Weekly Summer Link Up: An Accomplishment I am Proud Of

As teachers we wake up everyday and do one of the hardest jobs in the world: educate the future. Of this, I am always proud. Yes, there are days that I wake up and would give anything to have 60 5 more minutes of sleep but I still sit up and get ready for the day. My littles count on me to be their guide and show excitement!

We also have one of the BEST jobs in the world!!

I am once again excited to be linking up with Monica at I Heart Grade 3 for her fabulous summer linky! This week's topic is Proud Accomplishment.

There are so many things I could list as my proud moments! But I would have to say an accomplishment of which I am most proud is my Renaissance Learning Master and Model Certification.

I am an avid Accelerated Reading teacher. I love how it motivates children to read, when used correctly in the classroom. I love how it tracks data and reading and allows the teacher to know exactly how well children are reading and where they may need help. It really is a powerful tool that drives success in reading.

I do not use AR as a grade because I feel that it deters reading progress. If children are forced to read, they really don't want to do it. I do set goals but I do so for a mini motivation. There are prizes they can receive but they primarily medallions or paper certificates to honor their accomplishment. At the end of the year, they receive certificates honoring their success and I give them a book or two for the summer. Because, of course, books!!!

If you want a copy of the Certificates, click {{HERE}}. You can add your own text boxes to personalize.

And because I am trained in the appropriate implementation of AR I rarely have students who don't reach the goal.

The key to reading success? READ. And then read some more. And when you are done, read again.

We read so much in class that children have many opportunities to test and earn points.

First, we have ELA Blocks where I do mini lessons which always include a book or story or poem and high frequency words and spelling words. All of these include the children reading. Then, in centers they choose their own books from the library and in small groups we read.

Books, books, books!! I love the Scholastic Reading Club to get books because, duh. They are awesome!

Thirdly, everyday we have a read aloud prior to lunch. It's usually something we are studying in Science or Social Studies. We try to expand the content area across as many disciplines as possible.

I am also VERY proud of my classroom library, which helps to keep the kiddos reading all the time!