MLK Bulletin Board

Go-To Book

Stephanie from  is hosting a great "Linky Party" about your must have  Go-To book for teaching.  What a perfect topic?!  My must have book that has changed my teaching is "Launching the Writer's Workshop (Primary Grades) by Kristina Smekens and Linda Schmidt.  (The new revised primary book is now blue and the upper grades 3-12 book is yellow.) 

This book does an amazing job in giving you everything you need to successfully implement Writer's Workshop.  Management, ideas, anchor (example papers), mini lessons, cd with reproducibles, and more!  It has truly changed my life! I now feel like I am really teaching writing (not just having the kids write).  My entire district has adopted this book as our "bible" for writing.  We have Kristina (the author) or her sidekick Courtney come and present to our school each year on writing and the six-traits.  We could not be happier with them, they have done an amazing job at teaching us teachers how to teach writing effectively and painlessly.  Her website contains lots of great ideas too in the "Idea library."  Her conferences are well worth your your time if you ever have a chance to attend.   http://www.smekenseducation.com/

Friendship Building

I LOVE to take advantage of this fresh start in January by reviewing our classroom routines and expectations.  I tend to focus on the expectation I have that we are a positive community of learners.  I like to be proactive in this area as it seems like even the best of friends can suffer from cabin fever when we are stuck indoors for too many recesses together! My favorite resources for teaching compassion and community building skills is "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud.

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Bucket Filler actions… *help others (without being asked) * use kind words *spread joy and good feeling *show love and happiness to others *give compliments *try your best *give second chances *accept one’s apologies *show compassion *show respect *show responsibility

Bucket Dipper actions… *say things to hurt others feelings *laugh at others *mocking others *being pessimistic *avoid helping

In September we read the book several times.  We all made a pledge to be “Bucket Fillers” (It was an option to pledge, the children did not have to make the pledge- however they all did :)  We made an adorable banner with our pledges on it (will post a pic soon!) We brainstormed many different ways to be bucket fillers.  We drew pictures and wrote a sentence telling another person how they had been a bucket filler for us.  When we return to school we will be reviewing and brainstorming bucket filling ideas. I will also introduce children to the following pages, so that they can honor the actions of others or themselves.  I plan on putting this as a choice for children to work on writing and will then hang their bucket filling ideas with our pledge banner from earlier in the year. 

These can be downloaded from here

More great resources below!

Click here for-> Link to Bucket Filling resources by bucketfiller101.com

Click here for-> Link to Short video clips created by kids on School Tube "Bucket Filling Moments" (These kids did a great job on these clips, check them out!My kids love watching them.

I would LOVE to hear if anyone else has done any "Bucket Filling" in their school and any new ideas that are out there!