The Puzzle Piece Project!

Hello Everyone! I can't believe that I have already completed the second week of the school year. Phewww..I've been coming home extra exhausted and going to bed at 8:30 every night. You know what though? I love it! I am so happy to be back teaching, because it's what I love to do. I wanted to share with you a fun project I completed with my 50 students. (Yes..that's right, 50) I am teaching Reading and Writing at my school, and therefore I have 50 fifth graders rotating throughout the day. I was nervous about departmentalizing because creating a classroom community is HUGE for me. There is nothing like starting the year off RIGHT with team building and creating a comfortable environment for students. Therefore, I still have been doing that with all THREE classes.
Here is a fun project we completed this week:

The Puzzle Piece Project!

• Each student was given a blank puzzle piece.
• The puzzle piece was to be designed by the student! This puzzle piece should represent the student. The MUST HAVE on the puzzle piece was their name. (We want to make sure we know who's who!)
• The students then wrote a paragraph or two about what was on their puzzle piece and WHY did they choose the design, symbols, colors, etc.
• The very best part about this project was seeing the students work together, communicate, share ideas on how to put the puzzle together. 
• All three classes were able to put their classes puzzle together! All three classes were able to complete the task of putting it together in less than 10 minutes! Now that's working together!
• The BIG Idea: When we begin a new school year, we are all anxious, excited, nervous, and curious. We are entering the new year ready to join and create a new classroom family. Each and everyone of us are unique and special. Not one of us are alike. We are unique like the puzzle pieces of a puzzle. Each piece plays an important role. The puzzle cannot be completed without all the pieces coming together to create a work of art! :)

The puzzles are now proudly hanging in the fifth grade wing where other students from various classes can walk by and admire the student's creativity! Here are some pictures:

Here is the bulletin board display in the fifth grade hallway! We truly are a GREAT fit here in fifth grade!

Mrs. Eastman's Class!

Miss Brett's Class!

Miss Cayer's Class!

Also, many people voiced how they really liked my bulletin board display of the gumball machine. I never posted a picture of it completed. Well here is it :) : 

One last thing I wanted to share is my writer's workshop stations I've created using the wonderful $15 bookshelves from Walmart! Check them out:

The writer's notebooks (all the different colored binders) have my Writing Is a Process sheets I've created. I've gotten great response from buyers on Teacher Pay Teachers, they are extremely useful. Check them out here: Teacher Pay Teachers-Miss Cayer's Store: Writing is a Process!
Here are the anchor charts I've created to correlate with the sheets:

 

Thank you for stopping by! Happy teaching my friends!