Daily Do Now

I have tried "Do Nows" or "Bell Ringers" several different ways. Problem of the day, math journals, little booklets of review. Not a fan of any of these. Only a few kids did them and the rest just copied me or their neighbor.

Then came a post by Sarah at Math = Love! I stored it in the back of my mind for next year knowing immediately it was perfect. Things tend to get forgotten there! Especially with end of the year and summer to look forward to! So I was so excited when she reminded me with this one! Ahhhhh! THEMED Do Nows! Who doesn't love a good theme?! I immediately got my real back to school to do list out and wrote it down! I tweaked a little and it has been amazing so far. They do everything except Monday with their group. I think more math has happened doing this in 3 weeks than it ever did in the 4 years before combined! The first week I wouldn't tell them what the next day was but I made a big deal about each day being a theme. By Thursday, every class was trying to guess what the day's theme was! They love it! I love that they love it! After today, I will forever do One Good Thing Monday!

Last year, we changed from 75 minute blocks to 50. I went from teaching 120 kids to having 180 come through. I felt like I was so rushed to get through everything I didn't get to know the kids like I usually do. And there were so many of them! 

Monday's One Good Thing has been amazing these last couple of weeks. I am getting to know them and their world outside of school. They are sharing things that I would never have known without One Good Thing. But today ya'll....C126 became a family! When you take 5 minutes to listen, this is what they share.

"My grandma went to rest in peace this weekend."

"I wrote a letter to my dad in prison."

"I went to the movies for the first time."

"I visited my grandmother and brother's 

grave."

"I cleaned the whole house because my mom worked all weekend."

"I won my football game Saturday."

Then there was one who said he couldn't think of anything. I told him he could use something from last week. So he put "winning the marshmallow challenge!" He has my heart!

Go get Sarah's version, take mine, but you for real need to do this! You will get to know your kids so much better! And your classroom will be a happier place because of it!