1st Day of School

Today was the first day of school, and I have a fabulous new group of 1st and 2nd graders. The 1st graders are new to me, and I am learning each of their unique and quirky personalities. The 2nd grade crew are returners and although we know each other, we are now figuring out new dynamics. These children are exploring what it means to be an older member of the class, trying out the role of leader and helper.

More than any other day, the first day of school requires differentiation. All of our students come to school hoping to find it not too hard, and not too easy. Since the first day sets the tone for those that follow, I am hoping to challenge everyone appropriately, to engage them without stressing them out.

To provide an appropriate task for everyone, especially without knowing the students very well, I usually offer open-ended explorations with math materials as our first-day math activity. Today I introduced three materials that we will use in math this year: base ten blocks, pattern blocks, and geoboards. Each child chose a material to explore, and all happily set to work building, designing, and creating.

Although all of the children were working with the same materials, they approached the materials in a variety of ways. Many of the younger children simply focused on testing the properties of the materials, working to balance the base ten blocks and determining how far rubber bands can be stretched on the geoboard without breaking. Older children who had previous experiences with the materials created more complex challenges for themselves. One 2nd grader worked at creating symmetrical designs on the geoboard, another working with base ten blocks tried to determine if a tens stick was heavier than ten single ones blocks.