A Positive Point

Well, a long time back, Sarah from Permanently Primary had this cute party to share a positive something on a Monday.

I don't think she is having a linky today, but sharing a positive about my day will be good (because I had school while many of my friends were home with coffee, pj, and tv).

My first graders are diving head first into informational reading this month. I wanted to do a close reading of a text today. 

But, I had no idea what that meant!! Haha!! Thanks to Google last night I found some ideas.

Here's how it went:

1. Tell the students they will be practicing reading like grown ups. Read to understand a topic.

2. Give out the current issue of National Geographic Young Explorer

3. Tell them to read the first "story." I think it was 6 pages long. On their own. In their table groups. Helpsies were spontaneously happening. 

*****Side note--my first graders were reading it. I know some of the kids can read, but seriously, more kids were using skills (like sounds, context, etc) and really reading!!! Will you jump for joy with me??

4. After five minutes, we came back together and I asked "What was the big idea of what you read?" And they got it!! "Teeth."

5. They helped me fill out a graphic organizer. Main Idea. Details (and every detail was indicated with a page number in the story to "prove" it--can you say Common Core?)

6. I had them read it once more, but we ran out of time to do much else with it.

That's enough, right? Hard stuff in the first hour back after a 2 week break, and minus degrees outside.

So, tomorrow Mrs. Jones is doing a version of this lesson (because she thinks I'm cool) and I will be doing a version of her writing and math lessons (because she is awesome at making lessons that first graders dig).

Interesting Stories:

A. Several weeks ago, Mrs. Jones and I were in a meeting, sitting across the room (or we may talk), when it came time for us to make a joint decision we made eye contact and decided. Just like that.

B. Later that same week, Mrs. Jones came into my room and did some hand motions along with mouthing of some words. I understood. A keen little girl noticed and asked--are you speaking sign language? YOU BET.

C. A teacher in our building says we have "first grade talk." That means, we finish each other's sentences.

D. Today we showed up wearing the exact.same.thing. Same blue t-shirt, same pink jacket, similar jeans and boots! So we took a selfie.

Wouldn't it be great if every Monday were this amazing?