Hello teacher friends!! Can you believe we are almost done with this school year?! Our school has 23 days left until summer--eek! So much going on and so much to do in so little time. Anybody else feeling like this?
HA! I love the teacher memes...they are always spot on. Thank goodness for warm weather and extra recess!
Anyway, I have a couple fun classroom activities to share with you that might make the end of the year a little more exciting :) Or maybe you will find something to put on your list to try next year!
1.) iPhoneFakeText.com I have been using the same two morning message boards all year long--so I tried spicing things up with this iPhone Fake Text Message site that allows you to create your own text conversations. It has been a total hit with my kids! Each morning they come in so exciting to read the messages between me and "the class." It is also a great way to get them reading first thing in the morning.
The messages change each day but always include the lunch choice. After my students are done with the morning routine, we come to the carpet and a student and I read the conversation to the class!
2.) Let's End the Year with a BANG! This year, I am trying something new with my end-of-the-year countdown...and I think everyone is loving it so far! I found this idea from Brittney Briggs who is another fabulous educator I follow.
Each morning, we pop a balloon (each balloon has a student name inside of it). Then, the whole day is about that student! At circle time in the morning, we go around and say why we think that student is awesome. Then that student gets to have lunch with me and a friend. Throughout the day the student is in charge of the Go Noodles, what activity we want to do during free choice, they get to choose something fun to do during Read to Self (i.e. take our shoes off!), they answer the phone, they lead our line, etc. etc.
I love seeing my students support one another (especially my super shy, quiet hunnies!) and it is a great way to make sure each student gets the recognition, love and attention they deserve before I send them off to second grade.
3.) Have you used Pic Collage Kids in your classroom? It is an awesome (and free and paperless) way for students to show what they know. Recently, my students used the app to complete a word work center. They had to define words by taking a picture and then label the picture. In the activity below, students were reinforcing the phonics skill we had learned that week (inflectional endings-- -ing specifically). Their collages were HILARIOUS! We use Seesaw in our classroom, so I always crack up laughing during planning time when I'm reviewing their work. Seesaw is great for holding them accountable because I let them go wherever they need to go in the school to complete the activity...I'm not keeping tabs on them in that moment.
Shoutout to our awesome principal who participated in the fun! We certainly love dabbing in first grade :)
That is all for now! Coming soon: Rollercoaster Challenge finished projects!
Happy Teaching!!!
HA! I love the teacher memes...they are always spot on. Thank goodness for warm weather and extra recess!
Anyway, I have a couple fun classroom activities to share with you that might make the end of the year a little more exciting :) Or maybe you will find something to put on your list to try next year!
1.) iPhoneFakeText.com I have been using the same two morning message boards all year long--so I tried spicing things up with this iPhone Fake Text Message site that allows you to create your own text conversations. It has been a total hit with my kids! Each morning they come in so exciting to read the messages between me and "the class." It is also a great way to get them reading first thing in the morning.
The messages change each day but always include the lunch choice. After my students are done with the morning routine, we come to the carpet and a student and I read the conversation to the class!
2.) Let's End the Year with a BANG! This year, I am trying something new with my end-of-the-year countdown...and I think everyone is loving it so far! I found this idea from Brittney Briggs who is another fabulous educator I follow.
Each morning, we pop a balloon (each balloon has a student name inside of it). Then, the whole day is about that student! At circle time in the morning, we go around and say why we think that student is awesome. Then that student gets to have lunch with me and a friend. Throughout the day the student is in charge of the Go Noodles, what activity we want to do during free choice, they get to choose something fun to do during Read to Self (i.e. take our shoes off!), they answer the phone, they lead our line, etc. etc.
I love seeing my students support one another (especially my super shy, quiet hunnies!) and it is a great way to make sure each student gets the recognition, love and attention they deserve before I send them off to second grade.
3.) Have you used Pic Collage Kids in your classroom? It is an awesome (and free and paperless) way for students to show what they know. Recently, my students used the app to complete a word work center. They had to define words by taking a picture and then label the picture. In the activity below, students were reinforcing the phonics skill we had learned that week (inflectional endings-- -ing specifically). Their collages were HILARIOUS! We use Seesaw in our classroom, so I always crack up laughing during planning time when I'm reviewing their work. Seesaw is great for holding them accountable because I let them go wherever they need to go in the school to complete the activity...I'm not keeping tabs on them in that moment.
Shoutout to our awesome principal who participated in the fun! We certainly love dabbing in first grade :)
That is all for now! Coming soon: Rollercoaster Challenge finished projects!
Happy Teaching!!!