It's a 'Circus Affair'

       Hello fellow educators, this year I have decided to create a 'Circus Theme' in my classroom.

Our Welcome Wall

         I selected this theme because I wanted to provide my students with a unique experience while they are engaged in the learning activities in my class. As a child I remember visiting a Circus at the Queen's Park Savannah with my family and still cherish that great experience. In recent years, I have not heard of any Circus visiting our shores and therefore, I felt that it was my responsibility as an educator to provide my charges with the experience.
      In addition, I also understand the importance and value of the classroom environment in the process of stimulating and fostering learning. As educators we must take the initiative to enhance our classroom environment, creating a welcoming and safe place for our students. I have noticed that when students see the effort we put into creating such environments they feel loved and a great deal of responsibility in keeping the environment beautiful.

Here are some before pictures of my classroom.

The front of my classroom

The front of my classroom, showing the main writing board and Word Wall area

These are the western and southern areas of my classroom.

 

 

The after pictures of my classroom.

Please note that throughout the year, the students will further conribute to enhancing the areas.

 

 

Well,  at the front of the classroom over my main writing board there is " D' Big Top". This is central to any circus theme classroom.

 

When my students arrived on the first day, I explained why at the circus the tent in which the circus acts take place is called the "Big Top".

 

In my classroom my Word Wall is located at the left area to the front of the room. This must be is a central component of any classroom. In creating this year's Word Wall- "Up High, Down Low, Words We Must Know" I related it to the acrobats at the circus.

Take a Look!

 

At the beginning of every week students are introduced to five Sight Words. The words are then present in all learning activities to provide students with multiple exposures to these words.

 

The Reading and Writing Bulletin Board.

In my classroom students are engaged in several reading and writing activities throughout the course of the week. Important concepts are displayed to further support students.

In the writing area this year, students' writing will be displayed for all to see. As such, I came up with the lovely " Our Ring of Writers". Again this is related to the circus theme.

 

Take a Look!

 

During the first week students wrote about themselves. Here are some students' work which were really interesting.

 

 

The Mathematics Bulletin Board

This board has been assigned to display many of the concepts students need to learn in Mathermatics. I related this to the Circus Theme by naming it..... "We are Nuts about Maths". Of course, I used cut-outs of elephants and nuts.

 

 

 

Here are the other areas of my class.

 

 In fostering classroom management, the classroom job chart is central to my classroom. Of course, a circus would not be a circus without a clown doing some juggling. I got this area from the net. Will post the link soon.

 

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 This bulletin board  will display students' artwork and other important class content.

 

 

 A view of my work area. My desk is located to the western side of my classroom.

 

This is a picture of the general area of my class. The colourful pennants add immensely to creating the Circus Theme.

And finally, a circus must have Ringmaster to run the show. On entering my classroom the Ringmaster is first to greet you.

 

 

Throughout the year students will participate in several activities to deepen their understanding and appreciation of a Circus. Many books, songs, poems and videos will support this theme.

 

 

 

Hope you are inspired!!!!

'Poetry in the Air'

Hello everyone,

I am anxious to share with you today a few pictures of the "Poetry in the Air" event at my school.

  If you read my two previous posts you would have seen that my students were working on writing “I Wish...” poems.

Well, yesterday they got to recite and display samples of their work for their parents and fellow students to see, at our first “Poetry Day”.



Samples of students'  " I Wish"poems on display.

My students enjoyed this experience.

 

Other types of poems presented were; List poems, Haikus, Cinquains and Limericks.

 

The First Year Infants displayed their 'List Poems' on air balloons.

The Standard Two class displayed their "Acrostic Poems' on rainbows.

The Standard One class displayed their 'Haiku Poems' on raindrops.

The Standard Four displayed their 'Limerick Poems' with an airplane theme.

The Standard Three displayed their ' Cinquain Poems' on hands in the air.

The “Poetry in the Air” event was a great event which helped to expand the literacy activities of our students.

Hope you are inspired!!



"I Wish" my mummy....

For their Mother’s Day craft, my students wrote an “I wish” poem to their mother. This was an excellent extension to our Poetry writing activity in class now.

During the whole class instruction, I introduced them to the structure of the poem:

I wish my mummy says__________________

I wish my mummy loves _________________

I wish my mummy gets __________________

I wish my mummy, Happy Mother’s Day!

First we discussed as a class the appropriate words they could include in each line. Then, they wrote their first draft of the poem in their Poetry Book.

 

A student's first draft.

 

 

 

 

 

 



A student's first draft.

After editing their work, students were presented with a copy of the template they would use.
When the students finally completed their poems, it was then glued to construction paper with a scroll design.
 

Completed work.



Completed work

 



Here is one Mother’s Day scroll.

 

 

Hope you are inspired!!

"I Wish" Poems

Hey Guys!!! I am back.

Today I want to share some “I Wish” Poems my class and I have been working on.



This is a picture of the 'I Wish" poem I initially wrote to introduce my students to this type of poem.

This poem allowed my students to view what this type of poem looks like.

·        They noted that each line must begin with ‘I Wish”

·        They noted that all lines did not need to rhyme.

·        They noted that the “I Wish” poem could provide clues to an overall theme.

 

After reading the poem, to identify sight words and other words they knew, students wrote the poem in their Poetry Books.

 

 

 

 

 

We have continued to write “I wish” poems each week. The students also draw pictures to go with each poem.

 

 

 

 

 

I am having some trouble uploading other samples of my students' poems. I will add to this post later.

Hope you are inspired!!

Word Detectives

Word Detectives Activity Sheet
 

Hello fellow educators and all others who view my blog. It has been a while since my last post and I do apologize. Today I would like to share ‘Word Detectives’ with you.

This activity and worksheet was designed to facilitate Word Work and it can be used at all levels. As teachers we need to ensure that students are able to recognize sight words and phonic rules they have learnt in materials they are currently reading. In addition, it also sets a purpose for reading for some students.

 

 

The book selected for this particular activity was linked to our Science topic- Seasons. In addition, the book was initially introduced to the students during our Read Aloud. The students enjoyed the story and were eager to have it as part of their Shared Reading and Individual Reading.

As word detectives, students look for words with specific attributes, for example : the long a sound, beginning with the letter s, words with ee within the text. They are then asked to say the words.

The students enjoyed the activty as they carefully completed the task.

Please note: Teachers can change the clues students are to look for with each worksheet. In addition,

teachers can provide students with a magnifying glass or spectacles with their lens removed so students can use when looking for words to match their clues.

 

 

 

 

Hope you are inspired!!

Focus on Phonics- Gas Up The Sounds!!

Hello again, yes it has been a while since my last post, so Happy New Year too. This year has started off great and I have lots to share with you.


This chart ‘Gas Up the Sounds’ was created a while back, however, I never got the chance to share it.

Gas Up The Sounds Chart

As a Second Year teacher I needed an interactive chart to help my struggling readers with letter recognition and letter sounds, blending and segmenting activities, in addition to fostering their word building.

This chart did take a lot of time to create since I was trying to link it to my ‘Car Racing’classroom theme. I eventually came up with the title and then the graphic. The chart is located in a central area so that it can be easily utilized. The letter cards are laminated to ensure durability as students manipulate them during their activity.

 

Here is the chart next to a Word Families Chart, to help students with their word building

 

As a Second Year teacher, I value the use of this chart in my classroom since it facilitates and fosters students' reading and writing.

Hope you are inspired!!