4 on the... 7th

I love weekends with family! My husband's family and some of my cousins live in the same area, about 15 minutes away from each other, and I'm spending the weekend with them after stopping to visit my mom and brother on the way. I love living within a few hours of most everyone.

I'm linking up a little late with Ms. M!

 

Here are 4 things I plan on trying out for the first time this year:

  

1. Okay, this one isn't exactly "for the first time," but last year, my students' parents had already been told to label every individual supply with their child's name. This year, pencils at the very least will be community supplies again. It's just so much easier!

2.  In math, I'm bringing back Calendar (which I didn't do this year- I know, I should've!) and adding an Estimation Jar- I love the idea Sarah shared here of sending this home with the winner each week to refill it with something new!

 

3. A variation on CAFE that Kristen of Ladybug's Teacher Files came up with. I think I will lump vocabulary in with text elements, but it is worth it to me to get Response to Text built in to my reading instruction for 3rd grade!

4. Reader Response notebooks for a Reading Workshop style approach. I haven't figured out much about our basal (Storytown) yet, but the more I read about these notebooks, the more insistent I am that I have to give them a try!

Any tips for these things... please let me know! :) I'm excited to be switching to 3rd grade, but to be honest- that's completely new for me, too! I student taught in 2nd, was an interventionist in 2nd, and then taught last year in 2nd- so I'm excited about 3rd, but I have a lot to learn!

I'd love to hear what new things you're trying this year!