Category Archives: Uncategorized

They Grow Up So Fast…

Ok, so in order to understand this post, you probably should have already read this one.  Anyhow…today was one of the most exciting days in our classroom up to now.  Really–I was excited for what I knew would come from that mysterious pile of brown-paper-wrapped rectangles–and my kids didn’t disappoint with their reaction to the whole thing.

 

So that answer to that question yesterday was this:

Each kiddo was given their very own, specially wrapped Writer’s Notebook!  I gave them a new pen, too, since we have a “pen only” rule when we write in our notebooks.  And it was the clicky kind of pen, which was extra cool.

 

Now….before they could be gifted their very own, specially wrapped new Writer’s Notebook—which we fondly refer to as our “bears”–they had to agree to a few specific things and sign our class writing pledge (I’ll show you that tomorrow!).  Then the brown-paper-package was theirs (and yes, I was tempted to tie them up with string!).  Just look at their faces:

 

The whole class waited with anticipation as each kiddo individually came up to the easel to promise, then sign the pledge, and were given their goodies.  Then once we all had our presents, they got busy unwrapping:

 

Ok, and so while I know that video is blurry in places (sorry!) and out-of-focus (sorry again!), I KNOW you can see the joy on their faces and hear the excitement in their voices.  And believe me, it’s all real.  They have been waiting for this day for a while (like Devan said today, “It only took 4 weeks!”), knowing that one special day, after they’d learned the right way to use that Writer’s Notebook, they’d have their own.  From the second I walked over to my chair with the pile in my arms, I heard whispers of “today’s the day” and “those are our notebooks!” and lots of suddenly-jumpy 5th graders who were eager–honestly eager–to start the next phase of our writing journey.  AND I LOVE THAT!

 

So now their “cubs” have grown into “bears” (which I heard Anna exclaim after she’d unwrapped her present) and they’re ready to continue their learning journey as capable, FEARLESS fifth grade writers.

Do you have a Writer’s Notebook?  Does it have a special name?  What does it look like? Our homework tonight was to decorate our notebooks.  🙂

It’s the Littlest Things…

On Thursday afternoon, we got a present.  Our phone rang and four of my boys went downstairs.  They came back with…

We knew it was coming, since we knew that our amazing principal, Mrs. Sisul, had ordered it for us.  But we didn’t know what it would look like or when it would be here.  It happened during Writer’s Workshop, and most kids were sitting at their tables.  Within 5 seconds of the rug’s appearance, this happened:

Don’t you love it?  Everyone ran over and plopped down on the carpet.  It’s very nice, almost shaggy, and very soft.  And it has that “new carpet” smell, which is also nice.

I mentioned that it was Writer’s Workshop, and what was really funny was that the rug then became the topic of several kiddo’s writing that day.   One friend wrote this entry:

Sorry…just realized it’s a little blurry, but hopefully you can see that it says NO MORE CHAIRS!  HA!

And when we got back to my classroom at the end of the day, my kindergartener, Riley, was as in love as my own students.  He got comfy while he waited for me to get ready to go home:

It’s so funny how sometimes it’s the littlest things, like a fabulous new rug, that came just make your day. Thanks, Mrs. Sisul! 🙂

Classroom Library Tour

Don’t you love this picture?  I do because I love our library, but also because I just used picmonkey.com to edit it.  For free.  COOL!  But I digress…

For some reason I have never put any pictures of our library on here.  Which is funny because I love our library, but also because it’s one of my favorite things to check out on other people’s blogs.  So here it is–finally!

Several years ago I went through and made labels with pictures and authors’ names, after seeing the idea in someone else’s classroom!  This is one of my favorite places in our room.  Not sure if it’s because is has some of my favorite books, or if it’s because it’s pretty.  The rainbow boxes look so good in that black shelf, and are so organized (well at least I think so)!

Here you will find the end of the alphabetized author boxes, along with series like The Babysitter’s Club, Harry Potter, Magic Tree House and some genre boxes for fantasy and mystery.  There are other genres on an opposite wall–just didn’t have a pretty picture of them. 🙂

And yes, I know those 400, 500, and 600 boxes are missing labels!  I just keep forgetting to come back and do that.  😦

The box labeled “Good Books” has been around for a couple of years and has some of my favorites.  I lead kiddos there when they are just looking for a “good” book to read.

I love the label I put on this box.  So many “big” kids think they’ve outgrown picture books, but most of them were actually written at reading levels for older kids to work on independently anyway.  I encourage my “big kids” to try these every so often.  And usually they do. 🙂

While our main library is on the other side of the room, it’s mostly fiction and filled with chapter books.  Over here, next to our ActivBoard meeting space, are nonfiction collections.

Thanks for taking a tour of our library!  Glad you stopped by and love to hear what you thought. 🙂

Math Warm-Ups Sept 4-7, 2012

So after I posted about our Morning Math Warmups last week, I figured I would start doing that every week.  It will be great to see all of them once we’re finished this year.  We would really appreciate it if you followed along with our learning this year, and even comment with your own answers.  We could learn from you!

Since Monday was Labor Day, there are only four this week:

 

 

 

 

How would you answer these?  What warmups would you use for factors and multiples? Leave us a comment!

Just Goofing Around

Think of the feeling when you have to wear “church” clothes.  Or maybe for you, it’s easier to think about wearing a formal, like for a wedding or a fancy dinner.  You probably feel all stiff and uncomfortable, maybe itchy and hot.  If you’re in the wedding, you might feel like everyone is watching you, just waiting for you to make a mistake or drop something.  If you’re at that fancy dinner, you might be nervous that you’ll use the wrong fork, or not be able to read the menu because it’s in another language.  I remember that from prom when my date and I went to a really expensive French restaurant.  I couldn’t even have fun because I was so stressed out!

Now I don’t know about you, but at the end of a long day (even a great day like we had today), the first thing I do when I get home is put on my pjs.  I get comfortable–kind of like what you (or a kiddo) might do after that wedding, after you get home from church, after that fancy dinner is over.   From constricted to comfortable, into our “play clothes.”
That first example is how many people–kids and adults alike–feel about writing.  It’s uncomfortable and hard, with a  when-will-this-be-over kind of feeling.  Writer’s Workshop is a hated time, when all the pressure is on, and the teacher is watching your ever move.  Students may feel like they can’t do anything right, and they’re afraid they might make a mistake.

I want my writers to remember instead their play clothes; the way they feel and they freedom they are allowed in them.  When you’re wearing your play clothes you can get messy, run around, fall down and make mistakes.  There are no rules, really.  You feel alive!

So I want it to be in their Writer’s Notebook.  I want the writers I work with to feel energized when they sit down to write, ready to play with words and see what happens.  Their notebooks are allowed to be messy; it’s from the mess that masterpieces may emerge.

And so another notebook strategy was added today: Goof Around Writing.

First, I shared two entries from my own Writer’s Notebooks.  One was called “Ode to Mashed Potatoes” and the second was “Oh Sewing Machine, You are my Enemy!”  Each was just for fun, about how mashed potatoes tease me with their goodness but make me “fat, fat, fat” and then about a “fight” I had with my sewing machine last year when it wouldn’t work right.  Both were written in a playful manner, meant to sound silly and make you laugh.  But still, they were both based on my life.
Then my friends had a go.  They LOVED this, and there was much giggling as we shared our entries.  There were MANY kiddos who thought that you, dedicated blog reader, should be able to see what they did.  So here are some examples of what we did in our play clothes when we were just goofing around with our writing:

                  

              

 

 

What do you do when you’re “goofing around” with writing?  What do your play clothes look like?  Please leave us a comment and tell us about it!  We’d love to read your thoughts! 🙂

Dance! Dance, I Say!

So hopefully by now you’ve read my Welcome to Rm. 202 post from the beginning of the year.  If not, you totally should.  Really.  Right now is even ok. 🙂

Well, I have many kiddos in my class who did, and the reason I know is that they sent me this:

 

And this:

 

And in case you still didn’t read it, there was a part at the end that challenged my new friends to send me a victory dance that they did once they got done reading the post.  All 2049 words of it.  Gotta love it! 🙂

What does your victory dance look like?