It is Spring Break for our district...and I'm updating this blog from my classroom. I know...I know...it's Spring Break. In my dreams, I'm on a tropical beach with my book in hand. Unfortunately, I'm wide awake...so this means SPRING CLEANING.
I will be moving to a different school next year, though still teaching the same grade level. Our district has reconfigured schools, and I will be moving to the school designated for fourth through sixth grade. I'm sad to be leaving my fabulous hallway coworkers in third grade...but I'm excited for the adventure.
The move has me looking at EVERYTHING I have accumulated in the three short years I have been in this room. I'm a bit of a pack rat (just ask my family), so I save EVERYTHING. I'm learning to move away from that though, as I am going through my materials.
My biggest issue seems to be storage of posters. How do you store your classroom posters and anchor charts?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thoughts on Mind Soccer
Yesterday was my first attempt at WBT Mind Soccer. The kids LOVED it, and it served as a great test prep game. However, I found a few challenges while planning the game.
Pros:
-Kids were EXCITED.
-We were able to review what expression and gestures were.
-They were able to answer the questions.
-They were sad to leave my class!
-A quick paced review game.
Cons:
-My questions were too long.
-Long answers lead to long response time.
Changes:
-Next time I know that I will use this game to review vocabulary words, prefixes, suffixes, ect. Sentence corrections took too long for such a fast paced game.
Overall, I really liked the idea of the game and the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves. Not only did they have fun and were engaged, they were answering the tough questions correctly! I will make a few changes to the game and try it again after Spring Break!
Pros:
-Kids were EXCITED.
-We were able to review what expression and gestures were.
-They were able to answer the questions.
-They were sad to leave my class!
-A quick paced review game.
Cons:
-My questions were too long.
-Long answers lead to long response time.
Changes:
-Next time I know that I will use this game to review vocabulary words, prefixes, suffixes, ect. Sentence corrections took too long for such a fast paced game.
Overall, I really liked the idea of the game and the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves. Not only did they have fun and were engaged, they were answering the tough questions correctly! I will make a few changes to the game and try it again after Spring Break!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Introduction
Hello!
I am a fourth grade teacher in Tennessee. I currently teach Reading, English, and Writing.
I will be using this blog to share ideas from my classroom, collaborate with other teachers, and document my journey with Whole Brain Teaching.
I began this school year using Whole Brain Teaching for the first time. I had discovered the methods at the end of last school year, after an extensive google search for ideas to help an extremely challenging student. While many people spend their summers reading Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult (love Jodi's books!), I spent my summer devouring every thing I came across on the WBT website.
I am a complete believer in the program, it fits the way I run my classroom so naturally! I'll be posting videos of WBT in action in my classroom soon.
Those of you that do use WBT, what do you find that you like the best?
What is Whole Brain Teaching?
Whole Brain Teaching rests upon the principle that teachers at every level share the same difficulties: students lack discipline, background knowledge and fundamental problem solving skills. From kindergarten to college, teachers face students who have difficulty with reading and writing. Nonetheless, our students respond to challenges, enjoy well-designed learning games, and can make, in the proper setting, astonishing educational progress.
Our goal is to create peaceful classrooms full of orderly fun. Thousands of teachers believe we're on the right track.
Whole Brain Teaching
I am a fourth grade teacher in Tennessee. I currently teach Reading, English, and Writing.
I will be using this blog to share ideas from my classroom, collaborate with other teachers, and document my journey with Whole Brain Teaching.
I began this school year using Whole Brain Teaching for the first time. I had discovered the methods at the end of last school year, after an extensive google search for ideas to help an extremely challenging student. While many people spend their summers reading Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult (love Jodi's books!), I spent my summer devouring every thing I came across on the WBT website.
I am a complete believer in the program, it fits the way I run my classroom so naturally! I'll be posting videos of WBT in action in my classroom soon.
Those of you that do use WBT, what do you find that you like the best?
What is Whole Brain Teaching?
Whole Brain Teaching rests upon the principle that teachers at every level share the same difficulties: students lack discipline, background knowledge and fundamental problem solving skills. From kindergarten to college, teachers face students who have difficulty with reading and writing. Nonetheless, our students respond to challenges, enjoy well-designed learning games, and can make, in the proper setting, astonishing educational progress.
Our goal is to create peaceful classrooms full of orderly fun. Thousands of teachers believe we're on the right track.
Whole Brain Teaching
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