Tales of a Caffeinated Teacher

In an attempt to be the best communicator possible, I have embraced technology as an output, just as I am sure many teachers have as well. I have found that emailing, is now a better form of communication for parents. Smartphones allow parents to be in the know with what is going on in their child's classroom and school. Parents are having their kiddos practice spelling words at the grocery store, increase math and reading fluency with apps in the car, and they are asking about missing assignments and grades in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Imagine my absolute joy at finding out about a free website/service that allows me to text my parents with reminders, upcoming events, and curriculum tips without giving out my personal cell phone number.... Well let's just say I haven't been this excited since I found out I could order a Peppermint Mocha all year long at Starbucks!  This website/service is called Remind101 . It's free and easy to use. They provide a...

Well it's official...I'm losing my mind over Common Core and Learning Targets a.k.a I Can . . . Statements. There is not enough Starbucks and hours in the Tri-State Area to keep my head above water. I need to create an I Can . . Statement-inator. (We may watch a little too much Phineas and Ferb in my household.) So to begin my adventure back to sanity, I created a little Check-O ff Class List. In the top corner you can list the domain, and across the top the corresponding clusters or I Can . . .Statements. Of course, since I am the differentiating to meet the needs of my Firsties my checklist is broken into 2 groups. This checklist allows me to see if my students are mastering the I Can Statements, which in turn means they have mastered the domain. We shall see how this attempt at formative assessment works. You can grab my checklist on my Teacher's Notebook Shop . Let me know if it's working for you, I would love feedback!

Wow! It's the first week in March and we started off running! Try that in high heels! :) March Reading month activities using mentor texts are my goal and I will let you take a peek at each teaching point I score! The firsties are psyched to catch a leprechaun, and to help you get started with your Leprechaun Shenanigans here are a few of my favorite March craftivies! The Leprechaun Trap Project~ Super cute and fun! The projects always surprise me with their imaginative thinking and logic! Here are a few examples and a copy of the project assignment: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uvxKEHksvQEgeoMyIwJ-rzYoIUWkkLnT1JtvT0GWZL0/edit We write about each trap using transition words in our how to writing. The project brings energy and excitement into their writing. I borrowed the cute leprechaun idea from The First Grade Parade. http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/ What other leprechaun shenanigans are in store for the firsties? The...

Ay yi yi! I am addicted to anchor charts! I do at least one a week! The cuter the better! I get a lot of my ideas for anchor charts off of pinterest and from my fantastic colleagues. They say copying others is the finest form of flattery right? SO......with that being said what do I do with them all? I was running out of space quick. Solution~ hang them on clothesline above my cubbies. I am so happy with how it turned out! :) Not only does it take care of my space issues, it hides all the curriculum boxes on top of my cubbies! JOY! I will take some pictures and post them soon! So what's new this week? Character Tube Puppets! We are choosing our favorite books and creating a story map and a puppet of our favorite character from that story! They turned out super cute and the firsties did such a great job! We used paper towel rolls, constuction paper, glue, and some imagination. In the meantime, I am busy planning for March Reading Month and leprechaun shenanigans! Here are a few ...

Well it's the middle of January and we finally had our first snow.......which of course is directly related to the firsties inability to focus on anything except the snowflakes falling outside our classroom window. So with that being said we are diving into snow themed activities! Jan Brett's books www.janbrett.com  are a great avenue for teaching inferences, predicting, sequencing, and comparing and contrasting skills. The borders in her artwork give clues for what will happen next! We read The Mitten and The Hat and completed a Venn Diagram. We sequenced The Mitten by putting animal cutouts into real mittens. (that I have collected out of the lost and found over the years) I then had the kids write descriptions for the mitten that they chose using adjectives. It's math time and we are jumping into symmetry with snowflakes. We made super cute tie dyed coffee filter snowflakes. I laminated them to make them more sturdy and hung them up. Here's how: Have your kiddos ...

My name is Mandy Barrett, I have been teaching various lower elementary grades over the last 8 years and have finally set my roots and spread my wings in first grade. I have been toying with the idea of writing a book and/or becoming a teaching consultant, so this blog will be a way for me to throw around thoughts and ideas, and to record and showcase my first attempts, victories, and adventures with my firsties. Everyday is a new adventure with the kiddos. I am constantly surprised and humbled by their insight about the world around them. So with that being said, cheers to a bright and fun new year, filled with first grade adventure and blogging!