Beginning of the Year: Bucket Fillers

+JMJ

Bucket Fillers

So my class of 5th graders are doing bucket fillers, but my second graders have done this as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the classroom environment this book helps to create. It not only gives students visuals, but also gives students a visual of being a "bucket filler" and a "bucket dipper".

I encourage you to visit the website. It has TONS of free resources for teachers you can download and print. I love how there are so many great examples on the web as well from around the country from teacher's classrooms.

I LOVE this post by 3rd Grade Thoughts. She links you to more free resources created by teachers. Also, you don't HAVE to do bucket fillers to create this classroom environment. It's actually whatever floats your boat as a teacher. This just gives the students a visual and is by far one of the best ways I have found to promote kindness all year long. I have books that I'd recommend for follow up or maybe, an oldie but goodie you may already have to tweak to your own needs.

How Kind! by Mary Murphy

Repetitive Text for all your primary grades, and just a great overall story of kindness! If you want to do a twist on "bucket fillers" (where students write great things about each other and fill each other's bucket) I'd think about having "kindness eggs" in each students library pocket would be a good twist on the bucket fillers.

Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson

I'd say this is the Pay It Forward book! It's fantastic! Since it's a bit different, but the same concept, I love how this story unfolds! I think students can write "Ordinary (Student Name) Extraordinary Deeds" and students can write and thank the person for the deed done to them and HOW they passed it on. It goes a step further and I hope to make the switch come December! It'll be great text to text connections and comes with such strong characters.

Until then, Teach & Grow on!