So Much Learning

4th Grade

 It was another great week at SOS.  Our book a day bulletin board is growing.  There are some amazing conversations around the books that are read.  Some of our discussions include acceptance, being different, friendships and being unique.  The children seem to enjoy this time of the day.  I do enjoy reading aloud to the children and find it beneficial in class discussions.  Our writing sometimes reflects what we read about. 

In 4Z we have begun using Class Dojo in which the children earn points for various things such as, being on task, participation and helping others.  This system helps us be attentive to the rules and reminds us of what we should be doing. 

This week I gave the benchmark for writing.  They had to create a story with the given prompt.  This will give be a better understanding of what areas I need to focus on.  Some may need help with hooks, others many need work on the details or even the conclusion of the story.  Once I have read through these stories I will be able to work in small groups to focus on their needs as a writer.  We use the Units of Study by Lucy Calkins and their first piece will be a Personal Narrative. 

 
I truly love watching the children read and listening to the conversations they have from reading their books.  They find a comfortable spot in the room, pick out a book and become engrossed in the book.  As an ELA teacher, I love to see this happening.  The book they read may even spark a piece of writing.  It's all about giving them voice and choice. 

 

If they choose to read alone or with a partner, it doesn't make a difference.  As long as they have a love of reading, they will develop a better understanding of what they read. 

The skill of note taking can be a bit tricky for students, therefore, our focus this week will be on taking good notes.  We try to stress that it's not every word that they need to write but the key words and facts.  There are many strategies to taking notes and these skills will be carried out through all of their learning.

5th Grade
Our 5th graders seem to be doing well also.  We have begun to talk about the Summit Platform and they even had a scavenger hunt.  In ELA we conducted a Socratic Seminar, in which the students sat around in a circle and discussed the book Crash that they are reading.  It was run by the students and they participated in discussion sections of the book, parts they did not understand or something that they made a connection with.  It was amazing to hear the wonderful discussions that took place.

 

 
 
 The children have acclimated to the rotating schedule and seem to have a good handle on expectations of each teacher and what needs to be done.  We are loving our new school and using all of the learning commons/areas.  The children are excited to sit in a nook or at a table with wobbly stools.  The gymnasium and the library are also beautiful areas that we all enjoy using.  I am sometimes still pinching myself to make sure I am really working in such a wonderful place.  Very grateful and appreciative of where we are and the students that we are teaching.