Festive FALL

 

 

Team Building Puzzle Races

Team Building Puzzle Races



This week we really focused on center expectations and procedures. We talked about what worked in centers and what didn't. We wrote essential agreements for our Math and Reading centers and practiced rotating in centers with their groups. I asked the kids to work with their center groups to put a puzzle together but they had to do it WITHOUT talking. ;)

 



They did fantastic and didn't talk the whole time. I had 1 group finish in 9 minutes and the other groups were close behind. I then asked them to break the puzzle apart and do it again but this time they COULD talk.



 



What I thought was interesting is that it took them 12 minutes to complete the puzzle this time!!!! We discussed why we thought it took longer WITH talking and what they did instead of talking during the first round. Here are some of their responses:



"I felt like I could focus better when it was quiet."

"I used my hands to show the other person where to put the puzzle piece instead of telling them."

"It was more peaceful when we didnt talk"



:) Happy Teacher Moment!

Back to School

Getting ready for back to school and Meet Your Teacher night! Here is how I set up my room. Totally not finished but getting closer! I was asked to teach IR this year and at first I was super nervous but now I am SO EXCITED for the challenge. Can't wait to see what this year holds! :) Happy Teaching!!!

 

Summer is OVER :(

Hi Friends~

Sorry I have posted (since June) but I have been BUSY BUSY. I got married to the love of my life on July 12 and we have been honeymooning and organizing wedding gifts ever since! Here are some pics from our PERFECT wedding day!

End of the Year

 

In my classroom my students try to earn COMPLIMENTS in the hallways/during assemblies/with substitutes/in enrichment class/etc. Anywhere that is not "in my classroom with me". Every time they earn a compliment I add a piece of the Mr. and Mrs. Potato-head. Once all the pieces are on Mr. and Mrs. Potato-head, I add a letter to their "COMPIIMENTS" board. (10 compliments per letter). It seems like a lot but you would be surprised how many compliments these kids earn. Sometimes they earn 5 a day!!!! I use this as a team building and behavior management system. If they earn all the letters to their Compliments board they earn an Ice Cream Party at the end of the year. I actually had to alter it this year and add "TOPPINGS" to the board because my babes earned so many compliments. :) they earned 6 Toppings just the last two weeks of school. Pretty Proud!!!!

Making Memories! Last day being called "Ms. Rose" :(

 

My Bestie Loren Ferretti makes this adorable bows! Go on over to WWW.GAMEDAYBOWS.COM and check her out!!! She has a gazillion styles. I use mine as a belt for spirit days and with a maxi dress too!

End of the Year

This year I decided to eliminate the whole "bring your favorite board game to school" day. I always hate it and its stressful SO this year I did MINUTE TO WIN IT CHALLENGES! So much fun, my kids were working as a team, AND there was NO STRESS! I will definitely be doing them again next year. Here is the list of Minute to Win it games that I did but you can alter them to fit what you have in your classroom... that is what I did. :)

1. Feather Flop: Who can keep the feather in the air for one minute by blowing it with their mouth?
2. Marshmallow Stack: Who can stack 5 marshmallows tall and keep them there for one minute?
3. Paper Fish: Who can move the fish from one end of the carpet to the other using a paper plate to push it in one minute?
4. Cup Tower: Who can stack the tallest plastic cup tower in one minute? (measuring with a meter stick)
5. Face Pop: Who can roll a piece of pop corn from their forehead to their mouth in one minute?
6. There She Blows: Who can blow a pompom from one end of the room to the other using a straw in one minute?
7. Chop Sticks: Who can move 10 pompoms from one plate to the other using chop sticks (pencils) in one minute?
8. Leaning tower: Who can blow two plastic cups from one end of the table and back in one minute?
9. Balloon Bop: Who can keep a balloon in the air using one a paper plate for one minute?
10. Cheerio Stack: Who can stack the most cheerios high in one minute?

Name Change

So I am getting married in a month !!!!! (AHHH) and I will no longer be Ms. Rose but the soon to be Mrs. Stallings (hence the blog name). I am starting to renovate my classroom from being "Ms. Rose" everything to represent my new name. Here is my first completed project!

Teacher Funnies

 

Pretty sure this is funnier to me because it has my name in it but still... 2 more days and then it's SUMMER!!!!!

 

More Body System Activities

Well we finished up our Body Systems Unit this past week! The kids really enjoy the activities and my amazing parents have been so awesome with donations this year so we were able to do so much more! :)

 
Boneless Hand: Why do we need bones? What do you notice about the hand? This was so much fun and a great "inquiry" lesson.

 

Spinal Cord: They used cheerios for the bones and gummy life savers for the squishy membrane.  I think I will use string Twislers next year so that it is all edible.

 More of our body systems book and a completed "spinal cord".

Body Systems

We started our new IB planner on Human Body Systems. I am doing an activity with each body system and then the students are adding that body system to their BODY BOOK.

 

First, we did the Circulatory System. We discussed the different parts. Then, we made blood! LOL

Water Bottle = Vein
Vegetable Oil = Plasma
Red Hot Candies = Red Blood Cells
Marshmallows = White Blood Cells
Sprinkles = Platelets

 

 

Next, we did the Digestive System. We discussed the different parts. Then, we made a stomach!

Plastic Baggie = Stomach
Soda = Acid
Saltine Cracker = Food

 

 

Then, we did the Respiratory System. We discussed the different parts. Then, we made lungs!

Plastic bottle with balloon inside and on the bottom (lung and diaphragm).
Straw = Trachea

Next week we will finish the body systems and I'll post some more pictures! :)