Showing posts with label calendars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calendars. Show all posts

Count Down to Leap Day

Feb 1, 2016


Yep.  It is a Leap Year.  That is kind of a big concept for our little ones because the concept of time is tricky.
They are very immediate creatures.  Thinking four years ago or four years in the future is hard when you are five, or six, or seven.  But we have some tricks up our sleeves this year to help our PreK-2 building understand the concept of Leap Year. 


 This count down is hanging in the hallway.  Each bag contains some object that represents or explains an aspect of time. 

Eeeeek!!  I am so excited.  Keep checking back to see the contents of these bags!

What's in Your Binder?--Tons of FREEBIE links

Jul 28, 2014

My teacher binder IS my life!  I hold everything in it and...well....it gets a little messy as the year goes on.  It is also what motivates me and gets me ready for the school year to start.  And it has been my mission this past week.

resources for your teacher binder

The first thing in my binder are my lesson plans.  I have ELEVEN groups this year in my schedule!!  As the Title I teacher, every second of my time is spent in small group or one on one settings.  These lessons are what I use the most because every group, every kid is different.  I spend a lot of time planning.  My lessons are super simple but it works out perfectly for what I need.

guided math and guided reading plans
guided math and guided reading lesson plan format
 Then I have my calendars.  I keep my district calendar for all the upcoming big events.  Then I have a blank calendar to write in meeting dates, school events, celebrations, and anything else that pops up! The calendar goes Monday-Sunday.  It is my FIRST fan freebie on our FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/Curiousfirsties
2014-2015 Blank Calendar
Next up, my schedules.  Since we are departmentalized and I am moving to four different classrooms, my schedules are.....hmmmm.....SUPER important!  I color code them based on the group and class.


 I use many different guided reading references to help me write my lesson plans each week.  We use Reading Street as one of our guides for phonics and comprehension.  I have a "quick sheet" to help me look at the skills that will be focused on.  Then I have my SnapWords lists.  We use their sight words and I use this checklist I created to keep track of the individual lists that each of my groups are on.
Guided Reading instructional focus
Fontus and Pinnel Instructional Level Expectations

guided reading reference sheets
Click above for the sheets



 All of the instructional calendars come next.  I only have the writing one printed off so far.  But I like to keep these in the binders to make sure that I'm on the right track with the rest of the district. 

http://curiousfirsties.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-writing-plan-free-for-you.html
Writing: Units of Study
 Then come the standards.  I have quite a few documents for this section.  I like to have the Common Core standards listed in a quick reference form.  But I also want a continuum.  We have two vertical meetings a week as a K-2 team.  Looking at the standards and how they grow off each other is really important to me and the success of our building team.
First grade ELA Common Core standards
First grade Math Common Core standards
K-2 Math Common Core continuum
K-2 ELA Common Core continuum

teacher binder
See the links above for these sheets
The last part of my binder has another set of reference sheets in it but for intervention or RTI.  I have a simple little chart to keep track of the IAT meetings that have been held and the changes that we have implemented.  A sheet with the benchmark scores that the school district is looking for on specific assessments.  And an "If....Then" sheet to help with specific interventions.
RTI Interventions Menu


If you would like to use any of these divider sheets for you binder, you can grab them here:
Teacher Binder Divider Sheets

I hope this helps you to start or add to your binder.  But...one question....what am I missing?  Is there anything you put in your binder that I should add to mine?


FREEBIES To Get You Started!

Jul 18, 2013



I am on a calendar roll today! I don't know why.  There are so many other things to do...make curtains, organize photo albums, professional reading.  But what am I doing instead? Making calendars and binder dividers for the year.  I just thought I would pass them along.  And let you know that TOMORROW is our BIG  HUGE  GINORMOUS 200 follower giveaway.  We will have 14 different rafflecopters of goodies!

Anyways...here are my "makings" today.  Click on them to grab them, if you would like :)

Two different calendars.  Both start on Monday and go til July 2014.


These are sheets to go in your teacher binder.  If you want them to say something different, just email me.


Hope these help to get your year started with some color!