Embedded Files
Michigan State University has taught me how to be an educator and how to be a beneficial part of students' lives which is my passion. In this page, I would love to share with you a little bit about how I teach. Below, you'll find a little info about a few core subjects as well as some photos with captions to explain some of the things I do in the classroom as a kindergarten teacher in Walled Lake, Michigan.
Reading
The photo above shows a celebration we had to recognize the students as Super Readers. The students worked on gaining new reading "powers" for many months leading up to this celebration. Each new power was a strategy that helped the students develop word attack skills and other reading abilities. I worked through this entire unit with the class which was very rewarding. It was amazing to see these Kindergarteners become readers in such a short amount of time. This unit brought fun into the classroom and gave the students joy during Reader's Workshop. Below are some more images from this unit!
The students received a special gift from "Mighty Reader" at the beginning of this unit. He gave them books and awarded them their first power (pointer power).
Mighty Reader also gave the students little arrow stickers to stick on the finger nail of their reading finger. Engaging the students is an important part of Reader's Workshop.
We used this anchor chart to keep track of the reading powers the students earned. It was fun to reveal new hidden powers as the unit went on!
On Fridays, the students got to practice their reading powers in a special way. Read the Room allows the students to actively move around the room and read all sorts of fun stuff.
Writing
I believe that practicing writing everyday is essential for literacy development. Writing gives students a chance to practice a wide array of skills such as phonics, reading, handwriting, and self-evaluation. I seek to make writing relevant and meaningful for students. I keep lessons short and sweet in order to give students as much time as possible to practice their skills. My favorite unit this year was letter writing. We were able to involve families, administration, and the community in our letters which was really fun for the students as well as myself.
Here is a student letter from a class book we made for the building art teacher.
This anchor chart helped students make sense of transition words in their narrative writing.
Goal setting is a huge part of how I structure my writing lessons. This is an example of a goal the students and I created together.
A fun friendship building writing activity we did for Valentine's Day! I love to create festive and seasonal activities.
Math
In my opinion, math instruction should be fun. Math should be full of discussion and collaboration. Walled Lake uses curriculum from Everyday Math which incorporates lots of hands-on activities. The students and I had a lot of fun with math this year. Math can be an area of distress for many students. I hope to continue bringing excitement into mathematics and give students the confidence to try hard things.
This was a number ordering activity that allowed the students to practice counting skills as well as communication and teamwork. I decided to make the activity even more fun by going outside!
Students playing our favorite game called "top-it" which allows them to work on comparing numbers.
Number Talks are a great way to explore math concepts with even our youngest students. It is crucial to put value in ideas rather than correct answers.
3D shape constructions with toothpicks and marshmallows! The students absolutely love hands-on learning.
Other Fun!
Classroom community building and SEL art project based on the popular book, How Full is Your Bucket.
We greet each other everyday to say hi and check in on our classmates!
Students are encouraged to explore and make classroom connections wherever they are. This student found a very cool living thing outside (a grasshopper).
Walled Lake "Color Run" - this was a district wide and family involved event that promotes physical activity in a fun way!
Constructive play such as puzzle time is a great brain break for young students.
Students love to see themselves in the classroom so our graphs always involve student choice.
Here some students are re-telling a story with props. They absolutely love to act out stories which is a great way to support comprehension.
Students love connecting with each other. This student wrote out his friend's name with magnet cubes.
Our door decoration for March is reading month featuring a non-fiction book cover designed by each student. The school theme was, "Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader!"
We had lots of fun celebrating the 100th day of school!
This phonics lesson challenged students to write words that live in the -at house.
The best way to learn how to read is to.... READ. I try to read with students as much as possible throughout the day.
Crafts are a great way to practice fine motor skills. Here are students creating flags for Constitution Day!
Building relationships is a crucial part of a successful classroom. These students drew a picture for me on my birthday which made me feel very special.
For a science lesson, the students and I ventured outside and created some Earthworm habitats.
Our Then and Now social studies unit allowed students to see what life was like a long time ago. We had a lot of fun being pilgrims for a day!
Some adorable penguins after a dancing performance during a PTO meeting! I believe family involvement is very important for a successful classroom and community :)
Curriculum Resources
Here is the curriculum my district uses if you are curious:
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