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November 21, 2009
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September 21, 2005
Here we go! 09/21
My name is Stephanie Greer. I have just completed my 9th day as one of the two new teachers in Class 5 Red at the Bronx Charter School for the Arts, in Hunts Point, Bronx, NY.
I am so excited about my new fifth grade class. So far, we have already created and displayed beautiful silhouettes in the school hallway. BioPoems that each student has written, typed, edited and published on the computer will soon accompany them. The students have also created a series of wonderful posters for our walls describing a few unwanted classroom pests we are watching out for. [Be especially on the lookout for the Crimson Mouth... we seem to be having trouble getting rid of that one. ;-) ]
In math, students have been developing their language of the discipline, and have begun to aptly use the same words of true mathematicians. Words like: factor, factor pairs, multiples, squares, square root and prime cover our walls and slip from the lips of the students. We even have a little chant we used today to remember multiples: To find the multiples... you gotta' multiply!
During reading workshop, students have already begun to dive into some great books. Students have also been doing an excellent job self monitoring their independent reading using the class rubric:
3:
• I did not talk to anyone
• I was absolutely quiet
• I stuck with my book
• I stayed in my seat
2:
• I mostly did not talk to anyone
• I was mostly quiet
• I mostly stuck with my book
• I stayed in my seat
I won't bother to include the 1, since I haven't had a student need it yet! Today, we even began to log our steps for the Scholastic 100 Book Challenge. Our goal is one hundred 15-minute steps per school quarter. That's a total of... well... you can do the math... hours per quarter! If I know these students, they'll meet that challenge in a matter of weeks.
Yesterday, in writing workshop, my team teacher, DeShan Lett, introduced the students to their Writer's Notebooks. She presented a wonderful chart full of ideas that students can refer to when writing in their notebooks. Already, the pages have begun to disappear beneath their ideas and thoughts. I also can't wait to hear about some of the storytelling objects they bring to class to inspire their realistic fiction pieces tomorrow.
The last classroom news item I'll mention is the students new Bronx Arts Visa Card they are working on obtaining. By building up good behavior credits, within a few short weeks, students will be able to have optional seating during reading and writing workshops! Some students are already on their way. They are working on establishing these three classroom norms:
WE ARE RESPECTFUL!
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE!
WE ARE MOTIVATED!
There is so much happening in the class, it would take hours to try and fill you all in. Instead, I'll leave it up to my students from here on out. Keep checking in to read about all the exciting learning that is taking place in Class 5 Red.
Over and out.
Ms. G
Article posted September 26, 2005 at 03:46 PM •
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