Monday, April 20, 2009

"Eat well, my pretty chicken," he cried. "Get nice & fat for my stew!"


















Creative teachers never cease to amaze me. Just when I think the dynamic duo, Debby Cothern and Michelle Ellis, couldn't possibly come up with another unique standards-based bulletin board, a new idea magically appears. This Kindergarten co-teach team offers an endless supply of fresh ideas when it comes to boards, and each time a new one is due, I wait in anticipation. It's not only in their superb content, but in their unique presentation that inevitably captures my attention. I read their students' work, revel at their imaginations, and eagerly show all visitors that walk into our building the work of our youngest learners.

I fell in love with their board last month, a Response to Literature on The Wolf's Chicken Stew. The black felt background and felt characters are props used by their students in the classroom to story board and orally retell the story, A Wolf's Chicken Stew. On the board, they include photographs of the children working on their story boards in the classroom. They highlight four student's responses in an easy to read color-coded format. The standards, task, and next step are displayed across the top of the board. The one of a kind presentation certainly made it a favorite of mine. And, just wait until you see what they put up this month--It is OVER THE TOP!







Amy's Response to LiteratureOnce upon a time a wolf was eating meals. The wolf liked always rising eating meals. He began to think for the next. He wanted a chicken stew so he searched for a chicken. He spotted one.

He crept to the chicken and stopped. He had a good idea. He thought I will fatten him then bake a little more. Then he began to cook. First he make 100 scumptious pancakes.

And put it on the porch and said be fat. Next he made 100 donuts and put at the porch said be fat. And made 100 pound cake.
And put at the porch and said be fat. And it was the night and the wolf pecked at the door. And the door opened and the chicken said it was not Santa Claus. It was Uncle Wolf.

And the wolf had 100 kisses and that night he didn't have chicken stew. But Ms. Chicken fixed a good dinner and said I will made 100 cookies.

1 comment:

Michelle Ellis & Debby Cothern said...

Thanks for the nice comments. We always look forward to a new board. We are always trying to push ourselves to think of something new. However, all of our ideas come straight from the work in our room. We usually don't know what the board will be until the week it is due.