Some Ideas Have to Ruminate...

Makerspace, Project Based Learning, NGSS, and other ruminations

So, it's been over a year since I was on here. And I've been having a great time becoming a primary teacher. The wonder, the immediate gratification of student growth, the joy of being 7 in the world...I needed it.

But now I've got to make some of the changes I started thinking about 2-3 years ago. I need to find that motivation to just TRY IT. Find my groove. Our flow (see my previous post today.) We have to give back to the world and the only thing in our way is my hesitation. 

Last year, around Christmas, I blogged about starting primary genius hour but then, well, curriculum, timelines, units, new classes happened. And I didn't remember what I wanted to do. But now I've got 2 and half months left to give this class as much of an experience as I can. So, staying in my comfort zone, we'll be doing some STEM challenges to dip our toes in the process. (To be clear, I'm the one who needs to dip -- I'm sure the class would be fine jumping.)

Last spring (and currently), the first grade team had students invent something to solve a problem over spring break. Then we had an invention fair to peruse all our ideas. It was awesome. And then my class did a bridge project (and I plan to do it again) with a partner. That was it. 
And now...
I've had this product since last year but I wasn't ready. The stars aligned that our ELA curriculum is talking about sound and then construction... feels like engineering opportunities. Structured for me. I always like to see examples before creating my own version and having someone come up with this piece freed me up to think about logistics.

Teach Outside the Box

To begin, how would we manage a project over several days in a very busy classroom? A project that is open-ended (somewhat) and required students to keep track of their own progress? Well, shoeboxes. Counter space. Boxes of supplies. Do I control how many of each? Do I have a check out/ store set up or unlimited? (I think limited resources is the best way to force creativity. Maybe I'll change my mind.) 

So-- the shoeboxes. Check. These will be something we can stack or at least put away and are sturdy enough to survive first grade accidents. I hope. Also, the toilet paper tubes, cups, string, dried beans, random stuff I've got in my teacher closet...

First Grade NGSS topics

To help push me along on this passion, I have been on a science curriculum exploration with the other small districts in my area around Next Generation Science Standards  and have been trying to help our Foss Kits with phenomena and engineering components. My class has had experience all year with exploring tools and open-ended exploration through morning tubs, explore time, and daily 3 math tubs. They needed the free explore but now most would like some direction. Some challenge. And I think dipping my toes into engineering is going to meet that need.

Finding My Pirate Flow, Year 2

I do. I really do drink a lot of coffee. It takes a lot of caffeinated power to teach these tiny pirates and find the flow a thousand times a day. Do you hear me? 

Although this is my second year in first grade and I'm finally getting to do some of my favorites from last year, it doesn't mean pulling out my plans and ho-hum recreations. It means I am 100% in. 100% pirate. 100% in character, dancing, singing, connecting curriculum (I need that coffee), and building community. My class this year is nothing like my group last year, in demographics or academics. I have to meet their specific needs and I am thankful each day that I have almost 2 decades behind me so each decision doesn't use my whole attention. Finding the flow uses my whole attention. Heaven forbid I have a stuffed up head cold to mess with our chi.

 

 I did laminate last year. Quite a bit. But those pirate ships, pirate letters, eye patches, pirate sets, and pirate vocabulary? New. Just like this class' reaction to the pirate takeover a few weeks ago. They were tickled. They were suspicious it was me. They've been finding their inner pirate both during and after readers' theater. It's awesome. But not the same as last year. And it shouldn't be. My excitement and anticipation of 'Pirate Week' needed to be new for this group. We didn't do all the things I did last year. And we did some new things. I checked out some new books from the library about pirates and navigation and learned what a mizzenmast is and added it to my pirate vocabulary. I also continued the pirate theme for 3 weeks, all the way to spring break, forgoing activities I did last year and making more connections to pirates (and you can connect literally any study to pirates -- we turned the patterns in the sky to pirate navigation vs. astronaut navigation skills and it was awesome.) We even turned the next two weeks of R-controlled vowels into different ways pirates talk.

ar resource from The Brown Bag Teacher

I love when it all comes together. That's the flow, when each decision blends so perfectly with the other tasks we are doing, even though none of our curricula align. I love that feeling where we are doing skills for the greater picture, in this case, pirates.Will they remember that we used a topic sentence, detail-detail-detail, conclusion to "wrap it all up"? Or will they remember that we learned to draw a pirate ship, most importantly the "poop deck"? 

We used our newfound drawing skills to make the backdrop for readers' theater and spent two weeks on our fluency skills before performing for the class. (FYI there is a ton of free pirate stuff on Teacher Pay Teacher).

    

Each day connected to the next and when I started to do what worked so well last year but didn't seem to flow with my new group, I made a new decision about the direction we would be going. ARGH! it was awesome.
I won't be kicking the caffeine any year soon, and hopefully our flow will continue as well!