Listening Center - Always a Dilema

I remember that the Listening Center was my favorite when I was in school.  I even would take stories home when I was little from my mom's classroom to listen to....I am dating myself here....on my walkman - the tape player kind!

As a teacher though, I struggle with making this a meaningful activity for my students.  They love to listen to the stories - and we all know why it is good from them to hear stories being read to them.  But then what???  I stumbled across another great blog The Lesson Plan Diva and she has developed some awesome worksheets for the kids to respond too.  From Text to Self Connections to Main Idea, they allow you to take the Listening Center to the next level.

Click below to see what I mean :)

Listening Center Activities

Launching the Daily Five

Last year I was "encouraged" to use the Daily Five in my classroom. I am not one for change at the beginning of the year, but I have to say after I read the book and tried it, I LOVED it! It is a great management tool for running guided reading in your classrooms. I was also lucky enough to hear "The Sisters" in person in Phoenix for training! The most important thing I took away from it was that this is a management system that you can make your own! Do what fits your teaching style the best. For me, I can get through about 3 or 4 rotations a day.

Launching the format is probably the most important thing to do right off the bat.   Getting the students to really buy in to why we read is the key! I got some great ideas from Mrs. Meachum's website for resources and pacing to get it all in those first few weeks. Here is something I created as homework for the kids and parents that was a great springboard for class discussions and lessons. I will be posting LOTS more about the Daily Five as I try to constantly improve it in my classroom....it is defintely a work in progress! :)

Free Stuff Alert!

For those of you who know me, you know how I love to find a deal when I shop!  So when I come across free stuff it makes me down right giddy!  We all know teachers are on the low end of the totem pole for pay so I like to make my money stretch and prefer to spend it shoes and purses rather than workbooks and bulletin board sets :)  I am making it part of my mission on this blog to share all the freebies I can find.

One of my FAVORITE blogs is Erica Bohrer and she has oodles of files for free right now on her Teachers Pay Teachers Site.....click below and go forth with the freebies!

Where's My Copy of Blogging for Dummies?

Since this is my first blog I am finding it a challenge already!  Trying to figure out how to post and share my files, adding pictures, etc.  If anyone has any tips or how to's, PLEASE send them my way! Email, posts....whatever, I just need HELP!

Also if you want to "follow me" it's really easy....just create a google account (it's free and everyone can always use another email address :) and click on the "Follow" button on the bottom right of my page and you are in!  Or the good old fashion lazy way....bookmark me or add me to your internet favorites!  Just make sure to check in on me now and then so I don't give up......

So here I go....

It began with just a couple of clicks.....first to find recipes for family dinners, then a few hairbows for my daughter, then I found it!  How could I not know that this existed!  An entire world of blogs dedicated to teaching and sharing ideas!  I couldn't stop myself....every new blog gave me more ideas and got me more excited about teaching.  There are tons of teachers like me creating our own labels,worksheets, etc. and sharing them! After a little prompting from my friends, I have decided to enter the world of teacher blogs and share my adventures in teaching.  Don't know how good I will be, but I am excited to try!