Thursday, July 12, 2018

Classroom Management Part 1: Classroom Expectations

Welcome back!
I am planning on sharing with some of my Classroom Management tips and products I use in my classroom!!
I am sure most of you already have a system or your school lets you know what procedures are needed to take for classroom management. In my case, I have been trained and I was required to use CHAMPS. I honestly did not really know what to do with it, except using the things my school already provided for me to use. However, one day I had a teacher asking me if I could make some posters for her in the Dual Program. So I thought "Duh! of course I could use these and place them all around my classroom!"
So I created 5 CHAMPS POSTERS in both English and Spanish. Then, I had a request on my TPT to add one for writing and/or independent practice, but leaving it blank, so I added that!
So the final product comes with 7 CHAMPS posters (Centers, Group Work, Line, Class, Carpet Time, and 2 blank posters with students are their desk working). About the Blank Posters: Google docs do not have a portrait option, so be aware that the editable document is in a landscape position. Please see the instructions in the beginning of the document to edit the document. One poster contains a student at a desk (can be used for tests or independent work) and the second poster contains two students working at their desk (can be used for reading/writing time). PLEASE know that you cannot edit the fancy/big font or the clip art due to copyrights.
Click HERE if you would like to check it out :)


This same school district was very strong about implementing CHAMPS, so after a year of using it, I came up with an interactive bulletin board in my classroom. I created this for a foam board, but you can honestly just put some magnets on the back and have it up on your dry-erase board.
At the beginning of the school year (maybe the first 3/4 months), I was mainly the one who used this board. We would use this board ALL THE TIME. For every activity, including: independent practice (I would just say independent practice and clarify with my students what kind of independent practice we are working on. In that way, we are not having illustrations for every specific activity), cooperative groups, carpet time, centers, and tests. However, after those months I would start choosing students to do it and the rest of the class would participate on answering what was expected. When they realized I started asking students, they all wanted to be "the teacher." I didn't expect them to want that since they were in third grade, but they just loved it!! 



Alright, this board works like this:
I would go letter by letter "C is for conversation (I would expect the students to answer after months of doing this)" Then I would say "What voice level are we on? Level 1 (Expect students to answer). Then I would say, show me what level 1 sound like (this level is whispering so students would start whispering to me). Then I would go letter by letter until we finish the word CHAMPS.

If you would like a copy of this, please click HERE to take you to my store. The only items that this product doesn't contained is the border that I used to decorate the foam board and the foam board. On the product, I included more pictures of how the board looks like and the illustrations come with labels so you know what they are used for. I also included a video on how to use the board, if  you are more of a visual person like I am :)

Thank you for stopping by my blog today! Feel free to coment or to send me an email if you have questions! :)

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Organization Part 2: How to Organize Data and Important papers

Welcome back friends! I hope you are having a fantastic week so far! I know most of you must be very busy trying to get your classroom organized and decorated for this upcoming school year. I also know most of you are finding new stuff to add as you keep scrolling down on Instagram or Facebook!! lol I know! I am one of you, too!

This post will be short, but I wanted to share with you the last part of my Organization Blog posts! This time I would like to talk to you about Organizing Data and important papers. Very important post so you can stay organized and keep your sanity! (Whooppp!!)

Reading Groups Binder

I know there are hundreds of different TPT products you can find that has to do with small reading groups. I have seen them and most of them have so many sheets and so much information you can keep on your binder, and I LOVE IT! However, I will be honest with you. I know I would never been able to keep up with the forms. They are all so helpful, but the more overwhelmed I felt. So I decided to simplify my life! Something simple and yet highly important that I will be able to keep doing throughout the school year.

So I created my own simple Reading Groups Binder!

Inside this product you will find:
1. the Guided Reading Groups Sheet - This will be helpful for you to keep organize your groups. It is designed to use with post-its so you can keep writing and changing students to different groups. Note on the picture, I use tabs to separate my groups. This is just a suggestion to keep your papers organize, but if you have a different method, go for it! :)


2. Guided Reading and Running Records Schedule Chart - On this sheet you can plan what groups you'll see for the week and how many running records you need to schedule for the week as well.
3. Guided Reading Group Books - On this sheet you will write down the book you'll be reading with a specific group and other information about the book. You can keep track of how many fiction or Non-fiction books you are reading to mix up the genre in the group. It is also helpful so you don't bring a book that you have already given them.
*After the Group Tabs, I have an Avery Index Table of Contents dividers. I use the following sheets and place them under the first letter of my student's last name.*
4. Student's Personal Note sheet - On this sheet I keep all my notes about my student. All my students have one or more throughout the school year. Things my students need to improve and things they are successfull.
5. Reading level progress sheet - This sheet contains the levels of beginning, Middle, and End of the Year. This are great to see the student as a whole. To remember how they came, how much they have improved, and how much they have accomplished by the end of the school year. This sheet is great to use during Parent-Teacher Conferences!
6. Running Records Progress - All the running records results I have given to my student.

I think this is a great binder that will help you and will help ME for this upcoming school year! I have included the link above (above of th first picture shows), but if you missed it, please click HERE to take you to my store!


Parent Conversation Log


This is another important thing to do in order to stay organized! Create a Parent Conversation Log binder! Mine is very simple! I bought some Avery Index Table of Contents dividers and put some blank writing paper inside of each divider. Every time I had a conversation over the phone with a parent, I would write down the important things we said or agreed during our conversation! Maybe you are wondering why I do this. Well maybe, just maybe, one day there is a missunderstanding and misscommunication with a parent. You will have your log to remember and show what was said and what was agreed. I have learned the hard way, that we can't remember it all and that you need to have a proof of something. This log is a life saver to keep information! I would also use this for important information during Parent-Teacher conferences. My parents used to like it when I wrote important things they were saying about their child. We all need to establish good communication with parents from the beginning!

File Hanging Folders

Last, but not least! Where do you keep important tests, forms, letters, etc.? I have a simple way to do this! Many teachers loveee binders and I do too! But I have so many binders for other things that I really want to make this as simple as possible. The answer is "Manila folders in hanging folders!!." My school kind of makes you have a teacher desk (like the old ones), so I take advantage of my heavy-old friend by using its drawers. In there I keep a hanging folder for each of my students. I keep al important information there. Something that I can just pull when having a Parent-Teacher conference or having to meet with someone regarding that student.
Maybe you don't have a file cabinet. Crates are perfect for hanging folders as well! Remember these folder contain personal information for each of your students. So if I had a crate, then I would keep it under my desk so my students or any other person would not get the attention of the folders.

My friends this is all for today! I hope you have learned something new and something important! Hope you are very motivated to try new things so you can be more organized! Stay tuned become up next will be all about classroom management and rewards!!!