First Week...on the Other Side!

The first week on the other side was a little bit of everything! I am at a wonderful school, with a wonderful group of fifth graders, in wonderful teacher's classroom! In this short week I have already learned so much!

The typical day starts with Writer's Workshop. It is a time where the students are presented a grammar mini-lesson and a writing prompt. For the next two weeks the students will be working on a Civil War Diary. They are taking on a Civil War character (i.e. Soldier, Abolitionist, Slave, etc...) of their choice and making a diary to reflect what that character would realistically write about. It was super cool to watch the students begin their rough drafts; they had so many wonderful ideas!

Next, the students go to Block One and Block Two. The teacher I am with teaches Math! The students begin their block with Model Drawing (i.e. Singapore Math), a Facts Assessment, and Homework review. This week the students learned about Fractions. They learned how to simplify, compare, and go between forms. The students take notes in what is called an IMN or Interactive Math Notebook--This is an amazing tool when teaching good note-taking skills. The lessons are so interactive, it is AMAZING!

The students then go to recess, lunch, and related arts. During related arts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all of the fifth grade teachers get together and PLAN!! These teachers set an amazing example on how to plan well with your fellow colleges.

At the end of the day the students go to module, which alternates between Social Studies and Science each quarter. Currently they are discussing the Civil War in a module titled "A Nation Divided." Module is a unique part of the day, because the students are actively engaged in the topic. On Thursdays the entire fifth grade goes on a learning expedition to study their module topic outside of the classroom. This week we traveled to Point Park and hiked down the mountain to Craven's House. This gave the students an inside look at the "Battle Above the Clouds."

I am so thankful for my experience so far and am looking forward to the rest of my first placement!!
See Y'all Soon!! -and- I promise all of my entries wont be sooooo informative :)