Tales of a Caffeinated Teacher

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!