I just keep preaching...

I have been teaching literacy in different capacities for the last 21 years.  I taught fourth grade,
first grade, Reading Recovery, and now 5th grade.  I know what early literacy learning looks like, what middle level literacy looks like, and how to help struggling readers.  At each level, I've always been asked the same question..."How can I help [insert child's name] become a better reader?"  I've been asked by parents of ALL grades (especially once someone finds out what I do for a living).  My answer is always the same...THEY MUST READ!!!!!

Many students who do not like to read dislike it because:

1. "It is too hard".  Somehow they missed out on strategies that they needed to know at an early age.  These can be taught at any age, but once a student leaves 2nd grade, the whole dynamic of literacy learning changes.  It makes it so much more difficult for a student to catch up without specific interventions. 
2. "It is boring"or "I don't like reading".  I hear this one ALL the time.  We live in a "microwave" world.  Everyone wants everything yesterday.  We have no patience as a society.  So naturally, this would be evident in our children.  Kids want everything to entertain them.  Well, that is not how real life is.  Everything isn't fun and games.  Sometimes, you have to read stuff that is BORING!  Trust me, I did not find the Scarlett Letter to be a thrilling page turner as a 16 year old high school junior.  Nor did I find Don Quixote to be my favorite in my college literature class.  However, they were assignments.  If I wanted to pass (and I did) I had to read and comprehend the stories.  I tell the kids all the time, "I don't like paying my electric bill, but I do like turning on my lights."  Sometimes, you just have to do things you don't want to do.  That's life.
3. "I read too slow." or "It makes me sleepy."  Do you know how many times my husband and daughter have used that excuse?  If I had a nickel...   One reads slowly or gets sleepy because one lacks stamina.  I am a very fast reader and I can read hundreds of pages AND STAY AWAKE!  Know why?  Because I practice!

That brings me to the solution to all these EXCUSES.  You must practice.  Let me say that again (and louder) YOU MUST PRACTICE!!!!!!!  Okay, no more yelling.  If someone wants to become a great ball player or musician, he must practice.  The same with reading.  There is no magic formula, no quick fix to make it easier.  To become a better reader, to build that stamina, a person must read-whether he likes it or not!

I know that not every student will  LOVE reading.  Some kids will never choose to do it as a past time.I know that some people do not find reading to be a worthwhile hobby, but I would be stunned to hear a person say that reading is not a key to success.   However, I do believe that I can help every student appreciate literature and language.   I believe that I can help students become proficient readers who can function as literate adults. (If I didn't believe these things, I think it would be time for an occupation change!)   One must be able to read and read well.  So, even though I still try to make students love to read, it is not my primary focus.  My main goal is to make them into literate people.  Every activity that I do is designed to make them better readers.  

Every day, I take a "Status of the Class".  During this time, I ask students what book they are reading and what pages they have read.  I can tell from this status who has or has not read during the specified time.    

I provide approximately 20 minutes daily in my class to read.  I know that the other teachers on the team provide time in their classes periodically, as well.  Students are supposed to bring a book to every class every day.  Students are also allowed to stay in at recess or take a book to the courtyard   We give as much time to independent reading as we can.  However, we do have content to teach, so I can not give 85 minutes a day to silent, independent reading.  That is why the ONLY homework your child has in my class is to read EVERY NIGHT for a minimum of 20 minutes. Now, I can control what happens in my classroom.  I can take a "Status of the Class", or dole out consequences for not reading in class.  What I can not do, what I WILL not do, is check up on whether or not they are being responsible for this at home. I do not require a "reading log."  I found that to be more of a hassle and a deterrent than a help.    I'm not trying to meddle or tell you how to parent your children, but if you don't set a time or some sort of accountability for your child's reading homework, he is not going to do it.  Unless you have a book worm, your 5th graders is going to find something else to do instead of read.  

Your child set a reading goal for the year during the second week of school.  We challenged ourselves to reading.  I set a 40 book goal for myself.  The students analyzed themselves and were told to set a goal that would be a challenge, but not unattainable.  I will remind students about their goals.  I check up on their progress periodically.    I will be holding your kids' feet to the fire on their reading practice.  If they set a reasonable goal for themselves, then the only reason they would not achieve it would be because they are NOT reading.

I hope I can count on your support.  I do have your child's best interest at heart.  I am doing everything I can to make your child a proficient and literate person who can be successful in his future.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Until then-

Happy reading-

This is how we do it...

Soooooo...it is about that time...progress reports!

I wanted to take a minute to explain my literacy class.  You notice I said literacy...not Literacy/Social Studies.  There is a reason.  I teach READING and WRITING.  The social studies content (American history) will be taught through those disciplines.  The focus will be on the skills and strategies one needs to know to be a successful reader and writer.  The history part is secondary.  I will use short non-fiction works and picture books (possibly a novel during the Revolutionary War) to teach the basic historical concepts that 5th graders need to know.  Most of this will begin during the second nine weeks when we specifically study non-fiction texts.

I guess my purpose for writing this blog is to tell you that your child's social studies grade at this point is strictly participation in class.  We have not begun to cover social studies standards.  We have been working on procedures, and getting the basics of the workshop model down.  We are still in that process, though we are rolling along much smoother as the weeks pass.

I feel very strongly that if I can get your child reading and writing proficiently, then they will be able to do well in ALL the other subjects they have in school.   American history will not be neglected, but I will not be handing out vocabulary words, taking notes or giving tests over social studies content.  I will be teaching it through reading texts and writing about what we've read.

Constitution week will be coming up in September.  We will be studying the writing of the Constitution and its importance then and now.  Then we will discuss the Native people of our country and how exploration changed both the area now known as the United States as well as how it affected Europe.  We will begin to look at colonization and the Revolutionary war in our 2nd nine weeks.  We will focus on government in the 3rd nine weeks and finish our year with Westward expansion.

If you have any questions concerning social studies or literacy, please feel free to contact me.  Just don't PANIC when your child doesn't have much on his/her social studies progress report.

Happy reading-

Open House info

This post will be short and sweet.  I am going to put the information from open house on this post so that if you need any info from it, you have access.  You just need to click the link and you can view the slideshow. Open House Slideshow 

More photos and classroom updates soon!  Stay tuned!

Do things the "write" way...

In this quest to re-design my classroom curriculum, I attended a workshop by Kelly Gallagher.  For those of you who are not educators or who may not be literacy teachers, Kelly Gallagher is a high school ELA (English/Language Arts) teacher in Anaheim, California.  He is also an author of professional development texts on the subjects of reading and writing who travels the country speaking to teachers about these subjects.

I attended this session knowing that I would be implementing the writing workshop in my classroom.  I needed some new ideas to help my students see the value in writing.  Mr. Gallagher spoke specifically to that topic. It was as if Fate herself knew what I needed to hear that day!

Now, it is confession time...usually when I am at PD, I'm busy checking my Facebook and Instagram, or I'm doodling on my note page...basically, I'm THAT kid (you know the one) in a grown-up body.  If you are not giving me new, interesting and relevant information...I'm tuned out.  Kelly Gallagher was so interesting and everything he said was so ON POINT with my journey as an educator that I actually didn't notice when we went OVER the usually time allowance!  During this 6 hours of PD, I took a whopping 6 pages of notes and began 3 narratives.  I would have had more notes, but I couldn't write as fast as he was giving information.  It was amazing!!
The focus of his workshop was "what makes kids better writers?"  He had 4 main topics that he said improves writing:

• Volume - They have to write a lot.  Students need to have and opportunity to write many, many ungraded, un-pressured writing. 
• Choice - This goes back to volume somewhat.  They need lots of opportunities to write about things that interest them!  This needs to be with the understanding that not all writing has to be done "just to get a grade".  
• Modeling - Students need to see examples of good writing.  They need to read like writers.  They need to see the teacher struggle a little and go through the process herself so that they understand that it is not a "once and done" process.
• Conferring - Students need feedback on their writing DURING the writing...not at the end.  They need just one or two things at a time to work on within the writing piece.  Bombarding them with red ink just discourages the process.

So, what does this have to do with your child?  Well, simply put, this made so much sense to me.  It was like going to church!  I am implementing these 4 things into my classroom so that I can (hopefully) develop a love of writing within my students.  If not a love, then at least an appreciation.  I want students to understand that there are different types of writing genres, just like there are reading genres.  

This is a learning process for me, as well as for the students.  I am hoping that some of my passion and love for literacy will rub off on the students and they will continue to grow exponentially.

I hope this gives you a little more insight into my classroom philosophy.  Feel free to email me or Remind message me any questions.

Happy reading-

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater

I would not describe myself as an adventurous person.  You will not find me white water rafting, rock climbing, or sky diving...I'm probably not even going on a hike.  However, when it comes to teaching, I am definitely not afraid to change.  If you follow my blog (or even read some back posts) you know that I am willing to try new things if I feel that it will benefit my kids.

So, with that in mind, I'm going to journal my journey into a new frontier.  This new school year, I have the privilege of having my students for 2 1/2 hours.  During this time, I am going to be able to implement a reading/writing workshop.  I will also incorporate our social studies standards through our reading and writing.  It is a little unnerving to feel like I am starting over, but I have been reading a lot of research and blogs from teachers who have tried it and implemented it.

The workshop model makes total sense to me.  It will allow students to work on strategies and skills using texts that interest them.  There is opportunity for collaboration among students and it frees my time to differentiate for those who truly need extra help.

Instead of hearing me talk at them for 40-50 minutes, students will listen to a mini-lesson (only 10-15 minutes TOPS) that I present to them.  After that, they go to work.  Using text that they choose, I can conference with students to see where they are applying skills - not just from the daily mini-lesson, but also previous lessons.  Small groups can be formed based on strategic needs.  These are not the "reading groups" of old.  These groups could and should change on a regular basis. A student will not necessarily be with the same students every time he is pulled into a strategy group.  It will be needs based.  In independent work, authentic conversations about texts or about their writing should occur among teacher-student and student-student.

I have struggled to help students understand that there are a variety of genres in writing and that each genre has a specific type of structure.   I am hopeful that a workshop method - that has students write in a specific structure daily and revisits those structures throughout the year - will help students better understand this concept.

So, reader, hold on to your hats because this promises to be an interesting ride.  I plan to record the good, the bad and the ugly in an attempt to get better and provide the best for my students.

Happy reading-

I get by with a little help from my friends

It takes a village...

An old African proverb (also coined by Hilary Clinton) stated, "It takes a village to raise a child."  I believe that to be true.  Mostly because I feel like I am part of the "village" as both a mother and as a teacher.  Over the last 19 years as a public school teacher, I have taught approximately 900 kids.  When the last day of school comes ends, it does not end my relationship with those children.  They are MY kids forever.  What is important to them is important to me.  I celebrate their successes with

them and mourn with them through loss or defeat.  

I have had the privilege of working in some great districts.  When my family came to this district in 2009, my children immediately felt at home.  I was hired 2 years later to teach 5th grade literacy.  Since then, there has been no doubt:  This is home.  If you have never lived outside of our quaint town or had your child attend school in another district, then you may not realize the blessing this community truly is.  This is a remarkable community with extraordinary people.  I am blessed to be a part of this town and your children's lives.  

Can you help our class?

With that being said, I now want to solicit some help from you don't mind. (WARNING!!! Shameless plug coming up!) I have felt that some of my students could benefit from a listening center in this class.  I can get audio versions of my texts that can help students who may struggle with reading due to various reasons (dyslexia, fluency, reading levels below 5th grade).  However, I do not have a way for my students to listen to these audio books.  To get the necessary things for my classroom, I have registered our classroom on DonorsChoose.org, an amazing website where individuals can contribute to public schools.  You can help me by spreading the word about our project to others who might be willing to contribute to the cost of the materials.  Of course any donations you made would also be appreciated! I have included the link here: https://secure.donorschoose.org/mrstiptonliteracyhttps://secure.donorschoose.org/mrstiptonliteracy

Do you know someone who could donate to our project?
 Huh? Do ya?

These materials will help create a listening center for my students and allow me to help all students succeed.  Please feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding the project.  Thank you for your support! 

Happy reading-

You can lead a horse to water...

I like to use stories and analogies in my classroom to make a point, so I have decided that I will begin this blog post with a story.

Imagine a rancher who has 28 horses in a pasture.   This pasture is safe from intrusive predators.  It has healthy green grass for the horses to graze, and there is a beautiful, clean brook for the horses to drink and stay hydrated.  The rancher has spent countless hours fertilizing that grass and protecting the water from pollution so that the horses can get what they need to grow and become productive creatures.

The rancher is proud of the fact that his team of horses is diverse.  There are horses of every color, size and speed.  The rancher has spent time with these horses and knows their strengths.  He knows their challenges.  This rancher is in tune with what each horse needs individually and does his best to provide for those needs.

Now, let's switch our focus.  The horses have everything they need to survive and thrive.  Some of the horses take care of their needs on their own.  They don't need the rancher to lead them or tell them to eat or drink.  A small few of the equine need the rancher's guidance to find the water, a time or two, but once they know where to go, they can make it on their own.  But sadly, this rancher has a number of horses on his team that just stand in the stables waiting on the rancher to bring food and water to them.  The rancher has shown these horses where to get their food and drink but they just won't leave the stables to get what they need.  The rancher, concerned for his animals, pulls them where they need to go and even scoops the water and cuts the grass to give to these particular horses.  After a while, the rancher gets exhausted dragging these animals to where they need to be.  These horses, though capable, are unwilling to take care of their own needs.  The rancher realizes that dragging them to the pasture and brook is not changing their behavior.  Instead, it is creating a handicap in these animals that makes them unfit for any occupation that a horse might be called to do.  What does the rancher do?  How does he change this behavior in his horses?

Animals who are healthy in body and mind will not intentionally starve or deprived themselves of water.  All animals, including horses, will instinctively find a way to meet their needs.  So, what does this have to do with school?  Well it is simple. I share this story with the students so that they can see that waiting on me to do everything or tell them the answer is not helping them.  My goal is to help them become better learners.  They need to know how to find information.  As their "rancher" I will help guide them to the watering hole or the pasture, but they should not expect me to do all the thinking for them.

This is just one of the analogies that I have shared with my students. I tell another story about baby eagles learning to fly.  But probably the favorite analogy this year has been the "stuck on an escalator" story.  There is a video below that I shared with the students.    When I first showed this video, students laughed and heckled the screen.  When it was over, I explained that their reaction to the video is the same reaction I have when I've explained a lesson multiple times and they just sit and wait for me to do the work for them.  We have now coined the phrase "don't be stuck on the escalator".

  The kids in my classes are GREAT kids.  They are talented kids and they are smart kids.  But it is now time for them to take the responsibility of learning into their own hands.  It is up to them to get everything from school that they can get.  We are so blessed in this district to have a group of teachers K-12 who truly love and care for the well-being and education of your children (and my children).  Even though we wish that we could just pour the knowledge into their little brains like Kool-Aid, it doesn't work that way.  They have to pick up what we are putting down.  Things are going to be hard.  School won't get easier and it won't require less of them as they get older.  They have to set their minds to accomplishing their goals.  They have to be willing to walk to the pasture and drink from the brook.  The students have to take the step up the escalator to reach their destination.


We have been working on our double entry journals (DEJ).  Each day this week I have taken each question and I have answered it and explained my expectations.  I have used 2 books from earlier in the year to model what I what from my students.  Most students are getting it done.  They are listening to my instruction.  They are digging into their resources to help compose their answers.  They are getting it done.

However, some are not.  They are waiting on me to drag them to the brook and scoop the water for them.  I will not do it.

Is this assignment difficult?  You bet!  This is one of the most challenging assignments (if not the MOST challenging) that we do all year.  But it does not expect anything from them that they can not do.  They just have to want it.  Their grade will be reflective of their work ethic.  Students who try and dig and write like I ask will make a C or better.  Students who are not willing to put the work into this project will fail.

I've said all year that I am here to help your child.  I will give 110% EVERY DAY.  That's all I can do.  They are going to have to take it from there.

Until next time-
Happy reading!

Practice makes perfect

I have been teaching literacy in different capacities for the last 18 1/2 years.  I taught fourth grade,
first grade, Reading Recovery, and now 5th grade.  I know what early literacy learning looks like, what middle level literacy looks like, and how to help struggling readers.  At each level, I've always been asked the same question..."How can I help [insert child's name] become a better reader?"  I've been asked by parents of ALL grades (especially once someone finds out what I do for a living).  My answer is always the same...THEY MUST READ!!!!!  

Many students who do not like to read dislike it because:

1. "It is too hard".  Somehow they missed out on strategies that they needed to know at an early age.  These can be taught at any age, but once a student leaves 2nd grade, the whole dynamic of literacy learning changes.  It makes it so much more difficult for a student to catch up unless he sees a specific literacy interventionist.  I'll talk more about this in a later blog.
2. "It is boring"or "I don't like reading".  I hear this one ALL the time.  We live in a "microwave" world.  Everyone wants everything yesterday.  We have no patience as a society.  So naturally, this would be evident in our children.  Kids want everything to entertain them.  Well, that is not how real life is.  Everything isn't fun and games.  Sometimes, you have to read stuff that is BORING!  Trust me, I did not find the Scarlett Letter to be a thrilling page turner as a 16 year old high school junior.  Nor did I find Don Quixote to be my favorite in my college literature class.  However, they were assignments.  If I wanted to pass (and I did) I had to read and comprehend the stories.  I tell the kids all the time, "I don't like paying my electric bill, but I do like turning on my lights."  Sometimes, you just have to do things you don't want to do.  That's life.
3. "I read too slow." or "It makes me sleepy."  Do you know how many times my husband and daughter have used that excuse?  If I had a nickel...   One reads slowly or gets sleepy because one lacks stamina.  I am a very fast reader and I can read hundreds of pages AND STAY AWAKE!  Know why?  Because I practice!

That brings me to the solution to all these EXCUSES.  You must practice.  Let me say that again (and louder) YOU MUST PRACTICE!!!!!!!  Okay, no more yelling.  If someone wants to become a great ball player or musician, he must practice.  The same with reading.  There is no magic formula, no quick fix to make it easier.  To become a better reader, to build that stamina, a person must read-whether he likes it or not!

When I was a younger teacher, I had the silly notion that I could make every kid LOVE to read.  I know now that that is just not going to happen.  I still believe that I can make every student appreciate literature and language.   I still believe that I can help students become proficient readers who can function as literate adults. (If I didn't still believe these things, I think it would be time for an occupation change!)  I know that some people do not find reading to be a worthwhile hobby, but I would be stunned to hear a person say that reading is not a key to success.  One must be able to read and read well.  So, even though I still try to make students love to read, it is not my primary focus.  My main goal is to make them into literate people.  Every activity that I do is designed to make them better readers.  

I want to address the AR goals for a minute.  I may sound a little preachy in the next couple of paragraphs, but I feel that this needs to be addressed.  At the beginning of each quarter, students take a test online that assesses their reading range and grade level equivalent.  This information is shared with the student during a private conference.  We look at growth or regression and discuss it.  Then based on their current reading range, the student sets an AR goal for himself.  The goals range from 10 points to 30 points based on what the student feels he can accomplish.  I do guide the students to make an attainable goal.  Students should be able to reach their goal with approximately 4-5 books in a nine weeks.  This, of course, is based on the length and difficulty of the the book.  

Now, I provide approximately 10 minutes daily in my class to read.  I know that the other teachers on the team provide time in their classes periodically, as well.  Students are supposed to bring a book to every class every day.  Students are also allowed to stay in at recess or take a book to the courtyard or the ICU classroom voluntarily.  We give as much time to independent reading as we can.  However, we do have content to teach, so I can not give 85 minutes a day to silent, independent reading.  That is why the ONLY homework your child has in my class is to read EVERY NIGHT for a minimum of 20 minutes. Now, I can control what happens in my classroom.  I can run reports and see that your child is behind in his reading and I can send them to ICU in an attempt to catch up.  What I can not do, what I WILL not do, is check up on whether or not they are being responsible for this at home.  Honestly, parents, that is your job.  I'm not trying to meddle or tell you how to parent your children, but if you don't set a time or some sort of accountability for your child's reading homework, he is not going to do it.  Unless you have a book worm, your 5th graders is going to find something else to do instead of read.  

I remind students about their goals.  I check up on their progress periodically.  I'm going to do even more check-ups in this new semester.  I will be holding your kids' feet to the fire on their reading practice.  There is absolutely no reason for a child to not meet his AR goal.  I have TOO MANY who are not meeting their goals.  This is because they are not reading.  I do not require reading logs, but the AR goal is their accountability piece.  I can tell from looking at the reports whether or not a child is practicing his reading.   

 I have two children. Neither of them will sit down and read their assignments UNLESS I tell them to do it.  My son would just rather play video games and let his grades be "good enough". So, now he isn't allowed to play video games during the regular semester.  He knows that if his grades fall despite the lack of gaming, then the phone and car are next.  My daughter gives me every excuse you can think of to avoid reading.  She doesn't like it. In her words, "I hate it!"  My response, "I don't care.  You have to do it because it is an assignment."  She knows that if her grades fall because she doesn't complete assignments, then basketball will no longer be part of her distraction.  You see, I found my kids' "currency".  It doesn't matter if I agree with the assignment.  It doesn't matter if I like their teachers.  What matters is that they understand that their job is to complete school work to the best of their ability or there will be unpleasant consequences at home.  

We will be setting new goals when we return.  Your child will be required to write his goal in his agenda and have you sign it.  I will be keeping a "Status of the Class" to determine who is reading what and how long it is taking them to read each book.  I have now installed a password on to AR, so that students must have me enter it before they quiz.  This is to help prevent students from taking quizzes over books they haven't read. Once again, I will be requiring students who fall behind in their reading to attend ICU to catch up.  That is what ICU is for...a second chance to avoid failure.  With that said, any student who owes any teacher work or assignments will not be allowed to attend the Citizenship party at the end of the quarter.  Being a good citizen includes following rules and procedures, but it  requires one to complete assignments to the best of one's abilities, as well.   

I hope I can count on your support.  I do have your child's best interest at heart.  I am doing everything I can to make your child a proficient and literate person who can be successful in his future.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Until then-

Happy reading-

Livin' on a Prayer

"WOOOOAH,  we're half way there.
 OOHH, Livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
OOHH Livin' on Prayer"










 I can't help but think of Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" whenever I hear that something is halfway over.  Can you believe we are almost finished with the first semester already? It has really flown by.   I guess time flies when you're having fun.  We have certainly been busy!

I apologize for not keeping this blog updated more often.  I have been meeting myself coming and going this year.  It seems like I am NEVER caught up!!!  I'm definitely livin' on a prayer!

I wanted to take a minute and reflect on the first semester.  We accomplished a lot in just 4 months.  We read challenging texts and learned how to analyze them for their character traits.  We persuaded the world not to eat turkey at Thanksgiving. We have engineered and presented a toy, along with many other smaller things.  From August 15 until now, I have seen the students grow tremendously both as maturing young people and as students.  It is always amazing to think about where we started and how far we have come.

The second semester won't be any easier.  We are about to embark on the most difficult nine weeks yet.  In January, we will read Tuck Everlasting and another book club novel.  The culminating project for this nine weeks is...The DOUBLE ENTRY JOURNAL (duh,duh, duh).  If you have had a child in my class before (or if you have friends who have had a child in my class before) you have probably heard horror stories about this project.  I won't lie...it is challenging.  However, just as I do with everything, I walk the students through my expectations step by step and I give plenty of examples of those expectations.  This project is a lot of work and often students don't want to put in the work required.  Anyway...enough about that for now.  You will get more information when we return from the break.

It's almost Christmas!  YAY!  Despite having to scrape the kids off the ceiling almost every day, this is my favorite time of the year.  Basketball is in full swing, Christmas trees are up, stations are playing Christmas music, and the Hallmark channel plays Christmas movies ALL THE TIME!!!! (My husband just LOVES that!)  I hope you all have a chance to rest and relax over the break.  I wish you all a very happy holiday and Merry Christmas.

Oh, yeah...and remind your kiddos to read a little over the break so that they can get a head start on that 3rd nine weeks AR goal!


Until then...Happy reading-

Life is an Echo

"Life is an echo.  What you send out, comes back.  What you sow, you reap.  What you give, you get."  

The author of that quote is unknown, but it is such a true statement.  I tell the students all the time that they will get out of my class what they put in.  Yes, I have very high expectations...but you see, the thing about expectations is...kids will rise to whatever bar you set.  I have been in education for 18 (working on 19) years.  I have always pushed my students to give the maximum they could give.  Of course, kids being kids, they don't always give it to me.  Literacy is HARD!  Many kids don't like reading for numerous reasons and even more dislike writing...for exponentially more reasons.  I get it.  It takes effort and stamina to read, think about what you read, analyze things like author's purpose, point of view, character traits, story elements, and theme...I mean...whew...I get tired thinking about it.  It is also difficult to learn to compose a piece of writing that conveys a specific message, revise it, read or listen to feedback from the teacher or peers, edit and finalize it.  It is a tough subject to tackle.

It isn't easy for me to plan either.  I have to know where my kids are coming from.  I have to learn 80+ students' backgrounds, interests, and skill level.  I have spent countless hours planning units around books and subjects that are of interest to most 10-11 year olds.  However, this post is not about me.  It is about the kiddos.  

We are about to enter into our first project of the year.  It is a lap book that asks students to analyze specific portions of the text.  Basically, I am asking them to break down the story and tell me how each part relates to the others as a whole.  Gone are the days of reading a text, answering a few basic questions and moving on to the next story.  Poke and puke worksheets are a thing of the past (if you are not familiar with that term--the teacher pokes the knowledge into the kids' heads and they puke it back out on a paper--yeah, its gross, but it is how it used to be done).  This project is going to require the students to [insert drum roll] THINK and WRITE about their THINKING!  

Students who give half-hearted effort and who do not listen to my feedback, will not score high on the assignment.  I am very detailed when I go over my requirements.  I will send the scoring guide and project requirements home for you to look at, however, it MAY NOT be completed at home.  This is an assessment of understanding.  This project will be completed 100% in class.

We will finish Holes and Walk Two Moons next week.  Students ARE required to take the AR test and that is recorded as 100 points.  The project itself will be worth 200 points.  It will not appear on this first nine weeks grading period.  It will be the first grade of 2nd quarter.  

I want you to be aware of  the upcoming assignment.  I will be sending a letter home soon about homework-there has been a change in that as well.  I think it will be a much more productive assignment than the first idea.

Please understand that everything I do, I do to help and grow your child's literacy knowledge.  I would never ask of your child anything that I would not ask of my own.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Until then-

Happy reading-

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school!   I am so excited about all the things that I am privileged to teach and learn along-side your child!  I am positive that this will be a SPECTACULAR year!!!!!

The first thing I want to discuss with you on this blog is our classroom.  I do not have a traditional classroom setting.  My classroom is designed with a flexible seating arrangement.  Below is a picture of an almost finished classroom, but overall, this is the design of the room.

For years I have taught literacy and as I watched my students read and discuss in traditional desks, I would think to myself, "Man, I used to hate sitting at my desk to read."  This is true.  When I read, I like to lie down on the couch or curl up in my big comfy chair.  I DO NOT sit in the hard chairs around my dining room table. I always thought it would be cool to have a classroom set up like a living space.   However, these were just "dreams" until one day I stumbled across an article titled  Why the 21st Century Classroom May Remind You of Starbucks.  You can read the article yourself by clicking the title.  In this article, Kayla Delzner discusses how she redesigned her classroom after having an epiphany in Starbucks one day.  Suddenly I knew that my idea wasn't totally crazy...at least ONE other teacher in the world had thought of it.  I began to put together ideas for making it work.  Then a classmate from high school posted a picture of her classroom on Facebook.  Guess how it was designed?  That's right!  She had a flexible seating arrangement, too.  At that moment I knew that it must be destiny and if I didn't change my classroom, the cosmos might implode! Okay, okay...that's a little dramatic, but you get the idea that this was very important to me.  I emailed Mr. Pennington a copy of the article, the Facebook post from my friend's page, and said, "Unless you have an objection, I'm going to do this."  His response..."Go for it."  So I did.  My students left a traditional classroom on Friday afternoon, and when they returned on Monday, it was a COMPLETE re-design.  When I blogged about this last year to inform my parents, some were very generous and donated money to purchase lamps, rugs, and pillows.  They were as excited as the students.  It was a blessing to both the students and myself because all I had to start with were some crate stools and one lonely love seat.  Now, I have several seating options that students can enjoy (I could use a couple more gaming chairs because I only have one and it is a VERY popular spot.  So if you have one you want to dispose of, I'll gladly take it off your hands).

Now that I have given you a little background, I want to explain how this arrangement works.  In the beginning, no one sits on anything except the carpet.  Day one is spent explaining, discussing, and co-creating norms for a productive class.  The next [however many] days are spent with each student trying out each space so that they can familiarize themselves with the type of seating that works best for them.  Students must take into account that the work space must be one that provides them with the BEST place to work.  Students also know that at any time, I reserve the right to move them from where they are to a more appropriate space if they can not get their work completed.  Your child will receive a contract that he/she will sign stating that he/she understands the requirements for flexible seating.  I included a picture of the contract below.  I will file the contracts and in the event that I need to remind someone of their responsibilities, I will show them the contract (promise) that they signed.

All whole group instruction is done on the carpet.  Students will sit upfront and center to listen to lessons so that I can insure that all students are attending to my instruction.  Once students are allowed to work independently, they then move and find an appropriate spot for working.  During this independent time, I may be working with students individually or in small groups.  We only have 85 minutes within our class period, so I try to utilize every second and avoid as much wasted time as I can.

If you have any questions or concerns about this classroom arrangement, please let me know.  I am more than happy to conference with you.

Happy reading-

Back to the grindstone...classroom setup Day 1

This week we finally got the email stating that we could come get our keys and get back into our rooms.  Since I needed to get out of the house for a little while, my daughter and I went up to do a little furniture arranging.  Here is what it looked like when I opened the door.  That is my daughter peeking between the furniture.

We spent about 2 1/2 hours moving and arranging.  We didn't get it all done, but I think we made a lot of headway.  I'm really excited about beginning the year with flexible seating.  Now just waiting to get my list of students.  Stay tuned for more classroom set up pix.  

Happy reading-

Mrs. Tipton

The end is near

I can not believe that another year is almost over.  It has flown by!  As always it is a bittersweet moment.  I have grown so attached to these kiddos.  I know I will miss them next year.  I know that my curriculum has been rigorous and challenging, but the students are much better for it.  They have worked hard and I am impressed with how far they have come in just a short time.

This said, I don't want them to lose momentum over the summer.  I have devised a list of recommended books to keep them busy this summer.  I just want them to keep up their reading so they don't regress over the summer.  If they read a little each day, their skill level shouldn't drop or regress...hopefully it will improve.  If you go to my Goodreads page, you will see a list of recommended books for summer reading.  Some are series, so if I recommend one, I recommend the entire series.  You can shortcut to my shelf by clicking the "Goodreads" button below.  You may need a Goodreads account and send a friend request in order to see my shelf.  (I will accept the students' and parents' requests to view my Goodreads page).

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Students can also follow me on Instagram. I post a lot of poolside reading in the summer.  My toes get a lot of screen time.
You will see my Instagram slideshow in the sidebar.  I hope your children have enjoyed 5th grade as much as I have enjoyed having them in my class.  Thank you for your trust and support this year.  It truly means the world to me.  I know these kiddos have bright futures ahead.  Until next year...

Happy reading-
Mrs. Tipton

March Madness!!!

I love to learn.  I love to follow other teachers on Instagram, Facebook, and read their blogs.  There are so many great things going on around the country.  Teachers are notorious for borrowing and sharing ideas.  That is why we post what we are doing online.  If it is a success in our classroom and someone else wants to try it, we are happy to share.

This is exactly what happened when I read a blog post from The Brown Bag Teacher.  She used a basketball theme to promote reading in her class.  (If your kids haven't told you, I'm a basketball fan.  It is one of the few sports I can watch and understand what is going on...LOL)  I loved her idea of "Book Madness."  I immediately texted my partner in crime (Mrs. L) and sent her the link.  We thought that maybe...just maybe...it would encourage kids to get excited about reading.  We got together and looked at the most popular books among our classes.  We then chose the top 16 books and passed the list out to the kids.  The rules are simple...if you have read the books, you can vote to choose the best book of the year.  Most students have read MOST of the books.  For those who haven't read a particular title, we gave them 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to read them.

I was so excited to see kids scouring my classroom library for some of the titles.  When they couldn't find it in my room, they wanted to ask Mrs. Berry to help them in the school library.

My plan was working!!




 I hope that when we return on Monday, I can send out TONS of links for the first round of voting.  It will be interesting to see which book comes out as the 2016 Book of the Year.  Here are a few pics of our bracket.  I'll keep the blog updated as the voting progresses.

Now on to Genius Hour.  

Our first Genius Hour project is TENTATIVELY due on April 6.  That date is subject to change depending on the needs of the kids.  Because of our Double Entry Journals, Genius Hour had to be put on hold for a couple of weeks.  I do plan to give the kids a couple of days when we return from Spring Break to make up for those lost Wednesdays.  I am excited to see what the kids have come up with in their research and what products the have created.  I can't wait to post pictures and share them on this blog!

Parent/Teacher conferences will be Tuesday and Thursday (March 29 & 31).  Just FYI for those of you who want to come out and touch base with us about your child.  I hope you had a restful spring break.  I know I did (it just went toooooooo fast!).

 We are definitely on the down hill slide now!  ONLY ONE NINE WEEKS LEFT!!!!!    Whew!  These will be a lot going on in the next few weeks with projects, field trips, kickball tournaments, award assemblies, etc.  Please check the blog each week so that I can keep you up to date on what is happening in 5th!  Until then....
Happy reading-
Mrs. Tipton