Mealworms

This week I taught the FOSE kit Insect to my second/third graders. We started out by reading a story What is Science? They drew a scientist and answered the questions: What is Science? Who are Scientists? What would you like to learn about in Science? They did an awesome job and I modeled for them with the doc cam on some ideas. I passed out three different types of gummy worms. They learned about observation and used their powers of observation to draw their gummy worm. We talked about drawing a cartoon and that good scientists make scientific drawings. They make the drawing as realistic as possible and they label their drawing. We then talked about characteristics of their gummy worm using descriptive words. After they wrote three characteristics of the worm. I asked for them to raise their hands and share. They then compared their gummy worm with their neighbors to find ways they were similar and different. We spoke of habitats for meal worms and what they need to survive. I checked for prior knowledge and they came up with a list of water, food, and habitat. We then gave them their meal worm(larvae) and pupa. Each of them got a habitat for their worms which they will keep on their desks. We will observe what happens over the next few weeks together!

Informal Reading Conferences

On Thursday when I meet with my 5th grade buddy, she will read from her self- selected book. I will then get a chance to perform an informal reading conference with my buddy. In reading Routman second grade teacher Robin Woods says, " I love the personal structure of a reading conference, since I get to talk with the children about what they have chosen to read. I get to discover how students select books, their reading interests, where they understand text and how and why they don't." (p.101) I have only met with my buddy one time. She read me her writing on a class camp experience. She told me some of the books that she is reading, but I have yet to see her reading. I do know that she is a very good writer. She uses well chosen words and paints a picture by using good descriptive words and phrases. I also know that she is a very good speller and did well on the spelling inventory. So well in fact, that she needs to go to the intermediate level spelling inventory. I believe that this is an indication that she is most likely a good reader too. I am not certain that I will know if she has chosen a "just right" book for her level of reading, especially if the book that she chooses is not familiar to me. Routman says to "flip through the pages and chapter titles, and try to get the gist of the story. When a student knows what's going on, his retelling is full of details, his language makes sense and has a flow, he has an obvious sense of what the books is about and his pleasure is evident."(p.103) As I plan my conference with my reading buddy, I will ask her to bring me a book that she thinks is "just right" for her. I'll ask why she chose the book and what the book is about so far. Then we will read several pages silently together. I will be looking for how fast she reads the pages, and I will be looking for words that might difficult for her. After we finish the pages, I will ask her what she remembers about what we just read. We can then talk about her strengths and set goals to work on for the next week. Some of the goals could be predicting, decoding and understanding difficult words in the text. Also, she could set a goal for when she thinks she will complete the book. By conferencing with students in this way, teachers can monitor their students' progress and set goals that foster high expectations for reading in their classrooms. I believe more importantly that students will have a clearer sense of their own expectations for books that they choose to read and their ability to comprehend what they are reading. I look forward to seeing my buddy this week!

Transitions and Jumping into the Deep End of the Pool

When I was just 5 years old, I was at the pool with one of the neighborhood moms. She must have thought it was high time that I learn to swim in the deep end on my own. I was scared and hugging onto the edges of the pool, I'm sure. She decided to push me into the pool and low and behold I did swim to the edge, but considering that I can remember it so clearly today not the most comforting way to teach me. Disequilibrium can lead to great strides forward and is probably when we learn, as a teacher I need to be careful that there is no harm done when I am setting my students on the edge. I am transitioning back into the classroom and will start to teach the 2nd graders the Science unit on Insects next week. I have also been asked to take on the Social Studies unit for the 2nd graders too. I think it will be hard to fit it all in and I am currently trying to figure out how to group students for science and social studies. Group work with second graders is a bit different from 5th in my dyad placement. Second graders work best in pairs or individually in groups. Each one needs to observe their own mealworm and compare their findings with their group. The groupings have to take into consideration, differentiation of instruction. I am having to ask for lots of guidance from my master teacher to make sure that I can do justice to this kiddos. In the end, I just will have to jump in the deep end and feel the disequilibrium while I try to make strides toward becoming their teacher.

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!

Routman on Class Libraries and the Love of Reading

In reading Routman Chapters 1-3, I was struck by the idea that one way to bond with your students is to turn over some of the classroom set up to them. Just a few short months ago this would have seemed a little bit crazy to me. I looked at classrooms that were neat and done by teachers in awe. It was so nice, so organized, so neat. As I have worked in two placements and observed many classrooms over the past few months; I have found that classrooms can be organized and students can have a say. Routman tells the story of Jane Jones, a third grade teacher, " Allowing the children to reorganize our classroom library turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of the year. In fact, the hardest thing I had to do during the whole process was give up my adult preconception that i was the only one who could organize the library in a meaningful way. Through this experience my library truly became ours." (pg.17)

At my main placement, my master teacher lets the students organize the library. I was spending time the other day with my students while putting books away. They like that this is their job, and they discuss if they want to change things or keep it the same. All the students love to read in independent reading time and get books out of the library. They each have a basket of "just right" books at their desks. They do feel ownership of their classroom and their library. I have some preset images of how I would like to organize the library, but in the end, it would rob my students of their sense of purpose and engagement.

Routman speaks of sharing your reading life with your students in Chapter 3. I can see how this would be a great way to bond with your students and model a love of books. I have been in the same book club for the past ten years. We have read well over 100 books. I always have my book club books on my reading stand, my "just right" books, non-fiction books and books for teaching. I read newspapers, blogs, cookbooks, art books and gardening books. Routman says that " My reading life is a huge part of who I am, both as a literate person who is always seeking to learn more and a pleasure-seeking person who reads for fun, relaxation, and diversion. Reading is integral to my well-being. I deliberately use my influence as a teacher and role model to foster a love of reading."(pg. 23) I feel this is true for me also. I can see that by sharing your love of reading with your students, what you are currently reading and what you will read next; you share your life with them. I love the idea of a classroom book club and keeping a reading record of what we have all read so far. I also have enjoyed reading aloud to my students. I believe this is yet another way to share your joy of a favorite books with your students. I look forward to sharing the love of reading with my students this spring.

Look at Diane's blog Life is Good for more on classroom libraries.

Reader's Theatre-Last Day in 5th grade

We spent the last day of our dyad experience getting 5th grade kiddos ready for their production of Reader's Theatre. The class was to put on two plays: Dog Breath and Scrambled United States. They prepared for two weeks, made all the props themselves or brought in things from home. We invited their families and our kindergarten buddies to come. At last the big day arrived, and the students put on the plays. It was really great to see them come alive and enjoy being "on stage". They did a fabulous job and fun was had by all. I have learned so much for this placement. I have observed in many classes at least one at each grade level. It has been a great experience to see so many different classroom management styles. I have taken copious notes and have begun to flesh out what might work for me. I have taught math to 5 th graders and lived to tell the tale! I have learned how to teach math through centers, mini-lessons and walking to math. I have assessed students in reading and math, taught several language arts lessons and been responsible for many daily tasks in the classroom. It has been a great learning experience to see how my dyad teacher manages his classroom. I am ready for a break and to go back to my main placement with some new ideas.

Writing process and my students

In reading Routman Chapters 7 and 8 this week, I am thinking of the differences between writing to prompts for WASL expectations,district standards and rubrics and with the kind of classroom that Routman is describing. Routman talks about having writing be meaningful for students and engaging students by teaching first and labeling writing later. In other words, we should let our teaching and our students get "hung up" with the terminology.(Routman,Ch.8,p. 195) I have noticed in my dyad placement with 5th grade students that my master teacher has a journal for each subject, science, math, writing and reading. Each one of these journals have table of contents and organizes both handouts which are glued into the journals, but lots of their own notes that they can refer to later on. At first, I thought of this as a great way to organize their work for these subjects, but after reading Routman, I can see that this also helps their writing for non fiction. By keeping these individual journals, the students get to use their own writing as a means to expose them to the notion of expository writing without the label. "Starting at kindergarten students should be introduced to nonfiction text with features such as table of contents, captions, headings, labels, diagrams, charts, drawings."(Routman,Ch 8, p.196). This is exactly what my 5th grade students are doing in their science journals. They are meeting that writing standard without really realizing it. Using state reports, research and writing journals to meet some of the state prompts; my master teacher is providing a framework for students establishing writing that is more meaningful to them.

In chapter 7, Routman talks about keeping standards in perspective. We can become exhausted trying to cover all the requirements. Routman tells teachers," I will teach your students how to do all that is required, but the easiest and most efficient way to do this is to first engage students in writing about topics that they care about for a reader who matter to them."(Routman,Ch 7, p.149) In using many modes to learn writing, letters, book reviews, journals, memoirs and non fiction writing; students will develop their writing stamina over time. You can use whole class sharing of good conventions and voice to elaborate on the standards that you are trying to meet. In my main placement with 2/3 grade students by giving the students time to read and write each day, the students are building their reading and writing skills. They have written letters, researched a topic that they were interested in and did a poster with collage and writing, wrote a short paragraph about their triorama on a read aloud book. My master teacher uses shared creation of word walls for these writing assignments. She is then serious about the students using the well placed word wall in their writing and has expectations that students will spell those words correctly. All these strategies are helping these kiddos to become better writers.