Two days down, 178 left to go!

September 3, 2009 | Posted in: Class Updates

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The fraction on this week’s spelling list was SUPPOSED to be “one – one hundred eightieth” to represent the idea that, after day one, we are 1 day though the 180 days of school.  What a daunting fraction, although every year I am amazed by how quickly the days seem to fly by!  Even these two days of school are no exception.

Our first day of school was terrific!  It was so nice to see many of my former students returning to class, and I was excited to meet other students who I’d known from being their science teacher, as well as students who are new to our school.  Starting the new year has been unusual this year, because the 18 students who looped with me from third grade already know many of my policies, expectations, and routines.  But I felt that it was important to review these for the new students, as a review for my “loopers,” and because there have been several changes from last year in how I am managing the classroom.  As I explained to the class, I think it’s great for EVERYONE to have so many loopers in the class.  They know what my standards are and what they can (and more importantly, what they CAN’T) get away with, and the learning curve for starting a new year is a much smaller one.  For the students who are having me as a homeroom teacher for the first time, the loopers serve as a model of how I want things done and how they can achieve success for themselves.  We’ve already moved through the introductory stuff (minutia) faster than I expected, and we’re on to the curriculum and the more enjoyable beginning-of-the-year activities.

Day one began with the bell-ringing ceremony, a tradition at Pine Grove School.  Our new superintendent, Mr. David Erwin, joined us, as did our assistant superintendent, Jody I. Goeler.  Following that ceremony, we met as a grade to review lunch and recess rules.  Then, after we discussed some in-class rules and procedures, the students met our new Physical Education teacher, Mr. Tim Feschler, for their first P.E. class.  Having returned from PE, we sorted through the mountains of supplies that parents generously sent in and finally made it to lunch and recess.  The afternoon seemed to race by, and I found myself racing to get the kids out the door with their planners and their homework in time to catch the busses.  (Having 24 kids miss the bus is not pleasant for anyone.  I saw it happen to a group nearly that big when I was an education student in Rhode Island.)

Today, day two was closer to a routine day.  We began with an activity where students reflected on and shared their learning style.  We discussed the theory of Multiple Intelligences (in which I am a big believer) and that there is no such thing as “intelligent” or “unintelligent,” but rather, we all have strengths and weaknesses in a variety of intelligences (language, math, movement, art, music, interpersonal, etc.)  Next, we had a brief morning meeting and discussed the week’s (intentionally) challenging spelling words, as well as my new approach to spelling which is intended to challenge all students on a level appropriate to their own needs.  (More on this in a subsequent post.)  Next, we squeezed in a brief fire drill drill (a class drill to practice for a school-wide fire drill).  Then, as a means of discussing the do’s and don’t’s (How do you write “Don’t’s” in a grammatically-appropriate way, anyway?) of lining up and walking in the hallway, we watched a CBS news report about how fourth graders walk in the hall.  (Actually, this was footage I filmed of our class walking though the halls yesterday, sandwiched between two “Breaking News!” video clips with Russ Mitchell.  The kids didn’t realize that my camera was on, so they were very surprised – and amused – so see themselves on the big screen today!)  It helped us to make a great list of what good hallway behavior looks and sounds like, and what poor hallway behavior looks and sounds like.

After the kids went to and came from library, we finished some miscellaneous tasks and went to lunch and recess.  In the afternoon, we dove into our math series, and the kids were introduced to the Student Reference Books.  (There are new versions for fourth grade.  I imagine that the school will be selling them as they did last year, but I haven’t heard yet.)  Finally, we wrapped up the day with a discussion about our Room 209 C.A.R.E.S. Campaign (see link at the top of the left-hand sidebar) and our association with Gifts of Love.

Phew!  What a tiring two days!