Always Planning!

School ended just last Friday, so here I am (like so many of us!) cruisin' the internet, setting up a game plan for next year.

I have packed (to move back to the grade I was in last year - argh!) and moved all my own stuff with minimal help from the custodians.  I say I move it myself so that I know where it is in August, but in reality, I end up throwing last day items in the cubbies and wishing I could fast-forward to August when I will sit in a hot (but QUIET classroom) and organize all over again. At least I saved the custodians some work.

My theme next year will once again be Adventures in Second Grade!  I have a Fairy Tale adventures word wall, a Jungle adventure board, a Safari adventure helper board, and a Pirate adventure board.  I was able to carefully tack together and move my entire word wall to the new room and I will update my words for second grade. Yay!  I also was able to get up some zebra wrapping paper for my Jungle board - now I just have to figure out what I want to go there....

That brings me to my learning list for the summer.

~ Whole Brain Learning - Last year I did some basics (Class-Yes, Teach-Ok).  In September, I'd like to do
 more.

~ Daily 5

~ CAFE - Both of these I admired first for the beautiful displays I saw on Pinterest (here is the link to my section School Ideas I Love ) and then for the great opportunity to create a more independent, self-directed second graders.

Do you think that is enough?  What are you working on for the summer?

Dare to Dream!

This is such a crazy time of year - and I love it!  There are so many projects, culminating events, and (arg!) paperwork to do that I feel like there isn't enough time!  Then I start seeing lists of children for my incoming class and I start thinking what fun things we can do next year.  With new classroom assignments, I start cleaning, and purging, and planning my blank slate of a classroom.  So many other teachers hate to move their classroom.  Of course, who does want to start all over every year or two?  But, as a pile-maker and never-got-filed lover, I have to appreciate the cleaning that I am forced to do, even if only to pack up my stuff.  I am so drained at the end of these June days, but also have an underlying excitement of starting fresh!  I can't wait!

Switch-A-Roo

In my own elementary years, you knew who the teachers were in each grade.  You could be in Kindergarten and say, "I can't wait to get Mrs. X in third grade."  You knew that teacher would be there when you got to that grade.

In my current school, that is not the case.  Every year there are a number of changes at every grade level.  Teachers are sometimes moved if they've been in one place too long - no matter if you have become a pro at the grade.  Teachers are broken up from friends if they are too tight - no matter if you work as a great team at the grade.  Teachers are left even if they request a change - no matter if they have good reason for needing a change.  Teachers are moved while on maternity leave with no ability to come pack their own rooms.  

I am happy with my expected move to 2nd grade.  I was only in 2nd for two years before being bumped back to 1st grade.  I was loving all I could do with those older guys and at two years in the grade, I was finding a nice groove.  

So I look forward to a fresh new year, despite having to pack and move my room again. UGH!  Well, at least it makes me clean house!

What happens at your school?  Do teachers stay put?  Do teachers get moved around?  I'd love to hear from you.

I'll have to change the name of my site, too!

Using My Whole Brain?

This school year, the wonderful Mrs. D brought up the topic of Whole Brain Teaching.  She mentioned some quick ideas to use every day and I started using those in my day.  Of course, I let it slide after a while since I never truly embraced it all the way.

Skip forward to end of April.  I am cruising around those wonderful first grade blogs out there and I come across other mentions of Whole Brain Teaching at 3rd Grade Thoughts with some great teacher-made posters at The Kinder Polka Dot Patch.  So here I am on a beautiful Saturday, doing what all teachers do.  I am watching those videos on YouTube and thinking, should I start this now?  Or wait until a fresh new year?

Tell me, what do you do with new ideas?  Do you jump in right away, following your whims?  Do you finish out the current group and start fresh in the new year?

Do you use Whole Brain Teaching?  Share!

This week our math topic focused on non-standard measurement.  In our second day of exploration of this, one of the boys wanted to add me to his list of interesting items he measured.  I allowed it, but refused to stand still while he did it.  Instead, I marked the top of my head with a dry erase marker on the window of my classroom door.  Word quickly spread around the group and the need to work together to rally their 20-ish cubes per kid was quickly realized.  Great teamwork!

St. Patrick's Week

I have loved this week of St. Patrick's Day themed activities...Daily fun limericks, fun center activities, magical creatures, wishes, and green - lots and lots of my favorite color GREEN!  I found some great themed activity packs at Teachers Pay Teachers and I have loved pulling the week together with a common theme.  I really have to find a way to do more themes.  They are fun for the kids and me!

On February 14th, we celebrated BOTH 100 days of school AND Valentine's Day.  On one hand this was a crazy day, on the other hand, it was nice to just use one day of crazy!  We did a variety of activities for both celebrations, but I still didn't get to everything I wanted to do!  (To be honest, I usually don't get everything done, ever.)  So, of course, there was still more to do today.  I also had a half day out of the classroom due to training, so I sugared them up with the ol' Sweethearts valentine graphing, letting them eat the candies after.  Then I left my sub friend to fend for herself for the rest of the day.  Hey, it was me or her.  One of us had to be there!  Maybe they crashed later....?  I hope so, for her sake :-)


As an additional piece of excitement today, the Parents As Reading Partners program was encouraging "Dress as an old person" day.  One girl came in telling me her Grandma was very fashionable to explain her "cool Grandma" outfit.  Another sweetie came in saying she wanted to bring her stuffed cat "because a lot of old ladies have cats".  Ahhh, children...