May 7, 2018

Another school year has come and gone.  The time just continues to rush by. When I am able to sit and reflect, I am once again able to see that I had another wonderful year.   Moving classrooms for the 16th time and having 28 first graders kept me busier than usual, but I love to push forward, try new things, and dive in!   Every class, every year is a new adventure!

I raised my hand lickity-split when I heard that there was going to be a classroom redesign pilot program.  A few months back, the old furniture left and the new furniture was assembled in a weekend's time.   For everything I love about the new furniture, there are also concerns.  New bookcases and small math manipulative organizers are wonderful additions.  I stuck with traditional desks because my classroom is unable to have room for 28 low cubbies for our materials. If I could have been able to figure out a way to create a space for cubbies, I would have tried tables instead of desks.   A favorite of mine is my new kidney table that has a white board top to it.  It scratches easily and I am concerned about what it might look like in 10 years, but for now it is a wonderful tool while working with students in small groups.   My biggest concerns were/still are the idea of furniture with fabric.   Of course there is always the concern about lice in fabrics, but as a first grade teacher I worry about such light colored fabric and dirt from our shoes and clothing.   In first grade we also have bathroom "accidents".   Here is one of my brand new chairs damaged by a first grader and their "accidental" use of a Dry Erase marker. I am now a big fan of vinyl seating!  As I continue to move things around and figure out what works and doesn't work, I love my new room overall.  These new pieces from the pilot program mixed in with my own flexible seating (scoop chairs, video game loungers, crate seating, couches from Scholastic, etc.) create an inviting space for my students.  The ability to move and have various seating options, especially during small group instruction (Daily 5 and B.U.I.L.D. time has been key to our success!)

In between the state standards, required curriculum, and day to day events that happen at any and all schools, it is important to find those pockets of time where we are making connections and have fun as a "family".   I love what I do for a living, but I come alive when I have those moments where I can engage my students with each other in an energetic and cooperative way.   Who doesn't want to play with a gigantic ball from our school fundraiser?   What was I suppose to do with that enormous beach ball that we "won" anyway?  Pulling out my old trusty parachute seemed like the perfect solution.   Smiles were all around as we worked together and played made up games, created a mountain, and best of all crawled underneath and made a tent!   When we returned to class, students were eager to write about our "play" time.   They took photos of their journals for Seesaw.   Parents enjoy seeing and hearing stories from their child's day.  Gone are the days of parents asking what happened at school and the child saying "nothing".   Parents are connected daily by either Remind, Class Dojo, and /or Seesaw.  The connections are powerful in my class this year and it has changed how we (student, parent, and teacher) operate and communicate, all for the better.

Looking at this photograph from the Reagan Library- Interactive! The Exhibition brings me back to my childhood.   Except for the iron and ironing board, everything in this room can fit onto a smartphone today!   Technology continues to race by.  It is every changing and growing.   Students today don't know any different.   They are the new generation that will always think that the world was filled with technology in their pockets.  In so many ways technology is a gift, a miracle, a game changer in learning/teaching.   I do see that some skills are going away and that raises some concerns for me.  Today in class I had given students construction paper stockings and thick yarn with a needle made from painter's tape wrapped around one end of the yarn.  This is an activity that I haven't done for years, but it used to be a good old stand by years ago.   I was really amazed how difficult it was for students to guide the fluffy yarn into the holes.   Their little hands were shaking as their fine motor skills were not the same as students in the past.   I notice the same issues when it comes to cutting with scissors and penmanship- forming the letters, letters sitting on the line, placement, and size.   All of these skills have become more difficult with each new batch of students.  All I know is that I have to continue to make sure I offer a balance for my firsties.   I need to keep one foot in the past (pencil to paper) and one foot in the now/future (technology).  Education is always changing and moving, just as it should be!

Where does the time go?   Thanksgiving break has come and gone.   It was wonderful seeing all of the smiling faces and sweet friends, but it sure was tough getting out from under the cozy covers in the pitch dark to return to work.   

Organization is the key for me and I am thankful that I left everything ready for this week prior to the Thanksgiving break.   This week in our Houghton Mifflin Harcourt language arts pilot series, we are reading a story called "Seasons".   This series is full of non-fiction pieces, but I was having trouble making connections to our daily lives.   We really don't have "Seasons" here in Southern California.   Three students saw snow over the break and they shared their stories with us, but the connections to the text just were not coming through to my firsties.  

When we read the section on "Fall" an idea hit me!   Earlier in the morning our custodian had blown all of the leaves in our quad area to a patch of lawn near my classroom.   I am sure he put them there for the landscapers to mow up, but my wheels were spinning with a different plan.     So we dropped our textbooks and lined up for an on-the-spot adventure.  Once we traipsed our little bodies outside, we bundled up with our coats, scarves, and mittens.   We discussed the difference in the nearby trees- evergreens and deciduous.  Students observed the trees surrounding our classroom.   Next, I put on a real act as we came around the corner and discovered the huge mound of leaves.   They never needed to know how they got there; that would have ruined the magic.   We lowered our voices so we could hear the crunching of the leaves as we marched through them.   All you could hear were delightful giggles.   Suddenly, those cozy covers from earlier didn't seem so important to me.   Here I was in my element once again!   You should have seen their expressions when I said that we should toss them in the air and play in the autumn leaves.   It was a priceless moment.   I am sure when they reread the story to their families tonight, they might have a story to share with their parents!

How can it be?    10 years ago a teacher shared with me ideas from a brand new book.   That book was called, Daily 5!   It rocked my world.   It changed the idea of centers and teaching to the average away for me.   In those days, I differentiated instruction within my small groups, but the other groups were the same activities for all.   Daily 5 changed all of that for me and my students from that day forward.   

The original book was seen as a "How To Guide".   I saw fellow educators following the authors words to the T.   I decided to take parts of the book, ideas, and suggestions and tweak them to work for me.   The main difference for me was that I was not very keen on the idea of students choosing where they were going and with who they were going with.   Later, the book Daily 5 was updated and the authors very much came out and said that their point was really the philosophy behind the book.   They mentioned repeatedly to make it your own.   The key is to teach in small blocks of time, allow movement, adjust for differentiated instruction, and let students be able to make choices/ownership with their learning.  Instead of Free Reign, I give choices within the 5 rotations.  Just as a note, Mondays are still reserved for me to introduce the skills and concepts of the week.   Fridays are still reserved for wrapping up the week, extensions, and assessments.   Daily 5 is used 3 days a week in my room.   I am going to break away from this model sooner than later depending on what Language Arts Pilot we end up buying.   I would love to stretch my curriculum into a 6-9 day unit of study depending on the extension,interest, and skills being introduced.   For me, the second half of first grade always looks completely different that the first half of the school year.

My five rotations include Work on Writing, Read to Self, Word Work, Listening to Reading, and instead of Read to Someone, they come to see their teacher at the kidney table. Work on Writing is always changing.   Sometimes they are working on vocabulary that ties in with our current unit of study, or they might be writing about a topic, or they might be writing a letter to a friend (mail is delivered on Fridays).  To keep it fresh, the activity is always changing.   Read to Self is wonderful.  Students can sit on a couch, a rocking chair outside, or snuggle up in the library.   Sometimes I have students read Elbow to Elbow, Knee to Knee if they didn't finish something at the kidney table or if I feel that they need additional practice.   During this time students can also read/be read to on their Chromebooks.   Students can take A.R. tests.   Once again they have choices within the activity.  Word Work is a big hit!  There are over 30 activities to choose from.   Students work with their spelling family or their high frequency words.   They can use Playdough with letter stampers, they can use Wiki Sticks, students can cut out their letters/words from magazines, rubber stamps, Roll and Write games, magnetic letters, Dry Erase boards, etc.   You get the idea, lots and lots of choices.  Listening to Reading is an evolving stop in the Daily 5 cycle.   I have retired all of my cassette tapes several years ago.   Students may pull up a chair and listen to a book on CD.   Every title I own has a second copy.   2 students may share a book, but 4 can listen at the same time.  I lay out 3-4 choices of titles.   They either go with our unit of study, our language arts program, or themed books for the month.   Students may also use their Chromebooks to hear books read to them.   No matter what, I require the students to complete a follow up page for a book that was listened to.   I only ask for one of the sheets by the end of the week and of course, they have choices as far as what sheet to work on. Following along, listening, comprehending....these are all needed skills in first grade.

The meat and potatoes of my Daily 5 model is when they visit me at the kidney table.  Students might be working on writing complete sentences or leveled phonics with Dry Erase pens on Dry Erase sticker spots on the table.  Students might be working on revisions on a prior piece of writing.   Once again, I have options and I can target what students need in a small group setting.  Currently I am piloting Houghton Mifflin's Journey program.   I am in love with their leveled readers!   The program comes with high, medium, and low text, but get this!   The titles are tied into our anthology!   The titles are filled with meaningful and engaging text!   My students go nuts when I bring out the books! I let them take them home of course.   Parents can see how they are another authentic piece that ties in with our curriculum.   By the way, their are also vocabulary books and ELD books. This week all of the literature is based on the animals in the ocean.  Needless to say, every student is engaged and excited.   Each leveled reader also comes with multiple meaningful activities.   Wow!

For years, I used to try to watch the clock and when I could I would hit a gong and students would rotate based on names in a pocket chart.   Well you can imagine that that probably didn't always go so smoothly.   3 or 4 years ago I decided to try and create my own Power Point to help the flow in my room.   Game Changer!   I was able to control the time, add sounds, images, and the best part is that I can switch the placement of students with ease!   Once again, I am always trying to make sure that the students are engaged and invested in what the skill or learning is about.   I have converted my Power Point into Google Slides.   I have even used this technology for a similar model with math called the BUILD model.   We use that program once a week.   For fun, I even recreated one of my slide shows for our class party today!    I inserted Halloween/Fall clipart/photos.   I played my slideshow on the interactive white board.   Students rotated from here to there for small group activities.  We did everything from Ten Frames with Eyeballs, to graphing with Cheetos Bones (chips), to games, photo booth, art project, and cookie decorating.  Don't worry!   The cookies were sent in little bags to be eaten at home. :)

I have shared my homemade Power Points with everyone on the SVUSD First Grade Google Group, but am more than willing to send it to anyone who would like to give it a try.