First Mess-up of the Year

Might as well get it out of the way......

So in trying to streamline my luggage to and from school, I've decided that it'd be best to just bring the bare necessities to school today.  Although my intention was, as it always is, to pack the night before, it just didn't happen.  You teachers know how quickly we fall asleep after the first day of school!

So this morning as I'm amidst the hustle and bustle of balancing my demanding 18 month old, making breakfast for the two of us and my son (who decided to wake up early on his last day of summer vacation), cleaning up, and dressing, I hastily shoved my laptop and lesson plan binder into my bag.  Quickly glancing over my resource books, I came to the conclusion that since I wouldn't look at them during the day anyway, I'd just leave them at home.

When I get to school, I open up my lesson plan binder with 15 minutes left until the bell rings.  Lo and behold, the most vital piece of information for any teacher was no where to be found.  I had left my lesson plans for this week AT HOME!!

Needless to say, I was a bit of a wreck this morning, as I'd have no prep periods until 11:10 (10:00 if I included recess).  Don't know whether to blame it on the pregnancy, exhaustion after the first day, or just plain carelessness, but now that I survived the day, I can sit back and laugh.  Yes, I managed to survive!  =) 

We continued Daily 5, and the 3rd way to read a book, by retelling Splat the Cat, a book we read yesterday.  The students decorated their file jackets - which will be their "book boxes" for the year. Next week, I'll have a discussion for how to pick a Just Right Book, but for the rest of this week, I think I'll just fill their book boxes with books chosen for them.

Today I also launched our Investigations Unit 1. So the students explored some of the math manipulatives: pattern blocks, unifix cubes, and geoblocks.  I wasn't quite sure what the difference was between geoblocks and power polygons, so I'll have to look more into that.

Lots of labeling, coloring, guided discovery with markers....

The students so far have told me that first grade is fun and that they like it..... Now if only I can get them to sit still on the carpet during lesson time......  Sigh.  I always forget, these kids are just kindergartners. They need a couple more months.  By then, I'll be on maternity leave!  =)

We'll see how tomorrow goes.  Hopefully this time, I remember my lesson plans.  =)  Thanks for listening, my faithful readers! Have a great day!

-jt-

First Day of School!

The first day has come and gone.  There were moments when it seemed like time stood still.  There were moments when it seemed as if time were flying by. But all in all, I survived.

Responsive Classroom approach seemed to have gone well today.  I am guilty of having a few more "You"s in my directions and corrections rather than "I"s.  The morning meeting seemed to have run a bit long for the kids and they were quite antsy by the time we were finished.  I, personally, felt a little bit disorganized with them.  I will try to have a smoother approach tomorrow.

The students did some guided discovery of crayons and pencils (regular & colored) today.  Tomorrow, they will do some guided discovery with pens (fat & skinny markers), and that should take care of our introduction to supplies.
It was a rainy day, so the students had limited play outside.  But I needed them to be out there since I didn't feel like I could let them have free reign over the classroom during an "indoor recess" time. We just hadn't gone over how to take care of all of the materials (ie. computers, art center, loft, dress-up, etc) just yet.

We began launching Daily 5/CAFE, with our discussion of how to read a book.  I read and discussed "Good Dog, Carl" to emphasize reading the pictures, and read "The Kissing Hand" to emphasize the words - and also to make a text-to-self connection for the first day of school.

The students also wrote the first part of "The First Days of School" class book.  They will finish it tomorrow. 

Well, the students are gone, I'm wiped out.  It's time to head home to lovingly do my other job - being a mom!  =)  Have a great day!

-jt-

Will the planning pay off?

Today was the last day of prep work before the kiddos arrive tomorrow.  There are a few last minute things to take care of in the morning and with the help of my trusty assistant.  I've decided not to let the empty bulletin boards bother me.  It will be filled soon with the precious work of kindergartners-turned-first graders. I will also be adding to them as I introduce new items into our daily routine.  As of right now, my Daily 5 board is empty.  As I introduce each new piece, I will add it to my board and make it really meaningful for them.

On another note, I heard a really beautiful poem today, read by one of my colleagues at our faculty meeting:

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

Just a little reminder of how the little things can make the biggest difference not only in a child's life, but in our own lives as well. 

For my wonderful followers, I wish you all the best in your new school year.  May you be blessed with laughter, tears, growth, and love. If there are moments when it seems that life has turned itself upside down, turn yourself upside down with it.  Sometimes it's nice to view the world in a whole new way. 

-jt-

Professional Reading List

For those of you who are interested, I have compiled a list of books that I have read, am still reading, and would have liked to read this summer.  Most of them have to do with literacy instruction and classroom management.  For me, those are the two biggest areas of development for children at this age.  Feel free to let me know how you liked these books, or if you have any others you'd like to suggest.

(In no particular order)


The Next Step in Guided Reading, Jan Richardson
Teaching Children to Care, Ruth Sidney Charney
The First Weeks of School, Paula Denton & Roxann Kriete
Growing Readers, Kathy Collins
Reading with Meaning, Debbie Miller
Making the Most of Small Groups, Debbie Diller
The Daily 5, Gail Boushey & Joan Moser
The Cafe Book, Gail Boushey & Joan Moser

If I had more time, I would have liked to have gotten a hold of Morning Meetings.

-jt-

So Much to Do, So Little Time

Of course I'm talking about this last day of vacation, but I'm also talking about the school year. 

Bulletin boards to prep, name cards to write, labels to print.  Lots to prep, lesson plans to write.  Like most teachers, I spent my summer looking up new ideas and tweaking my plans to fit the new set of incoming first graders. Thanks to the wonderfully populous World Wide Web, I've gotten so many new ideas.  There have been no shortage of teachers willing to share their amazing creations both on PT and their own beautifully crafted websites.  My brain and computer are filled to capacity.

So this year, I'll be implementing Daily 5 again, mixing it with a little Reader's and Writer's Workshop, adding a dash of Guided Math strategies, all the while holding down the fort under a Responsive Classroom approach.  My reading list has been limited to the books I already had on hand, but have not quite solidified in my "signature" classroom. I'll list the ones I found most instrumental for my curriculum in my next post. 

Before I buckle down and set my first few weeks of school, I'm going to take a little "me" time and go get my hair done.  Haven't done it in ages.... I guess that's what happens when you have two little rugrats to chase!  Wonderful hubby will be taking them to the park for some fun while I'm gone.  =)

Then, it's back to work!  Prepping lessons, prepping classroom, prepping lunches and bags for tomorrow.  Summer's over.  Time to play! 

-jt-