Celebrating the Arts!

Hi!  I'm Hannah from 21st Century K and I'm excited to share how my school works to celebrate the arts.  In response to new program reviews and standards a few years ago, we began holding an Arts Showcase for our primary students each spring.  

After reviewing the standards we found that while we provided more than adequate opportunities for experiences with visual art, music, dance, and drama in a learning/classroom-type environment we failed to offer our students the opportunity to create, collaborate, perform, critique and explore the arts in their own unique ways.  

So, we encouraged students (and their families) to choose anything creative for which they felt they had special talent or aptitude, and plan a way to present that talent to their classmates.  Then each class held individual performances and voted on which talent/presentation/performance they would like to represent their class in a school wide Create Arts Day Showcase.  No emphasis is placed on winning and losing or who is better/worse.  Our showcase isn't a talent show and very few parents attend. It is simply a way for students to share a way in which they are creative.

What resulted was more than any of our teachers could have ever imagined...

Our young students, as an audience, were respectful, encouraging, and thoughtful. Within each classroom a special story unfolded.   In a second grade classroom an athletic boy puts together a basketball dribbling routine and sets it to music for which the crowd cheers. In one third grade classroom a friend with special needs sings a Michael Jackson song and is unanimously voted into the show where she receives a standing ovation. In another class, a quiet boy shares his amazing computerized robot for which he wrote the programming and is voted into the show over the Broadway show-tune belted out by the girl who regularly participates in local theater performances. In my Kindergarten classroom a typically outgoing and boisterous girl quietly shares a memoir she wrote about her lost pet goldfish and she is hugged by her friends, many of whom are brought to tears.  My own daughter, when she was in second grade, was begged by her class to sing "Let It Go" for the school showcase, encouraging her to overcome stage fright and perform for an audience for the first time in her life. I watched her blossom before my very eyes and was touched to see her classmates give her encouraging looks and a loud, supportive ovation as she finished the song. Many more students played instruments, performed dance routines, and paraded visual arts pieces across the gym.  Each time the crowd of primary students would cheer and clap as if they were at a Grammy-nominated performance.

We all learn a lot of valuable lessons during this week of the school year.

• As teachers we are reminded that the "extra" stuff (about which we may grumble when it interrupts our comfortable school day routine) is worthy of our time.
• As regular educators we are reminded that the arts programs are vital to our school and our students (and that the art, drama, music, and PE teachers have a hard job).
• We learn to view many of our students in a new light... many of which are little diamonds in the rough or have secret talents about which we didn't know.
• From our students we learn that a little bit of grace and humility can go a long way and that supporting each other by cheering wildly when someone else succeeds is just what friends should do.
• Interested in starting your own Creative Arts Day?

We send parents a note one week prior saying all students are welcome to participate by preparing any creative presentation including, but certainly not limited to, any visual arts pieces, vocal/instrumental performances, creative writing, dance or other movement routine, anything involving creativity with technology, and dramatic performances or collaborations. Each teacher provides a little class time to discuss projects and ideas, and provides time for friends who may not ave time at home to prepare.  Each class plans a day for class performances and works together to choose one student to perform at the school wide assembly.  Administrators and arts teachers work together to make sure students have all they need and to set a schedule for the school showcase. Then on a Friday afternoon we all gather in the gym to simply celebrate creativity and the arts.

It's simple... after all, the best things in life always are.

Add the Arts to your Common Core instruction in grades K, 1st, and 2nd with this fun unit, "Talents," at 21st Century K on TpT.

The Best Parent Teacher Conference Ever

Are you looking to spice up your Parent/Teacher Conference?  I would like to share what works well for me!  

1.  Set up student work for parents to browse through while waiting.  I usually keep a writing portfolio of all my students final copies.  I set them out during conferences and then send it home at the end of the year.  Parents love it!

2.  Make sure your bulletin board is updated with student work.

3.  Place a sign in sheet on a podium or table outside your classroom. Make it look cute with flowers, a cup with pens, and even a table cloth over the podium.  This shows that you are welcoming and eases any parent fears.

4.  Include your students in the conference!  Whether they are physically there or you simply share their reflections, it is best to let the student lead the conference!  It takes so much of the blame away from the teacher.  Students take ownership of their learning and parents get to see what the students think about their learning.  It is a simple form that covers CLASS PERFORMANCE AND WORK HABITS, HOMEWORK PERFORMANCE AND STUDY HABITS,  BEHAVIOR, GRADES AND GOALS.  Most students are brutally honest and you don't have to be the one to let parents know about any difficulties.  If there is a discrepancy in your thoughts VS students thoughts, it is easy to explain.  Usually you are telling the parent that the student was hard on himself and you would have rated them higher.  For a short time, I will have this form free for visiting this awesome Who's Who Blog!  Click below to grab it!

I hope these ideas help you with a happy conference experience.  If you don't get to grab the freebie in time, you are welcome to copy the ideas from it!  

Pam 

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Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites, Ah HA!

Hi Everyone!  It's Kimberly from Loving Kinders.  I am so happy to be guest blogging this weekend.  It's my birthday weekend! YAY!

Worksheet’s Don’t Grow Dendrites

AH, HA Moments!

 Book Study-ish

This summer there was a HUGE influx of amazing teacher author/bloggers that used this book for a book study.  So… I thought it would be a good idea to get it and read it!

I read the posts and I read the book.  These are my take-aways and AH HA moments!

1 “You don’t stop playing because you get old.  You get old because you stop playing.”

Play games, use humor, and always remember to have fun.  These simple truths are important and will motivate your children to learn.

2 Think. Pair. Share.

This easy adaptable activity will engage students, promote collaboration, and practice working together.

Pose a question.  Pair students up.  Share their thinking.

3 Artwork and Drawing

Using artwork to front load schema, connect to a text or scaffold concepts will not only boost creativity it will lead to higher level thinking that will transcend into higher level writing.

Never underestimate the power of ART.

These 3 BIG ideas are only snippets of what is inside the book.  These are just the big ideas that I gained from the first couple instructional strategies in the book.  

Until Next Time lovies.

Thanksgiving Classroom Celebration {Celebration of Family}

Hi everyone and Happy November!

I’m Mona from First Grade Schoolhouse.

It’s been especially warm here in southern California. It’s hard to believe that it’s fall, and Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.

I wanted to share what our first grade team does for our classroom Thanksgiving celebration each year. It’s not an original idea. One of our teachers told us about it. She got the idea from her own child’s teacher. We used the idea and have changed and adapted it over the years to highlight and appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of our students’ families.

We have a special activity called, “CELEBRATION OF FAMILY.” This event includes Thanksgiving poems and songs performed by the students and a museum featuring special items brought in by students. Families (including grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) are invited to attend.

The Celebration of Family museum includes a collection of items that are special to the family of each student. These items do not have to be antiques and could be everyday objects brought out for family “rituals.” Some examples include the popcorn bowl the family dives into when watching movies together, a favorite plate used for family get-togethers, or maybe it’s a momento from the last trip to visit extended family. It may be a family collection or an item handed down from a grandparent. The children might also photograph something and display the pictures. It’s an item that symbolizes something interesting or special about each family.

The parents discuss the importance of each object with their children, how long it has been in the family, and any other important information. 

I print the information that the child brings to class. This is an example of the placard that sits in front of each child's desk. The students share this information with parents as they tour the museum. Parents ask the students questions about their objects. It becomes an hour of storytelling.

One year I had a child who brought in a mitt as his artifact. He shared that his grandfather and father had both been baseball players. He and his family loved playing the game. He wanted to grow up to be a baseball player, too. The mitt as well worn. The student was especially proud of it. {Placard graphic by Whimsy Clips.}

The students create and wear these special turkey headbands on the day of our celebration.

A roomful of students wearing these headbands definitely gets you into the holiday spirit.

Student speakers welcome the parents.

Our first speaker welcomes the parents.

Our next speaker tells about the program.

The children begin by chanting a poem about the first Thanksgiving. They sing and dance to songs and chants.

The families are then excused to go outside for refreshments.

Our third speaker excuses the parents to go outside.

We go outside where desserts and drinks are served. It's a time for everyone to visit and talk about plans for the Thanksgiving holiday.

After, the children quickly go back into the classroom and get their placemats, placards, and artifacts ready on their desks. {Earlier in the day, we configure the desks into a u-shape.}

Our last speaker goes outside and rings a bell to get the attention of parents. The child announces that our museum is ready.

The families then come back into the classroom to tour the “museum.”

It’s heart-warming to see and listen to the children proudly share with parents about their family traditions. The parents thoroughly enjoy asking question of the students as they tour our museum. Each year parents comment that they love getting to meet all their children's classmates. What I love most is getting to know more about my students' families. I always find out new things about my students thru this activity.

If you'd like more information about our celebration, let me know. I'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

The graphics on the student speaker cards are by the talented and creative Kari Bolt. You can check out her graphics here.

If you're looking for some new fun and engaging Thanksgiving activities for your classroom, I have Thanksgiving writing packets for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade, and

Thanksgiving math centers, too.

Enjoy November! And Happy Thanksgiving!