You Know You're a First Grade Teacher When

  Abby at The Inspired Apple is having a linky party... "You Know You're a Teacher When...".  Link up with Abby and share your list.

Here is mine...
You Know You're a First Grade Teacher When
1.  You are excited to spend the last 4 weeks of your "vacation" setting up your room to welcome a new class.

2.  You accidently respond, "Wow, that's great!"  when a family member tells you something that is really not so great.

3.  You would feel extremely excited to receive Sharpies or Mr. Sketch markers as a present for any special occasion.

4.  You sneak into the rooms of your own children while they sleep to "borrow" a book that you know would be perfect for a lesson you want to teach. 

5.  You continue to refer children for speech services even though you know you'll be told they "don't qualify at this time".

6.  You are tempted to say, "touch the words" every time you pass someone holding a book.

7.  You shop ebay for leveled books instead of vintage items and cool collectibles.

8.  Your heart feels warm when they a student tells you that you are the best teacher in the world... even if they call you their Kindergarten teachers name.

9.  You never give up on any child.

10.  You love your job so much that you'll still spend all of your free time and all of your savings to be the best teacher you can possibly be... because it's worth every minute and every penny!

Enjoy your day!

NonFiction Text Features

In preparation for an animal research project that my kids need to do in the next month, we worked on nonfiction text features last week.  We started by doing a fiction/nonfiction book sort with weather related books, since we are currently studying weather.  That helped me get an idea of how much my students already knew about the differences between fiction and nonfiction books.  The students worked in cooperative groups to sort of stack of books while I walked around to listen to their discussions.

I introduced specific nonfiction text features throughout the week and made an anchor chart with our class.  I forgot to take a picture of the anchor chart.  This week, my students will be using the form below to find specific nonfiction features in a book at their "just right" level during literacy center time.

Nonfiction Text Feature Center Form

5 more days till spring break!!!!  I think I can...  I think I can...

Book Recommendations

Someone asked me about the "Book Recommendation" shelf in my room.  Here is a picture of the shelf - nothin' fancy.  The sign (which you can barely see) just says "Book Recommendations".  The red bin (which is also barely visible) is where we keep the blank recommendation forms.

I use a laminated library pocket to hold the recommendation form beside each "featured" book.  Students are invited to fill out a form for any book that they think is "so incredibly cool that they wish their friends would read it".  The first link below is the recommendation form that we use in my room.  The 2nd link is the sign I use for the shelf.  My "Book Hospital" sign was on the same document, so they are both on this document. 


Book Recommendation Form

Book Recommendation/Book Hospital Signs

Ten Things I've Learned From Teaching

Jennifer at Rowdy in First Grade is having a "Ten Things I've Learned From Teaching" linky party.  It's been fun to read all the things others have learned.


My Top Ten
1.  I could stay all day, spend the night, take a cart full of stuff home and still not feel like I am "done" working - SET LIMITS.
2.  Education is one of the greatest gifts I have been given. Teaching is a blessing and a challenge.
3.  There is a way to reach every child.  Don't give up on them.
4.   It's ok to vent... it's very therapeutic for some of us.
5.  I am so lucky to have a job where I don't have to watch the clock and hope the day is almost over.
6.  It is important for kids to have choices, firm limits and love.
7.  When it feels like everyone (colleagues, parents, students, friends) is trying to suck the life out of you... say NO.
8.  I work hard enough not to feel guilty when people make those stupid comments like "well you have the whole summer off...".
9.  New Sharpie and Mr. Sketch markers - love em!
10. You become what you believe.

Yahoo!  It's almost Friday!

Adjectives - 5 Senses Poems

I've been having so much fun teaching about adjectives (and poetry) in the past 2 weeks!  I purchased the Let's Get Poppin' with Adjectives from Abby.  I highly recommend it!  You can check it out here - The Inspired Apple and purchase the unit it on TpT.  We wrote 5 senses poems after doing some cooperative group work to come up with adjectives for each of the 5 senses.

After havin' a little fun with popcorn, we made another 5 senses anchor chart about rain.  We are working on a weather unit in science, so the students used a graphic organizer and wrote another 5 sense poem about weather.  Here are some pictures.  I am so proud of their work!

5 Senses Graphic Organizer

Field Trip Writing

My class went on a field trip to our local public library today.  We are extremely lucky to have a brand new fabulous library for our community members to enjoy.  On our trip today... my kids were great, the library staff was friendly and my class had 8 parent helpers show up to help with the trip.  It was a great day!

I like my students to write about their experience whenever we go on a field trip.  I modified the writing page that I use to make it generic for any trip.  Hope it is useful for a few of you.

Field Trip Writing

Now, I'm gonna pretend that I didn't just hear the words "winter storm warning" come from the meteorologist on the evening news.  Enough already!!!!!

Reading Tickets

 A few weeks ago, I added a post about the quiet reading tickets my kids use.  My students use the reading tickets during quiet reading time.  They are expected to read to 4 different friends during our quiet reading time.  Each friend they read to signs their reading ticket.  It's never quiet, but kids are busy reading the whole time.  Here are a few extras that I made for my class to use this spring.

Quiet Reading Ticket - Spring 1

Quiet Reading Ticket - Spring 2

Is it almost spring break?  10 more days!!!