Rainbows and Bingo

If you keep looking you can see beauty anywhere:

Today, I was lucky enough to be carpooling with a colleague that pointed out a beautiful rainbow. It stretched across the sky and added a sense of wonder to the day. I could have just as easily missed it, but because we had built a sense of community, she wanted to share it with the other people in the car. I think teaching is like that. We have to strive to build community, so that our students want to share learning and experiences with each other. We have to care that the other person doesn't miss the rainbow, and go out of our way to share these experiences.

Books, bingo, and Simon says: 

Today, in our 1st grade classroom, students were rotating in small groups and I was running the bingo table. This idea of bingo was so clever! My resident teacher had written words on 3x5 cards and made her own bingo sheet. Students would listen to a word that was read, and then find it on their bingo sheet. When they won, they could choose a small sticker from the basket. Students were so engaged and excited about reading. They sounded out multiple words to check to see if they had marked the correct one, and took pride when they read off all their winning words. I will have to replicate this in a future classroom!
Bingo sheet, markers, cards, and stickers
Later, I went to my favorite place in every school, the library. This library was so inviting and I really want the carpet that they have here! Books are so magical, and the library feels like the treasure room of schools that anyone can enjoy. The image of George Washington at the entrance made me really happy because I love history and it reminded me of when I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and got to see the painting depicting Washington crossing the Delaware River.
Carpet with books!

George Washington and Mrs. Dailey in the Library
Mrs. Dailey at the Metropolitan Museum of Art In New York
Promoting a community of reader leaders

Tools to help find that perfect book
Clues to find the section that suits your needs

Summaries and Story Structure:


Yesterday, I read the "Three Little Pigs" to the class, and today we had a rich discussion about what happened in that story. Students were shown picture cards and then said what happened, and weather that was part of the beginning, middle, or end. They were able to communicate so much detail
 and I was impressed by how clearly they were able to explain the difference between fiction and nonfiction.
Reading to the students 

Picture cards to spark conversations
The back of the cards with prompts for teachers

Fun with fine motor skills:

Students cut and glued some poinsettias today to get ready for a wonderful winter. They took their time and made a beautiful garden of paper flowers. The resident teacher shared, that some years students can make a paper quilt with their flowers.
Quilt Pattern

Paper garden

Share a Smile:

I'll close this post with a picture of a peer and me. We are coming to the end of the first quarter of student teaching and classes and I am grateful to be surrounded by an intelligent community of people with a great sense of humor. This is program is rigorous and I truly feel it is preparing me for teaching by engaging with research, the real world, and strategies to tackle any situation.
Having fun while getting things done


 

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