Alphabet Posters & FREE Schedule Cards

I've been teaching for 8 years and I've had two classroom themes - bees for five years and polka dots for the last 3 years.  This year I'm adding a few touches of chevron to switch things up a bit.

I found these lights on clearance at Target. First I was bummed because the polka dot lights were not on clearance, but a co-worker convinced me that polka dots and chevron can go together.
My number line is green and pink polka dots, so I thought it would be fitting to do a chevron print for the alphabet line since it's on the opposite site of the room.

It's hard for me to find D'Nealian items so if you need this in a different theme, let me know. 

I also made a polka version (lined and unlined).  

I've been using the same schedule cards for several years too.  I had mounted them on scrapbook paper, but them some of our enrichment classes changed and I didn't have something to match it.  Every Monday there was a blank hole.  The kids finally got used to the blank hole because they knew it was Cultural Studies.  

My Friday schedule was always a little different in the afternoon. Let's be honest and realize that you probably cannot teach a lesson the last hour of the day, especially if you have just come back from enrichment.  They are D.O.N.E.  (And maybe the teacher is too.) Usually class store happens at this time.  Some weeks I would show a movie related to whatever we were learning.  Other weeks I would do a directed drawing from Jennifer at First Grade Blue Skies.  The schedule cards include both of these options!

They include:

Lunch

Snack

Social Studies

Science

Math

Calendar

Reader's Workshop (alternates include Reading and Phonics)

Writer's Workshop (alternates include Writing and Grammar)

Music

Art

Library

Spanish

Computer

PE

Recess

Morning Work 

Dismissal

Field Trip

Class Store

Directed Drawings

Movie

Bible

Chapel

Praise & Worship

You can download the free schedule cards {HERE}.

It's All About That Schedule (and Currently too!)

It's all about that schedule, that schedule, that schedule.  I'm always waiting on pins and needles to find out what time enrichment, lunch and recess will be.  It's like I can finally starting planning once I have that schedule.

To give you a background, I'm a first grade teacher at a private Christian school.  This year I have 18 sweet kiddos.  It feels like a wonderful number since I had 21 last year!
I've been lucky that the past two years, my schedule has pretty much stayed the same.  The bonus is that I have a break about every 1 1/2 hours.  I think it works well for the students too.

Students arrive between 8 - 8:25.  As the year trickles on, I don't really have any students until about 8:15.  They unpack their book bag and get started on their morning work.  Let's be honest, it's a bit of a social hour as the year progresses too.

Everyday we have Praise & Worship.  Seriously, I feel so grateful to work at this school!  We head to the worship center, sing songs, and have a short devotional about the word of the month.  It really centers our day and everyone leaves in a good mood!

Readers Workshop - This covers reading groups, centers, and phonics lessons.  Usually I start with the phonics lesson and then have a snack break before starting reading groups.  It's a busy time of the day because I feel pulled in so many directions.

Next up is recess and PE.  They have 20 minutes of PE followed by 20 minutes of recess.  On Tuesdays, they have a full 40 minutes of recess with the other first grade class.

Math is probably my favorite time of day!  We usually start in our math journals using daily editing word problems (my favorite purchase on TpT ever), or interactive notebook activities.  I use Reagan Tunstall's math notebook and Angie's notebooks that I won last month.  I like the variety between both - Regan's allows me to introduce some concepts earlier than I would have (like measurement) so they kids are completely shocked by it when it comes up.  I really like how Angie's notebooks are grouped by category because then I can easily pull up topics we are covering in class.

This usually take about 20 minutes of our math block.  I usually do a whole group lesson (I know, I know, but I don't think I have the time or energy to do small group math), students work independently, and then go to math stations.  

We are excited when math ends because it's lunch time.  We used to have a lunch duty every other week for about two years, but the principal let us give it up a few weeks ago.  All of the teachers rejoiced! :)

Writers Workshop includes a grammar lesson followed by a independent writing time.

We have enrichment everyday - library, computer, music, art, etc.

I end the day with a Bible, Science or Social Studies lesson.  I usually do Bible two to three times per week.  Science and Social Studies alternate depending on our theme.

Be sure to check out all of the other schedules!

I also finished my Currently for the month!  I'm on a roll for the morning!

Daily Schedule

It was my intent to blog every single day for Teacher Week.  (<---I'm kind of laughing at that.)  Sheer exhaustation in the evening will do that for you.  I'm playing a little catch up with a few of my favorite days.

Here's a peek at my daily schedule.

I love my schedule!  It's been the same for the past two years, maybe three...honestly I can't remember that far back.

I work at a private school, so that's why you'll see Bible and a Praise & Worship time.  We have "chapel" every day.  The students sing a few songs and there's a short devotion.  It's a great way for students (and teachers) to start their day! 

8:50 - 10:20 Readers Workshop

There's 1 1/2 hours for Readers Workshop.  It seems like that's a long time, but we are constantly on the move!  I have students do a modified version on Daily Five (this year I'm only doing Read to Self and Work on Words), a phonics lesson and snack time.  

This past week I've been using Go Noodle for brain breaks during this period.  I had read about it on several blogs and gave it a try.  They love it!!  You've got to try it!

10:20 - 11 Recess/PE

The students have 20 minutes of PE, then 20 minutes of recess everyday.  On Tuesdays, they only have recess for the entire period.  I love it when they come back sweaty and stinky.  :)

11 -12:05  Math

This is the busiest time of day!  There's so much to squeeze it.  We start off with our Rise & Shine Folders.

Next, we move onto our math journal.  I've always done math word problems in a journal, but this year I decided to give the interactive journal thing a try.  (More on this later - it's going so well!!)

Usually a short brain break (something math related) before we move onto the whole group lesson.

The students end the period with math centers.  Sometimes we get to these, sometimes not.

12:05 - 12:35 Lunch - almost duty free.  We alternate lunch duty with the kindergarten teacher.

12:35 - 1:20 Writer's Workshop

I'll typical start off with a grammar lesson before we move into writing.  I feel like I'm constantly fine tuning my writing lessons!

1:20 - 2:05 Enrichment (Library, Computer, Music, Art, Cultural Studies)

2:05 - 3:05 Bible/Science/Social Studies

I don't try to squeeze in all three in one hour!  I alternate science/social studies monthly.  Right now we're studying space.

As for our official Bible lesson, it happens 2 to 3 times a week.  I really try for 3, but Friday afternoons are just an attempt at this point.  It gets better as the year goes on.

3:15 Dismissal