Quiet Critters

I found a pin recently about Quiet Critters and thought I would try them out with my 21 little friends.  Quiet Critters are simply pom pom balls that sit with students who are working quietly during any independent practice time.  I keep them in this container and place them on table while students are working.  The rules for the Quiet Critters are to keep working quietly, but you can pet their heads or give them hugs. 

I found my Quiet Critters already assembled at Michael's craft store in packs of 16 for only $2.99.  You could also make them by hot gluing google eyes onto poms. 

Learning rules and taking a tour

Happy September!  Last week was our first week at school.  It was crazy and fun!  I was very proud of my pre-k kiddos for working hard and for establishing routine. 

We also worked hard on learning how to be respectful in our classroom.  Our Mrs. Potato Head rules really helped with that.

We repeat them each morning while adding the mentioned piece to Mrs. Potato's body.

(You can download these for FREE by clicking the picture above.)

We also learned about our school with my Rascally Raccoon's unit in my little store.

To start this unit, you have to read The Kissing Hand.  We read it on the first day of school and graphed how we felt at school.  

We checked on Chester throughout the week to see if he was feeling happier and even tried to cheer him up with hugs and kisses.

When we left for lunch last Friday, we left Chester on a pillow in the middle of our carpet to rest.  

While the cuties were at lunch, I dashed back to the classroom to deliver him to the principal, the final stop.  In his place, I laid his letter stating that he wasn't scared anymore to be at school and ran of to meet people.

My kids were SHOCKED when we returned to the classroom and he was gone.  They excitedly asked me to read the letter.  It was precious!

 This tour leads you around the school in any order you choose with fun, rhyming cards. 

Through the halls

At the library

With the counselor

To the nurse

With the principal

(By the way, it was hilarious when we got to each stop and the children were asked what was going on.  Their responses were priceless!)

NUMBERS Math

I received an email the other day from a sweet follower asking if I did any small group math station.  The answer is - Yes.  

Each day my students do NUMBERs while I work with a small group.  

NUMBERs is an acronym for:

Number activities

Use technology

Meet with the teacher

Buddy games

Explore math tools

Reveiw   

Basically, students have their name on a clip and they place it on this ribbon with the letters for the acronym.

The only students who don't get to make a choice for the day are already placed on the ribbon prior to the day starting by me.  These students are on "M" for Meet with the Teacher.  These are the students I will work with during small group that day.

  

When students arrive in the morning they take their clip from these buckets

and place them on the ribbon.  The little dots on the ribbon allow my students to know how many clips can go on each section.  I also wrote their names so that girls go on one side and boys go on the other side.  When we first started, I just reminded them that their name couldn't be upside and that helped with making sure that boys clips went on one side and girls clips went on the other side.

  

Then, when our NUMBERS math small group starts, I read where the clips are located and students get their supplies from here:

I labeled each tub with a picture that matches what's inside.  I also make the frame around the NUMBERs letters match the color of the buckets that those materials are located in.  For example, everything that is in "N" for number practice is in the column of blue buckets and the frame around the letter "N" is blue.

While students are working, they are quiet and spread out around the room.  The only students who are talking are the students on "B" for Buddy Games.

If you're interested in your own NUMBERs labels, here they are:

Hallway Friend

I just wanted to send a quick post before church about a little friend in my classroom.  

 
His name is Canyon and he is a Beanie Baby that travels the hallways with my class and rides on the shoulders of a student who is following our hallway expectations.  I chose the cougar cub beanie since our school mascot is the cougar cubs.  He really helps my students do what is right in the hallway.  One of the most exciting things about Canyon is he eats lunch with the student who had him on their shoulder when we enter the cafeteria.  

Have a super Sunday!!!