WELCOME!!!!!
Today I come to you with the idea of Motivating with Bulletin Boards. There is something to be said for the trendy, fun, beauty of a colorful and artistic bulletin board. When I first started teaching, EONS ago, I was taught to use my bulletin boards to announce the change of seasons, the coming of events, or to showcase students' work. After many years, I have come to find that I want NO wasted space in my tiny little classroom. I try to utilize every inch of my room as a learning space.
I teach or motivate with my bulletin boards. I guess you could call them "working boards." Yes...I do display my students' accomplishments proudly, but the displays also serve a learning purpose.
Oh, do I wish I learned the importance of taking pictures of my classroom. (Here's where I cry a little.) Before TpT and blogging there really was no reason to take pictures of my bulletin boards except for further reference in future years, which I NEVER did! I have NEVER used a bulletin board more than once. I get bored easily with my surroundings. The students and I spend countless hours in this room, so I try to keep it lively, exciting, and ever-changing.
I could show you pictures of my hand crafted tree extending to the roof, where I put students' names each time they completed a book. I could show you the Very Hungry Caterpillar that stretched across the tippy top of my classroom where I put a circle for each time we had a success in our room. Oh...how I wish I knew now what I didn't know then. Isn't that a song? Well...it's a smart one.
Instead, I will spend my time inspiring you to create bulletin boards that expand children's knowledge, showcase their understanding, and motivate them to learn.
This year I have decided to marry my reading incentive idea, my book sharing plan, and my students' work, together onto one fabulous...jam packed...super bulletin board. This bulletin board will not only provide my students with knowledge, information, and motivation, but will provide it to all passers by. I plan to display this collaboration on the bulletin board in my hallway, so all that pass have an opportunity to soak up some reading magic!
A little background...I teach Title I/RTI reading for grades K-5. My main job is to provide quality reading intervention instruction to students who have shown a need in reading through use of universal screeners and other means. I teach the students who do not like to read. I teach the students that think they cannot read. I teach the students who avoid reading. So my main goal is to motivate my students to read. It's quite the daunting task, but I LOVE IT!
First, I try to model and inspire. Then I try to provide endless opportunities for reading to occur. Oh..and teach reading strategies and lessons daily.
My biggest push is to inspire my students to read 20 minutes 5 days a week. I have a money system set up in which they get rewarded for reading and performing reading tasks at home. I provide my parents with multiple opportunities to join me in nighttime literacy events where I teach skills and fun ways to incorporate reading into my students' home lives.
Here is a info graphic type page I created to spell out the importance of reading for my students and parents. The numbers speak volumes.
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| Why Readers Should Read 20 Daily |
Now how do I inspire my students to actually follow through with reading 20 minutes a night 5 times a week? The money system works for some, but not all. I needed a better way to grab their attention. Last year, I figured it out and hit the motivation jackpot!
I posted before about how I make green screen iMovie book trailers with my students. My bulletin board idea includes these book trailers. It will showcase not only the cover of the book, but the book trailer will be linked up using a QR code, so anyone with a QR reader can scan it and see the book trailer created by my students. It will be an interactive bulletin board.
Our students have LearnPads in our classrooms, so they can simply go to the board, scan, and view countless book trailers throughout the year.
Here is a look at some of the book trailer announcements and the finished interactive bulletin board. The "Now Showing" shows up much better in person. :(
I hope this motivates my students to want to be a book reader!
(Students will be challenged to create 3-4 a year.
(Another bulletin bored will keep track of their progress.)
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| Play With Me book trailer |
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| Interrupting Chicken Book Trailer |
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| Stinky Book Trailer |
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| I Want My Hat Back Book Trailer |
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| My Book Trailer Bulletin Board Display |
I only added a few as to intrigue students at the beginning of the year. Hopefully I will have to make them smaller and the board will be filled up by December!
I'd love to join other teachers in sharing our students' book trailers. I can think of SO many ways to do so via technology! If you are interested in sharing book trailers (shares) with my class, let me know!
link2teach@gmail.com
Enjoy!
Jenny
