Cara Carroll

Our Week in Review

Real quick, I just wanted to say “thank you” to the sweet folks over at Teacher Certification Degrees for including The First Grade Parade on their list of the Top 50 Early Childhood Education Blogs.  SO not deserving to be in that category with all the BEYOND amazing blogs they have listed.  It should be named the Top 1,000 Early Childhood Education Blogs because every.single. one of y’all are inspiring beyond belief.  My Google Reader is FILLED with hundreds of AMAZING early childhood education blogs and I’m forever grateful for the inspiration I’ve gotten from each one of you!
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I also want to say “thank you” to the sweet girls who emailed me to let me know I was in their Top 10 blog list.  SO not deserving of that either, but thank you for making me smile 🙂 There’s NO way in a million years I could possibly narrow down my blog list to a Top 10.  I love all of y’all 🙂  THANK YOU for inspiring me to be a better teacher!!! 
Now..onto my little week in review. 
This was a SHORT week.  Monday was a holiday and Tuesday was a professional development day, so no kids.  Wednesday and Thursday were full throttle as usual and I was only at school for a half day Friday because of my not-so-exciting visit to the dentist.  Apparently the EXTREME pain I’m experiencing is normal and he prescribed me some steroids to combat the swelling in my roots.  UGH.  The good news is that I haven’t been able to eat in 2 days, so all this tooth pain is doing wonders for my waistline 🙂  {I kid…sort of.}
We kept on goin’ strong with Daily 5 this week and built up our reading stamina considerably.  Not gonna lie though, I’m ready for the “practice” phase to be over.  We talked a ton about choosing *Good Fit* books and I introduced our little IPICK chart…
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Google Docs isn’t working, so I’m trying something new.

Download the IPICK printables

We also made a few anchor charts for reading… “Why Readers Read” and “What Do Readers Read?”  Apparently I got NO pics of the “Why Readers Read” anchor chart, but trust me when I tell you it was nothing to write home about 🙂
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Thank you, Abby, for giving me the idea to hang my anchor charts on my window!  LOVE!
We finished up our heart maps and the kids were IN.LOVE!!  Jess from Rambling About Reading left a comment saying that she keeps her kids’ heart maps in the front of their notebooks, so we decided to do *almost* the same thing!  LOVED the suggestion!  We stapled ours to the front of our draft books/writing folders.  The kids were SO excited!!
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I’m trying to train my kids to use their heart maps when they need writing inspiration, so I keep my heart map by my easel and refer to it during every minilesson prior to writing.  I like to pretend…VERY dramatically…that I have NOTHING to write about.  The kids are quick to remind me that I can use my heart map for inspiration!  They’re all, “DUH, Mrs. Carroll!!!”  HA!

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We had a great 3 days in math tubs.  This year I’m spreading my math tubs out over 5 days, so I have about 4 kids per group.  Since we were operating on a 3-day week, I set out 3 math tubs and switched it up to 7 kids per group.  Here are some of the fun things we did {still working on number sense}…

We used pattern block cards to create & extend patterns and practice one-to-one correspondence, rote counting, and sorting.
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We practiced ordering numbers from least to greatest with this fun little dice activity my kids just loved.
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Download Roll, Order, and Write

We also read through riddles and matched them up to their 10’s frame partner and matching number card.  They did SO well!!!

We’re also learning all about being scientists.  My kids are LOVING science this year and so am I!!  This is a little anchor chart I created BEFORE meeting with the kids.  We filled it out together after reading a book called, “Being a Scientist”.

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Then we created our own little scientists and talked about what makes US a scientist.

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Even though it was a short week, it was a busy one!  I’m happy to be relaxing this weekend at my house…my childhood home…with all my family.  Mr. Spouse has been looking forward to this weekend since I can remember.  He’s cheering on his Boilers today at Rice Stadium here in Houston.  That man BLEEDS black & gold! 

GO PURDUE!!
Happy Saturday!!!  Hope you’re spending the day RELAXING!!!!

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Comments

  1. Kim says

    Congrats on your amazing awards–you truly are FABULOUS! I adore looking at your blog, you're like my teaching idol! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your awesomeness with us!!

    Reply

  3. Amanda says

    Everything looks great Cara! 🙂 I wasn't able to download your I-Pick file. It doesn't give me the option to download. I don't know if it's a setting issue or what. I use Scribd a lot, because it's easy & quick to embed. I don't know if that might help or not! I just wanted to give you a heads up, because your other Roll, Order, and Write file says you can't download it either. Congrats on your Top 50 listing. You deserve it, girl! 🙂

    Best,
    Amanda
    http://www.oneextradegree.blogspot.com

    Reply

  5. Unknown says

    I tried to download as well through Facebook but it wasn't working for me. Coming to your blog is like Christmas morning. I get so excited with anticipation and always receive a wonderful treat. Thanks for all you do!

    Reply

  9. Mrs. Hodson says

    How long do you let your kiddos work at math tubs? … I just love your this! I think I will begin to implement that idea in my classroom next week… so much better than what I have been using!

    -Melissa
    todayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com

    Reply

  10. Kristen says

    Just wanted to add my congrats! All awards are very well deserved! I so enjoy looking at your work in your classroom each week–your creativity is extremely inspiring 🙂
    Kristen
    P.S. I was completely starstruck when you commented on my blog–thank you so much!!!

    Reply

  11. Rachelle says

    Can you PLEASE come and make me my charts!??? I can in NO WAY draw like you!!! PLEASE head over to Utah and make me my Daily 5 I-Charts!!!!! hahahahah

    -Rachelle
    whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com

    Reply

  13. Kelsey says

    Your posters are so amazing! I have to be the worst artist that ever became a teacher. I could never draw what you do. Have you ever thought of making simply black lines of your posters? Something that could be put on an overhead so we could outline it on chart paper? I would certainly purchase that in TpT.

    Reply

  16. Sarah says

    I took LOVE your artistic talent!! I love the tens frame game!! I think we will use it first w/ match numbers to tens frames then we will use the riddles!! LOVE IT! Thanks soo much for sharing!

    Happy RELAXING weekend!!
    Sarah

    Reply

  19. Mrs. Lynes says

    We did maps of our hearts this week, too! We glued ours in our notebooks, and the kids LOVE them! I also introduced I-PICK to them. It's nice to see how Daily 5 is going for you! This is my first year doing it!

    Reply

  20. whitney says

    I am so impressed at your anchor charts! Do you do them before hand or while the students are sitting there?? I love them all and you are so artistic 🙂 By the way, I get giddy when I see you have a new blog post. Love your ideas!

    Reply

  22. Mrs. Richardson says

    I really want to use the 10 frame riddles! When I download them, they show up as a blur. I tried several times. It has done that before with me when I try to download them. Any thoughts? Your stuff is just too dern cute!!

    Reply

  23. Deb says

    Congrats on your award…you are VERY deserving!! Also, thanks for the wonderful freebies! You are SO generous with sharing your great teaching ideas!
    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply

  24. Amanda says

    I love making heart maps with kids. I did them with my fourth graders last year and it can be such a good source of inspiration for writing. I can't wait to try them out with first graders this year.

    Also, those little scientists are ADORABLE!! Love them! 🙂

    Amanda
    First Grade Garden

    Reply

  26. Rachelle says

    Have you done the I PICK rap? It's SOOO fun and my kiddos remembered the acronym a lot faster! Youtube I pick rap! 🙂 I actually saw it on pinterest!

    -Rachelle
    whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com

    Reply

  27. Kim says

    Loved it all! ALready made me an I-PICK chart from your download. Thanks!! Where did you get the heart map idea? It sounds so dang cute and I want to use it, but am wondering if there is somewhere that gives a little more detail about it? If you tell me it's in the Daily Five book I'm going to be really embarrassed. Cause I read that book cover to cover. There's not much info these days that finds a permanent home in my brain=)

    Reply

  28. Miss Atwell says

    Love the scientist! We are teaching that right now and I would love the kids to make them. Do you have a template for them and did you cut everything out or do you have the kids do it?

    Reply

  30. Ms. Fleming says

    I am in love with your blog. You are very inspiring and creative. I've used many of your wonderful ideas in my own first grade classroom and they are always very successful 🙂 Side note-I'm also a Boilermaker like your husband. Boiler up!

    Thank again for all that you do!

    Reply

  35. katy bartlett says

    Loved your "I am a scientist because I…" idea so much! We did it on Friday and it was a huge hit . Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas. Your great ideas are like a ripple without an end. Thank you for your generous spirit! I am so grateful for your blog!!!!

    Reply

  38. Haley says

    I'm home on Maternity leave and spending any spare minute I have reading ALL of your posts!!! I LOVE your blog and all your ideas!
    Just a quick question! Do I have to join the web-site to download your iPick handouts?? Anyway I could get those off of Google docs?
    THANK YOU!!

    Teaching First Grade in Switzerland

    Reply

  41. Erica says

    I saw the iPick signs and tried to download them, but they are on Scribd so they won't let me anymore. Is there anywhere else I can get them from? I love that there are pictures to go with each letter!

    Reply

  43. Liz C says

    Hi! I love the Scientist craft! Definitely have to do it with my class! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Liz at kindergarten-blossoms.blogspot.com.au

    Reply

  45. Kathryn Costa says

    I found my way here via Pinterest. I'm interested in sharing the photo of your heart map in my weekly newsletter that goes out to youth ministers and religious education teachers in New Hampshire. What a fantastic idea. I can see how it could be adapted in many ways. Please let me know if it would be okay to share your photo and idea. All the best, Kathryn Costa, Diocese of Manchester

    Reply

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