A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. I have to tell you that I had no idea what was in store when I walked in the door!
We were greeted with a party-like atmosphere complete with music, students dancing, and even teachers jumping on a trampoline!
I have to say that the most impressive part of this 'party' was the 5th grader I had the pleasure of talking to. He was so polite, asked questions, actually listened to my answers, and then asked more questions about me! 
Then, we got to meet Ron Clark for an introduction to the day. What a fun guy! And boy, does he have a TON of ENERGY! He showed us a spinning wheel that they use as a type of 'Harry Potter Sorting Hat.' They use the spinner for things like placing kids into their special 'house' and also as a competition to see which 'house' can earn the most points. Points can be earned for behavior, academics, honor, etc. Pretty neat!

 I LOVE the idea of having 'houses' for behaviors. I am trying to think of a way to incorporate it into the 2nd grade . . . or even better, our whole school! If you have a good idea of how it would work in a public school, please leave a comment for me!
Once we were over the excitement of being at RCA, we were split into groups to observe in actual classrooms. AMAZING! I cannot believe the engagement in these kids. 
The classrooms were also so cool! Each of the teachers is able to have their room decorated the way they want it. It really made me want to go and give my room a total makeover! I just need a little more cash and a carpenter/painter! Check out the VW! AND, this is in a classroom! 

I had the opportunity of talking with another one of the phenomenal students in the school gym. How would you like to play a game on this fiery floor? We were going to go and watch a game but it was cancelled because of the cold snap in Atlanta. They weren't taking any chances with the ice!
  And the coolest thing? I am now SLIDE CERTIFIED! What a fun way to get downstairs! Now, if there was a fun way to get back up the stairs! Oh, and one more thing . . . How do you make visiting RCA even better? You go with a bunch of blogging buddies!
If you ever get the chance to visit Ron Clark Academy, go for it! It is totally worth the money to attend. It totally changed the way I run my classroom. It was quite the shock for my kids and for some of the parents when I got back. However, the kids responded well and behaviors improved and caring and kindness increased.
I even made a simple version of Ron's Essential 55 rules into elementary posters. They are simple and have a picture to help the kids understand the rules. If you haven't read The Essential 55, you need to get it done. Great summer read!
This book is incredible! I was reading it during silent reading time and Bryce came up and asked: "Is that the Rule Book?" YES is is my boy, yes it is! If you'd like to check out the class rules and activities pack, just click the pic!


I hope your summer is off to a good start or that you are in the final count down. I am just beginning to feel human again!
Thanks for stopping by!

I told you how spelling is set up in my classroom, and I would like to share with you the way I give my spelling and dictation tests. I always make sure that the children read over the words that they have written. I explain to them that sometime words just don't look right! I took 2 videos to show how we review the words before the tests are turned in. This first video is our spelling test check!

I hope today went well with your precious little ones. Thankfully, little ones are so resilient. 

 I wanted to share an idea that turned out really cute! My friend, Rachel was at Michael's the other day and found these cute little canvas squares! She was buying white, but when I found out they had black, I was all over it! Even better, there were 8 to a pack! Here's what they look like. 








Then, most of us probably have some craft paint in the closet and old paintbrushes. Even if you have to buy some paint it's like $0.69 or something, right? The paint dries very quickly, so you can complete these in one day!

I did have the kids use the clear twinkle paint over their masterpieces to give it a shimmery look! Then, we slapped a magnet to the backs of these puppies and we are ready to roll! 

Remember, if you would like to do something that is fun and educational too, be sure to check out my math mysteries! They are CCSS aligned and I have lots for the winter months too.

Just click the pics to check them out! I know the kids will love them! The first two mini-mysteries are FREE!

I needed a way to help parents understand the importance of reading fluency. 

I know it is difficult to sit through . . .um I mean listen to a child read aloud to you, especially when you are trying to get kids to events, cook dinner, help with homework, and the list goes on and on. However, it is super important!

I thought it might be nice if parents had a little background knowledge to help them, help their child. Why not tell them what fluency is or how it sounds? Why not give them directions on how to help with those things? Well here's a {pack} that can help with all that!
I do depend on great resources like {Lakeshore Learning} for my reading passages for the kids to practice at home. I sure don't want to type all of those reading passages up on my own! There are also some awesome resources that you can find online, and they are FREE!

If you care ~


The Common Core State Standard - Reading: Foundational Skills for Fluency {Grades 1-5 RFS.4} states:

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

• a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
• b. Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
• c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

One day, during collaboration, our principal told our team about how her son's teacher was using data binders with her class. She told us all about them and the benefits of them . . . I think she knows that if she mentions it to me, I will go out and try it right away! (Sometimes I try to close my ears when people share an idea!)



A week after our collaboration, I had 22 binders from my WONDERFUL parents, and was ready to rock 'n roll!

• I put a parent's signature page in the front of the binder.
• I put a parent letter in the binder to explain what the data binder was all about. Here's the note:

• I wrote each child's name on the spine labels and put them down the spine. Here are some of the labels that I used. I like to have them numbered so the kids can put them in alphabetical order quickly. (I always alphabetize by first names.) I also LOVE my rounded corner cabinet to store the binders. Keeps everything nice and tidy!

• After the binder was set up, I used a 3 hole punch to punch any assessment pieces (graded papers) and then printed a graph to go along with it.
• Each Monday (or the first day of the week), after we passed out papers, the kids recorded their scores on their graphs. I've really seen an improvement in their spelling scores . . . they are competing with themselves and trying to do better each week.

• I originally made my graphs with the number of items on a page. I just created some different graphs that are based on percentages instead. I also made some of the graphs open-ended and some of them with subjects at the top.

I am so excited! I LOVE the Daily 5, and it works really well in my room, but it was taking me so long to get my kids to their stations. I felt like I was wasting so much time! 

One day I was talking to our building's Super Sub (every school has one of those, don't they?) and she told me that she had been in a room where the kids chose their station right when they came in the room in the morning. So, of course, I had to figure out how to make that work in my room. I feel like I'm a pretty smart person, but for some reason, this task was a strain on my brain! 

So, I decided I would go to the new Lakeshore store that we have in Indianapolis. (Awesome, right? . . . it might be a bad thing though . . . I think I've already spent $300 in there!)  I was so excited when I found this chart. I would link it up for you, but I don't see this particular one on their website. Each color can be a separate chart and they velcro together to make one big chart. I use these Command hooks to hang it on my wall . . . If you don't have any of those, you need to get some. They are AMAZING! AND . . . they are removable . . . but strong!

So after I found this awesome chart, I made three sets of cards that name each of the different stations. I added a number if I wanted a limited number of kids to go to a particular station. Click the pic to get a FREE EDITABLE template for yourself.