Week 1...Done!

Now I understand why bloggers have to have a planner and be super intentional about when they're going to blog. It is really hard to keep up with during the work week. It is actually hard to believe that the first week has already come and gone! It was a good week, though. I introduce all of the new routines and procedures that I blogged about last week.

This year I assigned every student a number. I did this when I worked in the upper grades, but I wasn't sure how it was work with the little bits. Turns out, they really like it. Most of my students already know their number. We use it for just about everything. It is found on their name time and in their cubby, so if they ever forget it they can use these places for references. Their number is then written on their book basket, the homework magnet, the "Question of the Day" data board, and starting next week they will write it on all of their papers. Sometimes the number is used for discretion. When a number is used, instead of a name, other students do not know who it is. Sticking a number on items that will be reused each year (like book baskets and cubbies) means that I don't have to put a new label on everything each year. Numbers also make things easier for grading and sorting purposes. When grading a stack of papers, I can easily put them in alphabetical order using the number. Then, I can input the grades into the system or grade book rather quickly. Lastly, when it is time to sort the papers into student files or mailboxes, they are already in the correct order. It is just a really practical method.

As of right now, I have 20 students. I am pretty excited about this number, because I am used to a bigger roster. I am sure a few more students may be registered in the coming weeks. I have a sweet class. My students were really good listeners this week, even though they had to sit and listen to a lot of first week mumbo jumbo. I am excited to get into some good curriculum this week.

Now that my classroom is totally set up, I can post a classroom tour! I'll be sure to get some nice pictures tomorrow, as we start a new week. I hope all of you traditional teachers are enjoying your last few weeks of summer, and you track 4 ladies enjoyed your first week back!

Borrowed Ideas

What a busy week! The Work Days that occur before a new year begins are always my favorite. I get so excited about setting up my classroom, adding new routines and procedures, and preparing for my new little ones. We were fortunate enough to have 6 Work Days this year. And the best part was that our principal allowed us to use almost ALL of that time in our own classrooms. From my previous experience at other schools, that is almost unheard of!

After our full-day staff meeting on Monday, we were able to spend all of Tuesday working in our classrooms. I was very productive on this day. My goal was to get as much done on Tuesday as I possibly could, to make the rest of the week a little easier. Of course I had a handy to-do list ready to go. Before going into work, I spent time going through all of my school-related Pinterest boards to figure out which new decorations, activities, and procedures I wanted to implement this year. This gave me an idea of what I would need to spend my time doing that day. So, here are some cute ideas that I found from others:

First - this idea is coming from First Grade Blue Skies. Obviously, data is really important! Sometimes it can be hard to manage the ability level of 20+ different children. This Question of the Day is a great way to keep up with which skills each student has (or has not) mastered. If you click on the link above, you can read about the way Mrs. White uses this in her room. I really love the Yes/No boards she created to record the data, but I just didn't have the room for that in my classroom. I also knew that I would need to create some of my own questions, since hers are designed for kindergarten. So, I adapted this idea to meet the needs of my classroom. I have posted the Questions outside of my room. This is the first thing the students will do when they arrive in the morning. Then, they will place their number (each child is given a number in my classroom - we use them in lots of different ways) into the correct category on my desk.

I knew that I was also going to be changing up the way I do math this year. Last year I established a great way of teaching a new lesson, allowing students to do independent work, and then sending them to centers. This worked well, except I didn't have a good grasp on the 'centers' part. I did a lot of research on this, and pinned a lot of ideas. One of the best ones I found was at Simply Skilled in Second. I used this blog, along with some other ideas, to create my own system. This is what I came up with! I will select which station the students go to - - based on their needs. Each week, there will be a list of what their options are, under the station I have selected. 

This next idea, from Mrs. Jones's Class, is so cute! My students really struggled with writing last year. Some had a difficult time with writing neatly, while others smashed words together all year long. This Writing Goals anchor chart will be really helpful!

Lessons with Laughter is one of my favs. She has so many great ideas on organization, which I LOVE! I did spend a lot of time organizing and labeling this year, but the idea I got from this blog is display in her heading. That cute little Pizza Pan labeled "Homework" gave me a great idea. Some of my students neglected homework quite often last year. At this age, it is hard to place too much responsibility on them, but I do want to teach them that it is important to practice skills outside of the classroom. I created my own Pizza Pan homework board this year. The students will place their number on the pan if they did their homework. These students will then get to move their clip up on our color chart. 

It was fun to add some new things to my classroom, and I am grateful that other teachers are so kind to share their ideas! I felt pretty accomplished when I walked out on Tuesday. Oh, and did I mention that my sweet husband met me for lunch! He knows that I get so excited about my classroom that sometimes I forget to stop for food breaks, hehe.

After a productive day on Tuesday, we returned on Wednesday for some RTI training. This was actually super informative. I have a good idea of what I need to do with my BOY data to make sure I service my class appropriately. The second half of the day was spent cleaning up my classroom and meeting with my team. For the first time, our school has decided to do universal screening (BOY testing) BEOFRE the school year actually starts. We invited all of our parents in (by appointment) to fill out paperwork, while the teachers assessed the students. This was scheduled for Thursday, so we had some last minute details to plan and organize. I stayed a little late on Wednesday to finalize my Week 1 lesson plans and organize all of the worksheets and handouts into files. When Thursday finally arrived, we were all ready to meet the new 1st graders. Unfortunately, I only had about 8 students from my class who were able to come in. I was hoping for more, but every little bit helps. With all teachers on deck, we were able to assess a LOT of students that day. This will make it a lot easier for all of us to get our BOY assessments out of the way quickly during week one. It will also allow us to start off the year knowing a little bit more about our students' needs.

Friday was an optional day, which means the building was calm and quiet. Because my room was pretty much set up and ready to go, and I was already prepared for my first week of teaching, I used the day to put on all of the final touches. I stuffed my Monday folders, put up a few more posters, placed name tags on desks, added the students' numbers to just about everything, and watch some videos that the county requires. It was a nice, relaxing day. My love even surprised me during lunch time with a big ol' sweet tea. I walked out of my school on Friday feeling prepared for a new school year. I am really excited for the challenges and new experiences. But, for now, I will continue my Saturday on the couch!

A Diverse Classroom

Many of us teach to a diverse group of students. Well, actually, we all do. Whether we work with students of varying ability levels, ethnicity, economic standing, or age groups...our students are diverse. This is what makes our job interesting, right? We get to love on children who will not receive it elsewhere. We get to experience a culture we have never known before. We get to challenge the gifted and support those who struggle. Our job is unique in that we work with 20+ different {little} people from different walks of life each and every year. I really love this about my job.

I discovered that, although I do love this aspect, I do not embrace the opportunity to expose my children to the difference among them. I have always struggled to make my classroom a "diverse environment". This was one of my personal goals this year, and will likely be part of my PDP. I have started this process by adding some new "decor" to my classroom walls. I did not previously have a map in my classroom, so I was super pumped when I scored this one for free. It even has the country names and flags around the edges! Our social studies curriculum will allow us to spend some time talking about where we are from. We also spend time during the holiday season exploring "Christmas Around the World". This wall will be put to good use during those units! But I plan to refer to these all throughout the year. I am excited to talk with the students about customs in other countries - - and really just to explain that there ARE other countries. I know my class consists of several students from South America, so I am eager to have them share, as well.

Another way to incorporate diversity in the classroom is by exploring the different kinds of families in our classroom. I will be asking students to bring one picture of their family. Some may bring a picture with 2 parents, some with only 1. While some students will have many people in the photograph, others may only have a few. We may see pets, grandparents, real aunts, or maybe the kind of aunt that is truly just a family friend. We will see parents that look like their children, and some that do not. We will see different races, different clothing styles, and different images surrounding the families. Most importantly, everyone will be represented, and we will all have a home-to-school connection!

Monday was our first mandatory workday. We had a staff meeting scheduled from 8:30-4:00. Our principal was very generous in many different ways. We played a few fun games to boost morale, and discussed some important back-to-school information. Then, our principal handed out a children's book to each staff member. He picked a different book for each grade level that he felt was most appropriate. They were all books that he has read and really enjoys. I thought that was really kind of him! And wouldn't you know it, he further supported my efforts by providing 1st grade with a book called It's Back to School We Go!

This book, by Ellen Jackson, describes what school looks like for children all over the world. Each page focuses on Back to School time for a different country. I can't wait to read this with my students!

All in all, I am feeling pretty good about the steps I've taken to be more culturally aware. I will continue to look for more ways to promote a deeper understanding of culture in my classroom!

How do you embrace diversity in your rooms?

Making Changes

After writing my first post in months, I felt inspired to try again with the attempt to spruce up my blog. I feel pretty good about it! My template is from Loving Life Designs. I love that it updated everything, leaving very little for me to adjust. I feel even more excited about blogging now :-)

I mentioned that my first workday was Friday, and that I made some changes in my classroom. I am excited to get some good pictures for you this week! I've also been spending lots of time on Pinterest, going through old pins and finding some new ideas. Math was one of the things I looked into quite a bit. I knew that I wanted a better structure for math stations, and I also wanted to incorporate math journals in a new way. My students really struggled with word problems last year, and since Common Core demands that 1st graders know how to solve several different types of word problems, I knew we'd better practice much more this coming year. I found an old post from the blog Living, Laughing, and Loving that gave me a great idea. She bought these adorable composition books and had them cut in half.

                                                               

This saves money for the teacher and also provides just enough space for the students to solve problems. Giving a 6 year old an entire page to solve 1 problem is a dangerous idea. It is very difficult, even for the student,  to find the answer on the page when they get finished. So, assuming I'd never find the same composition books, I ventured out to find any kind of math-themed notebook at a decent price. I headed straight for the school section but to my dismay I only found colored composition books. I settled for a shade of grey. But just then, from a different aisle, I heard the sweet voice of my husband calling, "Are these the ones you were talking about?!" He had actually found the exact ones from that 2012 blog posting. AND for only 50 cents! Can't beat that deal!

I am so excited to get these cut and put these bad boys to good use! I plan on printing math word problems on address labels to slap onto each page. We will do a warm-up problem at the beginning of math each day (or as often as possible). This should really help improve the students' understanding of solving a variety of story problems. I can't wait to show you some of the other ideas I've come up with!

A New Beginning

     I started this blog several months ago. At that time I knew very little about blogging. I did not follow any blogs, and the only time I even read them was if a Pinterest link led me to one. The blogs I stumbled upon were fabulous. The design, pictures, and cute fonts were so fun! I decided that, with all my free track-out time, I should get into this blog thing, too. And so I did.
     Unfortunately, after much research, I found that those well-designed blogs cost a lot of money and time. Once school started back up for me, I knew I would not have the time to invest in making my blog as cute as those others I'd seen. I also found that I don't really have the skills or ability to make a design alluring enough to gain followers. Thus, I slowly gave up on blogging.
     Since then, I have started following blogs. During the school day certain activities seem blog-appropriate to me. I think of ideas that may be helpful to others. I have begun feeling much more interested in sharing my daily adventures with my sweet little ones. And what better time than at the beginning of a new school year! So, regardless of my lackluster design, I will make a 2nd attempt at becoming a blogger!

Where should I begin...
     I have been tracked out for 3 weeks now. My husband and I spent a week in Florida with his family.  We spent some time in Universal with the mad crowd of Harry Potter fans. Boy, was that an interested experience!

Then, my favorite part of the trip, we headed to some beautiful beaches. We actually got the chance to visit the Siesta Key beach, which has been called one of the most beautiful  beaches in American. Pretty cool stuff! The sand was as soft as powdered sugar.

Aside from our glorious vacation, I've spent some time sewing, writing, cleaning, creating TPT products, lesson planning, creating to-do lists for my classroom, and making lots of cute decor to update my room. I have to admit, I get pretty giddy about setting up a classroom :-)

     Yesterday was my first workday of the school year. I was super productive and got a bunch done! I'll give you a sneak peak now, and a full class tour once it is all finished.

April Freebies Linky Party

Today I am linking up with Teacher's Take-Out for an April Freebies Linky Party. Here is your chance to get my Common Core Spring Literacy Bundle FOR FREE. This item is currently selling on TPT for $2.00, but you can get your copy here for free. Don't forget to tell your friends =D
Get your free copy here!





                                                                      

Fun in First Grade

We have been up to all sorts of fun in our first grade class. In math, we have been learning about 2D and 3D shapes. We have learned all about defining and non-defining attributes and how to describe a shape. Recently, we have been building with shapes. First, we worked with 2D shapes. Students were allowed to create whatever they wanted using shapes we know a lot about. And then they wrote sentences to describe their shapes!

 

Once we learned a little more about 3D shapes, I asked the students to bring in items from home that were in the shape of cylinders, cones, and rectangular prisms. Once most everyone had done so, we created Geo Animals. This activity actually came from the state. We are lucky enough to receive lesson plan activities from the state which we can choose to use or adapt if we want. This one was a keeper!

 

Last, but not least, we celebrated the 100th day of school. We wrote 100 words, found 100 shapes on a page, made a snack of 100 food items (including chocolate chips, Cheerios, Fruit Loops, and marshmallows, among other things), AND DRESSED LIKE WE WERE 100 YEARS OLD!! So much fun!

 

What have you been up to in your classrooms?



                                                                                                                      

Classroom Tour

Hey guys! So how many of you are home today because of snow? I may be the only teacher in the world who is upset about have TWO snow days this week. Because of our year-round schedule, snow days have to be made up on Saturdays. Yes, you heard that right...I have to teach on Saturday. I'm trying to look at the  bright side, though. I only have to work from 8:00-11:30, the class size will likely be pretty small, and I got to sleep in for 2 days in a row. I probably shouldn't be complaining.

So, I've been promising you a classroom tour & I managed to gather some photos to walk you through the layout of my room : - D 

Welcome to first grade!

I LOVE owls. Yes, I know, everyone does nowadays. But I have a lot of fun decorating my class in those cute little guys. My students seem to really love it, too. This is how my door looked at the beginning of the school year. I made the big owl at the bottom, but the small owls are courtesy of  Michaela Peterson. I have print outs from her Owl Classroom Theme Decor & Back to School Essentials {Editable} all over my room. I changed the decor a bit during Halloween, and now it's festive for the holiday/winter season. I adapted some things I found on Pinterest to create this fun design. 

I have changed the desk arrangements a few times this year. We have tables, not desks. This has its pro's and con's, but I find that it works best to have each table separated. Too many 6 year olds in one bunch = trouble. Right now I have 22 students, which means I only need 4 tables (5 or 6 chairs at each). This is exciting news because I actually have 5 tables in my room. SO...my assistant finally gets her own space. The day I took this picture, we made Hot Chocolate to complete a How-To project. This required a microwave, mugs, and other supplies; hence the large box.

We do Daily 5 in my classroom, so I also have a special location for each of those centers.

This is our Classroom Library. Students can do Read-to-Self or Read-to-Someone in this area, if they'd like. They also have the option of reading at their desk, or anywhere on the floor in our room. They know that they should not be too close to any other reader.

The Listening Station is found in the library also. Students have the option of listening to an audio book with a partner at the stereos, or a computer (located to the right).

Work on Writing is located on the other side of the room. Students have an assignment that they MUST DO, before completing other "fun" writing activities that they CAN DO if finished early. That awesome "What do Writers Write" pencil is from the fabulous Lindsey over at The Teacher Wife blog. You can snatch it up for FREE here.

This is my station for Work with Words. My Thirty-One organizer works perfectly for posting differentiated assignments for different groups of students. Just like with writing, I set out extra Word Work activities for the early finishers. Currently, I have magnet letters and cookie sheets. Students LOVE having the freedom to create their own words!

Finally, my Guided Reading table. I really love the location of this station. Being right in front of the windows gives the readers lots of natural light. I also have lots of storage for leveled books, phonics activities, and data notebooks. The lima-bean shaped table is a must-have for this center. Super thankful to have one!

Another blessing in my room is the amount of storage. This is a picture from earlier in the year. As you can see, I've moved my Guided Reading table since then. The change has made it MUCH easier for students to line up at the door. Each students has a long cubby for backpacks and jackets, and a small square cubby for math workbooks and journals. That amazing wooden box you see was created by my awesome father-in-law. He made it for me during my first year of teaching and saved me loads of money. Here's a close-up: 

Now to the front of the room! This is how it looked pre-SMARTBoard.

Most of that space is now gone, due to the best gift a teacher can received. So, I moved the important things just to the left on my portable storage:

 I am also lucky enough to have a white board, which I use quite often. I'm still getting used to using the SMARTBoard, instead. It is funny how quickly you adapt to what you're given. I taught with a SMARTBoard my first 3 years, but it didn't take long for me to find other ways to engage my students when I found myself without one. Nonetheless, I'm excited to have it back!

This is just to the right of my SMARTBoard. I love being able to post up anchor charts or other things we create during lessons. I also have my Daily 5 charts posted up here. Students choose where they want to go for each round of Daily 5 by placing a clothespin with their name on their choice. These print-outs are from Michaela Peterson as well. 

Last, and least important, is my space in the room. I take the  back corner of my room for my desk, filing cabinet, and book shelf. I know that many teachers and administrators argue that a teacher doesn't need his/her "own" space in a classroom, but I think I disagree. In order for me to keep up with the massive amount of paperwork, conferences, meetings, and data that teachers deal with on a daily basis, I think I need my own space. A place where things will not get drawn on or accidently thrown away. A place where I can get prepared and find things easily. I need this space, and I'm ok with that. So...here it us. Calendars, water, office supplies, and a few pieces of chocolate are the must-have's here. I also create this organizer that MANY bloggers have wrote about. It is super convenient & of course uses OWLS from that same package.

Well, that's my room, in a nut shell. I hope you enjoyed touring my room virtually. How is your room set up?

Welcome Back!

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Thanks to some good advice from Kimberly over at Funky First Grade Fun I joined BlogLovin today, so click the button to follow me there!

Today was my first day back in the classroom with my students. I was reminded just how much I love my job and each of my sweet kiddos. I had a few workdays before they returned, which was really nice. I was super productive and got a lot of planning and organizing done. Oh and did I mention that I got my SMARTBoard!!!

Not the best picture, but she sure is a beaut!

Well I have to run, but I'm excited to post a tour of my room soon!!

A day in the life...A schedule linky

Today I'm linking up with Amelia over at Where the Wild Things Learn! I thought it might be fun to share my daily schedule and check out what other teachers are doing all over the world!

My schedule is about the same every day. On Tuesday, we switch things up just a little due to PLT's (Professional Learning Teams AKA Team Meetings AKA Data Talk) first thing in the morning. Our school {sort of} designs our schedule for us, and we tweek it to fit the needs of our students. Our day is pretty much split in 2 parts, which works well for the kiddies. 

When the students arrive, I typically have a fun worksheet or review activity on their desks for morning work. If not, they know to get a book from their book basket or the library and read quietly. Many students arrive late, so the students are given a little extra time to finish up after announcements at 8:20. If they don't finish their morning work before 8:35, they keep it at their desk and work on it whenever they have some free time throughout the day.

At the beginning of the year, I tried doing morning meetings and found that I lost valuable Daily 5 time. After going to a training on Friday done by the FABULOUS Jennifer Jones, I was  reminded of the importance of this togetherness each day. I plan to start that back up this week. 

My literacy block is divided up something like this: 

8:45-9:00  Daily 5/Guided Reading

9:00-9:10  Mini Lesson {Comprehension}

9:10-9:25  Daily 5/Guided Reading

9:25-9:35  Mini Lesson {Phonics}

9:35-9:50  Daily 5/Guided Reading

9:50-10:10  Read Aloud

Of course it is nearly impossible to stay on track completely, but this is what I aim for. I have an incredible teacher's assistant every other day who also pulls a group for guided reading. If things go well, all groups are able to be seen every other day. On the days that I do not have an assistant during literacy, I see my lowest 3 groups. The read aloud section almost never had it's time to shine last quarter. This go-around I plan to make it a priority. Students need to be read to. They need to see that reading is fun and that some times people actually read without being questioned. It's a great way to introduce new units or themes. It is also an excellent way to show off different genres. It helps students figure out what they like and what they don't like. Reading to your students is important and should be a part of your daily schedule. I'm excited to get back to that!

After specials and lunch we settle back in with a few minutes of rest time. Students have the choice of resting their heads, reading, or writing in their journals. They are not allowed to talk or leave their seat during this time. It helps them to calm down and rest their tummies! 

My math block looks like this: 

11:55-12:15  Teacher Time {a new topic is taught or something is reviewed}

12:15-12:30 Lesson Work {Students independently practice what we just learned}

12:30-12:45 Math Centers {As soon as students finish their Math Practice, they pick a center and play with friends. The centers always cover topics we have already learned. During this time I check the students Lesson Work and pull students who did not understand}

12:45-1:10 Fact Practice {If students complete their center and have extra time, they pull the bucket of flash cards to practice with a friend, OR they hop on a computer and practice recently taught math skills}

Once math is cleaned up, we head to the carpet for a writing mini lesson. This is where we cover language, speaking and listening, and writing standards. Next, the students get a chance to use what they've learned in their writing journals. I typically pull students for conferences during this time. If we have extra time, we come back to the carpet to share our writing.

At the end of the day, time permitting, we do a science or social studies activity. Many times, the current topic is integrated in read-alouds and other literacy work. It is just so hard to squeeze everything in!

Having recess at the end of the day has its pro's and con's. It is definitely nice to sit back and relax for the last 30 minutes of the day. However, by that point, the students are so desperately in need of a break. This is one area we couldn't do much about, so we make the best of it :)

Now it's your turn! Join the Linky Party and tell us all about your day!

Long time coming...

I can barely believe today is here! For a while it felt as if this day would never arrive. Today is the last day of track out. Day in and day out -  organizing, cleaning, creating TPT products, sewing, baking, watching Netflix, hanging with friends, shopping. It has really been wonderful. However...this week I have been counting down the days with excitement. I really miss my little cuties! It has been nice to sleep in and do what I want whenever I want, but I feel a real lack of purpose. I was born to be a teacher. It's in my blood. I need to be around children, lesson planning, and teaching. I'm lost without it! So, I am excited to see my classroom tomorrow and get back into the swing of things. DID I MENTION I'M GETTING A SMARTBOARD?!?!?! Actually, it should be installed and ready to go! This is the first school I've worked in where I haven't had one. It has certainly been weird. I've been telling my students about it and we are all very excited!!

So I mentioned that I've been creating a lot of new things for TPT. This week I decided to try creating my own frames and digital paper. It is a learning experience...but it is very exciting to be able to create a whole product and NOT have to give anyone else any credit :). Today I finished up some CHEVRON digital paper and then I made some classroom labels using my new creation in the background. For the most part, I create things that I am in need of, hoping that others are, too. I have been working to organize me classroom little by little (only because of the slow process of $$buying$$ all of the crates and containers), so these labels will really help. I'd like to give my labels away to the first 5 people to comment this post (DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS)! Here is a preview:

Check it out here.