Author's Chair

So last year I moved classrooms.   I found a little wooden student chair left in the classroom.  It had clearly been painted several coats of white paint.  There was a big crack in the middle of the seat and paint had chipped off in several places, but it seemed sturdy enough.  It was enough just to get the room set up, much less worry about this chair.  I did use it as part of our morning meeting routine, and the helper/show and tell friend got to sit on it.  It worked out just fine.

I did however, made a goal to have my husband fix the crack and to re-paint this chair this summer.  Turns out there is not a crack!  It is actually how the chair was made.  It is clearly 2 pieces of wood for the seat.  I spray painted the whole chair white (again) - my husband was concerned sanding it was risky; could be lead paint... A trip to Joann Fabrics and I got the rainbow colors.  Pinterest inspired me and I set to work.

I know my class will love it.  After following the book study "Talking, Drawing,Writing" 

I 

I have been very inspired to do more writing.  Special thanks to Cindy at Love Those Kinders for organizing it for the summer.  If you missed the book study, click here,  I definitley recommend the book. 

Here's to a great start for the year!  Let me know what you think.

Sara

Monthly Weather Graphs

Kindergarteners love giving the daily weather reports.  I have an amazing stuffed "wireless" microphone that my students use.  We sing the weather song while our "meteorologist" checks outside the windows and prepares to give us the weather report.  He must greet the class, give his name and then report the weather.  We save each day's weather card and at the end of the month we graph the results.  It is actually a highlight of the month.  I have been doing this for years and they never cease to cheer and yell for their winners.  "Yeah - Sunny!  I knew it!"

Here is the one I use for the first few month.  I include the graphics so each student can read it.  And of course we graph from the bottom up.  In January, we do not have the pictorial clues.

And I am proud to day, I have used this graph to make my first "Teachers Pay Teachers" freebie!

Yeah!

CLICK HERE  to grab your own set (Sept. - June).

I love comments - so please let me know if you download it!

Thank you!  Here's to days of Abundant Sunshine!

Sara

Back to School Blogger Exchange

I recently learned about a summer "secret blogger" exchange over at Covered in Glitter and Glue.  What fun!

I actually kind of forgot about it (the sign up was several weeks before the actual required ship date.)  The door bell rang and I see the delivery man.  I ask my husband if he was expecting a package...  What a genuine surprise to see it was for me! 

(My blogger friend was right on top of this project!)

I was so excited.  What could it be? Well, it was perfect!

Fun pens, pencils, a little stapler, googlie eyes, eraser caps, primary colored big erasers (perfect as my push pin keeper for "Pokey Pinning", lotions and more.

Check out this fun "Solar Dancing Bug!" 

My class is going to love it.

So glad I signed up to do this.

And do you want to know the best part?  I found a friend!  A fellow 

CT Blogger who lives very near me!  Yeah.

Check out her blog "Pinkadots Elementary" - great ideas.

Here's to a great start of the year to everyone!

I feel nicely pampered to begin. (Thanks, T!)

PS.  I love comments

The Book Whisperer Book Study

I have had this book, "The Book Whisperer" on my reading list for a long time.  I am so happy that I finally did it!  Finding the book study is what made it finally happen. Go to We Read, We Blog, We Teach. 

I absolutely love this book!

My last year in 2nd grade, I made it a mission to get all my students reading.  We did it.  I was so frustrated by those few students that just never could find a good book to start and finish.  I know we all have those students.  There are so many great books (way more and far more colorful and exciting than when I was their age!) and it just boggles my mind they can't find one.  It made me feel like I was failing if I could not connect them with a great book!

I had read somewhere about a way to describe books you may choose:  Too hard, just right, a "vacation" book, or way too easy.  I loved the idea of a "vacation" book.  So, I seized it!  There was a student in my class who was reading at 3 levels above grade.  His parents were desperate to have him read anything other than a book about baseball.  I agreed!  One of my read-aloud books was from the "Jigsaw Jones" series. This boy happened to really like it!  I got him hooked.  Once he started reading it, the whole class wanted to do so, as well.  I told him, "You know this book is a little easy for you, but consider it a vacation.  If you don't like it, you don't have to go there again.  But you may be surprised.  I love these books.  There is always some very funny parts and I feel like I can relate to the characters.  I'm eager to hear if you think this next one is one I can read to the whole class.  Let me know."  He went for it.  I teased my class that we had a reading fever going on.  Students were reading at home, and coming in each day eager to add to their growing lists.  The only thing they had to do to be accountable to me for what they read, was to add the title, author, date started/ended, and color happy, plain, or sad face to rate the book.  I added a section to list names of friends who might also like this book.  I started with cards that were hole punched and added to ring that was attached to their desk.  Honestly, I could not keep up with copying the cards.  I ran out way too fast.  I will say that big wads of paper on the back of chairs also got to be a hassle...  So, I moved on to the 3-ring binder.  I used number tabs (each student has a number) and it made it easy for them to get to their page(s.)  Life got so much better then. And my little friend who read only baseball was reading all sorts of great books, on-level, below and a little beyond.  I never was so happy!

So get this book, check out the blog above to see what other teachers think and are doing with the book in their own classrooms.

I cannot wait to start my own book journal.  Thanks for reading all of this!

Sara

Year End Poem

It has been way too long!  So sorry.  I plan to have an active blog over the summer.

Our daughter graduated from college in May.  So proud of her.  She immediately started an accelerated nursing program at a local university.  In 15 months she will have a second degree in nursing, and hopefully 2 months after that her license.

This was my first year in Kindergarten in this school.  (I taught 2nd for 5 yrs before.)  There was so much year end work to do... and we do narrative reports cards...  And I work summer camp which started directly after school got out.  Enough said,

Having previously taught Kindergarten, I had some favorite things I could share.  Many of you do the monthly or weekly poems.  It is such a meaningful way to address reading and make it fun, as well.

Here is the poem I always place in the end of the book.  I trace my hand first, then call a student over.  I read the poem to him/her and then we hold hands for a minute...  Lastly, I trace their hand over mine.

Love it!  Hope you do, too.  Click on the title below for a freebie.

This Hand I Hold

This hand I hold I touch it now

For all eternity.

And the knowledge that I share

I give from me to you.

In hope that all you do and say

Reflects your lessons learned.

And all the awards that you receive

Are ones that you have earned.

I am your present teacher

And your true friend,

But, though the year is over

My thoughts of you will never end!

Hope you have a wonderful summer.

B is for Bumblebee Boy

We are finishing up the study of the letter B. Reading the book "The Adventures of Bumblebee Boy" by Jacky Davis was a highlight.

"Bumblebee Boy" fights dragons, defeats pirates, and more.  The highlighting of child imagination is wonderful.  Problem is that he wants to be a superhero all by himself.  His little brother Owen wants to join in the fun.  First he is told he can't be a superhero because he doesn't have a cape.  Once he has one he can't because a cape is not the only thing superhero's wear...  In the end, little Owen has a cape, a hat, and green goggles.  The best part is that Bumblebee Boy finally agrees to join forces.  So as we get to the last page, we make all kinds of guesses as to what Owen's new name will be! (Great opportunity for predictions.) Only to find he does not get one!  How is that possible?

So, I seized the opportunity and suggested we name him. We agreed to think on it over night and to name and illustrate him the next day.  The students wrote in their journals.  Some of the created names included:

Bumble Goggle Boy, Captain Pajamas, Bumble Baby, Captain Wasp, Bumble Boy, Captain Baby, Captain Owen, Jet Flier, Captain of the Stars, Captain Baby Pants, Captain Army Pants and more.

Here are some of the illustrations.  Love their creativity.

We highly recommend this book.  If you try this, do let me know.  We may be writing our next adventure.  Stay tuned.  

Thanks!

Welcome Spring - Time to Wake the Bears!

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year.  At my house, we have a contest every year to see who can find the first robin!  It gets pretty exciting and usually involves screaming.  This year we found one quite early!  The "winner" must make "worms and dirt" for the entire family.  This is what gave me the idea of a fun way to awaken our "hibernating" bears.

In December, we buddied with a first grade class and we made teddy bears using construction paper.  Each boy cut one out from a form and then was instructed to make pajamas, so he would be comfortable while he was sleeping.  I made a cave, (inspired by Laura from Kinder Kraziness.)  I used an empty copy paper box that I covered with brown paper (and I crumpled a big sheet of it on top to make it more "cave" shaped.)  I also made a special entrance to the cave and added some batting, so the bears would be comfortable.

Each bear got his own blanket, a rectangular piece of flannel I cut and added fringe at the end.    The boys just loved the idea of their bear having his own blanket.

 

 

We made signs for the cave - "Do Not Disturb!"  "Bears Sleeping!"...  attached to popscicle sticks.  And one big sign "Hibernation Station."

 

We were on break the last 2 weeks (when spring arrived) and we had to plan something to get the bears up.  I have always celebrated the beginning of hibernation... but never done anything when it is over.  So the first grade teacher and I decided to send out postcards to the class.  They were told to color the card and bring it back to school... and we would celebrate and wake the bears.

 

 

This is the postcard they received.  I just used clip art from word and a coloring page insert.

Then we read the book Hopper Hunts for Spring.  The author is Marcus Pfister (author of the Rainbow Fish...) and he has a series of books about "Hopper."  If you are not familiar you really must get this one.  The rabbit learns that "Spring is coming" and he thinks it is a "new friend."  So he sets off to find spring.  "Spring, Are you in there?"  He never finds spring, but he does find a friend.  The bear he wakes up, but who is so helpful.

So, we then "woke" the bears.
 

 

And of course we finished with a treat - Worms in Dirt.

Pudding, oreos (they crush...), gummy worms, and spoon.

Happy Spring!