NEW POWER HOUR!

OK so as many people know in Murray District they have an hour (or in my case a 1/2 hour) of a teachers day that is dedicated to literacy learning. It is called "POWER HOUR." I am so lucky to have this time. I have 3 aids that come in and help me and my students to enhance their literacy skills. Well I have been following the direction of the other 2 teachers and doing what they did during power hour. But after talking to my principal I have completely revamped my power hour. I've been thinking about changing it since Christmas but I didn't know if I could. Some days I still feel like a student teacher that has to do as the other teachers say. But I don't! Not that the other teachers do not have great ideas and instruction, they just don't always work for everybody!

So we use to have 4 groups in which the students went to through out the week. But they only received 30 min. of instruction total on guided reading and spelling. So I decided instead of the students attending 2 of the groups a day they are going to go to 3 ten minute groups, giving them 40 min. of instruction in each subject each week. I am so excited to change it next week I hope it works they way I think it will and I hope I don't overwhelm the aids that help me.

I am also planning to redo my center instruction. I feel bad that my kids are being guinea pigs this year! But they are all so smart that I think they can handle it! I am going to try what another teacher suggested on her blog here is the poster board I am going to make.

The students are assigned their first group they have to go to and then they can choose between three others after they have accomplished the task of the first group. I hope that it works. I think that it eliminates a lot of the unpleasant paper work that they have to accomplish in the centers I am doing now! THANK YOU KELLY'S WEB PAGE! I love all the ideas you give me! Their are so many websites that are such a big help for teachers. Here are just a few...

http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/

http://www.jmeacham.com/

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org

http://www.hellofirstgrade.com/

http://www.uen.org/

Just a couple that I use all the time. It amazes me that teachers use to work with out the Internet! I love that teachers post their ideas on their web pages! It is such a big help!