Student: Ms. Sixth, when's your birthday?
Ms. Sixth: Not until May why?
Student: Oh man, you really need a new pencil sharpener, so I was going to get you one, but I don't think I can wait that long.
Ms. Sixth: So if I lived back in the day with the Egyptians I would only have about 8 more years left before I died!
Student: OMG you're only 22?!
Ms. Sixth: (in my head... gosh these 12 year olds are too fast with their math fact fluency)
I have a "store" where my students can spend the "dollars" they earn in class at the end of the week...
Student: I only need two more dollars then I can get my dad's Christmas present!
*I'm glad I can provide families their 2010 Christmas presents hahaha. This was one of the cutest things ever I must say.
-Sixth
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Heading into the Holiday Season
We are quickly approaching the last week of school before Christmas vacation and it.is.crazy.
I have found myself totally not in the Christmas spirit. I am exhausted from work, I have no time to shop, and I am really dreading spending the small amount of money I've saved up thus far. I do not like malls to begin with and all those people and lines make me cringe, and even the Secret Santa swap we did at work turned out to not be very secret for me!
However, being a 4th grade teacher, I totally want to give my students that 'holiday feeling' that I can still remember from elementary school. I am trying my hardest to spread the holiday cheer during the school day, because to them, this really is the most wonderful time of the year (besides summer, of course)
I can say that my students will be giving their families gifts, much greater than the ones I am giving my family....I definitely put more thought, effort, time and money into their gifts than my own. I haven't decided if that is a good or bad thing.
However, myself and my other 4th grade counterpart deserve "Teacher of the Season" awards for what we were able to pull off! Our students are each memorizing a part of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and we are presenting our poem to all the other grades on Thursday. That isn't even the cool part...we had each kid illustrate their part of the poem, then we scanned their pictures and their lines into iMovie, AND recorded their voices reading their lines. We put all the illustrations and voices together into an amazing video complete with an opening, ending credits, and background music from the Nutcracker AND to top it all off- we are burning a DVD of it for every student to take home to their families. Ta-da! An amazing gift, if I do say so myself!
In addition to that- I took (and printed out) all their pictures. Then I got them unfinished frames that we are going to decorate in school with lots of colorful fun crafty items and they will be able to take those home as well!
Are we learning a whole lot? Probably not. Are we having fun? For sure.
I did buy myself a very 'teachery' christmas outfit and some earrings...maybe THAT will get me into the Christmas Spirit!
Ready to take on the week and most definitely ready for the break that will follow it!!
-Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving!
I am thankful that I have survived this far into the school year and made it to our first "break".
Heres to hoping these days off will allow me to return to school reenergized and ready to take on the next 3 and 1/2 crazy weeks until Christmas!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Class Meeting
Last Friday, I was lucky enough to have my angel of a literacy coach come into my classroom. She taught my class and I how to run a "class meeting" and changed our class forever.
Class Meeting
1. Give a compliment
2. Get a compliment.
3. Apologize.
4. Pass.
Thats it. You can do one of the four. We sat around the perimeter of my gorgeous rug and passed a dried up purple sponge around the circle. (It was the only thing I could find in my room to use as a "talking object.") As each student held the sponge, they made a choice to do one of the above. Some passed, none asked for a compliment, many gave compliments. It was such a positive moment packed with second grade emotion. One girl broke down into tears, complimenting her two best friends for being "some of the best friends she's ever had," another one of my boys got all choked up talking about his best friend too, another said she was sorry that her mom's friend had cancer, and yet another said she was sad that a local teenager had recently died. I almost lost it. How quickly I forget, between cups of coffee and hours of planning, that these kids are 7. And 8. That having a friend to play with everyday at recess can make or break their day. In that moment, some felt so much genuine love for their friends that tears came rolling while just thinking about how happy these people in their lives make them. Wow.
In my dream classroom, I always knew that I wanted it to be positive and safe. A place where expectations are set high and kids try their best. It was at that moment that I realized that most of all, I want my kids to be kind to one another and know/appreciate the value of a compliment. The power of a postive attitude and how far you can get just on that alone. Class meeting. I'm pretty sure I can find 10 minutes in our day where everything stops and we think about the big picture. About life. About one another. Me and my 7 and 8 year olds....
Class Meeting
1. Give a compliment
2. Get a compliment.
3. Apologize.
4. Pass.
Thats it. You can do one of the four. We sat around the perimeter of my gorgeous rug and passed a dried up purple sponge around the circle. (It was the only thing I could find in my room to use as a "talking object.") As each student held the sponge, they made a choice to do one of the above. Some passed, none asked for a compliment, many gave compliments. It was such a positive moment packed with second grade emotion. One girl broke down into tears, complimenting her two best friends for being "some of the best friends she's ever had," another one of my boys got all choked up talking about his best friend too, another said she was sorry that her mom's friend had cancer, and yet another said she was sad that a local teenager had recently died. I almost lost it. How quickly I forget, between cups of coffee and hours of planning, that these kids are 7. And 8. That having a friend to play with everyday at recess can make or break their day. In that moment, some felt so much genuine love for their friends that tears came rolling while just thinking about how happy these people in their lives make them. Wow.
In my dream classroom, I always knew that I wanted it to be positive and safe. A place where expectations are set high and kids try their best. It was at that moment that I realized that most of all, I want my kids to be kind to one another and know/appreciate the value of a compliment. The power of a postive attitude and how far you can get just on that alone. Class meeting. I'm pretty sure I can find 10 minutes in our day where everything stops and we think about the big picture. About life. About one another. Me and my 7 and 8 year olds....
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Harry and Sixth
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore
Although I wasn't able to go see Deathly Hallows at the midnight premiere on Thursday (I have a real job now with an early wake up call), I did sneak it in this Saturday. I was not disappointed. After investing so many years into reading the books and watching the movies, I think next year after Part II comes out I will feel a little sadness.. and probably reread them all over again to fill the void. It makes me so happy that these are books that not only I love, but make my students not want to put their books down during AR reading time. Books that we can have lengthy discussions about and relate most class activities back to. These books allow my students to make connections to what they're reading and give them a desire to dive into a book head first. The quote I used above I always relate to my students, but I think it can relate to anyone really. The power of a book never ceases to amaze me. -Sixth
Although I wasn't able to go see Deathly Hallows at the midnight premiere on Thursday (I have a real job now with an early wake up call), I did sneak it in this Saturday. I was not disappointed. After investing so many years into reading the books and watching the movies, I think next year after Part II comes out I will feel a little sadness.. and probably reread them all over again to fill the void. It makes me so happy that these are books that not only I love, but make my students not want to put their books down during AR reading time. Books that we can have lengthy discussions about and relate most class activities back to. These books allow my students to make connections to what they're reading and give them a desire to dive into a book head first. The quote I used above I always relate to my students, but I think it can relate to anyone really. The power of a book never ceases to amaze me. -Sixth
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Hello there! Second grade here....
Wowza. I CANNOT believe it is already November 14th. It feels like just yesterday it was the beginning of September and I was feeling like November was light years away (which explains the lack of posts...most of the time I am choosing between sleep and posting/reading/watching tv). I can honestly say that at this point, I am proud of myself. I have made it past the point of survival, and into the stage of reflection. It is wonderful. Most of my thinking now is: "Is this effective?" "How can I make this better?" "Am I ACTUALLY differentiating?" "How can I simplify my planning so that it doesn't take me HOURS?" and....believe it or not..."How can I put parent volunteers to good use?" (which has been a big fear of mine...having parents WATCH me teach!) Even just that I am asking myself these questions is a good thing for me. A few weeks ago, it was more like "Am I doing this right?" or "How do I even teach Science?" I am so psyched that I am now able to reflect and put my energies into making this better, which in turn means I can assume that I have a good foundation, which I do. My classroom is a safe place for kids to come and open their minds to learning. They know that only kinds words are exchanged- that everyone makes mistakes and most are worth forgiving. They try their best and fully understand and respect that "easy" isn't the same to everyone. I show them respect and treat them the way I want them to treat me, themselves, and their peers...and they do! If I were in second grade, I would want to be in my room :)
Today, I am in a good place. I am loving teaching. It is still VERY hard and trying at times, but it feels like within my career of teaching, I have gotten over the first hump and it feels amazing. I have been rereading a favorite book of mine and am fully re-inspired to do good things in my classroom...to go beyond just the textbook and explore some good creative, fun, exciting lessons....lessons that you are supposed to think you can do when you are a first year teacher....lessons that make the veterans think about their overly zealous first year of teaching :)
Wowza. I CANNOT believe it is already November 14th. It feels like just yesterday it was the beginning of September and I was feeling like November was light years away (which explains the lack of posts...most of the time I am choosing between sleep and posting/reading/watching tv). I can honestly say that at this point, I am proud of myself. I have made it past the point of survival, and into the stage of reflection. It is wonderful. Most of my thinking now is: "Is this effective?" "How can I make this better?" "Am I ACTUALLY differentiating?" "How can I simplify my planning so that it doesn't take me HOURS?" and....believe it or not..."How can I put parent volunteers to good use?" (which has been a big fear of mine...having parents WATCH me teach!) Even just that I am asking myself these questions is a good thing for me. A few weeks ago, it was more like "Am I doing this right?" or "How do I even teach Science?" I am so psyched that I am now able to reflect and put my energies into making this better, which in turn means I can assume that I have a good foundation, which I do. My classroom is a safe place for kids to come and open their minds to learning. They know that only kinds words are exchanged- that everyone makes mistakes and most are worth forgiving. They try their best and fully understand and respect that "easy" isn't the same to everyone. I show them respect and treat them the way I want them to treat me, themselves, and their peers...and they do! If I were in second grade, I would want to be in my room :)
Today, I am in a good place. I am loving teaching. It is still VERY hard and trying at times, but it feels like within my career of teaching, I have gotten over the first hump and it feels amazing. I have been rereading a favorite book of mine and am fully re-inspired to do good things in my classroom...to go beyond just the textbook and explore some good creative, fun, exciting lessons....lessons that you are supposed to think you can do when you are a first year teacher....lessons that make the veterans think about their overly zealous first year of teaching :)
Monday, November 8, 2010
"Laughter Is The Best Medicine"
If you can't laugh at what the kid's say you can't get through your day.
My favorite "kid quote" of today:
In our vocabulary lesson- introducing our new words of the week.
Me: "Enigma. Enigma is something that is mysterious or hard to explain. Can anyone think of any examples of an enigma?"
Most students: "God" "Why the sky is blue" Where all the dinosaurs went"
One particular student: "Why you wear the same shoes every day"
Thank you for pointing that out. I explained: it's not an enigma- they are just really comfortable!
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