All I Learned from The Bear Class

Every year, the first grade classes at my school hold an annual portfolio party on the afternoon after we present our grade level play for parents and friends. The portfolio is a new/unused pizza box, turned inside out, with decorations (I use the student's handprints) on the front. Then we put pieces of their artwork, their journals, and lots of other items from units of study inside. It's like a time capsule of first grade.

We also do a slideshow on PhotoStory of pictures from the school year. This year mine was 45 minutes long! I just had it running on the promethean board in the background and I gave each child a copy to watch and to keep at home. Precious memories!

I write something special and read it out loud to the parents. Every year, I use the same format, but the wording changes to reflect the students of the current class. I thought you might enjoy reading this year's "All I Learned...." What do you do that's special for your students and parents at the end of the year? Alicia

All I Learned from The Bear Class * May 25, 2011
This year I have learned that it really is possible to have a “Perfect” class…..that having exactly 9 boys and 9 girls all year long is a wonderful thing….No one new came and no one left and we were all very happy when everyone was here each day in room 221……room parents can turn out to be good friends….room daddies ROCK...smart children sometimes are loud…..but they are also considerate and loving….they are amazing writers and even more amazing readers…they have the best manners of any class I have ever taught…..I have learned that having lots of student interns in the room makes for a whole lotta learnin’ going on….our Principal, Mrs. Jockisch, comes to our room when she needs a little bit of happy…..Anna Claire is a classic little school girl and the perfect Minnie Pearl …room mommies who show up with lunch can brighten a whole day…..you just have to have a real tree branch in your room …Christine gives the best hugs and she really likes to have long conversations at lunch…..my other profession should have been dentistry......Ms. Nevin, Ms. Hand, Ms. Harvey, Ms. Calhoun, Ms. Croom, and Ms. Tessner, are our “other teachers”…having a restroom in the classroom necessitates the need for a whole other set of lessons….Jack loves learning about animals and he is much quieter at school than his parents would ever believe, and just last month I learned NOT to call him Max…..Keiyundre loves books, Karate and being friends with everyone, and he has the best manners…..playdoh is a must…..Friday fun centers and recess can motivate a whole class….Mrs. Pilsch and Mrs. Hickman are the Queens of the library ….Brooksie is a voracious reader, and can very quietly run the school if needed, and fortunately, I never called her Jordan, I don’t think…..Allison has impeccable manners and takes every word ever said to heart ….Zero the Hero wears a mask and a black cape and he visits us every 10th day until the 100th day….email is our friend…Mrs. Jenne’ loves to blog…I have “subscribed” you but you’ll have to find your way out….it’s sort of like the Hotel California of blogland...Tory is a very talented singer and artist and he thinks of thousands reasons to pray for his teacher and classmates on Wednesday nights…..having the children of your friends is an honor and having children of people who become your friends is a bonus….….Kyung Jae is considerate and could possibly teach the class…..tomorrow…..with no help at all from me…there is no part of our room (or the hallway) or someone else’s room if we need that too…that we will not use for center space…..little children still need to paint and sing and play with blocks and puppets…mud pies should be part of the curriculum…..the snack box may be more important than the teacher….Kierstyn brightens our room just by being here and her patience with others is a virtue….. RockFest was cool…chapter books are worth their weight in gold….Tyler is quick to help a friend, has a loving heart and delights in reading with a partner and he just learned to answer to Nicholas….Durham is the recycling dude and knows how to have a conversation with anyone - adult or child…...Science journals, Math Journals and Poetry Journals help us keep track of what we’ve learned… CHOM fieldtrips are so worth the effort….Dinner Theater is a special treat….Marlee is laughter disguised as a little girl and she is happy with whatever we are doing as long as she knows the plan…..We love Peep and the Big Wide World, Tumblebooks and havefunteaching.com….there absolutely CAN be 15 centers and reading groups going on at the same time….we have LOTS of stuff to learn!....... nightly Reading Logs make parents groan, but they also make for a whole class of munchkins who read way, way above grade level…Calicia is always a good helper and at lunch she giggles and tells secrets….Bear Books RULE!......Mary Karsyn loves animals and going to Brownies on Tuesday…. reading over 400 new books in a year makes us smarter…..reading the Junie B series out loud, in order, in one year is so much fun…sometimes we will laugh so hard that we will have to go back and reread because no one could hear anything that was going on….Barbara Park is a graduate of The University of Alabama….Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Jockisch and Nurse Atkinson help us so much every day…. Ethan is a firecracker who always gives 100% and he loves going to computer…the movie Soul Surfer profoundly impacted this class more than any of us know…..doing science is a must… our imaginations and stories in books can take us anywhere…..Brennan is going to say “oooohhhhhh” immediately followed by “yes Ma’am” each time I tell him something and he is quickly becoming the resident shark expert…...there’s something magical about boarding a pretend train in the hallway and getting a bell still cold from the North Pole, then going back to the room to drink hot chocolate as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars…. Will get his way with that dimple and his grin, and he is quiet and kind and calm…..I could teach about the ocean for a whole year… you can never have too many books…..Calendar Math is lots of fun…Harrison might be a musician, or a writer or a ball player someday, but he will always be a great friend…the Promethean Board is the.best.thing.ever…..you can never have too many bandaids or plastic spoons…First Grade Fun Day was so worth the wait…..best.day.ever……water cups are a requirement and most of us learned to like and drink lots of water….I never assigned seats at lunch but almost each day, each child sat in the same seat…..doing a whole play is fun and scary all at the same time ….Bear Class children each and every one, always call me “Momma” at some point in the year, and I always answer because that’s the greatest complement I could ever have….so now, I give you back your child…the same child you confidently entrusted to my care…I give them back pounds heavier…some with fewer teeth and some with bigger teeth….I give them back more responsible, respectful and resourceful than they were before….we have lived, loved, laughed, played, studied, learned and enriched our lives together…..I wish this time could go on forever, because I love them every one….but give them back I must….they will always be my children….Take care of them….for they are precious…..You entrusted me to start their educational journey…now I challenge you to never let it end….after all……
Childhood should be a journey…..not a race…….