Math

We are doing our best. But sometimes it seems as if our best isn't good enough.

Ever feel that way?

The pressure is from ourselves (me and Mrs. Jones), not from our principal, superintendent, or instructional services director.

My district is implementing CC ELA standards this year. It is touch and go. Each week is another chance to do it better.

Next year we will implement CC Math standards. But, really, why wait? So, we are researching the standards and trying our best to teach to them. Now.

We have two teacher's manuals, but neither is CC aligned. We buy units from TpT. I read blogs. Mrs. Jones searches Pinterest. (Don't we make a great team?)

Many days we feel lost and grasping at what to teach next. And how best to teach these young mathematicians who LOVE math.

Today Mrs. Jones was at a Math committee meeting. And during lunch (when I should have been eating and relaxing during my 15 minutes of solitude) I found an email from her. "Check out these two websites."

First one was nothing.

The second one...Well, it was so good I sent Mrs. Jones 4 emails telling her how amazing it was. I may have used all caps in one email. It is more hope. 

Activities are good. Fun. Necessary. 

But actual lessons, that I can tweak to meet my class's needs, are essential. And that is what I found. 

And it is CC aligned.

So, I gotta go. I have a lot to read tonight.

Summer Bucket List

Crazy title, huh? Especially since it is the day after Thanksgiving.

Way back on May 12, 2012 I created my Summer Bucket List. #1 on that list was to create a year-at-a-glance for reading, writing, math, social studies and science (and ag as much as possible).

Sorry to say that it (the year-at-a-glance) never happened.

I tried to several times. But could not figure out where to start. Blame it on switching grades. Or lack of understanding of CCSC. Or that I was too busy creating cute "things" for my classroom. Or that I was doing the other items on my bucket list.

Recently I decided that I needed to get it done. Sure, we are 1/3 into the school year, but that leaves 2/3 of the year to get everything else done. I needed a plan.

Especially since I am eager to really teach The Phonics Dance and the Critter Cafe (see Ms. Marciniak's post or mine).

Sure, I could hop along and skip around and hope that I do everything possible before May 2013 rolls around. OR, I could buckle down and put a scope and sequence on paper.

This past Monday I was sitting in the bleachers at my son's (who became a teenager today!) basketball game. During half-time I pulled out a tiny notebook, a calendar, The Phonics Dance book, my districts word study list and started planning. Week by week. It was so fun. I couldn't even put my books away when half-time was over. I tried to work only when there was a break. But I may have missed seeing a basket that my son made (oops).

No time to work on this plan on Tuesday, we were preparing and feasting and recovering from feasting.

However, I did get back to it Wednesday morning. Now I was ready to add the CAFE strategies. And today I added social studies, science, writing, and art. Ohhhh, it is so lovely.

Perhaps over our Christmas break I will add math to it.

I would be pleased to let you see it. If you leave a comment and your email I will send it to you. Maybe you could even give me some tips on how to make it better (more user friendly) or how you scope and sequence.

Happy Thanksgiving!

First Grade Common Core

Common Core is common in my district by name only. This year we are implementing ELA, and Math will soon follow. It is slightly different than our previous standards, but aligning all the activities and documenting teaching each standard is a little new.

I (unlike many of the wonderful teachers around) need to be shown how to do things. Like... what do activities aligned to CCSS look like, how to integrate the standards into say our ag lessons, etc. Once you show me, I am pretty much good to go, but show me at least once please with some great ideas and I can rock it.

Enter this fancy book...

It has activities, centers, posters, and worksheets that teach ELA and Math CCSS.

Go to First Grade Common Core and see for yourself. This book could save you time, energy and give you the encouragement to go forth and teach some awesome lessons.

I may be spending some of my "free" time this weekend looking it over.