August Picture Book 10 for 10

When I heard about this event, I knew I couldn't NOT participate. I love books and sharing books too much to consider sitting it out. I will definitely be posting a list of ten books on August 10!

Click here to get details about the event.

I haven't finalized my list yet. Some of the lists include picture books that people love. Some lists are thematic, and others include books that are funny or particularly good for reading aloud.

With the Common Core knocking on all our classroom doors, I am considering a list of books that support standards. Or I might post a list of books that my own children loved, because lately I'm constantly amazed at how fast time has gone.  For now, I'm keeping all my options open.

But I've got a little preview for you. For the next few days I'll be sharing some books that I consider must-haves.



First, Benjamin's 365 Birthdays... I adore this book. It has such a sweet message about learning to appreciate the things around you. The book is by Judi and Ron Barrett, and unfortunately, it's out of print. Amazon always has a few copies available at a range of prices. The last time I checked, there was a copy for a penny plus shipping, and another for $201.44 (and several in between.) The illustrations are darling, and children absolutely love seeing the gifts Benjamin gets for his 365 birthdays!

Click HERE for more details about Benjamin's 365 Birthdays by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett.

I think the hardest part about August Picture Book 10 for 10 is going to be narrowing my list from 10,000 books to 10.

 

First Grade Genius Hour

My little geniuses will be walking through the door in less than two weeks.

And as I've been thinking about classroom space, I've also wondered about ways to get students started on projects during our Genius Hour. What kinds of spaces will be inspiring and allow for lots of student creativity, exploration, and innovation? What might inspire students to choose a topic or project? My students are six-year-olds, mostly. They have had little, if any, experience with projects of any kind. They haven't had opportunities to take action, and they likely didn't even do much reading this summer due to access issues (most do not have any books at home.) I'm not sure how much curiosity is a part of their home cultures, either.

After exploring Choose2Matter, and listening to Angela Maier's TED Talk, there's one big idea I want to incorporate into my classroom projects: "You are a genius, and the world needs your contribution." Students may choose to learn more about their topic so that they can make a future contribution to the world of science or technology or art. Or a student might want to make a difference right now by including some kind of service in his/her project. And of course, we will explore different ways to share projects with others in our room, school, and community. Perhaps a student's contribution will be inspiring someone else to learn!

In light of all that, I'm going to start with my favorite thing... books! Before I even introduce the idea of Genius Hour, I will read to my students. We will talk, respond, question, and jot notes. I'm hoping to gather student questions and ideas that we can refer to when it comes time to actually start projects.

I've gathered a selection of books that will work with the themes of making a difference, exploration, collaboration, and innovation. 





Do you have books that would inspire students to begin Genius Hour projects? Please share!

 

 

 

 

What's Making You Feel Excited About Starting a New School Year?

I'm starting my year with some big changes! There will be lots of little changes, because there always are when you work with children! It's the big changes that have my attention this summer. I've been thinking and planning and discussing, and now I'm starting to feel excited!

1. Technology

Finally! I will have modern, working computers right in my classroom! And because of that, things like digital cameras and videos will be much easier to integrate into lessons. I've got all kinds of things planned, beginning with how to use each tool in the classroom. The real goal is for students to learn some new ways to connect with others inside the classroom, around our school, and beyond. Twitter? Yes, it's on my list. Skype? You bet. YouTube and a class blog? Yes, yes, of course!

2. Classroom

"I had all the desks moved out."

When I said those words to a colleague, she was beyond stunned. I wish I had a picture of her expression. O.M.G.

Early in the summer, I saw my new classroom for the first time. It was very similar to my old classroom. But the orientation was just a little different. The new/old rooms weren't mirror images. A few things were the same, but other, major things were different (like the location of the door, sink, a few cupboards.) Where would I put my cubbies? There wasn't really a logical place near the door. Where would my teaching easel go? And how would I arrange all those desks?

Soon after seeing my room, I started thinking about Genius Hour and the spaces I wanted available to students. And then I realized that those awesome new iMacs would need a home, and then there was a giant furniture snowball of information in my head. And it made me dizzy. So I laid down and closed my eyes, but all I could see was a room full of desks. Thirty desks.

The thing is, when I started thinking about why my students needed desks, I couldn't really come up with any good reasons. A place to put their crayons? A place to keep a notebook? Somewhere to sit? Yes, but I was quickly able to think of alternatives for all of those uses. I thought back to last year... what did we use the desks for that was so critical? The only thing I could come up with was that they were a place to keep children contained. "Please go to your desks."  Was this just a case of continuing to do something because that's the way we've always done it? Maybe.

So I started making lists and sketches and jotting down ideas. Pro: storage, a place for everyone, work space, order. Con: makes the room crowded, difficult to change students to a new work space, kids get territorial. My students spend a good part of every day doing things that don't require that they're anchored to a desk. I use a workshop model for reading, writing and math, and students often work on the floor, in a beanbag chair or on a small rug. What if the desks weren't there at all? What would it be like, I tried to imagine. I thought of a friend's art studio and the Montessori school where I worked in college and the Exploratorium.

And then a few weeks later, I saw Alice's post. This is a high school classroom, but wow! Her room has some great collaborative spaces, it's totally set up for conversations, and it looks so warm and happy. Her video made me think of a Starbucks. And you know how much work gets done there! Alice's video nudged me over the edge.

So my room doesn't have thirty desks anymore. I'm still arranging everything and I will share pictures next week.

3. Genius Hour

Talk about a perfect fit! Genius Hour will work great in the physical classroom and with access to technology. I am eager to get started with my students! Two books I plan to read with them right away: Big Plans by Bob Shea and Lane Smith, and Swimmy by Leo Lionni. I want students to think big! They can change the world! And Swimmy is a lovely little book for discussing collaboration.



What new things are you trying this year? Any great new books you have found that you love? What's getting you excited about going back to school?

Happy Wednesday!

 

A Cute Classroom?

There's some discussion on Twitter, blogs, and Facebook about classroom cuteness. Have you been on Pinterest lately? My  goodness, there's a ton of cute there. A.TON. There are some really great ideas, and I love that teachers can share with other teachers clear across the country and around the world.

But in some ways I don't love it.

Many teachers are really focused on their classroom decor. I get it. I'm in my room all day and I want it to look good! I want to be surrounded by the colors I love, and I want my environment to be inspiring. Sure, I've gotten some good ideas here and there. But I guess what sets me apart from some of the classroom fashionistas is that I want everything to be functional. I'm in that room to teach.

I do spend time thinking about how I want my classroom to look. Absolutely. I am certain that part of the issue is just a matter of taste. I'm not a fan of having every single thing in my room match to a fault. I know that some people love it. But it's just not a priority for me. Nor are lots of the other ideas of seen. In two weeks I will have 30 little people in that room with me. They will need to learn to read and write and add and think and communicate. My focus really needs to be on what will help my students. What part of the environment will be inspiring to them? What things can I include in my classroom that will make them eager to learn and comfortable working with others?

My room is very clean. It's organized. It's coordinated color-wise. But not everything matches. It coordinates. My favorite color is blue, so as I've gathered things over the years, I've chosen blue whenever color is an option. I knew my students would love to read in beanbag chairs, so I chose blue ones. I needed little baskets to put crayons in, so I chose blue ones.  I have tons of pointers that students use to read the room and I put them in a blue container. I have a few blue chairs, a blue carpet, and I did make a blue valence for each of the small windows in my room.

Confession: This summer, my daughters wanted to make bunting (you know-- the string of flags) for their rooms. We are swimmers and I had made a mini-set of "backstroke flags" to decorate a bathroom years ago. So we pulled out all the fabric scraps and got to work. I made a long string for my classroom because it was a fun project to do together and I have no need for bunting at home. That's my big, fancy, frivolous item for the year. It serves no purpose but to look cute. I spent an afternoon sewing with my daughters, which was fun, and the expense was minimal. But I didn't set out to make that decoration for my room, it just happened.

I have made lots of classroom labels that are cute, too. It started when a couple of friends asked me if I would whip up a few things for them. I made labels with a ladybug theme for Kara, and then someone asked for monkeys. And another friend loves owls, and someone else wanted robots. And suddenly I was making a new, *cute*cute*cute* set of labels practically every week. But the labels are functional. They are for print awareness, letter identification, and they support children who are learning to read. The labels aren't just cute. They serve a purpose.

I'm a great multi-tasker, I really am. I have four children of my own, I read multiple books at a time, and I almost always have food in the oven, clothes the washer, and a million ideas in my head. All at once. But I just don't feel like I can focus on creating a boutique-style classroom and an amazing curriculum at the same time. There are issues of time and money to be considered. I really want a Boogie Board for my students to use, and I'd like some iPad minis, and I'm working on researching apps that are appropriate for first grade. I'm busy planning new lessons for the Common Core and I'm trying to cram in a few more professional books before school starts. So in these last days before school starts, I'm probably not going to be buying ribbons or making seat cushions or mod-podging anything... unless I can figure out how to work it into a lesson!

I read something on the web (I can't even remember where I saw it or who said it, sorry!) about first impressions, and the argument was for over-the-top cute decorating, "because first impressions are so important!"

When children and parents walk into my room in two weeks, I will feel a little pressure associated with that first impression idea. I want my room to look good, and maybe even a little bit cute!  I'll be nervous. I want students to feel at home right away, I want them to see books that they can't wait to read, and I want them to feel excited about the year ahead. I want students and parents to see a classroom in which children come first, and where technology, science, literature, collaboration, creativity, exploration, critical thinking, art, communication, and individual ideas are valued. I want them to see a place where students can learn, grow, think, feel accepted, rest, work, and thrive.

Yep, the pressure's on. Perhaps if I start feeling too much stress this week, I'll just take the edge off with a little craft. I'm thinking tissue paper flowers sound like a relaxing project...

Of course I'll post pictures of my room when it's done!

Tons of Ten Frames

Okay, I admit it. I can be ridiculous.

Here is a perfect example.

I created a gigantic set of ten frames...one for every month in the school year, plus some extra thematic ones, plus one with a cute Pete-ish cat, plus one for Earth Day, plus one Cat-in-a-Hat-ish, plus one with a beach theme, plus more. Seriously?! Yep, I'm afraid so.

I made two versions of each theme, too. The first version has two ten frames on a page. Each page is meant to be cut in half (I included a dotted line for cutting.) The second version has two ten frames on a page. This one is to use for numbers to twenty! It should not be cut in half, but used as is!



I will be doing lots and lots of lessons with ten frames this year. They are perfect for teaching Common Core math standards for kindergarten and first grade. Hungry for more?



OMG. That Brown Bear-themed one is definitely one of my favorites! You can bet we will start the lesson with some quick color review, a little oral language, and some reading!



I like classroom materials that can do double duty. Pattern isn't included in the Common Core State Standards, but I've heard several experts say that it's assumed. Children will still need practice with pattern at every grade level. So, on the rainy day ten frames, I included boots lined up in a pattern. Take advantage of a quick opportunity to discover the pattern and count by twos with your students!



I made sure to several generic ten frames in this pack, like this colorful one. This would be good for any day of the year!

What about manipulatives, you ask? Well, how about buttons for the Pete frames? Tiny pumpkin erasers for the Halloween frames? There's a beach ten frame that is just begging to be used with shells! But really, any small object will work just fine. Try Unifix cubes, pompoms, pattern blocks, glass beads, tiny base ten blocks, paper clips, foam pieces (like the kind they sell in giant tubs at Michael's), erasers, tiny die cut papers or even construction paper squares. So many possibilities!

Summer Reading

I wonder if I'll ever have one of those model-home-perfect/Pinterest-type nightstands next to my bed?  They always look so pretty. Two matching nightstands, each with a nice lamp, and maybe a small clock or a little vase of flowers...

I'm thinking not. We have lovely matching nightstands. We even have nice, matching lamps. We even having matching piles of books! Bahahahaha! Nope, not at all the way they do it in the Pinterest photos or Elle Decor. Ooooops.

But guess what? I've had a ton o'fun reading this summer. Fiction, non-fiction, teaching-related, humor... a little of everything. (I read the book for my book club meeting, and then ended up not being able to go that night. Such a bummer! I love to talk about books.) I've read some new books, but I've also re-read some older ones just because.

A few highlights:



Okay, if you haven't read this, you really must. Pathways to the Common Core is a quick read, and it will help clear up some Common Core mysteries. Go. Read.



A friend (who is a principal) recommended this and I read it. It's more applicable to her job than to mine, but since I always want to improve myself, I dove in head first. Why don't we have really excellent teachers everywhere all the time?



I know. It's not new. But I love this Six Traits book by Ruth Culham. I've read it dozens of times. My copy is full of Post-It notes. I marked the things I loved, plus jotted notes about related mentor texts, YouTube videos, writing pieces my students have produced, other ideas for application... Every time I read this book, I think of several new ideas for teaching writing in my classroom.



Okay, totally not teaching-related. EXCEPT... My reward for starting school when it's still practically the middle of summer is that I will get a week off in October. And I'm going to Paris with three wonderful friends, Stacey, Allison and Kim. We're working on finalizing the details now, after planning this trip for ages. We're going to celebrate a birthday (one of us just had a big one-- not me!) and it is going to be a blast! CANNOT WAIT. The book is full of interesting photographs of two dogs all over Paris. Totally amusing!



I love this author. I stumbled upon one of her books, Arranged Marriage,  just after it was released in 1996. I was instantly a fan, and began reading everything she wrote. In 2002, I lucked out big time! She was a guest speaker at my local library. She was a wonderful speaker-- so intelligent, so humble and completely enchanting. Hers are books that I've read more than once. Sister of My Heart is one of my favorites, and I've read it at least six times. I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of One Amazing Thing a few weeks ago.

Next on my list?



Can't wait until Tuesday! Love my Amazon Prime!

 

Google 20 Percent Time

More Google thoughts... I just might be obsessed.

There are lots of benefits of working at Google, I hear. Need a hair cut? Get one free on-site! Want to work out?  Free on-site gym!  Need to do laundry, get clothes dry-cleaned, eat, swim or see a doctor? All those things can happen on-site at Google.

Yes. I'm jealous. Incredibly jealous!

One little Google perk that I find more fascinating than luxurious, however... the Google 20 Percent Time.

Google employees are allowed to spend up to 20 percent of their time working on projects that are not a part of their job descriptions. That's one whole day per week! They can use the time to develop new ideas, fix things that aren't quite working right, explore, and engage with others to work on projects. Gmail is one Google product that came out of this 20 Percent Time.

Yep. Still jealous. But I love the idea! And I've been thinking about it for a month... How can I do something similar in my classroom with my students? Unlike the Google 20 Percent, projects in my class wouldn't have to provide a benefit to me. (Haha! That's a funny thought though! Children could explore recipes using chocolate?) But the students could certainly benefit! And perhaps some of their ideas and projects could help other students or the greater school community? (I'm also exploring Choose 2 Matter this week!) It's all about empowering children to take charge of their learning and their actions. They can do research or experiment or explore. So exciting!

Other teachers have done similar things, and I've heard some impressive ideas, topics for study, and results: fundraisers for seriously ill children, school landscaping, building websites, ways to make money, cancer, pollution, food, music...

I've spent lots of time thinking about what this would look like in a first grade classroom. The projects and classrooms I've heard about involve older students, but I think Genius Hour would be amazing for first graders! Six-year-olds are so curious and energetic! But I truly can't dedicate 20 percent of our instructional minutes to this idea. So we are going to have Genius Hour for an hour at a time. I'm thinking I can work it in twice per week, but I haven't got that part figured out for sure. I'm hoping that I can find ways to integrate it with reading or writing, so that we can do it more often.

I'm going to start our Genius Hour with some exploration activities. I want to combine creativity and collaboration, and increase students' knowledge of the ways that people explore and learn. I'm going to provide toys for scientific exploration: magnet toys, a spirograph, wind-up toys, plants, magnifying glasses, prisms, mirrors, bubbles, a lap harp, etc. I'm also going to provide play dough, art supplies, and building materials like toothpicks and popsicle sticks and paper and random containers.



And I'm going to provide these Creativity and Critical Thinking cards for my students... to really get them thinking!



During this time, students will have access to digital cameras to document their creations, and they can computers to gather information.

Next, I will use books, short YouTube videos and discussions to get students thinking about their own questions, the needs of others, and ways to make a difference. Some students might forge ahead with a question or project idea, while other students take a little more time exploring. I totally expect that, and it will actually work well: I'll have more time to help individual students get started on their projects.