First Days and Words of Wisdom

                                                   

I've seen four of my classes in each grade level. We have six classes in kindergarten, five classes in first, second, and third grades, and four in fourth and fifth grades. There are also three Separate Setting EC classrooms. To accommodate the number of classrooms that go to specials (which is what my art class is. Music is a special, PE, library, etc), we are on a six day schedule. This means I see each class once every six days.

It took me awhile to get used to thinking in terms of six days, but I've got the hang of it. The best way for me to keep up with it is to write down which day it is in the calendar. For instance, tomorrow, Monday, happens to be Day 5 on our schedule. Tuesday will be Day 6, and Wednesday will start over at Day 1, followed by Thursday as Day 2, and so on. So the Day changes from week to week, but it doesn't matter. I no longer think in terms of Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday etc, but in terms of Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc. But only in regards to teaching.

That was just a side note. FYI. I don't know how other schools handle their week days when they have large numbers of children. We have over 650 students... it works for us.

Every class has to have a first day with me, and first days are generally the time a teacher goes over the classroom expectations, rules of behavior, and so forth. By the time the third day rolls around, they've heard all the rules. So during my first days, I let them sit where they want to, go over the rules quickly, and give them a task that helps me get to know them, and they me.

As the Kindergartners continue to draw pictures of me while I pose for them (I added two more in this entry), the third graders are working on something that goes a bit deeper.

They're making Words of Wisdom Banners. I thought it would be helpful if they started the year thinking of what they had learned last year... important thoughts they can pass on to the current second graders.

To introduce them to the concept, I first read them some words of wisdom from Chicken Soup for the Kids' Soul. Then I let them share out loud some they could think of on their own.

Finally, I gave them a card and a pen to write their own words of wisdom. I checked their spelling, then they copied it onto the bulletin board paper banner with a Sharpie marker. There were enough banners for 3 or 4 kids to work on one. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the banner to show today.

The only criteria I gave was that they had to check to make sure that it wasn't already written on the banner by another child, and 2) write neatly. Oh yeah, a third rule: no drawings on the banner. No flowers, no rainbows, no hearts. I set this criteria because I'm certain there would have been lots of drawing and very few words of wisdom on the banner. And then it wouldn't have been a Words of Wisdom banner!

Some of their words were serious, and some were funny and cute. Some paraphrased what they had heard me read from the book because they couldn't come up with one of their own, but that was okay with me. Sort of what I had in mind when I read them out loud in the first place. I accepted them all.

There will be plenty of time for drawing next time they come to me.

Did you know you can order a device that will speak words of wisdom for you? It's a Life Learning Device! I didn't know there was such a thing... sounds just like my cup of tea. Here is a website that sells them. At the touch of a button, motivating words jolt your kids to think smarter and develop a better attitude about school and life in general. 

It would come in handy when the wise words aren't hanging from the tip of my tongue. You know, those kinds of days.

                                                    

In this kinder class, I held an inflated globe while standing on a stool. See, doesn't it look just like me?

Tags: Words of Wisdom, First Days of school

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