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Best Anchor Charts to Teach ELA

What Makes the Best Anchor Charts?        If I see students referring back, again and again, to an anchor chart in my classroom, I know the space on my classroom wall is being used well. On the other hand, if an anchor chart rarely gets a second glance, the space is wasted.  As difficult as it is to take down a chart you spent time and energy making, and all teachers know we do not have much of either, the space is best used for a more effective chart or resource.   Tips for making anchor charts  Focus on one objective The chart should be easy to read Keep it simple  Use MNEMONICs when possible The anchor chart should be pleasing to the eye The anchor charts, below, are among the top charts that are tried and true resources for students year after year!!  <iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&
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In Memory of Michelle Blackwell, a loving daughter, teacher, mother and friend

Memories wash over me, slowly, almost painfully.  I've decided upon "bittersweet" to describe that late day in May of 2011.  The excited chant of children at a pep-rally, but this was no ordinary pep-rally.  It was a day to celebrate the student's hard work throughout the year, preparing them for the MCT II that loomed ahead.  I joined a group of bouncing 4th graders wearing matching yellow shirts.  I watched in admiration as their teacher's enthusiasm matched their own.  My own son was privileged to be a part of this group.    From the beginning of the school year, I knew Ms. Blackwell was one of those teachers that a child never forgets.  My son, a good student, but always a bit timid, began to become more animated than I had ever seen him, describing his school day.  I realized he was learning and at the same time having a lot of fun.  This is not an easy feat for a teacher to incorporate into a classroom, especially with the stress of the MCT II, but
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Boogie Boards in the Classroom

As I was checking out at a store, I noticed these little packaged boxes with "Boogie Board" written on it.  (okay... OKAY... I admit it... I fell victim to the oldest trick of getting people to "notice" things for sale:  Putting it near the check-out counter....)  Anyway, in this case I consider it to have been advantageous, not just for the store owner, but for me, the consumer.   Basically, a "Boogie Board" is about a 1/4 of an inch thick board a little bigger than a 5X7 photograph.  It comes with a stylus, a screen cleaning cloth, and a clip-on for the stylus.  Also, it features an ion battery that never needs replacing.  The way it works is very simple.  You write something on it, and then you push a button, a light flashes, and you have a "clean slate."   Possible uses in the classroom quickly came to my mind, as I was standing there at the check-out counter.  So, what do I do?  I buy it.  The more I got to thinking about it, the more
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