Classroom Picture 3 (Circle Time)


This is a picture of part of my circle time board.  On the right I have reading strategies and genre information cards.  On the main board there is a calendar, two maps (U.S.A. and World), a weather chart, a 100 chart, reading questions (who, what, where, why, when, and how), sign language alphabet (see Hellen Keller post), classroom rules, and the behavior management stoplight.  Down at the bottom I have the following charts:  ow are you feeling, days of the week, months of the year, and birthdays.  On the table is a mini pocket chart for managing Daily 5 centers as well as the radio.

I tried to include important information that we will refer to frequently throughout the year. I placed the calendar where the children can reach it to write on it.  I love Regie Routman's I do, We do, You do learning model.  At the beginning of the year I do the calendar during circle time.  As the year progresses I guide the helpers in the process.  By the end of the year the children are the teachers!

This is the first time that I am using a write and wipe calendar.  In the past I've used the calendar pocket chart.  In the empty space I am going to hang the place value pocket chart as well as hooks with sight word cards, vocabulary cards, and our weekly spelling words.. I also plan on adding a caterpillar to the top of the board.  Every day we are in school we will add a circle body segment with the day written on it so we can keep track of how many days we have been in school.  I plan on color coding the caterpillar to make patterns.  I was thinking for the first fifteen days an AB pattern (green yellow) and the next fifteen days an AAB pattern (green, green, yellow).  I would also like to add two legs (an upside down V dye cut) to each circle so that we can practice counting by twos.  What do you think?

This is the first year that I am including the behavior chart on the circle time board.  Usually it is across the room.  Placing the behavior chart is always one of the hardest decisions.  It needs to be at an appropriate height (where the children can reach it).  It needs to be in a location where children can't play around with it, yet where it is visible.  I like it off to the side of the board where we can go over the rules every morning, yet it is out of the way during lessons.  I included the how are you feeling chart below the stoplight so that we can discuss how feelings can impact behavior.  I plan on teaching the children strategies for handling different emotions through read alouds, class discussions, and role playing.  Every child starts the day on green.  It is each child's choice on how their day ends.  The children have an option to go above and beyond and move to blue or move their clip to yellow or red for misguided choices.  I would like to thank Mrs. Haynes for sharing the idea about moving to blue.  I think it is wonderful to provide positive consequences for excellent behavior!

Please let me know if you would like for me to do a post on classroom management...

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