B for Birthday

My crafty and talented Aunt Pat can do anything, even make a birthday cape.  We just had our first birthday party of the year, and the birthday boy wore it proudly.  I can't take credit for the idea though.  Please visit Kelley from the Teacher Idea Factory to see her version.  She deserves a pat on the back.   

(If it's not obvious, B stands for birthday.)

Before the party started, we spent some time thinking of 7 reasons why we loved the birthday boy.  (Why 7?  That's his age.)  The kids came up with great reasons, but that's partly because of my frontloading speech.  I told them that we don't love people because their hair is brown or they're wearing cool shoes.  We love them because of their heart and the kind of person they are.

Cole got to take his list home.  I'm betting he'll hang it up in a very special spot and keep it for a good long while.  

In honor of my blog's one year anniversary, find out here what I could make for you if you're a follower and comment on any of my posts this week.  I look forward to hearing from you.

The Human Alphabet

When I saw this on Pinterest, I knew I had to make a class book out of it.

I must admit, it was a process, and partway through I wished there were only 14 letters in the alphabet.  It turned out great though, and the kids love reading it.

In honor of my blog's one year anniversary, find out here what I could make for you if you're a follower and comment on any of my posts this week.  I look forward to hearing from you.

I'd Love to Make You One

I'd love to make one of these for you, with your name and favorite colors and patterns of course.  Read on to find out how that could happen.  

October 8, 2011 is when this little blog came to life.  A year ago tomorrow, I sent my first thoughts out into cyberspace thinking that maybe, just maybe, someone might find them interesting.  A few someones actually did (bless their hearts), but I seriously didn't expect very many to follow along.  Over the year more and more joined up, but I often marveled at the rate at which other teacher blogs were growing.  My blog took the remedial route, but 330 is about 300 more than I expected.  So thank you to all 330 of you!

I've thoroughly enjoyed using this blog to share my teaching thoughts.  In my personal life I'm not an extremely chatty person, but give me a teachery topic, and I can carry my own fairly well.  Being able to do that on a weekly basis through my blog has been very enjoyable.  Many times I've excitedly thought, "Hey, when I get home from school I get to post!"  It's become a passion, so much so, that I typically have a handful of posts just ready and waiting in the wings.  I must admit that the joy has been interrupted at times with moments of doubt, as I've wondered if I'm offering what people really want, like Saturday Sayings for example.  I'll continue sharing reflective quotes though, because that's where becoming a better teacher really starts and that's what excites me the most. 

I don't know where this blog may find itself in the future, but I have hopes for it that are much more important than how many followers it has.

My Hopes

• I never want someone to read one of my posts and think, "Well that was a waste of time."  I hope there's always something helpful to take away from it.
• I hope my thoughts cause others to think about their own practices.
• I hope Saturday Sayings inspire.
• I can be rather opinionated and vocal about classroom practices, so I hope if I step on toes it doesn't hurt too badly.
• I hope that my blog continues to be a reflection of how I'm growing and learning as a teacher. 
• I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I don't run out of things to say now that I've done this for a whole year.

As a way to thank you for letting my blog be part of your life, I'd love to make someone a sign similar to the one above.  Here's how it could be you:

Every time a follower comments on one of my posts this week, starting now through Saturday the 13th, I will put that person's name into a hat.  (Your name could be in the hat four or five times.)  On Sunday the 14th, I'll pull out a name and make that lucky person an original sign of their very own.  

Comment away and know that each time you do, I'm very thankful that you are part of this little blog.  I'm very thankful for those of you who don't comment too of course.  Thank you for thinking that I have something worthwhile to say.

Saturday Sayings: Reading on Your Head

(click above for other Saturday Sayings)

I secretly nabbed this shot a few weeks ago.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.  All I knew is that it was priceless.  When I came across the above quote while looking for a good Saturday Sayings for the day, I knew I had the perfect picture to use.

There are certainly lots of ways to promote choice for readers.  Location is just one of the many.  During Read to Self, my readers get to choose where they sit.  As long as they're not close to anyone and their spot allows them to be the best reader they can be, they can sit on desks, under desks, under tables, in corners, sprawled out on the carpet, and obviously even on their heads.  As an adult reader, I'm the same way.  I might not read on my head, but making my own choices about reading motivates me.  Kids are no different.  

"Purpose + choice = motivation."  Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, The Daily 5 21.

Alphabet Dress-Up Day

I have Ann from Mrs. Greene's Kindergarten Korner to thank for some of the fun we had this week.  Her brilliant idea of having an Alphabet Dress-Up Day inspired me to have my own.  (Click on her blog to read about how it played out in her room.)  

We used it as a way to celebrate the alphabet, since we just finished reviewing the letters and how to write them the first grade way with our handy dandy purple and green.  (Go here if you're interested in seeing what that's all about.)  I assigned each child a letter and sent home a note to parents.  I tried to make it very clear that I didn't want them to spend a penny on this project.  I wanted it to be fun and stress-free.  

The kids were thrilled about this for days and showed up with all kinds of smiles and pride over their unique outfits.  (It kind of put the rest of the school in a tizzy, thinking that they'd missed Halloween or something.)  Of course, I turned our special day into a classroom book.  Here are some pictures.

I think I've come across a new first grade tradition.  Thanks Ann!

The Power of Purple and Green

Anyone who's familiar with my handwriting won't be surprised that handwriting is important in my classroom.  (People often mistake my writing for something that's been typed.)    One of the tricks I learned several years ago from Math Their Way helps my kids head into second grade with pretty good handwriting skills.  I teach all the numerals and letters with a purple and green crayon.  Here's a picture of a few of the purple/green numerals on my wall.  

Every numeral and every letter is made with purple and green, even if there's only one stroke involved.  More importantly, purple is always first.  For example, starting at the bottom of the numeral 1 is illegal, because that's green, not purple of course.   

When I teach the numerals and letters, I will actually say the colors as I make them.  The kids do too, even though they never actually use purple and green crayons.  Whether they're writing with their whiteboard markers or pencils, they will say the purple and green as they write.  (Under the pictures below, I've included how I would say the colors for the letters.  You'll notice that if there are two purples or two greens in a letter, I'll say the color names twice.) 

A - "Purple, purple, green."  a - "Purple, green."

B - "Purple, green, green,"  b - "Purple, green."

C - "Purple, green."  c - "Purple, green."

It might seem goofy, but it really does work.  For most of the kids, the visual and auditory connections (and a whole lot of repetition) help seal the correct directionality in their little brains and hands.  The simplicity of it helps as well.  There aren't any fancy directions for each letter that need to be memorized.

Just in case someone out there seems the slightest bit interested in this purple/green thing, I've created a few documents that will show how the numerals and letters are made with purple and green.  Click on the pictures for your own copy, and try not to notice my rudimentary tech skills when I made them. :)

  

Craftiness to Artsiness

Last year I started pushing myself to redefine art in my room.  (Look here to read about that.)  Without an art teacher around, it's up to me to figure out what my classroom's art curriculum is all about.  I've tried to make the transition from craftiness to artsiness, and it's been fun to watch the kids rise to the occasion.  Even though I'm certainly no artistic connoisseur, I've learned I can't let my inhibitions hold them back.  Just like in most curricular areas, they're able to do much more than I typically give them credit for.   

We recently gave this project a shot.  I love how it turned out, and the kids were rather proud of themselves.

I found the idea on an inspirational and wonderful blog called Art Projects for Kids.  That's where you'll find the directions if you'd like to get artsy with numbers in your room too.