Parent Teacher Conferences

How many of you have conferences coming up? I DO! I have them next week.  I actually LOVE having conferences. I can talk anyones ear off!  I just don't love doing grades and grading papers. If I could just conference with each parent/child and that's it, I would be happy as a clam.

Ok, well I have had some bad experiences. I had a parent cry once and I had no idea what to do. I just told her that her son was slightly below grade level in reading and she has a come-apart. I seriously was speechless. I'm never speechless. I just grabbed her hand and said WE CAN DO THIS.

Who knows?! Maybe when my hubby and I have kids, I'll be the one crying at the conferences!!!!!!!

I just wanted to send some ideas your way to get ready for conferences.  

Here is a reminder note I send home. 

Click {here}for the reminder note

Here is a folder we make for conferences {I'm not lyin' ____'s been tryin'!}. We can put some examples of our work in it to show our parents at conferences.  

They just color the picture, add their name, then glue onto a folder piece of construction paper. I love the saying! My first grade team gave me the idea!

Click {here} for the folder cover

Here is a personal report card I posted last spring. I do it for both conferences. It's a fun "self assessment" on how each kiddo feels about school and I put it in their conference folder.  Yet another idea from my wonderful team. 

Click {here} for the personal report card

The most random ever

I know this is not a Management Monday post, but I have way too much to say today!
 Look for a Management Monday post next Monday!

*WARNING* this post will be totally RANDOM! :)

What l’m lovin’!

*If you are in the Utah area on November 5th, we will be having a teacher/blogger meet-up
{you do not have to have a blog to come}!
I'm so excited to have lunch with fabulous teachers/bloggers in our area.

I was completely inspired by Cara's meet-up she had in Texas. For more details go to our Facebook event {here}. If you don't have a Facebook and would like more information, just email me. {whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com}

 

*I'm lovin' all the support I've gotten on TpT from all of you {and I know Natalie does too}. Thank you and I feel so blessed. The winner of my new Guided Reading Packet that guessed first what I like to do most other than blog/teach was...  

YES! I love to organize my classroom!  I do love the other options too {except working out}, but I most love to organize. 
 Didn't win? Oh, well I love having sales on my TpT items. 
It's on sale for 3 more days!
 Click {here} to see it!

*I cannot even WAIT to use Abby's {The Inspired Apple} "Pop Rockin' Descriptive Writing Activities" when we get back on track in November. I've got it all printed and so ready to go!  Who woulda thought to use Pop Rocks Candy in writing {GENIUS}!? 

{source}

*I am also LOVIN' Kathleen's {Growing Kinders} "It's Fall Ya'll Seasonal Math and Literacy Activities".  She is truly talented! I'm really excited for the cute spinner activity in there!

*I just want to give a shout out to the ladies at Lesson Plan SOS blog {Melissa and Nicole}. THEY HAVE BEEN SO HELPFUL TO NATALIE AND I! We appreciate everything you have done for us.
P.S. Everyone should go to their blog and become a follower because they have about a bazillion ideas on there!

*Have you read Ron Clark's new book, The End of the Molasses Classes?

{Source}

Let me start by being honest...

I wasn't sure I would want to read another teacher book, but I started reading it one night when I couldn't sleep.

I'm SO GLAD I DID!!!!!! He is so motivating, inspiring, wonderful, hilarious, and admirable. I want to be him when I grow up. He cares so much about his teaching passion and was even Disney's Teacher of Year. Let me follow up by saying he was featured on Oprah. Need I say more?

I particularly like the fact he has built his own school, The Ron Clark Academy, and has a GIANT slide going down to the 1st floor. That's legit and completely necessary.

I love this part of chapter 8 {and this whole chapter}:
"Be selfless with your contributions to the team."
This made me think. I love to share my ideas with the blogging world and I need to make sure I share my ideas with my team any time I can. When we collaborate, we are really helping each other's students. It's  important to think of all of the 1st grade students as all of ours, instead of just Mrs. Smith's class or Mrs. Johnson's class.  We inspire and develop the minds of all of the students.

I love chapter 51:
"Don't constantly stress about test scores. We have to stop sending the message to our students that the purpose of learning is to take a test."
I seriously feel stressed over our district testing! I hate that feeling. I need to realize that CHILDREN ARE NOT DATA AND WE NEED TO TEACH THE CHILDREN!  We teach them to prepare them for college or the working world, not to take a test. We need to love, support, teach, and inspire these kids. 

So, head over to Amazon and BUY.THIS.BOOK.
Or buy it for your principal, or that moody teacher down the hall. It's super inspiring.



I told you it was completely random and a little long. If you made it to the end I THANK YOU!

I want to hear from you!  What is something you are lovin' these days? 

Being a Guided Reading Wizard

Guided reading is not easy. I'll be the first to admit that I struggle sometimes with it. I have searched and searched for the best guided reading ideas to help my kiddos! I've racked the brains of former literacy coaches, super teachers, and even principals. I finally feel like I might be getting ahold of it.

Here is a bit how I organize it {from a previous post}

This is my {FAVORITE} guided reading tool ever (I got it from a workshop at my school).
This little folder organizes my students by level.  1st graders are ever-so-changing and always moving up so fast in reading groups. All you need is a folder, paper, velcro, and a little lamination!

Under each level there is a strip of "fuzzy" velcro. Then, each student has their own tag with their name on it and a piece of velcro on the back.

I take a running record of each student once a week. I keep it in this binder.

 For the cover of this binder {and a bunch others}, click {here}.

Each student has a tab in the Guided Reading binder.
I also keep anecdotal notes in there that I observed during the groups' reading time.

 For a copy of the running record sheet, click {here}.

These are my books for the day/week.  Each group is separated into colors.
The students know what color of group they are in.

After MANY requests by email and Facebook, 

I've created a Guided Reading Packet...with over 80 pages of activities and tools you can use in your small reading groups! It fits perfectly with kindergarten and 1st grade!

This unit is up on my Teachers Pay Teachers store

 and is on sale right now {I have this thing for sales}!!!

I'll give this 80 page packet away to the first person to comment with their email AND guess my next favorite thing to do other than teaching and blogging.

Is it???

a) organize 

b) craft

c) workout 

d) cuddle 

Science Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! I appreciate all the nice comments! 

Congrats to our winners: Laura, Mrs. Exner, and Abby! 

Abby, your unit is on the way! Laura and Mrs. Exner, you forgot to leave me your email address. Email whattheteacherwants@gmail.com to claim your prize. 

For all of you that are bummed that you didn't win, my unit will be on sale for the next 4 days. Come stop by and pick up a copy. :)