Whole Brain Teaching And Conferences

So I have been MIA, but not sure anyone reads this so no biggie :)

This school year I have started doing some Whole Brain Teaching. My kiddos LOVE it. I have read some wonderful blogs of others who do this and was able to get started. Here is what we are doing so far in my room.

Rules: We have the rules posted and at this point are reviewing once a day. We are working on reciting them quickly. I will soon be introducing reciting them in fun and different voices.

Scoreboard: Smilies and Frownies. Just recently started calling them this. Also up until this point we did not have a reward. I was just haphazard about doing it at all. Starting this week we play Smilies and Frownies for each scheduled block of instruction time. The reward is quite simple: Brain Break. I make this kids earn them as they absolutely love them. It also is motivating for them. Along with scoreboard I introduced "Oh Yeah" and "The mighty groan". Smilies get an "Oh Yeah" from the class and Frownies get "The mighty groan". Keeps kids involved and alert.

Class Yes!: We have been using this since the beginning of the year. I actually started using it with students from the other third grade class as well. We switch throughout the day so I don't always have just my kiddos in my class.

Mirror: We just started this and kids are eating it up! So am I! I need to get more hand gestures though. I am using the same ones over and over.

Oral Storytelling: I know little to nothing about this. Only the "errrr" sound :)

Also we have student involved conferences next week. We have been busy writing goals. This weekend will involved putting portfolios together and gathering documentation that will match my students goals. I also need to get all the required documentation ready for conferences. 20 minutes will go really fast and the students do most of the talking :)

DIY Milk Crate Seating

Have you seen the Milk Crate Seating buzz? Just google or pinterest it. Easy to find. I read several different blogs that had instructions. Almost all required cutting plywood. They had great tips that Home Depot would do it for free, however I live a hour and a half away from one. So my options are limited. This is my take on DIY Milk Crate Seating.
I wanted to find a cheap way to do this with the resources I had.

Materials:
2 milk crates- I bought these at walmart before this year, not sure when.
Styrofoam block- The school in the town I live in, where I taught last year, is remodeling due to a tornado that hit our town. They had to replace these so they put them free for the taking.
2 pillow cases- I used some from an old set that I have that we no longer use. Added bonus, they match my room.


Grand total out of pocket: .....Wait for it...... $0......That's right, I spent nothing on this project.

I cut the styrofoam block to fit the inside of the milk crate, If it is a little too small for the opening in spots it should be ok once you wrap the pillow case around it.
Find a pillow case and wrap the block in it, tuck the extras under.
Place the block on the milk crate- TA DA

Now a few things...
I will be keeping the styrofoam block extras I had and picking up another block. These pieces will need to be replaced during the year.
Also I will be cutting a piece of cardboard to fit in the bottom of the crate. That way any stray pieces that fall off will hopefully be caught here and not on my floor.

There is the finished project! Quick and easy! Took less than 30 minutes to figure out a plan and make them and you already have the plan!

Lesson Plans

I started working on Lesson Plans last night. I used a table in word and made a calendar for each subject. I planned out the first unit in math. Yay! Excited to say I have a unit planned. I started planning out my writing unit. Need to wait till at school to plan my reading unit.

I finished my behavior management chart and need to hang on my bulletin board. Will have to post pictures soon. I have a big empty space and not sure to put a mini word or vocab wall there or an AR themed something.

I think I am pretty much ready, minus all my lesson plans. I have lots of routines to teach the first day and lots of things I've never done before. Daily 5, Cafe, and Whole Brain Teaching are all new to me and all things I am trying this year with my kiddos.

Is anyone out there even reading this? :)

First Look!

Today was my first look at my new classroom. I was a little overwhelmed, in a good way. I am teaching in a brand new building, they just moved in last December. So I have some awesome storage space and an awesome desk. My goal is to start and stay organized. However, my budget is tight and some things have to wait and other things are DIY.
First thing is I need to figure out how to organize my library. I don't have the money to purchase all the baskets I would like to this year. I don't live near a Dollar Tree and won't be making a visit in the near future. So I will be organizing my books by AR level on the shelf, I am thinking I will label the shelves with the corresponding point values. I would like to have the books go from low to high within the shelves. Also I want a return spot, maybe I will shell out for a basket for this or re-purpose something I already have.
I plan to implement Daily 5 and my school does guided reading. My students will need book boxes. Again, I am on a tight budget. I have gathered cereal boxes throughout the summer. I have turned them into book boxes. With little selection at my local walmart I decided on white contact paper to cover them with and let the kids decorate them on the first day.
Goals for the next couple of days:
Cafe Menu Board, Behavior Chart and Bulletin Board, Class Schedule, Daily 5 chart not sure where to put this as I only have two bulletin boards.
There is a lot of work to be done and a lot to be bought over the course of this next year!

My First Blog Post Ever!

Welcome and YAY!
This is my first blog and my first post. After spending the last year searching over blogs and finding the neatest ideas and freebies I've decided to start my own. I hope to learn how to make those awesome freebies and products I see all over Teachers Pay Teachers, but at the moment I'm in the dark on how to. 
I am married and we have one little boy who is starting kindergarten this fall. This next year is full of lots of excitement for us. 
Next year I will begin my second year teaching.My first year I taught elementary special education in a self contained classroom.  I have switched schools and this year will be teaching 3rd grade. I am super excited to be in a new school, meaning brand new, students moved in last January.
I am spending this summer relaxing with my son and also preparing for the upcoming year. I have read some books and have decided to implement some form of Daily 5 in my room. I think it will actually end up being Daily 3 with a writers workshop before we begin. I think I may call it Daily 4 though and just run the writers workshop like a writers workshop but still call it Daily 4, may be less confusing for me and for the kiddos.
 So far I have made, cut and laminated my CAFE board posters, thanks to my silhouette, printer and personal laminator. I have also printed and colored my daily 4 posters. These I found online and they already had behaviors listed on them. They are the behaviors we would brainstorm on the I-chart. Also the anchor charts that go with Daily 5 will be electronic in my classroom. I have a Promethium board in my room and we will have all our anchor charts saved on it.
Next on my list of things to do is to set up my Notebook for Conferring with Daily 5, I will be using the reading sheets the "sisters" have provided along with a writing one I have found online. Maybe I will share my notebook when finished.
Does anyone have any tips to share for someone implementing Daily 5 for the first time?