The week ahead..

Last week I posted Visual Plans for the first time and I fell in love!  They were amazing and so easy to follow and I felt that they really made me focus on my planning.  The planning for my Visual Plans is another post all in itself!  As I went through the week, I tried to make notes about what I liked and what I didn't and what I needed to change.....which brings me to today!  Below are plans for this week.  A short week focused on all that is Presidents & Place Value.

Sunday Scoop

Linking up with the Teaching Trio for The Sunday Scoop.  

I love the opportunity to give myself another way to stay on track.  

I mean who doesn't love a list!?!?!  

Now that you know my scoop, link up with the 

to share yours!!!

Five for Friday comes to you on a Saturday

This week went extremely fast! It was my first week that I attempted visual plans and I love it!!!  So happy we have a 3 day weekend!!! Woo Hoo!  

I am so excited to link up with 

Enjoy your peek into our week!

When I started 2015, I knew it would be a BIG year for me personally, but I also wanted it to be a BIG year for my professionally.  I wanted to start doing the things, I was reading about and actually make my classroom a place where I could not just educate but engage my students.  I have realized that my planning hasn't been strong or detailed enough, so I finally did it...VISUAL PLANS!!  They helped me really focus my teaching and though, I didn't get to everything...I feel it was a successful first try!

We have been using Class Dojo in Room 105 for quite sometime.  Our school follows PBIS, so each dojo received, equaled a blue ticket (our school wide incentive).  It was working for most, but some of my friends just weren't getting the incentive they needed.  Insert, my wonderful and awesome co-worker/friend and her wonderful Pinterest find!

She showed me something similar to the picture above that she did for her fourth graders.  I tweaked it to meet the needs of my firsties and WOW!  What a time saver to not have to redeem dojo's for blue tickets daily.  This week we had students reach all the way to lunch with a pal.  I will continue to monitor this and see if I need to change the incentives down the road, but I really like the way we are headed.

Work is always better when you can sit with a pal!

This year Math has been a challenge!  Our district switched to Engage NY.  Initially, we thought it was our only option.  Then the focus went back to we just needed to be teaching Common Core and Engage could be one of our guides.  We were lucky enough to "try" Go Math, which has been a hit with my kiddos.  I love it and the way it explains things to me, so I can better explain to my firsties!  This week we started Place Value.  Since this was my week to over plan and add details, I scoured Pinterest.  Thanks to Pinterest, Math really came ALIVE!

We started off with making Place Value Monsters, courtesy of Smiling and Shining in Second Grade I have realized that this group really needs to see the finished product, so now I create one of everything we do before we do an activity.

For the monster templates, click here.

One of my teaching buddies, who teaches 4th grade at my school (who obviously is amazing, as this is the 2nd mention of her in this post) and I decided to "buddy" up our kiddos this year.  We started back in September and my kids LOVE it!!!  They always tell me when there was a buddy sighting, whether in the hall, on the bus, or at breakfast!  So of course we had to celebrate our love on Valentine's Day.  My teaching buddy found 3 awesome Minute to Win It games to play!  We had three groups and the buddies worked together.  I have to say it might have been our best visit yet!!

Candy Heart Towers, Marshmallow Toss, and not pictured Candy Heart Relay.

Friday was filled with love (and craziness as I will definitely plan differently next year because we were very rushed!!!)  I got each of my kiddos a goodie bag and left them a message at their table spot.  Nothing too exciting but I think they loved it!!!

 

Thanks for checking out our week!  Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Sunday Scoop

I am ready for this week!  I am planned and ready to go.  My baby girl is coming home (not this week).  And next weekend is a 3 day weekend!! Here's a look at my Sunday Scoop!  

What's your Sunday Scoop? 

 Let me know, link up with 

I have to remember to HAVE FUN!!  I work with 6 & 7 year olds and if I am not having fun, then most likely they aren't either.  This week, I am going to stop and remember that they are 6 & 7.  We are bringing the fun back to learning!!!  We will do this if I follow my plans, as I tried hard to over plan and make it exciting!!!  Lastly, if we are having fun...then we need pictures!!  Tune in later in the week for some pictures!!

I hope to shampoo my floors as it looks like a month from today, I will have a 2 year old living in my house!!!  WOO HOO!!  She deserves clean floors!  I also have a huge to do list to conquer before I depart to bring her home, both professionally and personally!!

I am happy to start the countdown, 22 days til we are a FAMILY FOREVER!!!!

A Peek into Our Week

Last week was one of those week's where only teachers can understand.  Not one day last week, did I not have students from another class (due to teacher's being out and a lack of subs).  It was one of those week's where we had to focus on families at home and work as a team.  It was also the week I found out that my baby girl is FINALLY coming home!!! And throw in 2 heavy snows, a little full moon and you get the picture.  We were productive, but this week is going to ROCK!!!!  I have been wanting to do visual plans forever!  This was my first attempt, they aren't great...but I did it!!  Each week will be better!!  Visit us back on Friday to check out how well we rocked it!!

100th day

On Friday, we celebrated the ever so popular 100th day of school!  I must admit that as a student, I never remember celebrating this milestone, but as a teacher I have celebrated it each year!!!  This year, I decided we needed a theme, so I chose We Rocked 100 days of 1st Grade!!  I redecorated our door with each student's name on a guitar.  I forgot to take a picture:(  Then each table was decorated with some butcher paper to make it fancy.  Each student had a backstage pass waiting at their spot, with a 100 poster to decorate and a new 100th day pencil.  The backstage passes were an opportunity for me to promote good behavior, as they could earn stickers for positive dojo's or compliments!  We jammed to Kids Bop on Pandora and settled into our morning routine.

We read 100th Day Worries!  I love this book, as it is a great chance to practice some of our math skills.  The kids enjoyed it too!

Then it was Buddy Time!  My kiddos love Buddy Time.  Our buddies are in 4th grade.  Their teacher is one of my bestest buddies at school.  My kiddos get so excited to see their buddies in the hall or at breakfast.  On Friday, their buddy helped them create their 100th day hat! The 4th graders helped to make sure we didn't get sticker crazy!  As we could only use 100 stickers!! A huge thanks to A Spoonful of Learning for the idea.

Unfortunately, do to my poor planning, regular Friday assessments, some NWEA progress monitoring, and our monthly Core Value Assembly we didn't get to the other activities that I had planned.  I told them 100th day is so important, we will continue to celebrate on Monday.  But as they left, I was able to send them home with a little snack, which caused many to say how great I was.  Ya gotta love hearing that!!!

It's February, here's my Currently!!!

February 1st..WOW!  And we are ringing in the new month with SNOW!!  Not as much as they predicted (of course) and not enough for a snow day tomorrow...but it is pretty!!!  

Excited to link up with

  

for February's Currently!!!

listening...who doesn't love Fixer Upper on HGTV?  They are amazing and I would love to go to their store in Texas!!

loving...we have SNOW!!!  Enough for a quiet day at home to conquer my newly created to do list!

thinking...how is it February?  I mean I blinked and January is gone.  

wanting...more snow!  I want lots more so this teacher can have a productive SNOW day tomorrow!

needing...a maid!  I just don't enjoy cleaning and well this little place of mine is in need of a DEEP clean.

pageant title...for those who have read my Currently's before, you know I am adopting.  And anyone who adopts knows that waiting is part of the game.  I am pretty sure the final wait before your kiddo comes home is the WORST!!!  I am so ready for my little cutie to be home!!