Short and Sweet {Writing Process Posters}

I have been totally inspired by the all too adorable "Writer's Eyes" on Pinterest! Check out Mrs. Phippen's blog here for the original! She has other amazing ideas too!

Then, of course, the queen of all things cute...Cara Carroll created her own little version with these sweet big eyed children!

These ideas were just way too cute to pass up. So, as my students really begin to dive deep into the writing process, I just had to create some charts to encourage my little developing writers that will go perfectly along with the all of these writer's eyes ideas! {Whoa...that last part was almost a tongue twister!}  Click on the pictures below to add these to your collection of writing strategies. Don't forget to visit the two blogs above for their great ideas!

 

Happy Sunday sweet teaching friends! I hope that you all have had time to reflect on all of the many blessings that we are given each day! Proud to be an American!

Get Your Mod Podge On....Journal Covers

Raise your hand if you are ONE exhausted teacher!!! Trust me, both hands are shooting straight up right now. It is amazing what we have to do to pull off the beginning of the year and it always seems to get the best of me! BUT...we have been having a BLAST in second grade and I must say...I am pretty certain that I have the most fabulous class EVER! They are precious and so excited about school and learning which is any teacher's dream.

I am hoping to have time in the next few days to post all of our beginning of the year activities that we have been doing over the past several days! Until then, I did want to share a quick little activity that we did today and it is so darn cute! I seriously thought of this idea at about 10:00 p.m. last night and had to make a quick Ingles run for magazines! Thank goodness it is less than 1 minute from my house!  Oh...the life of a teacher! :)

Student Journal Covers

This year, it is my goal to motivate my students to become creative writers. I want them to incorporate their own voice like never before and strive to make their writings unique and interesting.  So, to inspire the students, I allowed them to tap into their creative side by creating journal covers. I gave each student magazines to begin cutting out things that either inspire them or things that represent their personality. We used Mod Podge to attach the clippings.  Let me say...it was a total HIT! They loved, loved, loved this activity and were begging to begin writing in their journals. {I had to explain the importance of allowing the journals to dry first!} This was also a great "Get to Know You" activity. I allowed the students to show off their journals and explain why they chose each clipping to represent their personality and interests. I hope this allows the students to really take ownership of their journal and create powerful writings filled with creativity!!!

I think it is safe to say that my students have the Bieber FEVER!

On a little random note...meet two of my new students:

ELVIS

The Biebs!

Happy Wednesday Friends! Wow...I have almost made it through my first week of school! Is that crazy or what?

Get "Reel" With Writing

Are you ready to Get "Reel" with Writing?  I think you would agree that there are so many wonderful writing curriculums and resources at our fingertips that build powerful writers in our classroom. However, that was just my problem! In an early childhood classroom, it is so difficult to find one "perfect fit."  I always find myself seeing the effectiveness of this and liking a little of that. {I am just so sure that you can totally relate! :)} And then, sometimes I would really like a specific strategy but it would be above my students' level of understanding. Now, believe me...my motto is go big or go home and I am all about pushing my students towards excellence but it is a waste of time to teach something that does not relate to things that they are already familiar with and things that are not relative to THEIR world! {ESPECIALLY IN WRITING!!!} So, I have pieced together a few of the strategies that I like best to create this nice supplement to all of the outstanding writing programs that are already out and about in our classrooms.  This unit is not meant to be a writing curriculum all on it's own. Rather, it is created to enhance the program that you are already using during your daily writing instruction.

Get "Reel" with Writing explains and provides resources for several writing strategies that I have found effective for the writers in my classroom. Some strategies spotlighted in this unit include "Color Your Words" Editing Strategies where the students learn to associate a specific color with an editing strategy/writing skill.  You will also be introduced to a vocabulary strategy that I have implemented to enhance my students' academic vocabulary called Playground, Party and White House Words. This strategy will have your students using vivid vocabulary that will appeal to all of their reader's five senses and really create a dynamic and powerful piece of writing.

You can implement all of the strategies into your writing instruction or pick and choose to create a "perfect fit" for your classroom and more importantly for your budding authors! :) Here is a little preview of Get "Reel" with Writing. You can pick this up now at my TPT store!

 5 days until my students arrive!! WHAT!?! Can't wait to see all of their smiling faces!