Getting Into the Swing of Things

Hi Friends!

I am not sure if any of my families have checked out our classroom blog, but I am determined to get with the program and start blogging about our days more consistently!

We have started doing some really cool stuff in our classroom!  We started our literacy centers based on the 5 Domains of Literacy (phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) last week and the students are really starting to get the hang of it.  We are working on becoming much more independent during our center time so that I can meet with my small groups to work on reading skills and strategies.  I am amazed at what good writers I have!  Some of my folks are ready to write their own novels :)

We read Wellington's Chocolatey Day as a part of our Writer's Workshop.  The kiddos wrote some great sentences about the piggy who loves chocolate!  It's a super cute book that incorporates some fun math!  Plus, first graders love reading, writing, and eating chocolate!  

We have been busy with our math curriculum as well.  I am working on pulling small groups during our Math Workshop time to have more one-on-one instruction.  Today my small groups got to play "Hershey Kiss Addition" with me since we have been talking about chocolate.  We rolled a die 2 times, and then added the numbers together using Kisses.  Then we got to enjoy a sweet treat after all of our hard work!

We are continuing to work on our 7 Habits of Healthy Kids by Sean Covey.  These habits are designed to help students realize and fulfill their leadership potential in and out of our classroom.  So far students have discussed how to Be Proactive ("you're in charge!"), Begin With the End in Mind ("make a plan!"), and Put First Things First ("work first, then play!").  They have impressed me with their maturity and knowledge of these seemingly "grown up" topics!

I plan on adding some pictures tomorrow of student work and of our updated classroom!  Come check it out!

Love,
Mrs. Cook

Back to School Open House

Whew!

I just got home after a wonderful evening at the school.  I really enjoyed meeting my new first graders and their families!  I have to admit I was very nervous about Open House, but everyone was just so nice.  I can really tell that I have a great bunch of kiddos!

Tomorrow is my last work day before school starts on August 25.  I still have quite a few things to do and I am starting to feel a wee bit of pressure.  As a first year teacher, it has been a very time consuming and demanding process to develop a brand new set of classroom routines, delve into the prescribed curriculum, and set up an empty classroom in just a couple of weeks.  Nothing beats the satisfaction of having a child say that they really like your classroom, or having a parent give you positive feedback on your discipline system.  I am proud of my classroom and all of the work I have done over the past few weeks.  However, that being said, I owe a great deal of gratitude to my first grade team who has offered so much advice and instruction to me.  They have been amazingly supportive!  Thanks gals :)

Well, I am excited to get back into the classroom tomorrow to get things squared away for Day 1.  Wish me luck!

 

Setting Up My First Grade Classroom

I am so excited for school to begin in just a few weeks!  As a first year teacher, I feel as though I still have quite a bit of work ahead of me before the students arrive.  I have already spent many, many hours setting up my first grade classroom.  This has definitely been a labor of love and I have enjoyed every minute of printing, laminating, cutting, and taping that I have done.  I am pleased with my progress thus far, even though I still have a few more things on my checklist.  Here are a few pictures from my classroom as it is currently.  Once the class lists are given, the room will have more personalized touches, of course.  I will continue to add more pictures to the blog as I get the room more set up.  Hope you enjoy the tour!       

Technology Center
Students will practice computer skills such as typing and navigating Internet websites during their time at the technology center.  I used contact paper to jazz up the old file cabinets beside of the computer station.  A long time ago, teachers were allowed to paint school property, but now we are not... so I am stuck with blue and yellow file cabinets.  A special thanks to my Mom who created the bulletin board behind the computers! :) 

Calendar Area
Yes, that is a zebra print rug you see!  I wanted to make the calendar area inviting and fun for students by using bright colors and interesting patterns.  There are many different features on the calendar bulletin board.  Students practice math skills such as counting numbers 1-100, place value, telling time, identifying and counting money, and addition facts.  We also discuss the weather, temperature, and seasons during calendar each day.       

My polka dotted desk and the back of the room
On my desk, I have both a pink "Tattle Can" and a "Kiss Your Brain" Jar.  The "Tattle Can" is available for students to write down a conflict they have with another student, if A) the situation is not dangerous, or B) they cannot resolve the problem using nice words and/or actions on their own.  The idea is to minimize the amount of tattling and disruption resulting from the tattling in the class.  Examples of tattling are: "he fronted me" or "she took my highlighter."  I will address any notes in the Tattle Can at a time when it is not going to disrupt student learning.  The "Kiss Your Brain" jar will be filled with Hershey Kisses as a treat for students that are working really hard.  

Word Wall and Guided Reading Table
The Word Wall will be filled gradually with high frequency words from both kindergarten and first grade that students should be able to quickly identify when reading.  We will cover different lists of high frequency words each week, which the students will practice using in context as well as spelling accurately.  The word wall serves as an resource for students during reading and also during Writer's Workshop.  Guided Reading is a very important part of the day when I get to spend 10-15 minutes with a small group of homogeneously grouped readers.  We will work on decoding and reading comprehension strategies as a group each day using leveled texts.     

A Little About Mrs. Cook

Welcome to my blog!

Let me start off by telling you a little bit about myself.  My name is Katherine Cook and I graduated in May 2011 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Elementary Education and Political Science.  I spent my full time student teaching experience in a kindergarten classroom in Chatham County, but I interned in both first and fifth grade classes prior to student teaching.  This will be my first year teaching and I am so very excited!

I was born and raised in a small town called Summerfield in North Carolina, which is just north of Greensboro.  I moved to Moore County about a year ago, and currently I reside in Carthage with my husband and two calico kitties.  The Sandhills is a lovely region, and I look forward to many more years here!  In my spare time I enjoy reading, horseback-riding, and exercising, but I have a passion for cooking/baking.  I love trying new recipes!

Here are a few of my favorite things.... My favorite food is cheesecake.  My favorite children's book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and my favorite color is green.  My favorite animal is a kitten and my favorite season is Spring.  That about sums is up!

Now that you know a little about me, I would like to say how excited I am to get to know each and every one of your families this year!  Please know that my classroom door is always open, and I am positive that this year is going to be a fantastic experience for you and your first grader.  I have many fresh and innovative ideas that I cannot wait to share, and I know my enthusiasm and passion for teaching will make this a memorable school year!