5 Things Ms. Dwyer Says…

Hi, Friends! How are ya? In an effort to make myself blog on a more regular basis, I’m jumping back into Five for Friday with Kacey at Doodlebugs Teaching! This week, I’m sharing 5 things that I find myself saying daily. You know, those little things that are a spoken language between you and your littles. The language of love that develops and binds you together as a little family.

Number 1…

We sing this little diddy. When I notice a friend has forgotten to begin a sentence with a capital letter, I start singing “Every sentence….and because we do this every.single.day…the class joins in and finishes the sentence….begins with a CAPITAL letter! Fun! And the guilty party  or parties usually go back, erase and write their capital letter in!

Number 2…

{Self explanatory!}

Number 3…


My one expectation for the completion of student work is that they always give their absolute best! There’s no slackin’ in Room 171; we make stuff happen! Knowing that, not everyone’s work will look exactly the same. Each student brings to the table a different personality, a different perspective on the world. I want them to understand their work is a reflection of them. How they complete it is how they present themselves to others that might see it.

Soooo, when we complete projects you will rarely find any copied patterns in our classroom. You’ll rarely find a color sheet. More often than not, what you will find is students beginning with a blank sheet of paper. A blank sheet of paper is a representation of endless possibilities. It’s a representation of them having the freedom to be creative. It’s a representation of them being able to uniquely express themselves. It’s me trusting them to show what they know in an organized way because I’ve taught them how. So, when I’m asked…do I have to use this color? Can I draw with a pencil or crayon? My response is…..you have creative control.

Number 4…


We use this phrase during writer’s workshop A LOT! One sentence does not a story make! =P It usually leads to other questions too, like what is the problem in your story? How do the characters feel? How did they solve it? What details in your picture help to tell the story? Which leads to….

Number 5…


Writing is rarely ever complete. There’s always more than can be added to tell a great story!

What are some of your favorite phrases?

Biographical Research…So Proud!!!

Hi Friends! How are ya? I’m tired, but still floating somewhere around cloud nine…too excited to sleep…soooooo I thought I’d shoo the crickets away from the blog by sharing with YOU! This evening we held our spring open house. While it made for a long day, it was definitely a great one! Watching most of my students bounce in the door ready to tell their parents all about what we’ve been learning made for a filled teacher heart!

There are times when you wonder if your students actually hear anything you’re saying….(like over the course of 2 straight weeks of bad weather and NO RECESS). Tonight proved they’re listening. They’re always listening! The kids did an amazing job of walking their parents through the classroom and explaining how and why we use the things we do. The ONE thing they all had in common was being excited about the research we recently completed.

When the first parent walked in the door asking about Pocahontas, I just smiled. Then the next one walked in wanting to know about Sacagawea and the next one and the next one…..came in asking about the person their kiddo had been researching. I quickly realized my kids had been going home sharing what they’d learned at school. My heart was filled with pride! The smiles on each kid’s face proved they were too!



We have a required list of biographies that we must cover over the course of the year. I address those in whole group. When it comes to “kid work”…I’m a firm believer that choice equals engagement…..so for their small group {biographical} research projects, each student got to explore our online database to choose a person they were interested in.



We worked on this over the course of the last 4 weeks. I guess you really do grow to love something that takes you a whole month to complete! I precut the foldable. We completed 1 section each week during visits to the computer lab and during writer’s workshop. Students were split into 9 small groups of no more than 3. Each group was guided by a student leader.



Students took notes on a plain sheet of printer paper. From their notes, they recorded 3 facts they learned….



…then recorded life span dates and created a timeline of 4 important life events in sequential order.



After illustrating the 4 important life events, students wrote a short booklet [using the events on the timeline] to write about the person’s life.



Cite our sources? Yep! 1st graders can do that! Luckily, our research database has an option for students to click and the correct format for the citation pops right up on the screen! Students click it and its immediately available for them to copy neatly. We use www.pebblego.com for online research.



Have you ever seen kiddos so engaged in the computer lab…..away from the computers?!!! They absolutely loved learning about real people! This afternoon bottoms were bouncing into the share chair ready teach friends. Those that came to open house had a second opportunity by sharing with their parents!

Seeing parents just as excited as the kids about what we’d been learning was an added plus!!! My littles amaze me a little more every day! Have I mentioned how much I love my class?



Click the pic above to get a closer look at our little project! After having some giveaway fun on Facebook, a sweet friend suggested creating a second version for older kiddos without primary lines, so this product has grown and now includes two versions. One with primary lines for firsties and one with wide-ruled lines for older kiddos. Check it out and happy researching!

I think I can head to bed now. There’s more fun to be had tomorrow and THEN…….we’re off for spring break!

Not all heroes wear capes…

…some wear pots on their head! Isn’t she just the cutest?! It’s a blessing to work with someone with such a wonderful spirit. Her joy for teaching shines through in a big way! I’ve never left her presence without feeling better or happier than I was before seeing her. It’s obvious that she loves what she does and does what she loves!

Some heroes enjoy school celebrations! I always look forward to special days at school because I know this team will go all IN! You can guess what day it was when this pic was snapped! You got it…the 100th day!

Some heroes inspire with their friendship and genuine collaborative spirits. Brainstorming with these two is the best!

Some of the best teachers I’ve ever had the joy of working with and that inspire me the most are only 6 years old!

Not all heroes wear capes….some are willing to engage students with a funny hat. Some enjoy special days. Some share their genuine love for teaching or a simple smile as you pass them in the hall. I appreciate my personal teacher heroes. Each of them bravely give the best of themselves without hesitation.

Thank YOU for being one of my heroes too! As you’ve enjoyed the TPT sale today and yesterday, I hope you’ve taken a few minutes to reflect on the invisible cape you wear everyday or thanked a teacher hero in your life. Enjoy the new goodies you’ve picked up during the sale to continue inspiring our next generation of super heroes!  And if you’re a night owl like me…you’ve still got  a little time left to pick up a couple more goodies! =)