First Grade and Fearless: Getting Ready and an Award

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Getting Ready and an Award

Well, it's here...my first day of work. I go back on Tuesday. I always have mixed feelings about this. I like getting back into a routine and the excitement of a new school year, BUT I miss the lazy summer days with my family, especially my kids. I'm blessed in so many ways because my school is five minutes from my house (past a few farms, some cows, and a couple of fields), and there is a nursery on site. I know how lucky can a girl get? The whole family is in one spot! Having everyone close does make it easier, but I still miss spending time with those crazies!

Little brother on his hand-me-down big wheel.

With school starting I've been hard at work trying to get myself organized. I've spent some time at school, but I try to finish what I can at home first. This way my little shadows can continue to soak up some summer fun.

Soooo, my room is still a mess. No pictures please. I have crossed several things of my to do list though: science and social studies pacing guides, my year plan, printing/laminating/cutting my word walls, pirate numbers, and calendar/math focus pieces. I've also dressed up some power verbs for my room.

What? Last year our county decided the students needed to be familiar with the verbage used on standardized tests. When they evaluated us they wanted these words used in our lessons. These words are: analyze, categorize, examine, explain, justify, prove, summarize, compose, relevant, irrelevant, predict, compare, and contrast.

These can be difficult words for primary students to grab onto, so the teacher down the hall from me had a brain wave and made posters for each word with the definition. She hung these in the room to remind her to use them and to help the students remember them. I loved the idea, so I've dressed them up in pirate gear to match my room.

They will become my Pirate Words of the Week and I'll introduce them one at a time until my firsties have them down. Then they will be posted in the room as a little reminder. What do you think?

And now for the reward....

While I was two-steppin' in Nashville at the DFA YC Southeast Dairy Conference (loads of fun, lots of dairy info about stuff like milk prices, cheese, cows, grazing, you get the idea), I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by Laugh Live Love Learn, Crazy Daze in 1st Grade, and Smiling and Shining in Second Grade.