goldstarsforfifthgrade

It’s been a while since I’ve last posted and so much has happened since. Everything from parent-teacher conferences to implementing Words our Way to dance parties went on during these past two weeks.  I must say something inside me is definitely changing and I think after this full I feel invested in the students in a way that I did not before. I feel a debt towards them and I can’t wait to see their work and their progress. One of the new projects we started was an expert paper. This projects calls for the students to write about something in which they are an expert. Our teacher modeled using Chatham, Massachusetts – her hometown. She took us through her town and told us about all the different shops and places she knew. Then it was the students turn to practice what they had seen, which included creating an organizer to break down their thinking. The students used Inspiration software, which allowed them to make their organizer and in a click of a button have it turned into an outline. This was very beneficial to students because not only did they enjoy this process (they often prefer to skip this part and simply write) they were able to understand how this might fit into their writing and how the outline structure would translate to their writings structure. This was also a great activity for students who are usually more resistant to write. One of my students who usually will refuse to write more than one or two sentences has enjoyed this assignment to the point where he will write during his free time. He picked football as his expert topic and I think he has seen the purpose for his writing and has understood that he is informing an audience. The majority of students however struggle to add detail and to really find a voice in their writing. There seems to be a hesitance to expand in their thinking and I wonder if more specific modeling on how to add more detail would help. 

            Our students have also started their Words Their Way groups and have really enjoyed it so far! We gave students notebooks so that they can write down their words and in the back we stapled plastic Ziploc bags for students to put their words. So far the students have really enjoyed working with one another and have done sorts as well as played memory. We still are in the process of creating other activities for the students to do. I think the staff has been pleasantly surprised by how well the students have taken to participating in Words Their Way activities.

            Parent teacher conferences also opened up my eyes to a lot of the concerns of the parent community. A lot of our focus with the parents centered on student writing and their ability to transmit written conclusions from what they read. I think it was one of the greatest areas of concerns for many parents who would like their students put more effort into what they write. I also had some interesting insight because since I speak Spanish I helped interpret in many conferences in different grades. Many of the Spanish speaking parents felt frustrated and were discouraged that they couldn’t more active help their students with their homework. However one of the biggest things teachers kept reiterating to parents was that students need to keep reading. Many of the teachers encouraged the parents to read with their children in Spanish, which seemed to almost surprise some. I think this is such great advice because it promotes literacy and a love for reading, which often leads to a love of writing. I wonder if some parents thought that reading in Spanish could hinder development in English. Personally I read mostly in Spanish and French as a young child but having that habit made the transition to reading English a lot more comfortable. I think promoting literacy and interaction with text is so important. Allowing these parents to understand that they can have an active role despite language barriers is so important as well as empowering. I felt really excited to be able to have honest discussions with these parents and felt honored to meet so many parents who thanked me with so much humility as well as words of encouragement. 

Sick Thursday

I think I’m going to start off today’s post with something short of a PSA. Please, fellow intern, do not forget to wash your hands and get enough rest. When you feel like you need a nap, take one. If you have not yet gotten sick this school year, I applaud you. I am now on my second round of antibiotics this month and I have just been diagnosed with a sinus infection, which explains my swollen eyes, migraine and 101.1-degree fever.            

Yesterday, I was exhausted and feeling completely ineffective and slightly depressed (which makes a lot more sense now that I know I’m sick). Nonetheless I was able to get through a reading on the kamal, which is an ancient Arabic navigation tool, which the students ended up making on their field trip to the Planetarium.  Once the school day had ended my mentor teacher and I sat down and looked at our spelling inventories. We have a pretty wide range of results in our class, with issues in everything from digraphs to inflected endings. I think one of the biggest challenges is determining how much time you devote to spelling in the classroom as well as choosing adequate groups with similar needs. In our case we decided that we are going to start working towards integrating Words Their Way groups into our already existing reading groups. Many of these students in these groups tended to have similar results to other group members. Next step will be creating meaningful activities. 

Wednesday Madness!

Today was a long day. It kicked off with an early morning Words Their Way training. I must say, I felt a little overwhelmed and tried to wrap my head around how I would implement this in the classroom. Yet it didn’t seem too different from spelling instruction I’ve seen in the past and I wonder if the big idea in this program is for teachers to start looking at root causes instead of simply drilling a list of words without thinking of how to improve spelling in a meaningful way. On my to do list now is to look at some of the games and instructional activities the book offers. I want to know what this will look like in the classroom and how much time it will take once it is implemented. I really think that this would be an important teaching tool because so many of the students in our class have trouble spelling. Sometimes I ask myself if some of the mistakes I see are developmentally appropriate, but there are some that I know are sight words that the students have unfortunately not yet mastered. 

We then had some extended planning time for the 5^th grade team where we discussed some of the weekly plans we had. Trying to make sure students get BCR practice has been a major goal of the 5^th grade team. This has been a challenge as students have been finishing their CORE books and we have been integrating Social Studies into our reading lessons. The students have had a hard time writing and they seem to rather do anything else. During our writing time the students have been given the option to write about anything they want yet most of them look at me perplexed, hoping I will give them some direction. It breaks my heart that some of the students hate to write so much because I’ve always found it to be one of the most liberating forms of expression. It gives you, the writer, power because when someone is reading what you have written you are commanding the attention of an audience. I am constantly asking myself how can I help students find joy in writing and how I can transmit it’s importance.

Tonight we also had literacy night. We did not have as many parents come in as in the primary grades but it was great to see parents show up and actually enjoy themselves with their children. We had a mad lib activity on the Promethean board and they genuinely had a great time. Some of the students learned while others refreshed their knowledge (adverbs, what’s that?). We had several stations where parents could go and also strengthen their relationships with the 5^th grade team.  After school events are often some of the greatest times to strengthen community.

I got home at 8:30 and simply knocked out on my bed. I was exhausted but enjoyed a productive day filled with new experiences and lots to think about!

Never a dull moment…

My mind seems to be racing a lot these days. I’m juggling a thousand things and some days I feel overwhelmed. Yet despite the anxiety my mind seems to be in a constant state of reflection and deep thought. I am constantly thinking. I think about our classroom, the activities I will implement, my relationship with my students… My mind refuses to shut off and I can’t seem to stop talking about my internship either. I also must say,always wanting to be a teacher myself, I have a heightened respect for the profession. There are a thousand and one decisions to make everyday and every single one is meaningful, every one is important. 

I am enjoying working with these students so much!! I can’t wait to experience so much more as this semester unfolds!!