Place Value Art

Happy Friday! It's Lizz, from Learning with Lizz, sharing one of my favorite place value activities!

I love integrating art with math! Our place value unit was brought to life when students used paper base ten units to create the first letter of their names.

Take a look...

You can use this FREEBIE to use in your classroom! I hope you enjoy!

Easy-Peasy Bathroom Break Management

Hello! It's Elizabeth from Learning with Lizz R!

It's almost March, and all the hard work put into procedures have been paying off swimmingly! 

One procedure that has been working like magic is my procedure for bathroom classroom breaks.

If your students are like mine, bathroom breaks are sometimes an excuse to play around. I can't tell you how many times I've sent students to the bathroom, only to hear them down the hallway laughing and doing anything but going to the restroom... Ugh! 

To help eliminate this cringing situation, I have a one boy and one girl at a time bathroom policy. This has made such a difference and has limited the time student spend in the bathroom! 

The best part is, I have a REALLY easy way to monitor who is in the bathroom!

These cute little duckies help me keep track of who is using the bathroom. When a students goes to the bathroom, they take a duck and place it on their desk.

By doing this, I can quickly spot exactly who I sent to the bathroom, and know if they're back or not. No more having to ask, "Is Johnny back from the bathroom yet?"

When a student comes back from the bathroom, they return the duck to the basket, ready for the next student to use!

My students know the procedure, too! They can quickly glance where I keep the ducks, and if their bathroom pass is missing, they know they need to wait to ask to use the restroom. 

It has made bathroom breaks so easy! I don't have a million students asking me to use the bathroom at once! 

What procedures work best in your classroom? I'd love to hear from you!

Do You Know Your Doubles?

One of my favorite things about teaching primary students is that they're not "too cool" for music in the classroom. I have a song for EVERYTHING and my students love singing along.

Math fact fluency is never easy to learn, or teach! A couple months ago, my students were busy learning strategies to help them add and subtract fluently. One of our favorite strategies was learning our doubles facts. Of course we made up a song to go with it!

In celebration of learning our doubles facts, we made a music video. Making a music video using Power Point is very easy. Just make a slideshow, then hit record, and let your students sing away! The sound quality might not be the best, but your students won't mind one bit!

If your students are learning their doubles facts, you can snag this foldable freebie! Or, you can stop by my blog, Learning with Lizz, and read more about my class' double fact learning {HERE}.

How do you use music in your classroom? I'd love to read about your ideas!

Student-Designed Calendar Time!

Hello! I'm excited to be back to share more teaching ideas with you! 

I'm Elizabeth from Learning with Lizz R. 

My favorite spot in my first grade classroom is my calendar area. I just love meeting with my group of first graders to share new vocabulary, stories, have meaningful discussions, and engage in calendar activities. 

When I started teaching first grade this year, all of my calendar pieces were for 2nd and 3rd graders... That just wouldn't do! My school did not have a calendar program, so I decided to get inspired by a first grade teacher I once worked with, and have my students make their own calendar pieces! The results have been amazing! My students love calendar time more than ever!

At the end of each month, my students and I decide what we will draw for our calendar pieces. We tailor them to match what we are learning. I place their pieces on the calendar in a "secret" pattern. As the days pass by during the month, the "secret" pattern is revealed and we make daily predictions as to what picture will be revealed next. These discussions are very meaningful, and they are a chance for students to practice identifying patterns, algebraic thinking, and supporting their answers with a "because" statement. 

"I think ____ will be next because _________________."

In September, we learned about apples. I used a growing pattern for this month. Students used real apples to inspire their artwork. 

In October, my students loved learning about the different types of leaves. We drew leaves that grow near our school and learned about their names. My kids loved identifying leaves after drawing their calendar pieces for this month! It is hard to see, but I used an ABCD pattern. 

This month, students chose to draw turkeys and pumpkins. We went by the popular vote! I have two different patterns happening this month. Can you see the two patterns? 

To make our calendar more interactive, we take a class vote for our theme of the month. I have each student draw two calendar pieces, that way I can easily create multiple patterns for the month.

When the month is over, I display the calendar pieces in our classroom! This is a great way to see a timeline of our learning!

I hope this post inspires you to implement a student-designed calendar time!

Lizz {Learning with Lizz R.}

Hi Everyone! I am SUPER excited to be a part of Primary Powers each month!

 I'm Elizabeth "Lizz" Rossmiller from Learning with Lizz R. (formerly Seconds at the Beach).

My blog started as a second grade blog when I was teaching on the Oregon Coast, but now I am happily teaching first grade in the Portland area.

I have been teaching primary kiddos for 6 years and love, love, love what I do!

I would've never thought I would become a 1st grade teacher. I thought I wanted to be an upper elementary teacher. 

When I applied for my first teaching position, I applied to be a 6th grade teacher (crazy, right?). Lucky for me, the principal told me I was meant to be a primary teacher and offered me a position teaching 3rd grade. I gladly accepted the offer and have been teaching in primary land ever since. 

It takes a lot to keep up with firsties! I help my kiddos build their learning stamina at the beginning of the school year, but truth be told, I'm working on my stamina, too! I am a busy girl this year! In addition to teaching and blogging, I am earning a degree in Ed Leadership, creating learning materials for teachers, and am on many after school committees. 

I can't get enough of buffalo sauce! I mean, I could literally put it on everything I eat! I can't pass-up some good buffalo wings!

Nothing makes me happier than my smiling first graders! I love how sweet my kiddos are; it makes my job so much easier :-)

And, now... To the FREEBIE!

I want my firsties to be as sweet as can be!

 We work hard to build a strong classroom community. 

Each month, we focus on one character trait and reinforce this character trait throughout the month. 

At the end of the month, a student is rewarded for displaying the trait of the month.

Character education has really helped my kiddos work together peacefully! 

I created some SUPER Character Trait Printables to display in your classroom.

I hang each trait up on my classroom wall and add a photo of the student who has earned the award for that trait. The kids love seeing their friends on our superhero wall!

Enjoy!

You can find me sharing more ideas and freebies on my blog, Learning with Lizz R., and on Facebook!

I hope you stop by, grab some freebies, follow me, and say, "Hello!"