Anchors' Away! Reflecting on Anchor Charts

 Recently I've been thinking about my anchor charts for Reading Workshop as we near the end of the school year. I confess, I am not an expert on making anchor charts. I don't have the neatest handwriting, and for sure I cannot draw (and my students let me know it!) but what I do know is that having anchor charts that are meaningful and helpful are essential to the workshop model, since students use them as reference as they read and write. 

What I did the past two years was create small charts on regular printer paper (8.5 x 11) first, and then transfer it over to larger poster paper in class. It helped me with my planning to make them while my mini-lesson was fresh in my mind. Along the way I encountered a few things: 

I color coded certain parts of the chart for different pieces of information 

I started to use second person "you" and then transferred over to first-person "I" midway. This led me to go back and recreate the anchor charts to match the first-person language. 

Some lessons had multiple charts: one was a strategy sequence, and the others were a sample or graphic organizer. 

Now that I have worked with the Workshop model for more than three years, I notice the nuances in my plans that I want to enhance for next year, I have new ideas for plans to create, and I plan to make the small charts to go with them. I admit again that because I am not perfect, I am still considering how I can make my charts more specific to meet the needs of my students. One of my coaches shared that she has the class help create the chart, and though I like that idea and have tried it, I found it better to have the chart prepared ahead of time. It keeps the lesson moving and there's more time to explain a point because it's pre-made. This also helps keep the minilesson to its recommended time. 

My continued research for anchor chart ideas comes from a combination of books, articles, coaching sessions, and (yes even) Pinterest. One goal I have this summer is to plan and write new plans, rewrite original ones to enhance them, and to make new charts. The key area of growth will be how exactly I will change them to improve them. Keeping color coding and the first-person language will stay, but the content may change for some of them so they can be more useful to my students. 

This post was meant to be a springboard for me to take the next step in my planning, and also spark discussion so you can all share ideas with me, and each other! Remember that teaching is lifelong learning, and when we know better, we do better (Maya Angelou) so this is a great time to start that thinking partnership and growth. Let the chart making/creating begin- anchors away! 

Final Thoughts- Keep in mind that our anchor charts don't have to be perfect, just perfect for what they intend to be used for. Keep rethinking and re-evaluating your charts for your lessons. Keep asking "what can be improved for next time? and What do I want to keep?" Finally, keep reaching out to others and get ideas; it's how we keep growing and learning!