It's only Wednesday?????

This is how I have my literacy groups' table set up.  Everything the children will need is already there so limit distractions.  I don't know how well you can see it but in the middle of the table I have a push l.e.d. light.  When this light is on other students are not allowed to interrupt my instruction. 

This week has been a really hard one for me so I haven't done a very good job of blogging.  I feel like I have been hit by a truck.  I don't feel bad but I am extremely tired.  Monday night I went to bed at 5:30 and slept 12 hours.  I NEVER DO THAT.  Went to bed fairly early last night as well.  I don't know if I am trying to get sick or not.  Anyway, thought I would share some ideas from this week. 

This is my bucket of warm fuzzies (pom poms)  The students have miniature sized sand pails on their desk.  If I "Catch them being good"  I may place a warm fuzzy in their pail.  After a certain period of time students count how many fuzzies they have and the winner gets a prize.  We usually turn counting fuzzies into a teachable moment math lesson. 

I saw this Quiet Spray idea on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try.  I will have to let you know if the students catch on but so far they aren't buying it. 

This was another great Pinterest find.  I am using it in the spelling center this week.  I wrote sight words, spelling words, and made up words on some pieces of recycled paper and balled them up.  The students have to pick a piece of paper and smooth it out and decide if the word is trash (made up) or treasure (spelling/sight word) 

Umbrellas, ellas, ellas. Hey Hey Hey!

My literacy groups are divided up into vowels.  A, E, I, O, and U.  Since I went with a beach theme this year I tried to give each group a clever name that was beach related.  A- Angel Fish, E-Electric Eels, I-Ice Cream Cones (okay so this one is a little far fetched but I couldn't find anything else I liked better that started with an I. ha ha ha ) What?  I like ice cream at the beach.  Don't you?  lol  O- Octopus and the U's are my Umbrellas.  The class thinks it is hilarious when I call the Umbrella group by singing Rihanna's "Umbrella"! The students come to me, to my assistant, go to their center, and do two rotations working on their seat work each day.  Above is the chart we use to let students know at all times where they should be.  Each student has a clip art picture on the desk with Velcro because groups are constantly being rearranged by levels.  I call students to the carpet for calendar, line them up, etc. using their vowel names and it makes it sooooooo much easier on me.  Each student's desk has their name tag, group, surfboards, and AR sign-up tag placed on their desk with Velcro. 

Velcro is one of my best friends.  Each student starts the week with five surfboards.  Surf boards are taken for misbehaving, not completing assignments such as home, and not living up to  classroom responsibilities.  If they lose three the student is not allowed to participate in fun Friday and has to write a letter home explaining why they lost their boards.  Losing all five is a WIPE OUT and they are sent to ISS. 

Here is our AR sign up chart.  Students are not allowed to interrupt me or even ask me if they can take an AR test.  They all are well aware of the times they are allowed to take test.  They place their name on the sign up chart and wait there turn.  It is not mandatory for my students to take AR test but it is highly encouraged.  As an incentive they are allowed to pick a prize on Friday if they have taken and passed at least three AR test.  Our principal has agreed to kiss a pig at the end of this nine weeks if the school as a whole reads 12 million words.  Our students are working hard to make sure he keeps his end of the deal. 

Classroom

This year I went with a beach theme for the classroom because I grew up near the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I love going to beach in the summer.  I used PVC piping to create a fun little reading area for the children to go to during centers or while they are doing their pair-up (buddy) reading.  The children like the atmosphere and so far it has held up pretty well. 

I used foam and pipe cleaners to make flip flops for our WORD WALL.  I couldn't get a picture of the whole wall but the title say, "We are flippin' out over new words!"  The flip flops were super easy to make and I really liked the way it turned out.  The students were each given binders at the beginning of the year called B.E.A.C.H. books.  B.E.A.C.H. acronym for Bring Everyday All Communications and Homework. This book goes back and forth between school and home each day.  It contains a section for important papers, homework calendar for the month, money pouch for lunch, parent/teacher communication section with loose leaf paper, spelling list, take along word wall, additional tools, and a homework folder marked with a "L" for leave at home and a "R" for return to school.  I stole this idea from the other first grade teacher at my school (Mrs. Colonna you are AWESOME).  She does B.E.E books because her theme is Bees.  All papers are filed in each students hanging file after being checked and then everything is sent home once a week on Friday.  I have found this is so much easier than trying to send papers home every single day.