KDP, Watercolors, and the Week Ahead

The past two weeks have been nonstop!

I was so honored when I was asked to speak at my university for the KDP annual symposium. Last year that was my major project for my presidency and I was so happy to be able to help this year. It was amazing to be able to talk to so many fellow students about my journey this year, and it did make me really proud of how far I have come this year. I also got to talk to Kristen, this year's president, and one of my all time favorite professors over some margaritas and chips--nothing better!  I was able to sit in on a session about using technology in the classroom and got some really cool ideas.

Last week in writing, we made rainbow similes from Cara Carroll's March Madness Mega-Pack. After making them {so cute}, I have a new love for using watercolors in the class. We did have a few issues with some friends mixing colors together in the paint container, but after a very stern talk and moving some clips down, I think they got the idea.

Inspired by the gorgeous weather of the past two weeks, my students chose to read nonfiction weather books this week in reading. {The other choice I gave them was more questioning activities with Mo Willems and David Shannon, so I think the weather really has them wondering!}

I'm planning to use weather as a theme for reading and writing this week. We are watching a BrainPOP video to begin talking about nonfiction books, creating an anchor chart for our schema/new learning about weather, and are using graphic organizers to record the things we are learning while reading.

In writing, we really haven't had a logical progression of units or focus, which I hate. Since I found myself cutting our writing time shorter and shorter because I didn't want to do writing, this week I am determined to get our writing groove back. We are introducing graphic organizers to help us plan for our writing and write to a topic. This also gives me a great chance to tell them more summer camp stories, their favorite, starring AnneMarie and myself sporting pigtails and Grace with har ribbons... Thank goodness they like my cartoon drawings!

Here are some other snapshots of the things we've been doing for St. Patrick's day--the leprechaun was a major hassle but they totally ate it up! {Figuratively and literally-leprechaun pie was one of our many green snacks that day!!}

Stress

Spring fever has hit room 131. I don't think it would be beneficial to tell the 6/7 year olds that it isn't spring yet. They know and I know the groundhog was wrong--it's going 70+ degrees tomorrow! I'm giving up hope.

After a morning rock concert assembly about writing, it was impossible to focus on any of my plans. When I asked a student in math to count up by 1s for me, the tiny number of students not twirling on their chairs a la Britney Spears or passed out on their desks half the class had deer-in-headlights eyes. We moved on to March centers, which they beg me for all day.

I'm beginning to have a seemingly chronic eye-twitch which is going along nicely with the clenched teeth I wake up with. One major stressor is I am beginning to doubt the running records I performed on my students the other day before report cards. After the principal emailed saying she as impressed by their reading growth, my self-consciousness sky rocketed. Tomorrow I am nervous to meet with these groups and verify their reading levels.

I met with the superintendent today to discuss my last observation, which went really well. She had nothing but compliments for me, which was nice. Here's hoping I don't have to change all of my report cards by hand on Friday before they go home!

At our staff meeting today we talked briefly about the fixed vs. growth mindset. My boyfriend had mentioned it to me before, but now I think I need to change the way I praise my students. A fixed mindset would result from telling students they are smart. If they think that smartness is something they are just simply born with or without, they either will not try or will become intimidated when they come to something they are not good at automatically. A growth mindset would be one that praises the effort the child is exhibiting and showcases that the effort is what results in the correct answer or learning. Tomorrow I want to try changing my teacher talk to reflect these philosophies.

I love my white shoes...

Today was a really really good day! I had been stressed out lately because of report cards and IEP surveys (which I still need to finish) but I feel motivated and proud of the work my students have been doing this year. I am finally beginning to have faith in myself, I think in part due to the fabulous keychain I won from Tammy at Klingercafe with my OLW on it!

My first graders are now on Twitter as a way to share what we're doing, work on our spelling, and be introduced to digital literacy. Follow us! @1stGradeFriend

I also just got back a standardized assessment and was amazed at how much my students have gone up since they were last tested in the fall.  I know it would have been hard for them not to have gone up, but I am still just so proud of them (and myself!)

During my zillion running records today, I shockingly realized a large number (around 8) of my students are suddenly reading above grade level independently! I really think this is due to the Daily 5, because they get so much practice reading and time reading every day. 40 minutes a day * 5 days a week *114 days so far this year= around 380 HOURS of reading. I feel so validated and proud, especially because all throughout college I always said I NEVER EVER wanted to have to teach children to read because it was such a huge responsibility.

I felt like my students needed more practice with spelling, editing, and number stories, so last week I started using the Daily Edit Problems I bought from Jennifer Bates at Finally in First through TPT. My firsties are already getting quicker finding the mistakes and answering the problem, which I tell them they will need to do for second grade.

Last week in math I started using some Dr. Seuss centers after our EDM lesson, and they LOVED IT. I had about 3242 students beg me for more centers. Little do they know I spent $40 on Leap Day on amazing March centers, so they will be sick of shamrocks pretty soon!

I'm still amazed by how smart they are nowadays, I get chills whenever one of them can tell me what schema is, or I overhear one of them tell another "One thing good readers do is..."

We read one of my new books from the book fair today, Pete the Cat Loves his White Shoes, and we kept singing the song all day long! We even called my mom, Mrs. Smith to retell her the story-- Miss Murray says she was at a doctor's appointment, but my first grade friends are sure she was sleeping.

And finally, as always, thank goodness for Cara Caroll and Abby Mullins, and the rest of the blogging community for being such amazing inspirations. We made Seuss juice last week as our culminating lesson for Senses, and they could not stop talking about it! I cracked up at my Cats in their Hats slurping down the Seuss juice!

I have a feeling that as I sit here and finish my report cards I will be whistling Pete's song because "no matter what you step in, you just have to keep doing your thing and singing your song!"

Walkthrough and Ms. Grinch continues

So far today I believe I have said "sitcrisscrossapplesauceonyourbottombottomonthegroundpleasesitaroundtheedgeoftherugonyourbottom," at least 247483153 times. I've threatened to not send in our elf applications, to write a letter to Santa and say we've been naughty, and to take away our word work power towers (bathroom cups with sight words on the bottoms) and instead put worksheets. The majority of my class also comes in with mystery ailments every day that magically disappear as soon as it's time for a brain break or to go to recess, so I can't wait for the day the one child who is actually sick pukes all over just to prove a point to me. Oh well, firstie! At least you wrote 3 sentences to go with your lavishly colored picture.

By some first grade miracle, the one 5 minute period we've followed directions all day was the 5 minute interval the principal and superintendent did their walkthroughs and they seemed really impressed. By that I mean they did not read the Grinch that said I yell, they pointed to my interactive word wall, and they laughed at our Bossy E wanted signs. As long as they do not come back until after Christmas, I think we'll be fine.

They've been LOVING our "Holidays Around the World" unit that we've been doing. So far, we've traveled to Mexico, France, and are on our way to Italy today. Of course I was't able to get the picture book for Italy from the library and Barnes and Noble NEVER has the copies of the books I want, so we're watching a YouTube video of La Befana in Disneyworld.

So Miss Smith went to Wawa...

A zillion years ago I would write a sentence or two about my progress in first grade. Almost a whole month later, I have a ton of updates.

First, I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that kids can't read automatically. It sounds silly, but it's true. I keep making these posters and lessons and charts with all of these words on them and then realize that my little firsties have no idea what they say. I'm going to tell myself I'm using a whole language approach to my literacy block, but really it's just remnants of my fourth grade friends. (Why yes, I have completely devolved into using strictly teacher language: everyone is my friend, 1, 2, 3, eyes on me whenever I do not have your complete attention, this is not the desert, you don't need a drink right now, that's the right answer to a different question, you're filling my bucket, kiss your brain you are so smart, and  you need to make a better choice.)

I have become a book hoarder and have sent family members across the country looking for just-right books for my fgf (first grade friends). We just got back from the library book sale where I was fully prepared to pay a quarter for every children's book I grabbed but was granted a special teacher discount where a man estimated I owed him only $7 for 5 whole boxes crammed full of books. I have my mom leveling books 24/7 and we are even starting to find some easy easy easy books, thank God.

It is insane to try and cram in an arts and crafts activity in less than 4 days. Also, bottles of glue are my arch nemesis.

I've taken on painting a stool from around my house as our "Author's Chair." It's painted wild colors and I'm going to mod-podge on words so I don't have to try and draw anything. I can't wait to see the commotion when I whip it out next week. (There are already fistfights for sharing our stories, can't wait for the next brawl to ensue.)

We got our class pictures--all of my students are absolutely adorable.

I'm starting to have cute stories, too. In math we were talking about pennies and nickels and were trying to get them to figure out you could trade in 5 pennies for a nickel. I tell this big elaborate story: "Miss Smith is walking to Wawa to buy a stick of gum for 6 cents. I have 6 pennies in my hands, but, boys and girls, you know how clumsy Miss Smith is (insert wild stories of me stomping on someone's hand every single day) so if I walk to Wawa carrying my 6 pennies, I'm totally going to drop them.  How can I still take 6 cents to Wawa without having to carry my 6 pennies?"  One girl's hand shoots right up so I think she's got it already. She says, "Well, you could put 3 pennies in one hand, and 3 pennies in the other hand!" I almost die laughing, but in my "multiple approaches to the same problem" attitude, I try and nudge her along. "You are so right, I could totally do that! But, I am sooooooo clumsy, 3 pennies are still TOO MANY coins for me to hold onto at once.... What could I do?" She thinks for a minute and then her face lights up-- "You can put two pennies in one hand, two pennies in the other hand, and hold on to the other two pennies with your pointer fingers and thumbs!" A voice from the peanut gallery shouts out that I could put the pennies in my pocket. Congratulations, first graders, you got me there.

I am really excited to do my plans this wek, Lindsey and I talked about our plans for like 2 hours yesterday. And I now have the SMARTBoard software on my computer. Watch out, first grade friends, Miss Smith is gonna blow you away next week. I'm terrified to do progress reports (due Tuesday) and have to plan all of my lessons still, but here is my author's chair:

Hatred

Dear firsties,

February is a month of love. A month of caring.

Not a month of getting written up for pushing friends in the cafeteria.
Not a month of getting written up for telling our friends we're going to kill them.

Check yoself.

Sincerely,
Miss Smith

Teacher Secret: Cinnamon Toast Crunch

I can't believe we only have about 72 days of school left! We have offically been in school for longer than we still have to go, which is a milestone I cannot believe I made it to already!

So I've found amazing ideas on Pinterest and my Google reader for so many amazing lessons, it's hard to even try and cram them into the day. For January there were so many cute ideas, I had such great aspirations for our snowmen projects and new year's resolutions. But then...

I have been sick for about an entire month! Thank you, weak immune system and gross first graders. At first I thought it was a regular cold, and would quickly get over it. When I could barely swallow and was packing for my family's vacation to Las Vegas the next day, we decided to go to the emergency room. After a four hour nap and a positive strep throat test, I went home with antibiotics and decided to go to school the next day anyway. Yep, I went to school. And yep, I felt so nauseous in school I slept on our bean bag chair during my prep, laid on the floor for half of reading, and ran out to the hallway to throw up when I tried to start our writing lesson. My aide, mentor teacher, and principal all kicked me out of school early.

I thought after that I would be back to normal, but apparently I caught a 2 week long cold after that. I now officially can speak loud enough so my firsties can hear me, and I do not need to have a coughing fit when saying good morning!

So now it is February and I have no cute snow related activities. Luckily, there are a trillion holidays in February! Groundhog's Day, Valentine's, our 100th day of school (we're all dressing up like we're 100!), President's Day, and Leap Year! This week we are kicking off our Valentine's unit with Abby Mullins' Sweetheart Snatcher activity to go with our introduction to inferencing. Amazingly, my firsties are so so so smart nowadays and love being detectives.

I'm really proud of myself for some of the things that I've been doing in the classroom lately. We have our own Twitter, where stuents can tweet what we're learning everyday. I've created Studycasts based on the blog entry on Techy Teacher blog, and the director of curriculum even asked me to teach people how to do it at our next professional development day. Now I just have to survive my second observation (guided reading the day before Valentine's), V-day party, budget submissions, and completely revamping my Word Work and Work on Writing stations in my room. Ahh! I do feel like I'm getting the hang of it, now, though!

My favorite firstie moments lately have been the hilarious things that they say:

-Student (while rolling dice, playing math game with me): Come on, baby, Miss Smith needs a new pair of boots!

-Me: WOW! You are a super star this week! What's different?
-Student: Hmmm... Well I did eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. That's probably it.

I only realize how often I say things when the following exchanges happen in the room: (explanation- when a student asks me for clarification on directions, I must apparently "That's a really good question!" and then go on to explain)
-(Cinnamon Toast Crunch) Student: Miss Smith! I have a really good question. Are we supposed to...

While walking down hallway, passing MLK pictures:
-Student: Oh, look, Barack Obama.

When asked what they were going to do after school:
-Student 1: I'm going to play with my dog!
-Student 2: I'm going to my grandmom's!
-Student 3: I'm going to watch a movie! And dig up my dead bird's grave.

Happy February from room 131!