Laugh Out Loud-Poetry Fun!!

Last year I started Poetry Notebooks!  My 2nd Graders absolutely loved them!  Tongue Twisters, surprise ending poems, and poems full of alliteration were always favorites and re-read several times!   Many of them would use DIRT (Daily Independent Reading Time-aka Read to Self) with their Poetry Notebooks or use them to read to a partner. We would chorally read the poems, read them in groups (of various kinds), read them in stanzas, lines, and of course, change our voice, inflictions, tone, and pacing!  Our highlighters would also become a staple when reading poems because we would mark certain parts of speech, surprising parts, sections that we could connect to, etc.  With the success of last year's Poetry Notebooks, I cannot wait to begin to share and create poems with my Multi-agers.

Here are two poems from one of my favorite poems from the one and only and hilarious Ken Nisbitt

First One:

A Funny School Poem for Kids

"Dear students, the summer has ended.
The school year at last has begun.
But this year is totally different.
I promise we'll only have fun.

"We won't study any mathematics,
and recess will last all day long.
Instead of the pledge of allegiance,
we'll belt out a rock-and-roll song.

"We'll only play games in the classroom.
You're welcome to bring in your toys.
It's okay to run in the hallways.
It's great if you make lots of noise.

"For homework, you'll play your Nintendo.
You'll have to watch lots of T.V.
For field trips we'll go to the movies
and get lots of candy for free.

"The lunchroom will only serve chocolate
and triple fudge sundaes supreme."
Yes, that's what I heard from my teacher
before I woke up from my dream.

Second One:

I'm Staying Home From School Today

I'm staying home from school today. I'd rather be in bed pretending that I have a pain that's pounding in my head. I'll say I have a stomach ache. I'll claim I've got the flu. I'll shiver like I'm cold and hold my breath until I'm blue. I'll fake a cough. I'll fake a sneeze. I'll say my throat is sore. If necessary I can throw a tantrum on the floor. I'm sure I'll get away with it. Of that, there's little doubt. But, even so, I really hope my students don't find out. --Kenn Nesbitt

Here is Mr. Nesbitt's website in case you would like to discover some of your favorites and laugh out loud with your students: Click Here
ENJOY and SMILES,

My First Multi-Age 1-2 Schedule

 

Wow, how can it be 8:02 pm on Sunday night?  Are you as amazed as I am?
I thought I share my Multi-Age 1-2 schedule with you.  Please note, it is tentative!  I hope I don't have to revise it too many times!  I know for sure I will wait a week before posting it to my website!
I always wish there was more time to slot additional curriculum minutes in, but I'm definitely thankful for what I am given and have!   Click here for my schedule

Are you pleased with yours? If your principal offered you the opportunity to make the optimal schedule (of course meeting all the curriculum minutes), what would it look like?  Would you add something or delete a scheduled time for a certain program you do because it is mandated?  Let me know your thoughts!
SMILES!!!

Common Core Math Folders

It's FRIDAY!!!!  The sun seems to have left my little village; is it by you?
Yesterday, I put a dent in my Common Core Math Resources (ok, a little dent).
I have decided to have math folders this year.  In the folder will be laminated resources that my Multi-agers will use for whole group activities, partner games, independent work, or for team building activities.  Because I use manipulatives, hands-on items, and mats, I wanted to save my self at least some trips going to the closet to get the laminated non-consumable mats.  I am going to put the folders in a tray on my math shelf so they are accessible and an arm's length away.  Here are a few of the resources I am going to put in the folder.

1-120 Chart, Hundred/Ten/One Chart, Ten Frame

Number Line, Fact Families-I am going to use to show Commutative Property too!

Money Spinner, Clocks, Graphing Ma

When It is completely finished, I will share more photos.
SMILES!!!

My Promote for Multi-age 1-2 Shirt

Happy Wednesday! (night).  I am just about ready for Drop Off Supplies Day!  On August 29th from 2:00-5:00 parents can drop off their child's school supplies, visit the room, and meet me!  HOORAY for me!  I'm super excited to be have 17 wonderful families.  All but 4 of my student families have visited my and hung out in my classroom before ( I have had taught their siblings).

This year, it will be the first year that I have parents drop off their supplies in a Multi-age 1-2 classroom!  (I'm still getting used to saying I am a Mulit-age 1-2 teacher-after 10.5 years of teaching 2nd, my brain is almost programmed to say that).  Due to the fact that a Multi-age classroom stirs up an array of questions, has many jump to certain assertions, and that is a milestone at our school, I decided to decorate a shirt to wear on the 29th. I painted key words about Multi-age classrooms on it (mentor, share, cooperate, lead, collaborate, support, etc).   HERE IT IS:

FRONT

Back

If you did not have you Open House or Welcome to _____ Grade Day, have you ever worn a grade tailored hat, shirt, or something similar?  I thought maybe I would design a hat with our names on it?  Now, if time wasn't a factor!\

SMILES!!!

My Search for the Toothpaste Activity and Donalyn Miller

Tuesday is here!  Officially in two weeks we start!  Have you started setting your alarm to get your body use to that early rise and shine time?  (that is if you already are not back to the best job occupation in the world) 
 So I started typing my lesson plans and got to the famous Toothpaste Activity.  I have not tried this activity, but came close last year...but that time factor got in the way.  So, I Googled Toothpaste activity and the first hit was: Team Building .  THANK YOU Southern District!
EUREKA even more Icebreakers and Team Building activities!  My folder is exceeding is capacity!
The last activity is the Toothpaste activity.  I have seen this version.  I might tweak it a tad to fit the skills of my students.  It would be a riot to see how they would use the Toothpaste to outline the word they print.  HA HA!!!  Perhaps I should try this at home first!
As far as the rest, I now need to pick out the ones that are best suited, applicable, and purposeful to my Multi-agers!  If you try any, let me know how they go!

Yesterday, I finished reading The Book Whisperer for the second time!  It was even better than the first read-I'm not sure how that could be because I thought I eared, highlighted, and eared everything I could.  Perhaps, I connected more with what Donalyn was saying and tied my experiences to hers!
I leave you with a quote from one of my all time professional reads:

 "The purpose of school should not be to prepare students for more school. We should be seeking to have fully engaged students now.”
― Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

SMILES!
 
 

Super Reader, Estimation Jar, and Me Bag

On Friday, I posted information about my Parent Pack!  I must admit, I still have a few areas to tend to!  IS IT EVER DONE?  For me, probably not!  I KEEP REARRANGING AND CHANGING!! AHHHH!  (perfectionism, over achiever, dedicated, obsessed, or just motivated?)  Included in that post was a picture of my Super Reader, Estimation Jar, and Me Bag.  Here is the picture, again, in case you missed the previous posting:

Every week a student gets to take this lovely purple bag home along with the Estimation Jar.  Inside they put 5 items of their choices.  The student then gives us 3 clues per item.  We have three tries to guess what each item is.  Typically, the students are very clever with their clues.  I am always amazed how well they craft the clues and present them to the class.  Pencils, stickers, small Legos, crayons, erasers, etc. usually are put in the Estimation Jar.  Taped to the inside of the lid is the amount of the items.  I take the answer off the lid (believe me they use a lot of tape to adhere it to the lid) and give the students a range to help them guess what the quantity is.  They print their answer on their white board.  The first time we do the Estimation Jar (which is presented by me), I model strategies on how to make a better guess on what the quantity is.  CHICKEN BIG is the book I would read.  Students must choose a picture book to read to the class.  There is always a huge range of choices!  When the student has finished, we give specific feedback to the student presenter.  "I liked your eye contact.  You had a smile on the whole time.  You gave clever clues."  Then we applaud the student!
Do you do something similar?  This will be my 11.5th year doing Super Reader, Estimation Jar, and Me Bag and it is one of my Can't Wait To Thursday activities!
SMILES!

Parent Pack! Welcome to Our Classroom!

They are stapled, labeled on quietly waiting for the parents to pick them up at Drop Off Supplies' Day!  That is 17 Parent Packs!  These Packs have been assembled to share with my Multi-age student families.  Included are pages on classroom expectations, a little snippet about me, and of course on the last page, the popular volunteer request form.  Of course, that would only be 3 pages!  Now, that would be the super condensed version.   A description of Super Reader, Estimation Bag and schedule, my classroom discipline policy, and classroom grading policies also have a page in this packet.  I have the parents sign the first page and then return the portion that has their signature on it.  Additionally, on the first page I do ask my student families how the want to receive my Classroom News.  They have three options:  via email, sent home, or they can view it online.  Typically, it is split by thirds; in other words, 1/3 receive it via email, another 1/3 view it online, and the last 1/3 get a hard copy!
How do you welcome your parents to your classroom?  Do you send home a beginning of the year Parent Pack?  If not, in what ways do you inform your parents about your fantastic and wonderful learning environments?  Please comment and share your ideas!  (if you would like to view the whole packet, please let me know.)

Cover page!

Super Reader, Estimation Jar, Me Bag

Volunteer page

Me Bag contents, Me Bag, and the Estimation Jar (I will go first to demonstrate and model how to complete each portion of this activity)  My next post will share more about this Get To Know You, entertaining, and enjoyable activity.

SMILES!