Refresh & Reflect Linky Party

Happy Monday, Friends!

I am just home from another purge and pack session in my classroom, and I just have to say....

I HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!

Twenty-four years of teaching, five different grade levels, six room moves, and countless decor themes later, I have been dubbed the "Queen Of Too Much Stuff" by my building custodians and colleagues.  

Yep.  The time has come to move away from my pack rat tendencies and create a place for everything....and then KEEP IT THERE!  It is with this goal in mind, that I am participating in this two-part blogger link-up designed to help me reflect on the 2014-2015 school year, and work on refreshing my methods and practices for the 2015-2016 school year.






Last fall I established a classroom blog that I intended to post weekly updates, photos, and resources to for parents.  As the year got underway, other priorities surfaced and my good intentions fell by the wayside.  My friend Kimberly over at iWrite In Maine has her second graders use iPads to create the content of her class blog though, and I have resolved to do the same!  My hope is to use KidBlog 
to share what we are learning and to give my students ownership of what is published!




Once I have recycled and purged the contents of every cabinet, shelf, drawer, and counter of my classroom, I am going to place the resources that remain into Sterlite containers and binders labeled with these cute Melonheadz themed products made by my blogger buddy Stephanie!  You can find the binder covers  {HERE} in her TpT store, Mrs. D.'s Corner!  There are links to her label templates in the product description!






These books are on my nightstand, and it is my goal to spend at least one hour reading, highlighting, an post-it noting pages that will help me improve my teaching practice.  My district's professional development in-services have focused mainly on technology over the past few years, and I have decided that I need to design my own this summer!  Stay tuned for more blog posts about what I'm learning either here or over at Adventures in Literacy Land, The Primary Pack, and Classroom Tested Resources!  




I am passionate about using quality children's literature to launch lessons in all areas of my curriculum.   This summer I will spend time developing a Social Studies/Writing unit using wordless picture books as mentor texts.  I am thrilled to be facilitating a workshop entitled Wordless Picture Books -- Passports to Writing  at the Mazza Museum Summer Institute, located in Findlay, Ohio, that will focus on the works of Aaron Becker, Molly Idle, and David Wiesner.  You can find a great list of more featured titles {HERE}.

As always, thanks for stopping in to share my story!  Be sure to pour yourself an icy glass of lemonade and sit down in a shady spot to enjoy these other posts!  We'd love it if you'd link up with your reflective and refreshing ideas as well!


An InLinkz Link-up


Peace out,




2 comments

  1. I have to admit, I don't use my picture books as well as I should. I mean, I read a TON of them but I know I could be utilizing them so much better. Thanks for linking up!

    Destiny
    Terrific Teaching and Learning

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    Replies
    1. One of my goals this summer is to organize my picture books into theme and/or author study bins, and set up a bi-weekly rotation of "teacher favorites" that I share with my students! They are just the best way to model good writing practice! Thanks so much for stopping my blog and commenting, Destiny!
      ~Jennifer

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