Keeping Them Engaged

As I prepare to head back to school on Monday I found myself thinking about two things; 1. Where did our two week break go?  2. What's an easy what that I can keep my early finishers engaged?  I have a few students who F L Y through assignments during our LA block and they usually just grab a book.  This is great, but sometimes I wonder if they are actually reading or if they are staring at the pages and flipping through.  TPT and Pinterest are always my go to for ideas for my classroom and most of the time I see GREAT ideas.  At times it's not just about how wonderful the ideas are but also if they are practical for me in my classroom.  I found myself, during a period of boredom, creating task cards for my early finishers.  I have a font addiction and find making things myself, although time consuming, makes me happier.

My set of task cards have 20 included LA activities and are numbered.  I am going to have my kids write the number card at the top of their paper to keep track of the activities they have already done.  This is also useful to me so I can determine which activity they completed if it is done on a loose leaf sheet of paper that I would look over.

I have also included a blank template with information on a separate slide with fonts used so you can add your own activities and make the appearance of your added cards identical.  Click here or any of the images to purchase this product in my TPT store!

Writing Process Clip Chart

Well... here goes nothing.  This is my first blog post!  I am so excited, nervous, anxious, etc.

Last week we started our third writing piece of the year, a letter to Santa.  The kids have to give Santa three reasons why they deserve the gift they want instead of explaining why they want the gift.  This has proven to be more difficult than I originally anticipated.

We don't have "Writer's Workshop" time built into our day so when we do formal pieces I find myself moving my schedule around to make my own time.  I have found it to be difficult to keep track of who I still need to meet with without them all writing on the Promethean Board when they are done.  This can become distracting and somewhat chaotic for my kids.  I went all over TPT to find a writing process clip chart that I liked in hopes of making my life a little easier... no such luck.  There were some REALLY great options, but I am a little OCD about what I put on my walls.  Ok... maybe not "a little."  Long story short is you can thank my OCD for this product.

Click here to purchase it at my TPT store!

Just print, laminate, and connect together.  You can use clothespins with the students' names or numbers on them so they can track their progress throughout the process.  Personally, I like to use numbers so I am able to use them again next year.  If I can avoid making something small from year to year I do at all costs. 

Here are some more pictures of the product.  I am a Melonheadz fanatic and just a little bit obsessed with anything bright or chevron.  

I hope you enjoy the product.  Make sure to leave a positive review if you're satisfied.