Sunday, August 11, 2013

Beginning of School

First Day of School Agenda
Students put away their backpacks and then look for their name on one of the work tables.  I purchase the name tags found at lakeshore Learning stores.  I like the safety features and durability.
Name tags
I use Avery Design online to create individual name tags with their name in a color of their reading group, an icon (rockets, suns, earths, and stars) for math groups, computer number, and exploration group.  I can save them so I can revise as I change groupings and print them out for subs.
Avery Wizard
When all of the students have arrived and parents have left, I call students to the carpet to read:
Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes

We then go on a school tour trying to find Pete the Cat using the clues found on Ms. Lirette's  Blog.     .Pete the Cat Groovy School Tour

Pete the Cat awaits them back in the classroom with this yummy treat.
After being introduced to our playground and eating their treat, students were introduced to retelling a story by putting pictures of the adventures of Pete the Cat in order.   They then practiced retelling their story to a friend and late retold the story to their parents using the below paper book they took home later that day.

The first week of school was exciting and yet sad.  I have a terrific group of students and parents this year!  But at the end of the week my Smart Board (which was 5 years old) broke and will be unable to be repaired.  I have spent many, many hours making exciting Common Core Lessons.  It may be a while till I get a replacement, if at all since I am the only teacher in our district with one, so I am looking for alternatives.  Since I may be the one who has to purchase the replacement and I am close to retirement, I am looking at possibly using a 44 " touch LED monitor.  I played with one at a store yesterday and it is definitely something to explore.  I can't use a projector since my students sit on the floor during direct instruction and if I was to put one behind them, the projection would be too big for them to interact with it.  I also have 24 student response systems (i responds) so I definitely need some kind of large monitor.  I am also experimenting using my ipad as a whiteboard since we will be getting wireless in my classroom next month.  Trying it out at home, I noticed some issues, so I am unsure.

We just got some District Wide Consistencies that require the use of Listening Centers to be linked to Common Core. I created two guided activities.  One to help students get ready for their first opinion writing assessment.  This week students had to listen to the story, color the like or do not like picture, draw a picture of their favorite or not so favorite part of the story.  The title of the book was already written in and the word I.  Students had to copy the word like or do not like and then dictate the because part of the story.  Next week students write I and either like or do not like but the title is already there and they dictate again to an assistant.  The third week they write above plus copy the title and dictate.

Free Opinion Listening Center Activity




The second Listening Center Activity helps students see how the characters, setting and the sequence of the events of literature create the story.  Students are not expected to complete the whole activity.  As we worked on Sequence of Events with Pete the Cat, I had other stories for the students to listen to that had distinct events for example Olmo and the Butterfly.  Students heard the story and drew "3 things that happened in the story".  I would tie those words with "Sequence of Events".  I am not asking students to put what happened in order of sequence quite yet.  That will come later in the year.

Free Copy of Listening Center Activity

Saturday, August 10, 2013

A New Year and a New Goal

My goal this year is to collaborate and share best instructional practices with other kindergarten teachers. This week I have been busy getting ready for the first week of school. Our district has received a grant that encourages Blended Learning.  For those who are not familiar with this term, it means maximizing learning through the use of high quality first instruction and technology resources. This can be foreign to many, but exciting.  I have seen the power of this kind of classroom for the past 5 years.  I have had the use of a Smartboard, individual clickers (iresponds), and 8 computers for 25 kindergarten students.

This week I have revised several powerpoint presentations I will use for our First Day Orientation and Back to School Night.

Welcome to Kindergarten loop
Back to School Presentation

One of the projects that the students will be completing during the first week, is decorating a large paper doll.  I will take head shots of the students the first day to glue on the dolls after students have dressed them.  Their names will be displayed under the doll.  These are displayed on Back to School Night.
Also important is a good set of Common Core Standards.  I created these standards with matching stickers.  The posters come in both portrait and landscape view and are in kid friendly language and color pictures that illustrate what students need to know. I display them in a pocket chart that I found that allows me to easily change the posters.

Click here for more information about the Kindergarten Language arts Common Core posters and stickers


 For more information about the Kindergarten Math Common Core Posters