Symmetry Fun With Names...

We are wrapping up our symmetry unit! The art possibilites with symmetry are endless and so I thought I would share one of the art projects we did this week. My colleague shared this idea with me and I knew my kiddos would love it! For this activity, the students used their name to create symmetry. I made a sample and took pictures of the steps.

Step One: Hotdog fold a piece of large construction paper (fold length-wise). Paint your name on one half of the paper. I chose to write my name in pencil first to ensure my spacing was okay. When painting, try to use a generous amount of paint and move quickly.

Step 2: Fold paper on the line and press hard. (sorry for the fuzzy pic)

Step 3: Open carefully. 

Step 4: If necessary, go over with additional paint and TA-DAA!!

Step 5: Have students look at their symmetrical name and complete a writing activity where they write down what they see in their art work. For example, I said that I see 2 eyes, eyebrows, and a big smile near the bottom of the piece. 

This activity doesn't take long and the kiddos will enjoy it! 

Happy Sunday,

Bye for now,

Ms. Lou

CAUTION! Construction Zone in RM.108

Well if you read my post about our new take on teaching the students about "The Local Community", then you know that we are in the process of building a full blown community in the classroom. Construction is underway and the kids are 7 kinds of excited to work on this project every day. Their little minds are brewing all sorts of ideas and each one of them is motivated to contribute! I am doing my very best to intervene as little as possible. Instead, I am walking around with my handy, dandy clipboard observing, asking questions, and listening in on their dialogue with one another. It is AMAZING to hear what they discuss. I thought I would walk around and hear them talking about video games or what they were going to play at recess. BUT, my kiddos proved me wrong. They were discussing parking lots, and doors, drive-thru's, and gates. Letting them take the lead and make the decisions has given them a responsibility that they are eager to uphold.

Here are some pictures of our community in progress. These are good reminders that learning does not have to be pretty to be meanigful (I know this is harder for some).

Think this is just a pile of boxes?? NOPE...here we have: a bank, a zoo, a school, a fire station, a waterpark (this is the one in front with a tube slide...OBVIOUSLY right?)

Here is a close up of the school (with the aluminum flag pole), and the zoo (green base with attached igloo for the polar bears OF COURSE!)

We are having boat-loads of fun, but I am fairly certain that the custodians dread the Gr. 1 pod right now...SORRY!!! We are doing our best to keep things under control, but contained chaos is the best we can do. 

A few things that I have learned along the way this week...

• Let the students work with who they want and on what they want to work on. We have 3 people working on the zoo, 1 on the police station, and 4 on the park. When they are deciding what they are going to do, they are motivated to contribute!
• Encourage the students to make a plan BEFORE they start digging through the materials. Even if they have to change their plan, that is ok.
• Pause frequently to "check-in" on the process. Are we adding unnecessary details? Are we labeling our buildings so people in the community know where they are going. Are we working as a team?
• Make time to discuss what was accomplished during building periods. 
• How do we know when a building is finished? Perhaps we can ask other classmates to give us feedback. 

I am so happy we are taking a play-based approach to this unit. The kids are loving it and I can tell that authentic learning experiences are taking place. I will be sure to update you on the progress again soon!

Bye for now,

A little symmetry and a fun LINKY!

We are working on symmetry right now and my kiddos are having a whole bunch of fun! The are having a hard time saying the word "symmetry", but it's a hoot to hear their attempts. Today, they worked in pairs to create a design. When 1 student was finished half of the design, their partner had to lay down a ruler and create a symmetrical design on the opposite side of the ruler. It is so interesting to see that some of them go with simple designs, while others dive into far more complex ones. Check out some of their work...

Ambitious eh? 

The picture above is representative of a common mistake with symmetry. It made for a great learning opportunity for these students and the class. We stopped and discussed why this design did not represent symmetry and then worked together to correct the design. It was a collaborative effort and a great learning experience. 

Now onto a fun linky party from Jodi @ Fun in First

Here are 5 things I am LOVING in April:

1.) First and foremost, I am LOVING that my nephew is on the mend. He was really sick for a few weeks and it broke my heart to know that he was going through that...and only 7 months old. Now, he seems to be getting better and better and my whole family is simply thrilled..

That's me and my guy...

2. I am LOVING my team's experimental approach to teaching our Social Studies unit on The Local Community. It is a very emergent and play-based approach and I think my students will really thrive within the next few weeks! 

3. I am LOVING that future Mr. Lou got a promotion at work. He does so much and deserves recognition for his contributions. He is so thrilled and I am a proud fiance.

4. I am LOVING that our vegas wedding is getting closer and closer...only 3 months and 8 days to go!!!

5. I am LOVING that I have a teaching job! Where I live, it is next to impossible to get a teaching job right now. There are many people that I went to school with that are not pursuing a career in teaching because they simply cannot wait any longer to catch a break and get a position. I LOVE teaching so much and I simply can't imagine doing anything else. 

Head on over to Fun in First see what other people are LOVING in April.

Bye for now,

Learning doesn't have to be pretty...a good reminder

Today we had a grade level session with our programming and curriculum consultants. As usual, when we started to discuss what we have been doing in our classrooms we came to discover that we have been going a little off track. Does this happen to everyone? I don't know about you guys, but during most of these meetings, I am questioning my teaching ability and feeling horrible.

However, as the session and our conversations continued, we began to narrow in on what we want our students to learn, and how we are going to try to get them to that point. The concepts we are focusing on for this particular learning cycle are making connections integrated into our "Local Community" unit. In the past, we have always picked a reading expectation to focus on, but as they always do, things have changed and now we are suppose to be looking at bigger and broader ideas. After MUCH discussion and brainstorming we realized that most of our kiddos didn't know much about their own community, or what a community actually was. If they didn't have schema, then how are they suppose to made valuable connections? So, we are going to be creating communities within our classrooms! We're talkin' full on hospitals, houses, streets, signs, etc. It will be a whole class ongoing activity, guided by THEIR ideas and not our expectations of what we think a community should look like. No cute pencil, paper, scissor, and glue activities. No neat anchor charts made by the teacher to guide their thinking. It's going to be un-pretty....and that is OKAY (deep breaths). We were reminded that the walls should be covered with more of their writing, and less of our own. Sometimes, we think that students need to see our nicely colour-coded and neatly printed posters and charts, but that is not necessarily true. Through this, we will be asking them to explain their ideas and contributions as well as their rationale for including these components in the community.

I am apprehensive and excited at the same time. This type of learning is truly authentic and lends itself to 'real life' situations and life skills. I cannot wait to see what their little brains come up with, but at the same time, I hope I am providing them with the necessary materials and questions that will allow their ideas to come to life. I will keep you up to date on the process.

I would like to leave you with an AMAZING video that we watched today. This video is extremely inspiring and reminds us that learning through play is irreplaceable. This concept is HUGE in Canada right now. Before this session, I didn't have a grasp about what learning through play really looked like. However, this little Caine reminded me...take a look!

Tell me you aren't inspired?????

Bye for now,

Day of PINK! Tough Talks about Bullying

Yesterday was the official Day of Pink! The purpose of this initiative is to stand up against all forms of bullying by wearing pink on April. 11th. The turn out at our school was OUTSTANDING and I truly feel that the students took a lot out of the discussions and stories surrounding bullying. The school was filled with staff and students in pink gear! The day of Pink started in lil' old Nova Scotia (Canada woohoo)! You can read more about it by clicking here.

Our school community is very diverse and I feel privileged to work with such a wonderful group of students. I think it is crucial to open up discussions about bullying starting right from kindergarten. Many of my Gr. 1's knew about the Day of Pink and were aware of how it originated. We brainstormed various ways people can bully and the feelings associated with being bullied. Another important aspect of our discussions was pinpointing what is means to be bullied...otherwise the kiddos will start telling you they are being bullied for EVERYTHING. One of my little ones said that she was bullied because *soandso* butted in line. This sparked a conversation about deciphering between bullying and other conflicts.

To jumpstart conversations we read a couple of books that are centered around bullying. These books are a MUST in any classroom library. Check them out below!

The Juice Box Bully is great for discussions about 'the bystander'

You all know I HEART all of Todd Parr's books. I have a unit on TPT using his books, centered around character education. Check it out by clicking on the picture above! 

I would LOVE to hear if and how you celebrated the day of PINK in your classrooms. Below is a video created by our district. Such an amazing video with a wonderful message about creating welcoming environments . Check it out and show it to your students! 

Bye for now,

Currently...Better Late Than Never!

I am really late linking up with Farley....so I will get right to it! Here goes...

I absolutely LOVE reading everyone else's "currently's"! I am off to enjoy the last few hours of this wonderful long weekend. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Bye for now,

Easter FUN!

Hello Friends!

We had a really fun day yesterday, creating and talking about all things Easter. We made these cute little chicks that I found here. The students LOVED them.

We also read The Easter Bunny's Assistant. I discovered this book form Abby over at The Inspired Apple. It was just PRECIOUS! The students thought that little skunk was HILARIOUS..and frankly I did too. I realize it's a little late now, but pick it up for next year for sure! It's a teacher must-have. 

I hope everyone had just as much fun as we did for Easter. I for one REALLY need this 4 day weekend. I have been dealing with a serious voice issue. It went from no voice to man voice to frog voice. It is going on a week now and I am SO OVER sounding like this. As teachers, you all know how frustrating it is to try and recover when you can literally NEVER rest your voice. I am hoping it returns soon...Have a wonderful weekend with your family and friends!!! 

Bye for now,

Ms. Lou