Thanksgiving Station Day

Second time typing this!  Wonderful technology!

On the day before Thanksgiving, I had station day.  This is when I am able to have parent volunteers in to help with four activities that have to do with a certain theme.  One station was create a page for our classbook, "I am thankful for...".  I was able to be at this station for the AM class but not for the PM class.  I really took the time to talk with each of the four groups about thinking of an idea, what were they going to draw, what colors were they going to use, to add details to make sure others would be able to look at the picture and know exactly what it is of, and take time to sound out the word that they were going to write to describe the picture.  After each student was done, I had them hold their picture up to the others in the group.  The students had a chance to tell what was the picture of.  Many were able to tell what the student drew and to read the word out loud. 

When the students wrote out the word for what they were thankful for, I felt that the students really concentrated and sounded out each letter and were able to write the word on their own.  I was really happy and proud of them and I could see that the students were too!

I wish I had the same opportunity to do this with my PM class.  I did talk with the parent who ran the station.  The parent said that they really rushed through drawing the picture and coloring.  I went back and looked at the two classbooks and I can see a big difference in the two classes.  I feel it had to do with who was at the station.  But the parent really tried to talk to them about what I was trying to have the students do.