Procrastination = My Best Work

Hello there mateys! 

I don't know about you, but some of my best work comes from the pressure of me slacking off and waiting until last minute to do things. (It is stressful at the time, but the stress makes me work super hard). <-- Anyone understand me on this one... or is it just *crickets*?!?

So... just like my style, here is my Monday Made it on a Tuesday .... YAY! I am SO extra glad that 4th Grade Frolics keeps her linky open ALL week for us not so proficient teachers out there =P

My interactive chalkboard 

Since putting this up, I struggled to find why I even put this up in the first place. But I am so glad that I did. Instead of dealing with annoying post-it sticks that fall incessantly, I am having students answer their essential question of the week during their Workshop time on this chalkboard. I was able to purchase these super awesome & colorful chalkboard markers from Amazon. I tested it on a small patch to make sure it wipes off and it does! All you do is take a wet cloth and erase what you wish to erase and let it dry for the next use. It is seriously so neat! My students had a ball using this today. It allows me to do a  quick check of not only their ability to relate text-to-self connections, but I can see sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 

My Mailbox Area

Ever deal with tattling? Or inappropriate comments during instructional time? Well, I got the solution for you! A few years ago, I saw a tattling turtle from reallygoodstuff.com. Instead of investing on the turtle, I decided to pull out this mailbox that I bought from Lakeshore during an episode of compulsive shopping on my end. Since then, my mailbox station was born.

I tell my students during the first few days of school, that they can write to me and put their thoughts in my mailbox if they have a concern, a comment, or random things that are NOT emergencies. I tell them I check my mailbox after school and will "reply" to them by Friday of that same week. Most of the time, I either get students tattling on one another or sweet notes. The tattle notes, I usually address with a "thank you for informing me and I will take care of it" or if it is serious, then I do address it as a class on a Friday. Notes and letters from students I usually give a thank you card with a sticker letting them know how they made my day.

The note above is from one of my students in my class this year. I never throw any of my students' notes. I keep it in a file folder and take out it after school to read for those really tough days (I'm sure every teacher can relate). Along with this note, her BFF wrote me one informing me that her previous teacher had 3 trash cans. She wanted to know why I didn't invest in a 3rd one as well. To that student, I will write "Thank you for your concern, but 2 trash cans are plenty for me." =)

Homework Club Board

I finally finished making my "Are you in it" homework club sign to go with this board! I had all the magnets, but kept procrastinating on the actual sign to let students know what that board was for. With homework starting this week, I HAD to make it. Hmmm...can you tell I am obsessed with lime green these days?

Close Reading Bookmarks

Last year, I went to a CCSS training with my grade level team. We learned how interactive close reading can be. Students are asked to constantly reflect on their reading which I thought was really neat! After all, we all learn during HS (a little too late in my opinion) how good readers take notes during reading. The fact that this training opened my eyes to how EARLY good note-taking takes place; blew my mind away! 

I was bored one day and decided to make my kiddos their own Close reading bookmark. They keep one in their supply bin and another one they take home. Let me know if anyone reading would like one and I will gladly e-mail it to you. =)

That is it for my Monday (really Tuesday) made it! Don't forget to link up with 4th Grade Frolics to join!