Its been a while since I posted- it was a hectic first half of the school year!
I wanted to share a system I came up with this year for Anchor Charts! In the past year I've really increased my use of anchor charts in my class.
I love creating them with the class because they reflect our class' understandings and serve as a resource that students can refer back to.
The problem I have is that my "on-the-fly" anchor charts tend to end up messy, disorganized, and fairly non-asthetically pleasing (not acceptable in today's Pinterest world).
So to marry the benefits of creating anchor charts with my class and pre-making neat, organized charts, I started this system:
Step 1: Find an anchor chart example on Pinterest. I chose this one, the origins of which have been tragically lost to the Pinterest black hole, but you can see on my profile here:
Step 2: Print that anchor chart on regular paper and glue it to the back of your anchor chart paper (points for recycling by using old posters from your mom's college art school projects).
Step 3: Set up the poster by drawing the basic outlines and visual cues you will want on the front of the poster. By doing this ahead of time, you will be able to take your time and plan out the organization of the poster.
Step 4: Laminate the outlined poster (with the Pinterest version on the back).
Step 5: Use a dry erase marker to fill out the rest of the poster with your students. Get as many of their ideas down first. Refer to the Pinterest version on the back to help drive the conversation or to add anything your class might need on the poster.
Step 6: Leave the poster up for as long as needed. At the end of the year, you can wipe off the class' ideas and store the poster for next year!
So far, this anchor chart system has worked great! I can take my time to plan ahead but I can also engage my students in the creation of our class anchor charts!
Also, if you are looking forward into January and February, please stop by my TPT store for President's Day and Valentine's Day themed Place Value games!
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday!
Dylan {The Savvy Schoolteacher}
