Lucy Calkins: Take 2

It's hump day! Happy Wednesday y'all! This past January I shared my writing folders and a TpT freebie based on Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study. This is my school systems mandated writing curriculum. It is not only my second year tackling it but our school systems second year as well! In the last year I have learned a lot about the curriculum and how to make it work in my Kindergarten classroom. This year I changed a few components of my writers workshop based on end of year reflections and to meet the needs of my class this year. 

First of all, I am still using writing folders with my students. Each students has a writing folder that contains their writing workshop resources. This year I included an alphabet chart, color words, number words, and the Dolch pre-primer and primer sight words. Later in the year I will add our writing rubric and anchor chart for spelling. These resources were pulled from various TpT shops and authors. Check them out below. Each picture is a link to where you can purchase your own copy.

             

These folder covers are very easy to use and even easier if you print them on half sheet shipping labels. Check out the affiliated amazon link to grab your half sheet shipping labels.

In my writing folders I use the color/number chart, "my writing rules" checklist, and the "I can spell." chart from Samantha Kelly. Her anchor charts in this resources are great! They will be used throughout the year in our writers workshop.

These phonics charts are awesome. Right now my writing folders only have the alphabet chart from this bundle. Later in the year I will add charts as students are exposed to and using more sounds/patterns in their writing.

More from Haley O'Connor! I love her resources. This pack makes a great communication folder (which is what I use it for primarily) but I also pulled the Dolch pre-primer and primer sight words charts to also put in their writing folders. Later in the year I can add the 1st grade list to students folders who are ready for it.

GRAB YOUR FREEBIE!

Finally, grab your TpT freebie to label the pockets in your folder. Print these on Avery labels for easy application. For more information about these labels check out my original post about writing folders.

And drum roll... here are my writing folders!

Question, what do you have in your writing folders?

As the year goes on I plan to share more of our writing workshop. My students are doing so well with writing independently for extended periods of times. On Monday they wrote for 25 minutes and were all fully engaged. You could have heard a pen drop! I was able to conference with some the students who were ready to start labeling their drawing. These students were quick to pick up on identifying the beginning sound and letter they needed for each of their labels. This progress is amazing! I'm excited to see where my students go this year with their writing. Do you use Lucy Calkins? If so, what do you love about her curriculum and what do you find challenging?

I'M BACK + Classroom Tour!

Hey y'all! Welcome back! Here's how things have been going following week 5 of this school year.

1. I am truly teacher tired and have been for the last month. The beginning of the school year is hard and exhausting... and if you're really doing the most it's expensive too!

2. I have spent more of my money than I'd like to admit. Don't get me wrong, my classroom is a beautiful place and it is definitely my home away from home, but it did not come free or cheap.

3. I really do love teaching and adore Kindergarten. I have been blessed to have sweet classes in the past but something about this group just tugs on my heart strings a little extra.

When I was setting up my classroom my goal was to create a fun and functional environment where my students could thrive and be in control of their own learning. Of course I know this layout is not set in stone and I will probably decide to change things up throughout the year but this is what I'm working with now and so far it's working like a charm! Please forgive the unfinished areas, as many of you know a teachers job is never done!

Source

My new classroom sign is from LooLeighsCharm on Etsy. Check her out!

View from classroom door.

My "desk" corner and small group learning space. I love having these IKEA stools for small groups!

View from back corner. These Walmart MainStay rugs have been a great addition to the classroom especially with our flexible seating arrangement. Grab the teal one here! 

Hallway wall. Get a copy of the Some Letters anchor chart on TpT!

Student work display board. Letters cut on a Cricket Explore Air.

Students hang their backpacks and jackets here. Labels are from Teaching and Coffee on TpT. I use command hooks to create two additional hooks in each hanging cubby group. 

Morning Tubs with labels from Catherine Reed - The Brown Bag Teacher on TpT. More information about my morning tubs coming up in a post soon!

Front wall and whole group learning space. Does anyone spy my HP printer? Information about my printer and the HP instant ink program coming soon in a post.

Students book boxes. Labels are from Teaching and Coffee on TpT.

Shop Haley O'Connor on TpT.

Shop Haley O'Conoor on TpT for number and shape posters.

Calendar Board - Shop Haley O'Connor on TpT.

Our anchor chart easel! This anchor chart was created using Samantha Kelly's - Launching Writing Workshop.

This bin holds all my read alouds, frequently used pointers, and supplies for whole group lessons. 

Labels are from Teaching and Coffee and lunch tag cards are from Just A Primary Girl on TpT.

Shop A Smiling Teacher on TpT.

Back wall. Eventually the two bulletin board panels at the top will display word families and content vocabulary.

Writing Station. Get this bundle on TpT from A Smiling Teacher.

Magnetic word wall - Shop Haley O'Connor on TpT.

Student accessible classroom library. The top baskets are topic specific and the small baskets are leveled using F&P.

Cubbies! These went through a serious transformation with some intense scrubbing and good coat of paint. They hold ALL my students supplies, journals, notebooks, and dry erase boards. More information about what's in each of my students cubbies coming soon in a post about how flexible seating works in my classroom. The bins on top hold clipboards, Thursday couriers, and the larger pink bin holds students lunches.

These last five weeks have been amazing and I have found this years set up very successful. I am still working on getting my literacy and math stations setup and organized. When they are ready I will be sharing them here. All of my self created bulletin boards are made with this adorable weathered wood fadeless paper. The command hooks I use for additional backpack/jacket hooks are from amazon. Grab some for you classroom from the affiliated amazon link below!

                    

Leave a comment below with the changes you made to your classroom set up this year. I'm excited to continue on the blogging journey this school year and share my second full year with y'all!