Full of Fortitude Friday!

Welcome back!  

This week in High Ability we've focused on patience.  ALL classes have been wonderful with this.  Since I'm testing kindergarten for the next month, my schedule is full.  There are times when I drop my things and go directly to the computer lab.  They've come in to no morning message or quote and have been very patient and flexible.  I appreciate it! It has taken me an extra day to get the blog finished too.    

My fourth graders have also practiced patience this week because they need to wait for me to come get them.  The kindergarten testing is right before their time, so we don't always start on time with their class.  They are so understanding and willing to be flexible.  We will continue with this schedule until the end of February.

Since it's the end of the month, I had my first graders choose three green slips from our very full basket.  Those chosen, have their green slips posted outside of my doorway AND have selected something from our treasure chest.  We'll draw three green slips each month.  




Our winners for January were James in fourth grade for perseverance, Caysen in third for initiative and Kaden in second for effort.  Congratulations!

Some of the quotes discussed this week were:

• Good things come to those who wait.
• When things get tough, it's a great chance to practice patience.
• If you had everything, where would you put it?

Math Masters

"It's Hip to Be Square!"  We've started our Math Masters in every grade.  They are timed tests for each expected grade.  The neat thing is that they will keep progressing as they are ready for the next level.  





Last year, I had third graders doing mixed and improper fractions plus second graders on multiplication.  They were so proud and eager to learn more than what they should!  Also, each has a chart in their math folder to track their progress.  I have them shade in the bar graph to see their progress.  This helps them to "stay in their own lane", not worry about where others are and see their own personal improvements 

. . .much less overwhelming.

Fourth Grade LA:

A majority of them are past the planning stages of their Google Slides and onto the fun part of creating their slide show.  I appreciate the maturity of this group and how they help each other out.  Often times they will offer help to a fellow student who is behind them on the project.  




What better way to really learn something than to teach another!  I showed them how to share their project with me, so I will be able to watch their progress and touch base with them.  Google is amazing in that way, although they did get a bit creeped out when my face would appear suddenly on their screen, lol.

Fourth Grade Math:
Unfortunately we didn't see fourth at all this week due to conflicts in the schedule with the music program.  No worries, we'll pick right back up next week!

Second Grade LA:

Although we have been reading Edward's story what seems like forever, there are no complaints what-so-ever.  I assign the required reading for those that are following along, let those who are further keep reading and for those who are done . . . they are working on an Edward Word Search.  





We make time each week to journal our thoughts on the chapter or just to touch base with me.  It's great!  I wish you could see the reactions of those who finish the book.  One was talking aloud telling herself to hold it together and not cry.  Another student closed the book and just stood there taking deep breathes.  He just couldn't get over how it all came together.  He kept repeating . . . wow . . . wow . . . wow!  There's nothing better than to have a child fall in love with a book.  

Second Grade Math:
This group took full advantage of our Smartboard and the program Gynzy to work with money.  We bought things, added things up and made change.  I'm proud of them for persevering with making change.  It's not a fast process, but they understand how to count up and use the least amount of coins.  

Third Grade LA:
My small group of three were happy to have time to write their own fairy tale based on the pictures shared during our Alice in Wonderland PowerPoint.  We discussed how children of the time were considered little adults.  They were very serious and dressed in very fancy clothing.  We touched base and read what they had so far.  Some asked for suggestions while others had their story plotted out in detail.  

Third Grade Math:
Students were paired up to play a reducing fractions game.  Although they've come a long way with the concept, they often need a refresher on how to do it.  They enjoyed moving their pieces around the spacey game board all while figuring out their challenge.  A majority are on their X's 12's.  It will help them to study these facts at home.  Great job to Caysen who passed his first multiplication times test.  He will move onto 90 division problems in five minutes.  

First Grade LA:

We read the book E-MERGENCY!  It's a funny book about how E gets injured and then no one is allowed to use the letter E.  I read the book and had the kids decipher the words using other vowels which didn't make much sense.  We also did an activity where they were challenged using the clues to come up with a word that doesn't contain the letter E.  We've begun our lesson on Lipograms and will continue next week.  

First Grade Math:

Although the technology didn't agree with us the first day, we have started working with time.  This group is beyond telling time to the hour, so we we are onto the half, quarter and time by five minutes.  I do have various levels within the group, so I'll make adaptions for all.  Congratulations to Cal and Trevor for passing their addition timed test!  They will move onto subtraction next week.

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Fearless Friday!

Thanks for stopping by our Yost HA Blog!

Second semester is off to a great start.  I've put our green slips into action and such a positive phenomenon is happening as a result.  I truly forgot the impact these have on the climate of our classroom and I'm wondering why I didn't do this sooner.

I have green slips with the Lifelong Guidelines, LifeSkills plus manners listed below.  When I see a student using one of them . . . I circle it and give them the one.  Sometime before they leave, they write their name and teacher at the top and put it in our basket.  I will draw three slips at the end of each month and the student will choose something from our treasure chest.  I've even encouraged them to notice when other students use them; they can then give their peers one.  I'll make sure to post the winners each month along with the Lifelong Guideline or LifeSkill they used.  Stay tuned . . . 

It's a tornado of kind words, organizing hands and hard working students just to name a few.  They've been doing many of these things all along, now I can recognize and appreciate them when I see it in action.  It's a wonderful thing to be a part of.  I have a few each class linger around helping me set up for the next class and organizing things, lol, until I kick them out.  

We talked about the LifeSkill of courage this week.  Some of the quotes shared with them are below:

• If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. (Verne Hill)
• Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak:  courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
• Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
• Standing up for what you believe does make a difference.

LA only met once this week to allow me to train my team of HA instructors for an upcoming assessment of our kindergartners.  We will begin testing Monday, January 26th and it will last until the end of February.  Last year I had to cancel several of my classes, but this year I'm going to try and balance both.  It may affect fourth grade by ten minutes here and there, but I'll do my best to meet with them.  I know they look forward to it!

Fourth Grade LA

A majority of my group is in the planning stages of their Google Slides presentation.  They have a list of the requirements for their monologue, but translating that from their notes has not been an easy task.  I'm asking them to use higher order thinking skills in their presentation and to not just list facts.  I'm coaching them along, but not offering up the answers.  I even had one ask to work on it at home.  Almost all are finished with their timelines.

Fourth Grade Math

We continued our Kagen Showdown with problem solving, yet I adjusted mid-class to a different strategy.  They are struggling with the division (we'll focus on it in the future), so I had them Think, Pair, Share instead.  It's a more collaborative activity where they are not so isolated.  After they have their own "think time", then they can come together to discuss the problem and make sure they are on track.  It went much better!  

Second Grade LA

We started out journaling about the Best and Worst thing about the book Edward.  I really look forward to hearing their thoughts about the topic.  This one was especially touching.  They had some definite opinions about the book.  They are really starting to just write.  I'm still looking for PQA when they do, but not real concerned with spelling.  Although, there are a few who need to put more thought and effort into their responses.  I'll keep noting it in their journal.  After reading a bit together, I gave them time to read.  They jumped to their individual book mark and dove right in anxious to find out what happens next.

Second Grade Math

We continue to work with money.  We played a game using money where they worked their way around the game board.  They received task or money cards, some lost turns and others needed to add up a set of coins.  There were money manipulatives for them to use if they chose to, but many were able to figure it in their head.  Having just introduced the green slips to this bunch, it was such a pleasant game to play.  They were kind and helpful and not competitive at all.  My guess is it would have been a much different outcome without them.

Third Grade LA

My group was introduced to our novel study, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, through a PowerPoint.  They were very excited!  They worked in their journals to answer the pre-reading questions.  It was interesting to see where each of them were.  Two have seen the movie and/or cartoon, but I do have one who comes with no background knowledge at all.  I'm excited for them to actually read the book and experience it in that way.

Third Grade Math

We continued our previous activity of Kagen Showdown with reducing fractions.  Again, I switched to Think, Pair, Share to give them a more team involvement, but just at first.  They seem to be unsure and need that support in the beginning.  Once they became comfortable again with reducing, then I switched back to the Showdown.  Also, we had one student complete his multiplication ice cream cone!  Congratulations, Caysen!!!!  He took the time and effort to study his 12's at home and he was ready!  We have several hot on his tail and will also be passing soon.  They wanted to take multiple tests on one day, just to finish.  I'm very proud of them!

First Grade LA

We are finishing up our word scrambles.  They have worked diligently on them.  All are going at their own pace, but for the most part they've been successful and are getting quite good at them.  Next week we'll do a challenging word scramble before launching into Lipograms.

First Grade Math

  We started a challenging sum snowflake activity.  It gave them a list of numbers that they could only use one (besides the center number)I simplified it by first using think pad sheets to come up with all the ways to make the sum of 13, for example.  We then found a number that was most common among our list and put that in the middle of the snowflake.  It was just a matter of placing the numbers in their appropriate circles to finish the problem.  I still had looks of confusion on the first day, but by the second one they were catching on.  On a different note, this group took the green slips to the extreme.  It was . . . thank you for giving me the worksheet and can I help you with that?  Too cute, but I did have to put a stop to it because it was more of a distraction.  

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Fulfilling Friday!

Welcome back Yost Parents!

It was nice to finally see my math groups since it's been since before break that we've met.  They came in with enthusiasm and it was obvious that they were ready to get to work!

We focused on the LifeSkill of pride this week.  We touched on a few of the quotes below.  It's nice because those I've had before either remember them from last year or one student actually recalled one and used it in a situation.  Impressive!

• Be proud, not loud!
• If better is possible, good is not enough
• You're my PRIDE and joy!

We start a new semester next week, so I thought I begin something new.  I see the LifeSkills are alive and well in our classroom.  I want to recognize and encourage students when I see them used!  I'll even encourage them to give to their fellow students when demonstrated. I've used these before when I taught and they have a tremendous impact on the classroom.  Just wait and see . . . 

Students will receive a green slip with the LifeSkill they followed circled.  They'll turn them into a large bin once they fill their name out.  I'll have a drawing at the end of each month where three winners can choose something from my treasure chest.  I'm very excited about this and hope that they will be too!!!!

Fourth Grade LA:

Exciting news to share in fourth grade!  As many of you may already know, I introduced my students to Google docs.  It is something they will use all through school, but we started early.  They are quickly finding their way around as I gave them a chance to explore Google Slides.  The great thing about it, is they can access their work from any computer.  It's just a matter of logging on.  I'm also able to share and monitor as they work on their projects.  For example, I added the criteria for their monologue and presentation on their drive, so they can have it handy.  Besides having the paper form to use, it's easily accessible on their drive.  They continue to work on their Biography Timelines/Presentation/Monologue.  Great things are happening and I'm excited to be part of it!

Fourth Grade Math:

We began our problem solving unit with a really tough story problem I ran across at my High Ability Conference in Indy.  I've been waiting anxiously to put it into action.  I had to put a stop to the "belly aching" and direct them to get to work.  They really got to thinking and we had one student finish impressively quick.  From there, I had her give a little coaching before I let them pair up.  We had a handful figure it out and several were close behind.  They wanted me to share the problem with you, so you can have a go at it.  Good luck!

Six farmers each have 6 barrels. In each barrel are 6 cats who each

have 6 kittens. How many legs are there? 

(Don’t forget the farmer's legs.)

We also did a fun Kagen Strategy call Showdown.  The students are in teams working on a math problem.  They solve it on their own then coach others to the right answer should they get it wrong.  It's a great way to get everyone involved, yet see where each student is.  We'll be doing more of this!

Second Grade LA:

We started the week with an insightful look at Point of View.  We took an incident that happen in the book and looked at it from different points of view.  We also talked about the connections that each character has to Edward.  They continue to impress in their Writing Journals.  I continue to throw out questions for them to ponder and many respond in a big way.  At the end of the year, have them share when it comes home.  They also enjoy just writing to me when they've answered the question.  It's fun to read.  On day two we returned to our ever popular Edward Tulane Jeopardy Game.  Good check on comprehension and little fun facts about the story.

Second Grade Math:

We worked hard on lining up our numbers when adding multiple items from a grocery store.  There's a lot involved when adding money.  They first started with paper and pencil as we listed what we needed from the store (we had some expensive bread, lol).  From there we moved to a Smartboard lesson where they actually got to move the food over which showed the price of each.  I really had to keep a close eye so that they were all lining their problems up (luckily I only have four).  It really started to click towards the end of class.  The next day we tackled making change.  Surprisingly with the use of the Smartboard, it was much easier for them.  They were able to see the money, move it around, see the product and the amount they were counting up to.  Fantastic!

Third Grade LA:

My group is enjoying the fairy tale study.  We worked in a bit of grammar in by sending them on a "verb hunt".  Each had a fairy tale book they used to find the different verbs.  They are obviously familiar with what a verb is, but I did have to throw it back on them when they questioned me about a few.  For example, how do you chair?  They were not as obvious as my example, but they caught on quickly once I pointed it out.  Then they took five of their list of ten and put them into past, present and future tense.  They quickly caught onto the pattern of regular verbs, so the next day we worked with irregular verbs.  It took a bit longer and some were just tough, but they did well.  We even had time for a Smartboard lesson with SIXTH GRADE vocabulary words.  They needed to match the words to their antonyms.  It was fun for this group having only three . .. lots of times at the board!

Third Grade Math:

This group was really motivated to get back to their ice cream cone multiplication timed tests.  Since it has been a month since we met, I used the first one as a warm-up.  They did much better the second time.  We moved onto greatest common factor (GCF) with a great worksheet that breaks it down.  They were really lost at first, but said how much it helps to go through the steps.  Then we moved onto a Kagen Showdown.  It's the same strategy used with the fourth grade except we used it with reducing fractions.  They were able to draw on the lesson yesterday, in order to answer the questions on their own.  We, of course, used a team effort to coach those who did not get the answer correct.  Such a win-win for all . . . they loved it!

First Grade LA:

We started out by reading Ann and Nan are Anagrams.  We launched right into several word scrambles.  They had the option to use cut out letters to manipulate the words into other words using the clues.  I had to push them through the toughness and make them work.  They wanted a hint right off the bat and that's not how we work in here, hehehe.  They are getting relatively more difficult including having to make a clue for their own puzzle.  This group is up to the challenge and very engaged.  I even had one ask if she could have a copy since she will be out next week.  Awesome!

First Grade Math:
The first day we played, "I have . . . who has?" with sums.  They had several cards with a number at the top and an addition problem at the bottom.  They called out, "I have 14, who has the sum of 12+4".  It keeps going until we get through all the cards.  This was challenging for them at first because they were not sure where to look on their card.  We got into a rhythm by the end.  They added the larger numbers very well.  We also were number detectives using Think, Pair, Write, Share.  It was tough to stump them on this one.

Have a great long weekend!

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Thirfty Thursday!

Welcome back!  I hope you enjoyed your break.  I sure did!

The blog ended up being a brief one due to the weather.  Stay warm!!!

Although most were a bit sleepy out of the gate, they were obviously happy to be back.  It was great to see!

Our LifeSkill focus this week was on resourcefulness.  Their morning message had them write their name in a different way.  You can see my fourth graders being resourceful with the task.  

Here are the quotes we discussed. 

• One man's junk is another man's treasure.
• Waste Not, Want Not
• If you really want to do something you'll find the time.
• Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it do, or so without.
• Think about what you can do with what there is.  

Looking towards the end of the month, we will start assessing our kindergarteners for the program.  This may mean that some classes will not be seen.  It will depend on where the testing falls.  More than likely it will be the classes who meet in the morning that will be affected as opposed to the afternoon ones.

The second nine weeks is quickly coming to a close.  The year is half way over, can you believe it?!?!?  I have a few things in the works that I'll be starting the second semester.  I'm excited!!!!  Stay tuned . . . .

FOURTH GRADE LA

What I love about this group is that they are such hard workers AND they love to help each other out.  This project has everyone in a different spot.  They are all working at their own pace which is great!  The first two to finish their time line became my Teacher's Assistant.  They were anxious to help!  I put them to work helping with the time line spacing, showing another how copy/paste pictures, or just running upstairs to retrieve a color copy. 

SECOND GRADE LA

How neat to hear that several students either got the book for Christmas or took the time to check it out from their local library.  It's funny because those who've read to the end, are being very careful about not spoiling it for the rest, yet they make sure to make a point of letting others know they know how it ends.  Secrets like these can be fun!  We eased back into the book and refreshed our memory as to the current predicament that Edward was in.  They took time to journal their thoughts to a question I posed.  These are always neat to read and I look forward to it.

THIRD GRADE LA

We continue our study of fairy tales.  They listened to/read/compared a few unfamiliar fairy tales to come up with the elements of a fairy tale.  They did a really nice job!  Of course, the Disney movies were quick to fill their list, but I pushed them to think of the many others.  They finished up with writing a definition of a fairy tale.  We're leading up to reading a novel in class . . . they can't wait!

FIRST GRADE LA

I introduced ANAGRAMS.  They were each given four letters to come up with a word and surprisingly, no one made the same word.  (P, T, O, S)  An anagram is using the same letters to make different words. (stop, pots, spots, etc)  We also continued to decipher another message called Alphabet Acrobats.  They could pick out, that the letters were backwards, but using a mirror helped them along.  We also did a vocabulary map on the word ANAGRAM.  They each had a dictionary to use.  I gave them a brief lesson on using the guide words to help us find the word which was tough for them.  We found the word, it's part of speech and definition.

Stay warm!  

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker