The Reading Buddies Birth Story

It all began on a humid August afternoon when a then fifth-grade teacher went up to a then first-grade teacher and asked her if she wanted to join him for Reading Buddies.  

Before being hired in my new school my former school had set up Reading Buddies with upper and lower grades to help build fluency, comprehension, a love of reading, a mentorship, and a friend.  When I came to my new school there were no Reading Buddies.  Actually a grade level colleague let me know that she was concerned about my ability to cover the curriculum if I was spending time reading with first graders.  (I assured her I would be fine.)

Kelly said yes, not knowing what Reading Buddies was, and we began working.  

-We switched classes so Kelly could teach my fifth graders reading strategies to help her kids and I would read stories to her first graders. 
-We learned about our kids and lamented over year long partnerships.
-Kelly brought her class to visit so they weren't afraid of being in the fifth grade room.
-We made a plan and worked out a system that worked for us. 

There were getting to know you games, and quiet reading, and of course the time the fire alarm went off with all 48 kids in my room.  We began celebrating together

Thanksgiving feast-  sure!

                  Holiday stories and games- DEFINITELY!

                                    Read Across America Day PJ Camp-Out- 

WITHOUT A DOUBT!

Kelly and I love working together and have alot of fun doing so.  (Click HERE to see a time when we unexpectedly wound up on a class trip together.) 

Reading Buddies has often been the best part of the day and our kids create lasting memories and friendships that last!

You can head over to our TPT store to check out our Reading Buddies How to Guide if you are interested in starting a Reading Buddies partnership with another teacher buddy. 

You can check out some other Reading Buddy blog posts here:
Grinch Day Technology Glitch
Merry Thanksgiving
Reading Buddies How to Guide
End of Year
Earth Day-Lorax
Dr. Seuss Day

See ya Buddies!
-Damien and Kelly

Teacher Week 2013- Classroom Digs

It's the second day of Teacher Week and I am trying hard to stay on top of things while attending Columbia University Teacher's College Reading Institute in NYC.  It's keeping a guy busy.  

Tuesday with Blog Hoppin' = Classroom Digs

Soooooooo, It's August in NJ and we don't go back to school until September and with both Kelly and I being away there hasn't been a great deal of classroom set-up time. Something I know we will regret later.  I suppose that my classroom currently looks like this...

-boxes everywhere

-paper covering every nook and cranny from 3 months of dust

-curtain rods without curtains

-basicallyYUCK-O!

However, once I return the NJ on Sunday you can guarantee I will be storming the castle on Monday to get started.  

However you can check out my classroom and Kelly's from our reveals last September.  

Check it out: 

Damien's Harry Potter Classroom

Kelly's Under the Sea Classroom

We will definitely post our new classroom photos once we are ready to go!

ENJOY!

Damien and Kelly

The End of Summer School

Well friends-

Summer School is OVER!  

Although I enjoy teaching, Summer School is tough even for the best of us.  I had 9 fifth grade remedial students and 13 fourth grade remedial students for two 1 hour Reading Classes.  It was hard to get them to "buy into what I was selling" and even harder to get them to show up each day.  That being said, we tried our best to work on our summer reading, sharpen our literacy skills, and enjoy reading.  

Below I have some pictures from my First Grade Enrichment Class on Math Games.  God I love those first graders, makes me think some time in the younger grades may be in my future-just not the near future.

Here we are in one center playing Hungry Fish. A great (and FREE) app.

Students were at the choice game station

Here we used a SMART Board file a first grade friend shared with me.

This week I am in NYC at Columbia University for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.  I can't wait to share all I am learning with you. So, check back soon for posts about that.  

For instant buddy gratification check out our Instagram-
username: TheReadingBuddies

B-Bye Buddies, 
Damien 

The enemy has arrived...

And thy name is Journeys!

#BackToBasal 

We Survived-100th Day & Read Across America Day

We made it!  Kelly and I survived one heck of a week that included both the 100th day of school and Read Across America Day. 

Kelly and I planned to participate in a half day of 100th day of School activities.  Well, let's just say what we planned could have taken an entire day because we didn't get beyond activity number 1.  Our students made 100th day hats, each with 10 strips of colored paper hanging from the top.  On each colored paper (you guessed it) things in groups of ten. 

Ten stamps
                Ten drawings
                                     Ten math problems
                                                                   Ten friends names
                                                                                                 Etc.

That's all we got to together.  Kelly completed some other activities and I HOPE she will find the time to blog about it.  Here's a few pictures......

Here is the stamping station underway.  

Since Kelly's room is Under the Sea themed one group of ten was a
group of ten fish.

Here is the sign above Kelly's door made by her student teacher!  The kids were so excited to enter the classroom.  This idea was from Pinterest.

This is the 100th day kiss hunt that we were supposed to do with our Reading Buddies but ran out of time.  Spread out throughout the room were 100 kisses that had a number from 1-100 on the bottom of the kiss.  Each student was sent to hunt for two kisses and then place on the hundreds chart which only had a few numbers showing on the 100's chart.  Kids loved this activity.

Next it was on to Read Across America Day.  

Step #1- Decorate the door. 

I always use Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as my book inspiration but come up with a different design each year.  I have to say, I am running out of ideas.  Last year I recreated the Hogwarts Express.  Revisit that blog post here: Read Across America Day 2012 . This year I was going with a quote I found and the idea that reading can allow you to experience many lives.  We were reading Harry Potter and were going to experience the Great Hall.

Here we are reading HPSS while wearing Harry glasses and lightning shaped scars.  The kids
created their own Harry covers. 

Here we are TRANSPORTED into the book waiting to be sorted in the Great Hall. 

Sure I think the decor is cute, but it was the BIGGEST pain in the butt to created and had me at school, hanging candles until 10:30 PM the night before RAA Day.  (Note to self-next year, begin door decor on January 7th).

Kelly's door made by her student teacher:

In Kelly's room before beginning a very fun filled day we needed some creative energy.  Another idea from Pinterest, the cat in the hat snack.  Vanilla yogurt layered with strawberries.  Kids ate this up then we were ready for the rest of the day.

We spent the day reading Dr. Seuss books, writing about Dr. Seuss books, watching digital retelling of Dr. Seuss books, and creating Dr. Seuss characters.  Here are some pictures from our EXHAUSTING but really FUN day!

Here we are watching a digital retelling of Yertle the Turtle. VERY cute!

We had our Reading Buddies share some Dr. Seuss stories together 

We made this guy...

Our buddies analyzing the character of Yertle the Turtle

We also had a Seuss relay which was one of the best activities of the day.  The students had to run a race and search for Dr. Seuss titles given only the initials of the titles (for example OFTFRFBF is One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish). 

                                    Relay pictures:

On your mark get set go!

                  Find that Dr. Seuss title as fast as you can!

We ended the day with one of my favorite activities, A movie on the ceiling.  I rig up the projector to shine on the ceiling and our students lay down on the floor with pillows and blankets to watch the movie.  It is so cute watching them all lay together and watch the film.  

So much FUN!

It was a GREAT day filled with reading fun!  

How did you enjoy your Read Across America Day celebration?
Damien 

Merry Thanksgiving?

Hello Buddies-

A bit late, but better late than never!

This year Kelly and I have been forced to down size our Thanksgiving celebration.  (Thanks Federal and State Government). So this year, we had a turkey sandwich luncheon.

I saw this on Pinterest and we had to try it. 

It's a Turkey Sandwich

The kids sat with their Reading Buddies and had lunch together.  Parent volunteers made turkey sandwiches and cut them round.  The kids had a variety of healthy items to make their turkey sandwich look like a turkey.  Pretzel sticks, carrot sticks, and celery sticks were all used for the feathers.

Raisins were used for the eyes and cheese was used for the beak.  Lastly, fruit by the foot strips were used for the waddle.  

It's not the turkey feast we are used to, but it was pretty adorable!

Your buddies, 
Damien and Kelly.

We Won an Award

YAY!

We are award winners.  We were nominated by The Realistic Teacher and Literacy Sundae for the Liebster Award. Thanks for the love guys!

Step #1: Is share 11 random facts about ourselves. Here we go:

1-Kelly and I live around the block from each other. 

2-This year our classrooms were moved to separate sides of the building and although this seems miner, IT IS KILLING US!

3-Christmas is my favorite holiday and I start playing Christmas music right after Halloween.

4-Kelly is completely responsible for my Harry Potter themed classroom.  It was her idea my second year of teaching and was one of the best choices EVER!

5-Favorite TV shows: Mine is Glee and Kelly's is Dance Moms

6-Our favorite place to go out is The Melting Pot.  Cheese and Chocolate Fondue, not to mention Sangria.  A GREAT combo!

7-One of us has 2 kids and one of us has 2 dogs. 

8-Our teaching styles are very similar and we are hoping that one day we will be teaching the same grade level. 

9-We met when Kelly borrowed my new teacher scissors and didn't return them for a day or two.  

10-Although reluctant to change grades, Kelly is now loving teaching second grade!

11-I took a baking class this summer and have been baking up a storm since then. 

Step #2: answer 11 questions: 
1. What is your favorite smell?
Damien-Gingerbread
Kelly- Pine trees

2. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
Damien- Tickets to Disney World
Kelly- House on Lake George

3. Do you have, and what is, your end of day routine?
Damien-School: Talk to my teacher buddies  Home: Lay in bed with a few shows from Tivo
Kelly-School: Tell joke of the day after kids line up.  Home: Blog hop until I can't see straight

4. What is your favorite TV Show?
Damien- Glee
Kelly- Dance Moms

5. Do you have pets?
Damien- Yes- 2 dogs, Copper a retriever mix and Tucker a Hound mix
Kelly- Yes, a dog named Shadow, a black lab. 

6. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
Damien- Thanksgiving night as the family played Scene It!
Kelly- Can't remember

7. What is your favorite book to read to your students?
Damien- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Kelly- Franny K. Stein Lunch Walks Among us by: Jim Benton

8. Why did you start blogging?
Damien and Kelly: Kelly found TPT and the blogging world and we thought it would be a next great step to start our own. 

9. What is your favorite type of weather?
Damien- I love the fall, but here in Jersey its about 4 days between summer and winter weather.  
Kelly: 60 and no humidity (does Jersey even have that kind of weather)

10. Are you a "list maker"?
Damien- YES! Can't remember a damn thing if I don't write it down and I take great satisfaction on crossing things off my list. 
Kelly: Yes!

11. Do you workout, go to the gym, exercise in general?
Damien- Whenever I want to torture myself.  
Kelly: Sometimes.

Here are the blogs I am nominating: 
A Great Title
Fifth Grade Follies
Every New Beginning
Confessions of a Fourth Grade Teacher
Liv To Teach
Mrs. Quimby Reads
Mrs. White's 5th Grade class


Have a Happy Day!

Cyber Monday SALE!

Hello Buddies-

We hope you ate up on Thursday...

Shopped 'til you dropped on Friday...

And are now ready for your fingers to do the work.

We are participating in TPTs Cyber Monday sale. Our entire store is 20% off combined with the percentage that TPT is generously giving off of items and you can save 28%!

Out TPT Store an be found HERE: Reading Buddies on TPT

It's time to empty out those carts and clear those wish lists. 

Happy Shopping!
Damien and Kelly 

End of Year-Part 2

Time to talk about the celebration!

For the last few years Kelly and I have celebrated the end of Reading Buddies with a Water Balloon and Ice Pop celebration.  Kelly's paraprofessional blows up the balloons and we usually do just a balloon toss. This year Kelly wanted to do a towel toss. We blew up extra balloons and had the 5th grade buddy bring in towels.  After we loaded each pair with water balloons we called for a toss....AND JUST ABOUT EVERY BALLOON HIT THE GROUND AND BURST! 

Before the Towel Toss balloons burst!

Our pair ready to toss their water balloon. 

It seems the kids weren't holding the towels tight enough to toss them and they got all tangled up. Oh well, it was WORTH A TRY!  Then we went into our regular balloon toss which is always a blast!

My favorite part of the whole event is when we sit the kids in a circle together "waiting for their ice pops".  Then Kelly and I grab some water balloons are start throwing them at the kids. The kids always love getting hit with the balloons and this year one of the kids caught one.  He very wisely didn't throw it back at us, but handed it to me.  I thanked him by popping it over his head.  :0)

This is definitely one of my favorite Reading Buddy events: low key, relaxed, and FUN!
-Damien 
The Reading Buddies

These two lovelies got quite wet during the "Teacher Toss"
when Kelly and I started taking aim at them. 

End of Year-Part 1

The Reading Buddies have been up to so much the last few days of school that our END OF YEAR POST is coming to you in multiple parts.

Let's start with the gifts:

For her class Kelly makes them personalized scrapbooks of all the events, activities, and lessons from the year.  Although technology was not her friend this year. (Printing was a nightmare and she started 3 times over) I think this was the best one yet!

To go along with her Ocean theme Kelly gave each child a personalized Beach Pail filled with some summer fun!

How ADORABLE is this?

            

I like to give my kids, 5th graders who are leaving our building to go to middle school next year, a small gift each day for the last few days.  Day one was a Hershey Bar with a school themed wrapper connecting to my LOVE of chocolate.  I made a personal slideshow of all the events from our class and showed it to the students making a personalized DVD for each student. My kids and their parents always LOVE this and it is one of my favorite moments of the year as we watch the whole year pass by. (Though next year I promise to start early, and not be up until 4 in the morning burning DVDs.)

I saw this idea online, and LOVED it.  Each child got an individualized Wordle with a poem gift tag.

For our class parents, Kelly found this idea somewhere and it was such a cute presentation, I couldn't resist copying it.

Stay tuned for End Of Year post Part 2 where we discuss our End of the Year Reading Buddy Celebration-A personal favorite!

-Damien of The Reading Buddies

Just a day, Just an ordinary day!

Today I went to school prepared to give a performance assessment on fractions and I wound up on the beach with 76 first graders...allow me to explain!

As our followers know I teach 5th grade and Kelly teaches 1st grade.  Today, as I arrived at school I had heard that something happened to our other first grade friend, Diane.  She had seriously hurt her back getting out of her car and was in her classroom and such EXTREME pain that she couldn't even move.  With our principal out, due to a recent surgery, we knew we had to come up with a plan.  Without missing a beat Kelly gave me a look.  You know the look, the one where you knew what your friend was going to say before they said anything.  Just looking at her face I knew I was going on the trip.

Seconds later, Kelly said "call the office and let them know that Diane is going home, and you are going on the trip".

Within seconds, we had:
-Notified the office that Diane was going home
-Organized her permission slips and emergency bag
-Met with my Co-teacher to tell her she was going to be taking over my class today
-Re-planned my day

...And before I knew it I was in my classroom with 23 fifth graders, 24 first graders and only half of us were going on a trip.  Now, it is awful to admit, but I kind of enjoyed telling my kids that I was heading to the aquarium and the beach on this gorgeous 84 degree day.  Don't judge, it's the reason we LOVE personal days.  The fact that we are out enjoying the day while everyone else is at work.  After a few organizational details we were on the bus heading to the aquarium.  Kelly and I have never been on a trip together and have never been on the same grade level-we were rather excited to be grade-level colleagues.

Not a bad Wednesday!

What I learned on a first grade class trip:
-When the tour guide asks for questions, every child will want to tell their own fish story.

-Even though they are told not to touch the glass, everyone WANTS to touch the glass. 

-First graders will touch a horseshoe crab without a second thought. 

-Keep your eye on the nurse, because when you need her she will be 100 yards down the beach on her cell phone. 

-It doesn't hurt to have a male teacher on the trip for boy bathroom breaks. 

-No matter how many times you tell a first grader to stay away from the water there will always be that one boy who tries to get hit by a wave. 

-All beach-goers eyes are on you as you ruin their peaceful beach day storming the shore with 80 seven year olds. 

-I LOVE first grade enthusiasm.

-Even though you are told not to bring peanut butter because of allergies someone WILL bring peanut butter and he WILL wind up sitting next to the allergy child during lunch. 

-Once you rave about one child's beach findings, EVERY child will want to show you something so you can rave about them as well. 

-I can so handle first graders.

-Kelly and I make a good pair whether on different or the same grade levels.

I have to say, this trip had both Kelly and I questioning whether some grade level change requests were in need because we REALLY enjoyed working together.  There was such a natural flow and we were ALWAYS on the same page.  Maybe it's time for me to move down a few grade levels? Just a thought!

So, how was your day?
-Damien 

Earth Day, The Lorax, and a little Dirt!

For Earth Day Kelly and I fully embraced everything LORAX!


We started by reading the Dr. Seuss tale about a little orange creature who "speaks for the trees".


The day before we got together to examine the story.  We completed character analysis activities on both The Lorax and the Once-ler using an activity I created for my SmartBoard.

Using the SmartBoard to drag character traits to the appropriate
character. Some character traits are shared by both characters. 

Reading Buddy pairs used photocopied excerpts
 of the story to find character traits and support
 from the story. 

We had the Reading Buddies identify a character trait and write support from the story.  I modeled an example on the SmartBoard to make sure my first grade friends knew what was expected of them.


Then we had a debate about two famous Dr. Seuss villains-The Grinch and The Once-ler.  We had previously gotten together in December for celebration of Grinch Day and spent a day discussing and dissecting that story. So, we asked the kids: "In your opinion, who is the worst villain, The Grinch or The Once-ler?"  


Quite a debate occurred with quite a few reasons given and supported from the story.  In the end, we seemed to agree that The Grinch was the worst villain because he set out to hurt people on purpose, where the Once-ler caused his destruction accidentally.  Our Lorax SmartBoard activities is available or purchase at our TPT Store


in the afternoon we got together in Kelly's room to create decopage cups and plant our own land of the Lorax.  We used plastic cups and some watered-down glue to attach tissue paper to the cup and then coated the tissue paper with glue for a final coating.  Once that was completed the kids colored paper Loraxes and Trufflula Trees and mounted them on popsicle sticks.  The next day, once everything was dry we planted grass seed and the effect was quite wonderful. 

A Reading Buddy pair working on their pots. 

Coloring the decorations that will be placed in their
Land of the Lorax

  

Two finished products

Kelly's Lorax bulletin board

My Truffula Trees and personal Lorax writing tasks. 

I took pictures of my kids with The Lorax Mustache
so they could protect their trees. 

About two weeks later we have grass growing in our plastic cup pots.  The kids were thrilled to see this and Kelly's couldn't wait to take their Lorax Lands home so they could "cut the grass and watch it grow again".

This was another FUN and EDUCATIONAL 

Reading Buddies Activity!

Damien and Kelly

The Reading Buddies