Motivation - where can I find some?

Hello to all of my 74 followers!

I feel like I have not posted in ages. I have been enjoying some scrapbooking time and have been at the YMCA quite a bit. (Hard to blog on the treadmill)

I also feel like I am in a little slump. We have been doing a ton of assessments at school and I don't feel like I have had the chance to be creative. :( I am also getting ready to host a student teacher at the end of this month. I have never had a student teacher and am a bit nervous. It will be FINE. Megan is AWESOME and has been with us since September (once a week) so we ALL know each other.

One of the projects that we did this week that was a HUGE success (compared to the 4 other classes that I have done it with in past years) was a survey question project. We use the Pearson Math Investigations Program in our district.

I like this program very much and have taught it since the district adopted it. In book 4 we look at data and representations of data. One of the projects is that they have to create their own survey question, survey the class and represent their data. I also have them make some kind of observation about their data.

Fun, right?

The first year we had this program I totally skipped this lesson. First graders? Seriously? Each year, I change something in order to make this a little more manageable/successful and I think that I got it right this year!

Here are some photos of our project.

Step #1-- was talking with their partner and deciding on the question that they were going to ask. (Actually the HARDEST part was that they had to agree)

Step #2-- was to "Make a plan". They had to record their question, decide who was going to be the "asker" and who was going to be the "recorder". They also had to decide how they would record their data (we all used a T-chart) and figure out how we were going to know how we asked everyone.

Above are pictures of the sheets provided by the math program. Below are the additional sheets that I created for the kids so that they could record their information and check off classmates names.

Step #3 -- Let the chaos begin! We were roaming surveyors. The HARDEST part was reminding them that they had to stick with their partners! This was a great time....so proud of them!

Step #4-- The children regrouped and we caught the people that were missed during the roaming session.

When they were all done they had a sheet to complete where they had to write about something that they "noticed" when looking at their data. They also had to count the number of answers and compare it to the number of students. We brainstormed some ideas as to why the numbers would not match.

This unit carries across the grades and after talking to a 4th grade teacher in my building, I learned that they do the same type of project. My kids will be ready!

Thanks for taking the time to listen to me brag about my smarties! I feel my motivation returning! I am doing a fun persuasion writing activity this week so stay tuned!

Bee the Change~

Amazing

Normally this is what I would see when I looked out my window on January 11.

I live in Western NY.

It is January.

I choose to live here.

No problem.

THIS is what recess looked like today.

I live in Western NY.

It is January.
NO PROBLEM!!!
OK...just one problem......the sun was so bright that all the kids had their eyes closed in the above pictures so we had to shield our eyes from the blinding sun.
Again....
No problem.
To quote Pete the Cat....."It's all good"

Bee the Change~

Making Words and a New "Kidpost"

I was so happy that I got to introduce my "favorite-workstation-of-all-time" this week! Last year I started these and my kids absolutely loved them. This Making Words activity is with "Happy New Year" and I have a new word for every month from here on out! The children get very creative and really utilize the word wall during this activity. Last year my first graders made a poster about how many words they made using "Happy Groundhog Day". To see this post, click here.
The recording sheet was a great freebie from Cara over at The First Grade Parade. She also had super cute cards but they were a little too small for my pocket chart and I was too lazy (I mean BUSY, of course) to make new ones that were cute. Click the link to go directly to Cara's blog!

We are at it again!!!

I was unsure of what step to take next with my little bloggers so we decided on another small group. I decided on the topic for this post and (with the help of the amazing Mrs. Muir) the bloggers got right to it. Their photography skills are getting so much better! It is still a "shared pen" type of experience and I am typing the posts. That will possibly be our next step although it would be a real time commitment and I love getting the posts published quickly so they can see them!

You can see it too! Buzz on over to my Classroom blog Mrs. Faas' First Grade.

If you have blogged with your little ones, where did you go next?

Bee the Change~

OOPS!

What a tease I am!!!!

Sorry.

For some reason, the link did not work but the AWESOME blog that you should follow is

The Best Endings!

Bee the Change~

Have you Heard?

I LOVE BOOKS! Ask my first graders what Mrs. Faas loves to do and they will tell you READ! In my house I have a library (yes, a library). NO TV. Just books and built in custom bookcases made by my Dad. (not the best picture but the best one I had without busting out the camera at 11:00 at night!)

I am in a book club. On the local library Friend's board. Ok you get the idea.

As a lover of books I have found a great blog to follow and YOU SHOULD TOO!

This blog has MANY contributers and has made my "To Read" list much, much longer. Head over and check it out!

Bee the Change~

Humbled

I really do feel that blogging is a form of therapy for me. This blog makes me feel that I am connected to a large support group! I am such a blog stalker and LOVE to explore other blogs about teaching, crafts, books etc so I am always surprised when someone else shows appreciation for this little blog! Thank you so much to Elisabeth from Twins Teaching and Tacos for honoring my with the Liebster Blog Award.

The rules of this award are as follows:1. Show your appreciation to the blogger who nominated you by linking back to their blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Elisabeth! Head over and check her out!

2. Nominate five happy little blogs (200 followers or less) by posting a comment on their blogs.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Check out what the other up-and-coming blogs have to offer.

Check these awesome blogs out!

Dragonflies in First

I also want to thank Chelsearose over at Blooming into First Grade for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award! Her blog is very cute! Go check her out!

Also...if you are out there and you can make me a blog button, please help. I have followed tutorials and it only makes me want to cry.....help.....

Bee the Change~

One Little Word 2012

Wow....holiday break is over already? I really like staying up late and sleeping in so this is always a traumatic thing for me. My least favorite electronic thing? Alarm clock.....hands down.

BUT...in the spirit of new beginnings, I am going to get a very positive post out before I settle down with my laptop and get work done for school.

Farley over at Oh Boy Fourth Grade did a great post about resolutions (I don't like them either) and a new idea about committing to one little word as your mantra. I tried to do this last year with the word CREATE and felt like I did many fun creative projects. One of the things that I realized as I was taking time to craft and sew was that I was not the best time-budgeter. I always joke that either my classroom is in order OR my house. Can't be both.

In thinking about the upcoming year, I have a personal resolution (that I am keeping private--but will blog about in the future if my goal is accomplished!) but there was a need for a new overall focus. I am choosing my OLW.

BALANCE

Not balance in the literal way (although a little more success in the TREE pose would be nice) but I realize I am off balance most of the time.

Work overpowers home.

Others overpower self.

Schedules overpower health.

I live with guilt when I am not being everything for everyone. I don't want to miss my children's growing up years. How can I achieve balance? Hard work and saying "no" a little more frequently I guess. Taking the necessary time for me. Stop trying to "keep up" and not caring so much about things that don't matter. Increasing the list of things that don't matter. Setting a personal goal and not letting others sidetrack me.

Balance........

Wish me luck.

Bee the Change~