The first three days...

We spent a great deal of time this week getting our routines down.  Here are a few:

Arrival:
Students...
- greet me at the door.
- unpack their backpack by:
     * checking their planner binder for any notes or money that should come to me
     * placing planner binder and lunchbox in the top of their cubby
- take their chairs down so I know they are here
- read the morning message from the ActiveBoard
- do any morning work that I've given them

Morning Meeting:
After school-wide morning announcements, students meet me on the carpet to begin our morning meeting.  This consists of:
- a greeting
- a share (this is structured by a prompt that I give them to think about) which is optional for students
- an activity to get us moving and smiling to begin our day off right!

Standing/Walking in Line:
Brownsville students are required to walk through the halls in a straight line with zero noise.  We have had to practice this a little, but they are catching on quickly - especially when practicing is just before recess.  :) 

Transitions:
I use three different methods to gain students' attention.  When these methods are used, students are expected to give me eye contact and their best listening ears.  We are still working on these, as some students are not used to this yet.  It'll take another week or so, but then they will be masters!  These methods are:
- chime
- raised hand
- count down to zero noise

Read Aloud:
After lunch each day, students come into the classroom and immediately go to the carpet.  We spend about 10-15 minutes listening to a story while veggin' on the carpet.  During this time, we cover vocabulary and focus on the current comprehension strategy being taught in reading groups.

Planner/Pack Up/Closing Circle/Dismissal:
Each day for most of the year, I will model what to write (and where to write it) for homework in the planner.  Students are expected to write exactly what I write.  Occasionally, you may see my handwriting.  This simply means that there was too much to write and/or your child was out of the room for some of the writing time.  We will write homework and any important dates coming up soon (pictures, tests, etc.)

Once homework is written down, I play a song (Nothing More by the Alternate Routes), which is a song that promotes positive actions in your life.  Once the song is finished, students should have their binders and lunch boxes in their backpacks, chairs stacked on top of their desks, the room cleaned up, and be sitting on the carpet.

Our closing circle is a way to end our day together in a positive way.  Most of the time, we talk about our roses (highlights from the day), which we Tweet at the end of the day.  Some times, I will ask them a specific question, such as "explain the steps in telling time" or "what adaptations does a snow fox have that allows it to survive in its environment."  Please follow us on Twitter or look to the right on this blog and read what's happened!

Once our closing circle is complete, students line up for our dismissal while I pass out dismissal notes.  We even dance if we're a little early.  Yesterday, I actually got about 8 students to dance with me.  Some were hesitant, but once I twirled them a few times, they were smiling and loving every moment!  :)



Hopefully this information helps you understand our day a little more.  Please be sure to read the content tabs above for specifics in each content area. 

Have a fabulous weekend!