The Elementary Entourage: Getting Creative with Mrs. Grooms' Room!

Hello sweet friends!

I hope you are having a great January! I know my month is flying by! I feel like an organizing expert....okay...in my mind, I feel like an organizing expert. I had some really great tips on my last post and it was helpful at home and at school. (I ordered my mail/package/boxes!! Wink! Wink!) This week's post is about GETTING CREATIVE!

Remember the quote "Creativity is born of necessity?" I think this applies to most teachers. How many times have you made something up to help your students understand an idea or a strategy? I bet I could answer for you! Bazillions!! We do it everyday because we have to and because our students require it.

Here is one idea that I came up with and some ideas that I want to implement into my classroom.

One idea that was born of necessity was Momma Minute and Baby Hour. Have you tried Momma Minute and Baby Hour yet?

(A Grooms' Funny Fact: I made the "clip art" for Momma Minute and Baby Hour." Who in the world has Momma Minute and Baby Hour clip art??)

Since kids identify with families naturally, and remembering the name of the hands of the clock and what the hands of the clock count is one of the harder concepts...creating Momma Minute and Baby Hour seemed natural. The big hand, of course, became Momma, and the little hand became the baby.

(My students always ask if the red hand is the Daddy and I always tell them yes!! His name is Daddy Second because he counts the seconds on the clock.)

We talk about how Momma Minute always takes care of her baby first just like your mommy takes care of you The hour always comes first even when you write it.

We practice counting the minutes and the hours with Momma Minute and Baby Hour. Eventually, they don't have to use Momma Minute and Baby Hour but the concept is something that sticks with them.

That is one time my creativity was born but I want my students to be creative!!

Here are some pins that I found on Pinterest. I want to use these ideas to encourage creativity in my classroom. If you are interested in that idea, click on the picture. It will take you to the pinned website!!

We are definitely reading this book! I can't to try it in the classroom!! I promise I am going to give them a stick to use in their drawings and writings! Create and write! Definitely growing those dendrites!

It looks like a box of junk but to those creative minds, it is a box of possibilities. You definitely can use this as a center! Students can write and draw about their creations, AND you could create an invention board with pictures of their inventions and writings!! Aagh! I so want to try this!!

To encourage creativity in writing, you can "provide" creative prompts or ideas or words! Definitely, an idea I want to try!!! And the cost is almost nothing cause who doesn't have rocks and magazines?!!!