Everyone needs words of encouragement! Use a whiteboard marker to leave your students a nice note :)
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I think building a relationship with each one of your students is SUPER important. By sending each student a personalized postcard they feel both special and thought about. We live in a world of texting, emailing and instant communication. A notecard takes time to write and is much more personalized. Before the first day of school I have already built a relationship and shown interest in each student!
PLUS! You get them thinking about school and what they may have to do when they come to school on the first day! I have seen these chairs ALL over the Pintrest and thought they would be a great addition for my classroom!
Materials: 1. Egg Crate/s 2. Fabric (bought from Joanne Fabrics) 3. Foam (bought from Joanne Fabrics) 4. Staple Gun 5. Wood Fit to size of the inside of the egg crate. 6. Ribbon (optional if you want to lift the seat) Step 1: I had a couple of egg crates lying around from years of teaching. I made sure they were sturdy enough for my kiddos to sit on. Step 2: I went to Joanna Fabrics and bought both the foam and fabric I wanted to use for the chairs. I bought fabric that was on sale, stretchy AND super cute. It even matched the theme of my classroom. Step 3: I brought the egg crates with me to Home Depot and one of the employees worked to fit the wood into the egg crate. (This was probably the hardest part of the project because you want the wood to fit perfectly inside the egg crate) Step 4: I cut the foam from Joannes to fit the size of the wood and then wrapped the fabric around the wood and foam. I used a staple gun to pull it all together! Step 5: Slip the cushion inside the egg crate and you have a wonderful addition to your classroom! I also added a ribbon hook so my chairs can double as book storage! :) Fun and Easy DIY classroom project! Back to school preparation!
We are only a few days away from the beginning on school but I am back in action preparing for the arrival of my students. I have started making check lists in my sleep and buying supplies for my classroom EVERYWHERE I go. One of my goals this year is to empower my students learning through alternative seating. I have created different areas around my classroom for group work, independent work, and full group learning. I begin most lessons by stating "If you can not see the board or are uncomfortable where you are, then find a place to be successful". I find by giving my kiddos this option they stay more engaged and are more likely to participate. 5th Grade "Live" Wax Museum We study many American historical figures through out the year. As a cumulative research project each student chose a different American figure to research. 5th Grade students embarked on a two month research project. Each student read a biography, completed in depth research, wrote a research paper, and presented a live memorized speech! We invited the entire school and all 5th grade families to attend the event. Each student stood in front of their backdrop and waited to recite their speech. Families, faculty and students were buzzing about the event. My favorite part was that each student had a part to shine. Whether it was reading and researching, public speaking, drawing/creating a backdrop, or acting in front of peers; I believe each student had a place to excel! Below are pictures of the events and documents I used through out the project. Documents listed: 1.Assignment Checklist (This was great for the kiddos to keep track AND it helped me guide them through the project!) 2. Historical Figure List 3. Wax Museum Rubric (I used this project for 2 test grade; Social Studies and ELA) I also used additional resources from TeachersPayTeachers. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wax-Museum-Biography-Research-Report-for-3rd-6th-Grade-751629
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS! Read Across America is a celebration of reading. It helps to inspire students to read all over! Each bulletin board was inspired by a different Dr. Seuss book! Our school came alive and kiddos felt like they were inside a Dr. Seuss book! My 5th grade class MADE the truffula trees (see below in pictures) to help decorate the hallways! We celebrated Read Across America with a whole week of festivities! Teachers not only decorated their bulletin boards but made themed snacks to sell at lunch. We held a book drive, students dressed up as their favorite book character, we had guest readers come in,their was a tricky Dr. Seuss Trivia question each day. The most inspiring part of the entire celebration was when we "Dropped everything and Read". The ENTIRE school sat in one room and read for 15 minutes. It was a special moment of silence FULL of learning! You can find out more about Read Across America at The National Education Association website. http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm Below are pictures of: 1. Our bulletin boards and doors 2. Seusical Snacks Documents: 1. Read Across America Flyer |
AuthorI'm Laura, I am beginning my third year as a 5th grade teacher! I have a passion for teaching, engaging, and helping students take ownership of their learning! This is a place where I update and share a sneak peak of my fabulous fifth graders. Archives
March 2017
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