Saturday, September 15, 2012

Help!! I need your help!

What do I need to have or do for a third grade room that is different from a fourth grade room???!!!!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Big changes...

Well, it has been awhile since I've had time to post. This week, I haven't evenhad time to read other blogs!  It has been a rough week. First, we had curriculum night for parents on Tuesday. That went amazing. Great turnout, and I could tell the parents were feeling good. After, I was gathering my things to leave when my principal came in,

He had a very serious look on his face, and asked if he could talk to me for a few min. I thought I was in trouble! He explained that the 10day enrollment numbers had come in. Then I thought he was going to tell me I had to move schools!

Instead, our third grade numbers are too high. NC says we can only have max of 22 in K-3. 4th grade can have ip to 30 or 32!! So, he has to move a teacher from 4th to 3rd. He felt I was the best fit and most able to handle the change at this point in the year.

He asked me to sleep on it and get back to him.  After a lot of not sleeping and thinking, I decided that I really didn't have a choice because if no one else on my team wanted to, I was going to be chosen I'm the end anyway.

So, now I'm changing grade levels!! 3 weeks into school! I told my students yesterday, and there wre many tears, not just from the girls! My principal called each my parents to tell them personally. Now, I will keep my fourth graders through Friday. They will start their new class Monday, my new third graders will come to me next Thursday. This way, I will at least have a couple of days to flip my room and get ready.

I am very anxious, and nervous. But I've been assured that I'll be great. Only time will tell!!!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

First week, Monday Made It!, and Currently

Wow! I can't believe that the first we1ek is over, and the second week has started! I will post about the activities I used in the first week in more detail and with pictures tomorrow, but for now here are some of the things we did! What have you accomplished in your first days or week?

1.  Math:  We started teaching math on day 2, so we have actually gotten quite a bit done here.  They are decent math students this year but slow as molasses!   I swear we could teach math all day long and still not finish!  :) Ok, maybe not that long, but definitely we keep going over math block and into reading!
     Interactive Math Notebooks: These are amazing!  The kids love them, I love them, everyone loves them! Mostly though, I just love that this group can fold, cut, and glue paper....  It is fantastic!  We started with an entry I call "Math about Me" and then have done some pages on Place Value and Comparing numbers.
    Population Project: This was amazing!  They kids had so much fun, and they did such an amazing job on them. You can find the project on my Teacherspayteachers site for free! (that is my Monday Made it). After I created it, and used it myself, I touched it up and made it more complete to post.  It has everything you need to do it in your own classroom to practice writing large numbers in word, standard, and expanded forms.  Also, I am sure that you are also trying to find ways to increase global awareness as 21st century learners!

2.  Reading: We started Daily 5 with Read to Self.  I will post on that on Friday. I think I am going to make Friday my Daily 5 posting day.

3. Back to School Project - Personality Spheres - This is my favorite project.  The students create a sphere using 20 cut out circles and attaching them together. On each circle they answer a question about themselves. 

I think that was all of the exciting things we did in the last week.  I swear, it takes this group so long to do anything!  They do good work, but even just putting a heading on our paper takes several minutes.  I think I am going to have to start finding ways to motivate them to be quicker! Have you had groups like that?  What do you do?