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

You Know You're Old When...You Come Up With Old-New Ideas!

I cannot believe it's been almost 20 years!

This is a picture of my reading tubs labels -- they're old enough now that the glue is all but gone and they peel off easily. I feel like it was just yesterday that I decided not to fight with the first layer of stickers and haven't tried again...until today. Today I labeled all of my tubs with either numbers or letters. (Mostly this was to keep organization with my personal children "helping" me set up my classroom by reading all my sorted piles of books and then putting them back, willy nilly.) But, as I was methodically stickering and labeling, my roaming mind realized this plan had a lot of potential. 

1. Lettering for reading levels is fine as long as it is not where I force students to read-- the library should be like Disneyland; full of experiences students savor, even if reading by looking at the pictures is as far as they can go. Yet. They should want to read (or have a friend read to them) the blurb, eagerly trying to see if this book sounds like something exciting or interesting to them. My purpose for level labels is to keep track of what I need to teach and facilitate, not for students to identify as a level. This misconception of levels leads to division and self-esteem issues, as well as fixed mindset, for students at all ends of the spectrum. Let go of the control.

BOOM.

2. As for numbering the tubs, this is purely for my initial management and organization. I sorted the tubs into nonfiction and fiction topics (series, author studies, genres) then assigned all the nonfiction tubs a number and put that number on the tub and each book. I continued my number system with the fiction tubs. My end plan is that groups of students will look at the books in the tub and decide what the books all have in common and create the tub label with words (spelling supported for standard spelling since it is for their peers to decipher) and a matching illustration. The number will remain for easy return.

3. As I was letting my mind drift, I realized that having the book tubs labeled like this would lead to some great parent activities at Back to School/ Open House Night! ...A parent scavenger hunt to see if they could determine (from a list) the genres/ topics of each number would give them an idea what students would be doing and what kind of books their kids like to read. Time filling and educational! 

I was feeling pretty good.

4. Then I realized that I could support myself and the parents by putting a brief bullet list next to the letter tubs of the key skills needed to attempt those levels with comprehension and fluency success. This would be a great way to show parents what my age/ grade level skills would be and the progression of skills. It would also be a chance to explain that those bullets were for adults and how silly it would be for students to think in those adult terms... and thus why I do not label students as levels but have the levels purely as a guide as needed (and a smaller portion of my library than topic or genre choice tubs.) Students can choose old favorites that some might call "easy" or super challenging books they won't actually be independent in this school year. If I want students to work in a particular level, I will assign work during my controlled time: small group or centers. I will not impinge on their Disneyland trip through any library.

Repeat after me: I will not destroy the joy of perusal that makes actual bookstores and libraries so wonderful and lifelong reading actually happen!

Happy Joy-of Library-Nurturing,

Sarah's Teaching Points