Sunday, July 31, 2016

Just in the Nick of time!!!

                                   I just completed this years Monthly Homework Calendars!!!!!!!!!!





I try to cover a vast variety of topics, including: reading, writing, science, social studies, and chores. I tell the families that they can do these items in really any order they wish for that month

since they only send in the notebook at the end of each month, no one checks in the order.

During wrap-up at the end of the day, we discuss what that night's homework is and brainstorm as a group what our answers could be.

I love this homework because it isn't a lot of prep and uses only one piece of paper per student.
I use enough paper making printable books, I don't want to print a packet for homework for every student every month. And all that correcting?  No one has time for that!





Hop back tomorrow... I might have some more exciting news!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus I will want to hear what you bought or what is hanging out in your cart. :) 





What is Covered in the Homework Calendar:

September we cover the alphabet.  Yes there is homework on the weekends, but since I don't get the calendar back until the next month, they can complete whenever they want.  If you are doing ABC Boot Camp from Mr Greg, there will be tons of pictures the students can draw or even add too!


October~ Shapes and colors this month. Beginning this month, we begin to see "do something for a grown-up" Some of our students go to an after school program so they can initial the calendar too.

It is wonderful to read and tell a younger sibling or family member.  That's okay too!

November~ We discuss nutrition, food groups, and senses this month.

December~ The first day is always amusing to me.  I live in a cooler place and think about when it snows.  Then I think about my friends in Hawaii!  It's all about perspective.

We practice writing our numbers using my number grids, so this is additional practice.  We sing number songs too and write number words while singing during math time using white boards.


January~ We count by 1's and 10's during calendar time.

We do an ice melting experiment in science, so they are sharing their scientific findings with their family. I just make sure that we have done it before it is on the calendar.

I love to include children in cooking. Hence the picking something for dinner.

February~ I teach my students how to draw different things.  I have little cards that show step by step how to draw things. In February, I teach them how to make hearts from two dots and a V.

I  called them Kindergarten words on the calendar, but sometimes I call them

Heart Words (that you need to know by heart)

or

Popcorn Words (because they keep popping up)

or

Star Words (because they star in a ton of books)



March~ We celebrate Dr Seuss.  We read a different book a day.  That's why the rhyming part comes in. We are consonantly practicing our phone numbers and addresses.  We read sight word books and also send home word lists to practice.

In math, I write on the board or on chart paper:  The answer is  16. The children tell me math sentences on how to make that number.  Ex. 16+0  15+1   I do let higher children do subtraction and I let them do 2+2+2+2+2+6 if they wanted ;)

April~ Earth Day is celebrated, Easter is around that time (I don't teach about Easter, but I do teach about oviparous because they sell those plastic eggs then!

May~On the balloon day, if they don't have a balloon, have them use a ball or a rolled up sock!

By this time, they have brought home so many books, it is always interesting to see who keeps them.




Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Hoppy Helpers

Classroom Jobs



I have jobs for every student in my classroom.  I change them weekly.



Here are the jobs I've had. It depends on how many students I have as to how many jobs I need.
*Teacher Assistant
*Garbage Great
*Room Inspector
*Math Marvel
*Leader
*Caboose
*Calendar
*Weather Watcher
*Jr Botanist 
*Critter Keeper
* Energy Monitor
*Libririan 
*Germinator (must say it like Arnold in the Terminator voice)
*Locker/Cubby Checker
*Mail Messenger
*Lunch Box Leader
*Gym Shoe Guide
*Schedule Changer
* Location Specialist
* Center Manager
*Greeter
*Table Washer
*Snack Helper (if it's a classroom provided snack, otherwise whoever brings snacks, passes them out)


Two very important workers have to do their jobs: Garbage Great and Room Inspector. Although, everyone helps clean up, these two have the final say. They get very protective especially when we have a TLC art project, and someone else gets the garbage can, when it is their job! I found out one year, that Garbage Great was a favorite job for many of the students. The Room Inspector makes sure all the chairs are stacked and the bean bags are neat, a general tidiness of the room.

*Math Marvel- they ask the question of the day.  We have a graph question of the day and they go around and ask the class and write the names down.  Thats the weird looking papers under the helper board. Later on, they can come up with their own questions.

I made my own but started with Jessica's which you can find HERE 


*Weather Watcher- looks outside and reports the weather.

*Jr Botanist takes care of our plants in the science center.

*Critter Keeper- takes care of the animals.  I've had guinea pigs. Makes sure they have water. I fill the container.  They give dry food and raw veggies and fruits.

* Energy Monitor- turns lights off and on

*Locker/Cubby Checker- makes sure there are no items left on the floor
*Mail Messenger- takes things to the office

*Lunch Box Leader- if we have a lot of lunch boxes, we don't usually though.

*Gym Shoe Guide  We have a bin for gym shoes if we have weird scheduling that we can't get back to the room to change our shoes.
*Schedule Changer  We have our schedule in a pocket chart.  This student flips the card over when we're done.  I just write what we have on index cards.  

* Location Specialist  We have a sign on our door that says "We've left the pad, we're _____."

* Center Manager Makes sure that the centers around the room are orderly.
*Greeter this person greets people at the door.  We came up with what to say, and it is on the back of the door.


I hope that explains what jobs I have and what they do.  Drop me a comment if you have a fabulous job or need something made more clear!

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

At the Wal~Mart

Did you sing that like the song "At the Car Wash"  well if you didn't you are now!!

I stopped at my local WalMart and picked up a few things...

The kids love love love the Scentos markers.
I say or sing to them after I correct their papers,
"Smell on the way to your mailbox" 
I have been known to sing pretty much everything.
Which is totally fine for me, I love to sing.


tidbit- I've sung in church, for weddings, and funerals.
My mom plays the piano and I sing.
We are quite the pair!


Anyways!!  I bought the Scentos playdough and I am hoping that it smells.
I have bought  the bubbles, but they don't smell to me :/

 I bought some vinyl pockets so I can see what activity I put in there.

I bought those orange, green, pink, blue bins for cuteness, but I am sure I can come up with more exciting things soon!  What would you like to see?

Lastly, I bought the Crayola crayons as welcome gifts.
Still on the hunt for a few more though!