Trip to the Zoo!

Last week we took a first-grade field trip to the Rolling Hills Museum and Zoo! It was the most perfect day for it! The weather was wonderful and we had such an awesome group of students on their best behavior and some really great chaperones and parents to help out. It was 1 adult to every 4 kids. This was an all day field trip so everyone had sac lunches and comfy shoes and off we went. 

Our class stopped at the museum first while the other class hit up the zoo first. In the museum the students got to learn all about different habitats around the world and the animals that live in that ecosystem. The animals on display were so beautiful and life-like! The tour guide made the tour fun and was always involving the students in questions and trivia so they had a good time and learned so much! 

Here's a class group shot! 

Here's only part of our class and if you look closely in the background, you'll see which animal we were visiting at this time! Notice my friend in the front holding the map? I'm not sure there's a picture in here without him holding up that map with pride! We got one per group and he sure did guide us around that zoo! I finally had to convince him to share with the other students who wanted to be the "Zoo Guide" for a little bit, but somehow it always ended up back with him! And he was very proud! They gave us enough maps to pass to each student once we got back to the classroom!

Here is my group! They are such goof balls! We had way too much fun :)

A picture acting (and looking) like monkeys!

Thank goodness for cages! This cougar was pacing back and forth wherever this little girl walked! I think he may have been hungry! She is convinced that she is a cat whisperer and they just had a connection, I like that better :)

 

Right as I told them to pose for a picture this white tiger walked right up and roared as if to say "I want to be in the picture too!" He laid right in the corner of the cage where we were standing!

 

See the white tiger on the right side corner!

They wanted to take pictures to look like they were holding the tiger!

"Miss Faust it's my turn to take a picture on the bench!" Remember this picture and this little boy as you continue to scroll down :)

Once again, THANK GOODNESS FOR CAGES! YUCK!

This is a new exhibit at the zoo! They have penguins! okay seriously, they are so cute. They were swimming through the water and looked like beautiful silver fish! Such funny little creatures :)

And then of course we came across 4 penguins of our own! Ha!

The zoo we got to visit was huge! A lot of walking and it was a long day! We still didn't get to see everything we wanted! We were wore out by the time we got back on that bus!

Some of us, more than others ;)

Busiest Week Yet! 9/16-9/20

I haven't posted this week because I haven't even had 5 spare minutes to sit down and crank one out! It's been wild, in a good way!!


We've started our guided reading groups, tier 2 interventions, data day to view students reading and number levels, faculty and district faculty meetings, and throw an all day field trip to the zoo in the mix and I'm sure you understand why I haven't posted!!

My favorite classroom work from recent is math. The kids are learning addition! I began the first addition lesson last Friday when Mrs. Hoffman was out of the room. I was way nervous but I could have cried at how wonderful the students picked up on it!! I began the lesson by presenting the students with a number track, which they are very familiar with. It looks something like this:

I cut printed and cut out a picture of a frog and use some sticky tack to stick him on the board above the numbers. The students gathered at their floor spots and I started by putting the frog on a number, say 5. We discussed the number, one more, one less etc. I then said the frog took 2 hops forward, moved the frog, and landed him on the number 7. We discussed the starting number, number of hops, and the ending number. I talked them through saying that as ad addition problem, 5 add 2 is 7. We then plugged the numbers into an addition sentence format to look like: 5 + 2 = 7. I wasn't sure the students had a full grasp at what a big deal this was and they could tell that I was excited and I kept saying "you just did addition! Guess what? You can add!!"

We did 4 or 5 more examples and I kid you not, they picked up on it after the very first one! I was jumping for joy at how quickly they learned this! So amazing! They have math packets to complete after the lesson so I sent them off to complete the days pages and sure enough, they were all done in like 7 minutes. One students who lacks in confidence gave me a big hug after I starred her paper and told her "You just did addition!!" and she told me "I'm so happy I can do that." I love watching students see their own success!

We had our guided reading groups begin this week after we finished grouping them by reading levels. We have guided reading aids that come in every day for 30 minutes and take different groups to discuss books, present them new books, and introduce a new skill along with it (i.e. picture clues, predictions, repetitive words, non-sense words, lessons learned from the story etc.). Each aid rotates along with Mrs. Hoffman and myself each day so that we get a chance to see all the students read rather than one stationary group every day. It's fun for the students as well, because we all do our groups a little differently. It went smoothly so far, the only thing that is an issue is that we send their guided reading bags (gallon ziplock bags with their name on it) home every night along with a reading recording sheet. They are supposed to read their new book to an adult every night and the adult will record how long it took them and sign it to verify that they read. Well what's tricky is when students forget to read, or even worse, forget to bring their bag back to school!! If a student forgets to read someone will pull them into the hallway during recess or free-time to read to them, but when they forget their bag it really omits them from participating and us from gathering the information on their reading. Hopefully this week was rocky because it's so brand new. I think once students get the hang of it we will have less "I forgot my bag at home".....especially since I believe mrs. Hoffman is beginning a reward system for students who bring their bags back to school, with parent signatures 10 days in a row :)

ootd 9/12

Top: JCP

Trousers: JCP

Locket Necklace: Fossil Brand, Macy's

College doesn't have a course on drawing Justin Bieber.....

We're still trying to get through doing the king/queen of the day. It will literally take over a month, especially since we are gaining a new student on Monday (make that 25!).

Yes, I still have the privledge of getting to present that special student daily with their crown, spelling their name on the board, and, of course, drawing their portrait. 

On Thursday when I called the Queen's name, after a class-wide drumroll, she strolls up the front, proud as day, big smile on her face.....and as she got closer I'm sure the whole class noticed the smile on my face falling to my toes and a look of total shock, and terror come across my face. 

She was wearing a Justin Bieber shirt.

And I had to draw it.

And I Knew it.

Oh that poor sweet girl, I hope I didn't ruin her 1st grade crush on the teen sensation with his flippy hair and dreamy eyes. But, if I did.....this is why:

I could hear the giggles coming from behind me as I stood up there and drew The Biebs. Sorry Justin.....

OOTD - 9/11

Top: JCP (yes I have it in 3 colors and I LOVE it)

Trousers: JCP

Necklace: American Eagle

9/11, hearts, & potatoes!

I had my first student teaching observation today from my college adviser and it went really well! He came and observed the first part of the morning, which I had been in total control of for a few weeks now. I was very comfortable with the routine so I just pretended like he wasn't in the back taking notes and it went extra smooth today :) Thank you 1st graders! I think they must've known he was an important mister because they were extra wonderful. I met with him briefly after my lesson and he gave me my evaluation sheet he filled out. He gave me 6 out of 7's on the proficiency scale, which he said is very uncommon this early in the game! He said most student teachers receive 3s and 4s in the basic category. So, I was pretty excited that he thought so highly of my teaching and my lesson! 

Today during guided reading Mrs. Hoffman read a story called 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy.

This book is about a Kenyan village honoring America after the 9/11 attacks by giving them 14 of their village's cows. I had never heard the story until today and listening to Mrs. Hoffman prep the students for the story was something I found to be so interesting. I never even thought until today "How do you tell a 1st grader about the 9/11 attacks?"

I had nothing.

These children weren't even born when tragedy struck. I was only 4 grades above them when it happened.

How on Earth to you explain to them the events, the casualties, the effects of everything that happened that day? 

How.......HOW do you possibly answer them when their little hand goes up and asks in their innocent voice "WHY did people do that?"

I honestly don't think I will ever have a mastered approach, or a good answer to their questions.

Mrs. Hoffman approached with perfect grace and the appropriate words to use and the amount of information to let them know of these things, without overwhelming or scaring them. As she talked about these events and then went into the story, 14 Cows for America, I could NOT keep it together! I sat in the back and listened to the story, watching these little babies and tears were just streaming down my face. I hope I someday have an approach similar to Mrs. Hoffman's on subjects tough as this.

to sum up my sappy today post, here's a picture of 2 pieces of paper I received from a student today. The conversation with him went like this:

"Miss Faust I made you a heart! I cut it out and look that's me and you in there!" -Student

"Thank you so much! I love it!" - Me

*3 minutes later, he comes back up and hands me the second piece of paper*

"2 hearts?! Thank you so much!" - Me

"No, this one is a potato." - Student

I have a feeling my 2nd heart started out that way, and may have ended up being a potato!

Hey, when life hands you a broken heart....make it a potato :)

OOTD - 9/10

I once read that Maxi skirts were "yoga pants of the professional world".

Ain't that the truth?!

Today was definitely a yoga pants- maxi skirts kind of day

 

top: JCP

Skirt: JCP
Sandals: KMart