[LM_NET] TAR: 45 minutes with first grade classes!

[jd1953 <jd1953@FLASH.NET>]

Help, friends.  I am covering the planning periods for my first and third grade 
teachers.  The is a first for me.  Although we have had a fixed schedule in the 
past, the teachers always accompanied and stayed with their classes and the 
sessions were 30 minutes long.  This year, I am covering for first and third.  
Third is not a problem but first graders for 45 minutes without their teachers (and 
no volunteers) is really causing me great stress.  We check in our books and have a 
story---takes about 15 minutes.  Then we look for new books (in small groups).  
This takes about 15 more minutes.  I need to provide them with some sort of 
"seatwork" while they are waiting for their turn to look for their books and while 
we wait for the PE aid (or their teacher) to come to pick them up.  My principal 
frowns on videos and I do not want to rely on that, either.  Coloring pages are 
nice but not every week.  Their academic skills will not allow for successful word 
searches.  This week
 we are reading Walter the Baker and then making Play Doh pretzels.  What are some 
activities that first graders will be happy to do and will fill the time 
productively.
  I have been at this school for 12 years and am thankful that this is the first 
time in that tenure that I have been used to cover teacher planning.  I am worried 
that this will be the start of a full rotation schedule.


Judith Dallinger
Library Media Specialist
Watauga Elementary School
Watauga, TX
jd1953@flash.net

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