We have finally reached spring break and I am not sure who is was more ready me or the kids? It is so hard to believe that once we return to school we will only have a month and a half left of school. My first year as a teacher has flown by! I am hoping to spend my break relaxing, exercising and reading the book Teach Like A Pirate! I have heard such amazing things about it and I can not wait to read it!
I am also going to use my break to reflect on the year so far. There have been so many postive and a few negatives that I have faces in my first year as teacher. I know one thing I would not change this year in the classroom for anything. I could not have been blessed with a better group of students or a better group of parents. I hope that the last month and a half are a smooth and wonderful end to a great school year!
Hope everyone out there enjoys their break and comes back from it energized and ready to go!
Until next time,
Miss. B
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Parent-Teacher Conferences Spring Edition!!!
At our school we have two parent-teacher conferences. While it is a hassle to get times set up and fit every parent in when they are able to meet, I really enjoyed having another conference, My first go round of parent-teacher conference was a blur, being it was my first ever I was worried about saying something wrong! I didn't want to do something wrong so it was a really scary and nerve wracking experience for me.
This time however I felt more relaxed, I know the parents in my room better now so meeting with them was neither scary nor nerve wracking. If anything I was looking forward to speaking with all of them and telling them about all the improvements I was seeing in their children since our last meeting. Getting to sit down and talk one-on-one with the parents allows me to express the positives and concerns I am seeing. While also allowing them to tell me about concerns they are having.
I try to call all my parents throughout the quarter and keep them updated on how their student is doing. I want to do this so when conferences come around or report cards go out it is not a shock to them! I want the parents in my room to know what is going on in my room as much as possible!
Parent-teacher conference can be a nervous experience especially when you may have to talk about negative things you are seeing in the classroom. However, I look forward to the experience, I love bragging on students and sharing all the amazing things their child has accomplished over the year!
Conferences are over for this year, but I am glad that I got to experience my first year of conferences with the wonderful group of parents I have. They having made this year so much easier on me by being supportive of what I am doing and also being understanding if I try something that doesn't work. They understand I am new and things won't always run smooth, but that I am trying! They have no idea how much their support and kind words at the conferences have meant to me and my confidence in the classroom!
Until next time,
Miss. B
This time however I felt more relaxed, I know the parents in my room better now so meeting with them was neither scary nor nerve wracking. If anything I was looking forward to speaking with all of them and telling them about all the improvements I was seeing in their children since our last meeting. Getting to sit down and talk one-on-one with the parents allows me to express the positives and concerns I am seeing. While also allowing them to tell me about concerns they are having.
I try to call all my parents throughout the quarter and keep them updated on how their student is doing. I want to do this so when conferences come around or report cards go out it is not a shock to them! I want the parents in my room to know what is going on in my room as much as possible!
Parent-teacher conference can be a nervous experience especially when you may have to talk about negative things you are seeing in the classroom. However, I look forward to the experience, I love bragging on students and sharing all the amazing things their child has accomplished over the year!
Conferences are over for this year, but I am glad that I got to experience my first year of conferences with the wonderful group of parents I have. They having made this year so much easier on me by being supportive of what I am doing and also being understanding if I try something that doesn't work. They understand I am new and things won't always run smooth, but that I am trying! They have no idea how much their support and kind words at the conferences have meant to me and my confidence in the classroom!
Until next time,
Miss. B
Science Experiments Part 2: Building with Marshmallows!
This week for our science experiment we did a little building! I allowed the students to pick their groups for this activity, I don't normally do that as problems usually arise when they partner with their friends.However, after a little begging I allowed them to choose their partners praying it would not end up a disaster! Once they were in their groups I explained that we were going to be building a model using only marshmallows and spaghetti noodles! The only rule was that the model had to stand on its own without help to be measured. The tallest structure was the winner! The kids were so excited to get started!
I started off my giving every group the same amount of noodles and marshmallows so that it was even and no group had an advantage. As I walked around it was so exciting to hear them talking about what they wanted to do and a few groups even had scratch paper out drawing out what they wanted to do and writing down ideas they were hearing.
Once the groups got going I think they realized it was going to be harder than they expected. They would build something and it would fall, but I was so proud how no one gave up and once it failed they just went on to the next idea.
I started off my giving every group the same amount of noodles and marshmallows so that it was even and no group had an advantage. As I walked around it was so exciting to hear them talking about what they wanted to do and a few groups even had scratch paper out drawing out what they wanted to do and writing down ideas they were hearing.
Once the groups got going I think they realized it was going to be harder than they expected. They would build something and it would fall, but I was so proud how no one gave up and once it failed they just went on to the next idea.
What made me the most proud however is that every time they had to start over they realized their mistakes, and they started creating structures that were actually standing on their own. Some of the groups that I was the most worried about working together actually worked the best together and were creating the best structures!
As the time wound down teams were trying so hard to make their structures bigger and bigger that some made them to top heavy and they collapsed! As we neared the end I had students asking me if we could skip music ans stay to finish working on the structure. As happy as it made me that they wanted to keep working I told them we couldn't do that!
When the buzzer finally sounded my all boy group was declared the winner with a structure that stood 11 inches high. They were so proud of it they asked if they could go get other teachers in the building to come and look at it!
The boys kept their structure together all day and actually asked if they could take it home since they weren't bus riders. I told them they could and I found out from their moms at parent-teacher conferences the next day that it actually made it to one of the boys house in one piece and was currently sitting on their dresser.
As we wrapped up our building project, my kids asked me if we could do more things like this. They said we could build a structure and see which was the strongest. Some also suggested that next time I give them fake money and make them come up and buy the supplies they needed so we could incorporate math with it. Days like today are the reason I love what I do!!!
Until next time,
Miss. B
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Science Experiments Part 1: Candy Experiements
With the lovely PARCC test among us at Odin, I am taking this time to conduct some science experiments that I have wanted to try all year. Finding time is my crazy schedule for science and experiments has been hard, but I figured now was the perfect time with testing going on. As I sat on Thursday night trying to think off what we could do on Friday morning before testing an idea popped in my head. Why not do all those activities your kids have been asking to do?
The experiment we did on Friday was will skittles melt in water? I had the students go and fill a bowl about half way up and I passed out 3 skittles for each group. I then asked them before they were put in the water to talk with their group about what color skittles would melt fastest/slowest and make predictions before we tested it out. After completing their group predictions they went and put their skittles in the water!
Next after they had placed their skittles in the water we talked about their predictions they made and each group explained to me why they made the prediction they did. After about 3 minutes we went up a group at a time and observed what was going on with the skittles. The students were amazed at how quickly the skittles were melting in the bowl.
We went back and discussed why are they melting so quickly in the water. While I got some great answers as to why, only one little girl in the class provided me with the correct answer. She said it melts because the entire candy is sugar and when you out sugar in water it melts. I was so proud of how hard they worked in their groups and the discussions they brought to the table.
Finally it was time to leave to go test, but before we left we checked our bowls one more time. The students were in awe of the fact that the skittle was completely gone. The only thing left was the color dye off the skittles.
What might have made this teacher the happiest was the ideas that were brought to the table later after our testing. One little boy asked if the skittles were melt quicker in Sprite as opposed to water? Another students asked if M&M's would melt the same way skittles did? While another wanted to test out Star burst. Hearing the students talking, laughing and getting along working together is what I loved most about the day. Hearing them say this is fun, or can we do more experiments like this is what teaching is all about. Hopefully next week as our testing continues I will bring you another experiment that we have tried out.
Until next time!!
Miss. B
The experiment we did on Friday was will skittles melt in water? I had the students go and fill a bowl about half way up and I passed out 3 skittles for each group. I then asked them before they were put in the water to talk with their group about what color skittles would melt fastest/slowest and make predictions before we tested it out. After completing their group predictions they went and put their skittles in the water!
Next after they had placed their skittles in the water we talked about their predictions they made and each group explained to me why they made the prediction they did. After about 3 minutes we went up a group at a time and observed what was going on with the skittles. The students were amazed at how quickly the skittles were melting in the bowl.
We went back and discussed why are they melting so quickly in the water. While I got some great answers as to why, only one little girl in the class provided me with the correct answer. She said it melts because the entire candy is sugar and when you out sugar in water it melts. I was so proud of how hard they worked in their groups and the discussions they brought to the table.
Finally it was time to leave to go test, but before we left we checked our bowls one more time. The students were in awe of the fact that the skittle was completely gone. The only thing left was the color dye off the skittles.
What might have made this teacher the happiest was the ideas that were brought to the table later after our testing. One little boy asked if the skittles were melt quicker in Sprite as opposed to water? Another students asked if M&M's would melt the same way skittles did? While another wanted to test out Star burst. Hearing the students talking, laughing and getting along working together is what I loved most about the day. Hearing them say this is fun, or can we do more experiments like this is what teaching is all about. Hopefully next week as our testing continues I will bring you another experiment that we have tried out.
Until next time!!
Miss. B
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Are You ready For A Little.........Seuss Madness??
This month is one of my favorite months for sports as March gives us March Madness. For those of you who don't follow basketball, March Madness is a bracket where teams play each other. Teams that win advance through the bracket, teams that lose go home. So I decided to put a little education spin on March Madness.
I call it Seuss Madness and it is a bracket made up of Dr.Seuss books. I was unsure how this was going to work being that I have 4th graders. I was afraid that it was going to be seen as babyish to read Dr. Seuss books in class, but I gave it a try anyways, My students loved it!!! When I first made the bracket I wrote the names of the book on paper and posted it to the wall. However, one of my loving teaching friends thought it would look even better if we added the titles to the wall. So she went and surprised me and my class by printing off colored book covers for us to place on our bracket.
In our first round match ups the votes were not very close. How The Grinch Stole Christmas defeated Hop on Pop 19-2, The Cat in the Hat defeated The Foot Book 17-4, Green Eggs and Ham defeated I am Not Going To Get Up Today 18-3 and finally in what I thought was an upset One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish defeated Oh The Places You'll Go 15-6.
We moved to the second round with The Cat in the Hat facing off against How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Green Eggs and Ham facing off against One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. When the votes were tallied The Cat in Hat was victorious 13-8 and Green Eggs and Ham also came out on top 19-2.
Finally we moved to the Championship round! The kids were literally bursting with excitement to get to the final vote. The match up was The Cat in the Hat against Green Eggs and Ham. After hearing both stories again, we voted!!! It was the closest match up we have had all week, the students couldn't wait for me to reveal the winner! The winner was.........................The Cat in the Hat 11-10!
I couldn't believe how much they loved this idea, as it was one that I just threw together at the last moment. It was also a nice relaxing break from all the PARCC testing we have been doing the past few months.
Hope you enjoyed reading about our Seuss Madness! Enjoy your week and good luck to everyone who will be or has already taken the PARCC test!
Miss. B
The Sunday Scoop
I have neglected The Sunday Scoop the last few weeks and I am so glad to be back. So happy to be in the month of March. The month of spring training, March Madness and of course nicer weather. As always on the wonderful Sunday Scoop I have linked up with The Teaching Trio, So without further a due lets up in to The Sunday Scoop.
Hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful week. We are so close to Spring Break, so keep being awesome!
Miss. B
Monday, March 2, 2015
Currently in March
It has been almost a month since I have posted on here. It has been an extremely difficult month for my family, as a week ago I lost my 18 year old cousin. I am glad to flip the calender and head to the next month. It is so crazy to believe it is already March, I only have 2 months left in my first year as a teacher. This month however is going to be a good one, once we get past that pesky PARCC test. For this currently I am one again linking up with Farely!
Miss. B
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