First Grade Teachers! (Repost LIF)

I am a fifth grade teacher who will now be teaching FIRST grade!! I got a job in LI so of course I'm super excited about that, but just feeling a little nervous about first grade!

Any insights? Fun activities? Great books?

I'll take ANY help you can provide. Thanks!

Congrats!!!

I'm a 2nd grade teacher (or was!), I know the first week of school we usually did a capsule with a list of their fave things to do (fave color, fave TV show, height, fave food) & then the last week of school we filled out the same sheet & I measured them again. They liked it & couldn't believe how much they grew.

Definitely have a 'tooth lost' chart & little bags or those tiny teeth to keep 'lost teeth' during the school day, b/c there will be a lot.

YOu can't go wrong with the David books--David goes to school, etc. My kids loved Strega Nona.

When we were learning money I created a store for them to practice counting change and giving back change.

We had a traveling mascot to learn about other communities & for the kids to practice their writing skills (in the traveling mascot's journal).

I made up nametags the first day of school & took pics of e/ kid w/ my digital camera (to help me learn their names) & also we used the picture for back to school night (we made frames for the parents).

The first week of school was MAINLY going over routines and class rules. We tended to make them up together and explained why we needed rules, etc. If you don't take the time to do this, it will be a lot of repeating yourself over & over in the months to come.

Have in your head the do's & don'ts of your classroom.

We had a TATTLE Teddy b/c at this age they LOVE to tell on e/o. I said unless someone is hurt or sick, you can tell the teddy. You can whisper to him or you can write a note & put it in his box. I'd open the box at the end of the day & if there was any 'major' issue I'd address it, but most were just 'Jenny isn't my friend'.

Best of luck, let me know if you have any q's.

Not a teacher, but my son was in 1st grade last year and they read lots of Junie B. Jones books, which he and his friends all loved!!!

They also had the tooth chart, which he was very excited about.

Good luck in your new position

I'm not a teacher but wanted to wish you luck!

And Cindy - you are honestly and amazing teacher...OMG I NEVER had a teacher like you! I love Taddle Teddy!

You'll find a job - I know it!

---

Posted by Miro127

I am a fifth grade teacher who will now be teaching FIRST grade!! I got a job in LI so of course I'm super excited about that, but just feeling a little nervous about first grade!

Any insights? Fun activities? Great books?

I'll take ANY help you can provide. Thanks!

---

hey, you're my twin!!! same situation for me too! i got turned onto a really cute series that may be above some of their heads, but as a read aloud, the series is hysterical!!! it is called my weird school and is by a guy named dan peterson or something like that.

i got some great books at lakeshore. as i plan more next week, i'll let you know. i'm in the same boat as you, so i know how exciting yet crazy this is. good luck!!!

---

Posted by SomethingBlu

I'm not a teacher but wanted to wish you luck!

And Cindy - you are honestly and amazing teacher...OMG I NEVER had a teacher like you! I love Taddle Teddy!

You'll find a job - I know it!

---

AWWWWWWWW you're so sweet. Thank you!!

Congratulations! Teaching 1st is so much fine, I've been doing it for a few yrs. now and love it. I love to do author studies with the kids, they really enjoy it and learn so much. Some of my faves are Eric Carle, Cynthia Rylant and my most favorite, Kevin Henkes. The kids totally identify with his books.

I always have a good pencil basket & a 'needs sharpening' basket, this way, there's always pencils available, if it breaks, put it in the one basket and take a new one. It sounds funny but pencil sharpening and other pencil issues can drive you crazy!

Please let me know if i can help answer any questions, bets of luck!

That reminds me, you can also check out www.teachers.net and goto the message boards, very good info there.

Also I found the more stuff you make into a game, the bigger it goes over.

We'd play 'spelling baseball' and have math races and play 7-up but before they could say who selected them, they had to spell a spelling word.

Thank you all for your help! You've given me a lot of ideas - now I gotta put it all together!