Welcome to Room 109 of Galewood Early Elementary!
Room 109 serves Developmental Kindergarten (DK) students at Galewood Early Elementary in Charlotte, Michigan. Galewood Early Elementary serves all DK and Kindergarten students in the district. However, DK students are often first year learners who will have the benefit of an additional year of social growth before strict academics. Aged 4-5 at the beginning of the year, student needs are met with developmentally appropriate practice: slower academic pacing, immense differentiation, and lots of play!
Large GroupThis carpet is where we have our morning meetings, story time, and discussions. Posted right behind my gold teacher chair are the classroom expectations: Move Safely, Be Kind, Speak Gently, Be Friendly. Our classroom expectations directly support Galewood's PBIS goals. All of these expectations have been discussed by our class by what they look like, sound like, and act like. We reference then constantly to make sure we are all doing our best.
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CalendarThis area is the hub of communication in our class. Each day our morning meeting includes calendar-related tasks: the day's date, the number of days in school, classroom job assignments, and attendance. We also review the schedule for the day and any upcoming changes. Throughout the year students learn how to read the daily schedule and prepare for the day. Many students independently check the charts upon arrival and refer to them throughout the day.
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Our Best WorkThe 'Our Best Work' board is a place where each of my students has the opportunity to showcase a piece of classroom work. This board is fluid, changing sometimes daily depending on what we are working on. I feel that this space in the classroom is very important because students are able to have ownership of their work. Additionally, students are able to truly choose evidence of their learning. For instance, the piece of work shown was from the very beginning of the year and modeled the board's purpose. Shown here, students have sorted stickers by the letters of their name to practice letter ID. They are so proud of their work!
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Creation StationThe Creation Station is the central location for all art materials. In this area students can find all different kinds of paper, magazines for collages, stamps, scissors, glue sticks, pens, pencils, play dough and tools, markers, and crayons. These materials are openly available during free choice time each day, but are also utilized during structured times such as centers and other teacher-directed activities. Allowing students to have a variety materials to explore gives them the opportunity to create in ways they might not otherwise experience.
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Construction ZoneRight below the 'Our Best Work' board is the Construction Zone! Here students can find three different types of blocks, duplos, cars, 3D solids, animals, and a cityscape rug. Providing these materials to students allows them to explore STEM concepts and social negotiation. Construction is one of the most popular areas during free choice, but is also utilized in teacher-directed activities to teach mathematical concepts.
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LibraryAt the back of the carpet area is the classroom library! As well as leveled reading books, students can choose books such as sea creatures, ABC books, Magic School Bus, rhyming books, Mercer Mayer, Arthur, jokes, poems, horses, animals and more! I also feature books relevant to our science and social studies units, like weather or community helpers. On the top of the shelf you can see our reading buddies!
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Word WallThis picture showcases the word wall in my classroom, ready for school to start! Throughout the year, student names are added, as well as sight words, content vocabulary, and environmental print shared by families. By using examples of print that students see at home, it helps build the meaning of print! Additionally, words are accessible for students to use these words in their own writing.
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Pretend PlayHere is pretend play! This area always has dress up clothes, a kitchen set with food and dishes, a cash register, a highchair, and baby dolls. Open during free choice, this area provides children with practice for a multitude of social skills like conflict negotiation, role playing, decision-making, communication and interpersonal skills, and self-awareness. The children love to try out new roles.
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Teacher TableI prefer to teach some lessons in a small group format. This not only allows me to assess my students with immediacy, it also provides opportunities for one-to-one instruction. A small group setting also helps me to build connections with students as we work together. As we begin each lesson we review the learning goals and expectations together. By having this setup, students know what to expect each time they are gathered for a lesson!
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All images on this page are owned by Lillian Marshall