We are Family!

As an extension of the Building Community & Character unit,  our team decided that we wanted to include a mini social studies unit on family and creating a classroom family.  I thought this was a great idea and was totally on board.  With the direction of our next couple of weeks decided, my teammate Shelley and I hit the ground running to get the lesson plans in place!  It's kind of our thing and no secret among our team... we both LOVE to plan and organize!  Yep, uh-huh!

Our teammate Haley shared an awesome blog post that she came across on First Grade W.O.W.  The post was entitled Me and My Family and was a great resource for kicking off this unit.  Nancy over at First Grade W.O.W. even shares a few sample pages of her mini family unit and these were SO helpful in getting us started and were used to springboard other ideas for the lessons.
Thank you Nancy!!

In addition to using some of the resources and freebies found at First Grade W.O.W., I wanted to incorporate actual family portraits of each of the students.  After some research, Shelley and I came across a cute family poem on Pinterest and decided to use it as a way to introduce the new unit to the parents and ask for each child to bring in a family portrait or photo.

 

// Disclaimer:  I have made several efforts to give credit to the original owner/source of the poem - http://primarypractice.blogspot.com/ - but have been unsuccessful in my attempts as the blog is only open to invited readers only.  In no way do I assume credit for the above poem.  //

Below you will find the poem and letter sent home to each student's parent introducing the unit and requesting a family picture.  Thanks Shelley for your quick mind and typing hands!!  

Here is a snapshot of the "always a work in progress" lesson plans that I used to guide this mini family unit.  The week was a short one due to the Labor Day holiday and as the week progressed, I actually ended up changing the plans for Friday and going a different route.  Keep reading to find out how!

On the introductory day of the mini unit, I created an anchor chart titled, "What is a family?", and provided students with index cards.  Students were asked to write and/or illustrate what the word "family" means to them.  Some guiding questions I used were, "Who did it include?" and "What did it look like?"  As students finished their definitions of family they posted them onto the anchor chart.  Returning as a whole group on the carpet, each student was given the opportunity to share.  The student share time was AWESOME!  It provided many different avenues for discussion as students related to one another's definition of family, as they shared recognizing that many of their families included the same people (i.e., Mom, Dad, brother, sister, etc.), and that some key words like "caring", "love", "help" kept popping up.  I was so impressed with their thinking!   

To wrap up day 1, I read The Family Book by Todd Parr.  This is such a great book and really illustrates in a bright, funky kind-of-way how each family is unique, special, and full of love.  My students LOVED this read-aloud!

On the second day of the mini unit, students shared their family portraits and pictures sent from home.  Oh boy, were they excited!!  Just as the index cards activity sparked good discussions, I witnessed so much "getting to know you better" type questioning coming from students as they listened to their classmate show and share about the special people in their lives.  These are the moments you wish you could just bottle up!

After students shared their pictures, I read All Families Are Special by Norma Simon.  This book is rather long (32 pages) and I still wanted to fit in one more activity to wrap up day 2, so I decided to only read the first half of the book and save the last half for the following day.  The book represents a wide variety of family situations (so be cautious and perhaps preview before reading aloud to your class) and includes multi-cultural family components.

   

After reading the first half of the book and leading a brief book discussion, students returned to their seats and completed the "My Family Portrait" page.  This page was adapted from the one found in First Grade W.O.W.'s  Me and My Family freebie.

   

On Day 3, we continued with our reading of All Families Are Special followed by a brief book discussion.  I projected the Families: Can... Have... Are diagram page (created by my tag-team partner on this unit Shelley) onto the board and we worked as a whole group sharing our own ideas and those that were sparked by the various family books we had read during the week.  Students had their own paper copy of the diagram page and recorded their thinking as I did on the board. 

   

Here is a picture of the student ideas shared during our whole group discussion.  They had SO many great things to share that I even had to drawn more lines!! 

These are snapshots taken of student work.

       

On the last day of the mini unit, I replaced the original plan with a class craft project.  I wanted to showcase the students, their families, and the LOVE that each had and shared about during the week.  So, I projected a heart image onto the board and using red butcher paper, I traced the heart.  Some students helped me cut out the heart (you better believe I had my most precise scissor users on this task!) and other students filtered through the family pictures deciding where to place them within and on the big heart.  I printed out "We are Family" and glued it in the very center.  This "change of plans aka Plan B" turned out to be a really fun project and an awesome way to wrap up the unit as a class!

Here is the final product... We are Family!

// Images were blurred to protect the privacy of the students and their families. //

There's no "I" in TEAM

This week I want to take a break from the formats of my previous posts and just brag on my team!  I was really nervous (but still more excited!) about the transition from third grade to first.  Would I do well?  Would it be a good fit?  Would this...?...What if that...?...   What a waste of my worries!!

// Photo retrieved from The Keep Calm-O-Matic //

My new team was quick to welcome me with outstretched hands and they literally haven't let go since!  In some way, each of them has taken me under their wings and shared countless ideas, books, templates, games, advice, resources... the list really does go on!  They are AWESOME!   

{ From left to right: Minnette, Shelley, Ashely, Ann Elizabeth, Haley, and Me }
// Photo credit: Haley //

Thanks to Haley and her bright idea, our team has custom-made t-shirts.... "still in FIRST grade and loving it!"  Wearing them as a team has become a regular Friday tradition!

Last week, some of us had the opportunity to visit the Birmingham Zoo for Teacher Night!  That's right - the Zoo put on a special night of food, drink, and teacher talk!  We had an absolute blast and enjoyed team building and (a rare) weekday teachers' night out!  Thank you Birmingham Zoo for being such great hosts!  We will see you with our firsties in May!!

{From left to right: Me, Ashely, Haley, and Shelley }

I am so blessed to be a part of both an AWESOME team and school!  As the Beatles say, "I get by with a little help from my friends."  Such a true statement in regards to these sweet gals!  So thankful to call these girls friends and colleagues!  Only 25 days or so in and it's already been such a great year!  I cannot wait to see what the rest of the school year has in store!!

#chevronforlife

My name is Christina and I have a chevron obsession!  It's true.  Well, at least in terms of my classroom decor and design.  Over the summer, when brainstorming what new theme I wanted for my  classroom this year, I kept coming back to chevron.  I couldn't shake it.  Sooo, I decided to embrace it.  (Like full arms, bear hug style!)

My earlier post (in case you missed it) - Burlap, chevron, hot glue...ohh my! - chronicles my adventures in making my classroom curtains... no sew style!  But the love of chevron and wanting to incorporate it into my classroom did not stop there.  Oh no ma'am, no sir!  

Shortly after moving to Alabama, I was quickly made aware of several Facebook trading pages that were available for residents of my city and neighboring cities to join as a way to view and post items (i.e., furniture, clothing, books, etc.) for sale.  Over the summer, I would visit these trading pages several times a day hoping to find a "bargain-of-a-deal" for an item that I couldn't live without.  Well, one day in June, I hit what I considered to be the jackpot.... this light yellow and gray chevron bookshelf posted by Brianne over at Chic Pickins Furniture.  

At the time I acquired the shelf, I wasn't exactly sure where or how I wanted to use it in my classroom.  All I knew is that it matched my theme perfectly and I had to have it!! 

Today, the shelf is located in the front of my classroom (next to the dry erase board) and used to hold math games, manipulatives, and student activity workbooks.  It was the perfect purchase and I have received SO many compliments on the great work done by Brianne at Chic Pickins Furniture.  I would reach out to her later in the summer for more of her beautiful craftsmanship...keep reading!

  

  I used leftover burlap from the curtain project to give my plastic containers and crate some extra flair and help bridge the overall theme together.  The plastic containers, which were purchased at my local Dollar Tree, can actually be found all over my classroom for storage of supplies.  After adding the burlap fabric (with hot glue) to the container, I attached the super cute chevron supply labels (laminated) shown above and below.  The chevron supply labels were purchased from Amanda over at her TpT store Teaching in a Small Town.  There are over 100 pre-made labels found in this set and editable versions via PowerPoint and Keynote...how awesome is that!  I have used these labels for virtually everything...supply containers, schedule, table numbers, classroom library...everything!  I absolutely LOVE them!

Here is a close-up view of more storage containers with the chevron supply labels. These are located on the back wall shelving unit in the open cubbies below the burlap chevron curtains.  I have always wanted an organized area dedicated just for supplies!  Yaaayy for dreams coming true!! 

As teacher planning week was drawing to an end, I acquired the shelves shown below from another teacher at my school.  

Although a great and FREE find, these dark black shelves just didn't match the natural and bright colored theme that I was going for in my classroom.  Eek, what to do with less than a week before the first day of school?!  

Without hesitation, I contacted Brianne and she was ready and willing to take on this "rushed" job!  Yippee!  When we met to drop off the shelves, I asked her to make one shelf just like the light yellow and gray that I previously purchased.  I also requested that the other shelf use the turquoise blue color (in place of the gray) from the curtains that I made.  I provided her with a fabric swatch of the Keepsake Calico Blue-Ombre Chevron and she was off to do her magic, promising that both shelves would be finished and delivered prior to the first day of school!  Wow, isn't she just great?!  I couldn't wait to see the final product!

Ta-daa, here they are!!  I was giddy and grinning when she dropped these beauties off at my school the day before school started!  They are absolutely perfect!  Thank you SO much, Brianne!  Folks, I'm telling you...if you're in the north central part of Alabama please check out Chic Pickins Furniture.  She is so sweet and does AWESOME work to refinish antique, vintage, and even new furniture!

These shelves are located right at the entrance of the classroom and hold the student mailboxes.  The mailboxes are the plastic containers purchased from Dollar Tree (didn't use the lids), trimmed with burlap fabric and freebie student numbers from A Cupcake for the Teacher TpT store.

  

The pink wicker basket is labeled using the round chevron supply labels and holds student's daily folders.  The blue mailbox is where students are instructed to place "Ms. Gartman's Mail" (aka notes from home, lunch money, change of transportation forms, etc.).  The white bucket is also trimmed with burlap fabric and a round chevron supply label that reads, 'To the Office".   This area of the classroom helps to keep both myself and the students organized and informed.  And, not to mention, it's a great "first view" as guests walk in and are welcomed to the room! :)