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.

Daily 5 and Daily 3

I did it! I jumped into Daily 5 and Daily 3 choice. Mostly from necessity... I was going slowly crazy with my rotation charts and adjusting them with unexpected hiccups in our schedule. So rather than shining my projector up and changing the slide every 15-20 minutes and while outwardly cool, inwardly very sweaty and pressured....I just scrapped it and made these posters from our I-charts with a documentation sheet and when I feel like switching, we do. I tend to stretch their choice as long as they are engaged productively, (especially during any time where students are being pulled out for extra practice and I have mostly on and above students who need to really dig deep) and pull more than one group/ individual during an especially productive time. 

And it's working! I am less crazed, the kids feel really amazing that they are so responsible they can choose how to organize their math, reading and writing times, and I LOVE giving them that time. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

 One key to making this work is less paper prep for me. I must thank The Brown Bag Teacher, Miss Giraffe, Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits, Primary-Bliss and First-Grade-Buddies for some great independent work, including differentiated math and reading center work I can match to my grouping needs, and provide both practice in our current unit and spiral review. 

I feel like this year is going to be a great professional push for me as I learn from other primary teachers and adapt it to my own style!

 I absolutely LOVE the activity sometimes called "Read the Room" or a "Hunt" or "Solve the Room" in math. I have bought several wonderful resources for this on TPT (see above sellers) and my kids are independent and engaged during their Math/ Reading choice when they take a clipboard and walk the room looking for cards to solve. I have even taken it on (in a less cute version--but something I can whip up on a Sunday night on google docs) for specific skills or strategies from our curricula: -ing, math mountains with unknowns, maps with digraphs missing from place names or other features. I know students are using our current skill and I don't have to manage it because they are engaged and differentiated! My struggling readers only need to document the word but my on and above level students have recording sheets that require them to use the words somehow. I've even been able to combine a hunt with another resource, such as an -ing Read the Room with The-King-of-ING by Susan Jones or turning task cards into a Solve the Room instead of a scoot in desks, such as Number Bonds by The Wise Owl. Whoever came up with this idea was a genius!!! Squirrelly students can move and groove but it's also an independent and low key/ low pressure assignment.

Lastly, I took a writing idea from one of my co-teachers in first grade and it is the best-- student have an unfinished picture attached to our writing paper (a different picture each week). They finish the scene and write a story about it. Dinosaurs, aliens, battles, robots -- you never know what their fantasy will be and best of all, every student loves to draw their own idea and I love to see how their writing has improved over the last 3 months! This writing could last all week or only one day. Then there are 4 other drawers of choice writing papers -- extras from past writing weeks, blank paper, lists, expository organizers from previous assignments. The students who live to write are in HEAVEN and the reluctant writers produce at least one fictional story with beginning, middle, end each week. Win for me!

So, in the end, please offer choice. You will LOVE it and be amazed at how your management improves. Here is a link of my google doc for student choice. I ring my chimes, we have 1 minute to get to the carpet, and they choose their next station. Sometimes we have time for strategy lessons while they are on the carpet, sometimes we just go to the next station. Not every choice will happen for every student each day, but you can make some activities must-do's (like my read the room/ solve the room and the writing picture --everyone must do these by the end of the week) and then have may do's. The key to the may do's is that they are not specific to your week but can be adjusted and used in the future. If you are not making copies that don't get used and feeling pressured to use those copies, you and the students will have more successful and meaningful practice in all subject areas. Again, The Brown Bag Teacher is a great resource for these differentiated TpT tools and her blog/ videos are gold. She has been so helpful to me in my journey to take on Daily 5 and Daily 3!