Schedule Cards

This is a long post but if you keep reading...I have a present for you at the end! After 10 years teaching it never surprises me how anxious I still get before school starts. This year I am feeling a little more nervous than usual. It all began during Spring Break when I headed to what I thought would be a normal trip to Barnes and Nobel. Where I {of course} headed straight to the professional books. Hannah, who was completely aware we could be here for hours...told me to text her when I was done. So guilt free I started moving books here and there and scanning covers to find something that interested me. {I have found a gem or two this way.} This is where I stumbled upon The Daily Five book. Okay, I must give full disclosure...I am somewhat a "literacy snob". Like most first grade teachers-I have my beliefs of how kids learn to read. But I also think you get something from every conference, book, or idea that comes your way. Good or bad. So I kept reading and to my surprise when Hannah came over to see if I would buy her the latest vampire book she just had to have-I realized I had almost read my way through the first chapter. So I gave the "sisters" a chance.
I found that this book was not about a "program" at all. In fact, it was about a literacy structure instead and I love me some structure! The funny thing is that my literacy block was working just fine. But I liked the idea of my kiddos building stamina in their reading. So I thought let's give it a try. Better to find out now if it works instead of in the Fall when I will be reminding myself that yes they are like this every year in the beginning and that I will love them too. {By the way...love to all my kinder teachers out there!} So I and my ever so flexible intern changed it up. And you know what...we liked it.
I soon realized I would need new schedule cards. Since I had my first "real" follower today {you know someone other than family and friends that I didn't plead with to check out my new blog.} I am sharing these cards with you. By the way if you haven't checked out Tunstall's Tidbits...click the link on my page. I think you'll find her classroom is a place of calm and comfort. Enjoy. Click on the picture to get your set of schedule cards.
Until next time...
Anais