Easiest Classroom Library Checkout System

If you're anything like me, I've changed my class library checkout system quite a bit over the years. I could never quite find something that worked well, that students followed through with and that was simple. 
Today, I've finally FORCED myself to sit down and write this post. I've been wanting to share my checkout system here on the blog for the past few years...but just haven't made the time to write a post. This is the simplest system EVER and I would never go back to any other system I've used before.

Traditional class library checkout systems didn't work for me for various reasons. One of the classic systems, placing a shelf maker in the spot you borrowed a book from did not work for me because I wanted my students checking multiple books out at one time.  I also tried having them fill out a class library log, but only a handful of students filled it out consistently and accurately. Not to mention, it was just too much of a headache to constantly monitor (especially that returned column).  The second best system that I had was when I used Classroom Booksource. 

Image from Book Source. 

I blogged about that here. When I first used it back in 2012, it was really new. Now that it's been around awhile, I'm sure it is much more user friendly and easy to use. What I liked about using this site was I had an inventory of ALL my books. All I needed to do was scan the barcode on each book. Students would log into their account and check books out. This was good because I could see what books I had on hand as well as who had a book checked out if I wanted to use it for a lesson. I could also figure out who the missing book on the floor belonged to when nobody in the class would claim it lol. 
Although this system worked well for me, my students did sometime run into issues where they couldn't find a book they were checking out in the system. It was also time consuming for students and the setup was SUPER time consuming for me. It took me forever to get my entire class library uploaded into that database. 

All you need for this NEW and IMPROVED checkout system is a phone/iPad/tablet, books, and kids. 
You good?! I had a rotating schedule on when students could bookshop. 

Each day of the week, a different colored group would get to book shop first thing in the morning. They were allowed to choose 4 books and would keep those books in their book bags until the next time their book shopping day came around (the following week). Once they chose their books, they would simply come up to me, spread their books out and I would snap a photo of them on my phone.

Even if I was in the middle of something, it took less than 5 seconds for me to snap their photo and delete their picture from the previous week. This system allowed me to see who had what book and monitor what was checked out.
 If a kid wanted to keep one of the same books and get a few new ones the following week, they would just choose their new books and come to get their picture taken as normal. If they wanted to keep all their books, they would just come and let me know and I would keep their old photo. Because I only had a few students shopping each day, it was totally manageable. I could also see this working as a class job. 

PRO TIP:

Another thing that helps this system work seamlessly is by having an organized classroom library. This ensures that students can quickly and easily find books that they're interested in. I have all of my library books in bins and they are organized by favorite authors, popular book series, and genre. It makes it easy for my students to find books that they like and they can also quickly put back the books they are retuning (books are labeled so that students know what bins to return them to).

Click here to check out the labels that I use to organize my library AND snag the free labels that go along with this organizational system.
Are you just starting out building your classroom library? You may be interested in this post where I share Ideas on Expanding Your Class Library on a Teacher Budget.
If you decide to try this system out, I'd love to hear about how it's working for you and your students. Feel free to leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram @Teachinginparadise :) 
Short on Time? Save this post for later! 

Math Workshop #beginning

Yesterday I posted about how and why Math Workshop started in my classroom. I also mentioned that I would be doing a mini blog series about what it looks like in my class and how I structure the block. If you're interested in reading about why I started, you can check that post out here.

Before we even begin Math Workshop, I explain to my students what it is and WHY it's important. I explain to students that by doing Math Workshop, I am able to be a better teacher and better meet the needs of each student. We talk about how sometimes certain math concepts are harder to learn for others but then the next concepts may be easier to learn. In small groups, I will be able to see what a student is struggling with and address their needs immediately…rather than letting them practice a skill the wrong way and then catching it after I grade their work. 

 I show them the rotation board, explain generally what they will be doing at each station and then we practice moving. Only moving and reading the board. 

The large circles are the different groups. The cards to the far left are labeled: Rotation 1, Rotation 2, etc. Each day during workshop the students will rotate to all four stations- work with teacher, independent work, hands on, and computers. 

After I am done explaining what they'll generally be doing at each station, I assign them a group and we practice reading the board. After that, we discuss HOW we move about from one station to the other. Students are expected to put whatever materials they are working with away. They will get a signal when it is time to switch. I ring my little bell and call out "SWITCH". The students then repeat back to me "SWITCH". I then begin a countdown. I say "10", then the students repeat after me. I continue to count each number and the students will echo the same number aloud. This gives them a total of 20-40 seconds to switch. (I usually start at a higher number during the beginning--but once they get used to it they get better at putting things away and moving quickly). 

Only after I know that each student knows how to read the board and move about…we practice. Students don't do anything at each station…they just practice counting, moving, and pretending like they're working at their station. We continue to practice as much as we need until I know that students know the expectations. 

1. Students are not allowed to interrupt me when I am working with a small group of students. I only have 20 minutes with each group, and they understand this time is valuable. 
2. Students must be on task…the whole time.
3. Students must put their materials away.
4. Students must come to each station prepared with necessary materials (will go into this later).

Ensuring your students understand the value of Math Workshop as well as what is expected of them is crucial in order for this to be successful. Spending the time in the beginning to make sure your students understand your role and their roles will help the process to run smoothly in your classroom all year round. 

Next up- I will post a little more about the structure.

If you have any questions about starting math workshop in your classroom, please feel free to send me an e-mail or leave your questions in the comment section below :) 

It's a Blog Hop...Hawaiian Style!

Aloha!

I am so excited to be writing this post today because I am teaming up with some amazing bloggers, who also live in Hawaii, for this super fun blog hop...in celebration of all of us Hawaii teachers heading back to school today!! 

Most of the freebies being offered today are geared towards those teachers who teach in the islands...but if you can use it..by all means we'd be more than happy for you to snag our freebies :) We've also got a little special something for those of you who don't live here...

Today I have a file you can use for students to self-assess themselves at the ending of each quarter in regards to their GLO's (General Learner Outcomes). This was actually done a few years back by an amazing teacher at my school who has retired, I just tweaked some of the wording and added a cute border! 

These are great to show parents during conferences. You could also use this to evaluate each student while assigning grades for GLO's as well. You can pick this freebie up here. 

I've also just added these cute welcome posters to my TPT store. Best thing about them...they're editable and free for this hop!! :) Head on over to my store to pick these up. 

And I promised a little something for those of you who don't get to head back to work today in Paradise.....

Yes, that's right. All items in my TPT store will be 20% off today and tomorrow. Great time to stock up and get ready for heading back into that classroom! 

In case you missed it, head on over to Nicole's blog at Teaching with Style for the first freebie in our blog hop! 

Monday Made It, a Peek into my Class, and a FREEBIE Bloghop Sneak Peek!!

Hello out there! 

Tomorrow is officially my first day back at work, but I've been working throughout the entire summer changing up my classroom theme and getting it all ready for the first day. We actually don't get our students until the 5th of August, but we begin PD training and have 2 teacher work days. I am so happy for this, because this if the first time in 2 years we are getting paid to set up and train for PD. We will be heading to the Okinawan Cultural Center, and Pearl City Country Club on Thursday and Friday to learn about our new Teacher Evaluation program that is being piloted this year!! 

The past two years I've had a beach/ocean theme going on in my classroom. You can check those pictures out here and here. 

This year, I decided to switch it up...I asked my students what they'd like to see for next years theme and it was pretty unanimous that they would like RAINBOWs! SO instead of actual rainbows, I decided rainbow colors! AND..because the MR and I are really trying very hard to save money for our wedding (hopefully sometime next year!), I decided that I would use my summer days to work on creating my own things for my classroom. I've spent many days and hours creating, editing, printing, laminating, and cutting. Here are some of the things I've made. Linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for her weekly Monday Made it!

These are my labels that I used to label pretty much everything around my room. Love how they turned out! 

This area is where students turn in all of their work. White trays are regular class work and pink trays are for homework assignments. 

This is my cart that houses all of my copies for the week....

Some photos of my class library. I bought a TON of books this summer and also had a ton donated by some generous families who moved out of state. It took me so long to get them organized. I've finally found a set up on my bookshelves too that I like as well so that my students know exactly where to put the bins back on the shelf when they take them out to book shop. 

These are my two bulletin boards in the back by my library. My CAFE Board...totally in love with these colorful posters from Ginger Snaps. You can pick these posters up for free in her TPT Store.

The second board is where I will display student work. I love using scrapbook paper to display student work because you can easily put the work samples landscape or portrait and either way..it'll still have a nice border around it. 

My classroom doesn't have much wall space to put things up on...so I had to resort to using the door to display my Genre Posters by the amazing Beth Newingham! 

Speaking of having no room....I had NO ROOM AT ALL for my Daily 5 rotation charts! I was walking around my room today trying to figure out where I could hang my 3 charts and then I got a brilliant idea. 

I decided to velcro them to my teacher desk. This works out perfectly because 1. My desk is pretty ugly,  and 2. All students need to pass by here in order to go to their reading spots. 

This is what my charts look like. There are 3 charts, one for each rotation. The students will be dismissed by reading groups to go and make their daily choices. They will each have three of their name cards in their reading boxes/binders and will go and mark their choice on their way to their reading spot. 

Picked up those SUPER CUTE Daily 5 cards from Lori Rosenberg. I absolutely adore her work! You can find them in her tpt store as well for FREE! 

These charts fit perfectly across my desk!

I also hopped on the Homework Club bandwagon and decided to try this out. I've always had a difficult time with student turning in their  homework...so hopefully this will be some motivation! 

This is a board I set up for our character traits of the month. I was planning on having the kids do a writing assignment each month as to how they demonstrated that character trait. However, I found out that we weren't doing this this coming school year and just focusing on Habits of Mind instead. SO that means I'll be swapping this out tomorrow for my Math Rotations board. 

These are my attendance cards. They are double sided. When students come in, they flip their cards over to ready to learn. When they leave for the day they flip it back to the blank side. This will be an easy way for my attendance monitor to see who is absent. 

I'll be sharing some final pictures as I finish up my room in the next 2 days. 

Until then...please come back and visit me tomorrow for a bloghop that I have planned with some amazing bloggers who also live here in Hawaii. 

Vistaprint Addict!!

For those of you who have never heard of Vistaprint...you must check it out! Let me warn you though, you will probably get sucked in and addicted like me. I can spend hours on that darn site creating things to use in my classroom. This is a website where you can pretty much create anything and everything for your classroom...magnets, business cards, banners, t-shirts, hats, pens, and the list goes on! 

I try not to order unless there is a really good sale going in. They usually send e-mails about their latest sales..and they usually happen pretty often too. There are also groupons every once awhile. I feel that you can get extremely good deals on this site....but shipping (for me) is always the killer. Not sure if it's because I live in Hawaii...or if shipping is outrageous no matter where you live?! 

SO for those of you who are looking for some new Vistaprint inspirations or just curious to see how I use VP in my classroom...you are in the right place today, my friend. 

This is probably one of my most frequent orders. I will purchase return address labels for this order and use them to label all of the books in my class library. They have a ton of cute designs too!!

This is one of my most recent creations. I used a business card for this and plan on using it to send home or staple in students planners when we have a parent/teacher conference. I won't need to worry about printing anything or writing a note in students planners. All I'll need to do is grab one of these cards..write the date and time and students name.

I'm really not sure on the pricing of all these products because they always vary depending on what kind of sale and or promotion they are running. I will recommend to not ever buy things at regular price. Wait till there's some kind of sale or promotion going on. I believe you get about 250 business cards...and if I'm not mistaken I may have got a set for free before too. 

This is another way that you could use the business cards. On each child's birthday..they get a birthday lei, a pencil and a homework pass! 

These are address labels (I believe) or small stickers..can't really remember.

My class library has really grown over the past 3 years. I now have nearly 1000 books in my library. I have three tricks that have helped me. 

The first is shopping at garage sales. I was finding books in amazing condition that would range anywhere from 10-50 cents a piece. There were books that cost $1.00 but I was cheap and usually wouldn't get it unless it was a hardcover :P (Now I'm spoiled and think that even the scholastic warehouse sales are expensive!) 

The second way my library has grown has been ordering books through scholastic with points.

And the third way is with these bad boys up above. When students borrow books from my library they notice that some of the books have these stickers instead of my "This book belongs to: Miss Mizufuka" sticker. I'll usually have a few kids ask about it. I then tell them that they are welcome to donate books to our class library that they are no longer going to read (and if it's okay with their parents). Most of them get so excited because they really want to have a 'plaque' in one of the library books that will stay in my library forever. Most kids will bring in a few books...some even bring in boxes and bags full of books!

Here are two more that I have....

 Under this sign I write the kids' "what to do" list. Below is where all of their assignments and page numbers are normally listed. 

I also order small car door magnets that go up on my front whiteboard. These are for things that are written up on the board on a weekly basis and always have a 'spot' 

 You can also get personalized post-its. 

The options are really unlimited with Vistaprint...These are some of my favorites that I have created on the site and use all the time in my own classroom. I hope I sparked some interest and creativity for you...now go and check the site out.... You know you want to!!

Have a great day!

Promises from the Heart

What kinds of classroom rules do you have in your class?? I was never a fan of the "no kicking, no hitting" types of rules. I've always felt that they were extremely boring, redundant, and totally restricting. If I were a student, I wouldn't want to see an entire paper filled with No this, No that.

Years ago when I was in my first round of student teaching, I had a mentor teacher who had this amazing set of class rules called Promises from the Heart. I'm not sure where she got them from and I don't think they're very known since I didn't come up with anything from a google search.

Anyways, these rules are so adorable and positive! Just like Whole Brain Teaching rules, there really is no way around them. Kids can never say "but it's not in the rules". The rules are actually very simple and go like this:

"I will:
H: Help everyone to have a fun, safe, and successful learning experience
E: Express self control and positive behaviors
A: Actively participate to the best of my abilities
R: Respect everyone and everything
T: Try to be better today than yesterday"

I do use the whole brain teaching rules in my classroom daily, but I also incorporate these. I always find myself telling those extra energetic children "Billy, self control" haha. They can never get around the rule: respect everyone and EVERYTHING! Also, when students get in trouble for anything, I always like to use it to teach them a life lesson. Usually, since I take the time to let each child talk to me about their behavior, they really get it and most times start crying because they are disappointed in themselves or that they let me down. I always bring back to take this and use it for tomorrow to have a better day. This always makes them feel better.

This morning I decided to whip up some posters for these rules. I have this really ugly handwritten one that I'm ashamed to show you and have no idea why I haven't redone them yet?! haha.

Head on over to my TPT store to get your copy of these rules!! Perfect timing for the beginning of the school year!! I hope these can be as successful in your classroom as they are in mine.