Hello,
Homework club just ended. I got a text from my wife saying that we have a leaky roof so I'm going to run home and break up an ice dam.
Some good fairy tale performances today. Final four WWF vote tomorrow. Last day before vacation. Spelling test. Fairy Tale Jeopardy. We'll finish The Princess Bride. Hope to finish our read aloud, Wonder. All good stuff.
Have a great holiday vacation. I'm sure I won't post anything tomorrow. Thank you for all of your support in 2013. We'll get right back at it in a few weeks.
Have a fun, safe and happy new year.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Global Warming?
Hello,
I wanted the kids to understand why we talked about global warming yesterday. I didn't feel the need to espouse my views. It isn't in our curriculum to talk about the temperature of the planet and the pros and cons of that changing. I brought it up because it helps me get my main point across: Think for yourself. There are two sides to the argument. Both will try to convince you of their point of view. Please don't blindly follow.
We talked food stamps today. I know that is the old way of saying governmental assistance or welfare. Again, it wasn't to make sure they knew where I stand on the issue. It was to bring up another topic with opposing sides with staunchly opposing viewpoints. It was timely, considering our governor's latest proposal, but the point remained: Think for yourself. Make up your own mind. Weigh evidence. Consider the source. Form your own opinion. All good lessons, I think. And while real world problems are quite a contrast to the fairy tales that we have been reading, I think the common thread between them is that poorly thought out decisions generally lead to unfortunate consequences. We need to be a nation of thinkers. I hope to help them on this path.
Tonight's homework was about making our world a better place. I asked them to write about something that they plan on doing over the vacation for someone less fortunate than them. Some need to formulate the plan first. You can help with this. I told them that it is easy to look around and see who has more money, who wears nicer stuff, who has cooler toys. It is easy to say "They are lucky." The fact is that everyone in our class this afternoon has many, many things to be thankful for: health, food, clothing, shelter, friends, people who care about them, an education that is there for the taking, etc. With that in mind, I'd like to see them do something generous for someone. And I like that it doesn't necessarily have to be random or spontaneous, although those are great too. I want to see them plan something nice for someone and then carry it out. Not to get a gift or receive praise, but because they can.
Let's see where that takes us.
Three toed sloth and the eagle made the final four today.
I've got a basketball game so I'm off.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
I wanted the kids to understand why we talked about global warming yesterday. I didn't feel the need to espouse my views. It isn't in our curriculum to talk about the temperature of the planet and the pros and cons of that changing. I brought it up because it helps me get my main point across: Think for yourself. There are two sides to the argument. Both will try to convince you of their point of view. Please don't blindly follow.
We talked food stamps today. I know that is the old way of saying governmental assistance or welfare. Again, it wasn't to make sure they knew where I stand on the issue. It was to bring up another topic with opposing sides with staunchly opposing viewpoints. It was timely, considering our governor's latest proposal, but the point remained: Think for yourself. Make up your own mind. Weigh evidence. Consider the source. Form your own opinion. All good lessons, I think. And while real world problems are quite a contrast to the fairy tales that we have been reading, I think the common thread between them is that poorly thought out decisions generally lead to unfortunate consequences. We need to be a nation of thinkers. I hope to help them on this path.
Tonight's homework was about making our world a better place. I asked them to write about something that they plan on doing over the vacation for someone less fortunate than them. Some need to formulate the plan first. You can help with this. I told them that it is easy to look around and see who has more money, who wears nicer stuff, who has cooler toys. It is easy to say "They are lucky." The fact is that everyone in our class this afternoon has many, many things to be thankful for: health, food, clothing, shelter, friends, people who care about them, an education that is there for the taking, etc. With that in mind, I'd like to see them do something generous for someone. And I like that it doesn't necessarily have to be random or spontaneous, although those are great too. I want to see them plan something nice for someone and then carry it out. Not to get a gift or receive praise, but because they can.
Let's see where that takes us.
Three toed sloth and the eagle made the final four today.
I've got a basketball game so I'm off.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Snow day?
Hello,
I'm getting out of here before the snow hits too hard. Sorry to cancel homework club, but when they cancel ALL afterschool activities, I follow suit. I figure that we have a 50% chance of a snow day tomorrow. They usually have a quick trigger on the first one.
It was an interesting day. In trying to convince people to vote for their animals in our WWF elections, some students have made some exaggerated claims. It led us down the path of "How do we know what to believe when we read or hear things?" Well, you know me... I was off and running. We talked about both sides of the Global Warming issue. I showed them the following website:
http://dhmo.org/facts.html. I had most of the class believing that we should ban dihydrogen monoxide. After we noodled through that dihydrogen monoxide is a fancy way of saying H20, or water, the kids saw how easy it was for me to convince them of something totally bogus. The lesson: be wary. Question. Make your own decisions. Don't let people talk you into something. Think for yourself.
In WWF wrestling, the Saola took down the Blue Finned Tuna and the Black Jaguar beat the Arctic Hare. We are down to our Final Eight. If we have a snow day, all four matches will be decided on Thursday.
We started fractions in math. Lots of hands on stuff. We had a great day.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
I'm getting out of here before the snow hits too hard. Sorry to cancel homework club, but when they cancel ALL afterschool activities, I follow suit. I figure that we have a 50% chance of a snow day tomorrow. They usually have a quick trigger on the first one.
It was an interesting day. In trying to convince people to vote for their animals in our WWF elections, some students have made some exaggerated claims. It led us down the path of "How do we know what to believe when we read or hear things?" Well, you know me... I was off and running. We talked about both sides of the Global Warming issue. I showed them the following website:
http://dhmo.org/facts.html. I had most of the class believing that we should ban dihydrogen monoxide. After we noodled through that dihydrogen monoxide is a fancy way of saying H20, or water, the kids saw how easy it was for me to convince them of something totally bogus. The lesson: be wary. Question. Make your own decisions. Don't let people talk you into something. Think for yourself.
In WWF wrestling, the Saola took down the Blue Finned Tuna and the Black Jaguar beat the Arctic Hare. We are down to our Final Eight. If we have a snow day, all four matches will be decided on Thursday.
We started fractions in math. Lots of hands on stuff. We had a great day.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Monday, December 16, 2013
No math today
Hello,
It was an odd day of no math and no library, so lots of time in the class room. We learned a bit about rhinos and grey wolves, but the African Rhino won the election. In other competitions, the Snowy Owl flew past the Sea Turtle and the Giant Tortoise finally took down the Giant Anteater. Tomorrow will pit the Black Jaguar vs. the Arctic Hare and the Saola vs. the Blue Finned Tuna. Who will your child vote for? Do you remember what a saola is?
We played a math/logic game named SKUNK. My mentor teacher introduced it. It involves some strategy. I think they liked it.
We were back in the computer lab to finish explorer cards. I think two more need to edit before we are ready to print.
Kids took quizzes for bonus points for their teams in the Fairy Tale/Legend/Fable Jeopardy Challenge. They can earn points in advance for the Jeopardy Game that we will have at the end of the week.
The class is also working on putting on mini-skits of a scene or two from a favorite fairy tale. The challenge is to involve music in some way. Teams are altering lyrics of well known tunes to help fit their scripts. Should be fun to see. I'm sure our lunch buddies will be interested in a performance.
Thanks for reading,
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
It was an odd day of no math and no library, so lots of time in the class room. We learned a bit about rhinos and grey wolves, but the African Rhino won the election. In other competitions, the Snowy Owl flew past the Sea Turtle and the Giant Tortoise finally took down the Giant Anteater. Tomorrow will pit the Black Jaguar vs. the Arctic Hare and the Saola vs. the Blue Finned Tuna. Who will your child vote for? Do you remember what a saola is?
We played a math/logic game named SKUNK. My mentor teacher introduced it. It involves some strategy. I think they liked it.
We were back in the computer lab to finish explorer cards. I think two more need to edit before we are ready to print.
Kids took quizzes for bonus points for their teams in the Fairy Tale/Legend/Fable Jeopardy Challenge. They can earn points in advance for the Jeopardy Game that we will have at the end of the week.
The class is also working on putting on mini-skits of a scene or two from a favorite fairy tale. The challenge is to involve music in some way. Teams are altering lyrics of well known tunes to help fit their scripts. Should be fun to see. I'm sure our lunch buddies will be interested in a performance.
Thanks for reading,
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, December 12, 2013
School Assembly
Hello,
We had a school wide assembly this afternoon to celebrate reaching 250,000 minutes read school-wide over the past five weeks. Many teachers presented a reader's theater on stage. They read Daisy Head Mayzie by Dr. Seuss.
Just before the assembly we met with our third grade lunch buddies. They came to our room to hear some fairy tales. Each student read one of their favorite classics to their buddy. It seemed to go smoothly. It is great seeing our kids as role models. They handle it very well.
In art class, the kids are making ink prints and clay people in the tradition of the far east. You might want to ask them about what they are learning in there. It seems really neat.
My math class is handling bar modeling with simple equations and vice versa. Tonight, they have a little more practice writing the equations of the models. Some were able to write word problems based on the models in class, so they shouldn't have any trouble tonight.
In WWF wrestling, I mean voting, the Three-Toed Sloth clobbered the Arctic Fox and the Emperor Penguin took care of the Amur Leopard. We learned about the sloth and the fox from the students whom had nominated them, but were disappointed not to hear anything about the penguin or leopard. I think the penguin won't make it past the next round without some major research getting done. It was a good time for me to talk about "required" and "optional" work. We all win when students do optional work and come in and share. Students only doing the minimum don't add much to our learning. Last night was an easy homework night to boot.
That said, ask your child when their nominated animal will be voted upon. Will they teach us anything about the animal? We can hope.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
We had a school wide assembly this afternoon to celebrate reaching 250,000 minutes read school-wide over the past five weeks. Many teachers presented a reader's theater on stage. They read Daisy Head Mayzie by Dr. Seuss.
Just before the assembly we met with our third grade lunch buddies. They came to our room to hear some fairy tales. Each student read one of their favorite classics to their buddy. It seemed to go smoothly. It is great seeing our kids as role models. They handle it very well.
In art class, the kids are making ink prints and clay people in the tradition of the far east. You might want to ask them about what they are learning in there. It seems really neat.
My math class is handling bar modeling with simple equations and vice versa. Tonight, they have a little more practice writing the equations of the models. Some were able to write word problems based on the models in class, so they shouldn't have any trouble tonight.
In WWF wrestling, I mean voting, the Three-Toed Sloth clobbered the Arctic Fox and the Emperor Penguin took care of the Amur Leopard. We learned about the sloth and the fox from the students whom had nominated them, but were disappointed not to hear anything about the penguin or leopard. I think the penguin won't make it past the next round without some major research getting done. It was a good time for me to talk about "required" and "optional" work. We all win when students do optional work and come in and share. Students only doing the minimum don't add much to our learning. Last night was an easy homework night to boot.
That said, ask your child when their nominated animal will be voted upon. Will they teach us anything about the animal? We can hope.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Truck Loaded
Hello,
The school community started the day packing the back of a truck with all of the food collected during our Food Collection Drive. Ms. D'Agostino leads a school-wide program through our physical education classes. It took us a good half hour to stuff the truck. All of the food will be going to a local food bank. Thank you for your donations.
We have started eliminating animals for possible adoption through our Holiday Madness Bracket Challenge. Each student nominated an animal for adoption through World Wildlife Federation's Adopt-An-Animal program. I created a giant single elimination tournament bracket on our back white board. Every day we will hear from a couple of students on why we should adopt their animal choice and then we vote. Two animals will be eliminated a day. Yesterday, in close voting, the Gray Wolf took down the Red Panda and the Sea Turtle took down the Giraffe. Today was a bad day for big cats and had two blowouts: (15-3 in both) Arctic Hare crushed the Cheetah and the Saola outdistanced the Clouded Leopard. We will find out tomorrow who will win between the Three-Toed Sloth and the Arctic Fox, and between the defending champion, Amur Leopard, and the Emperor Penguin.
We got back into the computer room to finish up our explorer cards. I think half of the class finished. We have some more work to do.
The early release day delivered us an early math class. We are focusing on being able to draw a bar model for simple equations and word problems. The Bowdoin volunteers were a huge help today, making it able for students who needed it to get one on one instruction. Give your kids a problem, like 24 divided by 6, or 210 minus 130. They should be able to give you a nice, visual model.
Back to full days tomorrow. I'd much rather be here with a room full of kids than a room full of adults. You can draw your own conclusions.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
The school community started the day packing the back of a truck with all of the food collected during our Food Collection Drive. Ms. D'Agostino leads a school-wide program through our physical education classes. It took us a good half hour to stuff the truck. All of the food will be going to a local food bank. Thank you for your donations.
We have started eliminating animals for possible adoption through our Holiday Madness Bracket Challenge. Each student nominated an animal for adoption through World Wildlife Federation's Adopt-An-Animal program. I created a giant single elimination tournament bracket on our back white board. Every day we will hear from a couple of students on why we should adopt their animal choice and then we vote. Two animals will be eliminated a day. Yesterday, in close voting, the Gray Wolf took down the Red Panda and the Sea Turtle took down the Giraffe. Today was a bad day for big cats and had two blowouts: (15-3 in both) Arctic Hare crushed the Cheetah and the Saola outdistanced the Clouded Leopard. We will find out tomorrow who will win between the Three-Toed Sloth and the Arctic Fox, and between the defending champion, Amur Leopard, and the Emperor Penguin.
We got back into the computer room to finish up our explorer cards. I think half of the class finished. We have some more work to do.
The early release day delivered us an early math class. We are focusing on being able to draw a bar model for simple equations and word problems. The Bowdoin volunteers were a huge help today, making it able for students who needed it to get one on one instruction. Give your kids a problem, like 24 divided by 6, or 210 minus 130. They should be able to give you a nice, visual model.
Back to full days tomorrow. I'd much rather be here with a room full of kids than a room full of adults. You can draw your own conclusions.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Monday, December 9, 2013
Snow, Library and chorus
Hello,
The day went fast. We got into the computer lab for an hour to work on our Explorer Cards. We'll have one more forty minute session (on Wed) to finish that up. Thanks to Pat for coming in and helping in the lab.
We are struggling with the bar modeling in math. If I use big numbers, the kids don't know what to do to solve the problem. If I use small numbers, they figure it out in their heads, but have no idea what they did to solve it. We will back the bus up to the third and fourth grade books for a bit. They need to be able to express what they are doing to solve a word problem, be it by equation, picture or bar model. Right now, I'm still searching for a launching off point for them. In the mean time, keep practicing the facts.
The afternoon consisted of fairy tales, library and chorus. I'm hoping our fairy tale unit will help with some of our creative writing. These stories get right to the problem and then have a rhythm on how they get solved. We talked about what lessons that we can take from these famous tales to incorporate into our own writing.
I'm going to hit the snowy roads.
Homework club tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
The day went fast. We got into the computer lab for an hour to work on our Explorer Cards. We'll have one more forty minute session (on Wed) to finish that up. Thanks to Pat for coming in and helping in the lab.
We are struggling with the bar modeling in math. If I use big numbers, the kids don't know what to do to solve the problem. If I use small numbers, they figure it out in their heads, but have no idea what they did to solve it. We will back the bus up to the third and fourth grade books for a bit. They need to be able to express what they are doing to solve a word problem, be it by equation, picture or bar model. Right now, I'm still searching for a launching off point for them. In the mean time, keep practicing the facts.
The afternoon consisted of fairy tales, library and chorus. I'm hoping our fairy tale unit will help with some of our creative writing. These stories get right to the problem and then have a rhythm on how they get solved. We talked about what lessons that we can take from these famous tales to incorporate into our own writing.
I'm going to hit the snowy roads.
Homework club tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Good to be back
Hello,
I got a fantastic report from Mrs. Anderson. Our class performed well. She called it a "well oiled machine." She also wrote that it should be used as "Exhibit A for evidence in support of looping." I'll take that. I was very pleased. She wrote that she talked to the class about the John F. Kennedy anniversary. I didn't ask them about it today, but will be sure to tomorrow.
My conference was a hodgepodge of ideas, mostly about the philosophy of teaching. I got a few ideas, but more than anything, it made me think about my purpose and my priorities in teaching. I definitely didn't like being out of the classroom for two whole days.
It looks like the reading of the classic comics is going along well. I will be interested to see some of our upcoming conversations surrounding the stories.
The chorus concert is tonight. They had a rehearsal this afternoon and they sounded great. My head literally almost hit the keyboard as I practically fell asleep writing that last line. It felt like I hadn't seen the kids in a long time today and I think I used up all of my energy.
We went into the computer lab for research on our explorers. Ask your child who they are focusing on.
In read aloud, the dog died. Always a rough part of a book. Luckily, Max was quite a minor character, but still, it hit home for a couple.
I'm going to get through some correcting before the concert. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
I got a fantastic report from Mrs. Anderson. Our class performed well. She called it a "well oiled machine." She also wrote that it should be used as "Exhibit A for evidence in support of looping." I'll take that. I was very pleased. She wrote that she talked to the class about the John F. Kennedy anniversary. I didn't ask them about it today, but will be sure to tomorrow.
My conference was a hodgepodge of ideas, mostly about the philosophy of teaching. I got a few ideas, but more than anything, it made me think about my purpose and my priorities in teaching. I definitely didn't like being out of the classroom for two whole days.
It looks like the reading of the classic comics is going along well. I will be interested to see some of our upcoming conversations surrounding the stories.
The chorus concert is tonight. They had a rehearsal this afternoon and they sounded great. My head literally almost hit the keyboard as I practically fell asleep writing that last line. It felt like I hadn't seen the kids in a long time today and I think I used up all of my energy.
We went into the computer lab for research on our explorers. Ask your child who they are focusing on.
In read aloud, the dog died. Always a rough part of a book. Luckily, Max was quite a minor character, but still, it hit home for a couple.
I'm going to get through some correcting before the concert. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Monday, December 2, 2013
Three week stretch begins
Hello,
I will be out on Tuesday and Wednesday for a teacher's conference on differentiated assessment. I'm hoping to come back with some new ideas that I can use. Mrs. Anderson, from Longfellow fame, will take my place. I'll come back to school tomorrow night to check how things went on our first sub day and write plans for Wednesday. The kids know what I expect. I'm confident that they will do well. They are in good hands.
We started a fiction unit today focusing on legends, myths, fairy tales, folk tales and fables. I brought in some of my Classics Illustrated Junior set. Many old favorites from Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm will be read over these next three weeks. I made a little decorated doorway to get them motivated. They jumped right into reading the classic comics. It was a good start. Ask them about some of the differences between legends, myths and fables. I think they picked up a lot in the first day.
We are also going to put a focus on these genres in our writing. I asked them to write a myth for homework on how the Grand Canyon was created. They cannon copy the Paul Bunyan story. He was weary and dragged his axe for a few paces.
Students chose WWF animals for our annual adoption. I saw that some of my favorites were picked. Maybe this will be the year for the Arctic fox or the cheetah. Last year's winner, the Amur leopard was nominated again. As one student put it, "They're still practically extinct." Maybe it will be the year of the first two-time champion.
I enjoyed talking to everyone at conference time. Please don't ever hesitate to call or drop by with a question or concern. We don't need to wait for an official conference time.
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. These next three weeks will fly by.
Good night,
Mr. Shea
I will be out on Tuesday and Wednesday for a teacher's conference on differentiated assessment. I'm hoping to come back with some new ideas that I can use. Mrs. Anderson, from Longfellow fame, will take my place. I'll come back to school tomorrow night to check how things went on our first sub day and write plans for Wednesday. The kids know what I expect. I'm confident that they will do well. They are in good hands.
We started a fiction unit today focusing on legends, myths, fairy tales, folk tales and fables. I brought in some of my Classics Illustrated Junior set. Many old favorites from Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm will be read over these next three weeks. I made a little decorated doorway to get them motivated. They jumped right into reading the classic comics. It was a good start. Ask them about some of the differences between legends, myths and fables. I think they picked up a lot in the first day.
We are also going to put a focus on these genres in our writing. I asked them to write a myth for homework on how the Grand Canyon was created. They cannon copy the Paul Bunyan story. He was weary and dragged his axe for a few paces.
Students chose WWF animals for our annual adoption. I saw that some of my favorites were picked. Maybe this will be the year for the Arctic fox or the cheetah. Last year's winner, the Amur leopard was nominated again. As one student put it, "They're still practically extinct." Maybe it will be the year of the first two-time champion.
I enjoyed talking to everyone at conference time. Please don't ever hesitate to call or drop by with a question or concern. We don't need to wait for an official conference time.
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. These next three weeks will fly by.
Good night,
Mr. Shea
Monday, November 18, 2013
Conferences galore
Hello,
It's my least favorite time of the year: preparing report cards. I like the conferences. I don't like preparing for them. It might be better if I was more organized. (Where in the world did I put those spelling grades?!) It is all worth it in the end, but it is a bit of a frazzled time.
On top of that, I had a schedule change today which makes it impossible for us to have Movie Club on Thursday. I will be at an IEP meeting right after school and one can never tell how long that they will last.
I repeat: Movie Club is cancelled on Thursday the 20th.
That is this Thursday.
I'm sorry for the late notice. I have some conferences scheduled for that night and I can still do those, but if you only scheduled them then because of Movie Club, we can change to another day/night if you would like.
We got another letter from our former classmate who moved south on us. It is always great to hear from her. She let us know that she is doing well learning the countries and capitals of the world. She also sent us a picture of herself in her Halloween costume.
Our class finally took their chemistry test today. I'll try to get those all corrected tonight, but I'm sure your child will have a sense on how they did.
We also got into the computer lab today to start typing out final drafts of our persuasive letters. The students have done a good job of writing drafts and getting these things as close to perfect as they can. I'll be anxious to see and hear your reactions.
I'm not sure that I'll be getting around to the blog for the rest of the week. I have conferences after school every day for the next week and if I'm not involved in one, I'll be preparing for the next. Thanks for understanding.
I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Mr. Shea
It's my least favorite time of the year: preparing report cards. I like the conferences. I don't like preparing for them. It might be better if I was more organized. (Where in the world did I put those spelling grades?!) It is all worth it in the end, but it is a bit of a frazzled time.
On top of that, I had a schedule change today which makes it impossible for us to have Movie Club on Thursday. I will be at an IEP meeting right after school and one can never tell how long that they will last.
I repeat: Movie Club is cancelled on Thursday the 20th.
That is this Thursday.
I'm sorry for the late notice. I have some conferences scheduled for that night and I can still do those, but if you only scheduled them then because of Movie Club, we can change to another day/night if you would like.
We got another letter from our former classmate who moved south on us. It is always great to hear from her. She let us know that she is doing well learning the countries and capitals of the world. She also sent us a picture of herself in her Halloween costume.
Our class finally took their chemistry test today. I'll try to get those all corrected tonight, but I'm sure your child will have a sense on how they did.
We also got into the computer lab today to start typing out final drafts of our persuasive letters. The students have done a good job of writing drafts and getting these things as close to perfect as they can. I'll be anxious to see and hear your reactions.
I'm not sure that I'll be getting around to the blog for the rest of the week. I have conferences after school every day for the next week and if I'm not involved in one, I'll be preparing for the next. Thanks for understanding.
I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Bike/Walk to school tomorrow
Hello,
I think the little "rock" video that our movie club did last week attracted a few new members. Most of the class, fifteen, stayed after. It is nice to have them all interested, but I only got to work with a few at homework time.
I think that large number is also why I feel so drained. I'm going to keep this short so I can hit the hay early tonight.
The book fair has started. Thank you for buying a book or two. The money earned goes to the parent group. They support us with field trip money and free books from Scholastic. I did notice that the Harry Potter set with the new artwork isn't at the fair. It is on our new book order form for 49 bucks which is well off the $124 retail. Let me know if you are interested.
Our read aloud, Wonder, by RJ Palacio, has most of the class hooked. You should ask your child about it. The book has allowed us to have some very good discussions about many topics that I am really glad we are discussing before Jr. high: popularity, lying, empathy, being yourself, courage etc. I'm enjoying the variety of narrators, which is one of the main reasons that I chose the book. It is giving us so much to talk about that we haven't been getting through it very fast. We're only half way through. At this rate, we'll only have one more read aloud this year. That's not going to happen.
Thank you to everyone for returning conference slips. If you didn't get a written time brought home today, email me, and I'll get you squared away.
My eyelids are drooping.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
I think the little "rock" video that our movie club did last week attracted a few new members. Most of the class, fifteen, stayed after. It is nice to have them all interested, but I only got to work with a few at homework time.
I think that large number is also why I feel so drained. I'm going to keep this short so I can hit the hay early tonight.
The book fair has started. Thank you for buying a book or two. The money earned goes to the parent group. They support us with field trip money and free books from Scholastic. I did notice that the Harry Potter set with the new artwork isn't at the fair. It is on our new book order form for 49 bucks which is well off the $124 retail. Let me know if you are interested.
Our read aloud, Wonder, by RJ Palacio, has most of the class hooked. You should ask your child about it. The book has allowed us to have some very good discussions about many topics that I am really glad we are discussing before Jr. high: popularity, lying, empathy, being yourself, courage etc. I'm enjoying the variety of narrators, which is one of the main reasons that I chose the book. It is giving us so much to talk about that we haven't been getting through it very fast. We're only half way through. At this rate, we'll only have one more read aloud this year. That's not going to happen.
Thank you to everyone for returning conference slips. If you didn't get a written time brought home today, email me, and I'll get you squared away.
My eyelids are drooping.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Magic Alarm Clock
Hello,
Ask your child about my magic alarm clock. It can read my mind. Every morning it rings at the exact time that I predict that it will ring.
Tonight's writing assignment is to write about tricking someone. It can be true or fictional.
We will be getting a visit from Calvin's mother on Friday. She will talk to us about her son and his epilepsy. Here is a link to her blog which describes some of last week's art class that she witnessed:
room of white
We'll have another day of chemistry review before our test. There was quite a bit of confusion on the difference between a physical change and chemical change. We'll go back over that in a more visual way.
Our school wide book sale is set up. Our class will get to preview it tomorrow.
Please send in the conference time slips tomorrow. I'd like to get back to everyone by tomorrow with a time.
I was impressed with the long division skills that I saw in class today. The biggest struggle came from the few who are shaky on their multiplication facts. We'll be tackling the multiple digit long division by the end of the week.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Ask your child about my magic alarm clock. It can read my mind. Every morning it rings at the exact time that I predict that it will ring.
Tonight's writing assignment is to write about tricking someone. It can be true or fictional.
We will be getting a visit from Calvin's mother on Friday. She will talk to us about her son and his epilepsy. Here is a link to her blog which describes some of last week's art class that she witnessed:
room of white
We'll have another day of chemistry review before our test. There was quite a bit of confusion on the difference between a physical change and chemical change. We'll go back over that in a more visual way.
Our school wide book sale is set up. Our class will get to preview it tomorrow.
Please send in the conference time slips tomorrow. I'd like to get back to everyone by tomorrow with a time.
I was impressed with the long division skills that I saw in class today. The biggest struggle came from the few who are shaky on their multiplication facts. We'll be tackling the multiple digit long division by the end of the week.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Conference slips went home
Hello,
Your child should have brought a conference sign up sheet home tonight. Please ask for one if you didn't see it tonight.
We talked a little about the bullying situation in the NFL that has played itself out on national television. Ask your child what they think about it.
I planned on going over the chemistry study guide today, but we only got to the first page. We'll finish going over it tomorrow and schedule the test for Thursday.
We are now starting every single school day with silent reading. I am reading The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. She makes a very strong case for why this should be the way all kids start their day. I put this new decision on the board this morning and there was a cheer, followed by the quietest morning that I've heard in a long time as kids dove into their books. Okay, seems like a good decision so far.
We're going to be talking a lot about division over these next few weeks. The book assumes we know it inside and out, including our facts and long division. I don't see that as being the case. We'll spend the next few days on it even though the homework will be multiple digit multiplication. We should have no trouble with the multiple digit multiplication based on our prior work. Now we'll prep for the division before we get to that page in the book.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Your child should have brought a conference sign up sheet home tonight. Please ask for one if you didn't see it tonight.
We talked a little about the bullying situation in the NFL that has played itself out on national television. Ask your child what they think about it.
I planned on going over the chemistry study guide today, but we only got to the first page. We'll finish going over it tomorrow and schedule the test for Thursday.
We are now starting every single school day with silent reading. I am reading The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. She makes a very strong case for why this should be the way all kids start their day. I put this new decision on the board this morning and there was a cheer, followed by the quietest morning that I've heard in a long time as kids dove into their books. Okay, seems like a good decision so far.
We're going to be talking a lot about division over these next few weeks. The book assumes we know it inside and out, including our facts and long division. I don't see that as being the case. We'll spend the next few days on it even though the homework will be multiple digit multiplication. We should have no trouble with the multiple digit multiplication based on our prior work. Now we'll prep for the division before we get to that page in the book.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Too much homework?
Hello,
I've heard from a few parents of students from other classes about the amount of homework being given at HBS. Here are my thoughts. We're supposed to average about ten minutes of homework a night for each grade level, meaning 3rd grade should have thirty minutes, 4th - forty minutes, 5th -fifty, etc. I expect everyone to read 20 minutes a night. That leaves about a half an hour for other work. I assume that math will take ten to fifteen, leaving only fifteen for anything else. If math homework ever takes more than twenty, I tell my students to stop doing it and come in and tell me what was taking so long. There is a major exception here however, and it has come into play twice in the last couple of weeks. I'll call it the "make your own bed" exception. Students had three weeks to read a historical fiction novel. Some waited and waited and waited. They needed to read over a hundred pages in one night to finish. (They made their own bed, they have to lie in it.) Last night I gave two multiplication "mad minutes" for homework. Now we spent a lot of time on multiplication last year. Many students know most, if not all, of their facts. Last night's homework took them about two minutes. I heard from the ones who hadn't learned their facts. One spent over an hour on the problems. They're suffering because they didn't do their jobs last year.
Here is what I said to those students. "I don't want you spending an hour on your math homework. When you struggle on your homework because you don't know your facts, I'd rather that you spend twenty minutes with your flash cards. I know you can figure out 9 x 5. I don't want you to. I want you to spend that time trying to memorize it with your flash cards."
I spent quite a bit of class time on two flash card strategies that I want them to be using. I talked with them about putting in the time. The kids that know the facts are no smarter than the kids that don't. They just put in the time. When teachers told them last year that they will really struggle later on if they don't know the facts... "later on" came quickly. It is another case of making their beds. I hope they spend the next few weeks "remaking their beds."
Our density experiments went really well this afternoon. Some of the objects that were dropped in the various liquids shocked us by floating or dropping unlike we had anticipated. It was very neat to see the objects of different densities react to the liquids.
Persuasive rough drafts should get finished tonight. We worked on them today. If your child is keeping the topic secret from you, know that you will be informed very soon.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
I've heard from a few parents of students from other classes about the amount of homework being given at HBS. Here are my thoughts. We're supposed to average about ten minutes of homework a night for each grade level, meaning 3rd grade should have thirty minutes, 4th - forty minutes, 5th -fifty, etc. I expect everyone to read 20 minutes a night. That leaves about a half an hour for other work. I assume that math will take ten to fifteen, leaving only fifteen for anything else. If math homework ever takes more than twenty, I tell my students to stop doing it and come in and tell me what was taking so long. There is a major exception here however, and it has come into play twice in the last couple of weeks. I'll call it the "make your own bed" exception. Students had three weeks to read a historical fiction novel. Some waited and waited and waited. They needed to read over a hundred pages in one night to finish. (They made their own bed, they have to lie in it.) Last night I gave two multiplication "mad minutes" for homework. Now we spent a lot of time on multiplication last year. Many students know most, if not all, of their facts. Last night's homework took them about two minutes. I heard from the ones who hadn't learned their facts. One spent over an hour on the problems. They're suffering because they didn't do their jobs last year.
Here is what I said to those students. "I don't want you spending an hour on your math homework. When you struggle on your homework because you don't know your facts, I'd rather that you spend twenty minutes with your flash cards. I know you can figure out 9 x 5. I don't want you to. I want you to spend that time trying to memorize it with your flash cards."
I spent quite a bit of class time on two flash card strategies that I want them to be using. I talked with them about putting in the time. The kids that know the facts are no smarter than the kids that don't. They just put in the time. When teachers told them last year that they will really struggle later on if they don't know the facts... "later on" came quickly. It is another case of making their beds. I hope they spend the next few weeks "remaking their beds."
Our density experiments went really well this afternoon. Some of the objects that were dropped in the various liquids shocked us by floating or dropping unlike we had anticipated. It was very neat to see the objects of different densities react to the liquids.
Persuasive rough drafts should get finished tonight. We worked on them today. If your child is keeping the topic secret from you, know that you will be informed very soon.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Densities of liquids
Hello,
We dropped a lot of different liquids on top of each other. We did a bunch of mini-experiments with liquids that the kids brought in and then we tried to recreate this:
I was impressed with how well it worked, although the rubbing alcohol dove through the vegetable oil and mixed with our colored water. Pretty neat. And pretty.
We will be writing persuasive letters in the coming days. The students need to come up with topics and then they will try to persuade you to take their side on that topic. I'm looking for proper letter writing skills, and the ability to edit and revise their paper to the best of their ability.
Please randomly ask your child multiplication facts over the next few weeks. Our major trouble with the multiple digit multiplication is the single digit facts.
I've got to run to a birthday party.
Good night.
Mr. Shea
We dropped a lot of different liquids on top of each other. We did a bunch of mini-experiments with liquids that the kids brought in and then we tried to recreate this:
I was impressed with how well it worked, although the rubbing alcohol dove through the vegetable oil and mixed with our colored water. Pretty neat. And pretty.
We will be writing persuasive letters in the coming days. The students need to come up with topics and then they will try to persuade you to take their side on that topic. I'm looking for proper letter writing skills, and the ability to edit and revise their paper to the best of their ability.
Please randomly ask your child multiplication facts over the next few weeks. Our major trouble with the multiple digit multiplication is the single digit facts.
I've got to run to a birthday party.
Good night.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Daze testing
Hello,
The class completed their Daze reading tests today. You will get to see their results at the upcoming conferences. (I need to get out sign up sheets.) Mrs. Whitney was able to call up students one by one and go over their test with them. I'll score the tests and work with students one on one to finish any questions that they didn't get to. It is a timed test and no one was able to finish all of the questions.
We will be doing some liquid density experiments tomorrow. I bought some honey, Karo syrup, dishwashing liquid, vegetable oil and rubbing alcohol at Hannaford's last night. Students are welcome to bring in other liquids so we can test density.
It is election day. Please vote if you haven't. Take your child with you if you can.
I'm writing this early so I can get to basketball right after homework club.
Thanks for understanding,
Mr. Shea
The class completed their Daze reading tests today. You will get to see their results at the upcoming conferences. (I need to get out sign up sheets.) Mrs. Whitney was able to call up students one by one and go over their test with them. I'll score the tests and work with students one on one to finish any questions that they didn't get to. It is a timed test and no one was able to finish all of the questions.
We will be doing some liquid density experiments tomorrow. I bought some honey, Karo syrup, dishwashing liquid, vegetable oil and rubbing alcohol at Hannaford's last night. Students are welcome to bring in other liquids so we can test density.
It is election day. Please vote if you haven't. Take your child with you if you can.
I'm writing this early so I can get to basketball right after homework club.
Thanks for understanding,
Mr. Shea
Monday, November 4, 2013
Dictator James
Hello,
The people of this land could not enter the gates of the kingdom this morning without coming across this message:
I came and took over the lands of room 120. The people were wary of me at first, but I showed them quickly that I was their new leader, and not to be trifled with. I was enraged when they tried to pledge allegiance to their old flag and their old ways. They quickly saw the errors in their ways. Here are a few of the new pledges of allegiance to me written by my subjects:
I pledge allegiance to Dictator James. He is great and so smart. For his excellency I am grateful. To him we respect, always and forever.
I pledge allegiance to my smart, powerful and wise leader. I wish that he will never fall from his rightful throne. For he is the best man in this realm and this shall always stay.
And my personal favorite:
I pledge allegiance to Dictator James, to whom I am most loyal to. I live to serve my majesty's desire and to honor his intelligence. I am forever in awe of his marvelous strength and his amazing, cunning movements. I live to serve and admire the greatness, to whom I am forever in debt to, Dictator James.
Ahhh, these peasants learned so fast. They quickly forgot about their old ways. Life became more simple for them. In time, without the distraction of having to think for themselves, they will become more consistent workers. Our daily calisthenics will make them grow stronger and give them more endurance. Our three minute jog this morning was, in a word, pathetic. The push-ups, very weak. We will improve. We will live up to the name of our new town, Superior. We will learn that the blessings of democracy are greatly exaggerated.
Your highness,
Dictator James
The people of this land could not enter the gates of the kingdom this morning without coming across this message:
Welcome
My name is Dictator James.
I have come to your land to make things better for you. I have many skills and much power. I know how a country should run. You no longer need to worry about elections
or making laws. I will take care of everything.
I have renamed this land Superior, for that is what we will
be. Your job is to work hard. If you do as I ask you will be very
happy. I am very pleased to help your
country run smoothly. Honor me by doing
your job.
Your leader,
Dictator James
I came and took over the lands of room 120. The people were wary of me at first, but I showed them quickly that I was their new leader, and not to be trifled with. I was enraged when they tried to pledge allegiance to their old flag and their old ways. They quickly saw the errors in their ways. Here are a few of the new pledges of allegiance to me written by my subjects:
I pledge allegiance to Dictator James. He is great and so smart. For his excellency I am grateful. To him we respect, always and forever.
I pledge allegiance to my smart, powerful and wise leader. I wish that he will never fall from his rightful throne. For he is the best man in this realm and this shall always stay.
And my personal favorite:
I pledge allegiance to Dictator James, to whom I am most loyal to. I live to serve my majesty's desire and to honor his intelligence. I am forever in awe of his marvelous strength and his amazing, cunning movements. I live to serve and admire the greatness, to whom I am forever in debt to, Dictator James.
Ahhh, these peasants learned so fast. They quickly forgot about their old ways. Life became more simple for them. In time, without the distraction of having to think for themselves, they will become more consistent workers. Our daily calisthenics will make them grow stronger and give them more endurance. Our three minute jog this morning was, in a word, pathetic. The push-ups, very weak. We will improve. We will live up to the name of our new town, Superior. We will learn that the blessings of democracy are greatly exaggerated.
Your highness,
Dictator James
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Happy Halloween
Hello,
Our field trip to the cemetery went well. It was a little chilly, but it kept the kids moving. They did a good job of showing respect and doing their jobs of collecting data. We will graph and plot some of that data next week. A big thank you goes to Mrs. Engstrom for chaperoning. The students were pretty much self sufficient in the cemetery, but during the lunch at the mall and the walks to and from, the extra adult was essential. Whenever we go on these trips with just one or two other classes it is easy to compare and contrast the classes. I was proud of the way our kids handled themselves.
We made it back in time for art class, a spelling test, one skit and a field trip Q&A recap. I felt like going to sleep for the rest of the day. I still do. I think it is the combination of four hours outside in the cold and then coming into the warm school, as well as staying up late watching the World Series. All's well that ends well.
No homework made for an easy Movie Club tonight.
I hope this rain doesn't last and the trick or treating goes well.
Have a great night,
Mr. Shea
Our field trip to the cemetery went well. It was a little chilly, but it kept the kids moving. They did a good job of showing respect and doing their jobs of collecting data. We will graph and plot some of that data next week. A big thank you goes to Mrs. Engstrom for chaperoning. The students were pretty much self sufficient in the cemetery, but during the lunch at the mall and the walks to and from, the extra adult was essential. Whenever we go on these trips with just one or two other classes it is easy to compare and contrast the classes. I was proud of the way our kids handled themselves.
We made it back in time for art class, a spelling test, one skit and a field trip Q&A recap. I felt like going to sleep for the rest of the day. I still do. I think it is the combination of four hours outside in the cold and then coming into the warm school, as well as staying up late watching the World Series. All's well that ends well.
No homework made for an easy Movie Club tonight.
I hope this rain doesn't last and the trick or treating goes well.
Have a great night,
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Halloween field trip tomorrow
Hello,
We have big plans tomorrow to keep the kids motivated. We will be doing a series of activities in a nearby cemetery including: collecting data on ages of headstones, collecting data on the ages of the deceased, using map skills to decode a message, answering questions about Joshua Chamberlain (based on info at his grave site), rating the weathering of different types of stones, and using the setting or the information gathered to inspire us to write fiction, historical fiction or free verse poetry. We will be covering many subjects, just like a regular school day. The biggest change will be the outdoor environment.
I recommend bringing a cold lunch (or getting a bag lunch from our cafeteria.) I heard from a couple of sources that Danny's Hotdogs and other fast food eateries downtown are closed for the season. While Wild Oats is an option, due to time and space restraints, I'm hoping that we only have a small group of kids who need to grab something.
Please dress warmly. It is always easier to take off a layer than it is to materialize one from nothing.
In an attempt to limit the homework on Halloween, our spelling test will be tomorrow upon return.
We also will be putting on two short skits that the students rehearsed today. One is based on Halloween, one is based on Election Day. It should be a fun day.
We were treated to Mrs. Palopoli's germ trays this afternoon. Her class swabbed different areas of the school with cotton swabs and then wiped them on several germ plates. In a very unofficial experiment, the tops of desks, computer keyboards and cafeteria tables were found to be the most "germy." Water fountain handles, soap dispensers and stairwell hand rails were less so. The results, which were gross to look at, are a good reminder to wash our hands before we eat.
How much more is 529 x 100 than 529 x 99? No one could answer that in my math class today. I'm still finding holes in their knowledge. They should know that 100 groups of 529 is 529 more than 99 groups of 529. These gaps are difficult to find because the kids are very good at detecting patterns and "jumping on" someone else's knowledge. When no one in the class can get them started, or when they are alone taking a test, it is much easier to truly see where they stand. As one child recently said, "Why do you ask us if we understand, when you know that we are going to say yes either way?"
I replied, "That's a great question. I guess that I'm hoping that one day someone who doesn't know will be honest with themselves, and me, and say, "No, I don't." It has happened, you know."
I guess their "yesses" give me permission to move on a bit, even when I know not everyone is being truthful. It is very difficult being a teacher AND a detective.
We will have movie club tomorrow. I think attendance will be low, but I'll be here just the same. Maybe I'll get some one on one time in.
Have a great night. Go Sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Shea
We have big plans tomorrow to keep the kids motivated. We will be doing a series of activities in a nearby cemetery including: collecting data on ages of headstones, collecting data on the ages of the deceased, using map skills to decode a message, answering questions about Joshua Chamberlain (based on info at his grave site), rating the weathering of different types of stones, and using the setting or the information gathered to inspire us to write fiction, historical fiction or free verse poetry. We will be covering many subjects, just like a regular school day. The biggest change will be the outdoor environment.
I recommend bringing a cold lunch (or getting a bag lunch from our cafeteria.) I heard from a couple of sources that Danny's Hotdogs and other fast food eateries downtown are closed for the season. While Wild Oats is an option, due to time and space restraints, I'm hoping that we only have a small group of kids who need to grab something.
Please dress warmly. It is always easier to take off a layer than it is to materialize one from nothing.
In an attempt to limit the homework on Halloween, our spelling test will be tomorrow upon return.
We also will be putting on two short skits that the students rehearsed today. One is based on Halloween, one is based on Election Day. It should be a fun day.
We were treated to Mrs. Palopoli's germ trays this afternoon. Her class swabbed different areas of the school with cotton swabs and then wiped them on several germ plates. In a very unofficial experiment, the tops of desks, computer keyboards and cafeteria tables were found to be the most "germy." Water fountain handles, soap dispensers and stairwell hand rails were less so. The results, which were gross to look at, are a good reminder to wash our hands before we eat.
How much more is 529 x 100 than 529 x 99? No one could answer that in my math class today. I'm still finding holes in their knowledge. They should know that 100 groups of 529 is 529 more than 99 groups of 529. These gaps are difficult to find because the kids are very good at detecting patterns and "jumping on" someone else's knowledge. When no one in the class can get them started, or when they are alone taking a test, it is much easier to truly see where they stand. As one child recently said, "Why do you ask us if we understand, when you know that we are going to say yes either way?"
I replied, "That's a great question. I guess that I'm hoping that one day someone who doesn't know will be honest with themselves, and me, and say, "No, I don't." It has happened, you know."
I guess their "yesses" give me permission to move on a bit, even when I know not everyone is being truthful. It is very difficult being a teacher AND a detective.
We will have movie club tomorrow. I think attendance will be low, but I'll be here just the same. Maybe I'll get some one on one time in.
Have a great night. Go Sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Wax museum a big hit!
Hello,
The students that took part in today's wax museum did a tremendous job. They knew their characters thoroughly. In the Q&A afterwards, they were able to give even more information. I can't praise them enough. A+ all the way around.
Some of the skits left a little to be desired. It was difficult to ascertain whether some kids had read the books or were just acting out the front covers. I'll ask some more questions tomorrow, but it was an unfortunate contrast with the wax museum.
In math we are multiplying by multiples of ten. (93 x 100, 300 x 40, 900 x 2000, etc.) The homework will be getting difficult very quickly without grasping these more basic concepts.
Our election results are in. Our second congress has met for the first time and has already passed a bill. I am still thinking about whether or not to sign it into law. In the next election, we'll have a presidential election. I need to set a good example before handing over the reins to a student. I may sit on this one for a while.
The end of the day snuck up on me today, so it became to late to assign any homework outside of the regular reading and math. I don't like to shout it out with only a minute to get ready to leave. The kids were happy. I messed up. It happens from time to time.
Sox won. I'm going to bed early tonight.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
The students that took part in today's wax museum did a tremendous job. They knew their characters thoroughly. In the Q&A afterwards, they were able to give even more information. I can't praise them enough. A+ all the way around.
Some of the skits left a little to be desired. It was difficult to ascertain whether some kids had read the books or were just acting out the front covers. I'll ask some more questions tomorrow, but it was an unfortunate contrast with the wax museum.
In math we are multiplying by multiples of ten. (93 x 100, 300 x 40, 900 x 2000, etc.) The homework will be getting difficult very quickly without grasping these more basic concepts.
Our election results are in. Our second congress has met for the first time and has already passed a bill. I am still thinking about whether or not to sign it into law. In the next election, we'll have a presidential election. I need to set a good example before handing over the reins to a student. I may sit on this one for a while.
The end of the day snuck up on me today, so it became to late to assign any homework outside of the regular reading and math. I don't like to shout it out with only a minute to get ready to leave. The kids were happy. I messed up. It happens from time to time.
Sox won. I'm going to bed early tonight.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Monday, October 28, 2013
Red Sox Fever
Hello,
I've caught the fever. I've grown the beard. I'll be up late tonight. I spent more time in the class on Sunday than usual to be prepared for my feverish state.
We started the day with a fire / bus evacuation drill. The kids went performed the usual fire drill, but then boarded buses as if it were an actual evacuation as well. The bus drivers instruct them on bus emergency safety and also on what would happen during a regular evacuation. We wrapped all this up in time for our first recess of the day.
Last week's math challenge to my math class was to order exactly $250.00 worth of books from the current book order without purchasing multiple copies of any one book. The idea was to get them to add up a long string of numbers. I was extremely disappointed during my correcting yesterday that zero students were able to complete the challenge successfully. Zero! They have the same challenge tonight, due tomorrow. Weekly challenges are supposed to be challenging, and in general I am more concerned with effort than I am with the correct answer. In this challenge, however, a good amount of effort should have resulted in a correct answer. I was flabbergasted that no one was able to pull it off. I hope tonight's effort will yield better results.
I've caught the fever. I've grown the beard. I'll be up late tonight. I spent more time in the class on Sunday than usual to be prepared for my feverish state.
We started the day with a fire / bus evacuation drill. The kids went performed the usual fire drill, but then boarded buses as if it were an actual evacuation as well. The bus drivers instruct them on bus emergency safety and also on what would happen during a regular evacuation. We wrapped all this up in time for our first recess of the day.
Last week's math challenge to my math class was to order exactly $250.00 worth of books from the current book order without purchasing multiple copies of any one book. The idea was to get them to add up a long string of numbers. I was extremely disappointed during my correcting yesterday that zero students were able to complete the challenge successfully. Zero! They have the same challenge tonight, due tomorrow. Weekly challenges are supposed to be challenging, and in general I am more concerned with effort than I am with the correct answer. In this challenge, however, a good amount of effort should have resulted in a correct answer. I was flabbergasted that no one was able to pull it off. I hope tonight's effort will yield better results.
The teacher
reserves the right to have made a mistake in the correction process. No one should be offended if he did make said
mistake.
Historical fiction projects are due tomorrow. Book reports, posters, skits and a wax museum should all come together. What is going on with my font? This isn't right.
We should be wrapping up our chemistry unit this weekend. I'll be tying up some loose ends and reviewing what we should have learned. We'll be revisiting chemistry a lot this year, especially in our studies of astronomy and the human body.
Students learned about the books in the Maine Student Book Award Program at their library session this afternoon. I saw a lot of kids excited about books as I retrieved them, which always puts a smile on my face.
Three students still need a permission slip for our Halloween field trip on Thursday. I gave out new slips tonight. Does anyone know if Danny's Hotdogs or any other vendors are still on the mall. We'll be eating lunch down there barring any bad weather. Thanks for letting me know if you know. I'll get back to you tomorrow on that. It might be easier than packing a lunch.
Elections were held today for our new congress. We heard a few speeches. A lot of talk centered around whether previously holding office was a good thing or a bad thing. Incumbents touted their experience while challengers talked about new ideas. Results for the senate were in, but the house votes were not fully tallied by the time this blog went to print. Did your child run? Did they speak in front of the class? Why or why not?
Have a great night,
Mr. Shea
Sorry, but I never did figure out the size and font thing. This blog doesn't give me a regular word document menu.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
World Series post
Hello,
I was impressed with the A to Z foods that everyone was able to come up with. Well done by all. I think the kids liked the assignment. Many sought parent help. Many went online. We had fun with it.
Our legislators met this afternoon. Most of them seem out of ideas for how to make the class run more smoothly. I'll take that as a compliment. However, they might have trouble during their reelection campaigns, being out of ideas so soon. New elections will happen next week. Is your child interested in running?
We went over some different types of government today. Ask your child if they know what an oligarchy is. They should. I took a page out of Teach Like A Pirate and tried to teach it in a memorable way which involved a lot of movement on their parts. We covered three forms of totalitarian governments: monarchy, dictatorship and oligarchy. I think they enjoyed our dictator a little too much, but I think they got the point. We also talked about direct democracies and indirect democracies. Our republic is an indirect democracy because we elect representatives to make governmental decisions for us. We began our learning of government last year and it is nice to take them to the next level of understanding.
The fifth grade has had a lot of trouble walking from lunch in a civilized manner. Part of the homework tonight is for the class to come up with suggestions on how we can improve this. I don't think our class is a major part of the problem, but we can definitely do better. I'm just hoping a huge consequence doesn't come down for the whole grade, but rather targets the major offenders. Our homework is an attempt to ward off the giant consequence for all.
Our lunch buddies this year will come from Mrs. Vallella's third grade class. Students from both classes will be paired up to eat together once a month during the year. We'll meet our buddies on Friday for twenty minutes before going to lunch with them. Throughout the school 3rd grade and 5th are matched up, and 2nd and 4th. Be sure to ask your child how it went.
Our 5th grade pot luck is tomorrow night. I need to put it on the calendar above. I will. I think tonight may be the first night that a reminder didn't go home this week. So here I am. Any students staying after school for homework club are certainly welcome to stay through to 6:00 for the dinner. We will march down at 6:00.
Have a great night. Go Sox.
Mr. Shea
I was impressed with the A to Z foods that everyone was able to come up with. Well done by all. I think the kids liked the assignment. Many sought parent help. Many went online. We had fun with it.
Our legislators met this afternoon. Most of them seem out of ideas for how to make the class run more smoothly. I'll take that as a compliment. However, they might have trouble during their reelection campaigns, being out of ideas so soon. New elections will happen next week. Is your child interested in running?
We went over some different types of government today. Ask your child if they know what an oligarchy is. They should. I took a page out of Teach Like A Pirate and tried to teach it in a memorable way which involved a lot of movement on their parts. We covered three forms of totalitarian governments: monarchy, dictatorship and oligarchy. I think they enjoyed our dictator a little too much, but I think they got the point. We also talked about direct democracies and indirect democracies. Our republic is an indirect democracy because we elect representatives to make governmental decisions for us. We began our learning of government last year and it is nice to take them to the next level of understanding.
The fifth grade has had a lot of trouble walking from lunch in a civilized manner. Part of the homework tonight is for the class to come up with suggestions on how we can improve this. I don't think our class is a major part of the problem, but we can definitely do better. I'm just hoping a huge consequence doesn't come down for the whole grade, but rather targets the major offenders. Our homework is an attempt to ward off the giant consequence for all.
Our lunch buddies this year will come from Mrs. Vallella's third grade class. Students from both classes will be paired up to eat together once a month during the year. We'll meet our buddies on Friday for twenty minutes before going to lunch with them. Throughout the school 3rd grade and 5th are matched up, and 2nd and 4th. Be sure to ask your child how it went.
Our 5th grade pot luck is tomorrow night. I need to put it on the calendar above. I will. I think tonight may be the first night that a reminder didn't go home this week. So here I am. Any students staying after school for homework club are certainly welcome to stay through to 6:00 for the dinner. We will march down at 6:00.
Have a great night. Go Sox.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
short post
Hello,
We started work on our historical fiction projects today. Some are doing posters, some skits, some will be wax statues (or automatons) of their main character. Ask your child about their story and what they plan to do to help "market" the book.
I've been moving around the equals sign in my math class and it is messing people up. Somehow 55-___= 37 is a lot easier than 37 = 55 - ___. We'll get it.
I'm seeing a lot of improvement in the Rocket Math addition. Nice job folks.
I'm sorry to cut this short, (not due to frustration tonight) but I volunteered to help stuff backpacks with food for the less fortunate. I hate to admit that I've done very little volunteering in my life, so I thought it would be good to get the ball rolling. I have to admit that the tragic death of Philip Gary has got me thinking about doing more and being more of a contributor to our society. Thanks Mr. Gary.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
We started work on our historical fiction projects today. Some are doing posters, some skits, some will be wax statues (or automatons) of their main character. Ask your child about their story and what they plan to do to help "market" the book.
I've been moving around the equals sign in my math class and it is messing people up. Somehow 55-___= 37 is a lot easier than 37 = 55 - ___. We'll get it.
I'm seeing a lot of improvement in the Rocket Math addition. Nice job folks.
I'm sorry to cut this short, (not due to frustration tonight) but I volunteered to help stuff backpacks with food for the less fortunate. I hate to admit that I've done very little volunteering in my life, so I thought it would be good to get the ball rolling. I have to admit that the tragic death of Philip Gary has got me thinking about doing more and being more of a contributor to our society. Thanks Mr. Gary.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Monday, October 21, 2013
power vs. authority
Hello,
In our ongoing talk about the government, we talked about power and authority. Do you know the difference. Your child will be writing tonight on whether or not they would like to hold a position of authority. I hope they can come up with some good reasons on why or why not they feel the way they do.
Earlier in the month I had written to our congressional representatives regarding the closing of national parks during the government shutdown. I thought this would be a good way to show the class that our representatives and senators represent the people of Maine, so we need to make them aware of our opinions. My opinion was that the parks should be opened. The parks belong to all of us and I don't think that they should be used as a negotiation piece by either political party. I showed the class the responses that I received from our senators, Angus King and Susan Collins, and from our representative, Chellie Pingree. The responses varied a great deal, and it was interesting to see their different perspectives. (Independent, Republican and Democrat) I hope to set the example that a silent public is a public deserves what it gets. That came off a little more negative than I would have liked, but I don't have the time to reword it.
I was pleased to receive many Andy Goldsworthy like works of art. Here are a few:
Did that work? I don't see the pics. Okay, I'm done. My patience is gone. I don't know what the problem is. Now it seems that enter isn't working. I think I over ran my blog space. Good night.
In our ongoing talk about the government, we talked about power and authority. Do you know the difference. Your child will be writing tonight on whether or not they would like to hold a position of authority. I hope they can come up with some good reasons on why or why not they feel the way they do.
Earlier in the month I had written to our congressional representatives regarding the closing of national parks during the government shutdown. I thought this would be a good way to show the class that our representatives and senators represent the people of Maine, so we need to make them aware of our opinions. My opinion was that the parks should be opened. The parks belong to all of us and I don't think that they should be used as a negotiation piece by either political party. I showed the class the responses that I received from our senators, Angus King and Susan Collins, and from our representative, Chellie Pingree. The responses varied a great deal, and it was interesting to see their different perspectives. (Independent, Republican and Democrat) I hope to set the example that a silent public is a public deserves what it gets. That came off a little more negative than I would have liked, but I don't have the time to reword it.
I was pleased to receive many Andy Goldsworthy like works of art. Here are a few:
Did that work? I don't see the pics. Okay, I'm done. My patience is gone. I don't know what the problem is. Now it seems that enter isn't working. I think I over ran my blog space. Good night.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Wear orange tomorrow
Hello,
I forgot to remind the class to wear orange tomorrow. It is walk/bike to school day and that is the chosen color for our grade. Nice and visible.
The movie club is planning to film a "jail break" sequel to their debut bank robbery film. It is hard to get twelve kids on the same page, but I think it will be a success. I'm not sure what they got out of The Wizard of Oz viewing, as far as their filmmaking goes, but we talked about what makes a good film plot.
I introduced an Andy Goldsworthy book to the class library. He is one of my favorite artists. Your child's homework is to explain to you who he is and what he does. Here are a few samples of his work:
He uses pieces of nature as his medium. He has some fascinating pieces to look at, yet they are very accessible. He has a lot of pieces that make you think, "That's so neat!" and then, "I think I could do something like that too."
We attempted to do some art in his style this afternoon. The kids got some fresh air and ran around collecting leaves, twigs and rocks. I was hoping to post a couple of pictures to show what our class did, but my personal email always goes to my spam folder. I should be able to post them tomorrow.
The rain tonight should bring down some brighter leaves to work with, but I thought the kids did well with what was available to them.
We finished the day with some science. I was surprised with the results of an afternoon science probe on "What is a solid?" Several kids still were confused on whether powders (yes), squishy balls (yes), and cloth (yes) are solids or not. The probes get right to the heart of their understanding and help me clarify any confusions.
For the record: Atoms or molecules in a solid are in a fixed position and can only vibrate in place. In a liquid the atoms or molecules are more loosely connected and can slide past one another. They are still not independent of each other as in a gas, however.
In terms of what we can see, solids generally maintain their shape and have a definite volume. Liquids can be poured and take the shape of their container. Although powders can also be poured and take the shape of their container, this is because they are tiny, individual solid pieces, and not because atoms or molecules are sliding against each other. The collection of particles behave this way, much like filling a jar with marbles. Clear?
I hope my facial hair brings the Sox more luck tonight.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
I forgot to remind the class to wear orange tomorrow. It is walk/bike to school day and that is the chosen color for our grade. Nice and visible.
The movie club is planning to film a "jail break" sequel to their debut bank robbery film. It is hard to get twelve kids on the same page, but I think it will be a success. I'm not sure what they got out of The Wizard of Oz viewing, as far as their filmmaking goes, but we talked about what makes a good film plot.
I introduced an Andy Goldsworthy book to the class library. He is one of my favorite artists. Your child's homework is to explain to you who he is and what he does. Here are a few samples of his work:
He uses pieces of nature as his medium. He has some fascinating pieces to look at, yet they are very accessible. He has a lot of pieces that make you think, "That's so neat!" and then, "I think I could do something like that too."
We attempted to do some art in his style this afternoon. The kids got some fresh air and ran around collecting leaves, twigs and rocks. I was hoping to post a couple of pictures to show what our class did, but my personal email always goes to my spam folder. I should be able to post them tomorrow.
The rain tonight should bring down some brighter leaves to work with, but I thought the kids did well with what was available to them.
We finished the day with some science. I was surprised with the results of an afternoon science probe on "What is a solid?" Several kids still were confused on whether powders (yes), squishy balls (yes), and cloth (yes) are solids or not. The probes get right to the heart of their understanding and help me clarify any confusions.
For the record: Atoms or molecules in a solid are in a fixed position and can only vibrate in place. In a liquid the atoms or molecules are more loosely connected and can slide past one another. They are still not independent of each other as in a gas, however.
In terms of what we can see, solids generally maintain their shape and have a definite volume. Liquids can be poured and take the shape of their container. Although powders can also be poured and take the shape of their container, this is because they are tiny, individual solid pieces, and not because atoms or molecules are sliding against each other. The collection of particles behave this way, much like filling a jar with marbles. Clear?
I hope my facial hair brings the Sox more luck tonight.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Math tests can go home
Hello,
I was happy to see a note in my mailbox this afternoon letting the staff know that we can send math tests home again. Thank you to everyone involved in helping make that happen.
Friday is our first walk/bike to school day. Fifth graders are being asked to wear orange to show their school spirit. I'll have to get out my orange pants again.
We started the day writing compliments to each other. Each compliment was supposed to be accompanied by some evidence. You could write that someone was nice without writing about something specific that they had done that was nice. That was the idea anyway. When each student read their favorite compliment, most favorites were a series of compliments without any evidence. We'll keep working on that. Ask your child what their favorite compliment was and if any of their compliments that they wrote were read as favorites. (Unfortunately, many correctly written compliments with evidence were not chosen as favorites because it was hard for them to compete with a series of 3-4 compliments written by one person.)
This afternoon we "drew" with water as a follow-up to yesterdays presentation on the chemistry of water. It is nice having flooring instead of carpet for these type of things. We also did a few science probes to make sure that we understand density, boiling points and freezing points.
My math class had some trouble as I moved around the unknowns and the equals sign.
For example:
605 = 432 + _______ or 784 - _______ = 456
We'll keep working on it.
I was pleased with many of the essays on "When I would not want to live." They also got in perfect order when I asked them to create a human timeline of the time periods that they had chosen to write about.
The music teacher complimented our class on how well we interact with one another. Always good to hear.
Have a good night,
Mr. Shea
I was happy to see a note in my mailbox this afternoon letting the staff know that we can send math tests home again. Thank you to everyone involved in helping make that happen.
Friday is our first walk/bike to school day. Fifth graders are being asked to wear orange to show their school spirit. I'll have to get out my orange pants again.
We started the day writing compliments to each other. Each compliment was supposed to be accompanied by some evidence. You could write that someone was nice without writing about something specific that they had done that was nice. That was the idea anyway. When each student read their favorite compliment, most favorites were a series of compliments without any evidence. We'll keep working on that. Ask your child what their favorite compliment was and if any of their compliments that they wrote were read as favorites. (Unfortunately, many correctly written compliments with evidence were not chosen as favorites because it was hard for them to compete with a series of 3-4 compliments written by one person.)
This afternoon we "drew" with water as a follow-up to yesterdays presentation on the chemistry of water. It is nice having flooring instead of carpet for these type of things. We also did a few science probes to make sure that we understand density, boiling points and freezing points.
My math class had some trouble as I moved around the unknowns and the equals sign.
For example:
605 = 432 + _______ or 784 - _______ = 456
We'll keep working on it.
I was pleased with many of the essays on "When I would not want to live." They also got in perfect order when I asked them to create a human timeline of the time periods that they had chosen to write about.
The music teacher complimented our class on how well we interact with one another. Always good to hear.
Have a good night,
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Great volunteers
Hello,
We've been very lucky lately. A number of volunteers have been coming in to help out or share their knowledge. This morning my mentor teacher, Pat, joined us for literacy. She was able to work with some kids one on one. She reviewed there/their/they're with some kids and did some inference testing with others. I'm so happy to be working with her again.
This afternoon we had a wonderful visit from Mr. Douhovnikoff, ecology teacher at Bowdoin. Your child should have no trouble explaining the chemistry of how a 300 foot California Redwood is able to get water from its roots all the way to its tippy top. We learned more about the "stickiness" of water and how its chemical makeup makes it so well-suited for Earth's life forms. I learned a lot myself that I'll be able to pass onto my colleagues. A big thank you to Mr. Douhovnikoff.
Our homework club voted to play outside after school. It was nice to get some fresh air. I was glad that they wanted to take advantage of the great weather.
I went over some basics last week that the kids are supposed to know by now: proper nouns, plural nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, contractions, difference between towns, counties, states, countries and continents, the four oceans, the seven days of the week and the twelve months. We didn't have 100% success in any category, (yes, disappointing) but the kids have to take some responsibility for learning these now. While we are often reviewing learned information, we have a lot of new concepts to get to. I can't spend a lot of extra time on things that they are supposed to know. I'm hoping to recruit Pat to help a bit, but a lot of this has to be put on them. I had some individual meetings today and will have more. The first task is to choose what we need to work on, then come up with a strategy on how we'll learn it. They may recruit you to help.
I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. Already Wednesday tomorrow... the year is flying by.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
We've been very lucky lately. A number of volunteers have been coming in to help out or share their knowledge. This morning my mentor teacher, Pat, joined us for literacy. She was able to work with some kids one on one. She reviewed there/their/they're with some kids and did some inference testing with others. I'm so happy to be working with her again.
This afternoon we had a wonderful visit from Mr. Douhovnikoff, ecology teacher at Bowdoin. Your child should have no trouble explaining the chemistry of how a 300 foot California Redwood is able to get water from its roots all the way to its tippy top. We learned more about the "stickiness" of water and how its chemical makeup makes it so well-suited for Earth's life forms. I learned a lot myself that I'll be able to pass onto my colleagues. A big thank you to Mr. Douhovnikoff.
Our homework club voted to play outside after school. It was nice to get some fresh air. I was glad that they wanted to take advantage of the great weather.
I went over some basics last week that the kids are supposed to know by now: proper nouns, plural nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, contractions, difference between towns, counties, states, countries and continents, the four oceans, the seven days of the week and the twelve months. We didn't have 100% success in any category, (yes, disappointing) but the kids have to take some responsibility for learning these now. While we are often reviewing learned information, we have a lot of new concepts to get to. I can't spend a lot of extra time on things that they are supposed to know. I'm hoping to recruit Pat to help a bit, but a lot of this has to be put on them. I had some individual meetings today and will have more. The first task is to choose what we need to work on, then come up with a strategy on how we'll learn it. They may recruit you to help.
I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. Already Wednesday tomorrow... the year is flying by.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Real short
Hello,
I got a text less than an hour ago that read:
Happy anniversary BTW.
Oops. I've got to run. I'd love to tell you about the dry ice and the rest of our day, but nope.
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
I got a text less than an hour ago that read:
Happy anniversary BTW.
Oops. I've got to run. I'd love to tell you about the dry ice and the rest of our day, but nope.
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Sad news
Hello,
I learned some tough news last night. A local parent of a couple of my former students passed away earlier in the week. He was a great man. My heart goes out to his wife. They have hearts of gold. A few students in our class were well aware of the incident. After the subject was brought up, we had a little discussion. We talked a bit about death, and life, and heart attacks. Our study of the human body later on this year will probably help some of the kids understand the answers that I gave to some of their questions. It is a big loss for our community.
I don't have a good idea on how to change the topic.
Next topic:
I'm pleased with the progress that I'm seeing in our kids' ability to write paragraphs that contain substantial supporting sentences. It has been quite a dramatic change in some cases. I'm happy to be working with Mrs. Palopoli because I believe her ideas on teaching literacy through science deserves much of the credit.
I was reminded today that teachers should make phone calls to let parents know good news as much as we make calls for when students are in trouble. Thank you to Mrs. Vallella for reminding me. I did this much more often at J.A. and realized as soon as I heard it that I've been stuck in the traditional rut of only calling when "Johnny" does something wrong. I'll remedy that tonight.
We are currently reading historical fiction novels. Tonight's homework is to write about the time period that your child's novel takes place? Would they want to live then? Why or why not? It isn't to put themselves at the exact location of the novel, but in the time period. For example, someone reading about the Titanic should write about whether they would like to live in 1912, not whether they would want to be on that ship at the time.
We are getting close to chapter 1 math test time in my math class. Maybe Friday. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
I learned some tough news last night. A local parent of a couple of my former students passed away earlier in the week. He was a great man. My heart goes out to his wife. They have hearts of gold. A few students in our class were well aware of the incident. After the subject was brought up, we had a little discussion. We talked a bit about death, and life, and heart attacks. Our study of the human body later on this year will probably help some of the kids understand the answers that I gave to some of their questions. It is a big loss for our community.
I don't have a good idea on how to change the topic.
Next topic:
I'm pleased with the progress that I'm seeing in our kids' ability to write paragraphs that contain substantial supporting sentences. It has been quite a dramatic change in some cases. I'm happy to be working with Mrs. Palopoli because I believe her ideas on teaching literacy through science deserves much of the credit.
I was reminded today that teachers should make phone calls to let parents know good news as much as we make calls for when students are in trouble. Thank you to Mrs. Vallella for reminding me. I did this much more often at J.A. and realized as soon as I heard it that I've been stuck in the traditional rut of only calling when "Johnny" does something wrong. I'll remedy that tonight.
We are currently reading historical fiction novels. Tonight's homework is to write about the time period that your child's novel takes place? Would they want to live then? Why or why not? It isn't to put themselves at the exact location of the novel, but in the time period. For example, someone reading about the Titanic should write about whether they would like to live in 1912, not whether they would want to be on that ship at the time.
We are getting close to chapter 1 math test time in my math class. Maybe Friday. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
New club, new game
Hello,
Our Tuesday night homework club met for the first time of the year. The crew did their homework and then voted to play a game called "Mafia." I had never seen it, but apparently it was a popular game at Bowdoin day camp. It requires the group to collectively close their eyes. This seemed to be a bit of a stumbling block. I watched from outside the circle of "townspeople" and there were quite a few "peeks" that I witnessed. I didn't see the fun in peeking, but everyone seemed to have a good time.
I found a teacher with a DVD version of The Wizard of Oz, so we are all set for Thursday's movie club. I'll provide some popcorn and juice. Let me know if you have any movie suggestions for later in the year.
I was really happy to see my mentor teacher come in to help out. It was about ten years ago that I was a student teacher in her class. She brings forty-two years of teaching experience to our room. Today she worked with students on making inferences. I'm so happy to have her wealth of knowledge on our side.
My math class has been working on patterns. We'll spend a few days on them and then we'll be finished with the first chapter. I'll let you know when we start chapter two. We have been told that chapter tests are not allowed to go home.
I was pleased with the letter writing last night. I'll be sending out seven letters to our classmate who left us to go south with her family. We miss her and hope that she enjoys our best wishes.
I can't believe that Columbus Day weekend is approaching. September flew by. I have to decide soon on the Harry Potter Club. I'm not sure anymore on whether I want to invest the time, when the club consists of so few kids from our class. That may sound selfish, but I'm responsible for these kids, not students from other classes. I welcome your input.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
PS. Did you know what a cardinal number was? an ordinal number?
Our Tuesday night homework club met for the first time of the year. The crew did their homework and then voted to play a game called "Mafia." I had never seen it, but apparently it was a popular game at Bowdoin day camp. It requires the group to collectively close their eyes. This seemed to be a bit of a stumbling block. I watched from outside the circle of "townspeople" and there were quite a few "peeks" that I witnessed. I didn't see the fun in peeking, but everyone seemed to have a good time.
I found a teacher with a DVD version of The Wizard of Oz, so we are all set for Thursday's movie club. I'll provide some popcorn and juice. Let me know if you have any movie suggestions for later in the year.
I was really happy to see my mentor teacher come in to help out. It was about ten years ago that I was a student teacher in her class. She brings forty-two years of teaching experience to our room. Today she worked with students on making inferences. I'm so happy to have her wealth of knowledge on our side.
My math class has been working on patterns. We'll spend a few days on them and then we'll be finished with the first chapter. I'll let you know when we start chapter two. We have been told that chapter tests are not allowed to go home.
I was pleased with the letter writing last night. I'll be sending out seven letters to our classmate who left us to go south with her family. We miss her and hope that she enjoys our best wishes.
I can't believe that Columbus Day weekend is approaching. September flew by. I have to decide soon on the Harry Potter Club. I'm not sure anymore on whether I want to invest the time, when the club consists of so few kids from our class. That may sound selfish, but I'm responsible for these kids, not students from other classes. I welcome your input.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
PS. Did you know what a cardinal number was? an ordinal number?
Monday, October 7, 2013
Testing is over
Hello,
I'm pleased that our testing is done. The fourth grade started today. The third grade starts next week. It is a lot of class time. I feel more like a baby sitter than a teacher during that time. I finally get to do some teaching tomorrow.
My mentor teacher came in to visit the classroom tonight. She retired this past year from Portland schools and now she will start coming in to volunteer every Tuesday during literacy. She will be a real asset to the class and will be great with small group lessons and one on one tutoring.
The class chose historical fiction books to read. I'll take a look at the choices tomorrow to make sure that we have good fit books. It is one of my favorite genres, so hopefully some of my enthusiasm rubs off.
Permission slips went home for the Tuesday homework club. Here's part of it:
I'm hoping that watching some of the movie classics will inspire us to do bigger and better things in our movie club.
I think we're going offline here soon, so I'm going to end this.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
I'm pleased that our testing is done. The fourth grade started today. The third grade starts next week. It is a lot of class time. I feel more like a baby sitter than a teacher during that time. I finally get to do some teaching tomorrow.
My mentor teacher came in to visit the classroom tonight. She retired this past year from Portland schools and now she will start coming in to volunteer every Tuesday during literacy. She will be a real asset to the class and will be great with small group lessons and one on one tutoring.
The class chose historical fiction books to read. I'll take a look at the choices tomorrow to make sure that we have good fit books. It is one of my favorite genres, so hopefully some of my enthusiasm rubs off.
Permission slips went home for the Tuesday homework club. Here's part of it:
Our first Tuesday homework club starts this week. The class has chosen to make this a
non-themed club. They will vote each
week on what they want to do after they finish their homework. This could be sports, games, Lego’s, fun
science, K’nex, Erector sets, or whatever else they can come up with. The Thursday homework club will continue to
be called the Movie Club. We will be
making and watching movies. So even
though they are both homework clubs, the Tuesday club will be referred to as
the Homework Club, and the Thursday club will be referred to as the Movie
Club.
This Thursday, October 10th, the
Movie Club will be watching the 1939 original Wizard of Oz movie. This movie is rated PG. I will send a separate permission slip home
any time that we will be viewing a movie.I'm hoping that watching some of the movie classics will inspire us to do bigger and better things in our movie club.
I think we're going offline here soon, so I'm going to end this.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Early release tomorrow (Friday)
Hello,
We finished up the math testing today. Writing starts tomorrow. 1:00 early release tomorrow as well. I thought the class did a good job of trying their best on the math tests today. It is tiring for them to sit in one place for ninety minutes at a time. I encourage getting up and stretching once in a while.
The movie club did a pretty funny scene tonight. Their acting is getting better. They are getting a little less shy around the camera.
We still have to decide what our Tuesday homework club is going to focus on after the homework session.
It is already close to 7:00, so I'm going to call it a night here.
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
We finished up the math testing today. Writing starts tomorrow. 1:00 early release tomorrow as well. I thought the class did a good job of trying their best on the math tests today. It is tiring for them to sit in one place for ninety minutes at a time. I encourage getting up and stretching once in a while.
The movie club did a pretty funny scene tonight. Their acting is getting better. They are getting a little less shy around the camera.
We still have to decide what our Tuesday homework club is going to focus on after the homework session.
It is already close to 7:00, so I'm going to call it a night here.
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Math tests tomorrow
Hello,
We had some more time management issues today, but I'm hopeful we can get this test taking thing down before we are through with them. We will finish the week with two math NECAPs tomorrow and a writing one on Friday. The second writing portion will get done on Monday morning.
We spent the last part of the day learning about how a water strider really eats and discussing the strength of evidence. If a person claims to know something because "Mr. Shea told me," or "I saw a picture of it," how strong is that for evidence? We rated several different claims of evidence this afternoon. "I saw it on the periodic table," rated highly. "I saw the birth certificate," also was considered strong evidence. "I had it for homework" and "My dad told me" rated the lowest. (Sorry dads.) (Not my ratings - they came from a random sampling of the class.)
We will continue looking into this as we come better scientific thinkers. This will help our writing as well. Understanding strong evidence will allow us to do a better job supporting our topic sentences.
Movie Club meets tomorrow until 5:00. We will watch our first movie next week. We made a list of some of the classics that we'll be watching. I'm thinking the Wizard of Oz will be our first, but I'll let you know beforehand in case anyone has any objections. I will not show any PG-13s, but we all know that even the PGs can have some lewd stuff.
Another reminder: Early 1:00 release on Friday.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
We had some more time management issues today, but I'm hopeful we can get this test taking thing down before we are through with them. We will finish the week with two math NECAPs tomorrow and a writing one on Friday. The second writing portion will get done on Monday morning.
We spent the last part of the day learning about how a water strider really eats and discussing the strength of evidence. If a person claims to know something because "Mr. Shea told me," or "I saw a picture of it," how strong is that for evidence? We rated several different claims of evidence this afternoon. "I saw it on the periodic table," rated highly. "I saw the birth certificate," also was considered strong evidence. "I had it for homework" and "My dad told me" rated the lowest. (Sorry dads.) (Not my ratings - they came from a random sampling of the class.)
We will continue looking into this as we come better scientific thinkers. This will help our writing as well. Understanding strong evidence will allow us to do a better job supporting our topic sentences.
Movie Club meets tomorrow until 5:00. We will watch our first movie next week. We made a list of some of the classics that we'll be watching. I'm thinking the Wizard of Oz will be our first, but I'll let you know beforehand in case anyone has any objections. I will not show any PG-13s, but we all know that even the PGs can have some lewd stuff.
Another reminder: Early 1:00 release on Friday.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Testing thoughts
Hello,
Two tests in the morning went long so we missed our recesses. Phys. Ed. came at an opportune time, but then I made sure we got outside to get some fresh air as well. We got into the sunshine and wrote down our observations and our random thoughts. Then we came inside and did some stream of consciousness writing based on one of our thoughts. My writing was based on this one thought: I wish I was a better teacher. That thought was based on the morning testing process that, at times, made me want to pull my hair out. I know that a majority of kids did well. I saw some essays that were so well put together, my heart leapt. I know that I need to hold on to those. Unfortunately what sticks in my craw are the few essays that were answered in a sentence or two. Or the absolutely beautiful essay... on the wrong topic. Or the lines that didn't make any sense at all. Each blunder makes me question my teaching. How did that not get through? It is difficult. These kids are my kids. Their mistakes are mine. I just have to do better.
It's like a team losing at the championship game. The coach runs around saying, "Remember how this feels. Let this fuel your off-season training. Let this motivate you to become better." That's how I felt today. I didn't think the tests were too hard. Each child should have done well. If they knew what they should, they would have done well. It's my motivation to try harder, read more, ask more questions of other teachers.
I'm not fishing for moral support. I'm strong. I just felt the need to let you know my thoughts this afternoon. We're on the same team. We want the same thing.
Most of you know my stance on tests. I'm not a big fan. But our kids live in a society that places a lot of value on them. Our kids need to be able to show what they know. They need to be able to figure things out and answer clearly and concisely.
We are all a work in progress.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Two tests in the morning went long so we missed our recesses. Phys. Ed. came at an opportune time, but then I made sure we got outside to get some fresh air as well. We got into the sunshine and wrote down our observations and our random thoughts. Then we came inside and did some stream of consciousness writing based on one of our thoughts. My writing was based on this one thought: I wish I was a better teacher. That thought was based on the morning testing process that, at times, made me want to pull my hair out. I know that a majority of kids did well. I saw some essays that were so well put together, my heart leapt. I know that I need to hold on to those. Unfortunately what sticks in my craw are the few essays that were answered in a sentence or two. Or the absolutely beautiful essay... on the wrong topic. Or the lines that didn't make any sense at all. Each blunder makes me question my teaching. How did that not get through? It is difficult. These kids are my kids. Their mistakes are mine. I just have to do better.
It's like a team losing at the championship game. The coach runs around saying, "Remember how this feels. Let this fuel your off-season training. Let this motivate you to become better." That's how I felt today. I didn't think the tests were too hard. Each child should have done well. If they knew what they should, they would have done well. It's my motivation to try harder, read more, ask more questions of other teachers.
I'm not fishing for moral support. I'm strong. I just felt the need to let you know my thoughts this afternoon. We're on the same team. We want the same thing.
Most of you know my stance on tests. I'm not a big fan. But our kids live in a society that places a lot of value on them. Our kids need to be able to show what they know. They need to be able to figure things out and answer clearly and concisely.
We are all a work in progress.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Monday, September 30, 2013
NECAPs tomorrow
Hello,
The big, bad tests are coming. Get to bed on time. Have a good breakfast. Be ready to fill in some circles with number two pencils. The tests will be in reading, then math, then writing. Our schedule for the next four days will be testing in the morning, special in the afternoon, and a small amount of class time. We'll try to tie up some loose ends during the end of the day class time.
Today we had fun with gas releasing chemical reactions. Every student had an antacid tablet, a film canister and some water. We watched the antacid react with the water as we put the cap on the canister and got away. The released CO2 (carbon dioxide) has no where to go and quickly blows the top off the container. One of the containers made it up on the roof!
We also did the Diet Coke and Mentos demonstration. That one is different in that it is not a chemical change. The CO2 is already in the soda. The mentos give the gas a place to gather. The large amounts want to quickly escape the bottle. I estimate that 80% of the soda left the bottle with the exiting gas. It reached a height of about nine to ten feet. The remaining soda is completely flat and tastes terrible (in my opinion). We had some great questions after this demonstration that would lead to many possible future tests. Feel free to try at home. Outside.
Students earned money for our classroom economy based on the home reading. One dollar was earned for every ten minutes read. The top earner was able to bank over 200 bucks. We'll go back to the weekly log now, but continue with the 10% bonus rate.
Thank you for getting your kids to bed tonight and getting some food into their stomachs tomorrow morning. I'll also allow them to chew gum during the test. I'll provide a few flavors, but if you have specific requests, you may want to provide your own.
This is my least favorite week of the year. Very little instructional time. For some reason, we find it okay to cancel math and literacy for a week, but we still go to the specials.
I wanted to visit a topic that I saw on Facebook last night. A parent commented on fourth grade having only one recess a day and just one library class every two weeks. I also wish we had library every week, but the schedule and budget only allow for fourth and fifth grade to go to library every other week. It has been that way since we opened HBS. Unfortunately, it seems to diminish the importance of that special in comparison to the others. I would love to see a return to once a week library.
As far as the recess time, I fully support the fourth grade team's decision to go to one recess a day. I wish the fifth grade team would take the same stance that the fourth grade team took. The fourth grade team has voluntarily taken on more recess duties, and sacrificed personal planning time for what they believe is best for their students. Their stance is not based on their belief that recess is not important, or that students don't need mental or fitness breaks. Their decision was based on the whittling away of instructional time. You may be surprised to hear that I currently have less than four hours of whole class instructional time per week. That's right: PER WEEK. (40 minutes a day.) Last year it was thirty minutes a week.
I think that I can make a strong case for why I think that our first recess is unnecessary. In fifth grade, we currently go to recess from 9:45 to 10:00am. Transition times are not written into that schedule. We never get back to the class in order to start anything new until the math time at 10:10. In reality, it is a twenty five minute break. (That doesn't even count their walk to math.) I lose over two hours of whole class instructional time due to a recess that happens less than forty minutes after our morning announcements. I don't believe that they need a twenty five minute break this early in the day.
All teachers understand the importance of physical and mental breaks. We can tell when kids get squirrely. I allow my kids to stand or walk around during my instruction, if they feel the need. I plan motor breaks into my lessons, as do most teachers. I'd love to gain an extra twenty five minutes a day of instructional time by eliminating our early recess. It would cut into my free time. I would have to go three plus hours to start each day without a chance to even use the rest room. Teachers often make decisions that are based on what is best for the kids, despite what may be the easiest for themselves, personally. I think the fourth grade team's decision on recess is a great example of that.
I welcome all comments, questions or suggestions. 841-2599 or sshea@brunswick.k12.me.us
Testing tomorrow!
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
The big, bad tests are coming. Get to bed on time. Have a good breakfast. Be ready to fill in some circles with number two pencils. The tests will be in reading, then math, then writing. Our schedule for the next four days will be testing in the morning, special in the afternoon, and a small amount of class time. We'll try to tie up some loose ends during the end of the day class time.
Today we had fun with gas releasing chemical reactions. Every student had an antacid tablet, a film canister and some water. We watched the antacid react with the water as we put the cap on the canister and got away. The released CO2 (carbon dioxide) has no where to go and quickly blows the top off the container. One of the containers made it up on the roof!
We also did the Diet Coke and Mentos demonstration. That one is different in that it is not a chemical change. The CO2 is already in the soda. The mentos give the gas a place to gather. The large amounts want to quickly escape the bottle. I estimate that 80% of the soda left the bottle with the exiting gas. It reached a height of about nine to ten feet. The remaining soda is completely flat and tastes terrible (in my opinion). We had some great questions after this demonstration that would lead to many possible future tests. Feel free to try at home. Outside.
Students earned money for our classroom economy based on the home reading. One dollar was earned for every ten minutes read. The top earner was able to bank over 200 bucks. We'll go back to the weekly log now, but continue with the 10% bonus rate.
Thank you for getting your kids to bed tonight and getting some food into their stomachs tomorrow morning. I'll also allow them to chew gum during the test. I'll provide a few flavors, but if you have specific requests, you may want to provide your own.
This is my least favorite week of the year. Very little instructional time. For some reason, we find it okay to cancel math and literacy for a week, but we still go to the specials.
I wanted to visit a topic that I saw on Facebook last night. A parent commented on fourth grade having only one recess a day and just one library class every two weeks. I also wish we had library every week, but the schedule and budget only allow for fourth and fifth grade to go to library every other week. It has been that way since we opened HBS. Unfortunately, it seems to diminish the importance of that special in comparison to the others. I would love to see a return to once a week library.
As far as the recess time, I fully support the fourth grade team's decision to go to one recess a day. I wish the fifth grade team would take the same stance that the fourth grade team took. The fourth grade team has voluntarily taken on more recess duties, and sacrificed personal planning time for what they believe is best for their students. Their stance is not based on their belief that recess is not important, or that students don't need mental or fitness breaks. Their decision was based on the whittling away of instructional time. You may be surprised to hear that I currently have less than four hours of whole class instructional time per week. That's right: PER WEEK. (40 minutes a day.) Last year it was thirty minutes a week.
I think that I can make a strong case for why I think that our first recess is unnecessary. In fifth grade, we currently go to recess from 9:45 to 10:00am. Transition times are not written into that schedule. We never get back to the class in order to start anything new until the math time at 10:10. In reality, it is a twenty five minute break. (That doesn't even count their walk to math.) I lose over two hours of whole class instructional time due to a recess that happens less than forty minutes after our morning announcements. I don't believe that they need a twenty five minute break this early in the day.
All teachers understand the importance of physical and mental breaks. We can tell when kids get squirrely. I allow my kids to stand or walk around during my instruction, if they feel the need. I plan motor breaks into my lessons, as do most teachers. I'd love to gain an extra twenty five minutes a day of instructional time by eliminating our early recess. It would cut into my free time. I would have to go three plus hours to start each day without a chance to even use the rest room. Teachers often make decisions that are based on what is best for the kids, despite what may be the easiest for themselves, personally. I think the fourth grade team's decision on recess is a great example of that.
I welcome all comments, questions or suggestions. 841-2599 or sshea@brunswick.k12.me.us
Testing tomorrow!
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Election and Testing
Hello,
We completed our NWEA testing today, just in time for the NECAP testing that starts next Tuesday. We will be tested on reading, writing and math. Homework will be minimal - reading only.
Congratulations to our new senators and representatives. I need to send a note home to get permission to use your child names in the blog when they do something that deserves praise. The winners all deserve the chance to serve. I was a bit dismayed that five students didn't fill in their ballot correctly. It may have swayed the election, but the ballots were immediately voided.
The class did a very good job on the observation homework last night. It was difficult to know what belonged in 1788 and what didn't. Lots of good research done.
Picture day tomorrow. We are scheduled relatively early, but after first recess. Hopefully we won't have any sweaty pics.
I have our movie club going on right now, but have a tutoring session afterwards until seven, so I'm getting this down now. Sorry to be so brief.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
We completed our NWEA testing today, just in time for the NECAP testing that starts next Tuesday. We will be tested on reading, writing and math. Homework will be minimal - reading only.
Congratulations to our new senators and representatives. I need to send a note home to get permission to use your child names in the blog when they do something that deserves praise. The winners all deserve the chance to serve. I was a bit dismayed that five students didn't fill in their ballot correctly. It may have swayed the election, but the ballots were immediately voided.
The class did a very good job on the observation homework last night. It was difficult to know what belonged in 1788 and what didn't. Lots of good research done.
Picture day tomorrow. We are scheduled relatively early, but after first recess. Hopefully we won't have any sweaty pics.
I have our movie club going on right now, but have a tutoring session afterwards until seven, so I'm getting this down now. Sorry to be so brief.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Picture Day Friday
Hello,
We just had a 5th grade meeting. Math tests are not allowed to go home this year. I don't like the decision, but that is the decree.
We had our first visit from Bowdoin volunteers today. It looks like my math class will have two volunteers a week. They are a big help. I've said it before, but I love how Bowdoin College is really making the community part of their students' educations.
Picture day is Friday. Slips went home today. Envelopes must be returned by Friday. Everyone will get a class photo regardless.
Movie club tomorrow night until 5:00. I have a basketball tutoring session scheduled for 5:30, so I would appreciate pick-ups by then. If you are going to be later than 5:30, I'll take your child to the gym.
It was in the Times Record yesterday that one of the plans for next year is to send the fifth grade to the Jr. High. That would mean all of the current fourth graders would be going to the Jr. High next year. One of my selfish thoughts is that that would also end the looping program, at least for a while. I'm glad the discussion has started early. I hope there is an easier solution.
Monthly reading logs are due on Monday. We will begin the old weekly logs starting Monday as well.
I have to run. Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
We just had a 5th grade meeting. Math tests are not allowed to go home this year. I don't like the decision, but that is the decree.
We had our first visit from Bowdoin volunteers today. It looks like my math class will have two volunteers a week. They are a big help. I've said it before, but I love how Bowdoin College is really making the community part of their students' educations.
Picture day is Friday. Slips went home today. Envelopes must be returned by Friday. Everyone will get a class photo regardless.
Movie club tomorrow night until 5:00. I have a basketball tutoring session scheduled for 5:30, so I would appreciate pick-ups by then. If you are going to be later than 5:30, I'll take your child to the gym.
It was in the Times Record yesterday that one of the plans for next year is to send the fifth grade to the Jr. High. That would mean all of the current fourth graders would be going to the Jr. High next year. One of my selfish thoughts is that that would also end the looping program, at least for a while. I'm glad the discussion has started early. I hope there is an easier solution.
Monthly reading logs are due on Monday. We will begin the old weekly logs starting Monday as well.
I have to run. Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Disney talk
Hello,
We had a little discussion this morning about Disney changing its policy on allowing people with disabilities go to the front of the line at major attractions. You can find the story at:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/travel/disney-disability-policy-changes/index.html
I felt like it was another good topic that people of all ages will wrestle with. I don't think there is a right answer. Dishonest people make it difficult to come up with policies that work. The class handled the discussion well and are in the middle of writing paragraphs that voice their opinions. Where do you stand?
We did a little more estimation in math class, but homework the next few nights should be easy place value questions. I will be assigning the workbook pages for this first chapter, which should be review for everyone. The classwork won't be exactly the same, but that is because we will be working on the more difficult topics in the chapter.
We focused a little on the element copper this afternoon. I was hoping for the kids to request more experiments from the plethora of books that I have. They have an opportunity to help take more responsibility for what and how they learn this unit, but I suppose they are trusting me to make the right choices.
Testing schedule: We have our NWEA MAP reading test on Thursday. That test is done in the computer lab. We are one of the last classes to go, since we tested early for the math portion. NECAPs start next Tuesday. NECAPs are the test booklet test with lots of little circles to fill in with number two pencils. What fun!
The class started the LINK program in physical education. I'm not sure what it stands for. Maybe your child could enlighten you. It has to do with teamwork and communication. I'm hoping that we will be a stand out class in this, based on our familiarity with one another. More to come on this.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
We had a little discussion this morning about Disney changing its policy on allowing people with disabilities go to the front of the line at major attractions. You can find the story at:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/travel/disney-disability-policy-changes/index.html
I felt like it was another good topic that people of all ages will wrestle with. I don't think there is a right answer. Dishonest people make it difficult to come up with policies that work. The class handled the discussion well and are in the middle of writing paragraphs that voice their opinions. Where do you stand?
We did a little more estimation in math class, but homework the next few nights should be easy place value questions. I will be assigning the workbook pages for this first chapter, which should be review for everyone. The classwork won't be exactly the same, but that is because we will be working on the more difficult topics in the chapter.
We focused a little on the element copper this afternoon. I was hoping for the kids to request more experiments from the plethora of books that I have. They have an opportunity to help take more responsibility for what and how they learn this unit, but I suppose they are trusting me to make the right choices.
Testing schedule: We have our NWEA MAP reading test on Thursday. That test is done in the computer lab. We are one of the last classes to go, since we tested early for the math portion. NECAPs start next Tuesday. NECAPs are the test booklet test with lots of little circles to fill in with number two pencils. What fun!
The class started the LINK program in physical education. I'm not sure what it stands for. Maybe your child could enlighten you. It has to do with teamwork and communication. I'm hoping that we will be a stand out class in this, based on our familiarity with one another. More to come on this.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Monday, September 23, 2013
Blog from home
Hello,
I'm pecking this out from home. I had a car appointment after school.
Mrs. Farrand, school counselor, visited with us this afternoon. She explained the new school set up with two full time counselor now on staff. She also gave them a cooperation and communication activity that the class did pretty well at. Ask your child for details.
We chose new seats today. Using money from our classroom economy, some students chose to pay for their place in line. I won't offer too many of those opportunities before the desk rent is due. It looks like we have quite a few spenders. Rent needs to be paid.
Math class was all about estimating. Homework is a reflection of the class work, with front end estimation and rounding.
Our class government should be up and rolling soon. Elections will be held on Thursday for senate and house positions. I am serving as president for the first term. A student will take over those duties in a few weeks.
We had our spelling test today. We didn't get to it on Friday. There feels like less teaching time in fifth grade. I didn't think there was enough last year. With days like today (chorus and guidance), I've got to do a better job of making the moments count.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
I'm pecking this out from home. I had a car appointment after school.
Mrs. Farrand, school counselor, visited with us this afternoon. She explained the new school set up with two full time counselor now on staff. She also gave them a cooperation and communication activity that the class did pretty well at. Ask your child for details.
We chose new seats today. Using money from our classroom economy, some students chose to pay for their place in line. I won't offer too many of those opportunities before the desk rent is due. It looks like we have quite a few spenders. Rent needs to be paid.
Math class was all about estimating. Homework is a reflection of the class work, with front end estimation and rounding.
Our class government should be up and rolling soon. Elections will be held on Thursday for senate and house positions. I am serving as president for the first term. A student will take over those duties in a few weeks.
We had our spelling test today. We didn't get to it on Friday. There feels like less teaching time in fifth grade. I didn't think there was enough last year. With days like today (chorus and guidance), I've got to do a better job of making the moments count.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Thursday, September 19, 2013
No Blog tonight
Hello,
Open house starts in 20 minutes. If you want to know about our day, you'll have to come in and say hello.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Open house starts in 20 minutes. If you want to know about our day, you'll have to come in and say hello.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
WKRP in Cincinnati
Hello,
Venus Flytrap, nighttime DJ for WKRP in Cincinnati, helped us review the parts of an atom. You can search youtube for "WKRP atom lesson" to see the lesson. It is pretty funny. WKRP was a television show in the seventies and this lesson was part of one of my favorite episodes. It includes a swear word, which is why I'm not including the link, but we talked about that before I showed the video clip in class. The premise is that a young man is going to drop out of high school because he feels like he cannot learn. His uncle, Mr. Flytrap, makes a deal with him. If he can get his nephew to learn all about the atom in two minutes, the boy will stay in school. The clip also sends a great message to teachers: Uninterested kids do not learn! Ask your child about the parts of an atom to see if they learned from the DJ as well.
I was pleased with the first parts of our Choose Your Own Adventure stories. I was more impressed with the quantity than the quality, but they have some great building blocks. More details and stretching out the most exciting parts should make these stories worthy of binding into mini books.
Your child should be able to tell you the difference between an atom and a molecule, but if not, we should cement that knowledge tomorrow with an atom kit that I got off of eBay.
Math classes are now fully up and running. My class will start with RocketMath addition. We need to get those basics down. I'll grade the rest of the pre-test tonight to see if we're ready to start the fifth grade book. It looks like front end estimation and rounding are skills that have become rusty.
I hope to see you tomorrow night from 6:00 to 7:00 for open house.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Venus Flytrap, nighttime DJ for WKRP in Cincinnati, helped us review the parts of an atom. You can search youtube for "WKRP atom lesson" to see the lesson. It is pretty funny. WKRP was a television show in the seventies and this lesson was part of one of my favorite episodes. It includes a swear word, which is why I'm not including the link, but we talked about that before I showed the video clip in class. The premise is that a young man is going to drop out of high school because he feels like he cannot learn. His uncle, Mr. Flytrap, makes a deal with him. If he can get his nephew to learn all about the atom in two minutes, the boy will stay in school. The clip also sends a great message to teachers: Uninterested kids do not learn! Ask your child about the parts of an atom to see if they learned from the DJ as well.
I was pleased with the first parts of our Choose Your Own Adventure stories. I was more impressed with the quantity than the quality, but they have some great building blocks. More details and stretching out the most exciting parts should make these stories worthy of binding into mini books.
Your child should be able to tell you the difference between an atom and a molecule, but if not, we should cement that knowledge tomorrow with an atom kit that I got off of eBay.
Math classes are now fully up and running. My class will start with RocketMath addition. We need to get those basics down. I'll grade the rest of the pre-test tonight to see if we're ready to start the fifth grade book. It looks like front end estimation and rounding are skills that have become rusty.
I hope to see you tomorrow night from 6:00 to 7:00 for open house.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Highlighting
Hello,
We worked in pairs this morning highlighting information from a science article in a Scholastic News magazine. The article posed the question: Should we bring extinct animals back to life? Before reading the article, the majority of the kids believed that we should, to some degree, bring extinct animals back to life. After reading the article and then hearing from different students about their opinions and their supporting evidence, the majority of the class was much more wary of bringing many animals back to life. Outside of cloning pets, most were against any artificial manipulation of living things. As one child said, "When something dies, it is supposed to be dead." I was pleased that they were opened minded enough to change their opinions. Several kids weren't a firm "yes" or "no," but somewhere in between.
Top arguments for changing evolutionary history included increasing the world's biodiversity and because it would be fascinating. Top arguments against bringing them back to life were the threats to our current ecosystems, because it wasn't natural, and because it was like "playing God." We had a very mature discussion about it that I don't think we could have had a couple weeks ago before we started thinking about evidence to support our opinions. Please ask your son or daughter for their opinion and chime in with your own.
The class started reading Choose Your Own Adventure Books yesterday. We started writing one today. We wrote an opening paragraph as a class:
The alarm was blazing as I ran out the door. I was carrying a heavy bag full of jewels and cash. I knew the police were right behind me because they were yelling over the sirens. I saw an open door to an empty house. Just as I started to run up to the deserted house, I noticed a blue Mini-Cooper convertible with the keys in it.
If you think I should run into the house, turn to page 10.
If you think I should try to make my getaway in the car, turn to page 16.
Your child's homework tonight is to make a choice, and then write the next two paragraphs that would follow that choice. So if your child chooses to run into the house, they are to write page 10. The two paragraphs that they write should be followed by two more choices. We will get to those tomorrow.
I noticed that the open house will follow our first Movie Club meeting. I'd love for you all to come in, but it seems silly to make more than one trip here. Consider our room open for open house anytime after five. If you have other siblings in the building so you'll need to wait until six anyway, your child is welcome to stay here until the scheduled six o'clock start. I'm just trying to save you the back and forth driving.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
We worked in pairs this morning highlighting information from a science article in a Scholastic News magazine. The article posed the question: Should we bring extinct animals back to life? Before reading the article, the majority of the kids believed that we should, to some degree, bring extinct animals back to life. After reading the article and then hearing from different students about their opinions and their supporting evidence, the majority of the class was much more wary of bringing many animals back to life. Outside of cloning pets, most were against any artificial manipulation of living things. As one child said, "When something dies, it is supposed to be dead." I was pleased that they were opened minded enough to change their opinions. Several kids weren't a firm "yes" or "no," but somewhere in between.
Top arguments for changing evolutionary history included increasing the world's biodiversity and because it would be fascinating. Top arguments against bringing them back to life were the threats to our current ecosystems, because it wasn't natural, and because it was like "playing God." We had a very mature discussion about it that I don't think we could have had a couple weeks ago before we started thinking about evidence to support our opinions. Please ask your son or daughter for their opinion and chime in with your own.
The class started reading Choose Your Own Adventure Books yesterday. We started writing one today. We wrote an opening paragraph as a class:
The alarm was blazing as I ran out the door. I was carrying a heavy bag full of jewels and cash. I knew the police were right behind me because they were yelling over the sirens. I saw an open door to an empty house. Just as I started to run up to the deserted house, I noticed a blue Mini-Cooper convertible with the keys in it.
If you think I should run into the house, turn to page 10.
If you think I should try to make my getaway in the car, turn to page 16.
Your child's homework tonight is to make a choice, and then write the next two paragraphs that would follow that choice. So if your child chooses to run into the house, they are to write page 10. The two paragraphs that they write should be followed by two more choices. We will get to those tomorrow.
I noticed that the open house will follow our first Movie Club meeting. I'd love for you all to come in, but it seems silly to make more than one trip here. Consider our room open for open house anytime after five. If you have other siblings in the building so you'll need to wait until six anyway, your child is welcome to stay here until the scheduled six o'clock start. I'm just trying to save you the back and forth driving.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
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