I need more time!

First off I want to say thank you to Kim from Starbucks, Standards, and Sharpies, Amanda from the First Grade Garden, Claire from Miss Toffee's Class, and  Barbara from Grade ONEderful for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award and Jennifer at Herding Cats in Kindergarten (I LOVE that name) for the I Heart Your Blog award!  I'd love to share 7 things about me and 15 new blogs but the truth is my life is CRAZY and I am barely making time to post at all! I wish I could stop time, everyone would be frozen so I could scurry around and catch up on things while not getting anything NEW on my list!! So, I am making the executive decision that you'd rather see teaching ideas than random facts about me....

Any HM users out there? We read The Rope Tug last week and worked on story structure. The Rope Tug shows students acting out a play. In lieu of costumes I made name tags for each of the characters to wear as they performed the reader's theater.

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The narrator was not happy he didn't have a name tag, I should have known...

We made a story structure tree map together.

For the problem and solution I asked a student to explain it verbally and then draw a picture for our chart. They did a great job! I love the the solution picture of the rope wound between the trees. :-)
I shared the story structure and Rope Tug files if you can use them.

I  am trying a new Daily 5 Choice Chart this year.

 As they make their choice the card is turned over. That way they can not repeat a choice until they have done them all. I have a young group with attention problems this year so they seem to really need this visual. I also shared these Daily 5 choice cards if you'd like them.

Since I have 30 students I have to use both sides of the pocket chart stand. :-( I also have my reading groups and their book shopping day (1st rotation and then they read to self) displayed for easy reference.

Okay friends, I have to get to bed so I have patience with my darlings tomorrow. I need every ounce of patience I can get this year!!