Tying together a reward for effort and how-to writing: one activity that serves two goals

The past two weeks have been extra busy because my first graders have been taking NWEA standardized tests in addition to our regular schedule of activities.  To more efficiently use our class time in school, I combined our celebration for the efforts my students put forth on our NWEA testing with our Lucy Calkins writing program.  We are writing within the informational genre, specifically how-to writing.  Consequently, we not only physically made the popcorn, but concurrently wrote directions for how to make popcorn.

First the writer needs to list exactly what is needed to complete the how-to.  When you make popcorn, you need a microwave, plates, and popcorn.

This is the written model of the first step in our how-to writing.  Notice how the illustrations, labels, and the caption support the written text. 

We continued to both physically make the popcorn and write the directions until the popcorn was popped.   This is our final written step:

Our last step was to eat the popcorn!

Here are pictures of some of the first graders enjoying the popcorn while writing in the how-to genre.  

So, on a cold, Friday afternoon in January preceding a three-day weekend, we celebrated our efforts on NWEA testing, learned how to write how-to directions, and ate popcorn. It was a win-win-win activity!

2015 National Teacher of the Year, Shanna Peeples

Shanna Peeples, 2015 National Teacher of the Year, leaving the podium after giving her keynote address at the 2015
 Educate Maine Symposium held at The Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine.

On Friday, December 11, 2015, I was an honoree for becoming a NBCT at the 2015 Educate Maine Symposium held at The Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.  From the menu of session choices, I selected two sessions that explored the topic of early childhood education from different angles.  First, I learned about Social Impact Investment in Utah and Boston, and then I learned about some regional best practice exemplars in preschool education in the State of Maine.  I was impressed that Regional School Union One (my district) was used as one of the models during the presentation for best practice because of our wide array of choices of programs, curricula, and locations for preschools within our district.

I went to the conference promising myself that for this day only,  I would not take notes on anything, but just enjoy the day without feeling like I had to meditate and muse over the contents of the presentations.  Well, that promise flew out the window as soon as I heard Shanna Peeples, the 2015 National Teacher of the Year, from Amarillo, Texas, give her keynote presentation after lunch.  I quickly grabbed the nearest notepad of paper on my table, and began taking notes.

My notes from Shanna's speech

Shanna began her speech with an anecdote from her childhood in which a stray cat got stuck in the engine of an old car at her childhood home.  Her family members each had a solution for the conundrum. Her mom screamed while holding the bloody cat and her dad ran to get his gun. Her grandmother got a cloth bag in which she inserted the cat to calm it down, then she wrapped it in a cloth towel while she examined its injuries.

She made an analogy between her grandmother's creative, calm solution and the innovation needed to solve three of the problems in education: attracting and retaining teachers, the lack of a connection between what teachers need as professional development and what is forced upon them, and less and less time with more and more educational mandates.

Shanna then outlined three innovative solutions, which she called "The Three T's." Teachers as Coaches is her first T.  Shanna and her principal created a hybrid role for Shanna which allowed Shanna to mentor new teachers in addition to her instructional duties.  Time is Shanna's second solution.  She advised us to be creative with time; in her school, the doors are open at night in order to accommodate the schedules of both the students and adults in her community.  "My principal stepped back and gave me the time I needed." Finally, Trust.  Shanna believes that some teachers are not trusted for the professionals they are and aren't always given credit for their positive, giving nature.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from her speech:

"Innovation is not technology.  Innovation is thinking creatively of a solution."

"Equity and innovation go together."

"So much responsibility with so little say."

"He haunts everything I do," when referencing a student, Michael, who predicted that he would be in jail in five years, and he was.

"I want to teach these kids the same way I want my own kids to be taught."

"When you rip out your public schools and your teachers, you have ripped out your future."

"Teachers are how our communities transmit to everyone else, that we believe in the future."

"Thank you for always pushing back and being willing to speak for the most vulnerable people in society."

Happy Holidays From Us!

Back to Back Box Tops Champs!

We've collected about 1400 Box Tops total, which means we've contributed about $140.00 for the playground!  Thanks for all your support to all the box tops snippers out there!

Author's Tea Preparations and Holiday Celebration

Yesterday my students and I hosted an Author's Tea and Holiday Celebration.  My students have been writing in the non-fiction genre in writer's workshop and everyone had a book they authored and illustrated to share with their parents and the families of the other students.  Most of the books were about different kinds of animals.  They read their book to their family members and the parents of their classmates and then we all enjoyed healthy snacks that my students' parents provided.  

There were lots of preparations for the event.  First, students picked their topics.  We encouraged them to pick a topic that they already knew at least five facts about.  Then, Mrs. Hernandez, the school librarian, and I found books for each student that matched the topic they chose.  We tried to find books that had large teaching illustrations and books with text that students could read.  A parent volunteer, Mr. Powers (an Ed Tech who comes in during writing time), and myself listened to the students read the books and/or read the books to the students.  This process provided lots of background information for students which made it easier for them to author their books.

While we were building their schema, they were concurrently writing their books and going through the editing process.  Finally, the big day came!  They spent a few minutes before their families came practicing reading their books.  Here is a video of some of the students practicing.

 

Thank you to everyone who attended.  Your first graders were so excited to be hosts and hostesses for this very special event.  

Another DonorsChoose.org Project Funded!

It only took three days for my latest DonorsChoose.org project to be funded!  I wrote for non-fiction guided reading books published by Pioneer Valley Books from Northampton, Massachusetts.  I was fortunate to secure a dollar-for-dollar match promotion from DonorsChoose.org, which means that for the first seven days that my project was live, every dollar donated was matched by Disney.  I received donations from the parents of my students as well as some family members.

This project marks the fourteenth project that I have had funded by DonorsChoose.org. In the past, I have written for my classroom whiteboard, easel, bulletin boards, countless books across all genres, bean bags, tables, plastic magnetic letters and a host of other materials.  My project total for the fourteen projects is $7,773.  This means that my classroom, school, and district now has $7,773.00 in materials that they would not have had if I hadn't received financial support from my friends, family, and the parents of my students through the years.  I was one of the first teachers in Maine to have a project funded - my first project was funded on October 21, 2008!  DonorsChoose.org was founded in 2000 but was not available in Maine schools until 2008.

Very coincidentally, yesterday I received an email from DonorsChoose.org offering me the opportunity to be a Teacher Spokesperson for 2016.  It read, "as one of our most knowledgeable and experienced teachers we would like to offer you the opportunity to be a Teacher Spokesperson for DonorsChoose.org."  After all DonorsChoose.org has done for my students, how could I say no?  

Two Bulletin Boards

This week I put up two new bulletin boards.  I included an "I can" statement that summarizes the learning goal of the lesson in first grader friendly language in each bulletin board.  The I can statement helps students identify what their learning goal for the lesson is. It's easier for them to monitor their learning if they know what they are supposed to be learning.

Both of the I can statements on the bulletin boards support our Everyday Math curriculum.  Here are the I can statements from the first bulletin board:

 

For this bulletin board, I brought in enough 30" to 40" sticks for each student. Students had their choice of non-standard materials with which to measure the stick.  Next, they finished the sentence stem, "My stick is _____(number) ______________(non-standard unit) long" by typing on my computer with a parent volunteer.   

Here are examples of their work:

Students measured their sticks with paper hearts, cut out apples, circles, snowmen, and yellow diamond shapes.

Students measured  their sticks with gingerbread people, stars, hearts, and snowmen.

Students measured their sticks with letters, yellow diamonds, miniature hearts, apples and gingerbread people. 

In the second bulletin board, students used wrapping paper cut up in different lengths to make holiday trees.  They had to put the strips in order from longest to shortest in order to form the triangular shape of the tree.  Here is the I can statement:

 Here are some examples of their work:

Students enjoy seeing their work displayed in the hallways of their school.   It gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work.