1} We started our Farm unit this week made by Deanna Jump. This week we focused on pigs. We loved learning about all kinds of fun piggy facts. Here's a few pics of our Pigs schema chart and our piggy drawings. At the end of each day we gathered around the chart and posted new facts we learned! It was such a fun and meaningful way to keep up with what we've learned and to revisit it at the end of each day.
I have to brag about our writing today. I gave my students the option of working independently or in a small group with me on their writing. I had about 50/50 working with me and who worked on their own. Here's a couple of students who wrote independently and didn't ask me for any help on words. I'm sure you can tell what they were trying to say. I'm so proud of them. :)
Translation: (I learned that daddy pigs are called boars and mama pigs are called sows. And they drink milk)
2} I include a Morning Mingle set in all of my Reading Street bundles on TPT. When I first introduced these in my 3rd unit we did them with our clipboards and on the Smart Board as a whole group activity. Now my Kinders do these independently when they first come in in the morning. Each set focuses on different sight words for that week, phonics skills, and a Daily Fix-it. I love it.
3} So, I actually thought I had just lost my power this week because my class's behavior was pretty rough this week. It was like a sudden burst of tattling, fighting, running in the room, shoving, just complete chaos to say the least. I went home and really sat and wondered what I could do to keep there behavior under control with these last few weeks of school left.
We made a chart on things that make me sad and things that make me happy. I told them that it really makes me sad when I have to get on to them for their constant behavior choices. I also told them that it makes me so happy when I catch them making good choices. So we sat and the kids took turns giving me examples of behaviors that made me sad and happy. I liked doing this because they were having to recognize their behaviors and notice the difference between different choices they need to make through the day. At the end of the day today we sat in a circle and went around saying one choice we made that made me happy and one thing that we need to work on. It really helped the kids understand their choices and the effects it has on our day by reflecting about it.
We also made little cards with our names on them. I got this idea from Elizabeth from Kickin' it in Kindergarten and kind of put my own twist on it. I told my kiddos that if I caught them making good choices through the day that I would give them a star on their card. If they got up to four stars they got in the Treasure Chest. They really worked hard and loved making their own cards and keeping track of their stars.
4} Not much to say about this one but I opened up new boxes of crayons for each table. We just love new crayons. Especially to get us through the last few weeks! So pretty!
5} Lastly, this weekend I am running in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon race, to honor those who died, survived, and sacrificed so much during the tragic OKC bombing. I love my home state so much! My hubby got me some new running shorts for the big event. They are from Carrie Underwood's collection and are similar to my Lulu's. I love them!
A little throwback to OKC last year. I've got great running buddies!
Be Blessed!
I love your Happy Teacher/Sad Teacher chart. I think my third graders may need this next week. We even have more than three weeks left, but they are already going a little crazy!
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