Peek into my Week!

Today was my first day back and I would have to say it was a success!  I did not get to everything I had planned done but we got the big items done, and I rearranged all my undone stuff to fit into the rest of the week.  Some of my kids thought it was a short day because before we knew it, it was 2:45 and had 15 minutes left!  I took it as a compliment, "Time flies when you're having fun!"

After school I sent an email to all the parents that I had an email for and gave them a first day update.  I have learned to be proactive with parents.  The more they know the less they are popping in your room as you're letting the kids in asking how their kid is doing.  Seriously?! I send a weekly email to my parents just giving them the gist of what is going on in each subject.

I even got my first positive email from a parent letting me know that her child is excited about the up coming year!  It made my day.

So, I am getting into curriculum stuff tomorrow.
Math
Place value, reading and writing multi-digit numbers using base ten blocks, virtual manipulatives, brainpop, etc.
Reading
I'm reading Freedom Summer (a historical fiction) discussing character traits, how the person affects the outcome, and the point of view of the narrator.  I'm using foldables, sorts, interactive journaling, group, and partner work!

Writing
In writing, I am starting with opinion of the character (character analysis) with two books.  First with Hey, Little Ant.  It is about a little boy that wants to squish the little ant and explains why, and the little ant doesn't want to be squished and explains why.  At the very end, the book actually prompts the reader to make a decision, to or not to squish.

Social Studies
In Social Studies, we are studying identifying human-made/physical features of the U.S. and how those feature effect settlement pattern in the U.S.  I don't have anything fun, KWL, sorts, concept maps, but I am trying to think of something fun. Let me know if you have ideas.

Between it all...
I'm reading several read alouds.  The Name Jar!  When I read it for the first time, I had to keep myself from crying.  It is about a girl that comes to the U.S. for the first time and she is embarrassed about her Korean name and wants a new American name.  Her class creates a name jar and they put names into it for ideas they got from people they know or books they've read.  In the end, she chooses to keep her Korean name because it is who she is and it is something to be proud of.  There is a boy in the story that helps her realize that by asking a Korean clerk at the a Korean market to give him a Korean name, and he choose the Korean name for FRIEND!!  Loved it.

Also reading, Just Kidding.  I haven't read it all the way yet, but it is about how teasing or just kidding isn't just kidding, that it can hurt and words are more powerful than we think.

And another for this week, Voices in the Park.  Tells the same story from the perspective of 4 different characters.  Haven't read it all the way yet, but have heard great reviews.

Alright, that is it for now.  I am going to go work out, and relax!