About My Classroom
I recently completed my third year of teaching 1st grade at Harvest Elementary School in Saline, MI. Our building serves students in grades K-3. As a district, it is a priority that students are prepared with the skills needed to be successful in the future. For this reason, the Saline Area Schools (SAS) Compass was created to guide teachers and inform families of district-wide goals. The SAS Compass was developed around the 4 C's which include creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. These skills drive our instruction and allow us to help students develop higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills. SAS also uses technology to help our students become future-ready learners. I have 1:1 iPads in my classroom that are used to enhance instruction. The primary application we use is called Seesaw. All teachers in our building use Seesaw with their students. Seesaw is an online student learning journal. Students can share and reflect on their learning through videos, photos, drawings, voice recordings, and more. Click on the photos below to learn more about the SAS Compass and Seesaw.
Flexible Seating
Many teachers in our district implement flexible seating into their classrooms. Flexible seating offers various options for learning that may include soft seating, traditional seating, standing tables, etc. Students also have the choice of where they sit each day. Flexible seating options can also be flexible in the sense that furniture can be moved to accommodate different learning activities. This type of seating allows for student choice and flexibility for learning. In the past, I have used IKEA furniture to create flexible seating spaces in my classroom. This year, I was asked to pilot new flexible seating options in my classroom. I received tables, chairs, and benches that could be easily moved to create different configurations.
The furniture I received is made by a company called VS. In my classroom I have convex/concave tables, a puzzle table, circular tables that can be adjusted to different heights, wobble stools, and soft benches. The diagram below shows some potential configurations with the convex/concave tables and photos of my classroom. While I have experimented with several of these in my classroom, the possibilities are endless! That's one of the reasons flexible seating is so fun. The room can change to meet the needs of the activity taking place.
Curriculum and Student Work
As an elementary teacher, I teach across multiple subject areas. We are fortunate to have research-based curriculum tools for all subjects. We use Lucy Calkins reading and writing program, Everyday Math, and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) science curriculum. While we do have curriculum tools for academic areas, teachers are provided with flexibility. This is especially true as we implement elements of the SAS Compass into our instruction. For example, while teaching a unit about opinion writing, we decided that we would change our writing celebration to allow students to connect with authentic audiences. We asked five local pizza restaurants to donate pizzas, and students were allowed to taste each of them while taking notes and making observations. Then, students wrote an opinion piece stating their favorite pizza and reasons for their choices. Each restaurant was then given a book with published writing pieces from students stating why their pizza is the best.
Classroom Website and Twitter
I use two methods for communicating with families of my students. The first is through my classroom website. At the beginning of the school year, parents are directed to my website to fill out Google Forms for their child. This way, I can easily access important information for each of my students. I also have pages that allow students to get to know me before the year begins. On my home page, I have a video that tells my students about my hobbies, interests, and family. Throughout the year, I post weekly newsletters to my website with curriculum updates, upcoming events, and announcements.
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I also use my class Twitter account to communicate with families. I tweet about fun activities that we complete at school such as projects, assemblies, field trips, and class parties. This is a fun way to engage with my families and share some of the learning that takes place in the classroom. Through my graduate studies, I have also shared some of my learning and blog posts on my classroom Twitter. This allows my families to see some of my learning as a teacher and graduate student.
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Image Sources:
SAS Compass retrieved from https://www.salineschools.org/prospective-families/sas-compass/
Seesaw Logo retrieved from https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/203816959-Seesaw-icon-and-logo
Twitter Logo retrieved from https://about.twitter.com/en_us/company/brand-resources.html
*Images without sources are my own.
SAS Compass retrieved from https://www.salineschools.org/prospective-families/sas-compass/
Seesaw Logo retrieved from https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/203816959-Seesaw-icon-and-logo
Twitter Logo retrieved from https://about.twitter.com/en_us/company/brand-resources.html
*Images without sources are my own.