This was my first full week of school with my new crew. Some days they are starting to fall into form... Thursday I wanted to beat my head against a wall... Friday was much better. Honeymoon stage if officially over... and tired kids means quieter more behaved kids. Actually I think a big part of it was my sending a note home about parents sending healthier lunches with their kids for school. I sent home a note asking parents not to send candy or sugar drinks and send more fruit and veggies. I understand that sometime not all parents can't afford lots of fruit and veggies but they sure try. One child in particular had a FABULOUS day after eating grapes instead of 3 candy sugary things in her lunch. And talking with her mother after school, to praise her child, the mom really was encouraged and was enlightened to find out that the sugar could actually affect her child's behaviour!
We also illustrated a book this week. I told one of them before I told the rest of the class and he very animatedly told me he couldn't possibly be a REAL illustrator. It was quiet funny. As he was very dramtic about it. They were so excited to add the illustrations to the books, followed the instructions very well, and once we finished our books we added them to their Daily 5 book boxes. The book was called Rainbow Hair. I got it free off TPT. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rainbow-Hair-Emergent-Reader Thanks so much to Deanna Jump for sharing this book. She also has a fabulous blog where I have gotten many other great ideas from. Thank you so much Deanna!!! http://mrsjumpsclass.blogspot.ca/2011/09/d-my-name-is.html
I decided to spend this weekend doing nothing but resting. I had stayed unil 5:30 or later almost every night after school this week. I'm trying really hard to be more organized and keep my room cleaner. But I also am realizing that I need to have a life outside of my job. Because it will affect my sanity and my ability to teach my students. I actually got a video of the Daily 5 to see what it is supposed to look like. So I will be watching that at some point today but other than that I am not thinking about school.
Has anybody else noticed that there is not enough time in the day to get everything done? I was looking at my September plans and I am already behind in trying to get the alphabet done. I teach Grade 1 but I always find that starting with a review of all the sounds helps my kids gain confidence for when they are trying to figure out words they don't think they can read.
I'm also trying to figure out when I can do mini lessons about how to sound out words. With Daily 5 it just doesn't seem to lend time to group teaching some of the phonics they need to know. Anybody else struggle with this?
That's all my brain can put together coherently today folks. Thanks for reading.
Ms. J:)
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