How to Organize Small Group Workshop Materials
Working with my students in small groups is one of my favorite parts of the day. It is the time where I can target the individual literacy skills that my littles need to become fluent readers and meet their reading goals. In order to meet with all six of my groups, I MUST have a plan and be organized. In the past, I have used different folders f... Read more 31 Dec 2017 - 1 minute read
January Reflection Prompt Cards
Snowflakes, winter, New Year Resolutions, goals, weight loss, cold weather, and ice skating are all words we associate with the month of January. As we head into the new year, my classroom will be reflecting on our goals and getting into a strong growth mindset. We will be discussing any resolutions that our students want to achieve with their f... Read more 21 Dec 2017 - less than 1 minute read
Kindness Matters in Our Classrooms!
One of the most important things I want to teach my students is how to be KIND kids and show kindness to one another. In first grade, students are building friendships that will set the tone for their elementary years. We spend a lot of time working on kindness and other character traits throughout the school year. I designed this board game to ... Read more 07 Dec 2017 - 2 minute read
STEM Snowman Teamwork Challenge
One of my favorite winter stories to read to my first graders is The Biggest Snowman Ever. This book is filled with themes about teamwork. After reading the story, I always take time for some really great conversations about why teamwork is important, how teamwork can help complete a job, and why working together is better than working by yourse... Read more 04 Dec 2017 - 2 minute read
December Reflection Circles
Last week I started a new practice for my reflection circles at the end of the day. So far this year, we have sat in a circle on the carpet to share our answers to various reflection prompts. Rather than sitting in a circle, I had my students join hands and make a standing circle all the way around the classroom. They loved it! I noticed that my... Read more 26 Nov 2017 - 1 minute read