Fourth Grade Science

The class and I created an anchor chart about genes and genetics. This was hung up in the classroom for all to see and reference.

The students used their knowledge of dominant and recessive genes to create a hybrid fruit. The students created an advertisement on the front and on the back they followed a rubric to write about their new fruit. I was very impressed with the students' creativity and descriptions of how their fruit tasted, smelled and looked.

Fourth Grade Math

In a small group, I worked with a student who was struggling with division. This is a copy of her work, before is above and after is below. We mostly worked on dissecting word problems and figuring out what the problem is asking us to do in addition to following the rules of division. After we did more work together we revisited the problems and she found where she went wrong and corrected those problems.

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The students created 3-Dimensional figures using toothpicks and marshmallows. The students used probability to figure out the odds of randomly choosing each color marshmallow on their plate.

Fourth Grade Writing

As a class, we created a class poem. I had the students vote and brainstorm on every aspect of creating this poem. One student was selected to be the scribe and the other students offered suggestions for each line of the poem.

The students created their own poems after we discussed the properties of the new poem and looked at samples.

As a class we put the different poems into an anchor chart and hung it up in the classroom. Creating this I was the scribe and the students told me what to write for each poem. This helped me check for mastery and correct any misconceptions they may have.

The students' poems were displayed in the hallway.

My Last Day in Kindergarten

My last day in Kindergarten was bittersweet. As I'm excited to be moving closer to graduation and have my own classroom, I'm also sad that I will no longer be teaching this wonder group of students. During the past seven weeks, I have learned so much from them and my wonderful mentor. I can feel huge improvements in my teaching already. I am surprised at how fast I was able to grow and develop my craft since seven weeks does not seem that long to me. Several parents came up to me on Friday after the school assembly to wish me luck in fourth grade and to mention how much their child is going to miss me. Never would I have thought that I would have made an impact on these students within the short time I was their teacher. To make the day even more emotional, the parents, my mentor, and the students put together a basket filled with office supplies for my future classroom.

The students also created a class book where they wrote and illustrated why they loved me.

The students were so excited about giving me a present. They crowded around me and went through the box telling me what was from them and their family. This was the best end to a wonderful first rotation of student teaching. I am so excited to see what the next seven weeks in fourth grade will teach me!

*Check the Kinder Videos tab for videos of me teaching a writing mini lesson and several one-on-one interactions.

Kinder ELAR

Word Families

 

The students come up with words they have heard making the specified sound. Using the document camera I write each word on a note card. These words are strung together and hung up in the classroom for them to use a resource during writing.

Questions

Together the students and I created a chart about questions. They are learning what questions are, when they are used, and the correct punctuation that's at the end. 

   I used a Harry Kindergarten song about questions and gave them a hand gesture to reinforce their learning.

100 Days of Learning

The Hundredth Day of School

The hundredth day of school was so much fun to experience in kindergarten, both for myself and for the students. All week the students had been painting their shirts. They had to put 100 paint stamps onto their shirt in groups of ten. 

I had the priviledge of working with the parent volunteers during the two days of shirt prep. The shirts came out great and the students were so proud of their work.

On the hundredth day of school we were visited by Zero the Hero. They screamed when they saw him they were so excited! The entire day was wonderful. The students created several different crafts stemmed around the number 100. There were snacks made, glasses, watercolors, and fruit loop necklaces. It was my favorite day in kindergarten, hands down!

 

Valentine's Day

"Owl" Be Your Valentine

For Valentine's day I created a box for the students to put any valentines addressed to me in. The students LOVED my Owl. Some of them named her "Mr. Owl" which created a hilarious discussion between students. 

Making this Owl was so much messier then I expected! I had to to put a towel on my work table so the paper mache wouldn't ruin it.

Almost finished!

All done! She came out so adorable! There is a slot to put in valentines behind her bow. There is also a removable bottom to get all of the valentines out.

These are the valentines that I made for all of my little kindergarteners (super hero tootsie pops and multicolored heart crayons). I was very pleased with how they came out!