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Nov 17

November 17, 2015

Circus Week and Character

We’re midway though a terrific week in room 209!  On Monday, we got to watch an AMAZING performance by the National Circus Project.  (I live-tweeted photos and videos from the circus.)  What was particularly incredible was that the performance was an introduction for the fourth graders.  Since that performance your fourth grader has been working to master some amazing skills that they first saw performed in Monday’s show.  I’ve had the opportunity to see a few of the different performances, and I’m really impressed by how quickly and thoroughly the kids are mastering these skills!  On Friday afternoon, fourth graders will perform for the whole school, and I hope you’re planning on coming to the kids’ evening performance on Friday night at 6:30pm.  All the fourth grade teachers will be there for the fun, and I can’t wait to see the kids show all they’ve learned.

Curious why we’re working on the circus in school?  Well, besides the fact that it’s AWESOME (C’mon, don’t we all wish we’d had a similar opportunity when we were kids?), Circus Week has given the kids an amazing opportunity to learn teamwork, perseverance as they learn a new skill, problem solving, and so much more.  These are definitely key life skills that will influence their academic success now and in the future.  Additionally, our school’s character focus this month and next month is on the pillar of fairness.  This is a terrific time for us to have the circus, since we’re able to discuss questions of fairness, such as who got their first choice for parts in the circus, why some roles are harder or easier than others, etc.  In class, we have a set meaning of the word fairness.  (Ask your child if he or she remembers it!)  We say: Fair doesn’t mean that everyone gets the same thing.  Fair means that everyone gets what he or she needs.  It may not be the most elegant definition, but it works for us!  In Circus Week, this means that some kids may have an easier or harder skill to practice, and that’s fair, because everyone got a skill that’s right for them.

Posted in Class Updates|By

Apr 10

April 10, 2014

Welcome to our new online home!

Welcome to the new online home of Room 209! I appreciate everyone’s patience as I worked to get this new site up and running, and I hope it’s worth the effort. For the most part, you’ll find most of the same features as our old site had, although things are arranged differently. In addition to the new address and the new look and feel of the site (Thanks #15 for the inspiration!), there are some new features you might find useful:

  • Mobile optimization – MossTeaches has a responsive design, meaning that it will look as clear on a small phone as it will on a large desktop monitor!
  • Twitter feed – On the right sidebar of the main page of our class website, you’ll find a new Twitter feed for our classroom.  I find that most of my website posts cover larger topics.  My plan for the Twitter feed is to most mini-updates about what we’re doing at different times during the school day.  This is a pilot test, and I may or may not continue to offer this feature, depending on how things go.
  • Dear Humphrey – Think of it as a “Dear Abby” option for our classroom.  Kids are welcome to write to me (anonymously, if they choose) about challenges that they’re having in school that I can help with.  Often, one student is not alone in having a problem, and it’s something that be discussed during Morning Meeting.
  • Virtual Classroom – This is still very much a work-in-progress.  Eventually, this page will be a launchpad for many of our class eLearning activities.
  • Student News – As the name implies, students will have the opportunity to take on the role of reporter and blog about some of what we do in class.  Thanks, #13, for writing our first article!

Thanks to the feedback I received on the class website survey many of you completed for me, I have more planned for our new site in the coming weeks and months.  As you use the new website, please message me if you find any bugs or errors, or if you want to share feedback with me!  I hope you enjoy MossTeaches: the new online home for Room 209!

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