Don't mind me. This is just a note to myself.
Penmanship - get workbooks made for the children who need them, and work on a "letter family" each week. The younger kids need penmanship paper - don't forget that they're still pretty new at the whole, "writing" thing.
Writing workshop - back to basics: writing a good paragraph. Modeled writing and lots of identifying topic sentences and supporting sentences. Pick a subject - something from the cultural curriculum (yeah), and write paragraphs. Outlining is good, but good paragraphs make or break a piece. Practice, practice, practice.
Journal writing - 11:00? Clean up at 11:00, journal writing, tracking and outside? Clean up at 11:10? We don't really need a full blown cleanup in the morning, since we're not eating in the room, and we're going back to work time in the afternoon. We could just tidy up and then go to journaling. Make journals with penmanship paper for the younger kids.
School is going well. Take a breath and relax. You've got all the kids assessed in spelling and penmanship, and you're starting on RAZ. It takes a while, but you're doing just fine.
Breathe.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Preparing for the Big Bang!
The countdown is on. School starts in less than three weeks, with contract days picking back up in less than two. I'm still hammering out my schedule and my daily routine. Were I better organized, I would have done all of that back in June, but, hey, nobody is perfect.
First thing we'll be doing, of course, will be the Great Lessons. We always start off the year with a BANG - the Big Bang, that is. The first Great Lesson tells the story of the creation of the universe all the way through the formation of the earth. It is grand and viceral - capturing the mind of the child in a way "ice breaker" activities just can't even touch. This year I'll be using this:
This is the Cosmic Story Mat from Waseca Biomes in Georgia. The spiral timeline gives students a beautiful visual to go with the story, and the materials give students a shelf work to go with the first Great Lesson. Look at all the extras!
Three-part cards for the creation of the universe? Talk about ambitious! I can't imagine anything that would captivate the imagination of a young child more than a hands-on tour of the timeline of the universe. I'm blown away. Waseca materials are beautiful and well made, standing up well to their constant use in the classroom. It is my ambition to someday own everything in the Waseca catalog.
You should seriously check them out.
First thing we'll be doing, of course, will be the Great Lessons. We always start off the year with a BANG - the Big Bang, that is. The first Great Lesson tells the story of the creation of the universe all the way through the formation of the earth. It is grand and viceral - capturing the mind of the child in a way "ice breaker" activities just can't even touch. This year I'll be using this:
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| It is SO much more beautiful in person |
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| Mat, arrows, thumbprints, charts . . . three part cards! This set has EVERYTHING! |
You should seriously check them out.
Friday, July 29, 2011
We interrupt this broadcast . . .
I was going to post about language apps that I like, but something else has come up. Well, something else came in the mail, actually. Behold:
I ordered this off of Amazon last week, and it arrived today. I pulled it out of the packaging, and the kids actually *set the iPad down* to run over to see it. We stretched it out, and they were both in geeky, prehistoric animal-lovers' heaven.
The timeline appears to be quite sturdy, and I expect it will stand up well to all the love I know it will receive by the students in my classroom. The illustrations are well done - not cartoonish, and Charlie (Charles Darwin) has lots of on-level insight for the kids as they explore 600 million years of animal life. For parents and teachers alike there are 20 different activity ideas printed on the reverse side of the timeline, and there are answers to frequently asked questions. There are also book suggestions for further research.
Unfortunately, the timeline is limited to animal life. I wish there were more room and that it were possible to include plant life as well (as if 18 linear feet weren't enough!) but I understand the necessity of sticking to one kingdom of life. Any longer or wider and the timeline would become too difficult for little hands to manipulate.
If you've got a little extra cash laying about, I recommend getting the Ancient Creature Cards as well:
These cards are perfectly matched to the timeline and can be used separately or in conjunction with it. Together the timeline and the ancient creature cards are the heart of an exciting unit on early life. I can't wait to bring them into the classroom.
Pay a visit to Charlie's Playhouse for more information!
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| Timeline of AWESOMENESS is more like it |
The timeline appears to be quite sturdy, and I expect it will stand up well to all the love I know it will receive by the students in my classroom. The illustrations are well done - not cartoonish, and Charlie (Charles Darwin) has lots of on-level insight for the kids as they explore 600 million years of animal life. For parents and teachers alike there are 20 different activity ideas printed on the reverse side of the timeline, and there are answers to frequently asked questions. There are also book suggestions for further research.
Unfortunately, the timeline is limited to animal life. I wish there were more room and that it were possible to include plant life as well (as if 18 linear feet weren't enough!) but I understand the necessity of sticking to one kingdom of life. Any longer or wider and the timeline would become too difficult for little hands to manipulate.
If you've got a little extra cash laying about, I recommend getting the Ancient Creature Cards as well:
 | |
| So much information! |
Pay a visit to Charlie's Playhouse for more information!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Quiet summer days?
July has been great fun for us. We had friends and family in town for the fourth, and we have spent countless hours at the nearby waterpark. The girl and I are also continuing with skating lessons. School has been mostly in the background, but for one thing:
Early this month my administrator sent out an email telling us that the school had acquired 3 iPads for classroom use and invited us to send in proposals of how we would use one if we had one in our classroom. I've had my eye on the iPad ever since they were first introduced - before even - and I jumped at the opportunity to have one for my classroom use. I quickly replied that I would load it up with math apps, specifically apps targeting speed skills, and watch as my students' skills went through the roof.
A week or so later, my administrator invited me to come by and pick up my classroom iPad! I've had it for about a month now. My kids have enjoyed "testing out" the apps for me, and I've found a bunch of apps that I think are going to be fantastic - and a bunch of duds.
Here are my favorites:
Everyday Mathmatics by McGraw Hill
Tune in tomorrow (ideally) for a listing of some of my favorite language apps.
Early this month my administrator sent out an email telling us that the school had acquired 3 iPads for classroom use and invited us to send in proposals of how we would use one if we had one in our classroom. I've had my eye on the iPad ever since they were first introduced - before even - and I jumped at the opportunity to have one for my classroom use. I quickly replied that I would load it up with math apps, specifically apps targeting speed skills, and watch as my students' skills went through the roof.
A week or so later, my administrator invited me to come by and pick up my classroom iPad! I've had it for about a month now. My kids have enjoyed "testing out" the apps for me, and I've found a bunch of apps that I think are going to be fantastic - and a bunch of duds.
Here are my favorites:
Everyday Mathmatics by McGraw Hill
- This link takes you to a straight-up multiplication speed drill called "Beat the Computer." The girl loves it, and her speed on multiplication facts has improved dramatically in only a couple of weeks. McGraw-Hill makes many other educational apps. They're all fantastic.
- The video game style high scores board is sure to make this app popular with my more competitive students.
- I love the expandable 'chalkboard' that the students can use to work out the problems, and the use of detractors in the quizzes is helpful as test prep.
- Bubbles is so much fun! The task is simple - tap the bubbles from the smallest to largest number. The tricky part is that the bubbles might contain numerals, words, or equations. Oh, and the sizes of the bubbles can throw you too - the largest bubble might contain the smallest number. Tricky!
- With this one I can set up user accounts for each student so that each child's practice is tracked individually. Genius!
Tune in tomorrow (ideally) for a listing of some of my favorite language apps.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
All About Me
I came to Montessori when my oldest child, "the girl," was a preschooler. I was working from home, and she was just old enough to need more attention than I could give with my full-time job. I knew a bit about Montessori and knew that it offered an environment I could trust. I found a school in my area and enrolled my daughter.
Within a few months I had decided it was time to quit my work-from-home job. It was becoming more and more demanding of my time, and I needed a change. I liked the girl's preschool, though, and I didn't want to pull her out, so in asked if there were any positions available in the school. There were, and I was hired as an assistant in one of the early childhood classrooms.
I enjoyed my work, though I felt just a little off. I could tell something wasn't quite right. I was training to become a certified teacher, and many of the books I was reading - Dr. Montessori's own works and the many, many excellent Montessori books available - did not line up with much of what my school did in the name of Montessori. Still, I didn't know better, and I stayed on for over two years. In that time I quickly moved from assistant to head teacher, becoming certified in the 3-6 along the way.
Finally, though, I couldn't handle the cognitive dissonance anymore, and I left the school. It was a big, dramatic moment, and while it felt good to leave, I was unemployed. Fortunately for me, there was a public charter school in the area that was just opening up - the first public Montessori school in the state! The girl had already been accepted as a kindergartner, and I was lucky to get on as a part-time specialty teacher - teaching Spanish to all of the elementary classes. Soon enough, though, an assistant position became available, and I was hired on full-time - first as an assistant, and later as a head teacher. I entered the school-sponsored certification program, becoming certified in the lower elementary.
It's been four years now. I am preparing to teach my fifth year as a lower elementary teacher, although this year will be different. I have been teaching a bit of a bridge class, including students ages 7-10 (grades 2-4) rather than the traditional 6-9 (grades 1-3), but this year I will be teaching a traditional 6-9 class. I am looking forward to it and expect to find many interesting differences.
Stay tuned!
Within a few months I had decided it was time to quit my work-from-home job. It was becoming more and more demanding of my time, and I needed a change. I liked the girl's preschool, though, and I didn't want to pull her out, so in asked if there were any positions available in the school. There were, and I was hired as an assistant in one of the early childhood classrooms.
I enjoyed my work, though I felt just a little off. I could tell something wasn't quite right. I was training to become a certified teacher, and many of the books I was reading - Dr. Montessori's own works and the many, many excellent Montessori books available - did not line up with much of what my school did in the name of Montessori. Still, I didn't know better, and I stayed on for over two years. In that time I quickly moved from assistant to head teacher, becoming certified in the 3-6 along the way.
Finally, though, I couldn't handle the cognitive dissonance anymore, and I left the school. It was a big, dramatic moment, and while it felt good to leave, I was unemployed. Fortunately for me, there was a public charter school in the area that was just opening up - the first public Montessori school in the state! The girl had already been accepted as a kindergartner, and I was lucky to get on as a part-time specialty teacher - teaching Spanish to all of the elementary classes. Soon enough, though, an assistant position became available, and I was hired on full-time - first as an assistant, and later as a head teacher. I entered the school-sponsored certification program, becoming certified in the lower elementary.
It's been four years now. I am preparing to teach my fifth year as a lower elementary teacher, although this year will be different. I have been teaching a bit of a bridge class, including students ages 7-10 (grades 2-4) rather than the traditional 6-9 (grades 1-3), but this year I will be teaching a traditional 6-9 class. I am looking forward to it and expect to find many interesting differences.
Stay tuned!
Welcome to Montessori Style!
I've been a Montessori teacher for six years. This is not my first attempt to be a Montessori blogger. Maybe this time it'll stick.
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