Classroom Library Redo! Part 2: Organizing, Leveling,

This is part two of a two post series.  

You can catch Part 1: Purging & Restocking Your Classroom Library by clicking HERE.

Sorry for the delay on this post.  I have been trying to do a Periscope tour of my library, which I wanted to embed in this post.  It hasn't quite worked out, so I'm just (finally!) going ahead.

Welcome to part two of our classroom library redo!  Now that we have our libraries purged of MUSTIES and have new(ish?) books ready to add, it's time to look at how your library is organized.
There are so many different thoughts on this.  I'm going to start with my library.  It is organized by both level and genre. Here are a few pictures to give you an overview. It begins with a small sign (that is really overexposed for some reason) which explains the baskets and a few other pics taken on different days.  Take a look!

All these blue, red, green, and yellow baskets are from the Dollar Tree many years ago  I am still surprised at how they have held up so well, especially since they are collapsible.  In the pic above, you can see a bunch folded up extras at the bottom of the cubbies. 

The red baskets are my leveled books, mixed fiction and nonfiction. If you are required to have a leveled library, I think it is important to also have a genre based section.  I want my kids to not feel tethered to a book basket because it is "their" level.  I want their reading selection to also be more interest based.  Knowing it is a book they actually are interested in will make them want to read it more than knowing it is their level.

The yellow baskets are all nonfiction.  Of course, I don't have every category, but there is a nice mix of topics I know are of interest to my students and projects we work on.

The blue and green baskets are all fiction.  Some baskets are labeled by genre, but there are a bunch of baskets labeled as Assorted Fiction which just have a mix of fiction books. I like having those assorted baskets because some children will never venture from what they know they like.  If they like graphic novels, they will always go to that basket.  If I tell them there are other graphic novels mixed in the assorted fiction baskets, they then end up browsing through an assortment of genres.  You never know what might catch their eye!

These large baskets below rest on the floor and hold picture books and larger, over-sized books that don't fit on the shelves.  These baskets are really large and hold a ton of books.

I found it really important to have some clear labels on every basket so my friends can easily find books and correctly return them.  On my library sign out sheet, there is a column to put in the basket label.  This way when they sign the book in, there's no guessing where they got it from and I don't end up with books randomly shoved in just any basket. I made all these labels and I love them, but oh my!  Totally did not think about having to cut out all those loops!  

I keep some favorite series books on a wooden shelf and new books are put on these display stands that I got at Dollar Tree.  These are perfect book stands! For just a buck, I was able to pick up a bunch of them. Dollar Tree tends to have them in stock all year, so you can still pick some up.

             

I use my Scholastic Points to get a few new books each month.  Then, I spotted this fantastic idea from an Instagram post by A Rocky Top Teacher.  When she gets new books, the kids that want the book get a ticket to write their name  on and put it in the cup.  Once all the tickets are in, you pick one so that person gets first dibs. The other kids can put it on their "To Read' list. I thought this was a genius idea because I see kids from seven different classes.  I had been trying to figure out how to distribute new books fairly and this works perfectly. It prevents the kids from my first period class always getting the new books. It works great with a single class too, especially if you have lots of kids that want to read the same book. So, that's what the cups are for. I use plastic cups and a dry erase marker to write the title so that I can wipe it off when done.

The big book shelf below is introduced after a couple of weeks of school.  It is a place for teacher and student recommended books.  The small teacher section holds some books I know my friends will love.  The larger section is for my friends.  If they have a book they love and want to recommend, they fill out a quick half sheet that basically tells why they recommend the book without giving away the ending.  It gets tucked in the book for browsers to read.  I do the same for the books I recommend. It's a great spot to take a friend that is having trouble selecting a book on their own. 

  Lets' quickly talk about building book excitement.  There is one, foolproof, never fail, way to do it.  It's not the only way, but it's the best one!  I'm talking about. . . 

BOOK TALKS! 

Never underestimate the power of a good book talk!

There are a few different kinds of book talks, but I'm referring to a general book talk by the teacher when you bring new books into your library.  When I have a stack of new books for the month, I gather my friends in a circle on the carpet and we briefly go through each one.  This is where the show begins.  My excitement level for these new books transfers to my friends, so I (whether I really am or not) am totally excited about each and every book as I talk about it. We discuss the cover, I read the back, tell my connections, my thoughts.  I may read a small section from the book or just a line.  In Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin, the very fist line of the book is, " My mother named me after a cow's rear end." If that doesn't hook your students, nothing will! Mine dissolved into a fit of giggles and after that book talk almost all wanted to read it. Scholastic puts out this flyer on how to give a book talk.  It is mostly geared towards kids, but the tips also apply to a teacher given book talk. I tried to find more resources for teacher book talks, but there really isn't much out there. Honestly, just show your enthusiasm for the books, find a hook in the text, and they will want to read them.

Some other easy ways to build book excitement for your classroom library:

• Golden Tickets!  In random books, I hide golden tickets. They are tucked in well so that they don't fall out when browsing but are found while reading.  The ticket allows the reader to claim a small prize.  I started using the golden tickets from The Nifty Librarian's Tpt store.  It is a free download which is editable so you can change it to your name and how it works if you like. I've since created my own, but those are a good place to start.
• Wrap Books!  Some months, I will wrap the new books like presents and allow students to unwrap the book which is the one we do a book talk on.  For this, we do one a day with a quick book talk. Honestly, this takes no more than five minutes.  It's the unwrapping of the book that is the hook.  They can't wait to see what it is.I also sometimes pull books I already have that are good but just not circulating.
• Bulletin Boards!  In my class library, I do a monthly (if I don't forget to change it!) author spotlight and genre spotlight.  The book talk at the beginning of the month revolves around getting to know the author and his/her books.  I always try to find something interesting or quirky about the author that captures my friends' interests.  Then, when we do the genre spotlight, I can showcase books that some of my friends may have never thought about reading. Our spotlight this  month is on the author Andrew Clements and the realistic fiction genre.
  
• Read Aloud!  I think liking to be read to transcends every age.  I have clear memories of being in 5th grade and my teacher reading the book The Man in the Box to us every day after lunch. It is set during the Vietnam War and tells the story of a captured American soldier who is tortured and put in a box in the hot sun and how he is helped and eventually freed and brought to safety by a young Vietnamese boy who lives in the village. I remember the book being so boring at first.  Not exactly the reading material a 5th grade girl is likely to select.  However, my teacher made that book come alive and our class couldn't wait to get back from lunch to read that book. I remember venturing into the historical fiction genre for books afterwards, which is something I probably never would have done if not for that read aloud.
• What are you reading?  This year, I've made a commitment to read more of the books my friends are reading.  Mostly because I realized I had not been keeping up.  My friends were reading and wanting to talk about books I didn't know.  This year, I've been reading tons of books.  It has me excited about their books and enables me to have some great in-depth conversations about books with them.  It has also helped me be much better at fitting books to my readers.  If I can talk genuinely about a book with real knowledge of it, I can sell it!  It has also helped to improve my reading conferences.  While we don't have to have read the book we conference about, I have to say it does help.

These are just a few simple ways to build excitement in your library.  There's more, but this went on way longer than I intended!   If you are still reading, thank you! :-) I hope some of this has been even just a bit helpful.

An Affordable Ikea Classroom

 So, let's start with some blog business.  

• My apologies for the lack of posts.  Teaching summer school and a serious family illness has essentially eaten up all of my time.  August promises to be just as hectic on the family front, but summer school will be over after the 8th so I'm hoping to be a more productive blogger soon!
• Yes, I am still looking to redesign my blog.  I know that header has been up there for ages, but it will happen people!  

I know many of you are getting ready to head back to school in August.  I've seen lots of blogs with teachers already crafting, creating, laminating, and decorating.   Honestly, I can't even think about it yet!  We don't head back to school until September 3rd, and students don't start until September 9th.  My head is not yet in back to school mode. Having said that, no serious academic post here today!  :-) 

But, here's one on classroom decorating.

I was in Ikea the other day and found a lot of items that would be great for the classroom.  Thought I would share a few and some ideas for using them.  I'm limiting this post to things that are on the smaller side and affordable. Yeah, I would love to buy all new Billy bookcases for my classroom, but that's so not in the budget! Mine or my school districts!  So, here are some smaller items that can add a little color, fun, and function to your classroom without busting the budget.  See if you can guess which is my favorite item that I may have just purchased more of than I will probably ever need!  By the way, all images are from Ikea and this is not a sponsored post.  Just some things I like and think you will, too!  But, Ikea if you are out there and want to throw some Billy bookcases my way. . .Just kidding!!! 

Okay, here we go. . . 

This is the Hopplek rug.  It's 2' 7" x 5' 11" and only $12.99.  I think this adorable for the younger grades, but the measurements on the side make it great for upper grades, too.  This would be great in front of a math center area.   Kids could toss one or more bean bags and then create a math story using the numbers or measurements they land on.  I also think it would be a good game rug. I'm sure you can think of even more to do with it!

This is the Hampen rug.  It measures 2' 7" x 2' 7" and is $9.99.  These rugs would be great partner rugs for smaller friends.  You could have them rolled up in a basket, and when it it time for partner reading they can just grab a rug and find a spot.  For your older friends, it might fit only one.  It also comes in a couple of other colors.

This is the Fargglad chair.  It's a child's chair, so it is a bit on the smaller side.  It's $14.99.  The chair back and seat are woven plastic, so easy to wipe down if needed.  It is also stackable, so if you get some for a guided reading table you can easily stack them and move them aside when not in use.  But, in keeping the affordable in mind, I was thinking of what could you do with just one chair. It would be a great author's chair, special seat for the student of the day, a birthday seat, etc.  You could even doctor it up a bit with some ribbons to make it extra special.

This is the Tolsby frame.  It holds a 4" x 6" picture, and they are only $0.99 each!  There is no back, so you can put two pictures in each frame.  They are made of plastic, so perfect for the classroom and clumsy people like me!  These would be great for classroom signs, activity directions, library labels, and a ton of other things.

The Rigga clothes rack is $12.99.  When I saw this, I thought it was an inexpensive answer for anyone in need of a chart stand.  All you would need are the rings or some clips to hold your charts on the top bar.  I even like the rack on the bottom because you could put a few baskets on it to store materials for your charts. That would probably also help make it a bit more sturdy.  And, it's on wheels!

Here is the Dokument wastepaper basket in pink.  It is $3.99 and also comes in silver.  I actually bought this last year for my desk.  Our school does a great job of giving us those big, round, gray, plastic trash cans and recycling trash cans, but I wanted something smaller by my desk that wouldn't be filled with students' tissues and other icky stuff!  It is made of steel and fairly indestructible.  Ikea doesn't give its measurements, but it is on the larger side as far as wastebaskets go. For $3.99, you could also use it for holding project materials, books, or a few of those Hampen rugs. :-)

These are the Kvissle clip-on bookends.  You get a set of two for $4.99.  I love these because they clip on to the shelf.  No more falling over books and bookends when someone takes a book and the bookend moves.  What I love even more is the wide bar that faces you once you clip it on.  It's just made for a label. You could print out genre, alphabetical, or leveled labels to put on the bookend.  It would not only separate the books, but it would help in organizing your library while giving your friends a clear visual.

These are the Kusiner storage baskets, and you get all three for $4.99.  I have a similar set of baskets, but they aren't as nice as these.  These baskets have a soft coil in between the fabric, so they collapse for easy storage.  When you need to use them, just unhook the loop and they will spring right back into shape.  They are about 7" high and are great for handing out small materials to groups.  Unlike mine, these have numbers on the front that helps with identifying the groups just by having the basket on the table.  If you needed more than three baskets, you could always get two sets and put an A and B on the numbers with a Sharpie.  They are also great scrap baskets for the table when everyone is cutting and you don't want a constant parade to the trash can.

The Riso chair pads come in assorted colors for $3.99 each.  These would also make great floor seats for your friends if you don't have a carpet.  They are non-slip as the underside has anti-slip dots.  These remind me of the sit-upons I made when I was a Brownie back in the day.  In fact, the Crafty Texas Girls blog has a tutorial on how to make a sit-upon using newspapers and a vinyl tablecloth.  That's how I remember doing it!

Tins!  These are the Nidelva storage tins, which come as a pair for $3.99.  No grand plans for these, but they are cute.  And, who couldn't use a cute storage tin for erasers, paper clips, or anything else you can think of?

And finally, it wouldn't feel right if I didn't mention the Flyt magazine files!  You can't beat 5 for $1.99.  I use these as book baskets for my friends' independent reading books.  I actually picked up striped ones from Ikea a couple of years ago, but I like the plain white.  As a back to school activity, you could have your friends decorate and personalize the box to tell about them as a reader.  They could draw pictures of their favorite book characters and book covers or pictures of things they like to read about.  It just might be a fun way to get them excited about filling their book box.  I have reused my striped files/boxes for a couple of years, but for the price I wouldn't having a problem letting my friends personalize one for their own.  I did find putting a strip of book tape on the bottom of each to be a good idea.  Sometimes they can get a bit heavy once all the books are in, and the tape helped them hold up very well.

If you look closely in the picture below, you can see my boxes lined up by the windows. This picture is from a post I did back in 2011 on how I set up my classroom that year.

In looking at that picture, I think maybe one of the reasons I liked all those Ikea items above so much is that they are (almost) all very colorful.  My classroom is usually a colorful place!

After all that I can only hope you have an Ikea near you. :-)  If not, I would bet you could find similar items in craft stores or home goods stores. By the way, my favorite item?  Those Tolsby frames! Love em'!

What has been your favorite back to school purchase so far?

I'm in Purge Mode!

See this giant plastic portfolio? 

It is one of two that hold my literacy/writing posters.  In addition to one more literacy portfolio, I have five more for math, science, social studies, decoration, and a big ol' miscellaneous mess of stuff.  I've been stuffing posters into these portfolios for years.  The time has come to finally purge some of the posters that I just don't need anymore.

I began with one of my literacy portfolios today.  I took out each poster and started creating piles; writing, grammar, reading, etc.  These are just a few of the many piles.  You can't see the stacks I had on other desks and the floor. It was amazing how much was stuffed in that portfolio!

There was even a pile of posters I had made with my friends over the years. I seem to have saved (and even laminated) some my favorites.  Great, except that I tend to just remake them with my new friends every year instead of pulling out these.  Since they are some of my favorites, I snapped a picture of each and plan to make a section for them in my anchor chart binder  instead of hanging on to these hard copies.

Upon starting this task, my goal wasn't to just organize what I had but to purge what I no longer wanted or needed.  Teachers tend to save everything.  After all, you never know when you might need it! I'm no different.  However, in looking at my piles of posters, I knew there were many I hadn't used in several years and it was time to purge.  I began by following some simple rules and asking a few questions. . .

Is this an effective teaching tool?

I don't know about you, but put me in a teacher's store and I get giddy!   My love of teacher's stores is only rivaled by my love of office supply stores! But, those teacher stores have a special place in my heart.  I love the borders, the posters, and all the doodads you find there.Since I seem to fall into this glaze-eyed euphoria every time I go in, I've been know to buy a poster of two because they are just so darn cute.  Those are just  the fun, decorative posters and signs.  

But, what about those we purchase to teach or reinforce content?  I've bought many, many posters simply because the content fits what I am teaching.  Oh, teaching a unit on persuasive writing?  Wow, this persuasive writing poster shows different ways to structure the argument!  I'm buying it! And, laminating it! And, hanging it up right away!  STOP!  This is where we really need to think.  That poster may say what you want it to say, but is it an effective teaching tool for your friends?    Below is one of those posters that I had to take second look at.  Is this poster an effective teaching tool?  In my opinion, no.  It is not.

Take a look at the same poster from just five feet away.  Not so effective. Too much information, too tiny a print, and too hard to see.  Do you really think the child who sits in the middle of the classroom sees anything beyond some colored blocks?

Everything that hangs in your room should have a specific purpose.  Think about what the poster is for. Are you using it to be a reference tool for all to use?  Is it for the whole class to use from their seats?  Then it needs to be fairly uncluttered and have larger print.  Is it to hang next to a center station where your friends can get a closer look?  Then, maybe a smaller poster with more print is appropriate.  Is it kid friendly?  I think this is actually one of the most important questions to ask.  Step back and look at it through the eyes and age of your students.  I think when you do you will be surprised at how many "teaching" posters are actually not so kid friendly.  They may look cute, but are often overloaded with content or so decorative the purpose is lost.   Ask yourself if the content presented in a way that is visually uncluttered yet appealing and easily understandable to your friends.  For an effective teaching tool, you have to be able to answer yes.

Can I re-purpose it?

I'm embarrassed to say I did hang that part of speech poster in my classroom for a few years early on in my teaching.  Looking at it now, I know it didn't do much for anyone.  There is still life for this poster, though.  I cut it up into the different boxes and am planning to make some grammar based center activities with them.  Each one becomes a great reference card, easily hand-held or kept on a desk, to use with the activity.  Then, it becomes an effective teaching tool.

I also had a laminated poster which showed two cause/effect graphic organizers, and I just never used it.  This poster was also re-purposed when I cut the two organizers out and put them in a folder along with an article from Scholastic News.  It become another center activity that allows my friends to use a dry erase marker and a colorful graphic organizer to identify cause and effect. Sure, I could have just put a photocopy of the organizers in the folder.  But, we all know how much our friends love those dry erase markers.  Just that simply, re-purposing these organizers in this way upped the interest level for this activity.

Could someone else use this?

Give It Away!  As I was sorting, I made a pile of posters that were still in good shape, but I knew I wouldn't be using.  Posters I might have hung in my room years ago are not necessarily posters I would find useful in my room today.  Over the years, our teaching style evolves. Just as our students grow as learners, we grow as teachers.  Materials that might have fit my teaching style before just don't cut it now.  

However, that doesn't mean it won't be a perfect fit for another teacher. I had these great genre posters for many years.  They are still in great condition, not faded, and visually engaging.  While they aren't good for my classroom, they are perfect for our school  library.  I quickly gathered them up and took them down to our media specialist.

It's also nice to make materials like this available to those new teachers with limited supplies and funds. There may also be teacher new to the grade level that are in need of materials.  With that in mind, I created a pile of posters that I put in the teacher's lounge with a sign encouraging anyone to take anything they might want.  

When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

No, really!  I mean it!  THROW IT OUT!   In going through my pile, I kept an eye out for any poster that was faded, torn, stained, littered with stapler holes, or just too raggedy looking.  It wasn't easy because some were loved posters that I didn't want to get rid of.  However, did I want to hang something in my room that looked raggedy?  No!  I took a picture of a couple of posters that I plan to either repurchase or make myself, and then tossed the rest.  It may not be the most economical answer, but I know me.  I would only see the messy parts every time I looked at the poster and it would irritate me to no end.  A little nuts, I know! 

Finally, remember that curriculum changes as do the grades and populations we teach. If you've changed grade levels over the years, you probably also have materials you haven't used in a while.   I know I had posters from the content areas that cover subjects I haven't taught in years.  I could hang on to them forever just in case I teach it again sometime.  But, to be honest I just don't have the storage space or really want to store all that extra stuff.  So, all those rules above still apply!  Do I need it?  Is it too raggedy to keep?  Is it an effective teaching tool? If I do teach this again, would this be something I would want to hang up?   It just may be that the give away pile or the recycle bin are options to seriously consider.

As for me, one portfolio purged and only six more to go!  

How often do you purge materials in your classroom?

Have Cart, Will Travel!

One of the things I realized is that in September, as a push-in teacher, I am going to have to travel with materials I need.  Since I am not co-teaching with any one teacher all day but instead working in several different classrooms during the day, I am going to need something to haul my goodies around in.

Some of the teachers in my building who travel use a cart.  I totally jumped on that bandwagon!  Before I left in June, I ordered one of these.

Yup, that will be me next year! 

 No, that's not really a picture of me.  The pictures are from the School Specialty catalog that I ordered it from.  The pictures show two different versions they sell.  They are essentially the same except that the configuration of the compartments is a bit different.  I got the one in the picture below.  The organization freak in me is beyond excited to fill all those little compartments!

I know if I were to ask the teachers I will be working with for a spot to leave some materials, they would be more than willing to do so.  And, I might do that for some basic items I will be using.  However, I was thinking about my prep periods, when I will be in my room.  I don't want to have to run around from classroom to classroom every time I need something for planning or need to see what my small groups have done. Plus, there are things that will always have to travel with me like my plan book.  It will be much easier to have the cart with me.  I can just check it each morning to make sure I have what I need for each class and be on my way.  

Now, if only it had a cup holder! :-) 

Just kidding!  

Kind of. . . 

Does anyone else out there use one of these?   

If you have a push-in teacher come to your classroom, how do you make it work?

Any tips? 

No Time to Take Time!

Hi!  Sorry posting has been a bit light lately, but it's the end of the year!  Similar to the end of the world, but I might manage to survive this one!  :-)  Maybe!

I know I am preaching to the choir for the most part, but CHEESY COW!!! I am swamped with work!  As are my little friends.  Take a look at this calendar.

Every year I put up a countdown calendar on our whiteboard.  This year it came out a bit crooked, so I drew the skinny guy holding up one end.  As you can see, we have been very busy with all things 5th grade.  I really put this calendar up, not so much as a countdown, but because I needed to see at a glance what was happening when.  I kid you not when I say this calendar is not even complete.  These are just the "extra" events we have going on.  What it doesn't show are all the end-of-year assessments my friends are being overwhelmed with, all the final writing unit projects we are scrambling to get done, and the other crazy things like promotion practices, chorus/band practices, and middle school orientation. 

On the teacher end, I am giving up a life this week to get all those things graded.  Plus, my  marking period grades (which aren't averaged because I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO GRADE!) have to be in by the 13th, my placement forms for the middle school also still need to be done among many other things.  While I am willing to give up my evenings for the next two weeks to get all this done, there are those pesky things that won't let me like an evening music concert my friends are all singing in, a couple of retirement parties for much loved colleagues, an author's celebration at a local bookstore that my friends will be reading at, and all the before and after school meetings, meetings, and more meetings that are cropping up almost every day!  It's just a crazy time of year!!  The only saving grace is that the weather has been cool, so my room is not 900 degrees this week!

I haven't even really begun to pack up my room yet, either.  It is a hot mess in there!  I'm hesitant to even pack yet because we keep hearing there is going to be a lot of movement in our building.  I don't think most people realize that we don't work for a school, but for a district and can be moved anywhere.  In my district, there are four elementary schools.  If the rumors of lots of movement this year are true, I don't feel too bad about not packing up anything in my room yet.  Packing to stay in your room is very different from packing to leave for another building! 

On a totally different note, I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a fantastic idea.

It's from the blog MargeD Teaching Posters.  It is a great blog with lots of pictures and fantastic ideas like this one.  THIS LINK will take you to the page where she explains how to use an old CD binder to hold your die-cut letters.  I happen to have on lying around, so I might just try this.  However, I was also thinking that my MacGyver like storage solution might work just as well.  You could make a binder full of baggies with your letters in each bag.  I do think the CD binder would be better if you really wanted to sort your letters more, such as by upper and lower case or actual words/sayings that you use on certain bulletin boards.  Go visit Marge D's blog.  It has a bunch of great ideas!  I know I really liked this one!  And, on that note. . .

9 SCHOOL DAYS AND COUNTING! 

Who am I kidding? 

I'm teaching summer school  for five weeks this summer. 

Really just trading an old group of friends for a new group of friends for a few weeks! 

But, it's still fun to think. . .

9 SCHOOL DAYS AND COUNTING!

Homework, Yea or Nay?

Homework is one of those things where you can please some of the people all of the time or all of the people some of the time, but you will never please all of the people all of the time.  And, by "people" I mean parents!  I had a reader post a comment asking what my homework policy is, what I assign, etc. I have many thoughts on the topic, so I thought I would respond and tell you how I probably manage to irritate a portion of my parents every year!

picture source

What's My Homework Policy?
My district follows the "ten-minutes-times-grade-level-give-or-take-ten" rule.  So, second grade would have 20-30 minutes of homework assigned nightly, third grade gets 30-40 minutes, and so on.  This means I should be assigning my fifth graders between 50-60 minutes of homework each night.  The only other directive we have is that every night should include writing in the form of journal writing and some type of math homework, Monday through Friday.  Yup, we give Friday homework.

Now, overall I agree with the above policy, but I don't make myself crazy with it.  At Back to School night, I am very clear on MY homework policy with my parents.  I tell them that their child should have 50-60 minutes of homework according to district policy, although the amount of homework I assign nightly is dependent on what we are working on in class at the time.  Some days there will be more homework, some days there will be less. 

However, I do tell them that this doesn't mean on the days there is less homework their child shouldn't put in that hours time.  That hour should be considered an hour of homework/study time.  I suggest that if homework is done in less than the district's suggested time, the student spend that time reviewing or studying.  This helps my friends who are headed to middle school next year build the study habits and work ethic necessary for middle school and high school.  The Harvard Graduate School of Education wrote an interesting article on the topic this past winter.  It seems my policy and that of my district is pretty standard, yet still somewhat arguable by some. 

This brings me to only pleasing some of the people some of the time.  Every year, I have parents who think I give too little homework, just enough, or not enough homework.  This year, I had a parent who felt I don't give enough homework try to rally the other parents to come to me and request that I give more.  Thankfully, the large majority of my parents are pleased with the amount of homework I give.  In fact, at conferences one after another told me what this parent was trying to do.  When it came time for this parent's conference, the parent told me before I could even say anything. Although nobody else would agree, the parent still felt there should be more homework.  I calmly reexplained the district policy, my policy, and the reasoning behind both.  I then gave the parent some suggestions on how to better use the study time.  We also had a conversation about feeling free to approach me with any concerns rather than trying to "rally" parents, but that's another topic!

What Do I Assign?
Well, as per our district policy, my friends have a 25 minute journal write each night.  We didn't start at 25 minutes.  The time increases to 25 minutes as they build writing stamina over the year.  It is a free write with an optional topic assigned.  This allows them freedom to write what they want, but provides a topic for the "I can't think of anything to write about" crowd.

We use the Everyday Math program.  This program comes with a workbook page of homework for each lesson, and we pretty much do a lesson a day.  That means math homework is given.  I find the workbook pages to be too easy for my friends this year, so I often supplement with an open ended math question.

Those are the two areas of homework I am required to assign.  My friends also have a reading log to keep up with.  It requires them to read a minimum of twenty minutes five nights a week.  The log is assigned every two weeks and comes with some sort of activity or small project to be turned in with the log.  That generally makes up my daily homework.  Science or social studies is given as needed, but not often.  Our science book is a tough read, so I don't assign a lot of homework from it.  We really need to do it together.  Occasionally, social studies will be assigned, but as I wrote not often.  In addition to all of that, there is always the study time for any upcoming quizzes or tests.

One of the reasons I don't assign, in my opinion, a lot of homework is that I see how busy my friends are out of school.  They are busy with sports, religious education, and oh yeah, you might just want to be a kid and play outside for a bit!  And, how about a little family time?  Yes, school comes first, but I think it is important for them to have balance in life, just as it is for us.

How Do I Assign Homework?
I know exactly what I have assigned for homework every day of the school year.  If a parent were to ask, I can tell them what was assigned on any given day.   In my class, we keep a class agenda.

Our district supplies each child with an agenda in which they write their homework each night.  I keep an extra in that container above.  One of our class jobs keeping the class agenda.  That student is to write the previous day's homework in the agenda each morning.  Then, they erase the homework board so we start the day fresh. 

This works for us for a variety of reasons:
1.  It tracks all homework.  As I noted, I can tell a parent what was assigned at any time.  More importantly, I can tell them when something was assigned.  This has come in handy when I have a friend who fails to write down an assignment in their agenda and a parent insists their child didn't know.  Oh, really?  Well, let's just look at the class agenda and see when it was originally assigned and how may times they were reminded after that.  Enough said!
2.  If I have a friend who was absent, they can quickly check it, copy the homework they need to do, and see any reminders they missed.
3.  I like being able to look back and see what I have assigned all in one place.  I can really see if I've neglected any area or have been giving too much or too little homework.  I also keep my agendas from the previous years, so it is interesting to see what I was doing the year before. 

I like the agenda book because each page is a day, and each subject is clearly labeled with space at the bottom for extras.  I like this agenda so much that if the district didn't provide them every year, I would probably order them myself.  It keeps my friends accountable.  This is what the agenda looks like.

As you can see, on this night my friends had three math pages.  Two pages in their journal and one worksheet.   It seems more than I said I give only because the journal pages required them to just finish two problems on each page.  The real homework was the worksheet.  They also had a social studies test to study for as well as a DARE report to write and a Spanish quiz coming up.

You can see at the bottom there is also a place for a teacher message and a parent message,both with a line to sign and date.  That has come in handy on several occasions!

So, that's my take on homework.  What do you think?   Do you agree? Disagree?  What's your policy on homework?

Before and After

I have been looking forward to Presidents' Weekend for so long!  Four days off!  I am really excited to not be getting up so early, and not being on a clock. I have no formal plans for the long weekend, but a ton of odds and ends to get done.  Some school related stuff and some home stuff.  Since I was so looking forward to being off for four days, where did I end up spending three hours Saturday morning?  My classroom, of course!  If I were Homer Simpson, there would totally be a D'Oh!! here.  I had forgotten to bring my plan book home, so I was just going to run in and grab it.  However, once I was there my brain started churning. 

Hmmm, I really do need to get that supply closet organized. . .

There's never enough time to get to it during the school week. . .

Gee, I have some time now to do it. . .

NO!  It's your time off. Leave! . .

But, I do have four days off. . .

And, I already have the containers I need. . .

It wouldn't be so terrible to put in just a little time today. . .

I can clean that supply closet in an hour!

THREE HOURS LATER, I have a very clean closet! 

This my supply closet. 

Very innocent looking, yes?  But, when you open the doors it was an avalanche waiting to happen.  I was so excited to start that I forgot to take a picture of the actual "before."  But, here is a picture I took after I had already emptied out a ton of stuff.

I know that doesn't look too terrible, but imagine all the supplies on these two table tops (as well as some stuff on the floor you can't see) also jammed in there.  Every time I would open the doors, all this nonsense would tumble out around my feet. 

It was making me crazy!

And, here is the AFTER!

Makes my heart beat fast! The green paper labels are make-do for now. 

The OCD in my soul wants to make some cute printed labels later.

For now, I thought I would tell you a little about each shelf. 

I know, sounds crazy exciting for a blog post. 

But, there might be tip or two about supplies I order and how I use them that you can use. 

Or, it just might be a boring post on closet organization!

         ;-)

Let's see.

Top Shelf & Second Shelf

Top Shelf:  Actually, you're right.  Nothing too exciting there.  It holds some extra binders, smaller chart paper, a couple of extra pencil sharpeners, and some labels.  I also have two rolls of clear contact paper ready to go.  I cover all my paperback teacher guides with contact paper.  These would be the workbooks I handle every day, like my math answer booklet.  It really helps them hold up longer.  I also cover my professional books if it is one I know I will go back to a lot.

Second Shelf:  Here is where I organized all the small stuff such as pens, staples, clips, etc.  And, yes!  That is an air freshener in my closet.  We had an extra in the classroom, and I just stuck it in there one day.  Turns out it is quite nice to open the doors and be greeted with apple-cinnamon scents.

The other thing you see on this shelf is a lone black Sharpie over on the right.  As I was cleaning out the closet, I could see how much of some things I have and how I needed to replace some things.  I don't know about you, but when it comes time to place the supply order for the next year I always forget something.  To avoid that for next year, I taped a piece of paper to the inside of the closet and jotted down the things I know I want to remember to order.

Seriously, why has it taken me fifteen years of teaching to figure this out?  Now, I keep the Sharpie on the shelf, and when I see I need something I can just jot it down.  This should ensure I don't forget anything when ordering for next year.  I plan to keep an ongoing list like this starting in September every year so I'll always have a runnning list.

Third Shelf

Third Shelf:  Turns out I have an abundance of note cards, sticky notes, and masking tape.  On the other side are some items I use a lot.  2-pocket folders.  Can you ever have enough of those?  I have done all new center tasks this year and gone through a ton of these.  There are also extra poly-string envelopes.  I use these all the time.  They are great for hole-punching and putting in a binder for holding larger items.  Sort of like a more expensive version of my MacGyver like storage solution. 

Anther item I always order each year are a box of business size envelopes.  They are not only good for parent notes, but I give them to my friends to store the cards we cut out for some of the Everyday Math Games we play.  It just makes it so  much easier to grab a handful of envelopes and go.  Plus, I don't exactly relish the idea of having to ask the office every time I need an envelope!

One other item on my shelf I order every year without fail is 9 X 12 manila clasp envelopes.  Anytime I give out a report or project, I give out an envelope with it. All directions go in this envelope.   I tell my friends that they should keep all their work in this envelope as well.  It keeps everything in one place.  No lost papers.  Plus, if I want to check in on their work it is all there for me to see.  When we worked on our famous people research reports, each friend had an envelope to keep their work and book in.  Plus, if I want to collect their work, it's easy to just have them turn in the envelope instead of a pile of papers.

Bottom Shelf

Bottom Shelf:  I think I might just have enough notebooks and paper. Maybe.  Actually, except for yellow paper, I obviously have plenty!  I do need to order some yellow lined paper for next year.  My friends use yellow paper for drafting of all writing assignments.  All final copy work is done on white lined paper or the different specialty themed papers we have.  I find having yellow paper used only for drafting very helpful.  I can tell at a glance what my friends are working on, and it helps them to not get their papers confused on their desk when they are going from the draft to writing the final copy.

The only other item I would point out is my long-arm stapler.  Do you have one?  It is invaluable for making books with your friends.
 
So, that's my newly organized supply closet.  I don't regret giving up those three hours yesterday because this will make my life so much easier in school.  It really only took me two hours to do the closet. I have to be honest and say I spent an hour leveling some books for my class library before I made myself get up and leave. 

If you know anything about my classroom, you know I still have two more closets like this one in my room.  One we call the art closet.  It holds all my construction paper and craft/art supplies as well as some odds and ends for bulletin boards and such.  The other closet is just a mish-mosh of stored items.  Sadly, I still need to organize both of them.  But that's for another day.  A girl can only give up so much of her long weekend, right?!!!! :-)

Don't forget to enter the give-away I'm having and win your own copy of Testing Miss Malarkey!  I've been reading the comments, and you all have been so nice!  Thank you for all the compliments. You make me smile!