All I Want For Christmas...

Well this marks the end of the 2nd nine weeks which means the first half of the school year is officially over. Our school district has administered our Benchmark Tests and we are officially on Christmas Break. During that last week of school I really took a good hard look and my students and though about which direction we will move in when we return to school in January. I keep a desk calendar in my classroom work area that I use to write out week by week what I want to make sure I cover what is important. This is my quick way to make sure I am meeting the standards and staying on track with my county's curriculum map. When we return to the school in January I know that I will begin to focus on subtraction, taking a very hands on approach first including lots of "munchin math," to get students to understand that once you subtract, they (the numbers) don't come back. Then we will move into basic fact practice, fact families, inverse relationships, and then problem solving. In terms of reading, I will focus on daily reading comprehension strategies and really dig into the meat of how to read a story for meaning, and fact finding. Grammar will basically spiral over topics we have already covered, but I have noticed that my students still need more practice with ending punctuation.

One great aspect about 2013 is that I won a $125 grant from KDP (Kappa Delta Pi is the international teaching honor society and provides great resources and opportunities for students, novice teachers, and practicing professionals. I am also the state delegate for the state of Georgia.) and will be able to purchase some materials to help my ELL students with reading for comprehension and meaning. I will also have a student teacher which I will mentor, advise, and have assist me in the classroom. This is a great asset for me as a teacher because it causes me to refocus and strive to be a great example for her. It also will provide an additional person in the room that will help me help students that need the most extra help. We have a saying that after the Christmas break when students return, their "light bulbs'' turn on. This year, all I want for Christmas is for that to be true. All I want for Christmas is for my students to return to school happy, healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Because God willing, I know I will be ready to teach!

Sally sells sea shells by the shiny sea shore.....

I really love when a lesson comes together and gives students a chance to shine.

The math lesson I focused on today was part of the Common Core First Grade Math Standards - "Operations and Algebraic Thinking 1.OA
Represent and solve problems involving addition.
1. Use addition within 20 to solve word problems involving
situations of adding to, putting together.
2. Solve word problems that call for addition of three whole numbers
whose sum is less than or equal to 20, e.g., by using objects, drawings,
and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the
problem.

The lesson started with our Singapore Math problem solving. The problems that we are working on now are using three addens, so students are getting used to working with numbers within 20. After we problem solved, we moved to the computer. I like to add a computer/technology component to most of my lessons. We went to Harcourt School Publishers website to do Seashell Search as a class using our flatscreen tv as a monitor and my teacher computer to complete the activity. We talked about different addition strategies as we worked the problems. We discussed doubles facts, counting on, counting up, etc. Then we moved from the carpet and into "work buddies." Students just slid their desk next to the person next to them and they were given seashell themed workmats and seashells. I got the templates from this great book, Math Work Stations by Debbie Diller!

Modeling for students how their addition sentences should look

Seashell work mats from Debbie Dillers work station book

Student using the shells and work mat to create addition sentences

Whole class recording sheet - Students told me the different ways they were able to make 10. We circled the doubles fact.

Then students were given large size index cards and they worked together to create addition sentences using the seashells and used the large index cards as their recording sheets. This really allowed students to work at their level. Many students looked at how to add three numbers, many students gave the commutative property as they created their addition sentences. As I walked around and monitored their work, I heard them problem solving, fact checking, and helping their work buddies to see how to make different combinations.

After about 8 minutes of synergy with their buddies, I told them they now had a task to tell me many ways to make 10. They put their extra seashells back in the Ziploc bags and only left out 10 shells. Then they had to work again for about 5 minutes to make combinations that would equal 10. Then after the time was up, they told me their different combinations and I recorded them on the board. They were really excited about the math lesson today and it really let them use manipulatives, problem solving, and socialization skills to think mathematically.

"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas..."

Well, the holidays are here and in the primary grades we still try to squeeze in a bit of magic and mystery to the Christmas season for our students. I will also preface this by saying that where I teach, we can actually use the word "Christmas." Where I started my teaching career because of the various religious, cultural, ethnic, and social situations we were not allowed or able to use Christmas. We had to steer toward a "Happy Holidays" theme. We also could not use red and or green, Christmas trees, Santas, etc. We had to use more of a winter theme. I am not stating a right or wrong position here. I am just stating that various areas of the world approach this time differently and what today's post is about is based on the fact that I am in an area that celebrates Christmas in all facets. Hence the visit from..."Spotty."

"Spotty" is ready for Monday morning with a personalized note

.

 

I had never heard of "The Elf on the Shelf" until about two years ago, so I was surprised that so many students enjoyed this "little visitor" and the impact he had on classrooms! As you may be able to tell, I always like to do things a little bit differently so I just couldn't go out and buy and Elf and follow the Elf on the Shelf trend....not that there is anything wrong with that, but I have students who already have an "Elf" at home and I wanted to see how they would respond to something else.

So I went out and bought a spotted dalmatian with a Christmas look, typed up a little introductory letter about who Spotty was, where he came from, and why he was in our class. Then on Monday morning I sat him on a student's desk. Well I was surprised to find that the students loved knowing about Spotty and they have really taken to him. In the letter the students were told he came from the North Pole and he heard from his frosty friends that our class was known to be the best so he wanted to "Spot" us having good behavior and doing our work. Now each day Spotty moves around the classroom and leaves a little note for the students and a reminder to make the right choice and if they do, they may just get a little reward! The rewards are small things like listening to Christmas music or watching the Christmas tree lights in our room. The students are very excited and I can use "Spotty" to help keep them focused on work, including important Benchmark Tests.

You Know You are a Teacher When!

I know there are probably lists like this floating around, but I just had to put my spin on it as a light hearted way to welcome the holidays. As time nears to buy teachers gifts or show your appreciation, just think about the life your favorite teacher (or you yourself) lives. Enjoy and post your own "teacher-ism."
 You know you are a teacher when...

1. You try to open your house door with your school keys
2. You look down at your nails and think....hmm when did I get a manicure and realize it is ink from your dry erase markers left on after a day of writing on the board
3. You think of rhymes to remember your own grocery list
4. You have to physically remove yourself from the pencils, pens, crayons, and supply isles in stores
5. You get excited about a Scholastic Book Warehouse sale as if it is a Macy's one day bonanza (by the way, it is the season for sales, check out the website to see if one is near you
6. You say "criss cross applesauce hands in your lap" more times in one day than you say your own name
7. You have a hard time calling your teacher friends by their first names when you are outside of school 
8. You hoard cardboard tubes because you never know what type of project you could use them for
9. You think that anyone who doesn't have to go to work until 9 a.m. is just a little bit lucky because your school duty begins at 7:30 a.m.
10. You can't wait until that 7:30 a.m. duty begins because you miss your "school kids" faces!

Time after Time!

Being a first grade teacher is exciting, rewarding, and don't take this the wrong way...repetitive! By that I mean, you introduce a concept, and it continues to spiral throughout the year adding more depth and concepts to the original learning goal. For example, we are still working on addition and subtraction however, this time we are going to really focus on problem solving. In my first grade math teachers' focus group we are looking at ways to tackle the new standards laid before us by the Common Core in which students must not only add simply 2+3, but will need to know how to find the missing adden, apply the communitive and associative properties, fact families, and inverse relationships. Don't get me wrong we did these things before Common Core, but it is more in depth than before and our current math book series does not address these areas as much as needed to ensure that students are able to grasp and apply these concepts. So I will be searching the web, altering current materials, and use manipulatives to help students with these math concepts.

I use Singapore Math Problem Solving that uses a step by step approach and unit bars as shown above as part of my daily math time. I am also going to whip out my Kindle Fire for basic math fact practice because if students have basic math fact concepts securely ingrained, then they may not struggle with the higher order thinking concepts.

I used it last year in class as a ticket out the door and students loved it. My student teacher started bringing hers in and used it as well.

In math I really see the need to spiral, increase rigor, and practice daily math concepts. We are getting ready for our county's benchmark tests, so I am breaking my math time into chunks that allow for review of time, graphs, addition and subtraction, as well as measurement.

If I Could Turn Back Time.....

Last week we began focusing on telling time. We started with a week of telling time to the hour. Students quickly and easily mastered this skill. However, this week we have began telling time to the half hour and it has been more difficult. I guide my students through a "self talk" lesson of how to figure out the time. I tell them first we look at what two numbers the hour hand is in between. Then we use the physical movement of stepping back to tell them we aren't going to pick the number moving forward, but we are going to step back on the clock. That way we will pick our hour. Then we already know the minute hand equals 30. I also am using websites to help them each day. I am using:
brainpopjr.com:
Parts of a clock
Time to the Hour
Time to the quarter hour and half hour

Time to the Half Hour Website
http://www.fi.edu/time/Journey/JustInTime/time_quiz.html

Time to the Half Hour Website:
http://www.primarygames.com/time/question1.htm

Time to Go Website
http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/TimeToGo/default.htm

I also read stories and have them make the time on individual clocks and then model the correct time on my big clock.

How do you approach teaching time?

I Want Candy........

The celebration of fall corresponded wonderfully to tie in with our literacy unit. We are reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," as part of our first grade common core ELA units. The students have really enjoyed hearing about little Charlie Bucket's life and were truly happy for him when he found a "Golden Ticket." In math we are learning addition strategies so I thought as a treat on Friday it would be neat to give each student a chance to find his or her own "Golden Ticket." I found a great template online and printed it out on white paper. Then I cut out the giant sized "tickets" and wrote an addition sentence on the back of each ticket. Then today I hid the tickets inside the students math books. When it is time for math instruction, I will tell them that a little something special has been left for them courtesy of Mr. Willy Wonka! They will then have to solve their individual math problems to get a piece of Willy Wonka candy. I can't want to see the look on their faces tomorrow. This also gives me a chance to do a type of "Quick Check, or Ticket out the Door" because each student has a different math problem and I also gave students addition sentences based on their level right now. Some students are still working with counting on 1 or 2. Some students are doing well with doubles facts, and some students are able to find missing addends so each child has a quick chance to practice at his or her own level. Students will then be able to take their "Golden Ticket" home to show their families.

Monster Mash

Okay, this is just a purely fun post! As we get ready for costumes, carved pumpkins, and cooler weather children's first focus to fun times is Halloween and trick or treating. Our school held a "Going Batty Bake Sale' this week to help boost our PTO funds. It was a great success and we had a lot of help. We use the term bake sale loosely because we take anything and everything and sale it. From repackaged Little Debbie snack cakes, to homemade pound cake. As the PTO president I had to represent! Although I am not a baker...that honor belongs to my hubby. I wanted to contribute. I came up with this monster mash, that included fresh popped popcorn, candy corn, animal crackers, marshmallows, little orange cream cookies, rice crispy treats, berry burst cereal, gummy bears, and a few other goodies. It was truly kid focused and they grabbed up the "little monsters" as quick as we could put them out. We sale everything for 50 cents and hold it for two days. We make $200-300 in roughly 1 hour.

Sing....Sing a Song....

As a follow up to my post about addition, I wanted to share a song that I wrote and performed at my school's talent show a few years back that talks about the steps we use for addition and subtraction in the first grade. Enjoy!
"Math Facts," by Dr. Chantrell Bruton

ABC, Easy as 1,2,3

We have started with addition. Well, we have been doing addition since the first day of school in our number collection boxes and daily morning worksheets, but we have actually started concentrating on learning certain steps that will help my students become fluent to 10 as the new common core math standards state.

Below is one of the activities that I do with my students. It is a way of using pictures, symbols, and numbers to represent addition sentences and numbers. I can also differentiate the activity by giving student his or her own set of numbers.

In the first column students use counters to show the two addens. In the second column they draw a picture to represent the addens. In the third column they use numbers and sentences to create an addition sentence. If you look up at the top of the picture you can see the two numbers that this student was given to use to add. Each child received a different pair of numbers. At the bottom, the Postit star shows my commentary about the student's work. We try to use a combination of computer programs, hands on manipulatives, and the provided workbook to practice addition.

Readers are Leaders

At our school, we follow the Leader in Me program based off the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. A few years ago we instituted the motto "Readers are Leaders." We make reading and rewarding students for their reading achievements a big priority so I am always looking for ways to get creative with how to stress the love of reading at home. We participate in Pizza Hut's reading program.

And I have recently heard about a program through the Six Flags theme parks. If you are interested in inspiring future readers at your school, you may want to see about signing up your class or your entire school to participate in these programs!

Get Busy! It's Your Birthday!

This past weekend, I stepped out of the classroom and brought my love of reading to the community with a service project entitled "A Book Lover's Birthday Bash." It was part of Walden University's Global Day of Service. A part of Walden University's mission is social change and I wanted to strengthen the home, school, family connection with a fun event that celebrated the love of reading and since the service day was the actual date of my birthday, I thought it was a great way to give back. I used the story "If You Give a Pig a Party," as a basis for the party. There were tons of thematic activities available from the publisher website. I also added a few of my own including making bookmarks, pig puppets, and pin the party hat on the pig. We also read "I Can Read with My Eyes Shut," and a Curious George tale. There was also dancing, and sing a longs. The highlight of the event was the fact that each child was able to take home 2-3 books and parents were given handouts that provide resources that were both fun, free, and easily accessible to help their child spark a love of reading. My heart is so in grained into teaching and I am so thankful for all of my blessings this past year. I couldn't think of another way to spend part of my birthday then by combining so many things that I love.

Square Biz!

I am showing both my age and my love of R&B in particular Teena Marie. However, of course this is not a music blog, it is an elementary school teacher's blog about classroom life in first grade and how I love teaching to my particular beat. As in previous posts, my title does reflect the content. This week in class it is all about solid figures and plane shapes. Hence, the title Square Biz. I was very happy on Monday when we began our lesson to hear that many of my students knew the names of both the plane shapes and the solid figures. For the students who did not, we have been doing a lot with our vocabulary cards to match the shape with the name. I also sent home a letter asking families to go on a solid figures hunt. Students were very excited to bring in items from home and present them to the class. Each days lesson included a computer lesson using both Brainpopjr.com and Educationcity.com, and a create a solid figure activity that the students LOVE! They asked me at the end of class today which figure are they going to make from tomorrow. Our math program provided templates, however I found the precut figures by Lakeshore - Fold a Shape Classroom Kit to be much easier for little firsties to do. I also altered the reproducible activity sheets to match the First Grade Common Core standards by focusing on the vocabulary, comparing attributes, and making sure students know the correct names of the figures. We also discussed why and how these are different than plane shapes.

We also did some solid figure sorting worksheets, and classifying with graphic organizers. We will extend our lesson by building plane shapes with marshmallows and topics and playing a what is my solid figure game with musical clues. I also love a good game of I Spy and since first grade classrooms are full of things, I Spy for solid figures will be  a lot of fun for Friday. Today as my ticket out the door, I did a quick round with the solid figures. It also allowed me to differentiate quickly. Students who needed help with solid figure identification, I just asked them the name of the solid figure for them to exit. Students who were more fluent with this standard were asked if a figure could stack, roll, slide, and they had to explain why. It was a great way to wrap up what we had learned today and keep their minds fresh on the topic for homework tonight.

We are talking "Square Biz," this week and so far it is going just fine.

"I Got a Feeling....."

Although this post is written after the night of the great event, I must say the Black Eyed Peas song, truly fits the occasion. I am taking off my teacher hat for a moment and putting on  my PTO president hat. We had our Open House on Tuesday night...and it was a great one. We go a little over the top at my school with ways to get parents, students, faculty, and staff excited about coming to our school. But last night we really put on a show and you know what.....families showed up! This year our theme was "Rolling out the Red Carpet for our VIP families." Yes, we really did have "makeshift" red carpets. We gave children "swag bags" as they came in. Teachers took pictures as the paparazzi of students and their families in front of our Hollywood backdrop. We had giveaways. Students could sign their "autographs" to go on our Famous Families bulletin board. Students were given the star treatment with stickers. We decorated our lobby area with balloons, and red, gold, and black decorations to give the front of our auditorium the look of a Hollywood movie premier.  All this while also having a fundraising hot dog and bake sale. The school staff really showed their spirit by dressing up in their "star styles" that night.

The aim for me is to get students and families excited about coming to school so that they feel welcome at anytime to share the good as well as the challenges that may come along their way during their child's school career. We have also beefed up our efforts to stay in contact with families, using the technologies that a lot of our younger and even more seasoned parents use such as Facebook, text messaging services, and direct emails. Judging from the responses from parents and students that night, I am hopeful that our next events are just as successful.

 I really believe in developing a positive school-home-student connection. This morning as I walked around the school tidying up any areas that weren't cleared from the event, I could hear students ask each other...."Did you go to PTO? I went to PTO it was awesome....." It is great to hear students excited and talking about their school with pride and joy. By the way, it wasn't all glitz and glamor. We did discuss school safety, fundraising, reading goals, and other important school items. The difference is the way we did it. I believe if you can get someone to feel good about something, they are more likely to respond positively. Tuesday night at my school, I think we gave a lot of families a good feeling to go home with.

Here is a little more about the nuts and bolts. We aren't a fancy school. We are located in a small town. Our student population peeks at about 600. We have pre-k to 5th grade. We have a diverse mix of students including Black, White, and Hispanic. We have a large population of free-and reduced lunch students. The event itself wasn't costly. Decorations and all the things that gave it a "movie star feel" costs less than $100. We used our cafeteria to order the hot dogs that we sold and our teachers and PTO board volunteered to bake the items we sold. It wasn't the size of the dog in this fight to win over our families, but the fight in the dog. We are a school that follows The Leader In Me and we really proved that synergizing, and beginning with the end in mind can outweigh a lot of the factors that people usually say are the reasons why parents don't show up. Parents want to feel welcomed and special. Last night we aimed to do that with style.....Hooray for Hollywood!

"We're Jammin......"

It feels good to really start to feel the rhythm of my classroom and to start to put my own twist on things. As stated in my previous blog, we are studying the text "Me on the Map" using materials provided by the Georgia Common Core literacy units. I found some great resources on other blogs and while thinking about how can I bring the story even closer to home I have decided to add the version "Me on the Map...of My School." Next week we will complete foldables that are similar to the ones found on this blog http://finallyinfirst.blogspot.com/2011/02/me-on-map.html . Then the week after that we are going to create a version that takes the students through the "street of their school," down to the seat of their chair. We are going to use a school map as part of our foldable and I will take pictures of the students in the different locations. We will move from the street of their school, to their school, to their hallway, to their classroom, to their chair. The foldable will be rectangular and we will focus on writing one complete sentence for each page. I am very excited to add this additional layer to the unit study and also the idea that this will further deepen the student's understanding about locations, maps, and their place in the world. After four weeks of school, it feels good to feel my creative juices flowing again and not just spinning around to the dizzying rhythm of back to school beats.

Ease on Down, Ease on Down the Road....

Well, I survived the Unit 1 Extended Text "The Wizard of Oz," part of the Common Core curriculum implemented this year. It was a bit daunting, but we are easing down the road to new things. It is funny how what is old is new again. My Blog Post Title is from a song in "The Whiz" a Quincy Jones led adaption of the Wizard of Oz that starred Diana Ross and the late Michael Jackson. I am getting ready to ease on down the road to a new text for the second half of the 1st nine weeks.

We are now reading "Me on the Map," and why I say what is old is new again is because this same story was actually in an older basal series that we used when I first started teaching. Now we are examining this text again! All the teachers at my school are wishing we could put our hands on those old basal readers now! This text is great to connect our geography lessons and expand our journal writing opportunities. I have also found some great unit activities online from other blogs and am looking at how I can incorporate Google Maps to explore the locations we will cover.

Talking about Google Maps leads me to a few techno kicks I am enjoying this year. I know I may be a little behind the curve, but in case I am not alone, I just want to tell you how GREAT planbook.com is. It is really changing the way I create my lesson plans. I also love parental involvement and keeping in contact with my school families and Remind101.com is a great new way to do that. I have to thank fellow teachers at my school for spreading the word about these two great sites.

I am looking forward to studying "Me on the Map," and getting students to expand their view of where they live. We will combine journal writing, foldables, and even a mobile to deepen our understanding.

I am also very grateful for another nifty gadget I was awarded as teacher of the year last year. It is called Quiz Whiz, and is an electronic game that you can customize with your own 10 questions and answer choices. I am going to use it to help with my grammar instruction. This week I will use it as part of my lesson on plural nouns. I got mine free, but I have seen them retail for about $45-$50. I am very excited to begin using it and it is very user friendly. I used clip art pictures to represent either single or plural nouns and then wrote the choices with either the (s) or no s. The slots on the game are about the size of an business card, so I used my Avery blank business cards for the game questions and answers. I am sure my first graders are going to be very excited to try this out. Right now I plan to use it once a week for grammar, because that is often a subject that needs as much diversified practice as possible.

Time to Pump Up the Jam!

After about three weeks of school, it is time to really get things going in class. I am a firm believer in establishing procedures during the first day of school as outlined in Harry Wong's First Days of School. I really believe and love that book. Now that my students have most of the routines firmly established, it is time to really get into the curriculum. This year has been a challenging one already because of the transfer to Common Core standards in Reading, Language Arts, Writing, and Math. The change has made lesson planning more detailed than usual, but has opened up a dialogue between teachers that didn't exist as much as we share more than before ideas, plans, and materials to meet the standards with our students. Also, the first few weeks were busy for me as I took time off to attend my commenecement ceremony for my docotoral degree and a curriclum planning session with other grade level teachers.

This week, will still be a little different because it is a four day week, however, I am looking forward to beginning my literacy workstations as I mentioned in my recent post. I am also happy as I reflect on completing the first unit extended text which was "The Wizard of Oz." The students learned a lot and it was a fun unit to teach. We ended the unit with a Back from Oz treat day which included green juice  and shortbread cookies with "E.C." on them - that stood for Emerald City :)  Students also made necklaces - Why didn't I take pictures! The were fun and simple to make. I used green yarn and yellow construction paper cut into a square. The yellow square stood for a "yellow brick" from the "yellow brick road." Students then wrote on their "yellow bricks"  "Back from the E.C." and drew and colored a picture of their favorite character from the story on their necklaces. I ended the day by giving them each a "heart" (sticker of a red heart) just as the Tin Woodsman wanted and instructed them to go out this weekend and spread their love to their family.

This coming week, I am working on my short text aspect of the unit and will compare and contrast a traditional Cinderella story using my Kindle Fire to find and read my text and a traditional print copy of Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. I will read both text and together as a class we will complete a Venn Diagram and review the aspects of a fairytale.

Along with careful classroom attention, did I also mention I am the PTO president and am getting ready to launch our first fundraiser of the school year, plan the first PTO event, and wrap up our membership drive....and don't get me started on the perils of getting my home back into the school groove. There's nothing to it but to do it...so off I go into my week fully ready to dance to the fast paced beat that being a teacher, mom, mother, wife, friend, and family member causes me to do. I think I hear the music playing now....until the next time!

Can't Sing the Same Old Song!

I am anxious to begin my literacy workstations. I like to make the distinction between workstations and centers from the very first day of school, but it usually takes me about a week or two before I actually start them. This year, with the dawning of the Common Core into my classroom, it has taken me a little longer to get into all of my usual routines and grooves. Starting my literacy workstations is one of my last missing pieces.

For me literacy workstations are a key component of diversifying, individualizing, and providing some quality time with my students. After about two days in a classroom you can quickly begin to see how different your students' abilities are. Rather than shake my head  in despair I begin a plan of action that includes workstations for at least 20 minutes everyday. Students can not sing the same song all the time and therefore literacy workstations are what it takes for them to strike the right note.

I love Debbie Diller's Literacy Work Stations book. I used that as a basis and starting point, but also use materials provided by my reading series and other tips, tricks, and technologies I have gathered along the way. When this new school year started, a second grade teacher who gained one of my first grade students came to me and looked in wonder at how I was able to manage a successful and consistent RTI program for that particular student. I told her having Work Stations was key because it set aside the time needed to focus on that student.

I have also found that Literacy Work Stations also provide high achieving students the chance to march to their own beat by giving them individual tasks that often they like to complete individually. It is also a great way to use any volunteers, assistant teachers, or paraprofessionals that you have at your school. If you set up your workstation rotations just right you can really maximize the learning across the board for a broad range of students. Something you can't do if you are trying to make everyone learn the same lyrics to the same song in just the same way. Someone may always be off key a little bit, but by using workstations from the very beginning with planning and purpose you can help blend a sweeter harmony for all.

A Little Rhythm and Movement Goes a Long Way

I am in my second week of school with my first graders and have found myself using movement and music even more than before. I have always used rhyme and chants as a way to transition my students, catch their attention, or help them remember something. However, I have found that this year the use of music has captivated my students. As part of my back to school information, I send home a driver profile (I have a race car theme classroom). From that I am able to gleam information about my students from their parents and many parents mentioned that their children love music and/or dance. I started using songs to skip count and have found the students really have enjoyed this more than in years past. I also gave some of my students a "beat" to help them remember their lunch numbers or bus numbers (these are first graders) and as we head to the cafeteria and the buses I hear them repeating their special chants and it has worked. I know that there is a big portion of the students population and population in general that are visual learners, but this year I have found that my students really do move to a beat and by tuning into my auditory learners I am finding myself using new skills and resources and am keeping my students focused, on track, and engaged during the learning process.

Common to the Core....Not hardly!

This year we have begun the transition to Common Core standards and I must admit the task at first seemed daunting and I had no idea where to begin. However, I believe in taking things one step at a time and not overwhelming myself. If you appear stressed, your students will feel that. The challenge was that we had become so accustomed to using our standard textbooks to teach, that we couldn't wrap our heads around anything else. To us, Common Core was not music to our ears, but a note gone flat!

However, the first unit in reading for first graders is "The Wizard of Oz" and I couldn't imagine what to do with this text. Of course I was familiar with it, and I love the adaption by Quincy Jones "The Whiz," I just didn't see how to use the prewritten unit in my classroom. Well my worries were for naught. After looking through the unit and planning day by day, I have enjoyed reading the illustrated text with my students and we have done wonderful things. In fact, our discussions and activities surrounding this text are more advanced then I would have ever had in previous years this soon. After only six days of school we have done character webs, talked about synonyms, illustrated settings, discussed the problems, characters, and plot details. Now, I am not saying it has been easy. The fact that the new standards are our "new standard" has meant more planning and has taken away the ease of just pulling out my folder from last year. However, I must admit I am enjoying where this journey is taking me.

Do not be alarmed also, along with this story study, we are still going to include the phonics foundational skills, grammar practice, and routine writing activities. However, I can see how taking a text apart and really delving right into from the start is giving my students more of stronger starting point in understanding text, then what we were doing in the basal in years past.

Are you a teacher who has started Common Core standards this year? Please share what you are doing and how it is going!

Finding Your Beat!

The new school year is underway and as a teacher you have two choices to either let the actions in your classroom take control of you or you can take control of it. I have decided this year as I do ever year the later. The rhythm of your classroom is going to get you, you just have to decide to be proactive so that when it happens you are prepared. What does this mean? It means having varied, extensive, and detailed lesson plans...as well as your personal bag of tricks that you can pull from at a moments notice. This is especially true the first few days of school. As you get to know your students and they get to know you, you have to keep the flow and pace of the classroom together so that you project the image of a teacher in the know, not a teacher who knows not. It is always my goal to have my students leave believing they have struck gold by being in my class. This isn't easy to do, but if you are successful at it you can have a great year. If you can hook your students from the beginning, the rest of the year can flow by in an easy rhythm.

The Rhythm is Going to Get You!

This is a new school year for me and I must say, I am trying really hard to get my rhythm back. It is so funny how teachers can be as excited as the students. We get our new supplies, new clothes, and even have special outfits that we want to wear to put our best feet forward on the first day. As this year begins I have made it my mission to find the beat within my heart and to listen clearly to hear the beat of each student's heart in my classroom. I want to make sure I am truly touching their lives, teaching them well, and showing them love. The melody may change from day to day, but I promise to dance through any pleasures and hopefully minimal growing pains that may happen this year.  Here's hoping you find your perfect personal rhythm!