Math Center Miracles

Organization is miraculous!  I finally feel like I have found a system to organize my math centers that really works for me in my classroom.  I use 16 bags based on the color coded acronym M.A.T.H.  This system allows me to do guided math groups while my students are engaged in centers, and is really not difficult to keep up with.  I leave many of the activities in the bags all year long, and switch some out every now and then based on the unit we are doing.  The kids LOVE math centers, and I do too.  I give them a choice of centers, but keep them accountable to do a different center each day  {I learned this the hard way after some students did the same center every.single.day }  I could go on and on, but in the interest of time, you can check it out for yourself here.  I have this pack available in both English & Spanish on my TpT store.  How have math centers been going for you?

Who doesn't love magazines?

This first week has been a whirlwind. In first grade, we start out in math by teaching the students that numbers are all around them. One activity the students do during the first week is to find numbers in magazines, cut out the pictures, and glue them in their math journals. For some reason, the kids LOVE getting to use magazines and my kids this year were especially into this activity. Here is one of the finished products:

I hope that your week with your kiddos went well!

Olympians

I have had fun doing lots of the activities from my {free} Olympic theme pack in Spanish with my kiddos this week.  I'm sad that the Olympics don't happen every year because I want to use these activities again next year!  {Oh, and because I love the gymnastics}  Anyway, here is the Olympian my kids made using a glyph.  I thought it turned out way cute!

The kids also got WAY into the Gold Medal scavenger hunt.  I thought they might be disappointed that the gold medal at the end was only printed on paper, but they weren't.  They were just so proud and excited to have found it!  I really am loving my group of kids this year;  they are so sweet & eager to learn.  Have you done any new activities this year that you have loved?

I survived!

Today was our first day with kiddos & I survived!  I only have 13 students in my class so far-- a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  I've always had a full class of 22, so today seemed like a breeze.  Our principal always says "Get 'em here, get 'em fed, get 'em home."  Mission accomplished.  If your first day was today, how did it go?

WilLd about 1st grade!

Whew... I've been hard at work over the last few weeks and finally feel like my classroom is complete. Here are a few photos of the finished product:

Linky Party

I am linking up with Funky First Grade Fun to share my favorite book for building community in my classroom.  Being that I teach dual language, I love to remind my students that we are one big community no matter what language we speak.  It is okay if someone makes a mistake in what they are saying because that happens when learning a new language, and we should support our classmates rather than making fun of them.  I use the book "La Vaca que Decia Oink" to teach this because it is just SO cute.

In this story, there is a cow who says oink and a pig who says moo.  Throughout the story, the pig teaches the cow to say moo and the cow teaches the pig to say oink.  It is the perfect story to use when there are different languages being spoken in your classroom, and really encourages community.  Just like the cow & pig help each other, the students should help each other as they are learning two languages together :).

Giveaway & Strep Throat...

Go like my facebook page & enter a giveaway for my classroom organizational pack in English, Spanish, or both!  Who doesn't like free stuff??  I know I am all about the freebies.

By the way-- who gets strep throat the week before school starts?  This girl.  This was totally not in my plans... I'm sure I'll laugh about it later, but today is not the day :(.  T minus 5 days until the chickadees come!