Pardon me for being "corny"....

We recently took a trip to the Pumpkin Patch and the class fell in love with swimming in the corn! Out of everything we did (and it was A LOT) they loved taking off their shoes and diving in!
So I figured they would like working with it some more....

We worked with the corn kernels and doubles facts.....the lesson itself is very simple, but it enabled me to work with my lowest math group for a little longer... the best part is the display in the hall...








Hee...with a name like Squirrels.. you have to be nutty!

After lots of printing, laminating and zip-ties- our leveled class library is finally up and running! I have been so inspired (and busy) since I have started following blogs!
We use the Scott Foresman Reading Street series, so my groups for reading are green, yellow, and blue. The books are labeled by a combination of Reniassance Learning and my observation. If you are in the green group this week (they are extremely fluid as the skills change), then your "just right" books should be in a basket with a green dot. Some of the titles were a little hard to tell, so I have baskets that have a green and yellow dot, some are yellow and blue dot, and some have all three! (Those treasured classics that they all love!) Oh and the books have a matching color dot on the front so they can be put away easily.




There are 18 baskets total and I made sure that there are non-fiction and fiction baskets for each level. Here is the best part and it comes from the teacher wife and a few other blogs- BOOK BOXES!
Each student has a book box and right now they only have 6 in there. Four of them are "just right" and two of them are "just for fun". Just right books have to have the color dot you are in this week and Just for fun can be from any basket.
Yes, I went through and glued in the pockets and made the cards- but it is so simple after that! I have 20 students- there is a schedule and only four "shop" each day. They bring me their books first thing in the morning, I put the cards back in, they choose 6 more- take out the cards, write their names, and give to me.

Well, I told you that I had already given the best part- but no, it gets better.... We do the Daily 5....and thanks to a blog I read ( I will place her name in here as soon as I find the bookmark), but we do the book boxes as soon as we come in. While I am at the door greeting children, they are coming in...placing their binders in the correct place (I will tell you about those, I love binders!), put notes or $ in the correct place, hang up bags and go directly to their book boxes, then seats. They all have whisper phones in their desks.....it is awesome!
The quiet entry is great- but better than that- I am not stressing anyone out with unnecessary morning work (them for doing it, me for chasing some of them down for it), and they are accountable for something.
They just love it.....When it is their day to "shop" they are all pumped when they first come in.....it makes me feel great that they are so motivated to read. And it is much easier for them to read to themselves because the room is quiet!

I have so many things that I want to share..... I just want to make sure I put the names of blogs and creators....There have been so many great ideas!

This is the first thing I am putting on here, just to see if I am loading it the right way.
I bought boring rainbow colored drawer set to collect papers in, and I thought it needed some spicing up! The dotted labels are from http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Classroom-Labels-Free (Karen Cox). I thought they would look mighty cute! If you would like them without the polka dot border, email me and I will send it to you!
I left my camera at school over the break- but I have a ton of stuff to load up! I have gotten some wonderful ideas (from blogging) and they look great in the classroom!

I CAN'T QUIT CLICKING!!!

I was told about TpT by a friend, and then ended up clicking on someone's blog for First Grade and now I am HOOKED!
I look at someone's blog and then that leads to seeing someone's button on the side and I go there. So I check that one out and then there is another button...... (get the picture)?
I am super excited about trying this. I make quite a few things for my class and to share with my team. This is year 6 for me, the third one in First- I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Hope what I post here can be as helpful and inspiring as what I have already seen out there!
Mrs. Squirrels