Launching the (REVAMPED) notebooks

My students and I made it through our first full week of school together.  It was a fun and eventful week, and I've really enjoyed getting to know all of my new kiddos.

I think every teacher will agree with me when I say that the first week of school is exhausting, both physically and emotionally.  And it seems like every year I forget how much my students need to learn about being a fifth grader, and my classroom/teaching style.  With that said, I also forget how fantastic the kids really are... they are excited to learn the classroom procedures, and they're even willing to try to understand some of my crazy pet peeves.  Needless to say, it's been a great first week!

At the beginning of the year, I always spend the first few weeks setting up our organizational systems, classroom expectations, and (my favorite) the reader's and writer's notebooks.  I mentioned pet peeves... and disorganization is certainly one of my BIGGEST pet peeves.  This year, I've made it one of my top goals to revamp our reader's and writer's notebooks.  I want my kids to LOVE these notebooks, see value in them, and truly cherish them.  In the past (I blame it on my own, personal clarity of my expectations) my kids haven't really taken these notebooks seriously.  When I'd ask them to open to the next page in their notebook, they'd randomly flip to the first blank page and write compliantly.  When students would then need to find these specific pages at a later date, it was an organizational nightmare.  The notebooks were a mess, and because of that, they had no meaning to my students.  I quickly came to the realization that the disorganization within these notebooks was hindering my students' learning.

After seeing this result for the past four years, I did some research (Pinterest of course -- and a little perusing through Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop) and collaborated with some of my planning buddies.  I think we've come up with a plan for these new notebook beauties.  I'm beyond excited to see my students' writing and reading skills bloom!  I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT year for reading and writing.

Below is an outline and some pictures of what we've done so far with our notebooks:

• Students have two composition notebooks; one is for a reader's workshop and the other is for writer's workshop.  
• The kids were invited to decorate their notebooks, but weren't required to do so.  

The Writer's Notebook:

• We tabbed the notebook into four sections using Washi Tape.  The sections included:
1. My Journal
2. Grammar Guru
3. Author's Craft
4. Revising and Editing

(Thanks to my ever-so-crafty teaching partner for making these ADORABLE dividers!!  You can purchase them on TpT. Writer's Notebooks Section Dividers)

• We created a class writing contract with expectations that all students agreed to follow.  This chart was glued in the front of their notebook and an anchor chart hangs on the wall with all of the students' signatures.   

• Students also glued in a table of contents where they will keep track of their entries.  

• A new rule that I put in place this year is that students are to keep the notebooks inside the classroom, unless given permission to take them home.  I'm hoping that this will help with the upkeep of the notebooks, and that fewer notebooks will go "missing"!  I searched for ways to keep over 100 notebooks organized in my classroom... So far, I am LOVING our new crate shelves.  They are really helping to keep our desks clean and organized. 

I hope your school year is off to a great start!  I'd love to hear some of your favorite organizational tips for either the reader's or writer's notebooks.