Looking back at the year...

Wow... so now we are in summer break! I am finally resting up and beginning to decompress and slow down my life a little bit. What a packed year. I am always astonished at how much we do each year. It is one big long race to the middle of June, a race to get everything done and finished, paperwork submitted and needs attended to. This year was extra full with losing my dad and getting married, not only in the same school year, but in the same week! Lot's of grace was needed to make it through some of those trying times, the ups and the downs. I feel proud about what we did this last year. Our grade level had great test scores, but more than that I feel proud about how I ended the year with the kids. In my first couple of years I always ended the year a little frustrated. Frustrated at how I felt I had taught that year, frustrated at those couple boys who would just seems to misbehave all year long. This year was different. I still had some boys that were a struggle, but I felt like I was different. I felt like I was able to reach around those behaviors and even though I was having to discipline and such, I was able to still enjoy the time in the room and even with those who struggled more. I enjoyed the year. It was a successful year!

Here is one fun little activity we do at the end of each year. It is their final exam. They copy and answer questions that I write down for them on the board. But, they do it in shaving cream on their desks. I had some moms helping me which was very necessary with first graders I found out. It really gives the desks a good clean as well...

Our plant unit...

A few months ago we did our unit on plants. It was my first time to do this unit as a straight first grade teacher. You learn a lot about milking it for all it's worth when you work with the great first grade team that I am working with. It was a real learning experience for me to see the detail in which we went with the kids. Almost every part of our day was touched by the plant theme. The kids had a great time with it and seemed to really grasp at a deep level what we were talking about.... Hey, that's the point!


GLAD chants










Lots of growing and collecting












Life cycle and basic of plant needs.










Even our own greenhouses!