Visualizing and Committees

Well, I have to say that the Report Card Committee  meeting I had today was very interesting. We brainstormed a lot of features that we think are essential to have on a report card, as well as a list of concerns and questions. We also tried to come up with a list of things that we wanted to save from the current report card....which was to keep the Work Habits and Social Aspects. Yeah, our report card is that bad (the first thing I said when I saw it...This is it? This is the stupidest report card that I have seen).

We're putting together a bigger committee to start developing it...and we hope to have it ready to roll by the next school year. I'm finding the process interesting, and I'll keep y'all updated!

This week our focus in Literacy was Visualization! I think this one is a little easier for the kids to get than Inferencing, because it is more concrete (What picture do you see? instead of Tell me why you think that).

I created an organizer for them to record their thinking (we're calling them GO's in my class ;), since I didn't really like the one they gave us.

Click on it to download it!

I also created an anchor chart to help them remember what visualization is and why it's important.

 

Someone asked me what books I use to teach the skills...Well, I use the books in the Reading Series. I'm envious of all of you who can pick and choose the books you use, and all the fun units I'm seeing with Bats, Pumpkins, etc.

My district just adopted the Literacy By Design series (Common Core Edition)(I also got the impression that this was a newer series, one that may have come out in the last few years), and while I like most aspects of it (everything is planned out, it follows a theme), I do miss choosing my own books to teach skills.

Once in awhile I pull a picture book to show off a specific skill, but for the most part, I use the selections in their Sourcebook. One thing I really like about LBD? Everything is online. So if I forget the book at school, I can look it up online! (Also, the teacher's guides are divided into 8 units, so it's a smaller notebook sized...not those big clunkers with the spiral binding :)

Today's Outfit

White Sweater: NY & Co
Teal Sweater: Maurices
Tank: Target
Pants: JC Penny
Shoes: Payless

I dresses a little more fancy because of the Report Card Committee meeting was at Central Office...although the reps from the other school came in jeans...so maybe I shouldn't have worried!


Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn