While the other three classes were downtown at the peace rally, the kindergarten and first grade students had our own fun day of peace back at CFS. One of our big, exciting missions of the day was to design and paint our very own peace mural! It was really wonderful to sit with our very…
The school community took one of its guiding principles out for a walk today. The students, teachers and many parents boarded the red line elevated train for Daley Plaza where we lifted our signs and waved our flags for peace on Earth. International Peace Day is a celebration of humanity’s wish to live free of…
With less than a month left of school, I am beginning to reflect on the year. My class is truly feeling like a family unit, and we are all getting sentimental and appreciating our time together. By this time of year the students know all the classroom procedures and routines and can independently execute…
Last week, two of the classes trekked it in the snow to read to our neighborhood preschool, Families Together. We try to do this about four times a year. I began reflecting on why we do this to help explain to our students and concluded this reflection after our experience. Here are some thoughts I…
Our social-emotional curriculum, Second Step, teaches students about a series of steps (using the acronym S.T.E.P.) for solving problems (whether they be interpersonal, personal, or group problems). I have found that, after explicitly teaching about each of the steps, using these steps with the class has been helpful in solving problems together. With enough practice…
The students were very excited to see each other this week after our winter break! To start 2018 off on a positive note, my students participated in some cooperative games. I wanted us to practice teamwork, compromising and collaboration skills. We learned how to play the cooperative board game Hoot Owl Hoot! This is…