Sunday, October 13, 2013

A New Post.... So Soon?



I really can't believe I am posting again since I usually wait a few weeks (or months!) to post.

Our school has started walks, where admin and other people walk through your classroom and make sure you are doing all that you are supposed to be doing??? Well using the Common Core Standards and I Can statements is huge. I am well trained on using CC standards and I Can statements since my last county required it from the beginning. Teaching 27 Kinders makes things a little tougher than having the usual 20 or so per class. I know many teachers are frustrated with large class sizes this year and we all know that being organized helps!

This little CCSS flip book made it easier for me.



You probably have a set already that you can make like this. Here is how I set mine up and what I do with it.

Since this picture I have 'straightened' up a tad and moved my rocking chair so I can utilize the board behind the chair. I keep my CCStandards that I printed out on a hook on my rocking chair. I made a nice bright cover for them so it can't be missed! I like to sit in my chair while I am having morning meeting. Before making this set,  I was having to get up and go to the board at the other end of the carpet, read and point to the I Can Statement and read the standard. Now I can sit in my chair and explain and read from my flipbook. I still show my Kinders where the I Can statement is, but that is while I am up at that board. I feel that they are understanding the connection now.


This is how page one prints out. There is a page number so I can make sure its always in order. The I Can statements are all there and also some academic vocabulary that I might want to talk to my students about before I start my lesson. There's so much to remember while also keeping my students engaged that this helps so much!


I used divider labels that you buy 8 to a pack to make sure I wouldn't waste time trying to find the standard I wanted. You could always type this, but I just used a Sharpie© to write mine. This is a good reminder for me since I still haven't memorized all the Reading headings yet. When I see them though I know what they are.

I used a large book ring from Staples and you can see in this picture how I used the page dividers. I also put some book tape on the back to make sure the dividers didn't come off even though they stick on. The large ring makes it easy for me to flip to the standard I want.


I use a post it note so that I can make sure I flip to the standard I am using for that day. Of course in reading, I always use more than one standard it seems so I have two post it notes here.


This is the cover I made for my set. I use this same yellow cardstock and type for all my headings in my class. This way it really shows up and it doesn't look so cluttered.

I know many people may not need all of this. With 27 little Kinders, as darling as they may be, things can get disorganized quickly if I do not have everything I need! This has really helped as admin has come into my room and they can see me going over the standards that we will be using in a quiet and meaningful way. Also, having the academic vocabulary right there helps me REMEMBER what I need to teach.

Hope this helps in some way. If you need an ELA Standards set for Kindergarten, mine is $3.00 in my TPT store. Please email me if you need a copy of cover I use. You can use whatever color cardstock, I just think this is easier for me to find.

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