Five for Friday

Well another 2 weeks have flown by! Next week we have off May 1st and then the following week we are off for Ascension Day.
I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

Here's my week!

1. SPRING is in the air! Trees are finally budding. WOO HOO!

2. We have had these very old headphones at the listening center that cut out because the wires are broken inside (I'm sure you've experienced this). I finally broke down and bought myself two pairs of headphones (about $25). The kids were really happy! Well worth it. 

3. We have been making necklaces for Mother's Day. Students learned how to finger knit. I found a good blog with instructions. Check it out if your interested, The flower is made from felt pieces cut out and sewn together.

4. Art lesson was making balloons for May 1st. May 1st is like Labor day here in Finland. Cellophane balloons are all the rage to buy children for May 1st. First draw two balloons overlapping on paper and then trace the outlines with a crayon. Use one primary water color for each balloon and the overlapped part in the middle is suppose to make the secondary color. I say 'supposed' since it didn't work out this time. The students loved the idea anyways and were happy to take them home. 

5. Last but not least, here are some more super cute stuffed toys finished this week by my 3rd graders!

Five for Friday

This week was busy and I started many new things in my classroom (which I will pat my own back for).

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I think it is still Friday somewhere (Saturday morning here 

already).

1. The best this week, it is raining this morning!!!!!!!! It still snowed THREE times earlier this week. Can you  believe it? Yes, I know I live way up here near the arctic circle, but we deserve some warm weather to start spring. 

2. I started writing journals with my first graders today. All the students were really excited about writing in them. I had one girl finish here whole journal by Thursday. It contained 5 pages (10 total front and back). I told her I would staple more pages to her journal for next week. Not sure she was too excited about that :)

3. My 3rd graders have been super about finish their animal sewing projects. They have been learning to use the sewing machines, and then designed their own stuffed toy. Here is a pic of a super cute kangaroo!

4. We did some descriptive writing with the first graders. After reading the story of The 3 Billy Goats Gruff from their readers, we made a chart together describing the troll. Then they had to write for "Watch out for the troll!" and describe the troll to warn others about him. They seemed to like this writing and they really enjoyed drawing the troll. 

5. I started a free time chart this week for my class. Somehow these last few months don't feel so hectic, and I have been able to focus on things I couldn't have imagined last autumn. I am really pushing my class to be independent and work in teams this spring. Almost every week they are working on projects together, and now they have this free time chart that they also play together. I wish I had a pic of it. I will go into work tomorrow, and will add a pic then. Anyways, you might have the same in your classroom. It's just a chart with different activities they can do in the classroom, and they place their name next to it. Some have a limit of how many students can play the activity. 

I have a sixth one, not sure if this is allowed :)

6. I started teaching my students how to log onto the computer and play games on our class homepage (it  has links to free online games). I have 2 student computers in my classroom and 2 more in the work room next to our class. I have only 2 students stay in everyday during their recess breaks to learn and play. I only had one student this week that choose to go outside during the second recess. The rest have been excited to stay and play!

That was just a small piece from this week in first grade! Hope everyone has lovely weekend.