Thursday, January 16, 2014

A Day Our Way- Our Daily Schedule


Hey there!

We are linking up with Amelia from Where the Wild Things Learn for her linky
We get a lot of questions as to how our day runs, and so with this linky, you can see how several classroom schedules go!!

Here is a brief glimpse of our schedule below, and I will explain it in more depth as well!!
Here's a breakdown on how these times work out!  These are approximate since we know how it goes with a lesson...it can take more or less time than you expect...

7:45-8:15  Morning Work-  Our buses come in two loads so we have to have something for our students to do when they come in.  Usually, this is honestly the only assignment that I give during the day that's a worksheet for a grade.  I alternate the subjects and it works well as far as getting grades when I need them!

8:15-8:25   Morning Meeting-  I posted about this HERE in more detail, but as they finish their morning work, they go to the carpet with a book and read quietly while we wait for the morning announcements (it's a news show that runs just before 8:15 or so).  Once the news show is over, they start our morning meeting where they can share anything they want.

8:25-8:35  Calendar Math- I have students who leave to go to Advanced Math.  Each week I put up a number of the week.  From there, they do different things with the number or I may give them a short multiplication problem, fraction, etc, depending on what I feel we need to review or preview.  I also have a calendar up that has the numbers for the month in a pattern.  This month's is all about lines.  Lines, line segments, rays, parallel lines, intersecting lines, and perpendicular lines.  Since we haven't gotten to geometry yet, this is a great review from last year and a preview for this year!

8:35-8:50   Math Minilesson-  During this time I do a minilesson on the skill for the day.  We take notes in our journals or we may use the Mimio to do virutal manipulatives.  It depends on the skill. 

8:50-9:10   Guided Math Group- I LOVE guided math and so we move into groups.  Some days I don't need to do a minilesson because I may need more time in groups.  But, when I do a minilesson, this is when I shoot to start groups.  I also have a Special Education teacher that pushes in with me and she pulls a group at this time.

9:10-9:30  Guided Math Group-  I pull my second group.  Usually, when students are not in a group with me, they are doing math games, working on the iPads, or working on problem solving.  It depends on the week.  I don't have a super cute, organized board that I use for centers.  It really just depends on what my kids need at the time. It may change day to day or week to week.  Just depends...which I know is annoying but I guess I'm a tad flexible in that way!  

In groups, I'm working on the skill using manipulatives and paper and I'm mostly just observing them to see what they are doing and where they may have misconceptions.  I have found that whole group math lessons allow students to hide their thinking.  We use white boards in my minilessons and they like to copy one another.  When they are in small group with me, they can't hide!

9:30-10:10  Social Studies-  My Advanced Math students come back.  I'm technically supposed to do Social Studies and Science during this time, but I just can't cram it all in.  I like to use picture books as much as possible.  I also use articles and we do interactive notes.  I incoroporate YouTube as much as I can or Brain Pop to change things up!

10:15-11:05   Specials  (Art, Pe, Music, or Science)

11:05-11:10  Restroom

11:20-11:45  Lunch.  We have a weird 5 minutes in between specials, restroom, and lunch.  Sometimes if it's enough time I'll do some of our read-aloud book.

11:45-12:10   Recess and Restroom again

12:15-12:30    I have students leave for Advanced Language Arts.  The first thing we do every day is Mentor Sentences.  By 12:30 a different Special Ed teacher pushes in.  

12:30-1:00   Mondays and Tuesdays I do a Reading Minilesson.  Wednesdays and Thursdays I do a Writing Minilesson.  Fridays, it's usually a spelling and mentor sentence assessment and then we go to the computer lab at 1:00.

I alternate reading and writing because I just don't have time to do both and so I can get to guided reading groups.  It's been working pretty well so far.  Plus, I do try to integrate both reading and writing into science and social studies as much as possible, so that helps!

Everyday I have students pulled out for ESOL during this time (12:45-1:30) and two days a week I have gifted students that go out for a gifted class (which is why I have to have this schedule- I don't want them to miss anything super important that I can't catch them up on by pulling them for a short small group).  It's a mess.

1:00-1:15  Grammar or Word Study.  I alternate these, too, so I have enough time to really teach it.

1:15-1:30   Guided Reading Group-  I meet with my first group and my collab teacher pulls her first group.  I do meet with my two groups every day and she does, too.  That's definitely a perk for having a teacher push in!!  I'm so glad we get to meet with students every day!

1:30-1:45   Guided Reading Group-  While I'm meeting with them, students are reading independently, going to the media center, or working on iPads or center activities.  It depends on the day and the skills we are working on.  Again, I don't have a cute schedule because it changes, but it is my goal to get something more concrete next year.   This year, I feel like the time is so short (ideally I'd like more than 15 minutes per group) that I can't stick to a schedule and I get stressed if kids don't get finished with something or they don't all get to every center.  It's something I'm working on!  :O)

1:45-2:35  Science-  Really, I only have all of my class until 2:10. Then, students are pulled out for small groups.  It's not every day and it depends which kids on which days (it's enough to make you a little crazy) but when I have all of them, we do science the whole time.  When I don't have all of them, I teach until 2:10, then we stop and those that are left with me do DBQs based around science and social studies. (This is a primary source picture that I project on the white board that has a question attached that they answer- there's more writing!)

2:35-2:45  Read Aloud and Pack up- During this time I do read from a book (right now it's Wonder) while students write their assignments in their agendas and pack up.

2:45  Bus call and Dismissal

*I'm pretty tied into this schedule due to all of the students that go to different places throughout the day.  This can be frustrating at times when I need more time on one thing and less on another but I can't change my schedule because I may not have all the kids I need.

Phew.  I think that's everything...although I'm not sure if I explained everything thoroughly enough, so if I didn't, just leave a comment and I'll answer and go back and edit the post!!  :O)
Amanda



6 comments:

  1. Hi friend!
    Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your world :)

    It must be tough having to work around kids getting pulled out all of the time - but it sounds like you've got a plan figured out. I know what you mean about the times being approximate - they're more like "guidelines" - that often get thrown out the window when the kiddos get stumped and need more time or breeze through something and are finished quickly :)

    Happy Thursday!
    ~Jessica
    Joy in the Journey

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post Amanda! I think this would be a great resource for any new teacher starting out, wondering how to set up his/her schedule. I love the way you explained how you run your minilessons and why you alternate your days for reading and writing- I think that's really smart.

    -Maria
    Everyone deServes to Learn

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE your morning meeting idea! We do a Friday "class meeting" for about a half hour that is very similar! It is one of my favorite times where I learn so much about the kiddos! I love that you do guided math groups! If I taught math, I'd love to learn more about it! How wonderful that you have a push-in teacher.... totally jealous! Wonderful for you and your students. Thanks for linking up!

    Amelia
    wherethewildthingslearn

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ooh I love that you do morning meeting! I tried that idea last year and I swear my class was so much more well behaved. I don't know if it was the sense of community it created, or what. I haven't actually done it this year with my third graders, but I'll make time.. you know, during our "free time." :)

    Mandy
    The 4th Grade Journey

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  5. I always hate schedules that get tied down due to pull outs! Even as a specialist now, I have lists of kids pulled from my class each day. I know it is important, but I miss the flexibility!

    Jenny
    Suntans and Lesson Plans

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow that is a pretty long schedule you have..I"m done with mine at 1:10..the rest of the time they are in spanish until 2 everyday..My schedule is pretty tight, 1 hr for reading, 45 minutes for writing, about 40 minutes for science/social studies, and specials lately have been squeezed in for once a week, doing thursday/Friday's now.. I'm even thinking of alternating between science and social studies , one week a Science unit, another Social Studies.. depending on the units ..I find myself struggling to do both weekly and they have it after lunch so they are hyper oh my god!

    ReplyDelete

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