Anchors Away! {thoughts for Thursday}

Think about your own classroom (and if you're not a teacher, think about a childhood classroom.) 

Are/were there posters? Are/were there hints or clues posted on the wall to what you have been learning? Can you see them from all locations in the room? Are they color coded? 

Visual material is so important in classrooms, and I am not just speaking of a print-rich classroom, which is a classroom with lots of print material for students to access. I am speaking of a classroom that has visual learning material present on the walls for students to refer to while learning or in centers. This could include word walls, student learning maps (Learning-Focused based), I can statements, and of course, anchor charts! 

Anchor charts are a personal favorite in mine - I love the creativity and creating a short statement about learning for students to refer to throughout a lesson or the day. If you haven't been using anchor charts, you need to start tomorrow - regardless of your grade or content area, anchor charts are a great way for students to be reminded of the content or prerequisite skills needed to complete a task at hand. Whether you are an elementary school teacher, a high school history teacher, or a drama teacher - you can benefit from posting an evidence of learning for students, especially when you are holding them accountable for the knowledge. 

Here are some guiding expectations for anchor charts: 

1. Make it neat! This is a pet peeve of mine - anchor charts (especially in K-2) posted that have messy handwriting, poor letter formation, and it looks sloppy. These are permanent records of learning for students - how can they read it if it looks like a serial killer penned it? If this means you need to practice your handwriting and watch a few Zaner-Bloser videos, please do it - make sure students know correct letter formation and the anchor chart is neat and organized in a clean manner. 

2. Make it short. Anchor charts are reminders - visual cues for students to remember - not dissertations.  Keep the information short and sweet, but highlight the main points. A good designed anchor chart can serve as an example for good poster making skills if you choose to create posters for projects. 

3. Make it colorful. This is a personal guide line, because I like to use to color to draw attention to different parts of the chart. I change colors when I use a vocabulary word, show a difference in place value, or a difference. 

4. Post it where lots can see it until it's no longer relevant. When the anchor chart is relevant, being used for instruction or needed for the current unit, post it high and try to ensure that all students can see it wherever they are at. Once the skill is no longer needed or a current topic of study, move the anchor chart to a less obvious place in the room - still accessible by those who need it, but not taking space away current charts. I use an easel and a key ring (creating a big book of sorts) so that students can keep referencing in centers or as needed. 

I love making anchor charts - I love them! I have posted some examples below to see how anchor charts can be used in your classroom. Here's to thoughts for Thursday!