The First Week!

Hi friends! How many days do you have left of summer? I refuse to count, haha! :) I don't start back until the 18th, but I start training pretty soon so I will be back in the swing of things! 

I hope to blog alot over the new few weeks about all the preparation I will be doing! Today I wanted to share some of my favorite B2S anchor charts that I will be using! 

I know this anchor chart is nothing new. :) Tons of my favorite bloggers do it, and I'm sure many of you do to! :) I think it's a great ice breaker, and they come up with some great ideas! To me, this chart isn't too difficult for them so it's easy to discuss carpet expectations, using post its (if that's how you want to create it), and how to be respectful listeners! 

I LOVE MAKING GOALS! :) Sometimes, I forget to keep going with them, hahaha. Am I the only one that does that?!? I'm a great beginner...the middle is where I usually get bored, haha! :) But, the beginning of the year is the perfect time to set individual goals and goals as a class! I love doing this as an intro activity, because soon we start setting reading, writing, and behavior goals. It's important for them to already have this background knowledge. Even if you don't discuss it again, goal-setting is a life-long skill that you can have your littles practice!

Personally, I think the MOST important thing I teach my little ones is how to be a good friend. Really...that's what I think. I teach them reading, writing, math...and those are all SO important. First grade, after all, is the foundation for where they are going for the next 11 years. But...they can be the smartest kiddo in the world, and if they can't be a friend they will be lonely, insecure, and unhappy. And I can NOT have my babies being any of those things!! This is a great little discussion to have, especially after reading books like Crysanthemum, The Recess Queen, and Enemy Pie! :) 

This is a great little anchor chart to put together with them because you can easily refer back to it for weeks and months to come! Instead of calling a student out, you can say "friend, will you remind us about some of the things on our good student anchor chart?" Plus..they often have higher expectations of themselves than you do! :) 

This is so fun for me, because I love hearing their responses! I love that it gives the opportunity to show that we are all learners, and that my job is to support them! I won't always do what they want, but I will always try to do what they need!

This is the perfect little chart to discuss common classroom problems. :) I paste the problems up, and we discuss possible solutions. Then we write down the solution we think is best! This is perfect for beginning of the year, but would also be a great ongoing chart. As new problems arise, add them to the chart! :) OR...as a new solution comes up, add that! You can easily say "go check the problem and solution chart!" when a little one comes up to you with a problem that's already been discussed! 

Every school does lunch differently. At my old school, paraprofessionals ran our lunches and we had that time off. Now, I trade off lunch and recess duty with a partner. No matter how you run your lunch, kiddos NEED to know the expectations for lunchtime. I love doing this activity, because they think some of the things are just TOO funny! They don't know that all of these things actually happen! :) Hahah! 

Another important place to discuss expectations is the hallway!!! I love using this chart because it's perfect to hang right by our door. The pictures serve as a visual reminder for beginning readers, and it's perfect to review each time we leave for the hallway. Those first few days we might review this chart 3 or 4 times a day! 

Finally, I want my classroom to be a place that builds confidence, independence, and self-awareness. I want all my little ones to know that they are an expert at something! Everyone is! We all have a role to play, and we can all help each other! I think it's so important to remind students that it's not ALL about academics! Some of us are really, really great at soccer and we might need a bit more help at school. And that's OK! After we have created this, they know who to ask when they have a problem, question, or want to discuss something. :) 

I hope these little anchor charts gave you some inspiration! You might notice alot of MY handwriting. I try to use post its as much as possible so that THEIR words are on the page. BUT...I don't have 21 little hands at home with me, hah! Plus, I need these charts to be easy to read so we can access them! 

If you want these anchor chart pieces, you can find it all in my first days packet. There are also activities to go with them, and so many more activities! :) 

Want to win this packet?!? Pin the anchor chart images and comment with the URL. I'll choose a winner on August 1st!!