Mrs. Lauer's First Grade: March 2012

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Workshop Schedules

Reader's workshop

Mini-Lesson(10~15 min.)
Independent reading
One on one conference(12~15min.), Small group guided reading(15 min. 15 min. 15~20 min.)
Sharing(5 min.)

Word Study(20 min.)
-HF words, Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Grammar

Writer's Workshop

Mini-Lesson(10 min.)
Independent Writing(30 min.)
Teacher conference
Share out(5 min.)

Math Workshop

Mini-Lesson(5 min.) - Intro skill to class
Small Group Guided Instruction

Low - Meet with teacher (15 min.)
On Level - Work station
Above - Independent work

On Level - Meet with teacher (15 min.)
Low - Independent work
Above - Challenging work station or activity

Above - Meet with teacher (15 min.)
Low - Work station(used previously)
On Level - Independent work

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Wish List

Throughout the year I will be sending home lists of items that we will need for special projects... I will do my best to give you plenty of notice so that you can shop around for best prices (buy one get one free). There will also be a list of items needed that will be circulated by our key communicator/room parent. This should help alot in planning for our class needs and events.

Here are some additional items that are always welcome in class!

- fun pencils
- bright colored eraser tops and small erasers
- ink cartridges for my class printer
- AA batteries (rechargeable or reg)
- Button magnets
- Soccer ball
- Jump ropes (4)
- Hula hoops (2)
- Mesh recess tote bag

Scholastic Book Club

Nooks, Kindles and Tablets are great tools. Your child may already be using them at home quite often...and that's great...anything and everything to encourage reading! However, it is my belief that there is nothing like getting your young reader's hands touching a good paper book. There is plenty of time for e-reading!

Scholastic Book Clubs are a great way for my students to benefit in school and at home. You get to purchase books at a very reasonable price and our class benefits by collecting points that I use to enhance our classroom library..WIN WIN!!

To economize on my time I will only be using the scholastic online ordering process. It is a very easy and reliable method of getting books. You order from the website and the books get shipped to the classroom where I will distribute them.

Thank you for your support in building and replenishing our classroom library. Simply click on the activation code below to get to the parent page ..happy shopping!

Books make great rewards for jobs well done at school. They are also great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers too!

My activation code for our class is :

Dolch Words

Dolch words are lists of sight words that are common in your child's reading. As reading proficiency increases so do the amounts of words your child will memorize. Please follow the guideline below for mastering these lists of words. Playing lots of memory games with these words should prove helpful in memorizing them. Should you have any stress or difficulty with your child while working with these words please contact me immediately!

By the end of each quarter a new list should be mastered. Mastery is knowing the word in a snap...
...not hesitating to sound it out.

End of First Quarter   Pre -primer
End of Second Quarter   Primer List
End of Third Quarter   First Grade List
End of Fourth Quarter   Second Grade List

Your child will have a "Dolch Word" folder that they should keep with them in their backpacks. On occasion I will ask for these folders and I will highlight the words that your child knows in a snap. PLEASE do not mark in this folder as it will be a record for your child and their progress throughout the year.

Making Words

Making words is a great way to have fun with your kids around the kitchen table. Each week has a new set of making words to work on. Simply cut out the letter squares and arrange them over and over again to try to make as many 2 - 6 letter words as possible. Try to use all the letter tiles to make the mystery word for the week. Use the smilie face squares as a free choice letter. This is really fun and helps kids with their spelling and reading at the same time! :o) To save printer paper and ink simply find out which letters we are using and grab those letter tiles out of your own Scrabble or Bananagrams games from home.

Theme 1 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 2 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 3 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 4 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 5 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 6 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 7 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 8 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 9 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Theme 10 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

Our Class Schedule

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
8:20 – 8:30 Arrival
8:30 - 8:45 Announcements and morning meeting
8:45 – 11:00 Language Arts Block (Reading and Writing)
11:05 – 11:35    Lunch
11:35 – 11:50   Recess
12:00 - 12:15   Read Aloud
12:15 – 1:15 Math
1:20 – 1:55 Resource
2:00 – 2:30 Social Studies / Science / Physical Activity
2:30 – 2:45 Snack and Sharing
2:45 – 2:50 Pack –up
2:50 Dismissal

Wednesday Schedule will be the same except that there will be no recess and no snack; Dismissal at 1:50
8:20 – 8:30 Arrival
8:30 - 8:45 Announcements and morning meeting
8:45 – 11:00 Language Arts Block (Reading and Writing)
11:05 – 11:35    Lunch
11:40 - 12: 25   Social Studies / Science / Physical Activity
12:30 - 12:55 Resource
12:45 – 1:45 Math
1:50 Dismissal

Beginning of Year Info

Here is some very important information from Mrs. Lauer.

Please bring the FIRST DAY FORMS to Meet the Teacher Day on Friday, August 19th
(New Students entering during the school year please bring these forms with you on your childs' first day)

Click here for First Day Forms

Communicating with Mrs. Lauer: The best way to contact me is via email. Should there me any changes to pick-up arrangements you should contact the front office as I can not guarantee that I will get emails before the end of the day.

Absences: You are required to send in a note with your child on their return to school after an absence. Otherwise the absence will not be excused.

Birthday Celebrations: Birthday's are so special to a first grader. You are welcome to send in a small (not too sugary) treat to share with the class during our afternoon snack time. Please make sure that these treats are individual servings... it is too difficult to manage cakes and such. Please let me know when you are planning to send something in so I can include it in our plans.

Conferences: There will be a formal conference at the end of first quarter with each family. I usually plan conferences at 7:45 am. This is the best time for me as I often have afternoon staff meetings. Communication is key and I welcome an open dialogue with parents. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I will do likewise :o)

Lunch: Kids love to have a visitor at lunch. You can meet our class outside of the Oasis Cafeteria doors at our designated lunch time (see schedule). Please do not meet us in the classroom. It can be disruptive to our learning and the learning of others. You will need a visitors' badge at the front desk. All visitors must be cleared through the county. Bring your Photo ID with you.
Please send nutritional items. I always encourage students to bring home uneaten foods so that you are aware of what they did/did not eat while at school. Should your child be purchasing food you may want to contact Linda Miller, our Oasis Manager, to find out how to monitor purchases in the food lines (they can go through a lot of $ in that line when they are 6 years old! )

Recess: Children need to be active. I will not take away recess time for unfinished class work.

Footwear: We do physical activity on a daily basis. Sneakers are the best and safest choice for feet. Sneakers MUST be worn on PE days for your child to participate.

Volunteering: I LOVE VOLUNTEERS! If you are interested than we need to talk!
All adults that enter the school or attend field trips as chaperones MUST be cleared by the front desk. I encourage you to contact the front desk to ensure that you are cleared. Please leave younger siblings at home. We love them but they can be disruptive to the learning environment.

Behavior Management

Behavior Management

We have a behavior management clip system. It consists of 7 categories. The students can move their clips up on the chart or down on the chart. I feel this gives the students a powerful, ambitious goal to work towards each day in our learning environment.

Here is a breakdown of the 7 categories:

Outstanding: This is for those students who go above and beyond all day long. At the end of the day, the super students can choose from a lollipop, a prize pencil, or extra money for their piggy banks.
Great Job: This is for those students who work hard and make good choices. At the end of the day, the students on way to go can choose between skittles, m&ms, or extra money for their piggy banks.
Good Day: This is for those students who work hard and make good choices. At the end of the day, the students on way to go can choose between skittles, m&ms, or extra money for their piggy banks.
Ready to Learn: This is where every student starts each day.

Intervention Level

Think About It:This is for students who need to focus on making better choices in order to be successful first graders. If they are here, they can always work hard to move their clips back up.
Teacher's Choice: This is for students who continue to make the wrong choice, and it is affecting their success in our classroom. If a student is on teacher choice, then I get to choose the consequence I think fits the behavior. Not all students respond to the same consequence in the same way. I could speak to some of my students in a serious, disappointed-at-your-choices tone and they would tear up on me. And it was genuine remorse. So for those few, a talk was all they needed. There are some students, on the other hand, who need a bit more action in order to convince them that they need to change their ways. Loss of privileges, restriction from a favorite activity, or a phone call home to folks are just a few options. Just try to keep the consequence reasonable and of a short duration.
Parent Contact: This is for students whose behavior has disrupted our learning environment, and I feel it is important for the parents to be contacted.

A Making Better Choices Form and Clip Chart Grades will be used.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Classroom Management

http://mrsshannonsclass.weebly.com/classroom-management.html

Love and Logic:I integrate the ideas and practices of Jim Fay and David Funk. I highly recommend reading Teaching with Love and Logic. Check out the website for helpful tips, useful resources, and upcoming seminars!

Our Class Rule and I Can Chart:

We have one class rule from Love and Logic: You can do anything you want in this class, as long as it does not cause a problem for anyone else or the learning environment. We also have an I Can chart. They are both posted in our room.

Table Tallies:We make sure to celebrate students' group and individual achievements. One way that we do this is by incorporating table tallies. The students work as table groups or teams to earn tallies for good choices, such as helping a friend pick up markers that fell or by working hard and quietly on an assignment.

Money/Piggy Banks:

I give out real money for individual good choices and good thinking, such as walking nicely in the hallway, for raising hands to speak, for making a Reading connection, or for sharing their great thinking in Math. The students can grab the penny, nickel, dime, or quarter and add it to their piggy banks. Depending on the amount of money that is saved up in each child's piggy bank, he or she individually goes shopping in our school store every other Friday with me. The kids love their piggy banks and enjoy working hard to earn money!

Being Respectful of our Peers:

Treating everyone and everything in our school and in our classroom with respect is very important in our classroom of learning. I encourage this behavior. One activity that we do is create an imaginary classmate. The class decided to name our special friend, Justin. The students know how important Justin is, and if we say or do something in any way that is unkind or unfriendly, we have to tear a tiny piece off of our paper friend. The kids get very upset if we have to tear a piece from Justin. I firmly believe that this truly helps the kids understand how their words impact other people’s feelings.

Classroom Cheers:We celebrate all of our small achievements by participating in Dr. Jean's classroom cheers. These cheers encourage the students to feel great about their work and choices! If you want to use the cheers in your class, go to Dr. Jean's summer celebrations website!

Compliment Jar:

I believe giving and receiving compliments is important in building our self-confidence and encouraging us to feel successful. In order to value the importance of compliments, we have a Compliment Jar. Whenever, our class receives a specific compliment from another adult in the school, we get a scoop of popcorn kernels that we add to our jar. Our goal is to get tons of compliments around the building, earning scoops to fill our jar. When our jar is full, we get a special treat! I always let the students decide what they want, whether it be a popcorn party, brownies, cookies, or cupcakes. The next day, we get to enjoy our extra special treat during recess time! The students love earning scoops!

Free Learning:Students finish work at different times. To help organize this, I have something called free learning. At the beginning of the school year, we brainstorm a list of ideas of what we can do when we finish our work. I place these ideas into an apple pocket chart and hang it in our classroom. The students know that after they finish their work and place it in the finished basket, they can choose a free learning choice from the pocket chart. We also do free learning for morning work. After they get unpacked and do their morning routines, they can choose a free learning choice until breakfast.
What if a student does not finish the work? The students who do not finish the work put it in the More Time basket and finish it another time throughout the day or for morning work the next morning.

Toothpick Game:

While we walk in the hallway or take a restroom break, we often play the toothpick game. This is where we stand and pretend we are toothpicks! The kids love it and really look like toothpicks!

Smarties:I give out Smarties before assessments or any other time extra brain power is needed!

Anchor Chart for Noise Levels:Here is an anchor chart I use for noise levels. We discuss each section thoroughly. The students understand my expectations and always strive to be on the happy face. We use this throughout the school year.