One Heckuva Hectic Work Week!

The week in between Spring Break and Easter was a super crazy one for me at school! 

I absolutely love project-based learning, but we only do it a few times a year because it takes a LOT of time. It's worth it, though! The kids retain the learning, and they get excited as we near its completion, because they can recognize their own growth! Since I taught 2 new grade levels this year, the projects were different sometimes between what the 3rd graders did and what the 4th graders did. However, in March, ALL my students worked on biographies.

I bought lots of biography books early on in the year with some grant money, and then I checked some additional ones out of the library. At the end of February, I gave each student the choice of which person they wanted to research and learn more about. Everyone either got their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice. They read the biography book, and filled in a 2-page graphic organizer (that I created) with information to find more about their person. Then we turned that information into a 2-page essay, filled in timelines about their famous person, and had a resident artist come to class several times to teach the students how to draw realistic faces and they drew and colored their celebrity, too. We compiled all the research onto a tri-fold screen (that was originally supposed to be attached to desks for COVID, but we re-purposed them) and then we had a presentation day on Tuesday, March 30th. We called it the "Historical Heroes Museum" and students had 8 different showings throughout the day. Each showing lasted 30 minutes, and they presented to students from Kindergarten to 6th grade, as well as adults in the school district and family members. It was my first time doing something like this, but it was a HUGE hit! The students tracked how many times they gave their presentation throughout the day (they gave a condensed version of all they'd learned, plus asked for questions and answered whatever their audience wanted to know more about), and most gave over 100 presentations and had it totally memorized by the end of the day!!! They really enjoyed the experience, too! I was BEYOND proud of them for how well they did on this project! 

I taught the students that they are superheroes of our day, too! All 
year, they each had a week where we learned more about them, and I
kept all their posters for this specific week. Their posters were on
display during the Museum, and then I hung them in the hall
afterwards. They also did a timeline for themselves, and it was so
interesting to read about what they thought were the most important
parts of their lives thus far. 

Originally, the Historical Heroes Museum was going to happen the week BEFORE Spring Break, but then we had a COVID closure, so it got moved to the week AFTER Spring Break instead. However, I'd already planned to do the Schoolwide Sneetches Party (the prize they earned from Dr. Seuss week at the beginning of March) that same week, so it was a very stressful week for me to get my classroom ready for the Museum, have 8 tours in my classroom, clean up afterwards, and get everything ready for the school-wide party just 2 days later! 

The prep work for the Sneetches party was a big undertaking, and I worked on a lot it during Spring Break, since I knew the week of the actual party was going to be stressful. There were 18 game stations overall--enough to let the students spread out and have a variety of activities. I tried to think of the easiest way to set up--I used the PTO storage room, and I had a bin or box for each outdoor game. I made posters and taped them to each box, and created lists of what I would need for each activity. As I got those items (either from my home, or from the store, or from the P.E. closet), I put them in the designated box. The night before the Sneetches party, I pulled all the boxes out and made sure EVERYTHING needed was in each box. The boxes would also be used to mark where the stations were in the open fields, so the students knew where to go for each game and where the lines would start at each game (I mapped it out so I would know where to place all the boxes but I didn't mass produce the map for the students). I had clipboards placed in each box with instructions for how to play each game, in case I couldn't talk to each person before the event started. Logistically, it was a big event to plan for and make sure I had enough people to help, but it all worked out! The last step was to pray for good weather--it was the biggest factor that I couldn't control.

Our Sneetches Party was on April 1--April Fool's Day! It was an outdoor party that lasted an hour and a half at the end of the day. The students could go to any of the games in whatever order they wanted, and they also rotated as grade levels through the meal station where they could have a hot dog, chips, and a drink. I made up little cards for each student that listed all 18 activities, and they were allowed to go to each game only twice, so that more kids could have the opportunity. I asked for volunteers to help with the event: some were parents, and some were older students who manned the stations. When the students came to their station, they gave them the instructions, took their cards as the kids played, marked off that section of their card, and then returned them after the game was done. I told the students that if they made it to at least 12 stations, they would be rewarded with an ice cream when it was done (an incentive for them to actually GO to the stations, not just sit around, and also an incentive to KEEP a hold of their card, not lose it!).  The afternoon of the party, Mr. H brought his speakers out and played loud music, which was so fun! Mr. Kimbro took time off work to grill for us, and he even brought his own grill from home to grill the hot dogs for the kids. The lunch ladies brought tables outside for the kids to eat on. My students helped me sweep the area for the scooter obstacle course and carried all the boxes outside for me. Volunteers who arrived early helped set up the equipment after the boxes were set-up. I had extra people show up last minute to help, thankfully, since some others couldn't come at the last minute, and I had exactly the right number of people to help, which was a blessing. Thankfully, the weather turned out beautifully too! (You never know in Mud Lake--it's usually cold and blowing!) The party was a HUGE success!!! The kids had a LOT of fun! Everything worked out and I was elated to have it over and done! 

Happy kids eating!

Happy kids playing!

Ms. Blake & I both wore our Dr. Seuss shirts for the special event.

The kids showing me their completed cards at the end of the party
before they received their popsicles (kindergarten students had pink
cards so the volunteers would know who to make accommodations
for during the games, like stepping closer to a target).

A few days later, our school secretary surprised me with a giant thank you card signed by the elementary students, a bouquet of flowers, chocolates, and soda pop. I was blown away with the generosity!!! I cried some happy tears when she gifted it to me on behalf of the school. I'd wanted to do a field day of some kind ever since I started working there, and I'm glad I finally accomplished this activity before I left. It was my pleasure to direct, but it feels so good to be appreciated, too! I sincerely loved working at West J School District.