Daily 5

It all started with pinterest.  You all know pinterest right?  Pinterest is a wonderful (time sucking bandit) place on the internet where you can find all kinds of great ideas.  Well, I kept seeing all these things for daily 5.  I had no clue as to what it was, how it worked, or what it involved.  Not only that, but I had no idea how purposeful it actually was.  Well, pinterest led me to blogs.  I had heard of blogging, but did not realize that it would open an entirely new world for me as a teacher. Of course, as I kept finding more and more blogs, I kept seeing Daily 5. 

I spent the end of my school year feeling like I had let my students down because I didn't feel as though I was effective in creating and encouraging literacy.  I made a little goal for myself to become a better literacy teacher.  Well that led to seeing bloggers gearing up for a Daily 5 book study.  I really do try to listen when God is talking to me, but sometimes it takes me awhile to process.

Lory's Page: Daily 5 (You will have to visit Lory's page to get the blog hop)

Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations (I've posted the blog hop for this study at the end.)

Why Daily 5?

Let me begin by saying I am following two separate book studies focused on the Daily 5 by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser, otherwise known as "the sisters."   Due to the fact that I am still very new to blogging, I didn't realize they were separate until yesterday! (gasp)  Oh well, I figure the more information the better.  

After reading the Daily 5 I have decided this has to be for me!  I have tried to create centers that are purposeful but also kid managed, not teacher managed. I have tried to create independence in my classroom.  I have tried to give kids choices of what they can do and what order to do them in.  I have also tried to create a love for reading by giving kids books they are successful at reading, but all of mine looked completely different than what the sisters describe.

I know kids can be successful at this because the little bit I did actually showed me kids reading, over and over again and they were excited to come and read to me!  

This is why I know this will work for me:

1. My students all had a book box on their desk.  The books in it were not chosen for them, but instead they were our series phonics readers.  I encouraged (made) them read the first book to me and then let them read each book on their own, to their neighbor, or to me.  It amazed me that most children would not go to the next book until they mastered the first one.  They did not just sit at their desks and "read" all they books without reading them.  They were so excited to bring me the book they read and read it to me to show off  their skills!  SO, if they can do this with poorly chosen books, then I can only imagine what they will be able to do with good fit books.
2. They actually did very well when I would encourage (make) them read to their neighbor to practice their fluency (give me more time to do something with someone.)  The noise level was manageable.  I imagine what it will look like when I begin the year building their stamina for reading with others.
3. They loved word work!  I have stamps to write it/stamp it, (you can check that out  here: Mel D. at Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations)  I know this will work.
4. Choices!  I believe in giving kids choices.  My Nana always told me to give my kids choices.  Giving kids choices does not mean giving them free reign.  It means giving them things to choose from that I am good with what they choose.  This satisfies the control freak in me and their natural desire to choose for themselves.  Win-Win

I spent the last three weeks working summer school, the entire time I was busy envisioning my class next year, purposefully engaged in their education and becoming excited about literacy!

Until next time..................

Deanna

Whole Brain Teaching

How many of you are still trying to find a behavior management program that fits?  I failed, miserably, at using a card system. I just could NOT keep up with it, or follow through with it (not to mention the drama it created when students needed to turn a card.)  I went to a WBT conference about 2 years ago and when I left I knew this was it for me!

Five simple rules!  That's it!  REALLY!!  (I have added a sixth rule for my class, but still, it is so easy.)  The kids get it, I get it, we ALL get it.  It blends quite nicely with Character Counts and it will blend even better with the Daily 5 that I plan to begin using next year.


 Whole Brain Teaching 


So many great parts to WBT that I don't know where to begin, so I think I will focus on how the rules changed my classroom.

The Rules:
Rule #1:  Follow directions quickly.
Rule #2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule #3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule #4: Make smart choices.
Rule #5: Make your dear teacher happy.
Rule #6: Respect yourself, Respect others, and Respect our school.

We practice these rules daily.  Each rule has a motion to go with it.  The BEST part for me as a teacher? When a student is shouting out, I look at them and say, "Rule #2?"  The class usually chimes in and repeats it.   The student then raises their hand, and I call on them.  If a student is out of their seat, headed to me or just wandering, I look at them and say "Rule #3?"   Most times student's will start asking me their question, but I just keep repeating myself, "Rule #3?"  They get the hint, go back to their desk and raise their hand. Then I call on them as though they had been there the whole time.  For the times that I am doing this more than I should, the kids spend some practice time with me during recess.  They spend a few minutes of their recess time repeating the rule they are having a hard time remembering, while doing the motion associated with it.
The rare times that they need even more practice, I send a letter home telling the parents they need some additional practice time at home.

IT WORKS!    Tears of joy!

I know you are saying to yourself, "but Deanna, you don't know my class!"  Let me tell you, You don't know MY class!  I had an awesome group of kiddos this year, but they certainly had some unique qualities that tested me.  Let me just say, through the Grace of God and knowing about WBT, we had an amazing year!

I am a Whole Brain Teacher, and I will continue to be a Whole Brain Teacher. I could go on and on but I think if you are not familiar with it you should go and  VISIT WHOLE BRAIN TEACHING.

OH! I almost forgot the inspiration for this post was a Linky (my first one, exciting!)
I am sure I probably did it wrong but you can find the blog that started it here:

Think, Wonder, & Teach

On another note, only 3 days of summer school left, woo hoo!
Until next time.............

Deanna

Why I teach........

Today was the last day of school.  What will I do for the next 9 weeks?  Oh yeah, I am teaching summer school.  Good thing or I would probably make my poor husband crazy!  Teaching is not just a job for me, it's a calling.  I have known since I was 6 that I wanted to be a teacher, (Wow! I just realized maybe that's why I love first grade so much. DUH!)

But seriously, I live and breath teaching.  I am ALWAYS thinking about how I can do something better.  How can I make sure ALL my students are growing?  I know that I am blessed to have awesome teachers and friends around me that inspire me to do better every day, but the real inspiration comes from God and from this.......

I love that she remembered to draw my glasses.  I also love that she hopes I will be nice.  It just makes me smile and laugh all at the same time!

I pray everyone had as good a year as I did.  Have a safe and blessed summer!

Until next time............


Deanna

End of the year.....

Wow!  Only 4 days left of school.  Getting out this early in the year is new for me, which must be why I signed up to teach summer school.  I think I must have been crazy afraid that I would be bored for way too long.  I am really going to miss my kids.  I don't know why, but for some reason this group has really attached themselves to my heart.

Every year I find myself wondering how to send home all of the little reminders of my students that I have around the classroom.  This is what I did this year:

The header with their name is from our wall of work.  Every year the first day of school each child colors and cuts out their name.  I take a picture of them to put beside it, (this goes in the empty first day box).  Throughout the year as students loose their teeth, we put their tooth in the tooth chart.  I hate to throw anything away that was theirs so I decided to add it to the page.  The ice cream scoop is from our birthday graph and finally, their foot pattern from How big is a foot? lesson we did about a month ago (from Rowdy in First Grade.)  Then the other misc. empty boxes are from pictures I took during the year and put up in the room, so now they get to have it back.  

If you would like the copy of the 1st grade, feel free to grab it here.  I also made a second page that has a class picture in the middle of it.  This will be for all the children to sign for each other.  (I hadn't actually intended to do this but when I was printing up the 1st grade page my printer lost its mind and kept printing until I was out of paper!)  Anyway, I don't like to let things go to waste so that is what I am doing with it.

How to keep students busy without using copy paper the last week of school?  Here is my favorite activity from last week:

We tore out the letter page from the back of our practice book and then we started making words.  They loved this!  I loved the fact that some of them even started making sentences.  They were still using them the next day.

my favorite word!!

Happy Sunday.  

Until next time........

Deanna

Keeping Track and a freebie.......

Have you ever gone home at the end of a day and wondered to yourself, "Did I actually talk to little Johnny today, one on one, even for just a few seconds.?"  I am human, so obviously my answer is yes. Although I do think I have solved that problem for myself.

I am a control freak and I like to be able to tell parents that, "Yes, I gave little Johnny his homework today.  I put it in his backpack myself." While many of you may think this is time consuming, (I think) I finally have it down to a fine art and at the same time I get to make sure I talk to every student, eye to eye, every day.

The blue folder on the table is where they put their homework folder when they come in in the morning.  I then check them all and place them in the rolling file that (conveniently) rolls under the table when I am done.  At the end of the day, I call the kids to me by groups or rows or one at a time depending on what I need to talk to them about.  They come to me with back-packs open and ready and I zip and chat.  

Of course I'm sure you wonder what everyone else is doing while they wait their turn.  

Well here is what they do:

Sight word practice time.  Each student has their own "Green Words" in their desk.  This is their time to work with a neighbor to master their sight words.  Now that we are at the end of the year they are practicing spelling them to their neighbor.  It warms my heart and makes me laugh to hear them practicing with one another.  I love it!  This year I had the most students I have ever had with 100%  not to mention those that scored 80% or above on their "word wall" reading tests! (Of course I left my score sheet at school so I can't tell you the actual break down, but lets just say, I will continue to do this until I think of another way to build community in my classroom.)

If you are interested in grabbing the sight words  that I use you can get them here.

Happy last few days of school...........

Deanna

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all the mother's out there had as a great a mother's day as I did.  My awesome daughter took me to Starbucks and then for a pedicure.  What a great morning.  We then met my husband and mother-in-law at Roadhouse for lunch.  Now they are working on napping and I am in here working on this post before its time to go to church.

My kids worked all week on their books for their mother's.  I have to say, they really put their hearts into their work and they turned out super cute.  Thank you Gayle for creating Thinking-about-Mom.  These maps really helped my kiddos think about their moms and how much they love them.

I can already hear my kids tomorrow morning as they come in telling me (all at once) how much their mom's loved their books!

Until next time.............
Deanna

What I learned this year.....

I am soo excited!!  I have my first two followers. (Okay, technically one doesn't count because she is my sister, but the other one does!)  Thank you Jill for becoming my first official follower.

What a year it has been and I feel as though I have barely begun!  I stumbled into blogland via pinterest and my classroom hasn't been the same since.  I have been stalking and collecting great ideas from many people, and as I mentioned in my first post I am trying to show some of the ideas I have used.

 I decided to make a class book this year using  Book Creator for iPad ($4.99.)  It allows you to put your own pictures in and also allows you to record the book.  You can then open and read the book in iBooks.  i asked my students to write and tell me something they learned this year. I then scanned their pictures and added the text and let them record their own voice for their page.  They loved listening to the book being read back to them.

My favorite student page is below:

 As you can see, the stuff he is referring to is the projects we did; Abraham Lincoln from  step into second grade, Martin Luther King directed drawing, and (what a coincidence) mrs. t's first grade class ladybug fact families!  (kids have the best timing)

I think sometimes we forget how important some of our projects are.  They may seem "fun" to us, but obviously to my little guy, they leave an impression.


More next time.........
Deanna