A couple of classroom pointers

Hello.

This is the first Monday of a five day school week.  I wanted to point out a few procedures that I usually follow in Room 52 to help the students:

Each morning I will write down items I wish to review with the students or things we need to do.

This is where the homework is recorded.  The items should then be recorded in the agenda as a reminder.

To be continued.

First Friday, Class Expectations, further developing the Word Wall, and Island exercise

The end of the week is almost here.  The students in Room 52, along with the other Grade 7s, will be starting rotary on Day 1, which is Tuesday, September 15.  As I mentioned, we are operating on an integrated, team teaching approach in the Grade 7 Division.

There will be two teachers in the room during the core subject periods of Science, History/Geography, and Math.  Language Arts, which is a Core subject, is being taught by each of the team members on his or her own.

I am pleased to see how well the Grade 7s are adjusting to life in the Intermediate Division.  They seem very eager and keen to help and work with each other.

There is a lot of diagnostic assessment work going on in the classrooms.  This needs to be done before a lot of the core curriculum work can begin.

Even when we begin rotary, there will be opportunities for the students to receive extra support and guidance.  With teaching, assessment should be continuously happening to see what adjustments need to be made to support learning.

In Room 52, I want to ensure that we all feel confident, safe, and happy.  So, we got to work brainstorming some ideas about our Class Expectations:

When the lists were done, I looked them over and came up with a list that looks like this.  I think of this as a work-in-progress because we may add to it as we settle more into the year.

On the same level,and just important, is the letter I sent home two days ago.  Please keep it, in case you would like to reach me.

I will be sending home an information card that I would like you, please, to fill out.  I keep it in a confidential location and helps me for when I need to touch base with you about anything.

In the past week, a few words have come up that deserved to be added to our Word Wall.  One of the words, advocate, was thanks to Tony.  Tony is a student who spoke up to mention that the cost of the agenda should be $5 instead of $6.  He was basing this information off of a letter that was sent home in June of 2015; a sharp guy!

some words from this week

words from the past 

In addition to having Gym at the same time for the entire school year, the 7s are working together on the "Island Activity."

They are in groups of 5 and creating a community.  They are often working with students they have met for the first time.

I will add some more photos when the groups get around to presenting the projects.







Here are some photos of different stages of the project:

The project is planned for a small portion of this afternoon, but it is my hope to hand out a small portion of homework for the weekend.  I will post that on the blog.

This is a small section of the homework for Monday.  I have answered a couple of the questions in front of the class to model how to do it.  The sheet is a way of me getting to know the class a little more.

homework
Toronto Public Health form(s)
Parent Contact Information form (for Mr. P)
Student Inventory homework

Go!

It was the first day of school yesterday and an adjustment for everyone as everyone came out of the starting blocks.

Once the students arrive in the room, the year officially is up and running.

The Grade 7 HSP and ISP class has been combined this year.  As a group, we are 7C and will be going on Rotary for Science, History/Geography [which I will be teaching], French, and Math.  We have set up a Team Teaching model in Grade 7 for 2015-2016.  When the students are out on Rotary in the core subject areas -- the subjects I mentioned, less French -- there will be two teachers in the classroom to assist with teaching and to provide support for the students from our class.

This model is new.  I am sure there will be many questions and hurdles along the way, but the team, along with the AMG Administration, believe this will be a great model for the students.

Sorry, the photo is a touch blurry,  This is the group of Grade 7s having a team meeting with Ms. Miller, Mr. Chung, Mr. Taylore, Ms. Da Silva, and Ms. Verhagen in the Senior Lunch Room.

You will be receiving a letter home with some information about the school year and the Grade 7 team.  

SET (The School year is almost here)

https://biomechanicblogsprinting.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/usain-blocks.jpg

Almost

#vscocam

Second day preparations: It's coming

First glance in Room 52 & some thoughts on Failure

Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year.

Dropped by the room to start setting up for the 15-16 year.

I came across this article, while browsing:

The article was from the following site:  http://www.knfilters.com/search/appsearch.aspx

As a believer in the importance and value of developing non-cognitive skills, failing can teach lessons and be a learning opportunity.  I emphasize the can if it is framed properly by both the teacher and caregivers at home. 

 For those of you who know me and those of you who will have me as one of your son or daughter's teachers, I have always placed a high importance of students developing a richer understanding of what non-cognitive skills are and how being able to acquire them will be invaluable.  This is not to suggest that upon developing a skill,say,in being resilient will mean you will be transformed to an A students.   Even the fact that that I am using this as a benchmark is problematic! If a sense of Resiliency is developed, it may allow a student to figure out what to do when a failure is encountered instead of shutting down.

As always, these ideas will be continued.

In the blocks and waiting...

http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/jamaicas-asafa-powell-waits-in-the-starting-blocks-to-news-photo/171654229

A new school year is about to begin.  I am one of the Track and Field coaches at AMG and often use elements of coaching in my approach to teaching.  So, the photo of the Sprinters in the block is them waiting for the command of "set" and the gun firing ("go").

To ease myself back into the classroom, I am finding myself doing a fair bit of reading and one of the things that came up during a Brunch conversation was Cursive handwriting.  I have been doing a little bit of this as a daily exercise over the past six years and have always responded to the why do we have to do this question from students by saying that it was good for your brain.  This is true, but a bit of a vague answer.  I came across this article, from the New York Times, while doing some research:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0

Cursive writing has often been referred to as a lost art form.  It is something I remember doing during the late 1970s and early 1980s.  I believe that my sense of nostalgia has some value.

I am not quite ready for the gun to go off and the race to begin, so I will enjoy my contemplative moments in the blocks.

The End

:)