Weekly Update #1

Reading                                                                                              9/27/17 

This week in reading, we started working on IDR. IDR (Individualized Daily Reading). This gives students a chance to improve silent reading skills and strengthen their reading. The students are working on improving the class library and pod. We are working on establishing a check in and check out system and both classes are creating decorations and getting it ready for use. We have been doing class read-alouds and the students have been doing turn-and-talk with their partners. We have also been working on having class discussions at the end of books and the teacher not having to moderate and call on students. We have been practicing 'popcorn' discussions, where the students do not have to raise their hand and be called on, rather when one person is done talking somebody else begins to talk. By using this strategy, we are working on communication and not interrupting others. We are beginning our nonfiction unit, and have started reading nonfiction during IDR. All students should have nonfiction books by now.  

Writing 

The students now have their writing notebooks all set up and are beginning to generate ideas for stories based off of the books we've been reading as a class. The class created collages representing themselves and hobbies\things that interest them. We have also continued with IDW, and the students are beginning to write their own short stories and generating ideas in the back of their notebooks. Students are encouraged to bring notepads around with them to be able to write down ideas when they come up with them. This week we also played a bit of "Two true one false" to get to know each other a little better. The class had a lot of fun playing this and we will get to wrapping it up over the next few days when we have time in between subjects for more students to share since we have not gotten through all students yet. 

Math 

In Mr. Hill's room, we have been working on positive and negative integers and are beginning to take Cornell notes. This note-taking strategy will hopefully help students to stay more organized, and have a better understanding of our lessons. As we begin to wrap up this unit, the class has been assigned their first group project, where they create a board game with a partner. The students will be putting their knowledge of positive and negative integers into the project, which will be due Thursday, October 5th. They will have time to work in the project in class, but will also be expected to do some work at home.  

Jobs 

The students have recently been assigned classroom jobs. Each class has elected a president and a secretary, and the rest of the students have all volunteered for other jobs of choice. They have been given time to work on jobs mostly on Wednesdays, or quietly after they finish school work. 

 

           Mr. Brown's class 9/27/17 

This week in Mr. Brown's class we have been doing IDW as usual and IDR where this week we have been reading non-fiction books and looking at the text features .we have also been working on the pod and drawing sketches of animals in art.