Since I began teaching kindergarten and first grade in 2002, calendar time has been one of my favorite parts of the day. Classroom calendar activities are the perfect way to start the school day in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms. (I even used a classroom calendar to teach second grade!) In the 21st Century classroom it may seem like there's not enough time (or space) for a classroom calendar set or songs and activities. BUT, the daily calendar routine is vital to students' growth in math and is a great way to the school day with consistency and predictability.
Calendar for Classrooms in the 21st Century
Classroom Calendar Time Research
Research shows that students need a consistent spiral review of math skills in order to reach fluency and mastery leading to better problem solving strategies. When the basics of math come easier, then more "brain power" can be spent on the application side of things. Standards for the early primary grades are heavy on number sense. Teaching daily calendar lessons gives students consistent spiraled review, practice, and preview of basic numeracy skills IF they are planned with the standards in mind. Some research shows rote calendar activities that do not change over the course of the year to match the developmental learning process of students are less effective than other teaching strategies. BUT, when calendar lessons are planned and implemented with the intent to teach standards (rather than merely following a routine), they can be incredibly effective! My students excel on standardized math tests and easily use their numeracy mastery in application to solve higher-order math problems in large part because of our focus during calendar time. In addition, other standards can be worked into calendar time including science (weather and seasons), social studies (citizenship, holidays, customs), and literacy (morning message).
Classroom Calendar Bulletin Board 2012
Traditional Calendar Time
As a new teacher I took pride in my classroom calendar bulletin board set. I started by buying a cute calendar and all the coordinating numbers and holidays. Very quickly, I began seeing and studying the value of calendar time. With daily math practice my students were learning many basic numeracy skills. They also loved leading the class through the songs and routines. I spent countless hours creating, printing, and laminating everything I needed for a complete classroom calendar bulletin board. At one point I filled an entire wall of my classroom with our daily calendar routine activities. Later in my career, after some years teaching reading intervention (read all about that life-changing experience HERE), I went back to the classroom to teach Kindergarten. The FIRST thing I worked on was my calendar. I could not wait to fire up the CD player, gather my friends on the carpet and revisit a part of teaching I had missed so much. BUT, I was not prepared for the reality of calendar time in the 21st century classroom... my students were not engaged, not entertained, and (worst of all) not learning... I was devastated!
Classroom Calendar Bulletin Board 2019
Calendar for Classrooms in the 21st Century
As a result, I knew my beloved calendar time had to change. I even considered abandoning it all together asking myself, "Is calendar time just a thing of the past?!" In my heart I knew the content was valuable so I decided it was the delivery that was not working. Students today are used to high-impact experiences that involve direct interaction and increased audio AND visual stimulation. Kids love YouTube videos so I began searching for ways to incorporate the thousands of videos online that teachers (just like me) were posting to improve student engagement and learning. I added videos on the Smart Board instead of songs on the CD player and things improved. Then the day came that I needed more wall space to display learning targets and standards goals and I had to take down my precious classroom calendar bulletin board. That's when it hit me... it's time for the classroom calendar to GO DIGITAL! Finally, I found the inspiration I needed to bring old school calendar routines to life using my interactive whiteboard for calendar time!
Interactive Classroom Calendar for Kindergarten
Why an Interactive Calendar for the Classroom?
After switching to a digital classroom calendar student engagement increases exponentially. I am able to create interactive slides for students to come to the Smart Board and manipulate the parts and pieces that we used to move around the calendar bulletin board. But now, students eagerly volunteer to answer questions and take part. On each slide I can hyperlink songs and videos from YouTube and other sites to which I have a subscription for quick clicks and transitions. Incorporating songs and videos in this way provides an opportunity for all students to participate and review vital skills. By going digital with my classroom calendar I open a world of theme and design possibilities. I can change the images and video links to coordinate with months, holidays, seasons, or thematic units. Keeping calendar time fresh gives me leverage in maintaining engagement at times when traditional classroom calendar activities become boring and flat. Above all, the interactive classroom calendar gives me limitless options for my curricular choices. As the year progresses, calendar activities and routines become progressively more challenging as students master standards. We go from sorting shapes by color and size in August to identifying shape attributes such as edges and vertices in December to comparing shapes based on these attributes in March. And that's just a quick geometry example! Since math skills build one on the other, spiral review and increased rigor are vital to any primary math curriculum!
Are you ready to improve YOUR calendar time?
Then I'm here to help!
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The end of the school year is always bittersweet. Summer Break is always calling me, but after spending ten months together it's hard to say goodbye to our classroom family. I'm sentimental by nature and work hard to create wonderful memories for my own children at home... so my classroom is no exception. So I've put together what I believe are the top 5 most memorable ways to end the school year.
Top 5 Most Memorable Ways to End the School Year
1. Memory Book: Whether it's a simple file folder filled with exceptional work or a binder with tabs and page protectors, a memory book is an easy way to cap off the year and reflect. One of my favorites is from Nicole Rios on TpT called "Packing Up My Year..." My Kinders love choosing all their favorites from the year and I love the added touch of a note from the teacher at the end of the book.
2. Photo Slideshows/Videos: Taking photos throughout the year is a MUST for this memory-maker. So, if your phone is bursting with fun pics then creating a video is super simple using Apple iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. I take lots of individual shots of my students throughout the year to decorate my door. So to make my video extra special I put each student's photos in a row to show how he/she changed over the year... from the first day to the last.
3. Authors' Breakfast: We keep portfolios for student-writing throughout the year. Parents are invited to our classroom one morning to sit with their child and read through their work. This is a wonderful time for reflection and a perfect time to give young authors a real audience for their work. To make the celebration extra-special (and to make sure each child has someone to read to) I invite all our school and board level administrators as well as all support staff including custodians and cafeteria workers. The Authors' Breakfast is one of my most favorite activities of the year.
4. School Thank Yous: As we reflect on what made the school year special, my students and I make a list of all the people at school (and at home) who had a positive impact on our year. Then, we divide the list and write special thank you letters to each person. We talk about why thanking others is so important and why having an "attitude of gratitude" not only lifts up others, but ourselves as well!
5. Class Awards: It's important to make every single student feel like a success so each year I create individualized class award certificates. At the award ceremony I describe the recipient without saying their name so that students in the class can guess who will be named. Sometimes the awards are obvious - "Best Reader," "Class Leader," & "Class Comedian." Other times the awards are specific or stem from happenings during the school year. One spring we were overrun with crickets in the classroom and one little boy would safely catch them and release them outside. When he won the "Best Bug-Catcher" award the class roared with applause and he puffed with pride over the recognition of his important class contribution!
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I can't believe it's already BTS time! This summer has flown by and I'm ready to get the school year underway! So, I thought I would revive an old post about my Kindergarten classroom and share my classroom bulletin boards. Nothing snaps me out of that BTS-FUNK like a fresh bulletin board display!
I strive to run an organized and efficient Kindergarten classroom. (With room for play and fun, of course!) This summer I added a few things to my management system that have made a big difference!
1. My whiteboard is the hub of communication and information in my classroom (aside from the Smart Board). My "CHAMP" icons and schedule cards are on magnets so that I can easily adjust them each day or each learning block. My Daily 5 posters are kinder-friendly and easy to understand. (Grab them for free here!) I also have a set of mini posters just for me, "The 7 C's of Teaching," to remind me of my responsibilities to these 21st Century kiddos! (Grab them for free here.) The small red pocket chart is used to spotlight our learning targets as they change throughout the day.
2. I also have a bulletin board that runs the length of the room. The largest section is for learning targets. Small pocket charts hold the target/standard cards for the week (or unit) so that I can readily access and display them as we transition throughout the day. Beyond the word wall and birthday displays is the job chart. I have 24 students and 24 jobs. (Sounds crazy, I know!) Students have one job per week and we rotate throughout the year. Giving each student a job has had such an impact on our classroom community! Some jobs are small and others are more popular, but when all students have ownership over the way the classroom runs they learn to work together and take responsibility for the good of the group!
3. My favorite bulletin board is the one next to my desk! I created this tree a couple of years ago and have added to it each year. It serves as a place to post important information, student gifts and drawings, and words of inspiration about education.
Plus, it's super cute (if I do say so myself)!
Missing anything?
Wondering where my calendar board is?
WELL... I DON'T HAVE ONE ANYMORE!
When I realized my Kinders weren't engaging like I had hoped and my day was starting off BLAH instead of WOW, I knew I needed to make a change. I tossed my traditional calendar and created monthly interactive calendars for the SMART Board!Read more about that here!
Check them out at TpT!
Don't teach Kinders?
Then check out these first everyday calendars for any primary grade!
Not ready to invest?
Then download this FREE version... test it with your SMART system and try it with your students... I PROMISE THEY WILL LOVE IT!
Play in the 21st Century Kindergarten classroom shouldn't just be an arbitrary assortment of toys. It needs to be well thought-out and planned, tied to the standards, and must include a wide variety of materials to maintain the engagement of 21st Century Learners. In this video we will explore what it takes to plan structured play for the 21st Century Kindergarten classroom and I will outline my yearlong plan for play.
Play themes in my 21st Century Kindergarten classroom align with academic themes and are meant to enhance learning in all areas by immersing students in real-world situations. Here's a quick glance at the yearlong plan:
One of my most favorite parts of teaching Kindergarten and first grade is Calendar Time. It's a wonderful way to start the day with routine, a good time to review math skills, and go over the day's schedule. As a first grade teacher ten years ago, I prided myself on my calendar bulletin board. It was all-inclusive; covering topics from the days of the week to the changing seasons to classroom jobs and everything in between. It was expansive; filling an entire bulletin board! Above all, it was cute, color-coordinated and trendy. (Of course!) I loved that board and the time my students and I would spend every morning reviewing concepts, sharing, and prepping for the day ahead.
When I returned to the classroom from an intervention position to teach Kindergarten a few years ago I set up the board of all boards! I bought new date cards, learned new songs, created streamlined flip charts, added Velcro to my money chart, and re-bundled my straws for the tens/ones chart. I was determined to make my Calendar Time awesome! I just KNEW my students would LOVE it as much as I did!
BUT, I was SO disappointed!!
My students weren't engaged, weren't singing/playing along, and (worst of all) weren't learning!
I was stumped! What was keeping them from engaging?
In my few short years out of the classroom had Calendar Time become obsolete?!?
Calendar Time in the 21st Century
I knew my techniques, activities, routines were good. I consulted other teachers, read books and articles on the topic and came to only one conclusion...
Calendar Time was the SAME, but my students were DIFFERENT!
They engaged through technology and the lessons I planned that incorporated my SMART Board were quickly becoming their favorites(and my most successful). I knew there had to be a way to
bring my beloved Calendar Time into the 21st Century.
I searched for a program or product that would accomplish what I wanted, but there wasn't much out there. So, I started from scratch and created my first (very primitive) calendar file for the SMART Board. Once I saw how engaged my students were (with the same concepts I was trying to teach using my old-fashioned bulletin board, mind you)... I kicked my creative juices into overdrive, abandoned my bulletin board calendar, and NEVER LOOKED BACK!
I read recently that Calendar Time is a thing of the past and that it is among a list of "Old School" practices that should be stopped... Well, I couldn't disagree more! Since switching to an interactive, SMART Board version I found that my Calendar Time has become even more vital than before! Read all about why calendar is still essential today HERE!
My students learn SO MUCH MORE than the days of the week during Calendar Time now...
They learn calendar basics, weather and season characteristics, celebrate birthdays, and cheer every Friday!
They learn basic math skills and cover standards involving counting, base ten concepts, and graphing!
They learn to use technology to demonstrate what they know and interact with new content!
They work as teams to problem solve, use discussion to explain and communicate, encourage each other through collaboration, and develop leadership skills as they take their turn as calendar leader!
After a summer break, I'm back at the computer to join Farley at "Oh' Boy 4th Grade," with
August Currently!
Listening -To the “Today Show…” and that’s
it… no husband, no children, no Stampy Cat Minecraft videos… only Matt and
Savannah. I don’t have to be at school until noon, husband is at his training,
and sis-in-law came to get my kids before 9 a.m.Every school year should begin like this –
with a few moments for quiet, un-rushed reflection… Loving -My new planner - designed by ME! I'm the worst at keeping up with a calendar. Somehow I always manage to get things done, but I have no idea how. I live a week-at-a-time, in general, by putting family activities and appointments on our "fridge calendar." This year I'm trying to turn over a new leaf... for inspiration I designed my own calendar and had it printed and bound at Office Depot. It cost WAY too much, but I love it... maybe I will keep up at least through August. :)
Thinking -About my NEW position!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE teaching Kindergarten, but I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE intervention. So, when our Reading Recovery position became available this summer I mentioned to my principal I would love to do it... and within 3 hours I had changed jobs! Yikes! I don't tend to make big decisions that quickly, but I know it was the right choice. I'm motivated to learn something new about literacy instruction and thrilled to be back in a position with less to "take-home," so I can focus on my family. It was overwhelming at first to downsize, but I am excited about my new small space!
Wanting -Time to SLOW DOWN! My first baby starts 4th grade in three days and in our district that means going to middle school. I'm. Not. Ready. I think she is ready, though nervous, and I am putting up a very brave front, but I feel for the first time like my Kindergarten parents have felt leaving their babies with me. And, speaking of Kindergarten parents, my middle baby starts K in three days! As if a fourth grade transition wasn't enough, I'm a Kinder-Mom, too! AND, my last baby starts preschool next week. I marvel at the start of this new season, I'm prayerful for peace-of-mind, and I'm blessed with three amazing kiddos who get to attend an wonderful school district..., but, MAN, this is HARD!
Needing -To fold the mountain of laundry... I think I put this in the "needing" section of every "currently" post. LOL! But, laundry can wait... and if we wear clothes straight from the pile every some days, nobody has to know. ;) B2S RAK -Encouraging Notes... This has been a summer of changes at my school... several teachers are taking on new challenges. A random, anonymous note of encouragement might be just what they need to get through the starting days. So, I plan to sprinkle some words of encouragement throughout my school. Who knows? Maybe it will be contagious and others will pass along the kindness!
Whew! That was therapeutic!
Bring on the new school year... Here's to new beginnings!
I'm so excited to link up with other bloggers at Jasmine McClain's blog, Buzzing with Mrs. McClain, for my very first blog hop!
Be sure to follow all the links and check out what "You Oughta Know" about this month!
For my post, You Oughta Know About...
My Classroom!
I strive to run an organized and efficient Kindergarten classroom. (With room for play and fun, of course!) This summer I added a few things to my management system that have made a big difference!
1. My whiteboard is the hub of communication and information in my classroom (aside from the Smart Board). My "CHAMP" icons and schedule cards are on magnets so that I can easily adjust them each day or each learning block. My Daily 5 posters are kinder-friendly and easy to understand. (Grab them for free here!) I also have a set of mini posters just for me, "The 7 C's of Teaching," to remind me of my responsibilities to these 21st Century kiddos! (Grab them for free here.) The small red pocket chart is used to spotlight our learning targets as they change throughout the day.
2. I also have a bulletin board that runs the length of the room. The largest section is for learning targets. Small pocket charts hold the target/standard cards for the week (or unit) so that I can readily access and display them as we transition throughout the day. Beyond the word wall and birthday displays is the job chart. I have 24 students and 24 jobs. (Sounds crazy, I know!) Students have one job per week and we rotate throughout the year. Giving each student a job has had such an impact on our classroom community! Some jobs are small and others are more popular, but when all students have ownership over the way the classroom runs they learn to work together and take responsibility for the good of the group!
3. My favorite bulletin board is the one next to my desk! I created this tree a couple of years ago and have added to it each year. It serves as a place to post important information, student gifts and drawings, and words of inspiration about education.
Plus, it's super cute (if I do say so myself)!
I can't wait to share more about my classroom and look forward to hearing about what you have added to your classroom to make it more efficient, more organized, and more fun!
Thanks so much for hopping over to my blog! Be sure to visit all the other November "You Oughta Know" bloggers!
