Made It Monday - How to Build Your Own Reading Ottomans For Your Classroom Student Project

I purchased some small reading Ottomans from Wal-Mart last year and they were broken during the first month that I had them.  One of my parents offered to take them home to try to repair them.  The repair never happened, but what did was so much better.  The couple came into our classroom to help us make our own.  The kids had a blast and learned so much from the experience.  Students from other classes peeked into our room and said, "You have woodshop in your class? Lucky!"  Here are a few of the pictures of the work in progress along with the final products.

Here is the link to the directions.

I am linking up with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It!  Stop by and see what everyone else made!

June 1st means Summer Vacation has started (our last day was Friday May 30th) and it is time for Currently with Farley at Oh boy Fourth Grade!

Listening: Luke is obsessed with Song Pop right now.  I am amazed how many songs he knows without help!

Loving: Summer Vacation couldn't come fast enough and I am so glad that it is here! I definitely needed some time to recharge and get a few projects completed.

Thinking: I am switching grades for the 4th time in 4 years!!!!  Even though I taught third grade the year before this one, so much has changed as we are now completely switched over to Common Core and will be taking the Smarter Balanced tests this year. I have sooo much to do to be ready!

Wanting: My boys (who shall remain nameless) broke my ipad screen.  While we were at the movies today I saw an ad for a local company that fixes them.  This is definitely on my wanting list!

Needing: Even though I have a ton of projects on my to do list for my classroom and TpT, I need to make sure to carve out some R&R time this summer.  

Summer Bucket List: 1. The TpT conference in Vegas of course!  I can't wait!  I finally purchased my plane tickets today so now I have everything covered and just have to count down the days.  I have been looking over the conference materials that the speakers have uploaded to TpT and I can't wait to learn!

2. In keeping with the R&R theme we are planning on a family fun trip to the Bay Area.

I'd love to hear what you are Currently doing, so be sure to link up!

100 Minutes Book Study - Chapter 3 Reading Around the Literacy Block Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card

I am late for my chapter post - I am so sorry!  But last night was Palmer's graduation.

I obviously knew this ahead of time and planned on pre-scheduling my post but this happened...

and we had to have an unexpected surgery and follow up appointment.  He fell off some playground equipment during one of Tyler's baseball games :(

He is handling it well, but needless to say, I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off since this was our last week of school!

I hope you forgive me, but I have a giveaway to make it up to you!

Now, onto my chapter of 100 Minutes -Making Every Minute Count in the Literacy Block.

 If you haven't bought the book yet, you still can - it will be a great summer read! Keep reading to see how you can win a $25 Amazon gift card to help you purchase the book : D


 You can read my previous posts below:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2



My thoughts on Chapter 3:

Lisa Donohue opened this chapter with a blog post she had written about the magic of the read aloud.  I also have fond memories of read alouds with my own teachers during my childhood.  Like Lisa, there are STILL days when I say that I want to move to Australia when I have a bad day because of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Read alouds are also a sacred time in my classroom today.  If we have to let go of anything during the day due to special occurrences (assemblies, fire drills, etc.) I will NOT give up my read aloud.

This year I experimented with using whole group novels for some of our read alouds.  I still was the one reading, but each student had a copy of the text to follow along with as I read and to look back through when answering questions to refer to text references.  Many teachers I talked to disagreed with the use of a whole class novel, especially because of differentiation needs.  I love that Lisa Donohue addressed that you could still use whole group instruction, but still provide for varying needs.

Whole group lessons are a time to model reading strategies.  She notes that the purpose of reading strategies is not to give students a checklist of activities to accomplish, but rather is to provide them with a tool kit of strategies to use as they work to comprehend a given text.

It is also important for students to have an opportunity to talk through texts.  I have often heard it said that we do not allow students enough opportunity to talk in class, but instead as teachers do most of the talking.  I always try to keep in mind, that the person doing the work is the one who is learning.  If I am talking, i am learning - if the students are talking - they are learning.  Donohue recommends several ways to develop a talk-centered classroom with sample talk partner success criteria, and sample questions to ask students to encourage deep thought.

I also love that she provided web site resources and sample questions to use with these resources.  Our students are growing up in a digital world, and they need to be able to navigate these resources  as well.

I think one of the most valuable portions of this chapter are the suggested questions.  I love how just a small modification can result in such deeper thinking.  For example, she says:

"instead of asking... How did the main character feel at the end of the book?"
"try asking: How do you know that the main character learned an important lesson through the book?"

I am going to really think about the questions I will ask during read alouds next year.  

If you are reading along with this book, feel free to join in the discussion by linking up below.  I am looking forward to reading everyone else's thoughts and reflections!  

Next up- Chapter 4: Reading Around the Literacy Block

Be sure to visit Jen from teaching, life, and everything in between on June 4th to continue this learning journey with us. She is hosting chapter 4.

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100 Minutes Book Study - Chapter 2 - The Building Blocks

I have bought some professional development books that are ok and I have bought others that I come back to time and again that get so beat up and used because they are just that good.  Each time I read them I find a new nugget I missed before.  I think this book is definitely going to be the latter and I am only through chapter 2!  I have had so many thoughts and ideas and am so glad that I decided to join this book study. If you haven't bought the book yet, you still can - it will be a great summer read!  You can read my thoughts on chapter 1 here if you missed it.

I am linking up with Kelly Anne at AppleSlices for Chapter 2.

My thoughts on Chapter 2:

As I read through the first two chapters I was really struck by how similar to Daily 5 many of the components are.  A lot of the research behind both methods is the same.

The author states that the 100 minute literacy block model was based on "the fundamental belief that students need time for explicit teaching, time for guided practice, and time for independent work." (p.14).

Chapter 2 fleshes out the key components or building blocks of the model.  Essentially the time is divided into two different chunks of whole group instruction (one for reading and one for writing) wrapped around a time for independent and small group work.

The end of the chapter paints a picture of the routine modeled by a class who has been using the routine.  As I read more, it is a picture I would like to see in my classroom, and one I am excited to continue to learn how to build.

As I read more and more, I am seeing how having less sessions and less switching during my literacy period will be a richer and more productive environment for my students.  Often I feel like I am interrupting them as they are really making a break through (finally settled into a book, or scribbling feverishly as they tell a new story) just to squeeze in a mini-lesson that isn't always what they need, but sometimes feels like I am just trying to fit SOMETHING in that chunk of time.

I am going through the standards for third grade (since I taught 4th this year) and am thinking about how I can create lessons around these new parameters.  I am both excited and nervous at the same time!

If you are reading along with this book, feel free to join in the discussion by linking up below.  I am looking forward to reading everyone else's thoughts and reflections!  

Next up- Chapter 3: Reading Around the Literacy Block

Be sure to come back here on May 30th to continue this learning journey with us. I am hosting chapter 3 and will have a giveaway and a freebie!

Top Ten Things I Want To Do This Summer

I am linking up with Deanna Jump for her Top Ten Things I Want to do this Summer linky. I love making to do lists to keep me on track throughout the year, but I think my summer to do list has got to be my favorite to do list each year!

Hanging with these boys!  

It seems like I spend so much time with my students during the year, I don't get quite enough time to spend with my own boys. Although that should change a bit next year (I will have Luke in my classroom!). I am looking forward to lots of quality time with my little men! 

 Especially this one since he leaves for college in August!

VEGAS!  I am super excited to be spending time and getting to meet many of my blogging besties in real life at the Teachers Pay Teachers conference in July.

One of my co-workers talked me into signing up for a STEM training this summer.  Before working at my current school I worked at a Middle School that was a STEM Academy with a major focus on STEM.  My current school is not a STEM school per se, but I know that my students loved any science and math activities we did this year, so I am looking forward to learning some new ways to introduce STEM to my younger students.

Summer is my time to get my read on!  I am excited to be participating in a few book studies this summer, but I will also be squeezing in a few non- PD related reads as well.

I hope to be spending more time here doing this:

I love Body Pump classes but we get so busy during the school year (especially during baseball seasons) that I often have to miss out.  I see a lot of 10 AM sessions in my summertime future.

Every summer Tyler goes to baseball camp at the University I attended.  This year Luke will be joining him as well.

Our school district is switching to a Balanced Literacy program based on Lucy Calkin's work.  I will be attending training at the end of summer.

Re-decorating my classroom! I love matchy matchy things ( I know that is not a word, but I like it anyway).  I want to match my classroom to my blog with an apple theme.  I have done the apple theme in the past, but this year I will change up colors a bit. I've already bought the fabric for my boards and a few pieces from Target.  I can't wait to show you when it's done!

We are going to take a mini-vacation to Monterey.  The aquarium will be one of the spots we visit for sure.

I have never ever been into Ikea.  I have driven by numerous times, but this summer I am going in! LOL!

4 more days and summer is here for me!  Woo hoo!  I can't wait to cross things off my list.  What are your plans for the summer?  Link up and share!