All Things Gingerbread

I still can't get over the fact that December is here and we'll be on break by next Friday--Aaaaah! & Yippieeeeee! I am so proud of my kiddos and all they have accomplished so far, but at this time of the year I also begin to panic. "Are we on the right track?- "Can I do more?"- "Will there be enough time?" I know, I know, take a deep breathe....

My kiddos and I are having so much fun this month. We are knee high in ALL THINGS GINGERBREAD. We have read so many versions and I still have a couple more to cover. They love the all the different versions of the Gingerbread Man.  

These are some of my favorite selections:

       

 

I always start with the Gingerbread Man selections. By the time we are our 3rd version of the Gingerbread Man, they are very familiar with the plot, ending, and characters. They love to listen for the variations whether in the setting or the characters. This group of kiddos really liked The Gingerbread Girl version ( I think teacher influence really had a lot to do with it). They liked that she outsmarted the fox.

Some of my boys really like that the gingerbread gets eaten. They love to say that the fox is so devious! For some reason this group of kiddos did not like the illustrations by Paul Galdone. They said the Gingerbread Man looks creepy--go figure.

This is our anchor chart for SOME of the gingerbread stories we read. I couldn't keep going since it already covered up my whole whiteboard. One of my girls noticed most of the authors we charted were women. Talk about an inspiration to my girls.

The morning after we their retelling writing on The Gingerbread Girl, they all arrived to find their gingerbread shirt and a stuffed gingerbread on their desk. You can imagine the shrieks of joy.

 

Some of our Activities:
As you already know, I am a Pinterest lover. You will find many Gingerbread ideas and activities by clicking on the link. I also used the following FAB-U-LOUS resources by these amazing ladies.

 

                     more grades1-3                                     any grade                                                               more K-1

Here is our take for the gingerbread girl pie graph. Like many of you, my kiddos got to take a bite out of the ginger bread cookie and then graph which part they took a bite of first.

(I like Trader Joe's-tasty and cheap!)

 

They are used to doing retellings, but having them placed on a gingerbread girl was a plus-plus!

 

This writing activity was also a lot of fun. My kiddos built a "Gingy" buddy out of construction paper.  They took it home for the weekend and were instructed to do a special activity with their buddy. Gingy went to Toys 'R' Us, McDonald's, tree shopping, Christmas decorating, to the market, etc. They then got to write about their adventure with their buddy.

 

My kiddos also got to compare The Gingerbread Boy and The Gingerbread Girl version using a double bubble. They got to work in groups to fill in their graphic organizer and then wrote about both stories similarities and differences. 

 

Since everything is all about the gingerbread, their Holiday gift will include a gingerbread pencil, frame, and stocking. All this is made possible by my AMAZING parent aid.

 

                                                                                                              His and hers stockings/pencils

close-up of the pencil

This is mine.

This is a unit I could do for a whole complete month and more. What is your favorite gingerbread activity to do with your kiddos?

 

Common Core & Me

Our district has been in the implementation of the Common Core for the last 2 years. Last year, they rolled out CCSS in K-1 and had overall module professional development that provided an overview for all grades. I am not one to wait. I was in my last year of a 1-5th grade looping span and wanted to get myself as ready as possible.

I began to read as much as possible on the Common Core both in books and online. The following are some links that might interest you if you want to read more about CCSS:

http://achievethecore.org 

(offers CC aligned lessons, student work samples, PD, and other useful tools)

http://www.corestandards.org/

(overview and great info on CCSS)

http://www.burkinsandyaris.com/

(great think-tank on CC topics)

http://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/

(one of the authors on the CCSS)

These are great places to get your feet wet and then some.

These are also some very powerful reads that will get your wheels turning about your craft and the strategies you use in both reading and math instruction.

 

Before last year, I thought I was giving my students the best there was. I thought I planned and engaged my students in demanding and productive instruction. But after last year, I learned that in my previous years teaching we could have accomplished a lot more and in greater breadth. I am a lot more focused this year.

One area I am really trying to improve on is partner talk procedures, structure, and routines. Why? The Speaking & Listening standards may seem simple at first glance, but they require sophisticated processes. Students must be able to explain their own thinking in complete sentences and cite evidence to support their conclusions. I have my students do Think-Pair-Share all the time, but I wanted the conversations to be more about their work, how they got there, and to really listen in to their partner. We still have a long journey ahead of us, but I feel we are making some headway. Here is a little clip on one such conversation.

I know that it is very difficult to change the way we do things. You have to change your thinking about what you think students can do and realize that you may have to change what you have always done to meet that challenge. I think so many people can be negative about it, because it is hard to change...and it is a very huge change.  It is scary to find yourself on unstable ground, to question yourself, and to rethink your teaching. You have to hone your craft daily.  You have to push yourself to learn more than you ever thought possible.  You have to research and read like crazy, you have to try it on, stretch it out, rip the seams, and in the process you will get all mucky and uncomfortable. I like to think of myself as a caterpillar that continuously must go through metamorphosis. On my best days, I am a beautiful butterfly enjoying the nectar of the flowers, and on my worst days, I am back to being a caterpillar, stumbling form leaf to leaf trying to get my fill of teaching knowledge. Either way, I change again and again. I like to think that due to change (even with all it ugliness), there is always beauty in the end...that's life.

These are just some whirling thoughts and ideas from an educator who wants to always better herself, her craft, her profession...for the sake of the children she teaches. What are your thoughts on CCSS?