Second Week of FIRST GRADE! {Howard B. Wigglebottom}

My belly is GROWING! I have nine weeks left... and I'm tired!  I definitely feel different this time!  I'm not sure if it's the exhaustion of having two littles that are ready to play when I get home or that I am just older!  But.... I'm definitely feeling the exhaustion.  And, there's a few things I've learned the last two weeks of school.

1. My students deserve the best!  They don't care that I've been up all night with those dang charlie horses... They have big smiles on their faces each morning and they are ready to learn!

2. It's okay! Sometimes it's okay to put on a big smile when you really feel like hiding under the covers. Life isn't always perfect, but life does go on.  I can complain about the little things or I can just ignore them and smile!!! I choose to smile! I hope I will always choose to smile, even when some bigger things come my way!

3. Sometimes, you have to do some acting!  Especially when you're a teacher and you have 25 little eyes on you all day! They can't know that I'm tired or that my heart burn is driving me bonkers. They just know that I am beyond excited to be their teacher and that I am invested in their lives. One thing is fore sure.... I'm pretty dang good at acting!  I don't have to do this a lot... Because, I LOVE teaching! I LOVE investing in those tiny lives.  I LOVE my job, and most of the time it never feels like a job! However, there are those moments when "acting" is needed!  I'm sure that is true in EVERY job!  It's even true in my job as a mother! And... I think that is okay!!!

So... I guess my advice is this.... Keep SMILING!

My kiddos have had a great second week of school!  We're still practicing classroom procedures and getting to know one another!  We have also had a lot of fun with Howard B. Wigglebottom! I seriously LOVE all of the Howard B. Wigglebottom books.  They are perfect for teaching classroom expectations! They are also great for learning to find and apply the central message of a story.

Here's a breakdown of our week:
*Monday*

After reading Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen we discussed the importance of "whole body listening" and began this central message anchor chart.

Our little Howards turned out super cute!!

*Tuesday*

Tuesday was all about learning to work as a team!!

We completed these SILENT teamwork puzzles from Amy Lemons. My kids were reminded that they could communicate and work together even when they weren't using their voices. 

Then, we reviewed the rules of working in a group by making an anchor chart {That I forgot to take a picture of}. My kiddos had a blast working as a team to build marshmallow towers. 

These soccer balls turned out super cute!!! My students had to list five rules for working in a group and describe one way that they were a team player. 

*Wednesday*

We learned that you should listen to your heart and do what makes you happy... Even if other people laugh at you!

*Thursday*

Thursday was all about dealing with bullies!!!

We finished our anchor chart...

We also made these Horton twins to go along with the story.  My kiddos had to write about the central message and describe how they could apply it to their lives.  Of course, I forgot to take a close up picture!!!

And now... Our hallway is super cute!!!

*Friday*
NO SCHOOL!!! 
Next week is our first FULL week of school! I think I can, I think I can!!!!

If you are interested in any of these activities you can find them all HERE!

Have a great week!!!
Hollie