Hats Off to ...

Every year we read The Hat, by Holly Keller, in our reading series.  Then we wear hats while we write about the hats. I have collected enough hats over the years to let each child wear a different hat.  They have so much fun wearing the hats and writing.  This year they asked if they could their hat to lunch.  Of course I let them. I wore my witch hat while I modeled for them.  When it was time for lunch, I put on my Goofy hat.  We had two construction workers, a pirate, cowboy/girl, police officer, firefighter, explorer, jester, hombre, and Zorro.

I'll Get You, My Pretty!!!!

A Pirate and a Cowgirl

First Week of School

I can tell this is going to be a wonderful school year.  I have some of the sweetest students.  Our school will be using PBIS this year.  At least three teachers have started using the Clip Chart Behavior Management System.  I hope it will work with PBIS.  I love my team mate's Pirate-themed Clip Chart.

Pirate Clip Chart

Our class established some classroom rules and a mission statement.  We also did the Marshmallow Toes activity which Castles and Crayons created. The students had fun with it.  I did have to convince a few students that they have five toes.  LOL!!!

Student Sample: Marshmallow Toes

We also read Chrysanthemum. The students made flower glyphs to label their writing pockets.  For homework, the parents had to explain how their child's name was chosen.  My eyes almost started leaking with some of the stories.  A few were hilarious.  The students wrote 1-2 sentences about their names, and displayed them.  We used the letters in our name to make a Name Graph.  My "Teacher Helper" helped me demonstrate how hurtful words never fully heal.  As I read Chrysanthemum again, she balled up a sheet of paper that had a heart on it.  When Chrysanthemum started feeling better about her name, my helper straightened  out the heart.  The students saw that the wrinkles remained.  So we concluded that the pain from hurtful words never completely goes away.

Our Writing Garden is Starting to Bloom

Bulletin Boards

Teachers are some of the most creative people I know.  Here are a few of the bulletin boards I've seen at my school to start the new school year.

This is outside my room.  Notice the "No Peanuts Please..." sign that I downloaded from Mrs. Carroll at; http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/

Behavior to Grow On Clip Chart- to go with my garden theme

My teammate's Pirate themed hallway board

My teammate's wall in her classroom

Big Top- Circus Theme

Preschool Board

Math Work Stations Live Binder

Thanks to my blogging friends, I created a Live Binder for Math Work Stations.  I followed the discussion this summer and added items from each chapter to my binder.  I hope it will be helpful to you.

Math Work Stations Binder 

New Blog Address

I'm still here.  I hope you continue to follow my blog.  I had just started adding buttons, links and other bloggy stuff.  ;)  I had to change my email address, and I couldn't figure out how to keep or transfer my original blog.  Suggestions are welcomed.

Teacher Workdays actually start next week, but I've tried to get a head start.  My room is pretty much set up.  Right now I have tables for the students.  I will probably need to change that, because I will have more students than I anticipated.  Adding another table will make it too crowded, and there won't be enough storage for the students' supplies.

Enough with the obstacles.  I was able to use my new Cricut E2 to make vinyl adhesive letters for my leveled book bins.  All my trips to Target last year and this year has paid off as far as book bins.  My leveled book bins look so much neater than last year.  Do you think I should straighten up the letter "H"?

Leveled Book Bins

Most of my leveled books are from Reading A-Z.  I do use some of the leveled books from the school's book room, but there usually isn't enough copies.  Maybe that will be next Donors Choose project.