Poetry for the Soul

Quite possibly my favorite literature unit... who am I kidding? They are ALL my favorite :P 

Last year I pieced together some lessons and it turned out great. This year, I made each student a poetry book and we are learning a more comprehensive unit. 

-famous poets

-famous poems

-elements of poetry

-bio poems

-haiku

-acrostic

-concrete poems

-cinquains

-two-voice poems

-limerick

-free verse poems

However, my FAVORITE part of the unit is the "unit exam." In place of a written exam we will have a Poerty Slam. Students get up in front of the class and their parents and recite an original poem. We all have snacks, listen to poetry, and give "snaps" to each other. It's one of my favorite days of the year.

(You can't tell, but this is our poetry board. Students can create free-verse poems with magnetic words.)

Rules, Rules, Rules

Last year, as I said before, my class rules were a giant fail. This year these are my rules. 

Work hard.

Be nice.

Not too hard to remember, right? I reference them nearly everyday and find that the students understand what I expect. By 4th grade students know when they're not supposed to talk,  not to stand on chairs, not to scream in class, etc. So, this is my way of creating a class motto that they can take with them.

Everyday Heroes

So I am searching the news headlines for an everyday hero (we are going to write our own folk tale about them). Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any heroes in the news today :/

Impossible right? Well, hereare some of the headlines:
Loaded Gun Makes Flight
Wild End to Football Game
Deadly Attack in Afganistan
Chinese Hack Attack?
CutCar Insurance Costs
Longoria outdone in Dress
My Week in Flirting

Need I go on?? This is ridiculous. Either the world is ending or there's fluffy fluff. C'mon people. Give me a good one about a firefighter.

xx00xx

A 9/11 Lesson

I am a 2nd year teacher now, so tht means that I have to step it up & put in some extra special lessons. Today is the 11th anniversary of 9/11 and while I still find it weird that I am teaching people who weren't even born yet I created a pretty awesome lesson.

First, we talked about what we've heard an watched a mini-movie on brainpop about what happened. Then, we took a virtual tour of the 9/11 memorial and talked about why we build memorials. We explored the different symbols the designers used throughout the space such as trees and water. Then, we decided what WE would have added to the memorial and why.

Here is our 4th grade memorial to 9/11
xx00xx

A Fervent Prayer

Dear God,
Please help me have patience this year. I know You have given me a class that will help me grow as a teacher and I thank You for not giving them to me as my first class! Help me to be the type of teacher they need and one that will help guide them to following in Your ways. I am scared that they will get out of hand and that I will not be able to teach the way I would like to. Please help me teach them self control this year.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Sneak Peek

This is the computer table in my room. It used to be a little station, but now it's pushed against the wall because I have no room to spare :( oh well! My bulletin boards look awesome this year! Here's a sneak peek...

Rules Schmules

Last year I had TOO MANY rules. I didn't go over them with the students and I didn't make it a priority. I feel like this was on downfall of my classroom management. Don't get me wrong, there were rules and the kids were good for the most part, but I could've done better.
Sooooo... This year we're going to have a class motto as our 2 rules:
WORK HARD & BE NICE TO PEOPLE
easy. simple. catchy.
Hopefully this works better. I even ordered a poster :D I let you know how it goes.
xx00xx

29 + 6 more= chaos

My perfectly spaced room has now gained six more desks. SIX. Six more students to add next year. Do I even have that many spaces in my grade book?? It is going to be crazy having 35 students. I'm not even sure how I'm going to incorporate the desks into my room, let alone 6 extra students. That's like a whole new row...they're going to be so far away :(

Okay. Everything will be fine. Just freaking out.

Check back soon to make sure I'm still alive.

xx00xx

Pinterest A.K.A. Internet Crack

It started with a "Hey! Check out this new site," and it ended with me staring with bloodshot eyes at the computer screen until midnight. This website is like a drug for teachers, moms, athletes, fashionistas, and well...everyone else. Even my hubby is addicted to pinning.

I will say that I have gotten about 100 new ideas for next year already. It's amazing. It has everything. I'm not joking... there are resources for math, literature, science, classroom management, organization, social studies projects, classroom set ups, and lots of free stuff (and who doesn't love that?).

So, are you on the pinterest bandwagon yet?

xx00xx

Summer Plans? What Summer Plans??

To the general public, a teacher's summer is filled with trips to the beach and vegging out on the couch. *le sigh* If they only knew what really happens behind the scenes.

So far this summer I have totally revamped how I will teach math this year, set up a reader's workshop for my class, wrote 60 mini lessons for writer's workshop, and went to a 2 day conference. After the conference I had to go add all of these new ideas to my previously completed lessons. yikes! All of this is in addition to the hours I've spent researching new ideas online *cough, pinterest, cough*

I still have to look up new ideas for historical novels seeing as my students didn't really like Island of the Blue Dolphins last year :( bummer. There are really a thousand things on my to do list except the summer is half over and I am running out of time!!

Here's to the new school year
xx00xx

End. Year One

There was so many things I wanted to post about this year and so many things I wanted to do in my classroom. However, I think that I was just too busy living my dream that time got away from me.

I learned so much this year. SO much. It's true that your students are your greatest teachers. Here's a small reflection on the knowledge I've acquired over the past 9 months...

-There will NEVER be enough time for everything...but try to get the important things in.
-Fractions are hard.
-I need to emphasize the importance of memorizing times tables.
-Breathe.
-Sometimes decor becomes irrelevant due to learning.
-Getting out of the classroom is imperative.
-Lesson plans, classroom layout, policies, relationships, and students themselves evolve. So deal.
-Take pictures.
-Ask the students what is working...and what's not. They're pretty smart.
-Be prepared for anything.
-Breathe.
-Have fun on field trips.
-Read aloud. A lot.
-They will always fight. Teach them to fight fair.
-Nurture their interpersonal relationships.
-Sometimes that really cool lesson doesn't really help.
-There is nothing a reading anthology can do that a novel can't do better.
-Plan ahead.
-The end of the year is much harder than the beginning.
-Parents can be a true blessing or a heavy burden.
-Most parents are neither.
-The end of the year will come too fast.

These are things that no university could ever teach you. Class of 2011-12.... you will always have a special place in my heart. I love you all!!

xx00xx

Procrastinating at 9 years

Why oh why do I give 2 weeks for a project if you're not going to do it until the night before?!? Can you believe that 2 students showed up with 1/2 done projects and 2 didn't bring it in at all? I can't. I'm so mad that their parents allow this. Grrr...
xx00xx

May Madness

Who knew that the end of the year would be crazier than the beginning?!? I have a million things to do and I have no idea where to start. The kids are going crazy (I think they can smell the summer) and so am I. I can't believe I only have 3 more weeks with these munchkins. I'm going to miss them so much!! :( They've been a fantastic first class. Now, to plan the end of the year picnic ahhh!!
xx00xx

Kind Hearted Souls

Every day that I have yard duty, I watch the kiddos kick countless balls over the fence. They always come running asking me to fetch it. And I do. However, sometimes I am too far away for their liking and they decide to take their chances another way...They begin shouting at anyone on the other side of that fence haha!

As I make my way over to save their ball, I watch as strangers go out of their way to help these caged school children. People walking their dogs or going for a run will cross the street to help. Those driving will put it in park and once I saw a woman reverse her sedan down the street. I am happy that there are more people who stop than those who keep driving. It reminds me that there are still more good people than bad :)

xx00xx

Homework Party!!

Sometimes we forget to reward those who are hard workers. Of course their straight A report card is a bonus, but isn't it nice to get a treat once in a while just for being awesome?!?

This year we have had a homework party at the end of every month to reward those who have done all of their homework every night. In invite them to our classroom where they can eat picnic-style and watch the Smurfs!! (I love that cartoon) I usually give them a small treat like popcorn and we just hang out. I know they like it and I enjoy spoiling those who work hard for me :)

xx00xx

California Poppys

Oh how I love gardening. Frankly, I suck at it, but I still love it. In social studies we are learning about CA becoming a state. I was going to have them grow strawberries or grapes (2 if our biggest crops) but you have no idea how hard it is to find seeds for fruits!! My lovely husband drove around with me all day on Saturday trying to find them... Crazy.
Anyway, we planted our state flower instead. The kids wrote all sorts of CA facts around the cup. Did you know our state fish is the golden trout?!? So, now we wait for the sprouts. I can't wait :D
xx00xx

Who's on First

I love reading. no... I LOVE reading! I think it is so amazing how books open the world to us. How by reading a book, your mind opens to things you would've never thought of before.

We are currently reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. In it, there is a refernce to Abbott & Costello's Who's on First skit. So, I thought it woud be a great opportunity to show it to the kids. I looked it up on youtube and pressed play. It was hilarious! The kids were cracking up and yelling back at the characters. You would've thought that they had never seen comedians before haha.

When all was said and done, I think it was a very succesful lesson. If you haven't seen it, go youtube it right now!! :)

xx00xx

A Rite of Passage

Back in October was the infamous CA mission project! Oh what fun! I got to bring in the report I wrote about my mission in 4th grade and got to see all of these beautiful projects.

I gave the class a choice of building a mission, writing a report, doing a powerpoint or anything else as long as they cleared it with me. 98% of the class ended up building missions so our room was FULL of awesome projects.

Notes for next year: be more clear on expections for actually building the mission (have them label it). Let them choose their own partners? Have everyone make a powerpoint for their presentation of the missions.

All in all, they were awesome!

xx00xx

-

The Busiest Year EVER

I scoffed at the professors who said that during my first year of teaching I will not have time for anything else. They said and I quote, " You will  be just trying to keep your head above water." They warned that I would barely have time for creative and interesting lessons... that I probably wouldn't get to extra lessons about holidays and good citizenship lessons. Well, they were MOSTLY right.

I have done many creative lessons and have developed my own cirriculum, but haven't quite made it to the holidays and specific lessons about things like respect and being a good friend. Wait... I did do a St. Patricks Day lesson, but that was just last week!

What I HAVEN'T done is blog about my first year teaching like I should have. I write the blogs in my head, but that's all I have time for lately. However, that is to be remidied soon. Look for many catching-up blogs to come soon!

xx00xx
Mrs. G.