I love getting up early-ish (NOT 5am like during school) when it is still quiet and still a little overcast. I know I will only be able to have the window open for a bit longer before it's AC time.
I am LOVING getting up most mornings knowing that there aren't a million things I have to do. I get to choose! Summer is great!
I was completely planning on linking up to Tara for Monday Made It. BUT ... I've gotten so caught up in my fun around-the-house projects that I have done NOTHING for my classroom. Maybe next week you'll get so see something for my classroom and some of my house/me projects, including a dress I am making that is totally stretching my sewing abilities.
I'm getting ready to go on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and then to see some of boyfriend's family and some of my family in Colorado. Neither of us have ever been to either! I'm super excited!
Reading:
1. Edward Tulane: The kids got such a kick out of it for many different reasons. The girls seemed emotionally involved in the story. And for the boys ... Edward is naked in part of it and gets put in a dress. Apparently that's all a nine or ten year old boy needs to be entertained!
2. CAFE: My BTSA group (do all of you do BTSA or is that a California thing? Well, if you don't, it's a two year program to clear your credential. BTSA stands for Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment. Some busy work, some great support from veteran teachers) did book clubs with teacher-books and the 3rd-5th grade group read CAFE and made Pensieve binders. This was in March, so I never really got CAFE going full swing and I haven't read Daily 5 yet (dilemma: I wanted to read it this summer, especially with the book study at We Read, We Blog, We Teach going on, but I am getting a free copy from my district a week before school starts). I did start trying individual conferences with students and taking some notes in my Pensieve. I'm going to try to use it a lot more this year!
Happy Monday! (really, happy day-doesn't-matter-because-it's-summer-break)
Congrats on posting your first Currently!! How do you think CAFE works in the intermediate grades? I'm going to start teaching fifth grade this August and had some experience with the Daily Five in the first grade class where I did my student teaching and I really liked it. You'll have to tell us how CAFE goes in your fourth grade class!!
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Surviving the First Year
Amanda,
DeleteCongrats on your job! This past year, all I did was individual conferences CAFE-style. Everything else I just used our curriculum. Some kids told me how much they loved conferences. Students who complained about almost everything never complained about conferences. As I try out more of it this year, I will certainly be posting about it on here!
-Dani
Love your blog! So cute! ....and agreed, summer is going by way too fast!!!!
ReplyDeleteMallory @ {6th Grade} All-Stars
I didn't do very well using my pensive. Honestly, I am kinda confused about it. If you would, share how you use it (I mean REALLY how you use it. I need help!!!
ReplyDeleterene'
A Passion For Primary
Rene,
DeleteI don't feel like I did very well using mine this year either. All I did was set it up like the sisters suggest and then use the conferences section (behind a tab for each student, I had a reading conferences sheet). I took notes on what they were reading, a strength, and my teaching point/goal for them (which I discussed with them). That's all I did this year! I didn't even schedule a next meeting with them because I was so sporadic with it. I'm really going to try using it more this year, so check back here as the school year gets going because I'll most certainly be posting about what works (and what doesn't) for me! Good luck!
-Dani