A Comparison

All this week, I've been sharing school-related things.  On Monday, I shared the Top 5 hits from 1988--the year I started Kindergarten.  Tuesday was my classroom set-up for the 2014-2015 school year.  Wednesday was my book review of The Chronicles of Narnia, and yesterday, I shared some tips that parents should know about teachers.  Today, as I'm mere days away from returning to my 6th grade classroom, I thought that I would share some of the differences and similarities between being a first grade teacher and a sixth grade teacher.

Note: ALL of the following pictures are from Pins I've pinned to my "The Life of a Teacher Board" on Pinterest.  You can find the links to their original homes there.  

Some things are true of teaching both 1st and 6th grades:

Yes, this happens to me, and yes, it happened in both first and sixth grade.  And yes, I usually immediately regret this decision.  Therefore, I almost always pick partners FOR my students, thereby crushing their hopes and dreams.... ;0)

Here are some things that are true of teaching first graders:

Celebrating the 100th Day of School is a BIG deal in first grade!  It was always a day of fun activities.  In sixth grade, I acknowledge the 100th day of school, but the day continues as usual.  I do, however, start my end of school countdown on this day!

That would be "hand sanitizer" in case you don't know.

I loved doing cute and fun science lessons with my first graders.  I thought this one about the butterfly life cycle would have been really cute!  I am not (and do not want to be) the sixth grade science teacher.

This was one of my first grade pet peeves.  I would often tell students that I would call on students who were sitting in their seats quietly with their hands raised.  In contrast, sixth graders would prefer that I stay as far away from them as possible.  ;)

I do miss teaching first grade sometimes.  I miss how excited they are at Christmastime.  My last year in first grade, I had an Elf on the Shelf, and I had so much fun placing him in the classroom for the kids to find when they arrived.  I miss that I could use the simplest gifts as rewards, and they thought they were absolute treasures.  I miss that they loved me unconditionally!  But I don't miss runny noses, the reading curriculum, or how I had to go-go-go to be "on" for these little ones.

I like that sixth graders are independent.  They don't need me every single second of the day.  I like that they can work independently with mostly guidance from me.  I like that we can carry on great conversations and that they understand my sarcasm.  I do wish they cared a little more about their grades, and that I didn't worry they may call me nasty names behind my back when they're unhappy with me.  But overall, I am truly happy to be preparing these students to head off to junior high.

Transformation Tuesday

As I mentioned yesterday, this week is my last week of summer vacation.  To "celebrate" going back to school, this week is full of school related posts.

For Music Monday, I shared some songs from 1988, the year I started Kindergarten!

Today, I'm going to show you my classroom set-up.  I was chatting a bit about school with my friend, Ashley from A Party of Four, and she mentioned seeing my classroom set up.  So, at the very least, I know that she will appreciate this post!  Haha

Just in case you're new around these parts, last year, I moved from first grade (after 6 years) to sixth grade.  I will be continuing in 6th grade this year.  I will teach one math class, a language arts (writing) class, and all of the sixth grade reading classes.

Let's start in the hall...

I like to start the year with a welcome back bulletin board.  I just think it's fun, and frankly, if I didn't, this bulletin board would be blank for awhile.

This bulletin board changes each month.  For this one, students will write (and color/illustrate) the title of a book they read over the summer on a blank picture of a book.  In October, they'll do a book they recently read on pumpkins.

This welcome sign is on a support pole outside of my classroom.  The circle and stripe design is a theme in my classroom.  Last year, I became obsessed decided I really liked the idea of my classroom accents matching.  This theme is called Calypso.  It's from Carson Dellosa.

This set-up is right inside my door to your right.  It's all taped to the wall, and it's cleverly covering all of the ripped off paint spots that they never seem to fix.  The calendar, birthday chart, and class chart (that I'm using to keep track of AR- Accelerated Reader points) are from the Calypso Bulletin Board Set.  Students actually start school on August 27th, but I just go ahead and set up the calendar for September so I don't have to change it on the first Friday back to school.  The border is orange on the back.  

When you enter my room, and turn left, you will see these pencil punctuation guys!  This wall also has unsightly chipped paint spots.  Since I'm teaching Language Arts this year, I decided that they would be useful for more than one reason.

Above the cabinets next to the wall with the punctuation pencils, I have some storage boxes.  Some of them are empty, and others hold holiday decorations.  I was so tired of looking at ugly cardboard boxes so I bought some fun duct tape, and voila!

This blank poster was part of the Calypso Bulletin Board Set.  I decided to use it for writing the classroom rules, and I took down the one I had that didn't match the theme! :)

This is the only thing in my classroom that isn't totally finished yet.  I have to create the chart that I'm hanging here.  It will be a classroom reward system.  Students who earn a 100% on a test or receive a good behavior slip will get to sign their name in a binder, and choose a square from a 10 x 10 square.  Each square will reveal a small individual or class prize.  When they get 10 in a row, we will have a big class reward like a pizza party or a 30 minute extra recess period.  The border is purple on the back.  (You will see this shortly).

Here is the view of the front of my classroom.  (The 100 Club bulletin board is cut off on the left.)

The smart board from the above picture used to be on this side of the room for some insanely stupid reason.  I requested that it be moved to its current location for this school year.  To cover up the horrible mess of a wall now that it's moved, I taped white paper to the wall, framed it with the purple side of the polka dot border you saw before, and hung up this reading strategies set.  Below this is my mail center.  The white paper has my students' names with their assigned number.  The mailboxes are numbered from 1-20.  I used black binder clips, cut white file folder stickers to fit, stuck them to the binder clips, and labeled them with numbers.

I learned a lesson last year about the classroom computers...particularly during recess.  The same students use them all of the time, and I can't keep track of it.  Therefore, I created a sign-up sheet.  (And at some point, I hope, my monitors will be returned....)

Here is my classroom library.

Here's the striped border AND its reverse side.  This is my supply station.  When I started 6th grade, I wanted to still have students do classroom jobs without them seeming baby-ish.  Student earn points that they can use in my classroom store.

The bottom shelf has items that students can "buy" with their points in my classroom store: erasers, notebooks, pencils- regular & mechanical, pens).

I used my fancy panorama feature on my iPhone to take this view of the seating arrangement and front of my classroom.  I decided on this arrangement so students can easily see if I'm teaching from the smart board or from the white board at the back of the room.

So there you have it!  What do you think???

It's August Already?!?

I seriously cannot believe that it's the first day of August.  At my school, teachers head back to work on the 26th.  I always enjoy the beginning of the school year, but giving up my lazy summer days takes some adjusting.  Every year, without fail, back-to-school nightmares start disrupting my sleep.  All of these things serve to remind me that my summer is rapidly drawing to a close.  :( 

As many of you know, though, I have a big change coming this school year.  I am moving from first grade to sixth!

I've had a lot of reactions from people about this.  An overwhelming majority of people are excited for me and have offered their congratulations.  I appreciate this because it was MY decision.  I wasn't "asked" (aka "told') to move.  I didn't have to do it.  It was something I wanted to do.  What I haven't appreciated are the few people who have said, "Are you crazy?",  "Why are you punishing yourself?", "Of all the elementary grades, 6th is my least favorite.", and "Why would you want to do THAT?"

Fortunately, none of you were among those negative Nelly's, but with the school year approaching, I decided I would share why I am moving to 6th grade.  But first, some background as to why I even considered it.  I honestly never wanted to teach above third grade.  Students after that develop real attitudes about school...and usually, they're not good attitudes.  I had been working closely with a sixth grade teacher on our School Wide Positive Behavior team.  One day, during a meeting, he mentioned that the sixth grade was going to need a fourth teacher for the upcoming school year.  Knowing how I felt about the older grades, he jested, "Wanna come teach 6th grade?"  "Uhh...no," was my sarcastic reply. 

I call those my famous last words.

After that conversation, I couldn't stop thinking about moving out of first and up to sixth.

In no particular order, my reasons are listed below:

1. I spent 6 years of my seven-year teaching career in first grade.  I really just felt the need for a change.
2. If I moved, I would be teaching reading.  This is a subject I am highly comfortable with.  Not only do I love reading, but my background of teaching primary reading will be very helpful with sixth grade students who are still struggling.  I will be able to take them back to the basics, if necessary.
3. I taught this group of students when they were in first grade five years ago.  That's a good AND bad thing.  BUT I like that I can see and interact with past students again.  One of my favorite things about teaching is watching my students grow up and seeing what kind of people they become.
4. Independence.  Sixth graders are not needy.  They can do so much more on their own without repeated explicit instruction.
5. Projects.  Because of their independence, they can do much more interesting things to demonstrate their knowledge.
6. I am sick and tired of the reading stories in first grade.  We use a wonderful curriculum in first grade (Story Town by Harcourt).  When we got the reading series during my second year of teaching first grade, I was thrilled.  My first year was chaos.  I had no idea what I was doing.  I finally had a guide.  But after five years of some of the most boring and/or stupid stories ever, I decided that if I had to hear "Little Rabbit's Tale" (to name just one) one more time, I was going to rip off my ears.
7. I am done with the negativity.  Not that everyone is happy and positive all the time.  I know I'm not, but two of the teachers with whom I've worked for a long time have just brought me down.  Every change, certain students, anything that they don't like becomes a HUGE issue.  I've essentially been doing things the way I want anyway because I just don't care what they say.  I need to be somewhere where each thing we're asked to do is not the end of the world.
8. I only need to write lesson plans for 4 reading classes (which can essentially be the same) and one math class.
9. Students can actually help you...effectively.  I could only rely on the best and brightest of my first graders sometimes to help me with certain tasks.  Sixth graders are a bit more reliable. 
10. Change is good, y'all!  Especially when it's change that you've initiated.  Am I nervous?  Yes.  Do I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing?  Absolutely.  Am I overwhelmed right now?  Sure.  But I'm so excited.  

And that, friends, is why I'm moving to sixth grade.  :)