Hello there Friday, we meet again! This week was our last uninterrupted week of learning in first grade. Next week we have a field trip, field day, and end of year assessments. I know it will be crazy but I’m excited to make some new memories with my first graders before we end on June 19th. Besides the craziness that will sure happen, we’ll be starting a Mo Willems author study next week too! My kiddos are cuckoo cuckoo crazy over all of his books this year and I can’t wait to see their excitement when we start our learning on Monday! Before that excitement, let’s recap with my favorite weekly linky party Five for Friday hosted by Doodle Bugs Teaching!
This week we talked about my precious firsties moving up to second grade. I love hearing their thoughts about the next year; who their teachers will be, the new friends they’ll make, and what they’re excited for. We couldn’t express our excitement in a cuter way than with First Grade Blue Skies’ Cruisin to Summer craft! My kids loved making these and they received so many compliments hanging in our hallway! Make sure to visit the uber talented Jennifer’s store here to check out her whole packet!
My sweet little first graders are in serious summer mode right now and my little ol’ clip chart was just not cutting it anymore to manage our behavior. I know we only have 11 school days left but I had to switch things up! Class Dojo came in to save the day! I have used it in the past and had great experiences with it, but my class this year was super competitive and I didn’t think it would be the right fit for them. Boy, was I wrong! They’re responding to the cute avatars, the alerts that are made when a behavior is celebrated, and the different ways behavior is awarded. I definitely plan on utilizing this fantastic resource earlier next year. I don’t even have to say anything now about reminding my friends about appropriate behavior, Dojo does it for me! Thank goodness gracious is all I have to say!
My favorite part of our day is hands-down writing workshop. The growth I see in my first graders from the beginning of the year in writing is amazing and their excitement level is always through the roof. Writing workshop is also the time during the day where I see the most collaboration between students. My little writers have practiced so hard this year to learn how to help each other, offer compliments, and share stories together. We peer edited our realistic fiction series this week and I loved being able to walk around the classroom and listen in on their discussions. So many pairs were encouraging each other and helping to make their writing even stronger. There was a lot of, “Well why don’t you try this?” It made my teacher heart so happy, I’ve definitely rubbed off on them!
With summer approaching, now is a perfect time to get to know each other! There are so many new bloggers on the scene and we want a way to get to know each other. Diana from My Day in K and I are hosting a summer linky party to do just that! Why not put a little spin on it?! Let’s get to know each other by playing “Two Truths and a Lie!” This Tuesday, June 9th, join us and link up with your first “Tell All” post! In your blog post tell us three “facts” about yourself. Make 2 of them true and one a lie. In the comments section ask your readers to guess which ones are true and which ones are not. After three days, come back and tell us which one was the lie! We can’t wait to play along with you and learn something new about our readers and fellow bloggers! Make sure to check back each week for a new theme and way to link-up!
My husband and I will be celebrating our three year wedding anniversary at the end of the month. We’ve been talking about planning a little getaway for months now but have not been able to decide where to go. The two of us can NOT make a decision this big to save our lives, so it’s taken us way too long to book our trip. We THINK we came to a decision and will be traveling to Sandals Royal Bahamian at the end of July! I can’t wait and am so excited to lounge on a beautiful beach. Has anybody been there before? I’d love to hear about your experiences there or at any other Sandals! This will be our first time at one.
Thanks for stopping by and reading about my highlights from the week! I hope you’ll follow along and join Diana and I for our first “Tell All Tuesday” linky party! I can’t wait for you to guess what my two truths are and what I’m fibbing about! Enjoy your weekends!
19 Comments
Those cruisin' crafts are just too sweet! I hope your vacation plans get hammered out, and I love your linky party idea. So fun!
Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you'll join us on Tuesday for the linky party! Have a great weekend!
Love Class Dojo, especially the loud sounds it makes on your phone – a great positive reinforcer during transitions. I really need to start loving writing workshop – I want to dive in this summer and figure out a plan for my strugglers. Happy Anniversary! Jen
Hi Jen! Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions about writing workshop I'd love to help! I've done a lot this year with professional development with it and trying to make it work for all my learners. I hope you have a great weekend!
Ohhhhh, the vacation sounds so fun!!!! I've never done a Sandals trip, but I've always wanted to! I hope you have fun!! LOVE those crafts from First Grade Blue Skies, she's so amazing!
Have a great weekend!
Chandra @ Teaching with Crayons and Curls
Hi Chandra! Thanks so much for stopping by. Those car crafts are really adding so much cuteness to my hallway right now, I'm glad you like them! I hope you have a great weekend!
I'm looking forward to the Tell All Tuesday link up! Happy anniversary and have fun on your trip! The Bahamas look fabulous!
Jill
Chevron and Centers
Hi Jill, thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you'll join us on Tuesday for the linky party. I can't wait!
Hi Jayme! WOW! Your vacation sounds and looks amazing!! Happy Anniversary! I will definitely be linking up with you and Diana, such fun!
Marie
Once Upon a Classroom: A Teacher's Tales
Hi Marie! Thank you so much for your sweet words! I can't wait to read your post on Tuesday. We're really looking forward to it! Enjoy your weekend.
OOOOO looking forward to the Tell All Linky!! Great idea!! š
Ashley
Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd
Thanks Ashley! I would love for you to link up with us! I can't wait to read everyone's posts. I think it's going to be so much fun! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying your weekend!
I absolutely LOVE teaching Writer's Workshop, too! It's so exciting to watch their writing grow. Can't wait for your Tell All Linky! I'll be linking up for sure!
Andrea
Always Kindergarten
Thanks so much Andrea!! I can't wait to read how creative everyone gets with their posts for the Tell All linky! I hope you are enjoying your weekend!
Enjoy your vacation!! I am definitely going to keep an eye out for your linky – it sounds so much fun!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you'll link up with us this Tuesday! Enjoy your weekend =)
I'm excited for Tell All Tuesday, it's sounds so fun! What a great idea.
Teaching with a Twist
Hi Meredith! Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you'll join us on Tuesday, it's going to be so much fun to read everyone's posts! I hope you are enjoying your weekend =)
Tell all Tuesday sounds fun! I love your cruisers craft, I hope I remember it at the end of next year. I am teaching first grade next year and am hoping to utilize Class Dojo.