We are hands-on learners, and we love to express ourselves.

 One of the best things about having a small class is that I get to learn what makes each student come alive with excitement. Then, I am able to use that knowledge to tailor every lesson to what the students love...in this case, it's football, monster trucks, money, and crafts.

We got super creative with our manipulatives, making ones, tens, and hundreds out of painted beans, craft sticks, and glue. 

It was so much fun to learn to tell time to the minute, and to build a solid foundation in elapsed time. These kiddos will be more than ready for a return to school in second grade!

During the 2020 election season, we held our own election, complete with advertising campaigns, commercials, debates, and an actual "election day" with ballot boxes and ballots. The biggest difference was, of course, the slate of candidates. Our class campaigned for Chocolate Chip Cookies vs. Sugar Cookies. In the end, to my surprise, Sugar Cookies won! Still, we enjoyed both kinds of cookies with milk to celebrate the democratic process. 

Another awesome thing about having a small pandemic pod is that we were able to celebrate all of the holidays with each of the student's family traditions. We were able to learn so much about each other and the community around us.

Why do plain old worksheets on addition and subtraction with number lines when you can turn it into a game of Twister?!

We enjoyed honoring Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. by researching many aspects of his life and having really amazing first-grade-appropriate conversations about his legacy and its impact in today's society. We made banners and posters to present some of our research findings. 

We love to use coins and clocks and all kinds of manipulatives to learn.