Thoroughly Trustworthy Thursday!

Welcome!

We had a very productive week before leaving for Spring Break.  Our Lifelong Guideline was trustworthiness.  They gave high fives to those in the class who were trustworthy and had many good conversations about what it means to them.

A few quotes shared:

• Trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair.
• Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated.  Betrayal of any one of those is to lose all three.
• Trust:  The "us" is the most important part of trust.
• Never waste your feelings on people who don't value them.

Time is going just too fast!  When we return from Spring Break we will have about six weeks left in High Ability.  We will start up with our kindergarten groups the Monday we return.  I'm excited about that!  We will finish the year strong!  Those last couple of weeks, all the High Ability Instructors are stationed at Liberty Elementary recording data and finalizing our groups for next school year.  Don't blink because it will be here before we know it, wow!  

I recently re-supplied our treasure chest for the upcoming Green Slip Drawing at the end of the month.  We have so many to choose from!  This week I used them as exit passes one time for each LA/Math.  They were to tell me what Lifeskill or Lifelong Guideline they used while in class today.  It was pretty interesting. . . .some had to think a while on it.

I also have to share a funny story with you about what I now call my "green slip groupies".  They are students who, at the end of class, linger doing helpful tasks.  They will set up the attendance cards for the next class, organize our supply bins, sharpen pencils, and so on . . . just hoping for an extra green slip to increase their chances of being picked.  It's all very helpful to me and I do appreciate it, but I eventually have to kick them out, lol.

Fourth Grade LA:

Following up our long biography unit, we launched into reading a great mystery novel by Mac Barnett called The Brixton Brother's:  The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity.  With limited time left, we will spend time reading the book and focusing on the story elements.  I really want to get all the way through the book.  Last year, they had to finish the book on their own time which I've heard many did.  I'm determined this year to finish during class.  The way this book is being well received, I'm not worried in the least.  This is the first of currently five books in the series, so if they enjoy it . . . there's great summer reading ideas!  I've included a link with more information about the books.  We are also journaling along the way.

http://www.brixtonbrothers.com/brixton-brothers--1.html

Fourth Grade Math:
We got back in the habit of doing our problem of the day.  They buckle right down and get excited when it's up.  We also did our Math Masters timed tests.  They are all doing so well improving each and every time.  Having the chart to keep track helps them see that.  Congratulations to Cole for passing his multiplication facts, James for passing 90 division facts, Garrett for passing 100 division facts.  All have great attitudes and even when they miss just one they persevere.  We then returned to our multi-step problem solving worksheet.

Second Grade LA:




They worked very hard finishing up their word clouds and it sure did pay off!  They were given LOTS of multi-stepped directions in the computer lab to get this accomplished.  At first they were quick to ask for help when they were unsure.  There just wasn't enough of me to go around.  We re-grouped, I walked them through the steps again, then told them to "ask three before me."  I could see them gain confidence as they helped a neighbor and also practice patience and problem solving until I was able to help.  I'm going to make sure I have them laminated before sending them home.  They will be proud to see them displayed in our hallway.

Second Grade Math:
After solving the problem of the day, we went right into their timed tests.  I have two that are very close to passing their subtraction tests and then two who are onto multiplication!  They were very excited to learn this new skill.  It's hard to switch gears, but they are getting it.  All are working very hard!  I introduced another sequence of numbers to them.  We moved from Fibonacci to a Binary Sequence.  It didn't take them long to figure out the pattern.  They then had to put it into words and a Venn Diagram.  Even as they add larger numbers, I see that they are going back to the regrouping.  They are spot on! 

Third Grade LA:

This is quite the chatty bunch!  They easily launch into stories that somehow relate to our topic, lol, but I have to steer them back on track.  I really do enjoy them.  We all agree that Lewis Carroll can be quite confusing and have chosen to continue to listen to it on audible.com (instead of reading it on their own)  Hearing the voices do help keep the characters straight!  We continue to journal and will get into more activities when we return from break.  Love reading their journals.  It's great once we get the conversation going back and forth.
  

Third Grade Math:
This group was very anxious to start.  It's been two weeks since we've met, so they were ready to get back to business.  They didn't forget their facts because I had many pass.  Congratulations to Logan for passing his 8's and Caysen, Brandon and Jai for passing their 90 division facts. They are putting the pressure on my fourth graders. We've crossed over from fractions to decimals.  They were all given a place value sheet to refer back to.  We talked vocabulary and how to read it.  I like the questions they ask; you can see they really want to understand.  Decimal land doesn't follow the same rules.  Ask them what this means.  We matched up decimals and fractions towards the end of the day.

First Grade LA:
We rotated their stories, so each could use a rubric to grade someone else's persuasive writing.  It was eye opening for them to see it from another point of view.  Things they thought they had written on their final paper, were sometimes left off.  It just brings a nice close to their assignment.  They really do a nice job on these now.  We also tackled another no space cipher and talked about the importance of punctuation.  I read a book Yo? Yes! without expression or end marks.  You should have seen their faces, it was priceless.  They practiced putting in punctuation to a paragraph and reading various riddles.

First Grade Math:
Our problem of the day and math masters ate up most of our first day.  Congratulations to Kennedy on passing 90 subtraction problems.  Ten more and she moves onto multiplication, amazing!  All of my others continue to improve their score.  I switched gears with this bunch.  Instead of charting what they've missed, we are doing the ones right.  It's a more positive message for a big task.  They are doing great!  We've started another measurement packet.  We did a little with temperature and using a ruler to the quarter inch!  Some it didn't come easy to and others caught on right away.  This is a nice group.

Enjoy your break!

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

First Class Friday!

Hello All and Welcome Kindergarten Parents!

We talked about the Lifelong Guideline of Personal Best this week.  It's a great one to discuss that has all kinds of quotes to go with it.

Some of the quotes shared this week:

• The sky's the limit when your heart is in it.
• To be a winner, all you need to give is all you have.
• If it is to be, it is up to me.
• Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
• If better is possible, good is not enough.

Although we were back to a regular week, I was sick Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday.  I know my first and third grade math groups are chomping at the bit to get back in here since we missed all last week due to testing.  I stopped in today to finish up testing and tie up loose ends and had a first grade math student ask if I was taking them today, awww.  I promised next week!

Thanks for your patience on getting this blog to you.  I know it's usually sooner.

In math, we got back into the routine of doing our problem of the day (POD) and they welcomed that.  We do SO MUCH in the little time that we're in here, that sometimes things just have to give.  I'm happy we're back to it.  It touches on grade level skills just to refresh and sometimes teach a new skill.  It's great!  They love it more when they move up a grade or two.

Kindergarten will start up after spring break.  I'll see them on Wednesdays and Thursdays during their flex time.

Fourth Grade LA:

We finished up our biography presentations and they did SUCH a great job!!!  You could tell they were very proud of all they had accomplished.  I mentioned that I did video tape each of them with my phone and have been working on a way to get them to you.  I believe I'm close!  The file was too big to send directly from my phone and even from my computer, but if I share it through Google docs . . . it should work.  I hope to get them to you soon.  As a mom, I know it's just priceless to have a sneak peek into their world.  

Fourth Grade Math:

We made time this week to work on the Smartboard again and with this large group it's a bit of a juggling act.  I thought it ideal to split them into two groups, so there's less wait time.  One group worked on an independent activity while the other half were on the Smartboard.  They are the perfect group to do this with!  They listen well and get the most out of our class.  When it came to Math Masters this week, we had several move up a level and a bunch VERY close to passing.  Congratulations to Garrett for passing 90 division facts, James and Josh L. for passing 100 division facts, and Riley for passing division with remainder.  Your Smartie will be waiting for you and each will move onto their next challenge.

Second Grade LA:

We aren't quite ready to give up on our Edward just yet.  I first had each write a paragraph of their thoughts of the book, characters, favorite part, favorite characters, etc.  It was a free write of their ideas about the book.  We then went to the computer lab to type these up.  They learned quite a few bonus things about the computer too (right clicking, spell check, save as, save) and they caught right on.  I loved reading them!  We will copy/paste these next week into a word cloud.  I cannot wait to see their finished product!!!!

Second Grade Math:

We only had one day of math this week.  We started off with a problem of the day and Math Masters.  I am so excited for the progress that this whole group is making on their facts.  It's obvious they are working on them at home.  Congratulations to Kaden and Chris for passing their subtraction facts.  They will move onto learning multiplication facts.  I will help them through and have many tricks up my sleeve of how to remember them.  I bet they are excited!  The others are very close behind them.  It won't be long and they'll all be on multiplication, wow!  They also had time on the Smartboard.

Third Grade LA:

They are enjoying the story of Alice in Wonderland, but we often stop to discuss the story, the author, what's going on because it can be quite confusing.  Lewis Carroll has a wild imagination plus it's very different from the movie!  It's good they are making the comparisons and having the rich conversations they're having.  We also keep journaling and looking deeper into the book.

First Grade LA:

We finished up our persuasive paragraphs this week.  They are writing a paragraph to persuade you to buy them a certain gift.  Just wait until you read these.  You may want to post them on your refrigerator to refer back to often, hehehe.  We'll have them use a rubric to grade each others before sending them home.  They also had time on the Smartboard matching up synonyms and antonyms.  I had them go up several levels to challenge them. 

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker 

Fantastic Friday!

Welcome!

Our blog this week will be short and sweet due to second grade testing for HA plus ISTEP in third and fourth.  We've just had to be very flexible in our schedule.  Next week we will finish up testing second grade, but I will see all my classes!  Whooohoooo!

We talked about the Lifelong Guideline of No Put Downs.

• Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins. (Native American Saying) 

As you can see, I saw very few classes this week . . .

Fourth Grade LA:

We began presenting our Google slide Biography Presentations this week.  I only saw my group once this week, so we'll do the others next week.  They did a fantastic job!  I am video taping them with my phone, but it's too big to send from my phone without editing.  I will look into it and try to send it computer to computer.  I'm really looking for them to add more to their presentation than just reading what is on their slides.  They've written their monologues and I've stressed this, so we should be good.

Fourth Grade Math:
The one day we met, we had a little fun with the Smartboard.  It was a welcomed relief with their ISTEP testing.  They just kind of exhaled . . . We didn't even bother with timed tests.  This is my largest group, so to make the most of the Smartboard, I split them into two groups.  One worked on an extreme dot-to-dot while the others used coordinates to complete a mosaic.  They had to choose their colors to match the first half of the picture.  It was a slow go at first, but they got pretty quick about it.

Second Grade LA:
After going over our crossword puzzle of Edward, I had them write a paragraph about Edward Tulane.  I set them free to just write.  What did they think about the book, their favorite part, describe Edward if they wanted, etc. We then went into the computer lab to type them into a Word document.  Our plan is to copy/paste them into a word cloud somewhat like the holiday name Wordles I did for everyone.  I'm so excited to see how these turn out!

Second Grade Math:
We did two days of Gynzy on the Smartboard.  We didn't take a timed test this week to keep pace with everyone else.  On one day we a coordinate picture where they had to match up the colors and recreate the picture.  The second day they figured math word problems.  This was neat because they were able to  actually write on the board their answer.  Fun!

Third Grade LA:
I only saw my third graders once this week.  We listened and journaled about Alice.  If you've never read the book, it's quite interesting and very different from the movie.  Listening and talking about it as we go really helps us follow along with Carroll's crazy ideas.

Third Grade Both:
The days we did not meet, I had my groups come down to help me log my second graders onto the computers for HA testing.  They were SUCH a HUGE help to me and really stepped up to the challenge!  I appreciate their extra hands.  They didn't want to leave and even asked if they could stay during testing, lol.

If you blinked, the blog is over.  Not even any pictures this week . . .darn!  Next week, we'll return to somewhat "normal", so I will see you next time!  Same bat time . . . same bat channel.  

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Thumbs Up Thursday!

WELCOME!!!!

Look how many there are!

With it being the end of the month, we drew our green slips.  I decided to go ahead and pick four from now on.  This time my fourth grade LA class chose from our abundant number of green slips!  It may look suspicious because we did have two fourth graders, but I promise you they did not look.

 Our February winners are Klaire and Riley both in fourth grade and both for effort, Maya in third for effort and finally Chris in second for perseverance.  They each selected something from our treasure chest and were all excited to see their name posted in our window!

We have now covered all of our Lifeskills, so we will move onto our Lifelong Guidelines.  This week it was Active Listening.  They had a few directions on our morning message to do an activity involving Active Listening.  For example, one day they were to come in and listen for two minutes without talking.  We then discussed what we heard.  This is a struggle for some because as I'm going over the morning message they are wanting to jump in and tell me something related.  We also talked about how to be an active listener, you need to focus on the speaker and not what you're about to say in response.  I think we are all guilty of that . . . 

Some of the quotes discussed:

• If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two mouths and one ear.
• Every good conversation starts with good listening.
• Focus on being interested, not interesting.
• The world is giving you answers each day.  Learn to listen.
• Be All Ears!

It's a busy week coming up and we'll just have to be flexible with our schedules. I will test all of second grade for High Ability.  Also, third and fourth will be taking ISTEP testing.  I did my best to work out a schedule to get everything accomplished, yet some classes will not be seen.  Although, things continue to change, so we just need to be ready to go with the flow!  I've already gone over it with each class, but will remind them next week.

First and third grade for all will not be seen.  Fourth will only be affected Monday (LA) and Thursday (math).  Second is unaffected at this time during flex.  

Math Masters:

I have their squares color coordinated by grade level.  

Red=fourth

Orange=third

Yellow=second

Green=first

You can see by our updated chart that the colors are a bit mixed up which shows that some are above what's expected at grade level when it comes to math facts.  The students love gaining on any grade level above them.  They are even asking to take the timed tests twice a week!  How crazy is that?!?!  Even though many are very competitive, we chart our own progress each week.  Just take it one problem at a time and improve your score from last week.  They see this and get very excited to know that they are making progress.

Fourth Grade LA:

I couldn't be more proud of their Google Slide Presentations!  I'm sure they'll take it to an even higher level when they present next week.  I have quite a few characters in here who will surely get into their role.  I can't wait!  They are encouraged to dress up, bring props and really sell their presentations.  I think we've got most props covered, thanks.  With bathrooms directly across from our room, they can go in for a quick change before presenting.  I will video tape them all using my phone and hope to send your child's presentation to you via email.  Have the conversation this weekend with your child and make sure that they are ready and know what they are bringing.  I've taken care of having them prep their monologue, so they should be ready.  My first group will present Tuesday now since we will not flex on Monday.

Fourth Grade Math:

This group is thirsty for anything new they can get their hands on.  We've been working in small groups or independently on an Average Joe comic.  Last week, I had them divide and write their answer using a remainder.  I gave a brief lesson on how divide where your answer will be a decimal.  Got it!  Then I showed them how to write their answer when it has a repeating number.  Next!  I even showed one student who is a "mental math" learner how to do shorthand division.  He couldn't have been more excited!!!!  Congratulations to James and Josh for passing their 90 division facts.  Also kudos to Klaire and Riley for passing 100 division facts.  

Second Grade LA:

This group and their love for Edward is priceless.  They were given a super tough crossword puzzle which they tackled with enthusiasm.  Most worked in pairs, yet others in small groups.  I loved just listening to the chatter going on and how they discussed and remembered the story.  It was awesome!  Many had a book handy to use as a reference.  A majority of them finished, but we'll go over their answers on Monday.  

Second Grade Math:

This group really caught onto the Fibonacci sequence.  It was challenging for them, but you could see them just dig in and start calculating.  I loved the lesson because they had to decide whether to add or subtract depending on which number was missing.  They are great at regrouping while adding, but just being introduced to subtraction with regrouping.  I love that this group encourages each other on their work or on their timed tests!  They are SO close to passing and really take notice of their improvements.  I can tell they are practicing at home.

Third Grade LA:

Using audible.com, we are listening to several chapters as we journal and discuss.  It was very helpful on one particular chapter because Carroll did not break for paragraphs as the characters changed.  We discussed the organization of the text and how it helps you comprehend the story better when an author does that.  They also made time for journaling.  I look forward to reading these each week.  I can see that they are becoming more aware and deep in their responses.   Those that have seen the movie continue to make comparisons to the book which is wonderful.  They are quite different.

Third Grade Math:

We continue to work with our comic on adding and subtracting fractions.  I've been scaffolding for several days since there are multiple steps needed.  I went ahead and set them free to work in groups on the final two problems.  They worked on it for a bit before asking for a refresher lesson.  Most need to be stepped through the process, but I do have a couple who are catching on quickly.  Moving onto the next challenge in Math Masters is Tyler who passed multiplication and Jack who's onto division with remainders along with my fourth graders!

First Grade LA:
We started our week with our persuasive pre-write.  They, of course, had to sing our hamburger persuasive once again to kick it off.  They had to write a paragraph persuading their parents to buy them a particular gift for their birthday.  I'm noticing that the pre-writing is much easier for them this time.  They are able to list the reasons and write their conclusion quickly.  We spent a little time talking about intro words and how to incorporate them into their writing.  This is such a social group and we laugh about it!  I do love hearing all of their stories, but have to remind them that we have work to do.

First Grade Math:

We introduced measurement this week and found out what they already knew about it.  Many listed inches, feet, meters and yards as ways to measure things.  Then we listened to a fun song about measuring with paper clips.  They had a chance to measure different parts of their body using this non-standard object.  This group is working hard on their subtraction facts!  We continue to work at improving by 10 problem increments, so they can stay motivated.  I do believe seeing our wall of the other grades and how close they are to others, also keeps them in the game.  I have several who are close to passing and will move onto multiplication which they are thrilled about!  Way to go Trevor for passing 50 subtraction problems, Cal and Braxton for passing 60 problems and Kennedy who's next goal is 90 subtraction problems!  They love the CD we listen to often.  If any of you would like a copy of it, please send in a blank CD and I will gladly make you a copy.

Have a great weekend!  Spring's gotta be coming soon . . . right?!?!?!

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Thorough Thursday!

Welcome!

Phew, exhale. . . . Kindergarten testing for HA is finished.  Next up, second grade beginning of March!

We talked a lot about the LifeSkill of responsibility this week.  Some talked about many of the responsibilities they have at home.  Others didn't call them chores, but said they do things when asked which is great too!

Quotes shared:

• Do the right thing!
• If it is to be, it is up to me.
• It's easy to dodge responsibility, but you can't dodge the trouble it causes.
• If someone gives you a privilege, you owe them responsibility.
• Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.  (Booker T. Washington)

Fourth Grade LA:

They are beginning to finalize their Google slides.  We took a day to share and collaborate ideas via sticky notes.  I presented their shows up on the big screen, then everyone gave suggestions on a sticky note then attached it to their paper.  They really were thoughtful and even encouraging.  The students found it helpful and were anxious to get to work on their slides the following day.  Just seeing it presented, gave them a different perspective. 

 I'm hoping to start presentations the first week of March, but have to firm up our final 2nd grade testing schedule.  They will dress up as their person while presenting their monologue.  We drafted up a list of things that they were in need of and the only thing so far that we still need is an Abe Lincoln beard.  If anyone has one of those lying around. . . . please send it in, lol.   

Fourth Grade Math:

This group is really taking their timed tests seriously.  They can't wait to get started on their next challenge.  I can also see big improvements on their charts as they document their progress.  Others are slow and steady which is fine too.  The improvement is still there . . . they need to stay in their lane and focus on what they need to do to improve their score.  Kudos to Taylor, Ben and Lia for passing their 100 division facts, Klaire for passing 90 division facts and Josh H. and Troy for passing their multiplication facts.  They will move on next week.  I have several who are VERY close to passing.  We started a fun comic-like worksheet on averages.  I gave them the choice of working independently or in groups of up to three.  We adjusted the answers to show a remainder and not the decimal which we haven't done yet.  Due to the two hour delay, we didn't meet on the second day.  I'll hold their Smarties until then.  

Second Grade LA:

We finally finished the story of our beloved Edward on Tuesday.  Although a majority of them had read through to the end, a few had not.  It's a book you can read over and over.  We all took a deep breath when it was over and talked about what a great story it was.  They just couldn't get over how it ended.  We then worked in small groups on an Edward Tulane themed crossword puzzle.  It's very challenging and checks not only their comprehension of the story, but the small details and facts.  We'll continue next week . . .

Second Grade Math:
This group gets my Most Improved Award for Math Masters.  They made huge gains on their timed tests from last week!  They are very close to passing.  It's going to be another year where I'm teaching my second graders how to multiply and I LOVE it!!!  They are anxious to learn and will be ahead of the game like my current third graders are.  We introduced the Fibonacci sequence of numbers.  They quickly figured out the pattern.  We ended with listing items in nature and will continue next week.  I did Smartboard lessons with all my math classes on the second day.  We haven't done these as much, so I wanted to work them in.  Second grade had to saw a log the correct length to fit across the river. (subtraction) and completed a giant picture of a squid using coordinate points.

Third Grade LA:
Not only are we learning a lot about Alice through our journal topics, but they are learning about themselves.  They reflect on a given topic before going into the day's reading.  For those who've only seen the movie, they are making comparisons which is great.  Next week we will listen to a few chapters on audible.com.  We'll have a chance to listen and enjoy it together while the illustrator reads in different voices.

Third Grade Math:
I've been working hard to build the foundations for fractions before moving them onto a bit tougher lessons.  We started adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.  I first had them try to figure out how I arrived at the answer and they had many good answers.  We worked through a comic-like worksheet adding and subtracting fractions.  It's still new and they are unsure, but we'll get there together.  We'll continue next week. . . Congratulations to Jai and Tyler for passing their 12's, Logan-7's.  Also Jai passed his multiplication facts and Jack passed 90 division facts.  I'm so glad we learned the multiplication facts one number at a time this year! (Sweet Facts)  They are at such an advantage knowing them, so they're ready for division.  We worked quickly with a fraction activity on the Smartboard.  They had to compare fractions.  Then we moved onto a coordinate activity.  
  

First Grade LA:

We're onto learning about Wumbers.  We read a book by the same name which combines letters and numbers to make words. (rel8=relate)  I had them read the book and you could see the wheels turning as they tried to connect it to words they knew.  We revisiting E-Mergency and talked about acryms like ASAP, IV, and EMT.  This is leading up to writing a persuasive paper about a gift that they MUST have.  The girls launched into our song about persuasive writing which I thought was pretty neat.  

First Grade Math:
All are onto their subtraction facts.  They are taking on the challenge and I can see improvement from one week to the next.  I'm very proud of them!  Then, they each made a list of things and activities they like then started on a theme clock.  On the final day we had some fun with the Smartboard.  We started out with a coordinate activity where they had to replicate a smaller version of the picture.  You could really see them thinking this through.  Finally, they did a great activity where they had to subtract to figure out how much more of the bridge they needed to get across the stream.  It was a bit nerve wracking because they were being timed!

Brrrr, stay warm and have a great weekend!

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker

Fascinating Friday!

Thanks for stopping by!

There's so much going on in here, where do I begin?!?!?  We touched on the Lifeskill of curiosity this week.  One group had the message on their morning message to write down all the things they are curious about.  It was neat to see.  

Some of the quotes shared this week were:

• Open the door, let's explore.
• Lief is either a daring adventure of nothing. (Helen Keller)
• Curiosity didn't kill the cat, boredom did.

Fourth Grade LA:

We talked a lot about their presentations and how they need to tell a story.  I pointed out that they are now experts on their topic and they cannot assume we know all the information they've gathered.  They took this to heart and went right to work.  After figuring out a glitch, on my end, I can now make suggestions and communicate with them while they are working on it.  They had this week to work on their presentations knowing that we were going to view them as a class.  It's just a way to touch base and give thoughtful suggestions to their peers midway.  Stay tuned . . .

Fourth Grade Math:

The first thing they did when they walked in was to
look at our Math Masters wall to see who passed!

They were anxious to get another chance at their Math Masters test. . . .if you can imagine that?!?!?  Congratulations to Kaden, Josh L. and Matthew for passing their multiplication timed test!  Also, I had another group pass their next challenge of 90 division facts in five minutes.  Way to go Lia, Ben, Riley, and Taylor.  I think I'm going to go through a lot of Smarties with this group!  


We also worked on division with remainders.  I gave them a chance to move to a different group where they could work together and check as they go.  They really are a great group.  What I like is that I loosened the reigns a bit with the seating arrangement, but they appreciated it and still worked very hard. 






Second Grade LA:
Although most have read through to the end of Edward, we are taking time to finish and discuss the book together.  This week we came to the very sad part of the book with Sarah Ruth.  They are so invested in this book.  I loved it as they talked about how they felt a part of the story. . . .like time stops when they are reading it.  Their teachers have even shared with me that they come back to the room talking up a storm about Edward, the book, how sad it is, what a good book it is and on and on and on.  We then played their favorite game of Edward Jeopardy.  I break the chapters down into categories with different questions that each have different point values.  This week it was The Lost Bunnies vs The Abilene's.  Each time we play the names get better!  I have to share about this group. . . .they are so concerned and into the green slips that they constantly compliment and encourage each other during the game in hopes of getting a green slip.  "Great job!"  "Thanks for cheering me on, that was nice of you"  "It's okay, you'll get 'em next time"  It's over the top and funny to watch.  
   

Second Grade Math:

This bunch is truly excited when they see an activity where they have to add with regrouping.  It was a struggle for most at first, but now they've got it down.  I still had one who wanted to start with the hundreds place and move right, but got right back on track when I explained.  

Although I've yet to have any pass the Math Master's test, they are making major gains as you can see by the chart.  Each week they color in to see their improvement.  It keeps them motivated; they are not at all discouraged.

Third Grade LA:
We started off by having each read their fairy tale in the fun chair.  It was great to hear their stories and each had a chance to share what they liked about it.  We then dove back to reading Alice in Wonderland.  I have a small group of three, so we have a chance to get into deep discussions about the book.  They are also given journal topics relating to the book.  It's always a struggle to get comfortable just writing, but it gets easier.  I encourage them to "just write" their thoughts and if they run out of ideas, they can write to me.  I read their journals and comment as I go.  A dialog gets started as just a new way to communicate.  It's pretty neat.

Third Grade Math:
As a review of what we've learned with fractions so far, we used a Kagan strategy called Mix Freeze Group.  Have them explain this to you in person!  Basically they mix around the room until I say freeze.  I give them a question that has a number in it, then they have to group off in that number.  For example, the GCF of 5 and 20.  Those left out, go to the "Lost and Found".  Well, with my group of six it cannot go very long without restarting.  They were also introduced to mixed and improper fractions.  We'll do more next week.  Congratulations to Jack for passing his multiplication timed test the first time around.  Watch out fourth graders . . . I now have three third graders moving onto their division facts!

First Grade LA:
We finished up our Lipograms.  Together we summarized the book E-mergency with a beginning, middle and end sentence.  Next, each student rolled a die to decide which letter they would not be able to use when they rewrote their sentence.  I stressed that they needed to keep the meaning of the sentence the same by coming up with a similar word(s).  We even used a thesaurus a few times.  We finished with a letter challenge where they used the clues to figure out the answer.  

First Grade Math:

 Way to go Braxton and Caden on passing their addition facts!  They will move onto their subtraction facts.  Also, I'm very proud of Kennedy who passed her subtraction facts.  My second graders are expected to get 100 facts in five minutes, so I've adjusted it for my first graders so they don't get overwhelmed.  They work to pass 50 first then I will increase their goal by ten each time until they pass.  Kennedy already passed 70, whooohooo!!!  



Then we moved onto our unit on time, we played, "I have . . .who has?"  They have to read their analog clock and at the bottom it says, "who has . . . "  When done correctly, they all link together.  We ran out of time on the first day, but had the time for it on the second day.  

Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here in a week!

Yours in education,

~Mrs. Koedyker

Think It Through Thursday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Between the snow day, early dismissal and the testing of kindergarten for HA, it was a bit of a mixed up week.  I saw my LA groups only once (snow day) and my 1st and 4th grade math groups once (early release).  We'll just be flexible and pick up where we left off next week.

The LifeSkill we discussed this week was common sense.  Some had a discussion about the morning message, if they've said or done something they wish they hadn't.  They were honest to admit that they had. . . .haven't we all?

• There's nothing common about common sense.
• Think before doing something just to impress others.
• Fill what's empty.  Empty what's full.  Scratch where it itches.  (Alice Roosevelt-Longworth)

Fourth Grade LA:

They continue to work hard on their Google Slides.  I'm really impressed with how quickly they've caught on.  A few work on it at home and one even shared it with me with a message via email.  That's wonderful!  They are beginning to think about actually presenting it.  They need to go 2-3 minutes, so they are working presenting past just what is showing on their slides.  I plan on working with them so that their slides flow and tell a story instead of just random facts. 

Fourth Grade Math:

Math honestly blew by today!  We started late due to kindergarten testing, but this group really comes in ready to learn.  They follow my lead well and we really do get a lot accomplished.  This was the first time my group took a Math Master timed test.  I started them with 100 multiplication facts in five minutes and had many pass.  Congratulations to Garrett, Klaire, James, Lia, Taylor, Ben, and Riley!!!  (The red squares are fourth grade and the orange are third grade, wow!)  They will receive a Smartie when they return and move onto 90 division facts.  A majority of my group are really close to finishing, but I do have a couple who need to learn their facts.  There are so many apps and websites where they can practice.  I encourage them to do this.

Second Grade LA:

It was time for another review game of Edward Jeopardy.  They get so excited when they see it set up when they walk in.  It's funny because the teams get to come up with their own name, so one team was the Edwards and the other one was the Tulanes.  They cheered each other on and were really good sports.  I keep pulling the theme of the book back in, just to make sure they are getting it.  Ask them why Pelligrina told Edward, "You disappoint me."  

Second Grade Math:

We bridged into adding with regrouping.  It was to reinforce what they learned with adding money.  They still need the practice, but all caught on quickly.  I stressed the importance of keeping their numbers nice and neat when writing, so that they don't accidentally add the wrong numbers.  Some added two digits and others added three digits.  Once they solved their problems they used a code at the bottom to color their design.  My group made big gains on their Math Master timed tests.  Although none have passed their 100 subtraction facts yet, they can see their progress as they chart it on their own graph.  

Third Grade LA:

They all finished up their fairy tale stories which turned out impressively well.  I collected them to save for sharing next week.  I'm excited for them to share with each other.  We then moved right into journaling.  We made the comparison about Lewis Carroll and how he wrote about people he found interesting . . . who in their life would they write about?  We then dove into reading the first chapter of Alice In Wonderland.  Two are experiencing the story through text and one is hearing it for the first time.

Third Grade Math:
We read a comic about the Greatest Comic Hacker!  My group of boys were caught up in trying to figure out the similar references made throughout.  It named a fictional character and they quickly translated it to the one of their era.  What a perfect worksheet!  Their real task was finding out the greatest common factor (GCF) of two numbers.  It's not a quick answer especially when the numbers get higher, but they worked well together.  I even introduced a few divisibility rules to help.  They picked up a few, but didn't want to overwhelm them by all.  It was funny because they didn't even realize they were dividing as they were listing the multiples.  Brandon passed his first Math Master of multiplication, great job!  Logan also moved up another level on his cone.  Finally Jack finished his cone and will now move onto Math Masters.  Congrats!

First Grade LA:

We touched briefly on the book we read previously, E-mergency.  I explained once again how a lipogram is a play on language where you write not using a certain letter.  They had a chance to rewrite the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill.  I stressed how they needed to keep the same meaning when finding a similar word.  They truly got the hang of it and only got caught up on a few words.  We are in the process of summarizing the book E-mergency with a beginning, middle and end.  We'll eventually translate them into our own lipogram.

First Grade Math:

My group continued to work with time.  They had a go at a clock game where they chose a card and had to read the analog time in order to move to the digital time on the game board.  They are still mixing up the hour and minute hands, but get the concept.  I remind them that the minute hand cannot see real well, so he has to get up real close to the numbers.  We also touched on elapsed time.  Congratulations to Kennedy for passing her Math Masters, 50 addition facts in five minutes!

Next week looks to be back to normal. . . at least no early dismissal and hopefully no snow days!  My kids crave the routine just as much as I do.

Yours in education,

Mrs. Koedyker