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
Thursday, October 31, 2013
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
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