Raising Real Readers Episode 2: Let's Find You a Great Book!

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Step 1:  Get to know your students as readers.  (Use a reading interest inventory, but be sure to do it as a face to face interview not a written response interview.  You can get to know your students much better by talking to them.)  Here's a link to my free one I developed that gets the most out of getting to know student's "reader qualities".  (click on the link)  bit.ly/ReadingInterview

Step 2:  Find them great books!!!

How, you ask?  Well...you could take a stroll through your classroom library, take them to the school's library, tell them of books you liked as a child, or even get some help from your librarian.  These things are all fine and can work, but over the years I didn't have great success with any of these methods.

I've stumbled upon one that works...would you like to hear more?  Two little words...

BOOK

TRAILERS
Think about it...how do you know you want to see a movie?... Yep!  You see a trailer!  Movie trailers are one of the largest marketing tools used by major motion movie companies!

That's what we are doing when we try to suggest good books right? Marketing?  Well guess what? Today's kids respond to visuals that are quick, exciting, and strike a chord with an emotion.  What better way than to hook them with book trailers?

One more example...

How many of you have shown your students the video that comes with the book fair books?  Scholastic or whatever company comes to your school knows that movies...the big screen...and sound, lights, and color appeal to our children.  Now after the showing the trailer how many of you see your students B-lining it to the books that were on the video?  BINGO!  That's what mine do.  Honestly no matter how much I try to "sell" the other books on the carts...those books go first.

How do my students view using a QR code?
It's very EASY!  There are QR Reader Apps for both Android (Google Play Store) or Apple Based (iTunes Store).  The ones I use are free.  So there you have it!  Simple-Free-Fun-Effective!!!  


How do I locate great titles?
Here are some sites I found that gave me some titles:
www.dawcl.com
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal
http://www.rebeccacaudill.org/

Look up your state's middle grade reader awards.  Many states have them or ask your local librarian where to locate it.

So I think we are on to something here.  Watch my Periscope by clicking on the link below to see how I use book trailers in my classroom to help my students find books that they WANT to read and usually WANT to finish. (click on link to view)

Now for my Tip To Take Today!

I vowed to follow up my Periscope sessions with usable information that you can take with you and use the very next day in your classroom so here it is!  (click the link to grab your free copy)






Step 3: How Do I Keep Them Reading?  Periscope 6pm CST 2/4/16 Jenny@Link2Teach.  Hope to see you there!

Until the next post...





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Raising Real Readers Series

Think for a moment...how many students do you have in your class right now that can be described as "real readers."  First, let's define "read readers."

My Definition:
Real Reader- (noun); one who successfully reads independently by choice and enjoys the experience of reading

Now...reflect a moment.  Do you have any real readers?  Do you know all of your students enough to actually be able to answer that question? (It's difficult to have the time to have personal conversations with our students all of the time.  It's hard to know how they are outside of our classroom.)

I can honestly say that when students start in my RTI/Title I program I have ZERO real readers.  That is what my motivation and focus is zeroed in on all year long.  (Lazer Focus!) My goal each time I get a new student is to work hard to change they way they feel about reading.  It is one of the most daunting tasks known to me, but one that provides me with such drive, passion and satisfaction that I wouldn't give it up for anything!

I have worked with young readers for over 25 years.  I can honestly say I know all kinds of readers. For 11 of those teaching years I have worked with struggling readers.  This is my true passion.  I was an uninvolved and uninterested reader as a child.  Not one teacher in my life identified that or even discussed this issue with me EVER!  This should NOT happen to a child.  Children should know and understand that reading is important, necessary, and one of the most rewarding ways to be successful in this world.  This is my quest.  Is it yours?  Are you wanting to help your students become real readers?  If so, join me on my journey to explain how I have found success in helping struggling readers become honest to goodness real readers!

My series is called Raising Real Readers. I have planned a series of videos and "Tips To Take Today" lessons that you can begin using in your classroom the very next day!

Below you will find my 1st Periscope video where I address the 1st step to Raising Real Readers.
(Scheduled Periscope 6pm Thursday 1/21/16-it will appear here after taping)

Tip To Take Today Lesson: Reading Interview 
(click on the link below for your free copy)




Enjoy getting to know your students!  Follow me on this blog, Instagram, or Facebook for notifications of new additions to this series! (Find me @Link2Teach-on all)

I'd love to hear how this goes for you and your students!  Let me know in the comments!  

Until the next post...

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Craftization: Where Beauty Meets Organization (Desktop Organization That Inspires!)

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Welcome!!!! So glad you stopped by!  Today we talk about providing yourself with a workspace that allows you to maximize your productivity!

Take a look at your workspace, your desktop, your desk drawers.  Are they messy, unorganized, and full of things you do not need?  Clear that clutter!  Take a minute to get rid of the items you have not used on over 6 months or (all you teachers) in one school year.

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Quote for today:


So with that, let's get started with our next project...Desktop Organization That Inspires!

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Directions:

Here are the directions: (Click on the link)
Craftization: Where Beauty Meets Organization (Desktop Organization That Inspires)


Here's the link to the Periscope:
Craftization: Where Beauty Meets Organization (Desktop Organization That Inspires)

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Tip To Take:

Have everything you need within reach!  
Items that you use on a daily basis on your desk will maximize productivity!

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So grab a pen and paper, make that list. and get started on your way to a fabulously organized and BEAUTIFUL workspace!

Until the next post...




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DIY Light It Up Message Box!

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Craftization:  Where Beauty Meets Organization Series

I'd like to take a minute to explain the motivation behind my quest to offer this series. 

Say it with style!  Whether you need a "pick me up" for your office or school, or you'd like to announce messages to your students in style, this project can do it all!

Beautiful things can spark motivation in most of us.  Why not surround yourself and your students with beautiful things that excite and energize?  I know that I work so much better when things are organized, clutter-free, and aesthetically appealing.  Honestly, my students do as well.  

I find that the simplest decorative or organizational items placed in my classroom evoke immediate interest in about 95% of my students!  Something as simple as a vase of fake flowers in a vase filled with ABC's got my Kindergartners super excited!  It doesn't take much to add a little flare to encourage excitement and motivation.

Let's turn our thinking to ourselves.  What kind of workspace do you perform best in?  A cluttered, messy, hodge-podge, area or one that is organized and beautiful.  I know that I work best when my items are organized and within reach but it helps a tiny bit more if they all look wonderful and cohesive too.  It might be that I'm a little OCD but I'm thinking that professional organizers and home interior designers would beg to differ.  After all they make a living out of providing their customers with organized beauty.

"A clutter-free area=a clutter-free mind" The message behind this quote is why I am devoted to not only cleaning up and jazzing up my work area, but also to offer YOU an invitation to take this journey with me through social media.  

As teachers/teacherpreneurs we have many needs from content & research, tips & resources, to clarity & a healthy mindset.  Putting all of these things together is key to becoming and feeling successful.  I have gained SO much from so many wonderful teachers/teacherpreneurs over the past 6 months.  The knowledge and encouragement that has been afforded and offered to me is priceless.  I cannot believe how my life as a teacher and person has changed due to all of this outpouring of support/assistance/ and camaraderie.

Even with all of this, I still felt that I needed more...I know...how could I possibly need more?  Over winter break I was sitting in my usual work spot and couldn't find inspiration at all.  Each day I struggled to create and felt a little worn down.  I couldn't figure it out and I started to worry that I might have lost my desire or ability to be creative and focused, until one morning I woke up to immediate clarity.  I knew what was wrong!  My work space was AWFUL!  I had no desire to work where I was trying to work.  My items were disorganized and their placement made no sense.  I NEEDED organizational clarity and I longed for that space to be a place I wanted to be.

So...I ran off to Hobby Lobby and giggled and smiled as I chose my new office decor!  Guess what? I have accomplished more in the past 3 weeks in that space than I had accomplished in the past two months!

We all need different things to achieve our goals, but I'm pretty sure that our #teacherprenuertribe #thmpride group #teachersofinstagram etc. friends will not give up on helping and inspiring each other...EVER!

So I'd love to join in and help out, even a little, if I can.  I'm offering some inspiration and information in the area of providing organizational workspace advice and tips.  If you'd like to join me you can find me here, Periscope, Facebook, Twitter, and Sheila Jane's Teach Happy Membership.
Together we can conquer anything...#likeaboss  #girlboss(for the ladies) :)

Here's my latest Periscope idea in my Craftization Series: Where Beauty Meets Organization!

Lighted Message Board


Click on the link below to grab these free directions!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Craftization-Where-Beauty-Meets-Organization-Lighted-Message-Board-2312526



Take some time and do something creative for yourself.  Channel your inner crafter.  Enjoy your day and make your message shine!

Until the next post...



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Craftization: The Art of Organized Beauty (Message Board My Way)

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Looking for a way to relax and destress? I know that I am less productive in a messy unorganized environment.  How many times have I found it hard to work from home because the laundry is piling up or clutter is invading my space?  Plenty!  I find that my mind is happy and most productive when my space is clean, organized and beautiful!

This is why I'm marrying my two passions, teaching and organizing to provide myself and those who choose to join me on a quest to find peace, focus, and productivity through Craftization!

Each week, or more depending upon the projects, I will plan and present a new Craftization project to inspire your heart and your mind!  All projects will be shown live or on replay through Periscope. You can also check back here, my blog, to find the scopes and the instructions page for each craft whenever you have a free minute and are looking for some organization craft therapy.

Hopefully these ideas will fuel your creative brain and help you to become the productive teacher/teacherpreneur you long to be.

Let's get our craft on!!!

Grab the directions here:




View the Periscope here: (Click the link)






Here's another one I made for school to hang by my desk.  I fastened it with 3M strips.  It is made from an old picture I didn't like anymore.  I took out the painting and replaced it with the same steps as above.  You can basically use ANY frame you have laying around.  (Thrift stores, Goodwill, garage sales, dumpsters, friends' houses... he he:)



Until the next post...


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Winter Blahs? How About Some Inspiration Through Decoration?

Winter bringing you down?  How about spending some time on the inside while the snow and cold blow on the outside?  I find that the best way to motivate and inspire me is through sprucing up my surrounds.

Who doesn't like a beautifully decorated and organized work space?  After winter break, I needed a pick-me-up, so... Hobby Lobby and my supply cabinet to the rescue!

Here's a quick little tip to spruce up your bulletin board or office cork board.  Quick, easy, painless, and can be little to no $ spent.

Today's Topic: Bulletin Board/Cork Board Makeover

Before (Snore...)
After (Depth/Movement/Fun)

This took 10 minutes and under $10 to redo!

I used:
-part of a 10" wide roll of black deco mesh
(Found at most crafting stores,  I suggest Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon or JoAnns.  Teachers get a 15% discount there.  Sign up for their Teacher Rewards Program.)
-craft paper cut into 2" strips
-a few scraps of white deco mesh
-a stapler

That's it!

Watch my Periscope video by clicking the link below.

Winter Blahs Be Gone-Inspiration from Decoration


(Note: I will get the hang of chatting with my viewers. Ha!)

Until the next post...





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Superheroes Are Everywhere! (An Ordinary School Day with an Extraordinary Message)

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A typical conversation with 2 six year old students led me to wonder.  What are the qualities of a Superhero?  What defines one as a superhero?  This is what I found when I googled it...

su·per·he·ro
ˈso͞opərˌhirō/
noun
  1. a benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers, such as Superman.

So does that limit superheroes to one with actual superhuman powers?  I did some digging and found the definition in the urban dictionary. This is what I found...

superhero
1. A being with extraordinary physical or mental powers, far beyond the range of normal human ability, who uses these powers to protect the innocent and for the general good.

2. One who is granted such powers by some external means, such as advanced technology or magic, and uses them with similar intent.

3. Batman.
I tend to believe that radio shows, comic books and Hollywood stumbled upon something when they introduced us to The Green Hornet,  The Avenger, Flash Gordon, Superman, & Batman.  I mean who doesn't want to believe in something so magical?
But as life goes on, I have realized that a superhero can be so much more than the Merriam-Webster definition!  It can mean so much more than simply limiting it being fictional. We all need to believe in the greater good, believe in a life that is full of miracles and miraculous beings.  We all have the desire to know that there are special people out there ready to inspire us (save us) from despair and destruction...right?
I prefer to believe in the urban dictionary meaning of a superhero.  One with extraordinary physical or mental powers, far beyond the range of normal human ability, who uses these powers to protect the innocent and for the general good. That definition leads me to explaining the purpose of this post.
I am a reading specialist.  Today I went to a classroom to get two of my first grade students to work with them.  On our way back to my classroom, both boys were commenting on the superhero shirt they had each worn today.  Both were wide-eyed and full of belief in TRUE Superheroes.  They even went as far as to say that they wanted to be a superhero one day.  At first, I laughed it off and thought of it as cute.  As our time went on and they continued to talk about their dreams of being like Batman and Spiderman, I didn't have the heart to tell them that they are fictional characters and that they couldn't be a superhero one day for this very reason.  They weren't real, but being the dreamer that I am, I would never tell a child that they couldn't do something.  As a matter of fact, I tell them the opposite each day.  "Sure! You can be a superhero!" "Why not?"  "What kind of superhero would you be?" They both held true to both definitions and explained that they would be one that saved people from fires and bad people.  
This conversation stayed with me throughout the day.  I thought about their desires to be someone extraordinary one day.  In my reflection, I thought about my dreams of what I wanted to be one day and I realized that I am my dream.  I wanted to be a teacher as a young child.  This made me smile.  I continued to think of how I could use the superhero conversation to further teach and help my bright-eyed 6 years old students.  Tired from our first day back from winter break, I sat down in my chair at the end of the day and started paging through facebook, when something amazing happened.  
I came upon a post by Hope King, a teacher at the Ron Clark Academy.  It was a video of Mr. Ron Clark and some of his students performing a dance at a welcome back celebration the night before school resumed.  The video went viral, and for good reason.  The man would do anything for his students and his school. The superhero conversation became crystal clear to me at that moment.  
Superheros are not fictional at all.  They are real.  They are real people that walk among us (if we are lucky).  Some people have succeeded at going over and beyond regular human abilities.  They have found a way to channel their extraordinary physical or mental powers to protect innocent people and for the general good. If there ever were a superhero teacher...Mr. Ron Clark is him!  
If you are familiar with Mr. Clark, you are probably shaking your head in agreement and smiling.  If you are not familiar with him, you might want to look him up.  He is one amazing man.  He gives me hope that I can become a better teacher no matter how long I have taught.  People like Mr. Clark are fantastic examples of why little boys dream about being superheroes!  
These two young boys helped me to remember that no dream and no goal is impossible.

I say, "Dream on young boys.  Never give up on those dreams!" (I also had a little conversation with myself...I told myself, "Dream on Jenny.  Never give up on that dream!")
So I leave you with this?  What superheroes do you know?  What superhero do you dream to be?
Enjoy your day!
Until the next post...

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