I intended for this post to be made on yesterday but I left my computer chager at work and my laptop died on me in the middle of this VERY LONG POST. Why so long because I realized yesterday that I had yet to publish my post about the first day of school. Sorry, I'm slacking sorry :-(
Here is my outfit from yesterday
Today was our first day of school for the 2011-2012 school year. I woke up this morning at 5:00 a.m. and was out of the door by 6:15 a.m. Talk about AMAZING! I'm never up that early let alone leaving out of the door on my way to work. Needless to say my day started out great, I felt super prepared and ready to give my new first grade friends my ALL.
I had A LOT to accomplish that day. It all started with me planting a small "Back to School Gift" on each one of my team members desk. Wait I should back up and tell you the week before school started I was picked as the Primary Team Leader! Talk about exciting even though I know this postion includes more work for me. My team is group of well educated, dedicated woman that got into teaching for the same reason. We all want to help our children become the best they can be. Lets get back to the first day of school though. I placed a small token on each teachers desk and each Instructional Partners desk.
The idea came from Eigthteen25 and I was able to download it for free. Be sure to check them out because they have GREAT ideas for every occasion.
After getting my gift planted before each of them arrived I made sure everything was set up in my classroom and my shedule for the day was placed around my classroom so I was ready at any given moment during the day. I made a few copies and then it was time for my students to arrive. This year we greeted the parents and students outside and then we let them into the building. This worked out great because parents got to speak to the teacher for a few seconds before intrusting them in the hands of their teacher.
Once we got into the building my students where taught how to line up in the hallway, how to enter into the classroom and they also we allowed to pick their own desk. I always do this because I like to see who is friends with whom. I allow the students to sit next to whomever they are confortable with for the first month of school then I change sitting arrangements, students are then most likely to sit next to one of their group members or next to someone I think will benifit from the arragement.
After all the house keeping things where done we dove straight into Daily 5. Students did an excellent job helping me make a I-chart for Read to Self. I've been a bad blogger and forgot to take pictures :-(
On the first day we got out at 12:30 so that was the end of my day.
Because this post is already sooooooo LONG. I'm sure it's the LONGEST POST EVER. I'll be back with a recap of my first FIVE weeks of school.
