Writing Workshop

We just finished introducing the writer's workshop to our third graders and we used the Amelia's Notebook series as a mentor text/read aloud to think about what goes in a writer's notebook. These books are also great for getting them excited about keeping a writer's notebook for the first time.

So, what goes in a writer's notebook???

post cards, ticket stubs, souvenirs...

bad times in your life...

ideas... 

lists... 

hopes, wonderings...

drawings & labels... 

moments from our lives!

Oldies but Goodies

Read Alouds for the Beginning of the School Year

You could here a pin drop in the classroom during these read alouds.

I love that both end with a twist.  

Miss Nelson is Missing! by James Marshall
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Summer Artifacts

We're getting ready to introduce summer artifacts to the kiddos (I wrote about artifacts last September here), and I have a few shells and other bits and bobs to share with them as examples of what they can bring.

I love learning about my kids through these artifacts, and afterwards, we keep a little display of them to make the room more personal and cozy. This year we plan to sketch our artifacts, and write the stories of these objects and mementos in our writers notebooks.

I had piles of postcards, maps, ticket stubs, souvenirs, ... from this summer's travels, so I decided to photograph these little collections and share them here.

From my trip to Santa Fe. You can see more here and here.

Two lovely birthday gifts, from two special friends who know me well ;)

Signed by Gennine, who was so kind to meet with us.

From my time in Copenhagen.
A wedding, museums, canals... see more here.

Currently Reading

Ok, so it's been a busy, busy week of preparations for the new school year, and this here is my go to for building community and establishing routines in September. 

My former and current teaching partners mentioned this book. I'll read it this weekend to decide whether to use it as part of launching our writing workshop, or to use it as a mentor text for grammar and punctuation, or both.

Melissa Sweet is one of my favorite picture book author/illustrators

Back to School Prep

Hello and welcome to a.l.o.e. in the classroom! I know I mentioned in my very first post that a.l.o.e. in the classroom would be coming in September, but I'm excited to get started, so I'm a few hours early...

School officially starts on September 8th for teachers in NYC, and on the 9th for students. So we get one day to set up. ONE DAY??? Impossible! That is why my desk (at home) currently looks like this...

(art supplies and journals mixed with
classroom binders and unit plans)

(This chaos will soon be very organized for I am a teacher
and a LEO; a very deadly organizing combo.) 

and it's also why school does not really start on September 8th for me and many of my lovely colleagues. We will be heading to the classroom this week to clean, organize, label, plan, perform admin duties, etc, etc, in order to ensure a smooth and seamless start to the 2015-2016 school year.

Hello and welcome to my teaching & learning journey!   

Coming in Septmeber!