Wordless Wednesday: Teacher Binders

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo's Sugar and Spice for...

I am trying something new this year. I teach so many sections of Language Arts/English as well as other subjects that it sometimes becomes a bit challenging to keep papers, materials, plans organized. I decided that instead of using a single lesson plan book that I am going to a binder system this year- one binder per section that I teach. I will have a master schedule affixed to my desk to which I can refer and I can keep everything that I need for each section in its individual binder.

How do you keep your plans and instructional materials organized?

Wordless Wednesday: Making a Move

Today I'm linking up with Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice for...

Anyone changing schools? Classrooms?

My school is growing by leaps and bounds! Thank you, Lord, for this blessing. There were many years that we were in danger of closing due to low enrollment.

We have recently completed, well almost (it will be done by the first day of school... we are promised), a brand new gymnasium annex that contains 10 new classrooms. The high school students will be moving into this new annex and our middle grades will be moving into the former high school rooms. Once the middle graders vacate the second floor rooms, second grade will take our place... domino effect.

I am a tad worried that we will be making these moves too close to the beginning of the school year on Aug. 19th and I won't have time to set things up the way I like. Additionally, I have a faculty inservice to prepare and execute for August 17th all about Google and its Apps and the computer set-up is in jeopardy due to all the moving... yikes! Ah well, it's beyond my control!

What I can control, however, is a fun little giveaway going on for Merry Christmas in July. Please hop over to this blog post to participate. You'll be glad that you did. And since we're celebrating Christmas, we must have a gift. Your gift for today is a set of brag tags (wonderful little motivator rewards to use with your students) that remind us all to NOT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF! You can download your set of freebie brag tags HERE. Not sure what brag tags are? Please read this blog post where I tell how I use them with my sixth graders to help manage homework completion in my classroom.

And don't forget to hop on over to Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice to read more Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Favorite Teaching Supply?

It's Wednesday so you know what that means...

I went shopping the other day and grabbed a few of my favorite teaching supplies. Betcha can't guess what my favorite kind of supply is!!!

Do you have a favorite teaching supply?

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Reading

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo for her fun weekly linky...

So, what are you reading this summer?

This is in addition to the dozen middle school novels and two professional books on my Kindle.

Wordless Wednesday: Mother's Day Gifts

Time to join Miss DeCarbo for...

Mother's Day is fast approaching and each of my kiddos has busily been preparing a special gift for her/his mom. Our art teacher collected glass jars and had my sixers select one to decorate with glass paint. Here you see their creations drying on a classroom shelf waiting to be cured in the oven.

Do you have your students make gifts for Mother's Day?

Something else fast approaching is the end of the Teacher Appreciation Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers. You only have until midnight EDT to complete your shopping and save up to 28% off of your purchase. Be sure to use the special promo code THANKYOU at checkout. Don't miss out!

Wordless Wednesday: Book Club

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo for...

Do any of you facilitate "after school" student book clubs? If so, what are yours like? What do you read? What do you do? This is something new we are doing this year. Several very dedicated parents and I invited all interested 5-7th graders to join us in reading quality literature, snacking, and going on literary excursions. Here we are on an excursion to a local Underground Railroad local museum. So fun and so educational!

Wordless Wednesday: What Are You Teaching?

I'm so happy that Wordless Wednesday has returned over at Miss DeCarbo's blog! I enjoy seeing all the photos and great ideas shared by blogging teachers. Be sure to stop by and check our this fun linky.

There are only 35 more alarm clocks left to this school year (I love teaching but hate the rude awakening from the alarm clock, thus how I do the year end countdown). YIKES! That is not much time!

What are you teaching during this last part of the school year?

Besides doing LOTS of skills review (the above pic shows our classroom ELA Easter Egg Hunt) we will be covering informational text features, characteristics of folk literature, and poetry... all my favorites... saving the best for last!

Wordless Wednesday: Responding to a Novel

I really look forward to Wednesdays and joining Miss DeCarbo for...

What kinds of novel responses or projects do you have your students complete?

This is a project that I have done with my 5th-7th grade students for more than 25 years.

Occasionally I  ask my students to illustrate a science concept or an idea from Religion class, but normally I just ask them to complete this three dimensional triorama as a response to a literature circle novel they have read.

Sometimes I ask them to display a particular literary element, such as setting or characters, sometimes I ask them to display a plot element, such as the climax or resolution.

This year I simply asked them to display and write about their favorite part of the story. The trioramas that they created are FABULOUS...

and the writing to accompany them is WONDERFUL as well!

Wordless Wednesday: Return to Normal?

Didn't think I'd have a pic to join Miss DeCarbo this week for...

because we have been out of school like FOREVER! Seriously, we had class on Feb. 12th, then again on Feb. 18th, and not again until today! It's been so COLD and SNOWY here in NE Ohio that schools have been out of class nine days since we returned to class after Christmas break. Unbelievable!

My sixers are SOOOOO happy to be back in session today!

Wordless Wednesday SNOW

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo for her fun weekly linky...

Anyone else over the snow as I am? 

I just cleaned out today's to make room for tonight's! UGH!

Wordless Wednesday 1.28.15

Time to join Miss DeCarbo for...

What are you currently studying in science?

Something as simple as a clear balloon and a coin helped my sixers understand a complex scientific concept.

Be sure to stop by Teachers are Terrific to see more fun classroom science activities!

Wordless Wednesday and Hump Day Highlight

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo from Sugar and Spice AND Jessica Ann from Mrs. Stanford's Class for two super Wednesday linkies.

The first day or so after a break is often a difficult adjustment for students and teachers alike. Do you jump into lessons immediately? Do you take time to celebrate being together? Do you review old skills? Each year my decisions fluctuate depending on my class and its needs.

This year I decided to celebrate the New Year with my classes: a spelling list filled with New Year related words, a close reading passage about New Year's Superstitions and Traditions, and fun resolution writing activities.

Here you see my sixers creating resolution mobiles, a freebie from Created by Mr. Hughes.

What kinds of activities do you do when you return after a break?

Pinterest Perfect

It's time for Wordless Wednesday with Miss DeCarbo!

I admit it: 

I AM A PINTEREST ADDICT!

But now, so are my sixers... LOL!

Pinterest perfect... One of my sixers' holiday hairdo. Tooo cute!

A photo posted by Angela A. Ackley (@teachersdesk6) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:34pm PST

How many of you are Pinterest addicts, too?

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Program

This time of the year can be so busy! Sometimes I feel like I am not getting as much done in the classroom as I should. Time is taken away from regularly scheduled classes to squeeze in some extra Christmas program rehearsal. It's all worth it, though! Just look at these beautiful fourth-sixth graders praising the Lord as they sing...

... and listen to their beautiful voices.

Grs. 4-6 Christmas program rehearsal... Too cute. Love the song parodies they are performing.

A video posted by Angela A. Ackley (@teachersdesk6) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:01pm PST

Would you believe this is the first time the three grades practiced together on stage?