Homework???

I think that homework can be positive and negative. I have seen a lot of teachers assign homework on material they have never covered in class and expect students to know how. Then I have also seen wonderful homework packets sent home that give children a choice to expand their knowledge on material they have learned in the classroom. I think that homework should not be busy work. That's a waste of time and is only going to give the children and parents a negative outlook on homework. The Kindergarten staff at Shaw send a homework pack home every Monday with four sheets of reading/writing and four sheets of math. We ask parents to not make the students sit and do it all at once but work on it through out the week. Some kids might get frustrated after a page or two and we always say STOP and work on it the next day. We allow feedback every week on the packets letting us know if its too easy, just right or needs more instruction. It helps us get a good look at what children are comprehending and not during the week. We collect them on Friday and give them a new packet on Monday.

At the end of last week we did some fun centers making rip art candy corn and pumpkins. The class had a blast and loved eating their candy corn's after.


Today in class one of our high readers sat in front of the class and read to us. Cheri and I were so impressed with him. He is such a SMART SMART boy.


Tomorrow we have a field trip to the FIRE STATION. The kids are super excited. Once we get back to school we will have lunch, calendar, and then have a FALL HARVEST! I am super excited for our FUN day.

I am also looking forward to TEACHER CONFERENCE. I think it will be a wonderful eye opener and learning experience. Today we reviewed what we are presenting to them in regards to benchmarks, AIMS assessment and material we have collected during the first quarter to present to them. I am also excited because this will be a perfect opportunity for me to get a lot of my School Community Project materials collected!

HAPPY CONFERENCE AND HALLOWEEN!!!

What's new...

Last week and this week has gone by so fast. We finished up Quarter one and are making sure all our assessments are finished and getting everything entered in the computer for grades and having things organized for conferences. It was need being able to get on the computer and put my input in in regards to where each student is at socially(1,2, 3).

We are fortunate to have the Alaska Avalanche Hockey team volunteering their time in our class once a week for 2 hours. The student have loved having them help us with benchmarks, reading and centers. I was really impressed how one hockey player was able to help an ELL student break out of her shell and laugh so much with a strong male role model.

We also did some fun scarecrow art, started literacy centers, and math games. It was so fun seeing them learn but have so much FUN with these activities.

I subbed today for my teacher and will be subbing on Thursday. I ran into some problems with one of my literacy lessons and my entire math lesson. Luckily my mentor teacher had stepped in to the classroom during those two times that she wasn't filling in for the principal and helped me out a lot. Once students left for the day she sat down with me and brainstormed how I can fix those things I ran into and help me not feel the need to use literacy and math curriculum books word for word and choose what works and makes since and what I could tweak! I felt a little bad about how the math went, but I realized how to improve Thursday. I also realized that I am learning and will eventually master TEACHING!!!

Quarter 1

This week we have been moving right along with rhyming, letter sounds, and learning equal and not equal. I am shock to think that next Friday, Quarter 1 ends. A quarter of the way to the finish line! ;)

I am starting to notice how much the students look at me as "their" teacher. I love coming into the class and the students come up to meet with big smiles and say where have you been or that they are happy to see me. I am so lucky to have these 18 students appreciate and trust me as their teacher.

During our weekly staff meeting, I received recognition from a sped aide that is in our classroom during the entire day. She informed the entire schools staff how I have gone over and beyond in the classroom in helping the sped students feel welcome and caring for each individual students needs. I was shocked but it really felt AWESOME!!!

My mentor teacher had to help the principal this afternoon so for the last 2 hours of the day I had the classroom to myself. Karen came in and observed me teach a lesson plan and I was really happy with how the lesson went and with the students listening to me without my mentor teacher there.

Here is the class learning how to use equal and not equal equations on the Promethean board.
Here is a student doing a journal entry.