A day in the life...A schedule linky

Today I'm linking up with Amelia over at Where the Wild Things Learn! I thought it might be fun to share my daily schedule and check out what other teachers are doing all over the world!

My schedule is about the same every day. On Tuesday, we switch things up just a little due to PLT's (Professional Learning Teams AKA Team Meetings AKA Data Talk) first thing in the morning. Our school {sort of} designs our schedule for us, and we tweek it to fit the needs of our students. Our day is pretty much split in 2 parts, which works well for the kiddies. 

When the students arrive, I typically have a fun worksheet or review activity on their desks for morning work. If not, they know to get a book from their book basket or the library and read quietly. Many students arrive late, so the students are given a little extra time to finish up after announcements at 8:20. If they don't finish their morning work before 8:35, they keep it at their desk and work on it whenever they have some free time throughout the day.

At the beginning of the year, I tried doing morning meetings and found that I lost valuable Daily 5 time. After going to a training on Friday done by the FABULOUS Jennifer Jones, I was  reminded of the importance of this togetherness each day. I plan to start that back up this week. 

My literacy block is divided up something like this: 

8:45-9:00  Daily 5/Guided Reading

9:00-9:10  Mini Lesson {Comprehension}

9:10-9:25  Daily 5/Guided Reading

9:25-9:35  Mini Lesson {Phonics}

9:35-9:50  Daily 5/Guided Reading

9:50-10:10  Read Aloud

Of course it is nearly impossible to stay on track completely, but this is what I aim for. I have an incredible teacher's assistant every other day who also pulls a group for guided reading. If things go well, all groups are able to be seen every other day. On the days that I do not have an assistant during literacy, I see my lowest 3 groups. The read aloud section almost never had it's time to shine last quarter. This go-around I plan to make it a priority. Students need to be read to. They need to see that reading is fun and that some times people actually read without being questioned. It's a great way to introduce new units or themes. It is also an excellent way to show off different genres. It helps students figure out what they like and what they don't like. Reading to your students is important and should be a part of your daily schedule. I'm excited to get back to that!

After specials and lunch we settle back in with a few minutes of rest time. Students have the choice of resting their heads, reading, or writing in their journals. They are not allowed to talk or leave their seat during this time. It helps them to calm down and rest their tummies! 

My math block looks like this: 

11:55-12:15  Teacher Time {a new topic is taught or something is reviewed}

12:15-12:30 Lesson Work {Students independently practice what we just learned}

12:30-12:45 Math Centers {As soon as students finish their Math Practice, they pick a center and play with friends. The centers always cover topics we have already learned. During this time I check the students Lesson Work and pull students who did not understand}

12:45-1:10 Fact Practice {If students complete their center and have extra time, they pull the bucket of flash cards to practice with a friend, OR they hop on a computer and practice recently taught math skills}

Once math is cleaned up, we head to the carpet for a writing mini lesson. This is where we cover language, speaking and listening, and writing standards. Next, the students get a chance to use what they've learned in their writing journals. I typically pull students for conferences during this time. If we have extra time, we come back to the carpet to share our writing.

At the end of the day, time permitting, we do a science or social studies activity. Many times, the current topic is integrated in read-alouds and other literacy work. It is just so hard to squeeze everything in!

Having recess at the end of the day has its pro's and con's. It is definitely nice to sit back and relax for the last 30 minutes of the day. However, by that point, the students are so desperately in need of a break. This is one area we couldn't do much about, so we make the best of it :)

Now it's your turn! Join the Linky Party and tell us all about your day!