Summer reading

My principal gave me a copy of The Core Six, Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core.  It is by Silver, Dewing, and Perini.

I am not very far but it am looking forward to the section on Inductive Learning.  That is a new phrase for me.  I'll post again once I am finished.

Thinking, planning, and pinning!

I just finished my allotted time to search Pinterest.  Like many teachers, Pinterest has positively influenced my teaching and classroom décor.  However, it is a black hole for time and I often set a limit has to how much time I can spend pinning.  Now that I am back in first grade and determined to emulate the Sisters (www.thedailycafe.com) with Daily 5/CAFE and Math Daily 5, I have lots of gathering to do.  I am a HUGE list maker and follower.  I found this cute notebook at Target that has colored sections.  I am filling it with ideas and questions for my new colleagues.  Along with things to create, make, buy, find, and organize for my massive room.  I also scavenged the clearance section for random classroom items.  Below is a picture of my loot.

Magnetic notes holder, mini clip boards, cute (but functional) Post-its, superhero wipeboards, and colored place cards.

A New Beginning

Today I went to my new school, Cooper Elementary, in Superior, Wisconsin.  I have to say that I had mixed feelings as I pulled up and entered the building.  I felt like I was "cheating" on Madison.  But then as I walked down the halls and met my new partners in educational crime, I realized that I wasn't the newbie teacher anymore.  I have a lot to offer my counterparts and I know what I need from them.

Then I saw my room.  It is huge!  And packed with teaching stuff collected over decades by a retiring teacher.  I am hoping to inherit some of her treasures.  There is a ton of furniture under the teaching materials.  I even have a bathroom.  The room is ideal for Daily 5/CAFE.  As I sat in my room today, I decided that I am going to tackle Math Daily 5 this year.  Similar to last year, I was inspired to try Daily 5 when I saw the master schedule.  This year, I am motivated to try Math Daily 5 because of the awesome potential I see in my room.  Oh, and I will have no more than 18 students, guaranteed by SAGE in Wisconsin.  I don't know what SAGE stands for yet, but I know that it means small class sizes for lower grades.

If you haven't checked out the Sisters website www.thedailycafe.com, you must.  Life changing.  Enough said.