Work Boards & Sheets: Status of the Class!

 

Work boards help to keep students and teacher organized! 

During Independent Reading, Writing, and Word Work Times:  For students, they are a visual reminder of what options area available and where they should be during the independent work time.  For teachers, they are an at-a-glance helper when trying to figure out who is where and when.

I've used a pocket chart for my Independent Reading and Writing times work board in the past.  Now I use the SMARTBoard.  At the start of Independent Reading and Writing times, we have a "Status of the Class" meeting.  This is a short 3-5 minute meeting where we review the rules and expectations and allow students time to make their [Independent] Reading and Writing Option choices. 

 

When we used the pocket chart, each student had 5 pockets in one of the rows on the pocket chart.  The first pocket housed the student's number card.  The second pocket housed the student's name card as well as the five choice cards.  And the remaining three pockets were where students placed their session 1, 2, and 3 choice cards.  At the end of a session, students turned over the completed session's card, as a visual reminder of where they would be for the next session.  At the end of the day, all cards were returned to the name card pocket, and new choices were made the next day. 

For the SMARTboard work board, students come into the classroom and flip through the Wake Up Work SMART Board file.  One of the pages is the Independent Reading and Writing (and Word Work) work board.  They use the icons at the bottom of the page to indicate what options they select for each session.  They just slide their option to their cells each morning.  A lot of times I'll pick most of their sessions for them.  I always add my picture for when I meet with their group, so they know ahead of time that session is not free.  Same with pull out or push in teachers....I add their picture to the student's cell in the appropriate time slot.  Any free cells, students self-select.  Some days we all do the same session at the same time (choice).  Some days I pick for all sessions.  Some days they pick for all.  some days they pick for only one and I pick the rest.  It all really just depends on the timing, the schedule, and what I feel like.  :)  Nothing is set in stone.  They know when there are limits to a specific area (only 4 can do audiobooks).  They know how to count across each session to check for numbers.  Most areas I have no limits (read to self, read with a buddy, writing table).  Makes life easier!  They know that if they are doing read with a partner they had to actually HAVE a partner and it was their job to find one.  Picking partners is a mini lesson that is taught and practiced in September.  Check out our anchor chart for choosing partners (we use this system for all content areas) as well as the actual lesson .

Project Work Boards:  Whenever we are in the midst of a large project, I like to create Status of the Class sheets (another type of work board).  I create these in Microsoft WORD. 

I add student names as well as icons and titles/names for each state of the project.  We use these for several projects including our Penguin Unit Project, Movie Maker Projects (Personal Narratives & Remembering First Grade), as well as during Writer's Workshop (stages of the writing process).

Our work board for Writer's Workshop is an ideal way to keep track of where students are in the writing process.

Work Board Downloads:

Work Board Pictures (from slide show)

Additional Work Board Pictures as well as the Above Ones are on t he Anchor Chart Page:

Smart Board Independent Reading/Writing/Word Work File:

Independent Work Time Icons (for SMARTboard or Pocket Chart)

Independent Reading and Writing Option Cards (print on business card sheets) 

Independent Reading and Writing Option Cards (print on shipping size labels: Avery 8163)  

Independent Reading and Writing Option Cards (print on address size labels: Avery 8160)   

Other Types of "Center" Signs (print on shipping size labels: Avery 8163) 

Other Types of "Center" Signs (print on address size labels: Avery 8160)

Other Types of "Center" Signs (print on return address size labels: Avery 8167)  

Status of the Class Sheets:  (1) Penguins    (2) Personal Narratives    (3) Remembering First Grade