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...