Saturday, October 26, 2013

Clip Chart

     I've changed how I do my classroom clip chart this year and I really like it!  I start the day with the clips(clothespins with student names on them) in a basket.  When the bell rings to begin the day, I start pulling the clips out of the basket.  I call a name and that student stands up and says, "Ready to learn!"  Then they put their clip on the green space on the clip chart.  If the student is tardy or forgot to do or bring their homework, he/she is NOT ready to learn so he/she says, "Think about it."  I ask them what they are thinking, sometimes I can help them solve the problem.  Then he/she puts his clip on the yellow space on the clip chart.
     Each day I record the students who don't end the day on green, blue or purple.  If they have more than two days of red, yellow, or orange, they can't participate in Fun Friday activities!  If the student ends the day on blue, purple, or pink, I give them a sparkle(sparkly pom pom).  They put in in their bucket because if they end the day on blue, purple, or pink, they are filling MY bucket.  On Friday, they trade their sparkles for Mustang Money(to buy stuff in the Mustang Market).
     I like this method because, students can move up or down on the chart during the day.  They know they have to do something really great to move up so they're always thinking of ideas.  The students that clip down have to really work to move back up so they try really hard to impress me!  Fun Friday is so fun that they would do just about anything to get to participate!  I also LOVE the beginning of the day when I hear "Ready to learn" over and over.  It makes me smile!

Clip Chart

Buckets

Sparkles



Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Reading Strategy Freebie!

Hi everyone! Can you believe Halloween is next week? I can't believe how fast the month is flying by. I am really excited for November for two reasons. 1. My hubby and I are going to a Michael Buble Concert and 2. My college boy will be home for Thanksgiving break. Yay!

Does your school allow Halloween costumes at school? Our school does as long as there are no masks or fake weapons. This year we are planning a First Grade costume parade.

We are hoping for nice weather. Where we live in Southern Utah we have very unpredictable weather. We sometimes have pretty nice weather for Halloween but have also had years where there was a good amount of snow on the ground. Crossing fingers for the former rather than the latter!

Here is a picture of the trees in our front yard:

I also have a freebie to share. 



Click here to download and print.

Have a great night!




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