Woo hoo! One more day and the first week is over.
As I have mentioned before, we have started a new system called Flexible Start for first graders. I tell you what, it has sure been hectic this week. But today started to have a feeling of a good routine.
Basically the first 5 weeks of school, we combine all first graders together. Once a week we randomly divide them into two groups, and I get one group and my co-teacher gest the other group. Then we divide the students still into 7 smaller groups, and we have 6-7 teachers teaching each group 3 times a day in centers (rotating through the centers over 2-3 days). The center themes are all academic, for example math, language arts, etc. The idea is that we get to know the students better and the students get to know us and each other in smaller these smaller groups. It's been really great so far!
I have lucked out with a great co-teacher for first grade, and our team work is making the start of school very nice!
I will try to take pictures tomorrow of my classroom, although it still isn't finished by any means.
Happy Friday to you all!
That sounds like a great way to start the year! We could have really used that approach this year with our first graders...they are a challenge!
ReplyDeleteYour Newest Follower,
Stephany
www.primarypossibilities.blogspot.com
Hi Stephany!
ReplyDeleteI would say it has been exhausting, and it could be cut down to 4 weeks, but I think dividing the students this way makes lots of sense. Also, the kids are fine with it, they just become anxious since their parents are anxious. It's funny, but parents have in their mind a preference which class their child ends up in. Many prefer that their child end up in the native English speaker's class (me). But it all works out well in the end.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Tarita