Teacher Week: Creative Ideas

It's the 3rd day of Teacher Week over at Babbling Abby!  Today we're all sharing creative ideas from our classrooms!  I'm a little low on time today, but here are a few of mine...

Poetry Notebooks:

I use a weekly poem to help increase reading fluency.  At the beginning of the week I choose a poem that either reflects a current topic, holiday, or theme.  I then make a copy of the poem for each student.  We then practice reading the poem with good inflection several times together.  After we've read the poem several times together, the students get to cut out the poem and glue it into their poetry notebook.  They then get to illustrate the poem on their own using crayons, markers, etc.  We then practice the poem a few times each morning of the week. 

At the end of the year their poetry notebook is a great reminder of things we've learned throughout the year.  The students love it, and it really helps their reading fluency.  I really wish I had a picture of one because the kids always do an amazing job and put a lot of time and care into their poetry notebooks! 

Last year I used paper folders, and just placed plain copy paper in the prongs.  This year I'm using cardstock, and am going to bind them. 

I have tons of poetry books that I pull from each week, these are just a few that I use!

 

Song books are also great to incorporate from time to time. 

These are some of my favorites that the kids also love!

Beth Newingham's Third Grade Website:

Almost all of the other creative ideas in my classroom have come from Beth Newingham and her amazingly resourceful classroom website.  I use her mystery reader program, incorporate several of her classroom literacy bulletin boards, and am going to try her math workshop idea this year.  Beth Newingham has SO many fantastic creative ideas that I've used, so I can't take credit!  Definitely check her out!

Well, sorry that's such a short list but I'm off to celebrate with the birthday boy!!!

Have a great night everyone!