Updated OLW + Portfolio= Perfect!

I needed to update my recent post. After reading my awesome teacher blogging pages, I was inspired by Ms. Wainwright and Holly. This is why I am super excited about blogging, because of all the different ideas we can create for our students. Some upper level teachers don't believe in working with the lower grade teachers because their ideas are too watered down for them. But that is not the case here my Blogging friends. :) Holly is a fabulous first grade teacher and Ms. Wainwright is a fantastic fourth grade teacher, by putting their two ideas together makes PERFECTION! (yes, I am shouting via this board while everyone else is sleeping at my house. I am just so excited and I can't hide it!)


As I posted earlier about my One Little Word, also known around the blogging world (I found out that after I wrote it) OLW. I will be having my students do this first thing Wednesday morning. We are in our poetry unit, so how perfect will this be to get their one word for the new year. I will get some pictures together like from my previous post, One Little Word, to have them work cooperatively thinking of one word to describe the picture. The groups will do a Gallery Walk to each picture and come up with new words to describe the picture. Then I will have them picture this year as being their best year and illustrate it, then write their OLW.

Then they will write synonyms for their OLW to use in a free verse poem. PERFECT! I can't wait to post pictures.

Then I will introduce Ms. Wainwright created Student Portfolio. These portfolios will be a place where they reflect on their progress on assignments. Ms. Wainwright posted that she plans to use this for parent conferences with the student present to discuss their portfolios to their parents. LOVE IT! The best part is the OLW will tie into this perfectly is the accountability on the student. As the teacher, you can redirect or conference with the student to get them back on track because of their OLW.

Again, I'm totally in love with this blogging thing! I am totally digging it!

As Always
Live.Laugh.Teach

Christina Shaw