Everyone has a story to tell. What is yours?
After teaching for more than a decade, I have changed the way I have used classroom jobs many times. I don’t think I even used classroom jobs my first year since I had too many other things to worry about. But, starting my second year (and for several years after), I knew I wanted my students to take some responsibility… Read More
Goals help set a purpose and a direction for where you are headed. While you are building your classroom community, why not take the time to make some common goals that EVERY student in your classroom can work towards? Here’s a little glimpse into how I do this in my classroom. Have you ever tried setting goals with second graders… Read More
If you’re like me, you get curious about what happens in other classrooms throughout the day. I saw this linky party hosted by Where the Wild Things Learn & had to stop by and check things out. 9:00 – 9:40 Morning Routine, Corrections, Math Facts As part of our daily routine, students complete a Daily Math Review page. Our second… Read More
Sometimes I’m an impulse buyer, but most of the time I like to sit back and weigh my options before diving in. I have been reading blog post after blog post about The Quietest Classroom Pencil Sharpener. I have to admit, I was reading and thinking that sure, it’s great, but is it really better than the electric sharpeners? So… Read More
Today I’m linking up (just a few days late) with The Applicious Teacher for a weekly linky party series. This week’s focus is sharing about classroom management. Our school mascot is the star. Last summer I created classroom rules based on using STAR as an acronym: This was my first year using a clip chart for classroom management and… Read More
Our school is on a trimester system, so I write report cards three times a year. When I first started teacher I wrote them all by hand. I had to painstakingly plan out what I would write first so I wouldn’t have to second guess and use gobs of white out. I am thankful for the computerized version, even when I… Read More
Have you heard any good jokes lately?
If you spend any amount of time around kids you’ve probably heard the classics and more than a handful of punchlines that don’t even make sense. Joke books are definitely funny, but there are a lot of other great reasons to share them with your students.
•They are interactive, which keeps kids engaged.
• Since jokes are short, they can help fill up those extra minutes that appear when you finish a lesson early or have to wait a few extra minutes for specials.
• They can motivate and build confidence in your reluctant readers.
• Kids can practice fluency while learning how to deliver the punchline.
• Jokes often play with words. This means you can work on language (vocabulary, parts of speech, multiple meaning words, etc.) in a fun way.
• They can build classroom community and help reset the tone when kids are having an off day.
• Joke books can create lifelong readers!
I have been on the lookout for joke books that my kids will enjoy. Here are just a few that we recently found. Let me know if you have any other joke books you’d recommend!
#jokebooksforkids #jokebooks #funnybooksforkids #kidlit #kidsbookstagram #childrensbookstagram #kidsbooks #raisingreaders
I'm very proud of my book collection, but I don't think I've reached library status...yet! 😉Pretty much. I just opened a store instead. 😁
Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!) by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Neal Layton follows a young author as she sets out to write a book. Along the way, she will keep your readers giggling as she shares the ins and outs of the writing process.
This book would be a great mentor text for your writing workshop. It shares information about finding ideas, knowing your audience, the parts of a story, how to receive feedback, making revisions, and publishing your writing. These could easily be used to guide your writing mini lessons. While the pictures and text will draw in your young authors, I think older students might enjoy this book as a way to review the writing process.
Have you read this book yet?
I found my copy on Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/39I41Bx
You know I love to share MY favorite picture books with you, but now it’s your turn. What is an amazing picture book you have read recently? Hopefully I can add some new titles to my list for our next library (or bookstore) trip!
#raisingreaders #picturebooks #readerforlife
