Thanks for following us! - Tracie

I am an Instructional Coach in Alabama. My background is in special education, as well as general education. I have been teaching for 11 years. I started out in a 2^nd grade classroom, moved to teach special education and I am now in my fifth year of the “coach” position. The Alabama Reading Initiative recently changed our title from Reading Coach to Instructional Coach. Since I have been in the Reading position for a few years now, I can see that I have a lot of catching up to do in the area of mathematics! As the Instructional Coach, I work with all teachers and students from Kindergarten through 12^th grade. Traveling between the classrooms and schools can be a bit hectic, but when your passion is student success, you keep your focus and stay on track!  At home I’m mom to two boys, ages five and eight, and we stay busy with guitar lessons, basketball, golf and football.

-Honi

AFTER!

At the high school...before.

BEFORE...

 In my classroom and around our elementary school:

Truffula Trees

Student Ambassador created these
7 habits canvases

Circle of Control

7 Habits Tree

Routine Small Groups

I was recently asked a question about how I set up routine groups for my small group time. I hope you have as much success with this work-plan as I have had throughout the years. This is the longest post yet! Get ready!

Here is what I do. I always take my 1st two weeks of school to teach my work-plan and activities. I start with a poster which gives my routine for the week. It is called Smart Centers Routine. My students know that they always begin with reading, next is workbook skill page, then technology, and last is always activity. They know they must finish the first two before doing their activity. I set up three activities for each week for four groups because one of my groups will be at computers each day. So I only have to come up with three activities. They will rotate through activity #1, #2, #3, and computers throughout the week. Friday is usually exploration time if they have finished or a time where those that are not done need to take this time to finish. 

My activities consist of any skill games I have that match that weeks lesson. I am in the process of working on these to go with each story. So keep your eye out for them this school year. 


While teaching this the first few weeks I always tell the students they cannot talk to me. I know it sounds mean, but I teach them the routine from day one that this is my small group time which means they can only come to me if someone is hurt and bleeding. I do walk around these two weeks and give lots of suggestions about how to handle a question that might arise throughout the year. 

I place two of my students as technology helpers in my room and I make sure they are in different small groups so that one of them is always available to help the students that have a question at the computers. I also make one student at each group the group manager. They are the one you go to if you have a question. 


Each student has a folder that I glue a small pocket (they have the cute decorative pockets now at teacher stores) into so that they can put their work-plan for the week in and keep up with. I only copy 6 sheets of the work-plan for the whole class. I then cut them into bookmarks that fit perfect in those cute pockets and it makes it easier for them to keep up with. It will not get lost with their other papers. Inside the folder I label one side "Not Ready" and one side "Ready." I like for my students to take ownership and when they put it in the Ready side that means they are ready for me to check it. It sounds kinda complicated at first but once they do it those first two weeks. It is very easy to have them take responsibility and the best part is on Friday or any day it is very easy for you to check their folder. 

 Hope you have a Happy Wonders year!

~Tracie

7 Habits/Affirmation Posters

Hope you had a great 4th of July! Did you think we were ever going to post again??? We have been working so hard on getting things ready for the beginning of school. Have you switched back over to school mode too? 

I wanted to share a little something a dear co-worker had a vision for. She came to us with her sketch and we did our best to create her vision. With all the common core "I can..." statements, we are giving our students an academic goal for the end of each lesson. Our system is studying the 7 Habits and our school is working hard to instill this into each of our students. "Everyone Can Be a Leader". My co-worker wanted to incorporate the "I can..." statements into our 7 Habits study. So...here it is! I hope you like it!

Click here if you'd like a set of your own! 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could instill this confidence in all of our students (our own children included)? I think these are great to use even if you aren’t studying the 7 Habits!

We are beginning to add 4th grade McGraw-Hill Wonders activities and lessons to our TpT store. Check it out!

     Yippee! Our first "official" blog entry. We did it! We have had a vision for quite some time and we know we have a lot to learn about the world of blogging. 
     We, like many of you "synergize" to make our passion for teaching and learning a fun and creative process. It all began when we were given the Common Core Standards and our school system adopted a new reading series. All the documents, center activities and powerpoints we were previously using would have to be changed and adapted to meet the needs of the common core, as well as the newly adopted series. We began by looking at our Kindergarten curriculum and made lesson plans, center activities, whole-group activities and PowerPoints. They are designed to meet common core as well as our new reading series "Wonders" by McGraw-Hill. They can be found at www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/wonder-girls.

Our school is a 7 Habits Leader in Me School working to achieve Lighthouse Status. Stay tuned to check out all the things we have to offer. We will continue to add activities and documents throughout the course of Common Core and Wonders. 
Just a sprinkle of what we are passionate about

Wonders-McGraw-Hill-Start-Smart-Week-1

You can find these and many more at our TPT store! 

7-Habits-Candy-Bar-Wrappers