Helpful Lingo:
There are so many new and unique things that are happening in 1st grade that might have you wondering "What the heck is my child talking about?" Here's some lingo +definitions that might better keep you in the loop and provoke some good dinner conversations :)
Thoughts and Jots (T&J): This is a journal that everyday the students write in. EVERY Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday and Friday students come in, un-pack, and read the T&J prompt that is written on the board. I am passionate about routine and expectations, beginning our morning with this writing routine helps students transition from morning assembly and to start waking up their brain! This only takes 10 minutes of our time in the morning (5 min. writing and then 5 min. drawing) and it helps to build writing endurance and create the routine of coming into paper, pencil and writing well about different topics.
Here are a few questions to ask your child about T&J:
Weekend News/Walk & Share: This is another journal that students write in EVERY Monday morning. As you can probably guess this is a journal that the students will write in to re-cap what they did that weekend. It's a great time for them to write and re-call information and details. After the students write about their weekend then they get to illustrate a picture that reflects what they wrote about.
There will then be a time that as a class we all participate in a "Walk & Share" where they will get to walk around the room and read their classmate's journals. This is a great way for students to know what is going on in each others lives and see all of the different writing styles in our classroom! It's such a great opportunity to encourage and celebrate one another!
30 Second News/Morning Meeting: This is a classroom crowd pleaser! As a class we meet on the "perimeter" of our carpet, criss-cross, hands to ourselves, focused eyes and listening ears (all of these things embody a respectful 1st grader!) Each student has 30 seconds to share whatever they feel is important to them that day. Some might share about what they had for dinner last night...talk about a play date, or about how their older brother teased him in the car on the way to school. These kids have a lot buzzing around in their heads and their hearts, so this is a time where they work on listening to one another and practice their verbal expression.
Each student has ONLY 30 seconds so this takes less than 8 minutes. Students are not allowed to interrupt or ask questions because I encourage them to use these snippets of information to make conversation at more appropriate social times; like lunch or recess. This is an incredible way to build classroom community and trust among one another.
Warm Fuzzy Feelings: These are the positive reinforcement puffy balls that I hand out when I see someone who is:
When students are doing responsible things then it gives Mrs. Ford and Ms. Gunter a "warm and fuzzy" feeling... they go ga-ga for these things and it's a really great way to praise them :)
Bart the Busy Bobcat: Bart, a Bobcat Journal and a favorite book will go home with a different child every weekend. You'll get to take him around with you and snap pictures of all the fun things done that weekend and then write about in the journal. Monday your child will bring Bart back and share their journal entry with the class. It's so fun to see pictures and hear about all the fun things kids did with ol' Bart. *No pressure though. There is no expectation to go to Jumpoline just so Bart can jump around..he's real laid back..He loves naps and quiet days at the house (just like Mrs. Ford and Ms. Gunter!)
Calendar: Each month the students will have a new calendar. This is a way for everyone to be on the same page about happenings here at school. If something occurs during the day that you should be aware of but that doesn't necessarily require an email from me. it helps to better keep that line of communication open...
Examples...
I like to have these instances recorded so if it's happening continuously both you and I have a record of when/or how long these behaviors have been going on. It's also a good way for the students to keep track and to monitor their own behavior. I am always open to have a conversation about what I have written down but I encourage you to talk first to your child and then contact me! I will never sign a calendar without having a conversation with the student about WHY and HOW we can move forward to make better choices and learn. HEY, that's what growing up is all about :)
We often talk about how it's OUR CHOICES that impact a situation. No one makes you do anything. It's your choice :)
I believe that these are valuable skills that will encourage ownership and create autonomous learners.
Book Bags: One of the questions that comes up over and over again in 1st grade is "What should my child be reading?" Part of the 1st grade homework each night is to spend 15-20 minutes reading. To see growth in reading abilities, it is very important that students are reading books at their reading level. If books are too hard or too easy, we will not see a lot of progress.
Your child will always have a bag filled with 5-6 books, most of them fiction but there are also a few nonfiction texts included. Typically, students struggle more with nonfiction because it is so information heavy and 1st graders don't have as much experience with it. The books in the bag are on your child's individual level. These books are NOT in addition to their homework, but intended to take the guess work out of finding the perfect book. The goal is for students to be able to read these books fluently, without hesitation. To accomplish this, your child will benefit from reading these books over and over. To keep it interesting, you can time you child reading one of the books the first night, then see if they can beat their time the second night. Kids will try to fight you when you suggest they read a book a second time. Be strong, don't fall for their whining!
Thoughts and Jots (T&J): This is a journal that everyday the students write in. EVERY Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday and Friday students come in, un-pack, and read the T&J prompt that is written on the board. I am passionate about routine and expectations, beginning our morning with this writing routine helps students transition from morning assembly and to start waking up their brain! This only takes 10 minutes of our time in the morning (5 min. writing and then 5 min. drawing) and it helps to build writing endurance and create the routine of coming into paper, pencil and writing well about different topics.
Here are a few questions to ask your child about T&J:
- What was the prompt today?
- What did you write about?
- Was that prompt harder than _______.
- What do you like to write about?
Weekend News/Walk & Share: This is another journal that students write in EVERY Monday morning. As you can probably guess this is a journal that the students will write in to re-cap what they did that weekend. It's a great time for them to write and re-call information and details. After the students write about their weekend then they get to illustrate a picture that reflects what they wrote about.
There will then be a time that as a class we all participate in a "Walk & Share" where they will get to walk around the room and read their classmate's journals. This is a great way for students to know what is going on in each others lives and see all of the different writing styles in our classroom! It's such a great opportunity to encourage and celebrate one another!
30 Second News/Morning Meeting: This is a classroom crowd pleaser! As a class we meet on the "perimeter" of our carpet, criss-cross, hands to ourselves, focused eyes and listening ears (all of these things embody a respectful 1st grader!) Each student has 30 seconds to share whatever they feel is important to them that day. Some might share about what they had for dinner last night...talk about a play date, or about how their older brother teased him in the car on the way to school. These kids have a lot buzzing around in their heads and their hearts, so this is a time where they work on listening to one another and practice their verbal expression.
Each student has ONLY 30 seconds so this takes less than 8 minutes. Students are not allowed to interrupt or ask questions because I encourage them to use these snippets of information to make conversation at more appropriate social times; like lunch or recess. This is an incredible way to build classroom community and trust among one another.
Warm Fuzzy Feelings: These are the positive reinforcement puffy balls that I hand out when I see someone who is:
- listening, on-task, helping a friend, writing their name and date, etc....
When students are doing responsible things then it gives Mrs. Ford and Ms. Gunter a "warm and fuzzy" feeling... they go ga-ga for these things and it's a really great way to praise them :)
- they will be able to trade in 10 fuzzies for a prize from my treasure box *(please feel free to donate things to this box!)
Bart the Busy Bobcat: Bart, a Bobcat Journal and a favorite book will go home with a different child every weekend. You'll get to take him around with you and snap pictures of all the fun things done that weekend and then write about in the journal. Monday your child will bring Bart back and share their journal entry with the class. It's so fun to see pictures and hear about all the fun things kids did with ol' Bart. *No pressure though. There is no expectation to go to Jumpoline just so Bart can jump around..he's real laid back..He loves naps and quiet days at the house (just like Mrs. Ford and Ms. Gunter!)
Calendar: Each month the students will have a new calendar. This is a way for everyone to be on the same page about happenings here at school. If something occurs during the day that you should be aware of but that doesn't necessarily require an email from me. it helps to better keep that line of communication open...
Examples...
- off-task, not listening to directions, didn't bring HW, didn't finish work, if another teacher had to talk to me about a situation...
I like to have these instances recorded so if it's happening continuously both you and I have a record of when/or how long these behaviors have been going on. It's also a good way for the students to keep track and to monitor their own behavior. I am always open to have a conversation about what I have written down but I encourage you to talk first to your child and then contact me! I will never sign a calendar without having a conversation with the student about WHY and HOW we can move forward to make better choices and learn. HEY, that's what growing up is all about :)
- I am going to ask that you INITIAL it EVERY THURSDAY.
- Thursdays are the days when all important work is sent home, so it helps me know that you are looking at their work and taking a look at their calendar as well.
- There will be either a stamp or sticker on GOOD DAYS!
We often talk about how it's OUR CHOICES that impact a situation. No one makes you do anything. It's your choice :)
I believe that these are valuable skills that will encourage ownership and create autonomous learners.
Book Bags: One of the questions that comes up over and over again in 1st grade is "What should my child be reading?" Part of the 1st grade homework each night is to spend 15-20 minutes reading. To see growth in reading abilities, it is very important that students are reading books at their reading level. If books are too hard or too easy, we will not see a lot of progress.
Your child will always have a bag filled with 5-6 books, most of them fiction but there are also a few nonfiction texts included. Typically, students struggle more with nonfiction because it is so information heavy and 1st graders don't have as much experience with it. The books in the bag are on your child's individual level. These books are NOT in addition to their homework, but intended to take the guess work out of finding the perfect book. The goal is for students to be able to read these books fluently, without hesitation. To accomplish this, your child will benefit from reading these books over and over. To keep it interesting, you can time you child reading one of the books the first night, then see if they can beat their time the second night. Kids will try to fight you when you suggest they read a book a second time. Be strong, don't fall for their whining!
- I will sometimes have parents send back bags and say "my child flew threw all of these!" if so, AWESOME :) but you can always extend their thinking by talking about higher level comprehension within the books. I will include a list of suggestions questions to ask your student to extend their thinking!