August 28th, 2012

ONE T-I-R-E-D First Grade Teacher...has learned her lesson.  Last night after school I ran over to Providence to hear all about my nephew's first day of school! Well...got home about 7:00 made my phone calls...BUT didn't get to bed until after 10:00! That 4:30 alarm came TOO fast this morning! 
I was so happy to be here with this bunch of pups none the less! The second day is a bit "harder" for everyone I've found. We had a lot of "When is lunch, when do we go homes"!  
However, we had another great day! We are settling into a routine and once we do not have to go over lunchroom procedures our day is going to run smoooothhhhlllyyy!
Today we all unpacked and came into the room just like we practiced yesterday and blue folders were stashed away in mailboxes! I was so happy to see that everyone brought them back today!  
 We worked on completing and editing sentences in our "sunshine" folder! 

And then a quick writing mini lesson! What do we need to include in our writing?? WOW...there was some great Kindergarten teaching going on last year! First thing mentioned...EVENTS, then SETTING and the hardest one for us to remember was CHARACTERS...but we pulled it out!  I heard a few "I don't know what to write abouts" BUT when I told them they were experts on themselves they were all able to get started!  Here we are getting our "thoughts" on paper both in text and illustrations! I am so excited to watch these little pups grow!  

After writers workshop we hustled down to the cafeteria for some procedure practice!  A few reminders to all! 

• Lunch begins at 10:50 
• Visitors sit at the row of tables closest to the cafeteria lines
• Only your child may sit with you when you come to eat
• Guy's class sits in the row closest to the stage
• Quiet time starts at "about" 11:10 (at this time students are not allowed to get drinks or go to the bathroom

Back to the classroom for Reader's Workshop and a bit of Social Studies (combined into one)!

We talked about checking out library books both at school, the public library and in our classroom library! I love it...one pup said, "you pick and book and then you have to PAY for it!" 

I showed them our classroom (clothes pin) system and chose...

What a way into some school rules and our social studies unit! We read David Goes to School by David Shannon...there were some discussions about what David was doing and what he SHOULD be doing!!! Then onto the fun stuff...everyone made their own David!

As we finished our Davids up...Guess What...it was recess and lunch time.  

After our read aloud and bathroom break it was time to finish up our rules discussion.  We made a circle map to brainstorm all sorts of rules that David should have been following.  And then it was time for the pups to put their rule down on paper! Everyone was given a speech bubble to complete the following "I will..."

Some finished products! I ADORE them!!!

 We started a power point...Our Science Journals...I took some scientist pictures while we continued our math tub exploration...and we are READY FOR SOME SCIENCE!  Got packed up...went to P.E. Me, "did you have fun!" Pup, "UUHMMM we sat and listened to rules and procedures BUT we learned how to stay safe! Yes! it was FUN!" Oh to be a first grader again! 

Another successful day in 313! I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...(after a good nights sleep of course!)