I'm throwing it back to my second-grade days today! One of my favorite field trips was our visit to the local zoo. In preparation for this trip, my students would research an animal and become an "expert" on that animal. They would then write a non-fiction book to add to our classroom ... Read More
Organizing Interactive Notebooks
I'll admit, I was a little slow to jump on the Interactive Notebook craze. I didn't really get what it was all about at first. Once I figured out how awesome they were, I thought, sign me up! I purchased some Interactive Reading Notebooks for my class and we got right to ... Read More
Reader’s Notebook
If you've been a blog reader for a while, you know that I've read and re-read Donalyn Miller's book The Book Whisperer many times. I've utilized her ideas in my reading classroom in a variety of ways. You can check out some of the ways here. This year, I decided to implement a ... Read More
Mapping Out Your Classroom
Every year, I look forward to setting up my classroom. Starting fresh with clean floors and new bulletin boards just puts a smile on my face! And then I actually get to my room. Paper is falling off the walls. Furniture is stacked in random places. The desks are physically ... Read More
Back to School Giveaway!
I know that some of you are already back in the classroom, while others are itching to get into your rooms and meet your new kiddos. I thought I would help a bit by jumpstarting your school year with a fun giveaway! Have you met the Trashy Crafter yet?? If not, you definitely need ... Read More
Making Anchor Charts Interactive!
In my classroom, anchor charts are a crucial part of the learning process. We create them together and leave them hanging in the room as a reference tool for students to use throughout the year. One way that we create the charts together is by making them interactive. Here's ... Read More