I heart Daily 5!

Last year I discovered Daily 5 by the 2 Sisters.  I decided to start it in the middle of the year last year and saw great results, so I'm starting from the beginning of the year this year.  I think it's amazing what my first graders have been able to do and all day long I hear the question "when will it be Daily 5?"  I thought I'd share some great resources I've found online to help me with Daily5.

Mrs.Shannon's First Grade

Mrs.Wallbank.com

Daily 5 Mini-Lessons

Daily5CAFEChat

If you know any more resources I should add let me know! 

Back to School!

I have been back to school for three weeks now and it has gone by so fast!  This year I've made many changes to my classroom.  Here are some pics I'd like to share with you:

The kids are loving the rooms so far and they do very well keeping it clean.  I've moved from tables to desks this year and I allow students to choose where they sit everyday (within limits).  It has worked out very well and they seem to feel comfortable in the space.  

How to Create a Community in the Classroom

One of my main goals as a teacher is to create a community in the classroom where students feel safe and connected. It is very important that students can trust each other and develop positive relationships with their peers.

In my classroom, I create a sense of community by first creating a classroom identity. We begin by discussing who we are and why we are in there. As a class, we create a class creed. This year our creed is:
        We are the first grade class.
        We are here to learn.
        We are kind and treat each other with respect.
        We share, listen, and forgive each other.

The students were able to come up with a wonderful creed with very little prompting. I asked the questions:

• Who are we? What makes us different from other classes?
• Why are we here?
• What do we do here?
• How to we treat each other?

We say our creed daily, with the eight expectations from Great Expectations. Then we begin our Morning Meeting. Morning Meeting is a practice from Responsive Classroom. It gives students a wonderful way to begin the day by greeting each other. It is very important in our classroom that we address each other by name. This helps to create a climate of mutual respect.

Here are some other resources that have helped me in my classroom:
More information about creeds
Creating a Classroom Community
A Positive Classroom Community: Concrete Ways to Foster Unity from Day One
Ten Ways To Build Community in Your Classroom
Building A Classroom Community and Bully-Free Zone

It's My Job

The week I participated in the #edchat on twitter. The topic of discussion was “How to make lessons engaging instead of blaming the Internet or Technology.” When discussing this topic with my fellow educators, I realized some very important things.

I realized that it is my job to make lessons engaging to students. As a teacher, I must motivate my students and engage them in meaningful learning. That being said, it is my job to learn how to motivate and engage. It is also my job continue to learn everyday.

I know many teachers who only attend the provided professional development and are satisfied that it is enough. I want the very best for my students, not just the bare minimum. Students need more than just the ability to pass the test. They need to be given a passion for learning. They will not be passionate for learning if their teacher is not passionate.

I became a teacher because I want to make a difference and I love learning. When I share all the fun things I learn about education and technology, it is only because they excite me and I hope you are excited too. I just want my fellow teachers to understand that it doesn’t really matter if you are passionate about all this technology stuff. You need to be passionate about learning and making yourself a better teacher. It’s your job.