More Interesting Turns

Today was my third day with my class of first graders. Yesterday afternoon I moved around some stuff at the carpet area, and today I liked it so much better! I usually don't get to do rearranging (and yes, sometimes I want to!), but since I'm going to be here for another 3.5 weeks, the principal and the 1st grade team told me to feel free to move anything I wanted to! So I did. :)

In the morning we talked about the Daily 5 routine, which was new to them. Then we did mini rotations through each of the activities of the Daily 5 so they could get used to them and they did really well. Ok, for those wondering what the Daily 5 is - it's this reading/writing curriculum that the district adopted a few years ago. Among other things it has kids participating in a variety of reading and writing activities. They are: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing (which is essentially write in your writing journal), Listen to Reading (we have Leap Pad books with pens as well as the standard book on tape format), and lastly Word Work, which is what we talked about most today. There are dozens of Word Work activities, but today I introduced making words with pipe cleaners, and writing words in a box of salt with a golf tee. Next week hopefully we can start doing more of this but I have to skim the curriculum book because I don't know all the details of it yet! (The other first grade teachers are pretty much awesome and they've been giving me tons of advice, suggestions and materials, all the while repeating how glad that are that I'm there. Which I think is funny because surely I am just an incessant fountain of questions and pleadings! haha

Oh, and today I introduced the schedule on the side of the board (I know, big deal). But, they didn't really have one before and that's something that I personally like to have in sight, even if the kids don't care. However, the class seemed very interested in it and all day long were looking at it to see when something was, and then asking me to tell them how they'd know it was the time it said on the schedule. Lots of "big hand", "little hand" talk. Unfortunately, I think it's still a little to early to try to teach them to tell time (it's only the 13th day of first grade)!

In the afternoon, we had a guest speaker from the Salem Hospital come to talk about the importance of wearing helmets and seat belts. Then I introduced a new math game, we did math centers, had recess, then had the 11 minutes of choice time that the class earned in the last 3 days. After that they packed up and went to Music and P.E. It is kind of nice to have all the pull-outs at the end of the day. Monday through Wednesday I'm done with them at 2:30, and on Thursday and Friday I'm done at 2!

Finally, after the kids had gone home and I was cleaning up and putting up some new stuff, the principal came in and asked me if I'd "like to earn some more money?" I was very puzzled as to what she was about to propose to me, but said yes anyway. She then told me that she was hoping I'd be willing to write out detailed descriptions of what we did in class each week as well as giving her a copy of the lesson plans for the week so she could send it on to the teacher whom I'm subbing for. I guess she just wants her to know what's going on in her class while she's gone. The principal told me that they'd pay me for the time it takes me to write all of that! She also told me they were going to pay me for coming to Back to School Night last night! Oh, and she wants me to take pictures of anything I change or add to the room so she can send that to the teacher as well. It is very puzzling, but nice nonetheless.

I think that's about all. I'm very glad to have a couple days off. Now I can actually have time to look through the curriculum and plan next week (not to mention my new extra project)!