In this last weekend before school starts back up, I will be spending lots of time planning. I think I'm finally to the point in my career where I won't worry about accounting for every single moment of every day. I have learned to appreciate what Robert Frost describes here:
Unharvestedby Robert Frost
A scent of ripeness from over a wall.
And come to leave the routine road
And look for what had made me stall,
There sure enough was an apple tree
That had eased itself of its summer load,
And of all but its trivial foliage free,
Now breathed as light as a lady's fan.
For there had been an apple fall
As complete as the apple had given man.
The ground was one circle of solid red.
May something go always unharvested!
May much stay out of our stated plan,
Apples or something forgotten and left,
So smelling their sweetness would be no theft.
These are our Lessons From Cup Stacking, and they have turned out to be such important big ideas that I find myself referring back to this chart on a daily basis, at some point or another.
I keep saying that I'm going to fancy this chart up when I get time, but I actually like its organic roughness so much that I might never get the time! Maybe I'll give it a title, but that might be all.
The cup stacking challenge was given to
"tribes" on the first day. They had a stack of six styrofoam cups and the only tool they could use to make a pyramid was a rubber band that had four strings tied to it. They couldn't touch the cups. They couldn't touch the rubber band. They could only touch the strings.
After every group was successful, we talked about what had happened.
The group that finished first automatically gave themselves a new challenge. We decided that would be the right thing to do ANY time you finished early.
We talked about how to handle disagreements. There were lots of strategies: go with the majority, try everybody's idea, really listen to each other, and talk it out calmly. If only our world leaders would keep these strategies handy!
We talked about the importance of struggle, and when struggle is a good thing. I assured them that I am here to make sure that their struggles don't overwhelm them.
We listed lots of different ways to name "keep trying."
They have the option to modify a task I give them. In this case, one group chose a new place to work, but we talked about other ways they could modify a task, but still do what they were being asked to do. That might mean they do things in a different order, use different materials, or accomplish the same outcome in a way I haven't even thought of. I want my students to be active participants, always thinking of the best way...for them. And, of course, I have the option to intervene and modify their task for them. I had to do that for the last group to finish. They were so close and they knocked one of their last cups down. I picked it up and put it back so they could put the last cup in place. For the geography challenge, I asked for
"focus groups," but the IS was in to support a few kids, so I allowed for a homogenous group of four instead of a mixed group of 3. This point is helping me model flexibility.
We ended with some general big ideas for group work in our classroom: BE DEPENDABLE, use TEAMWORK, and have FUN! I assured them that even though I planned to challenge them to work really hard this year, I would always do my best to try to make the work fun!
I've used the same set of picture books (
including these books about names) to start the school year for several years now. It's not a bad set, in fact, it's a GREAT set, but I challenged myself to pick 10 different picture books to start this new year in a new position, and to think about what I'll be saying to my students (through these books) about my hopes for them, and for our year together.
1. Choose kind.
Little Bird
by Germano Zullo
2. Make friends, not enemies.
Enemy Pie (Reading Rainbow book)
by Derek Munson
3. Be faithful to your friends.
Otis
by Loren Long
4. Work hard to solve your problems...but don't forget to think about what your solution might do to others.
Stuck
by Oliver Jeffers
5. Live in this moment. Be present.
You're Finally Here!
by Mélanie Watt
6. Be yourself. No matter what.
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed
by Mo Willems
7. Be persistent. Believe in yourself. Follow your dreams.
Learning to Fly
by Sebastian Meschenmoser
8. Know yourself. Be yourself. Follow your dreams. (And a special note to myself: make sure your "dance academy" has room for everyone.)
Brontorina
by James Howe
9. Make memories, because memories make stories.
Roxaboxen
by Alice McLerran
10. The world around us is amazing, awe-inspiring, and diverse. It is there for us to notice, learn about, and appreciate.
The Beetle Book
by Steve Jenkins
Thank you to Cathy, at
Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community, and Mandy, at
Enjoy and Embrace Learning for sponsoring this 10 for 10 Picture Book event for the third year. Be sure you hide your credit cards and then go look at all the fabulous lists!
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Thanks for the list. As I unpacked my boxes this week I started pulling my books for the first week. Looks like I may need to add some.
Great list!
Wow, Mary Lee! Thanks for pointing me at these lists, and now of course I have to start making my own (which won't be too hard, since I've featured many of them already on my blog). But you're right, it's probably time to refresh my list of necessaries. Most of all I love how you've condensed what you hope children will take away from each picture book experience. I look forward to checking all these out, literally!
P.S. What's your new position?
P.P.S. I'm here at school this week trying to finish moving into my grand new K classroom before official preservice...and this morning, after setting up furniture and laying out rugs, I came in to find that during a heavy rainstorm, my floor-level air conditioning unit has served as an overflow gutter and poured water--I mean INCHES of water all over the floor. Rugs are soaked, furniture is back in a disorganized clump and I might as well post. *sigh*
What a great list, MaryLee! Books that serve well at the beginning of the year, and get into theme as well. Love it!!
I am familiar with about half, Mary Lee, so onto my list go the others. What a lovely introduction to the world for your students. Picture books can help us share so many good conversations. I will look up Little Bird especially! Thank you!
Thank you for your great list, Mary Lee. I too love the way you summed up each book with an important message or lesson to learn. Always grateful for your blog! ~ Theresa
Great list and yes I will be borrowing the idea for most of them. Great connections with 5th grade issues but most of all amazing conversations for the beginning of the year.
I am so excited to share your list with the teachers at my school!! I love that you included a concept for each book. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Mary lee,
Thanks for this great list! I will be checking these books out for sure! I love how you also shared how/why you use them.
Amy
re: PS -- I moved from 4th grade self-contained to 5th grade Language Arts (reading, writing, word study).
re: PPS -- Oh, my! Oh, UGH! Oh, the time you spent, only to be right back where you started...and then some, what with the wet!!
Paul Hankins gave Little Bird 5 stars on Goodreads, and he either doesn't use the stars, or never gives 5 stars...whichever the case, he agrees that it's an incredibly noteworthy book. It won the equivalent of the Caldecott in France in 2011.
What a wonderful list - both the book list and your hopes for your students. I'll be adding some of those to my list for my younger students. I posted about one book I'll be introducing to my older students. It is fabulous, (the book I mean). Your post has inspired me to go work on my classroom. Thank you.
This is a wonderful list! The only one I haven't read is Little Bird which sitting on the 'new book' cart. I'll toddle on over to take a gander, shall I?
Thanks for the list.
Tammy
Apples with Many Seeds
Fabulous list! I adore The Beetle Book and Little Bird. Stuck also made my list. My students adored it!
What a beautiful list (and I love the thoughts that go with each book). Thanks for sharing--makes me wish (a little bit, anyway) that I was in the classroom, preparing for a new year.
Lovely list, so many fabulous books. I can't wait to look for Little Bird. Thanks :)
Wow! I just love your little messages that you shared about each book. You have definitely gave me a few new books to check out and reminded me of a few I had forgot about. Thanks.
I love your simple advice for each. It's really not that simple and big issues for a community to consider as they come together. I think I need Little Bird to start my year. Thanks for joining us.
What a rich way to start the school year! Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful wonderful list, Mary Lee! I shall definitely share this with my teacher students on Monday. :)
A few of your quotes are truly motivational and inspirational. I may add them in my articles for my sample paper website. Keep Sharing. Thank You.
Uh-oh! I definitely need to back away from the credit card when I read this list! There are at least four that I know I NEED to own! YIKES! I also love, loved, loved seeing the thoughtful and deliberate way you pulled together your first read alouds! I think there are lots of teachers who don't understand how important that is!
I love your list and the reasons why you're sharing each one with your class. There are several I know, but some new ones too. Thanks for sharing!
This is a super list! I know lots of teachers who will benefit from having this list!