For the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about all the blog posts I want to write about things I did in my first grade classroom this past year, that I didn’t have time to write about then. I have also learned not to content-crowd a post with ten different topics. So, I wanted to create a space on my blog to reflect and share ideas from something I did six months ago! And, “Rewind and Retell” was born!!
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| Thanks to Melonheadz for the great clipart!! |
This link-up is for us teacher-bloggers to write a new blog post about something you have done in your classroom that you haven’t shared yet. You could “rewind” to nine months ago, or nine days ago; then, “retell” what you did, how it went, and anything else you want to share! Maybe you made a TpT product for the activity, or maybe it was a TOTAL FAIL! We want to know! I know that we all have those random pictures on our phones/computers for a “really great blog post” that never became one! I hope this linky party gives you motivation to get your thoughts and ideas on digital paper!!
The really fun part of this linky: there’s a GIVEAWAY involved! #teacherslovefreestuff…RIGHT?! Each week I will be giving away either a product from my TpT store OR a souvenir of my picking from Tanzania!! It is the winner’s choice!! AND I’ll be giving the winner shout-outs on my social media that week!! Definitely a worthy reason to participate!!
So, how do you win?!?? You must link up a blog post that you RECENTLY wrote with Rewind and Retell in mind. Please grab the button above to put in your post!!
Every THURSDAY morning I will be posting my Rewind and Retell blog post. You will have until Friday afternoon to link up. When you link up, you’ll be automatically entered to win!
I will announce the winner on Periscope Friday night, when I do a little recap/teaser of my Rewind and Retell post! Make sure you’re following me on Periscope @allieelliott to see if you win! I will also email the winner after the Periscope.
If you have any questions, leave them in a comment below! I hope you’re as excited about this as I am! I hope you link up today and every Thursday! I want to see what you do in your classroom.
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Now for my first Rewind and Retell! Like I mentioned above, I taught first grade this year. I teach at a school who has only been established for three years, and is in Tanzania, East Africa. It is founded and run by Americans, so we have American curriculum. But, with our math curriculum this year, I needed to do a whole lot of supplementing to meet the First Grade Common Core standards. One of the really fun and hands-on activities we did for telling time is called, “Tick, Tock, Get on the Clock!”
I was sitting in my classroom during our 15 minute morning recess racking my brain (and the web) for a hands-on way to practice telling time. My students were improving, but still needed some practice. I searched in Pinterest, and found a picture of this idea, shut my computer, and ran with it! Unfortunately I can’t remember who I got the idea from. If it was you, please leave your blog post in the comments so I can give you credit!!
All you need for this activity is chalk!! I drew a big clock on the concrete before class with a big dot in the middle, and the numbers of course. To contain the students and keep them in one place, they had to stay on the curb unless I told them different! Then, I explained our activity.
The goal of this activity is for your students to practice their teamwork and their telling time skills. I was working with my first graders on the :00 and :30 times. I would call two students (I tried to choose one taller student and one shorter student), and assign them which hand they would be on the clock (the hour or the minute). Then, I called out a time and the students laid down to try and make the time on the clock! In the picture below, I asked the students to make 12:30, and they did!
To keep the other students engaged, they checked their peers’ work. They were suggesting where to lie, and using problem solving skills if they didn’t get the time correct the first time. I made sure everyone got to be the hands of the clock a couple of times to help everyone practice. Now, when they are trying to figure out what time it is, they have schema (background knowledge) from being the hands of the clock!!
You can modify this activity to your needs! If you have older students, you can call out times to the minute. If you have a large class, you can have multiple clocks! There are endless possibilities for this simple full-body and mind activity!
I hope you learned something new today, or got some ideas for this next school year! Feel free to PIN and share this post! I would love if you did!
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Now back to the link-up! I can’t wait to read all your fabulous ideas!!
Don’t forget to spread the bloggy love by reading and commenting on the other posts!! And join me on Periscope tomorrow night (Friday, 7/17) at 7pm!
Much Love, Allie
