On Your Mark! Get Set!

Hello Everyone!!
Well, about a week and a half before teachers report for the new year!  I got to meet with my sweet team this past week, and I just know it's going to be a good year!!!  It makes a huge difference when the people you work with are not just your co-workers, they are some of your best friends!  I love that we can trust each other for support and encouragement.  We trust that each will do the right thing for kids. We celebrate life events and hold each other up when it gets tough.  I feel so blessed to have all of them in my life!! Thank you, girls, for being so awesome!!!
I also feel blessed to be able to share so much with you all via this little blog.  I get so many e-mails from teachers from all over the world with thoughts about all that I share. I truly feel as though this blog is a bit like the food blogs where cooks, bakers, and chefs share their favorite recipes with anyone who wants to try them.  They share recipes that have been successful for them.  I share ideas that have worked for me in my classroom. I love hearing that they have worked for you and your students as well! Thank for letting me know!
As I gear up, I always like to clean up some of my printables. I did redo my lesson plan template because we have a bit of a different schedule for this coming year.  
Here's a pic of what it looks like now.  It is completely editable.  I copy and punch holes so that the two pages can lay open and side by side in a binder.  Some people like to type in plans, but I just handwrite  on this template.  

If you need an editable lesson plan template

CLICK HERE!!! :)

Another thing I worked a little on were my beginning of the year quick forms.  I like to have out a couple of notes and questionnaires at meet the teacher night for parents to fill out.  these are handy ways to get to know your kids and their families and have info at your fingertips. 

Here are a couple of pics from the mini pack.

The pack also includes a schedule, a wish list, and a couple of other things.

If you are interested:

SIMPLY CLICK HERE!!! IT'S FREE! 

The next thing I want to share is a little packet of fun for the kids to work on a bit at a time during the first week of school.

The first couple of days are filled with calming fears, gathering information, sorting supplies, talking to hovering parents, and so many teacher attention grabbing issues, sometimes you just need something for the kids to work on independently.  The only supplies the kids need for this packet are crayons and pencils! You will learn a ton about your new kids as they make their way through!  Win Win!!

Here are a few pics.

If you are in need of a way to get to know your kids, This packet is a CLICK away!!  

You will just pick out the pages you want, copy and staple in a packet form, and have them ready!! 

The last thing I'm sharing today is a math notebook unit.  This unit is almost 80 pages of printables for you to pick and choose from to put together an interactive math experience for your kids.  We have our kids work in their math notebooks every day. The notebook includes calendar pages, progressive number of the day pages, day tracking pages, weather, math talk, problem solving, vocabulary, and manipulatives. We guide our kids through the pages at first, but after a few weeks, they are able to do it all on their own. It takes about 15 minutes. This process has proven to be something that has helped kids gain confidence and comfort in discovering the beauty in math!

Here are a few pics!

17 different progressive number of the day pages from which to choose. This one is for the beginning of the year. The next one is for the end of the year!

There is another page with the rest of the 180 on it.

We print off all the pages we need to start the year, and put them in a 3 ring binder.  We add a new number of the day page every day. The different sections of the notebook are separated with paper dividers.  Sometimes the binder gets so full, I have to take out some of the number of the day pages, but in general they stay in there so kids can refer back to see patterns.

If you think you might want to try this

JUST CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE PRINTABLE UNIT!!!

IF YOU HAVE USED THIS MATH NOTEBOOK BEFORE,  GO AHEAD AND DOWNLOAD AGAIN AS I HAVE ADDED SOME NEW STUFF!

WOW!!! This turned out to be a long post!!  Thanks for hanging with me!  I hope you gained some things you might want to try! By posting all of this, I am getting excited to put it all into play! Bring on the new firsties!!!

I do have a few more things to re-organize and clean up, so I'll be back soon to show you! If you have any questions about anything, please don't hesitate to holler at me! Have a great last few days of your Summerbration!!  I know I will!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Joyfully!

Nancy

firstgradewow@gmail.com

Interactive Math Notebook

Hello Everyone!
My apologies for not posting lately.  We had to drive to Chicago to help my widowed father in law move 53 years of "family" to a new apartment. Going through that many years' worth of "family accumulations" was both wonderful and emotional.  My husband got to bring home so much of his childhood that we had to rent a U Haul!  We were able to settle dad into a great little apartment with incredible "senior" amenities.  Feeling pretty blessed! 
Anyway, I was totally "unplugged" all week and it actually felt pretty good! But now, I'm in catch-up mode! So today I'm sharing my new and improved Interactive Math Notebook.  We have had such amazing results from using the math notebook approach to support our math program, but I wanted to make it even more interactive. If you have used this before, please download again.  I've added about 9 different number of the day pages depending on your kids' level and readiness.  I've also added about 10 pages of manipulatives for kids to make and store in a bag or envelope, and keep in their notebooks. That's what makes the notebook so interactive!! Here are a couple of pics.

beginning of the year number of the day page

End of the year number of the day page

sample of manipulatives included

 

I am very excited to help kids be the best they can be at thinking mathematically!  Using a notebook like this will boost that success and promote independence at the same time.  

You can get your 61 page printable right here! CLICK!! :)

Okee Dokee. Time to get my own house back in order after being gone.  I hope you're having a great week! 

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave a comment. OH! I almost forgot.  If you've e-mailed me recently and requested materials, I'll get those sent this afternoon. I did not even check mail while we were gone!! Thanks for your patience!! 

I'm getting ready to post an updated poetry folder unit and a few more things!

Till then, keep lookin up! 

Joyfully!

Nancy

Math Notebooking

Hello Everyone!
I have had so many questions about how we do our math, so I thought I would show a few things about a typical math time.We start our math day with extensive work on the calendar and number of the day,  So much can be learned about the relationships of numbers through "math talk" revolving around our calendar. Here are our thoughts from today.

After some serious exploration about the numbers involved with our calendar and our number of the day, we move to our math notebooks as an opportunity for kids to independently grow their number sense.   Many of you may already do notebooks and have maybe even given ours a try, but I am going to share the unit again because I've added some new pages for our number of the day. There are now 9 different levels from which to choose. 

 While students learn how to "do" math, they must also learn how to articulate what they are learning. It is important to provide many opportunities for students to organize and record their work with some structure and guidance but leaving room for self discovery,  experimentation, and challenge. Problem solving notebooks support students' learning because, in order to get their ideas on paper, children must organize, clarify, and reflect on their thinking. Initially many students will need support and encouragement in order to communicate their ideas and thinking clearly on paper but, as with any skill, the more they practice the easier it will become. Notebooks also serve as invaluable assessment resources that can inform classroom instruction. Reviewing a student’s math notebook provides a useful insight into what a child understands, how s/he approaches ideas and what misconceptions s/he has. Here are some pics of our notebooks.

Today the kids noticed that the twin number 66 has diagonal twin friends!!

The number operator page gives kids the chance 

to grow, grow, grow.

 After notebooking, students have the opportunity to tell what they already know about a certain math topic before we get started on our whole group strategy mini lesson and our math tubs.  Then after a lesson, they can talk/write about what they worked on. 

For your own math notebook printable unit, click HERE!!

45 pages

I hope this answers some questions you may have.  We do follow our state/school district curriculum resources as far as what skills to teach, and when, but the notebooks lets the differentiation happen!!

Let me know if you have any other questions!!

So happy to help!

Joyfully!

Nancy