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!

The Next Adventure -- Primary Genius Hour

I love the process of a new phase of my pedagogy. Love, love, love reflecting on how my own experience as a learner, parent, and teacher come together to send me on my next passion. In fact, I'd say that my life has been blessed with passion projects, from pursuing my love of art and poetry to digging into how people develop number sense from toddlerhood to sixty. And then the miracle that is TpT! It's never been easier for us to share our passion projects in education and legitimize them! Don't even get me started on my newfound love of Pinterest boards! In fact, based on the virtual worlds I belong to, I would say passion projects are the norm among all humans. Or at least dreaming of your project. Again, I've have been blessed to not only dream but to have access to the resources (or is it because I have resources that I dream?) to pursue my interests.

It is in that thought that my next adventure can be found -- Genius Hours and Maker Spaces.  I am so excited and nervous to start this journey with my first graders. Will it be everything I imagine? Probably more and not at all. This is the type of unknown where, no matter what, we will all be better at the end -- and if everything goes as planned, it will really only be a beginning for the students and for myself!!!

Stages of my journey so far...

...needing to differentiate for ranges of intermediate students in a way they could manage and yet individualize led me to create these resources: Create An Amusement Park, Create a Compound,  Create a Machine and First Grade Factory. Create a Machine is the true genesis of my next project-- gathering materials and supplies to have a Maker Space. And then my nephew had a birthday party at this amazing space called Tinkertopia -- holy cow. Watching our kids ages 5-11 create amazing things (jet packs, houses with treadmills and creatures to live in them, and even a marionette puppet) made me realize if I provided materials and time, my students would create. 

...then we went to our daughter's Hi-Cap meeting where we saw a video on Rube Goldberg machines to kick off the theme of this year: Maker Space with purpose toward solving a real world problem. Ah ha! So many things coalesced in my mind and it was like a cartoon light bulb was floating over my head for the rest of the spring. 

...but as I sat listening to the Hi-Cap plans, I realized I wanted all my students to have these experiences. ALL my students -- those who finish early and those who are pulled out for services hours a day. Those who could just move up a couple grades tomorrow and those who are working on the skills of previous grades. Those who ask for extra projects to work on in their homework and those who don't have pencils to do homework, let alone know where they are spending the night or if there will be electricity or dinner in that environment. ALL students should be given those minutes to plan, create, fail, and rise back up. 

... and then, most recently, I realized I needed to not just provide stuff for free create (still very important) but provide time and structure to pursue individual passion. 

...then my goal to have engaged students and not just compliant students has merged into staff professional development and framing our work in ways to engage adults as well. How did we decide to do that? By having staff determine and lead groups based on their passions. 

Genius!

...so my next adventure: Genius Hour in Primary. What will my role be? I'm still researching that. But since it is my passion, I love the process and will enjoy my journey!

Check out my Maker Space and Genius Hour board on Pinterest for a collection of ideas from around the world!

ideas like this piece of awesome!

 

Moving to First Grade Classroom Snapshots

Everyone should have to move classrooms at least once. Especially after collecting and piling layers of materials on back counters and saving copies for the next year...5 years ago.

I have changed job titles, classrooms, and schools many times but this may be the most nerve-wracking move. I have moved down 2 grades (firsties) and also into my own small town. (Years ago, I determined I would NOT work where I lived, and certainly not in my very own neighborhood .. but here I am ... and I think I'm going to like it here!) As my old principal would say, I now have plenty of professional growth opportunities! Every job I've had in my 17 years of teaching, I have been lucky to fall into opportunities to grow as an educator and a person.

Here's what I am loving:

First, let me say that my new room is gifted with beautiful cedar bulletin boards. I could not bear to cover them up with paper, even though they are slivery. Where children will be close to them, I put some paper and I am going to put a clear shower curtain so we can enjoy the wood and small reading nooks.

 I am so lucky that my own children are growing out of things that are perfect for my 1st grade room -- IKEA leaves, pillows, and butterflies for one reading area, as well as a couple of chairs (also IKEA from 15-20 years ago.)

 My second grade level chapter books are hiding behind family photos and a bug banner on sale from the costume shop (also on my writing table). I'll bring out those books after we have more of a handle on our reading routines. Or maybe after I have more of a handle.

Second, we are open concept and do not have doors. Not sure how that will work. These are the bulletin boards next to my doorway that all the teachers decorate with name and room number. I also anticipate avid parent volunteers this year and want to equalize the welcome for families who are not as comfortable in school so I added the "Parents and Family" board with information. I used my Classroom Garden Letters all over my room and had random capitals and lower case letters left for that board!

 I have LOVED seeing other classrooms on pinterest and facebook and also was excited to use all those book jackets I've saved for years! The number cubes also have nursery rhymes and alphabet on them -- another hold over from my own children. The wooden bunnies were a clearance item at the costume store again.

Third, I have more storage than ever before (I came from a portable with one closet, so this is like the best gift ever!) I can put everything behind a door and not see boxes and crates all willy nilly.

Darling Word Wall Headers

Fourth, my team and staff have been so welcoming and helpful that even if we had doors -- bring on the bathroom noise -- I could tell that we have an 'open door' policy! I cannot seem to hook up a printer yet, so they have kindly printed everything I share on Google!

Oh, and last, there are at least 5 other Sarah/ Saras in my building. I'm petitioning to go by last names. And we have a 'with an h' vs. 'without an h' rivalry started.

I went gnome crazy in my room this year and I'm loving how each small space allows me to rediscover what I fell in love with in the first place.

 Teacher and Others' communication: magnetic gnomes with names on them for attendance and tracking nurse, office, library, resources, etc. This one is for us ('we') and the above one is for others ('they') to know where we are with the clothespin. This will be a line leader job.

 Going Home Gnomes -- magnetic

I love these darling hands helping to show ways of making numbers! Numeracy Wall with tallies, dice, fingers, unifix cubes, ten frames, words, and number representation. Numbers 1-10 also have gnome/ garden clipart for the amount on that poster.

 Focus Wall 

Shapes

 I numbered everything with the extra table numbers so I can direct students to supplies, shelves and "off limits" areas. These trapezoid tables will be lowered later to allow for sitting on pillows at the writing table. The community supplies and variety of papers are in these bins (thanks, personal children! You'd think their rooms were bare by now, but noooo.)

 Small group board.

 Since we have tables, students will have permanent tower groups for workbooks, dry erase materials, unfinished work folders but then flexible seating choices (soon) around the classroom.

 Tooth Fairy Gnome, Calendar, and Birthday decorations with questions regarding data from weather and birthdays! My Circle Targets are available from the Tables and Labels product at my store and will have targets next to them in our schedule.

 Subjects/ Targets Headings plus Gnome Shapes and Colors

 I loved this idea for a book buddy (again, thanks kids for cleaning out some stuffies!) My sign is included in the Bonus Pack.

 Mistakes Help Us Learn and Make a New Plan reminders for students to work through problems, fail, but keep moving forward, from my Goal Setting and Growth Mindset resource (students put a marble in the jar every time they self-identify a mistake they made and can learn from.)

 Job Chart with names on popsicle sticks

Thanks for touring my new first grade room -- Gnome Style! (Gnomes water color paintings by the Ninja Woman Clip Art Studio on TpT.   So beautiful!! I had to keep making decorations for my firsties...ok, for me.)

Have a great year!

Sarah's Teaching Points