What's Really Important?

Do your students struggle with story retell? I mean meaningful sequential retell. This year my little first grade buddies have been struggling with retell. Yes, they can retell a story... but not in a very meaningful way. I want them to tell the most important details from the text in their retell. So, to help my firsties improve their retell skills, we have been learning about important vs interesting. During week one of the lesson, I chose Where the Wild Things Are. They absolutely love the story! However, I read the entire story the first day, and separate readings of the Beginning, Middle, and End over the following days, and I found reading the entire book on day 1 really confused some of my students BME writing. They had a hard time not referring to just the specific BME.
So this pass week I read Anansi and the Magic Stick... such a cute and funny
story, that Anansi is always being tricky. My students absolutely loved the
story! I read the Beginning, Middle, and End
on separate days, after each reading my little friends begged for more! After each part my students responded to the text by writing down something interesting and something important. This helped them out so much, at the end of the week they were able to compose very meaningful story retells.... I am super proud...:). I will be continuing this lesson next week with another text. I also made some graphic organizers to support the text, and to guide students thinking during the study of Anansi and the Magic Stick...Feel free to check them out on my TPT.  I highly suggest teaching important vs interesting to get students to retell in more meaningful ways... Have a super Weekend!!!!

OMG!!!! I have not been blogging

Hi All,

I'm still living...just ain't been blogging. OMG!!!, my poor little blog. Well I'm back and I plan to blog weekly! How I missed my bloggy teacher world...I have no excuses, I just been busy!

Happy Holidays!!!!!

I just want to take time out to say Happy Holidays to all my virtual teacher buddies. May this season be full of love, family and blessings.

Happy Holidays!

First Week Down

Hi Yall,

Well I made it through the first week....As always the first week is exhausting...Being a drill sargent all day....This is how we do this in first grade is repeated like a gazillion times.... Im glad the first week is over. We will continue to practice routines and give gentle reminders of what we do in first grade, but next week I get to introduce stations and begin testing... Mt little guys are really cute...and I have a couple of characters, but their really sweet! Well I am ready to start small groups and teach...I'm feeling really good about my group, omw....I have 20 student...I haven't had twenty students...I always have 25-30..I think 20 is a perfect number...the things I can do...the places we can go!!!! in my Dr. Seuss voice...I'm excited!!!! I'll post pics soon of all our classroom happenings. By the way The Learning Station has great brain breaks on You Tube...Search when you get a chance, their so appropriate for primary grades. Well I hope everyone is off to a great start...Good Luck this yr!

Hi from Chicago!!!!

I have been on my summer hiatus long enough....I have enjoyed my summer with family and friends...Its been great!!! I went to Georgia for my family reunion, and I went on a girls trip to Cincinnati!!! I have enjoyed waking up and drinking coffee to my hearts content...by the way I love COFFEE!!!! I could drink it all day if you ask me... and because of this love my oldest bought me a personal coffee maker... he said ma...you go to Starbucks everyday...which was true...make it at home and you could save money and have it anytime you want...boy..oh boy...I love making my own coffee and he was right I am saving tons of money...5 bucks a day can add up... Anyhoo I just loved my summer, the weather here in Chicago has been perfect mid 70's to low 80's just absolutely perfect!!!! Well I am back and I promise to be a better blogger this school year...last yr was so busy for me as far as work goes.. In Chicago they had closed 50 plus schools, and relocated existing schools to closed school buildings, and my school was moved to a new location... It was a really rough transitions...the parents and community met us with much resistance...It was hard, and very exhausting... So, I think this year will be better tensions have died...wish me luck!

Summer Reflections and Relaxations!!!!!

I love, love summer the weather, time with family, and traveling! I also use summer to reflect on the year I had with my students. I had such a great class this year, you know we get different classes from time to time, and this year was one of those rare times for me. My students were eager to learn, and just a great community of learners. However, as I reflect, I don't think they were any different from other students in the past, what I think was different was me!!! I used the first six weeks of the year to build a classroom community built on respect, I also modeled all expectations and procedures. Yes, it was me...I thought it was them all year, but it was me. We must train students well, before we can teach them effectively!!! I think I get better and better each year. I love teaching first, and I am sure next year I'll still have a great class!!!! Haopy Summer All!!!! I am going to enjoy and plan for next yr!

What a Week!!!!

Hi All,

It's been all kinds of CRazy weathere here in Chicago, we started the week with two days of - below temps with high wind chills....brrrrr. Can I say how happy I was that school was canceled for two days. Although I was excited to see my little firsties, I didn't want anything to do with that wind chill!!!! I stayed hibernated for two days. I also gained a pound or two yikes!!! I have successfully lost 50 pounds with regular excercise, and eating right, so hopefully the weather will be betteer, so I can geet out to the gym. Anyhoo, our week went great, the first day back, I felt confused all day, and 10 students wer out, just a weird day. The next two days I was back, really back (mentally), and we got a lot accomplished. I am such a graphic organizer person, I love creating graphic organizers to accompany text. I create graphic organizers that support textual evidence and close readings. I love when my students really think deeply about text. This week we read Amazing Grace, I just love that story.  My kids made lots of connections to her.  I love the fact that she is a girl, who wanted to play the role of Peter Pan! Girl Power :) If you never read the text, its definitely a must read.

We discussed her inside and outside traits, as well as our favorite part, and we answered text dependent questions. My first graders loved the text and the activities. If your interested and doing those activities with this book go check out the graphic organizers in my store! click here
Happy Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to get out to the mall with my fam, and hopefully end up at the Cheesecake Factory, my fav restaurant, and they even have a slice a cheesecake made with splenda...how sweet!