Checklist

Today I taught a mini lesson about Checklists.  I came up with a mini checklist for my first graders based on the example Melissa showed us.  Last week I copied it on the bottom of their writing paper without telling them what it was for.  Today, I (finally!) told them what those smiley faces were all about.

Boy oh Boy!  If I have learned anything about teaching Mini Lessons from this Institute it would be:

"Only drop one magic capsule at a time in the water!"

As I was teaching the lesson, my mind was going a million different directions thinking about how to teach them to reread their story, color the correct face, check their writing before coloring the face, and how to go back and fix their mistakes if they forgot a period, capital letter, beginning middle or end etc. (does this even make sense?  To sum it up:  I was overwhelmed with all the things I thought I needed to teach them that day).  Then I remembered to ask myself "What one thing do you want your students to take away from your lesson?"  I was able to just let go of the fact that they wouldn't be able to do it all right away.   I only gave them just one thing to put in their pocket to take with them!

What one thing are you working on teaching your students?

Ideas

Happy New Year! 

I'm sure some of you are well on your way back into the groove of school.  We go back on Thursday, and my team teacher and I have been planning up a storm!  We are focusing on beginning, middle, and end sentences this next week.  We will model this and provide students with pictures of bme where they will create complete sentences in order to revisit this concept.  We will also be re-building their stamina for writing time as we review this.  

What are your plans in writing in the upcoming weeks?  

I'd love to hear from you!