Raising the Bar

In lieu of spelling today, I decided to take the time to speak with the class about the expectations that all of their teachers have for them.  I have created an environment where students can feel comfortable, supported, and positively influenced by their peers.  Expectations are high.  Very high.  We will not tolerate any name calling, negative comments towards others, or any other behavioral issues that affect the happy little schoolhouse that we have.  We discussed how horrible it feels to go to a playground to play, only to find out that one of the children there is just plain mean.  They all agreed that it feels really rotten.  They also agreed that it would be great to have a place where all kids could feel comfortable, safe, and loved.  It may seem like rainbows and ponies and fluffy purple marshmallows... but it is what I expect, and it is what I require.  Each of them seemed to take our conversation to heart!  Hands popped up around the room, eager to share stories of bullies, of arguments with friends, etc.  The health educator in me delighted in their discussion!  We talked about how hitting and kicking hurts our body, but name calling, and even mean looks, can hurt us inside... and is just as real!  The vast majority of the time, children rise to meet expectations.  I have high hopes that this larger class will continue the same environment of peer-support, patience, and kindness that we started with last school year!

Handwriting- In handwriting today, we focused on the letter G.  The uppercase G can be a tricky one!  We worked on visualizing the letter, spelling it in the air with our finger, and then writing it correctly.  Before the students repeat the letter, I make sure that they are correctly writing the letter.  This is to make sure to address any issues, instead of reinforcing them!

Grammar- Today's grammar lesson was on adjectives.  Adjectives can tell four different things about a noun.  They can tell what kind, which one, how many, and whose.  We discussed the first three today.  The class has already learned to diagram simple sentences with just a subject and a verb.  Today, we learned (or reviewed) how to diagram sentences with adjectives in them.  They will be working on diagramming similar sentences at home.

Math- In math class today, Ms. Jennifer taught the kids a game.  This game, What time is it, Mr. Wolf, illustrates negative and positive numbers.  The children stood in a line.  They had to ask a Mr. Wolf what time it was. The starting time is 9:00.  Anything before 9:00 was considered a negative number.  Anything later than 9:00 was considered a positive number. The class would have to move forward or back, depending on the time Mr. Wolf gave.  Occasionally, Mr. Wolf would say, "Dinner Time!"  Then, he/she chased the class!  Not only was this a great way to illustrate positive and negative numbers, it was so much fun that the class chose to play it again during their free time!


Science- Science today was all about putty!  The class was divided into tables of 3.  Each student at the table had to follow follow a recipe, as well as Ms. Gail's directions, to make a slightly different recipe of goop.  The results all had a slightly different consistency.  The class then rotated through experiment stations, documenting different properties of each of their different "goops".  Some were stickier than others, some really imprinted images well, some bounced better than others, some stretched longer than others.  In the end, each table had to choose the goop recipe from their table that they liked best.  They had to create an advertisement for their goop, including descriptions, price, and where it can be purchased!  They all shared their ads with the class.






Literature- Ms. Gail gave the students their "Bridge to Terabithia" test today.  They all did a great job!  As a final project for the book, the class was given a challenge:  to work in groups to build a bridge, out of only straws and straight pins, that could span two chairs at a certain distance AND hold up the heaviest load!  They worked hard to come up with a plan and build their bridges.  They then put them to the test!  The result was a tie!  Two groups had built bridges that could hold up a bar of soap AND a tissue box!  After the activity, the students played a review game, in small groups.  In the game, they had to answer comprehension questions on their reading.  Next week, we will begin "Summer of the Monkeys".

Social Studies- In social studies today, Mr. Dennis were divided into three groups.  Each group was given a different topic:  The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, The Missouri Compromise, and the Compromise of 1850.  Each team chose a leader, who came up to a large poster representing their act.  The leader held up cards for his or her team.  The team had to agree on whether or not the card belonged to their topic.  The leader placed the cards onto the poster and continued on until all cards were gone.  In the end, Mr. Dennis let the class know the number of cards that were misplaced.  The teams had to work together to come up with their ideas on which ones were in the wrong category.  

Agricultural Education- It was candling day today!  The eggs are now at day 15 of development.  Each child was able to get a great look at the moving embryos!  While they were waiting for a view, the class used the egg development models to draw chicken embryos at different stages of development.  The eggs will go into lock-down on Sunday, and hopefully hatch on Tuesday and Wednesday!  There is usually a 48 hour window between the first and last hatch, so we should be able to see some action!
 
At the end of our day, I gathered the children, once again, for a heart to heart.  Each of the teachers has expressed concern over talking, focus, concentration, remembering to bring in materials, raising hands instead of blurting out, and the ability to switch between tasks in a quiet and responsible manner.  Far too much time is wasted just in not having a pencil, losing their pencil, not knowing what is going on, etc.  Since we have already discussed meeting expectations today, I decided to lay all of the concerns out there for the kids.  Although it is a class of 3rd and 4th graders, the expectations are no different than they were in last year's 2nd and 3rd grade class.  These are attainable, and required for us to meet the desired level of instruction.  The class was reminded that this is a privilege, not a guarantee, and that they are expected to rise up to meet the behavior and typical classroom responsibilities set for them.  We talked about ways to help our brain to focus, as concentrating is not always easy!  We listed the class requirements on the white board, talking in detail about each one. Kids can meet the expectations we set for them, but only if they are clear of what those expectations are!