This week has been what I feel is best described as the learning launch! No longer am I just teaching procedures and expectations, but now I am adding that layer of academic challenges to really push my students to launch into a new year of learning.
We have unlocked 6 pages of our Rise and Shine Binders! The students are into the routine of working on these first thing in the morning right up until morning announcements. They want to keep working in their binders after announcements too, but we try to wrap it up at that point.
This week we reached 16 minutes for our reading stamina and we have launched all 5 Reader’s Workshop choices! I was able to pull reading groups today! Hip Hip Hooray! Six days ago I was afraid that we were not going to make it to this point! Amazing what can happen in a short amount of time in first grade!
Sight Word Sticks have been my first word work choice for reader’s workshop. We have three different sight word stick choices in our word work tub right now, and they have kept my firsties engaged and learning!
Another learning launch has been our writer’s workshop. After we wrote three days this week, we had an author’s sharing around the rug. I didn’t take pictures of the students sharing this time They passed the microphone and shared one piece from their folder. It was neat to watch them think about and choose their favorite piece to share.
Since we are authors now, it was time for our Special Delivery to arrive in our classroom! Boy was this exciting! {to read more about what we do for our class pet writing journal click here}
It was a tight election, but it looks like our class pet’s name is President Bob. We are all in love with him! (It’s so fitting for a little bobcat!!!)
President Bob went home and has already come back with stories to tell…
For math this week, we have been working on tallying, graphing, and analyzing as well as comparing numbers. I snapped these pictures during our whole group lesson and then realized they are upside down to a normal person….As teacher’s our whole day is upside down like this so I knew you would understand it.
Math tubs is always a favorite. We are still working our way through the back to school and FUNdamentals packs!
This week we launched Mark and Sally Tally and they were a HUGE hit! This activity was an interview, tally, and graph. There are 5 different versions and we have done two of them. I will be adding some of the tally activities to our math tubs too next week.
Perhaps the best moment of the week was this one below! Instead of trying out all my tried and true signals to get them cleaned up from math tubs, I simply told my students that when they hear music that they needed to clean up and try to be really quiet so they could hear the clean up song. It was magical!!!! They cleaned up quietly and calmly so they could hear what song I had put on. The song was Dr. Jean’s Tidy Up song and it was PERFECT!!!! We were all smiles after that. I may have had to wipe away a wayward tear of joy.
Tomorrow we will take our first spelling test. To practice, I grabbed these short a apples out of my Fallin For You Unit and gave my students each a white board. I gave each word in the format that I will give it tomorrow on the test. They wrote it on their whiteboards. We went over it by placing the apple on the tree and checking our work. I was told I was the best teacher in the world and that spelling tests are SO FUN! I love those first graders darn it.
Wish us luck on that big test tomorrow!!! I think we just may rock it!
Classroom Systems That Work!
Classroom Tour 2013-2014
Nerd Alert!
Setting Up Guided Math Kindergarten-5th Grade
You are so awesome Reagan! Your students are so lucky to have you as a teacher.
Your children are all so engaged! Your activities are amazing. I love that your class pet has a pet carrier… Mine always went home in a cloth bag.
-Lisa
Grade 4 Buzz
I LOVE all your updates! Thank you. 🙂
Reagan, how long did it take you to start pulling reading groups? You mentioned something about 6 days- is that all it took to get your students ready? I feel like my students are nowhere near ready! What centers do you introduce for guided reading time?
I also love the name President Bob. So awesome. 🙂
Erica
Blooming In First
Today was day 12 for us. I pulled my first group today. For about 3 minutes! ha ha!!!
so much going on! you are a rock start my friend!
I love your class pet name! Last year the winner for our name was Jackson L. McQueen!
Reagan, will you be posting your virtual lesson plans this year? I loved seeing how everything fit together – especially your tpt pieces!
The hallmark of an excellent teacher is one who makes it look effortless! That's YOU!
Debbie
debjac9@aol.com
I am very happy with the Rise and Shine Binder I purchased. I will implement parts of it in my Middle and High Special Ed Class in the next week or so. I am working to adapt it to meet the needs of each student. My goal is for my students to be engaged in learning and practice all day. Products and ideas like yours are helping me.
Thanks,
Melissa E.
Do you come up with your own spelling words? Do you differentiate your lists? Love all of your stuff!!!
May I ask you how many students you have in your class this year? BTW, I bought your Sight Word Stick Centers and my kids LOVE LOVE LOVE them!
Gifting with flowers and cakes is a good idea,Its really interesting, and i enjoyed the article.
Send Gifts in Chennai
Hi Reagan,
This is a great look at the students engaged in all kinds of learning activities. I loved seeing your rise and shine binders. I think this coming week will be our first fully engaged week after rules and routines. It seemed to take longer this year but now we're ready to go. I look forward to seeing your students progress and your fabulous ideas!
Shelley
The Perks of Teaching Primary
Well duh I'm a blog follower but I didn't see this post last year. Luckily my good Pinterest friends don't let me down. How stinkin' cute is that writing activity! I also love that binder idea. Something independent that they can count on daily! Do you check them as a class?
I now have an ever-growing amount of things in my TpT wish-list. 😉
Brenda
You Might Be a First Grader….
Love your classroom! So bright and organized — a good balance of color that doesn't look overdone.
Wow, you seem to have an organized system that works for you AND your students. I would love to have a child in your classroom.
AWESOME!!!!
Excelente! Saludos desde México