Five for Friday Sept. 16

Five For Friday 16/09/16

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for....

#one
I am back to work after a two year leave and so excited and happy to be back in the classroom BUT so tired....   

OK....I actually just finished week 3 but I'm still feeling it!

#two 
Math work station training is happening in my class right now.  I try to start right away with free exploration of materials and an emphasis on the routines.  These are the 3 rules we start out with...

This is a hard for some of our students... especially when one of the stations involves play dough and you aren't at it!!  We talk a lot about how we will all get a chance to try all the stations but we must stay at the station we are assigned.  I acknowledge that it is hard but that I know that they can do it!  I can't say it better than one of my students did today "Stay at your center and be happy about it".

I try to avoid negative rules but I know from experience that the first thing children will do with a nice tub filled up with buttons or pattern blocks or unifix cubes is to dump them all out.  Really...why wouldn't you!  Except for the fact that it makes a huge mess and takes forever to clean up and your teacher will cancel math work stations for a week (at least)!  Not one tub dumped this year...yet!

Even without dumped tubs cleaning up math work stations is a big job and we all have to help out.  Enough said...


Next week I will introduce...Work Quietly.  This is important for when I begin to pull small groups.


#three
Soon I will introduce some more structured tasks at their math stations but for now they explore...

#four

For our last period on Friday we have... Fun Friday!  This of course includes some free choice play time but this year I am starting it out with a story and quick follow up activity.  To keep it "fun" I have been using this time to read those popular books kids just seem to love... you know what books I am talking about!  I love using books to teach all sorts of concepts but reading just for pure enjoyment is important too (and truthfully the only thing you will get away with on the last period on a Friday afternoon).  For the last two weeks it has been all about Pete the Cat and the follow up has been simply a colouring sheet. This week we read Bears New Friend and did this follow up page. Click >>> HERE to download your own copy.   

#five
After a busy week who doesn't love Friday! It is family movie night in my house....which isn't complete without some popcorn surprise and a diet coke!

Hope you had a great week!