Winter Mug Exchange

Every year we do a winter mug exchange before we leave for the holidays. Each child brings a holiday mug stuffed with goodies. We number the mugs as they are brought in to class. Students draw numbers to find out which mug they get to take home. After each child receives a mug, they get to check out their surprises. It is so much fun to watch. It is like Christmas morning. After all of the excitement, we settle down for hot cocoa and a holiday story. Click here for a sample of the letter I send home about the mug exchange. I love the holidays! I'm just saying...

                                                                                                                                  

Ho!Ho!Ho!

A good friend and colleague gave me these sticky notes today. Talk about the perfect gift! I'm just saying...

Roll & Add

Here is a math game that addresses Common Core Standard 1.OA.2-Adding 3 Numbers. Click here to download the gameboards and recording sheet.

Come On In!

I've been out of the classroom for a few days. My oldest son, Jack, has the flu. After doctor visits, meds, IV fluids, blood work and chest x-rays, he seems to be on the mend. It's been 3 days and I am missing my classroom and my 19 first graders. I am looking forward to returning to school tomorrow.  So I am sitting at home working on some school stuff and I came across some classroom pictures I took at the beginning of the year. Since I started this blog in November, I thought this would be a good time to begin showing you around room 308.



Each student has a numbered wooden frog attached with velcro to the lily pad. I found the frogs at Michaels. Each morning, when students come in, they take their frog off the lily pad. One glance at the lily pad and I know who is absent! Students keep frogs at their seats. If a student has to put his/her frog on the lily pad during the day because of behavior issues, he/she goes home on "yellow." If a "yellow" frog is removed from the lilypad during the day because of continued behavior issues, that student goes home on "red."  Students who keep their frogs all day, go home on "green!" At the end of each day, students color their "frog sheet." Click here to download a copy of the frog sheet. This sheet goes home to be signed and returned each day. I keep these sheets as a behavior record. Frogs are returned to the lily pad as students leave the room at the end of the day.

 Our school participates in the Fish for Schools Philosophy. This philosophy was developed by the Fish Market in Seattle, Washington. Employees of the fish market felt that their work was boring and not important. The employees did not find their job enjoying. They decided that they wanted to work in a place where people wanted to come to work and wanted to shop. Employees of the fish market developed a place where they enjoy working. Customers enjoy shopping and enjoy watching the employees in action. This hangs in our classroom to remind us to practice important "F.I.S.H" behaviors: F-Friendship, I-Integrity, S-Safety, H-Hard Work.


Well, the tour ends for now, but there is more to come!--I'm just saying...

Number Line

We continue to work on subtracting multiples of 10. I made these number lines out of foam board, pipe cleaners, and beads. I cut a 3 1/2 inch by 11 1/2 inch piece of foam board. At the center of each side I made a 1 inch cut.  I printed number lines on full sheet adhesive shipping labels. I was able to get 6 number lines on each sheet. I attached a number line to the top of the piece of foam board above the two cuts. I put a bead on a pipe cleaner and attached the pipe cleaner by folding it back on each side through the cuts.  Students slide the bead back and forth on the number line to help with subtracting multiples of 10.  You could also use this for adding multiples of 10 or modify the number line for any addition and subtraction. I'm just saying...

Super-Sized Subtraction

We had a great time subtracting multiples of 10 (1.NBT.6) using these "Super-Sized" tens. I made a set of 9 tens. My students used them to act out word problems in class. Other students worked the problems on their mini-white boards as the problems were acted out.  You could also use these "Super-Sized" tens to add multiples of ten, show ten more and ten less, and count by tens. I'm just saying...