The Destitute Teacher

So yesterday I started telling you all about how I organize my writing program, and explained one of the independent activities that my writers go on with while I am working with a group/ conferencing. The second independent activity is greatly loved- Boggle. I have a range of Boggle sets organised, and try to present it in a variety of formats. We have laminated Boggle letters attached to our whiteboard with strips of magnet tape... And we have plastic baggies pinned to our wall with letters in them... In the plastic baggies you might find cardboard tags with the letters written on, or printed and laminated letters, or milk bottle tops with the letters, or even some plastic letters (that I found for 50 cents at an emporium one day). I place importance on making sure the children can take the set back to their table and physically manipulate them to make as many new words as they possibly can. They then record the letters on their whiteboards. Sometimes we ha...

In my class we use Math and Reading rotation boards to manage independent work while I am working with small groups. It is an incredibly effective system, once you have got all your resources up and running etc. Writing is a little different. At the moment I have four writing groups. We start with a whole class lesson/ explicit teaching, then go back to our tables to write. My teacher aide (I get a small period of time 3 times a week) works with the 'slow starters', helping them get their ideas on paper. I work with another group on a teaching point. I then conference with the third group, and mark the last group overnight. Then it all changes the next day, enabling me to see as many students as possible. But there are always some fast finishers in our class who complete their tasks... and then what? First they are expected to edit their writing with a green pen, correcting capital letters and full stops. Some groups are beginning to use the dictionary or classroom resources ...