Kids Know my Favorite Number is 10

In first grade we spend quality time grounding the students in the number 10.  10 is my favorite number and they KNOW it!  We talk about all the combinations of ten and how 10 is a foundation number.  Let me explain.  If a child can get to 10 they can get to a decade and that is a beautiful thing when adding or subtracting larger numbers.  I know why now when it is only the 23rd day of 1st grade?  I am laying the foundation or the progression for when we work with larger numbers.  Each day they identify mystery numbers on a blank 100 chart. This day we just happened to be talking about 18, 48, and 88.

How many until the next friendly number?  "2" and "how do you know that?"  "I can count 2 boxes." or "2 more and I get to 20, 50, and 90."  YES!! now why? After some questioning someone pointed out... well check out the video and see why.  Aren't they the best mathematicians ever?!?

Is it ever too early to think about college?

Funny 19 years teaching and I still get asked why do you talk about the Seminoles when you teach 1st grade?  Is it ever too early to think about college?  I do teach in Florida and yes we live and LOVE our college football-especially the Seminoles of FLORIDA STATE every Saturday!  Last year I had the pleasure of teaching Tye and his mom volunteered every chance she could.  She is the Media Specialist at Bethune Cookman University and she is the BEST ever! What a mom and inspiration as a truly genuine person! Today FSU takes on Bethune Cookman so my friend Lucas, who comes from a family full of Seminole fans, and I are putting our game faces on!  Check us out! Win or lose thinking about college is always a good goal to have...one day way too soon for my chickens.

Shake Those Beans

One way of practicing addition and subtraction together is playing Shake Those Beans!

Yes, it does get a bit loud in the classroom but the math you hear is incredible!  They shake the beans and spill them out on the placemat.  Sort the red and yellow, then compose an addition sentence using the red number as the 1st addend.  I love when they put them in a pattern like my friend Reese who put them in a 4 dot formation like on dice to reveal the number sentence 4+4=8.  They are such mathematicians!  Check out as Timmy and Logan play a round of Shake Those Beans.  I notice at the end they each have something close to what the other has...do you notice too? Make sure to pay attention to the part where the music is in the video.

9/11 Never Forget

I have seen this everywhere today and stopped throughout my day to think back to that day.  I remember it like it was yesterday not 12 years ago.  I sat with Kaile and Carson this morning and told the story.  Kaile was 6 months old and at Ms. Linda's house.  I was teaching 2nd grade at Horizon Elementary and my husband was working that day as a police officer.  We went to a lockdown but didn't know why and then Tim called, "Have you heard?"  Heard what we are in a lockdown.  "Someone flew a plane into the Twin Towers."  You have got to be kidding me and then it was all over the news, the papers, and in every conversation.  The days were filled with sadness and who could imagine the torture one lived through waiting to find out about loved ones.  Police officers, firemen, and first responders became heroes. It still makes a lump in my throat today, 12 years later...

We were greeted with our very own local Fire Chief and Fire Marshall.  Mr. Weir is a former Wright's Rippers parent and what a fabulous family!  Thank you both for everything you do each day to keep us safe.

Then Cypress Creek made a lovely dedication to Fireman Michael Roberts.  He is a cousin to a family at our school.  The children will never know what a hero Michael was since he was one of the first to respond and lost his life.  These kids were younger than 12 so they weren't here to be part of this but the effects live on within this family and hundreds like it across our country.

We observed a moment of silence in honor of these heroes and their families.  Thank you Cypress Creek for the dedication-and Ms. Garver.  Thank you to the Fire Chief and Fire Marshall.  Thank you to the family of Michael Roberts.  Thank you to my fabulous husband who works everyday to keep peace and order in our community.  You are all heroes and we will NEVER FORGET your importance, dedication, and sacrifice you make daily to keep us safe.

Have you played Garbage lately?

While teaching Thinking Math we try to share games to teach the students and then they can practice with one another or their family at home.  Here is a new favorite...Garbage.  Watch as Mia and CJ lead you through a game and find out who wins.  Make sure to practice with your parent and leave us a comment on what you think of our game.

Hat Day parade

We worked with the short a for 2 weeks and learned many words in the -at, -ap, -am, -ack, and -an word families.  What better way to end the week than with a hat parade?  Check us out in our finest.

The 10th day of school was met with a surprise delivery at 10 am from these 2 front office lovelies.

We couldn't wait to get it open and see what was inside.  Turned out to be a surprise from Zero the Hero.  There was a letter, some balloons, a cape, a mini Zero the Hero and DONUTS-shaped like you guessed it zeros!!

YUMMY donuts!  So after reading the letter to the class I asked when Zero would be back.  One answered "the next zero day" and when will that be "day 20"!  I have some smart cookies this year.  Thank you Zero!  We can't wait for you to visit again.