Coins, Mealworms and Writing

Today is the second week back at my main placement with my second and third grade students and my master teacher. It is good to be back, though the re-entry after the holiday break was fierce last week. You could see it on the students faces and ours. It is just hard to get back to work, no matter how psyched I was to begin again. I had underestimated the transition back to my main placement and how much I would miss my 5th grade kiddos from my dyad placement. I will see them again soon at their Talent Show in early February on Friday.

This week we are working with coins. As a classroom management tool, banks have been passed out and coins are given for having a clean desk, turning your homework in, etc. Students save and have an auction later in the year. With this, came an opportunity to review counting money and coins. We have worked on it together.

Mealworms come next week and I will teach 2nd grade unit on Insects from FOSE. I have spent this week's free time(what is that?) working with mentor teachers planning. IT is exciting and I am sure it will be fun.

Students have been free writing in their writing journals and finally after five free writes, they are ready to publish. This has been an interesting process. My reading in Routman last quarter helped me to work with them for four days on ideas, details and descriptions. Conventions waited until today right before publish their final piece. I have to say it is more fun for all in the class, including me, to learn to write this way. The students have lots of choice on what to write and which piece to publish. This keeps them invested in their writing and helps the process along.

I am looking forward to seeing them next week!