#classroombookaday – a read aloud activity

Reading aloud to students has many positive benefits – not only for literacy development but also for building classroom community. One of the best ideas I have found for incorporating more opportunities to read aloud is called #classroombookaday, created by Jillian Heise. Read Jillian’s post about getting started here.

I decided to try out Jillian’s idea this year since I love reading aloud to my classes. My students always say that it is one of their favorite parts of the day. Using picture books also intrigued me, since many teachers stop reading picture books past the early grades. So many picture books have complex themes and topics, yet the illustrations make them seem more accessible to kids. I thought that if Jillian had such great success with her middle schoolers, this would be a good thing for my fifth graders. And that has proven to be true!

Every day, I start our day with a favorite picture book. It helps to read the book in advance so that you can put extra expression or drama into certain parts and so that you can keep certain pictures hidden to build suspense. The picture books I have used so far include several books about growth mindset and being kind, but we will read many books this year. Follow me on Instagram to see the daily book title I am sharing with my class.

Reading aloud has been, without a doubt, the single most important thing I have done in classrooms. Reading aloud to students, especially if you have just met them, helps connect and build a “bond” with the students. It is important to do when you first meet students, at your very first class session with them, and then every day after that. In fact, on the rare occasions when I thought I didn’t have time for reading aloud, my students have always complained and somehow our class time did not go as well as planned. Somehow, this time together sets the tone for our work of the day and ends up giving us more productive time together. Reading aloud brings us together, it helps us relax and focus. I have wondered if any studies are showing that being read has the same effects as meditation?

Besides the social-emotional benefits, the literacy benefits of reading aloud are too strong to ignore. Many studies are showing that students (of any age) score higher on standardized tests. They are better readers and writers, with stronger vocabularies. The benefits are even greater when students have opportunities to talk to others about the read-aloud (through turn & talk or other small group or partner sharing).

Teachers often say that they don’t have the time to read aloud. I get that. The school day is jam-packed and districts often dictate exactly how many minutes are to be devoted to literacy lessons, word study, etc. But try to find just five minutes and see what happens in your classroom. Even if you read for a couple of minutes at the beginning of the class and a few minutes at the end, it’s better than nothing and your students will still benefit.

Other texts to read aloud, besides picture books and novels: news articles, the daily Wonder from Wonderopolis, book reviews, information from author websites. Be creative! What texts will give your students the background knowledge and information they need?

Don’t feel the need to teach the experience to death. I find it more helpful to just read the book aloud for enjoyment, let kids discuss with partners/small groups, and then share with the whole group. Often kids will point out the connections between something in the book and some other content you have taught (figurative language, foreshadowing, facts from a content area). Even if they do not, you might jot down what “tempted” you to stop and point it out, THEN refer back to the read-aloud book when you are teaching that content at another time of the day.

Use your favorite picture books, but also be on the lookout for the new and notable. Check out your local public library and your school library for new titles (or titles that are new to you). Also, get suggestions from your students! They often have favorite books that other students have not heard before.

Consider creating a theme of the month or theme of the year with your titles. My themes for the first nine weeks of school are kindness, growth mindset, and making the world a better place. Here are some of my favorite titles for the beginning of the year.

If you need to share the research on the benefits of reading aloud with administrators, coaches, or parents, here is a link to a blog post by Donalyn Miller (aka, the “Book Whisperer”)

I would love to hear your feedback about reading aloud to your students!

5 Tips for Back to School Tired

We just finished our first three weeks of school and I. Am. Tired. Whether you are a teacher or a mom (or both), you know what I mean about the mental and emotional exhaustion at this time of year.

How do we get our energy back for the important work we do? Here are 5 tips.

1 – Get some sleep. Whether you take naps, go to bed earlier, or sleep a little later, get some sleep. Everything looks better after you get some rest. We give that advice to our kids, but we don’t always give it to ourselves.

2 – Make a success list! Make a list of all the things that went well this week, both at home and at school. Your head might be spinning with all that you need to do or all the things that did not go well, but for this list: focus on the things that DID go well. You’ll probably amaze yourself.

Some examples from my list:
*I went to bed on time every night, even though I had lots more stuff on my to-do list.
*I made my things-to-do list every day, to keep myself focused on what needed doing first.
*I smiled and greeted my students in a positive way every morning.
*I cooked three dinners this week.
*I drank 9 cups of water every day.
*I exercised five days this week.
*I listed five things I am grateful for every day this week.

3 – Read. Spend some time reading something just for you, whether it’s a devotional book, a trashy novel, or PEOPLE magazine. Let your mind focus on something else besides school and kids.

4 – Watch TV or a movie. Let yourself zone out, relax, and get caught up in another world.

5 – Go somewhere. Whether you go out of town or to a local park or to a shopping area you do not usually visit, just go somewhere and get a different perspective.

I hope these tips help you relax and get some perspective! If you have other tips, please share!

How to Build Classroom Community – 12 Easy Tips

Today I am beginning my 28th year of teaching. What have I learned after all these years? It’s this: there is nothing more important in the first days of school than building a classroom community and our relationships with students. Yes, the content will be taught, but establishing the classroom community remains the most important “thing to do” first.

So how do we start? Here are my 12 go-to activities.

1 – Read aloud, read aloud, read aloud. This is THE quickest and best way to build community. Why does it work so well? Stories bring people together. Everyone, from our youngest learners to our high schoolers, enjoys listening to and discussing a great story together.

I make a point to read aloud to students every single day, but I especially use it on the first day of school to help me bond with students and to help students connect with each other. Keep a stack of good picture books available and read one whenever you have a chance during that first week of school.

Reading aloud regularly (preferably at predictable times) helps establish classroom “rituals”, enabling students to feel safe and connected to the classroom. Consider participating in #classroombookaday. See more here.

2 – Learn the correct pronunciation of each child’s name. Ask the child. A simple “tell me how to say your name”, said with a warm smile, is all it takes. Names are important and communicate respect and caring about the individual.

3 – First-day “morning work” – you’ll be busy collecting forms, possibly collecting classroom supplies, greeting everyone — so it’s important to have work that students can do independently, but that will also give you a lot of information about them.

Something that asks them questions about themselves is perfect. (I have a ready-made questionnaire on Teachers Pay Teachers HERE.)

As they’re completing this work at their seats, you have a chance to observe how they get started working, how they interact with other students, etc. Read these morning work questionnaires as soon as you can. Make it your own first day of school homework. 🤗

4 – If you don’t do a morning work questionnaire, you can still gather that information in a whole group.

Form a circle on the carpet (or pull chairs into a circle). Go around the circle and have students answer pre-made questions.

Keep these simple at first and work your way up to “bigger” questions such as “name one word that describes how you are feeling about school this year”. To do this, you might use an object that you pass around the circle (like a beanbag or stuffed animal).

You might share something first and then pass the object to a student beside you. Continue going around the circle until everyone has had a chance to share. (You can read more about starting class circles in my post HERE.)

5 – Create scavenger hunts for students to complete with partners. It could be a scavenger hunt in which they have to find someone who went to a beach this summer, has a younger brother or sister, likes pizza, etc. Here’s an example.

Another option is to create a scavenger hunt of areas in the classroom. This activity also gets students moving around and talking to each other.

6 – Use whiteboard messages. These are quick questions such as “what is one thing you are thankful for, what will you do to make today a wonderful day,” etc.

There are plenty of pre-made questions online or for sale on Teachers Pay Teachers. It builds community for students to share these answers in a way that other students can see. Thus — the notion of answering the question on the whiteboard.

If that is a problem (or if it gets too crowded at the board), you might try an online tool such as Padlet or a Google doc. Post the question and allow students to add their answers to the question.

7 – Keep most bulletin boards and hallway displays bare at the beginning of the year. Have the students do some work in the first week that can be posted. This shows your students that this classroom belongs to all of them as much as it belongs to you. It’s also fun to take lots of pictures the first week and post them on walls or displays as well.

8 – Discuss your class/school expectations and create something that shows what these expectations look like/sound like. Try to focus this activity as a “what do we need/what helps everyone” activity rather than a “these are my rules and you need to follow them” activity.

9 – Share things about yourself. Kids love to find out things about their teacher which makes you more “real” to them. It’s also a good way to find common areas of interest.

I have a Google slide presentation with 50 facts about me. They’re not anything major — just things about my family, what I like, what I don’t like, etc. Think about some facts about yourself that you could share!

Another variation on this idea is to share one fact about yourself from the first day of school to the last (such as “I am now reading . . .”, “This weekend I tried sushi for the first time”, and “I am learning to bake the world’s best cinnamon rolls”, etc.).

10 – Name homework and sharing – read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (or any other picture book about a child having to explain their name.

Other great options are The Name Jar and Alma and How She Got Her Name.

Discuss how names are part of what makes us special and unique. Ask students to ask their grownups about how they were given their name and what it means (if known). Share these stories in partnerships or in a class circle.

11 – Consider having students write about some goals they are setting for themselves this year. If you post their writing, you might also have them create a self-portrait of themselves to include.

12 – Brown bag activity — send home an empty brown paper lunch bag along with a list of possible categories they might use to fill their bag.

Categories: likes, dislikes, hobbies, family, favorite color/food, etc. They can include a picture of something (like their pet) that does not fit into the bag or is not allowed at school! Have just a few kids (maybe 2-4) share these daily. (If it goes on for too long, kids get restless and don’t listen to each other.)

Want a ready-made version of this idea? It’s in my TPT store here!

I hope that these suggestions are fun and help to build the best classroom community for you and your students. Have an awesome school year and enjoy building relationships with your students!

Need some help planning for the busy back-to-school season? Here’s my guide for that!

Need some help with appropriate upper elementary activities for the first two weeks of school? Take a look at this guide!

5 Tips to Find Time for Self-Care

Depending on your phase of life, you have different amounts of time to devote to self-care. Here are 5 tips to think about how you can use the time you have.

1 – I LOVE social media. But right now I am working on not spending too much time just mindlessly scrolling. Maybe you can set a time limit for how long you’ll scroll at one sitting? Or maybe you could set aside certain times during the day to check your social media sites, then avoid them at other times? Mindless scrolling is good for a brain break sometimes, but if it is taking time away from other, more enjoyable tasks, think about how you could change that.

2 – Besides social media, I LOVE Netflix and romantic comedies. But I am trying to be intentional about when I watch and how long I watch. Summer is a great time to watch TV and movies that you might not have as much time to watch during the school year. I highly recommend it as a relaxing activity, especially when you watch it with someone you love. But be careful about being sucked into the “just one more episode” mindset.

3 – If you’re a parent with children at home, I know you have a lot to do. Can you delegate some tasks? Can you get some help with child care so you’re not doing it all yourself? It is okay to ask for help!

4 – If money is an issue (as it is for most of us), think about starting with self-care tasks that don’t cost anything. Follow me on Pinterest and subscribe to this blog for some ideas!

5 – Schedule it! If I don’t put it on the calendar, it often doesn’t happen. Schedule time for yourself and stick to it.

Take some time for yourself every day. It matters.

Summer Self-Care for Teachers – 5 Tips

teacher self care — Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pexels

If you’re a teacher, I hope that you are enjoying some much-deserved time to rest this summer. Even if you are working another job or spending time with your own kids, here are 5 tips for your own self-care this summer.

1 – Deep breathing — pause and remind yourself to breathe deeply a few times a day. If you have an Apple Watch, you may already get these reminders. But you can also set a reminder on your phone. Take a break from whatever you are doing and take five deep breaths. You’ll be amazed at what a difference this makes in your stress level!

2 – Stay hydrated — drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day. Try adding a slice of lemon or lime to add flavor or drink flavored water. You might also want to try a flavored seltzer like LaCroix or Spindrift.

3 – Get more sleep. I know that my optimum sleep amount is 7 hours. But during the summer I try to get around 8 hours. If you can’t get that much sleep at night, try taking a nap during the day, especially if you have young children who are still napping.

4 – Eat more fruits and vegetables. With all the yummy and fresh options available in the summer, this is a great time to try something new!

5 – Get some exercise every day. Even if you don’t do a formal workout, there are lots of ways to move more in the summer. Try walking, swimming, playing outside with your kids, or try a new sport.

Self-care is easy to put off but it makes the biggest difference in your mental and physical health. It makes you better at everything else you do. Try one of these tips today and see what a difference it makes for you!

Get Results with the Faster Way to Fat Loss Program!

A friend recommended the FASTER Way to Fat Loss program to me three years ago. At the time, I had some menopausal weight gain issues going on, more body fat that I wanted to lose, and my thyroid hormones were constantly fluctuating, even with medication. After two rounds on this program, the weight was gone, body fat was greatly reduced, and my thyroid hormones have completely stabilized. Success!

I admit that I was a little skeptical at first. How was this program any different from anything else that’s out there? I started reading all the information I could find about it. The creator of the program, Amanda Tress, is a certified personal trainer who struggled with some of the same health issues that affect many of us. She tweaked and re-worked the program while training individual clients and, after seeing their results, started sharing the program with others and word spread like wildfire from there.

Three of the core aspects of the program are intermittent fasting, carb cycling, and tracking your macros. Carb cycling appealed to me since I don’t like any eating plan that recommends giving up all carbs forever and ever, amen. Tracking your macros is mostly about tracking the food you’re eating, which is not hard to do. Then, after reading more about the health effects of intermittent fasting, I decided to take the plunge and I signed up for my first round.

Despite being a fairly healthy eater and an avid exerciser, I still learned so much from Amanda’s program. FASTER Way to Fat Loss is all about fueling your body in a healthy way and teaching your body to burn fat instead of carbs.

workout

How long is each round of the program?

Each round of the FASTER Way lasts for six weeks. You will learn all about tracking your macros, intermittent fasting, carb cycling, and matching your eating plan to your workouts. During each round, you receive a full program guide, daily workouts, access to webinars, and membership in a private Facebook group. The Facebook group is for women only. Amanda also has a program just for men, so they get their own support there. 😉 In the Facebook group, you will get daily coaching and encouragement from one of Amanda’s certified coaches. I loved that part of the program. Everyone in the group was so supportive of each other’s progress and setbacks. I never once felt any guilt or “oh my gosh, I’ve blown it” from either the group or the coaching. Constant encouragement and helpful tips were my favorite things about the group.

I’m afraid of intermittent fasting. Isn’t fasting bad for you?

Don’t be afraid — it’s so much easier than you think it would be! And NO — fasting is NOT bad for you! There are two books I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about intermittent fasting:

Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle by Gin Stephens (my favorite intermittent fasting author and the administrator of some awesome Facebook groups about fasting)

The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Dr. Jason Fung

Amanda also has very helpful information about intermittent fasting on her site . You can read that HERE.

It’s easiest to start with a 12-hour fasting window and work up to 16 hours from there. Once you see the results from intermittent fasting, you will embrace the lifestyle. Gin Stephens calls it “the health plan with a side effect of weight loss.” My results prove that!

I don’t like the gym. Can I do the workout program at home?

Absolutely. Amanda includes daily workouts, with videos, for both home and the gym. She also includes modifications for beginners. The Facebook group is great for motivation and workout tips.

One thing that helped me

The one thing that helped me most was learning about carb cycling and matching my workouts to the eating plan. For instance, two days a week, you will eat lower carb meals and do HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts. On other days, you will eat more carbs (yay!), and you will do heavier weight workouts. *Tip from a woman over 55: if you’re not already doing some form of strength training, START NOW! You need muscle. Trust me. :)* 😊

I love how everything is spelled out for you in this program. It is a healthy and realistic way to eat and work out for the rest of your life, not just for a week until you can’t stand it anymore. The encouragement and suggestions from Amanda and the coaches keep you motivated and inspired!

Learn more!

After doing two rounds of FASTER Way to Fat Loss and seeing AWESOME results in weight loss, inches of body fat lost, and stabilization of my thyroid hormones, I am a believer. If you are interested in learning more, or if you would like to sign up for the next round, click HERE.

If you’ve tried the FASTER Way to Fat Loss, I would love to hear your thoughts! If you do decide to try it out, please let me know so that I can cheer on your success!

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