Beautiful Oops!

Happy Thursday and 3rd day of school (well for most Wisconsinites it is)!  We have now read 4 “Hot Reads.”  Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, Juice Box Bully, started Cam Jansen and the Mystery Television Dog,  and Beautiful Oops!  I think most of my Multi-agers would agree Beautiful Oops was there favorite this far-or at least generated the most smiles and laughs!!!  We learned that one’s mistakes can be transformed as “BEAUTIFUL OOPS.”  In fact, even when I was reading the story and modeling reading strategies, I accidentally made a mistake with one of the words.  One of my students politely commented, “Ms. Wenzel you did not make a mistake, that was a BEAUTIFUL OOPS.”
Check out this link:  Beautiful Oops Video

Smiles!                                                                
 

Another Must See Site for Common Core

The first day of the school year (and for a brand new "grade"-Multi-age 1-2) quickly came and has gone. The second day made it and is here! Hopefully, my Multi-agers can have an opportunity to "talk" more today; I think yesterday I must have sounded like a yaker because I felt like I was none stop-going over procedure after procedure.  I still have a few more to get through- what the hallway looks like/sounds like, Safety Drill procedures, fire and tornado drill, a classroom tour, and ...well, I guess there is more than I thought :(  BUT, all of these are so important to model, model, model and establish the first few days!  Hopefully Harry Wong would give our classroom and myself a pat on the back!

I continue to search, read, chat with educators about the best resources to meet and tools to meet the Common Core Standards.  I found this site:  Professional Development Toolkits  It is broken down into two categories- K-2 and 3-5.  Once you click on one of those categories, you can click on Student Activities, Teacher Strategies, Materials, or Formative Assessment!  It also has lesson plan and formative assessment templates!  All in all, a MUST SEE and USE!!!  I have just begun to explore it!  I hope it is helpful to you!

Lesson Plan Template

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!
 
 

Tah-dah! Here Are A Few More Pictures

It is a BRIGHT morning here in Wisconsin!  The forecast is calling for temperatures to be in the mid 70's.  For many Wisconsinites this is Weather Heaven!  Which makes me ponder, does your school have air conditioning?  Our school does not! But, we are testing out a few window units to see if we can create a comfortable learning climate without installing central AC. 

Just as the weather is a blessing, so is being able to feel a tad more at ease with the progress I am making in my classroom!  Gone are the following:  stacks of books to put in desks, teacher supplies to shelf, and folders to update.  Now, I just need to add a couple more locker tags, get my classroom door done, and finish my math binders and Guided Reading/Literacy materials.  Oops, I forgot, my math wall still has a "caution" sign on it-ok it does not have a sign on it, but I feel it should.  It still needs to be revamped!

Here are the 2nd set of photos:

Trucker Buddy wall-where we post our correspondences with our Trucker Buddy.  Take a peek to the right of the picture, see the AC unit?

Part of my Social Studies wall.  The curriculum for my level taps into parts of the government and there a handful of standards on geography, locations, directions, etc.  Oh, in case you are wondering, the plants love being an "active" part of the classroom!

The second part of my Social Studies wall-sorry about the sun!  Yes, that is the President and his family.  We write him every year and "he" writes us back!  I wonder who we will be writing this year?

My classroom library

Another part of my classroom library.  I could not forget the pillows!  My students curl up with their books and their pillows when they are reading.  I call it DIRT-Daily Independent Reading Time!

SMILES!!!
 

Get to Know You Activities!

Are you preparing and getting ready your Get to Know Activities?  Do your Icebreakers include you; in other words, breaking the ice with your students-how do you reveal your likes, dislikes, etc.?  What do you do the first couple of weeks to begin to build a strong bridge and beginning connections with your students?  Do your wear your best outfit on the 1st day too? (I wonder how many teachers buy "new school clothes.")

Here are a few activities that I have done with my students.  Hopefully, these Icebreakers will be transparent with many different ages and grades!

1. Stringing Conversation Together-get some string and cut in in different lengths, but each length needs a pair.  If you do not have an even amount of students, make sure to cut three strings the same length.  Pass out the strings, making sure to mix-up the string lengths.  Next, tell the students they need to find someone who has the same length of string as they do!  They CANNOT talk at this time.  When everyone has found their partner, they need to find out three facts about that person (feel free to allow your students to write down the facts on a note card).  If necessary, modify the amount!  Finally, when all are ready, have them share their "String Conversations.
2. A Tangled Web-Gather students in a circle sitting around you on the floor. Hold a large ball of yarn. Start by telling the students something about yourself. Then roll the ball of yarn to a student without letting go of the end of the yarn. The student who gets the ball of yarn tells his or her name and something good about himself or herself. Then the student rolls the yarn to somebody else, holding on to the strand of yarn. Soon students have created a giant web. After everyone has spoken, you and all the students stand up, continuing to hold the yarn. Start a discussion of how this activity relates to the idea of teamwork - for example, the students need to work together and not let others down. To reinforce the importance of teamwork, have one student drop his or her strand of yarn; that will demonstrate to students how the web weakens if the class isn't working together.
3. Linking Together-Chain of Talents- give students 2-3 strips of paper that the write down a talent on.  When they have their talents written down, form a chain with their strips.  Next, lead a discussion about what the chain demonstrates.  For example, all the students have talents; all the students have things they do well.  Together, the students have many talents.   If they work together, classmates can accomplish anything; the class is stronger when students work together than when individual students work on their own. Finally, hang the chain in the room as a reminder to your students of the talents they possess and the benefits of teamwork.
4. Snowballs-Have each student get a scrap piece of paper.  Next, have your students print a question on the piece of paper.  On a white board, Smartboard, etc. write a few questions as models-What is your favorite soup?  How many sisters do you have?  What is your favorite cold food?  Have each student show you their question.  When everyone is done, have them krinkle their paper up into a snowball.  Then count down from 10 and yell, "Snowball Snowstorm."  Everyone needs to throw their snowball.  Each student then picks up a snowball and reads the question aloud and answers the question!  Repeat as many times as you want!
5. Time Box- This is a first and last day activity!  Type of a list of questions (the quantity depend upon your grade and the students' ages) that your students will answer.  How old are you?  What is your favorite thing to read about?  What color do you not like?  What is your favorite ice cream topping? Then have all your students share their answers!  "Bury" their papers in a box and then "bury" it somewhere in the class!  On the last day of class, pass out a new Time Box (the same one as the first day).  Have students complete them again.  Then unbury the previous Time Box and pass them out. Students can then compare their Time Boxes!  They are amazed at how many stayed the same, were different, and of course how much their spelling and handwriting improved!!! 

These are only 5 of my Icebreakers!  I do have a file of Get to Know You Activities!  It seems each year I rotate different ones in and out!  If you need more ideas or have a few to share, please leave a comment!  I'd love to hear what your do!  

Click on the picture to get a copy of my Time Box! 
 

 SMILES!!!

 

1/2 Way Through July and MORE!!!

It is July 16th-yes I know you did not want to be reminded- but I can scarcely believe that we are 1/2 way through July and the summer!  The stores are starting to put out Back to School displays, racks of top line and fashion fit clothes are being rolled into the store aisles, and school supplies are overfilling the bins!  Today I was going to plung into my classroom library area and reorganize my chapter books and Guided Reading materials, but it is supposed to be 99 degrees here, so that means my classroom will top that by at least 5 degrees!  Can teachers melt???   Does your school have air conditioning?  Ours does not...perhaps this summer's higher than normal temps will change that! 
On another note, I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE SO MANY NEW FOLLOWERS!  I hope my followers count continues to grow!  I hope to hit 50 before the 1st day of school-crossing my fingers and toes on that!!! :>)   Soon, I hope to start a TPT account!  If you have a TPT account, what do you recommend for prospective account members?

On yet another note, I registered for my Trucker Buddy!  I am so eager to hear who my 2nd Graders will be buddies with!  I hope we will be able to meet him or her!  They seem to be getting many registrations forms this summer so they said it might take awhile to hear back from them!  In the meantime, I am picturing in my head where I might put the notes, postcards, and letters we get back from him/her.  Have you ever had a Trucker Buddy?

SMILES AND ENJOY YOUR DAY!!!

Do you use inspirational and motivational banners in your classroom? 
 I found this one to be compelling and thought provoking!