We made it! We survived the FIRST month of FIRST grade! Whoohoo! Sounds like a great reason to celebrate to me!
My teaching team decided to spend a few minutes our afternoon making bracelets to celebrate. We also reread “Our Class is a Family”. We talked about all that we have learned this first month and reflected on expectations and routines that were going well.
You wouldn’t believe how quiet the classroom was while we strung our beads to make our bracelets. My teacher heart was so happy as I watched my class encourage one another, assist those that struggled and comforted those who were upset when all the beads fell off. We truly have come a long way in just a month!
Here’s how I organized and prepared for this activity:
- Precut the string for the bracelets.
- Prepared bowls of assorted beads.
- Placed all letter beads in one container and counted out to make sure we had enough.
Bracelet making steps:
- I gathered all the students on the carpet area and gave them each a string.
- I modeled how we were going to start with the last letter since most students string beads from left to right (like we read).
- We started slowly with one letter at a time stringing each on our bracelet string.
- After all bracelets spelled FIRST, we then counted out the beads they wanted to use on each side of the word. We found that most students only needed six beads on each side. Some needed 7 on each side depending on wrist size.
- They brought their bracelets to me to tie. This is where some of us fidgeted a little much and spilled our beads all over the floor…insert screams and tears here…this is also where we learned valuable lessons about perseverance and community building. I loved how students rallied around each other and helped those who were upset.
When all the bracelets were finished, I passed out these little cards for them to take home with their bracelets. Each day since our bracelet making day, students have proudly worn them to school.
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