It was brought to my attention by half the class today that I did not have a date on the permission slip for Challenge Ed. I apologize. We are going on October 16. I will be sending home a short note with the date, what to wear and what to bring just as an additional reminder. However, I also wanted to address in the blog what Challenge Ed is.
On October 16, we will be going to Fegley Middle School where they have what is known as a "low ropes" course. The students will be doing a variety of activities outdoors for the entire day. These activities are designed to build community and promote a caring and supportive environment in the classroom. There are two facilitators that will go with us to run the program. They are Mrs. Engle, our P.E. teacher, and Mr. Lesich, a fifth grade teacher at Kyle. I am there to observe the dynamics and deal with any health or behavioral issues. This is a truly unique opportunity for students to interact with their classmates outside of a traditional classroom setting.
The program takes place outdoors, so students need to be prepared. No one will be allowed to go if he/she is not wearing long pants to school that day. Also, students must wear gym shoes. Depending on the weather, I suggest dressing in layers, especially since we are in a wooded area. Everyone will need to bring a lunch, too.
I'm hoping to get a camera for the day so that I can take some pictures and post them for the parents to see. It should be a fun and productive day!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Week of Sept. 29-Oct. 3
We have finished ISTEP testing. All of the students worked very hard, and I am proud of the effort that they displayed while taking the test.
This coming week, the subject matter is staying pretty much the same. We will be continuing to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Our focus will still be on predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing, but we'll also start discussing main ideas, plot events, and characters. In writing, we'll continue working on our personal narrative stories. I'll be giving mini-lessons on improving the writing technique, as well as practicing using capital letters for titles and in quotations. This week's math focus will be rounding, ordering, and comparing whole numbers. Finally, in science, we'll continue our study of how the land was shaped by glaciers.
Just a note on math: I was really happy with the way our groupings worked. I know there were some students who caught on faster than others in the main group, and other students who still struggled a little, but I feel like, in the end, our goal of mastering place value has been achieved. Now, we will continue to review the concept in order to ensure long-term understanding.
Have a great weekend!
This coming week, the subject matter is staying pretty much the same. We will be continuing to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Our focus will still be on predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing, but we'll also start discussing main ideas, plot events, and characters. In writing, we'll continue working on our personal narrative stories. I'll be giving mini-lessons on improving the writing technique, as well as practicing using capital letters for titles and in quotations. This week's math focus will be rounding, ordering, and comparing whole numbers. Finally, in science, we'll continue our study of how the land was shaped by glaciers.
Just a note on math: I was really happy with the way our groupings worked. I know there were some students who caught on faster than others in the main group, and other students who still struggled a little, but I feel like, in the end, our goal of mastering place value has been achieved. Now, we will continue to review the concept in order to ensure long-term understanding.
Have a great weekend!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Week of Sept. 22-26
Just wanted to let everyone know what we'll be up to this week. We will be ISTEP testing on Monday and Tuesday. In math, we are learning about place values up to 1,000,000. Our assessment is on Thursday. We are going to discuss character traits during guided reading on Monday. Then on Tuesday, we will begin our first novel: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. This is one of the novels that we will read as a whole class. We began writing narratives (stories) in writing last week. I love the everyone's topic.
I'd also like to let you know how I will be instructing math this year. Before each indicator, I will be giving a pretest. This is for my use only and not taken as a grade. These pretests will assess whether a student has already mastered the 4th grade math indicator. As you might imagine, I expect that the majority of the students will not have mastered these indicators yet. However, for those that do, I will be providing alternate activities to complete that extend the indicator that was pretested. Students who get a 90% or better on the pretest will be doing more group and independent work while I help the majority of the class to master the indicator on which we are working. Of course, I'm still available to answer questions and guide the students who are working in the small group. Every student is still expected to take the same indicator test and show mastery at 80% or better. Any student who does not master the indicator assessment at the end of the unit, will be helped to meet the mastery level on that indicator.
Just to provide an example: last week, I began this system for our indicators on using place value up to 1,000,000. Based on the pretest, I noticed that I needed to correct a common misconception among even the small group. I did this and then gave that group the assessment. This allowed me to be sure that they had mastered the standard before allowing them to continue in this group. It is important to note (and I am stressing this to the class): I do not expect many students to be in the small group. Most of the class should be working at grade level. It is also important to note that the students in the small group will change every indicator based on the results of the pretest. By using this method of teaching, I will be able to meet the needs of the students at a more individualized level. I know this is a lot of new information. It's new for me, too, but I truly believe that it will help students to be successful.
I hope that everyone is having a restful weekend! See you on Monday.
I'd also like to let you know how I will be instructing math this year. Before each indicator, I will be giving a pretest. This is for my use only and not taken as a grade. These pretests will assess whether a student has already mastered the 4th grade math indicator. As you might imagine, I expect that the majority of the students will not have mastered these indicators yet. However, for those that do, I will be providing alternate activities to complete that extend the indicator that was pretested. Students who get a 90% or better on the pretest will be doing more group and independent work while I help the majority of the class to master the indicator on which we are working. Of course, I'm still available to answer questions and guide the students who are working in the small group. Every student is still expected to take the same indicator test and show mastery at 80% or better. Any student who does not master the indicator assessment at the end of the unit, will be helped to meet the mastery level on that indicator.
Just to provide an example: last week, I began this system for our indicators on using place value up to 1,000,000. Based on the pretest, I noticed that I needed to correct a common misconception among even the small group. I did this and then gave that group the assessment. This allowed me to be sure that they had mastered the standard before allowing them to continue in this group. It is important to note (and I am stressing this to the class): I do not expect many students to be in the small group. Most of the class should be working at grade level. It is also important to note that the students in the small group will change every indicator based on the results of the pretest. By using this method of teaching, I will be able to meet the needs of the students at a more individualized level. I know this is a lot of new information. It's new for me, too, but I truly believe that it will help students to be successful.
I hope that everyone is having a restful weekend! See you on Monday.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Quick Info
I just wanted to let everyone know that when you comment on a post (my entry), I usually respond in the comment section of that same post. To check, please click on the comment link at the bottom of the post. I always respond to comments in a timely manner since they come to my e-mail inbox first. In this way, I'm able to upload any comments and respond in one session. You all are making the blog a success. Thank you so much, and keep checking!
Friday, September 12, 2008
We're Ready!
Just a reminder that next week is ISTEP. Please remember to get a good night's sleep and eat well this weekend so that your brain is ready on Monday morning. Think of this as an opportunity to show everyone what you know. You have all worked very hard these first weeks as we've reviewed last year's material. Now, you'll have the opportunity to use what you have learned.
P.S. I wanted to link Nathan's website, but someone took my paper with the address. I will do it on Monday after I get it.
P.S. I wanted to link Nathan's website, but someone took my paper with the address. I will do it on Monday after I get it.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Back to School Night Success
I would like to thank everyone who was able to make it to Back to School Night. I enjoyed meeting the students' parents and getting to share what our classroom is all about. This afternoon, I sent home a half sheet of paper with my contact information on it as well as individual student's STAR math scores. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the STAR reading or STAR math. If you were unable to make it last night, I sent home the information on the grading scale and our trimester power indicators. I'm available to answer any questions you might have.
I'm happy to report that we earned our first reward for oustanding behavior! The students voted to have a comfy reading day on September 9 (Tuesday). What this means is that they may wear pajama pants and a t-shirt and bring a pillow, blanket, or stuffed animal to keep them comfy during reading time. I also told them they may bring slippers to wear in the classroom. However, they need outside shoes for entering/exiting the building, recess, and walking in the hallways. My general rule is that they can only bring what they can fit in a backpack. Of course, students are not required to participate or they may only bring that with which they are comfortable.
Again, it was nice to meet everyone last night. If I didn't get the chance to meet you, please know that you may call or e-mail me with any questions or concerns. I'll look forward to seeing everyone at Parent-Teacher Conferences, if not before.
I'm happy to report that we earned our first reward for oustanding behavior! The students voted to have a comfy reading day on September 9 (Tuesday). What this means is that they may wear pajama pants and a t-shirt and bring a pillow, blanket, or stuffed animal to keep them comfy during reading time. I also told them they may bring slippers to wear in the classroom. However, they need outside shoes for entering/exiting the building, recess, and walking in the hallways. My general rule is that they can only bring what they can fit in a backpack. Of course, students are not required to participate or they may only bring that with which they are comfortable.
Again, it was nice to meet everyone last night. If I didn't get the chance to meet you, please know that you may call or e-mail me with any questions or concerns. I'll look forward to seeing everyone at Parent-Teacher Conferences, if not before.
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