Skip to main content

Routines, Mindsets, and Mantras

By
Image result for strengthWe have been hard at work -- so much learning packed into five short days!

We continue learning routines and procedures that set us up for success all year long. These include choosing just right books, collaborating effectively, finding our best spaces for independent work, using rubrics and criteria to improve the quality of our work, and lots of community-building. We're off to a great start with daily morning meetings, learning the names of all 45 classmates, and organizing our notebooks/supplies. These first two weeks have also included lots of social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons, some of which we've crafted into mantras that help us through the day. Your student knows these two mantras already: I think before I act or speak and I focus when I listen.

We've also talked about how readers, writers, scientists, and mathematicians all learn best with a growth mindset. This means we know that our effort creates our abilities and that all of us have limitless potential. We know that mistakes, challenge, and curiosity are essential parts of learning and we celebrate these values in our classrooms everyday!

One great way you will connect with our classroom is through your child's Take Off and Landing! notebooks. They came home Friday. We'd like you to sit down with your child(ren) and talk through the entries. It's a great opportunity to ask questions like, "How did you feel when you completed your courageous act?" or "How will you pursue your curiosity?" Know that your response as an audience matters so much!

If there are places where you as a reader are confused, simply ask for clarification. "I see this word, but I'd like to really understand it. Can you help me?"  If they want to correct it, have them simply write the correct word/add words to explain right there. No need to erase, no need to start the whole thing over. It's a way we can see growth!

Once you have read it together, simply sign your initials so that we know you read it. If you are so inclined, write them back! Be specific -- "I see how you...that really helped me to understand..." Try to steer away from too much general: "Great work! I'm so proud of you!" It's wonderful, and you do think it's great and you are proud...but we want them to know exactly what they are doing in their writing and in their actual lives that is great work and that you are proud of.

Teachers have responded this week, and you can use those as models for types of specific feedback. :)

Have a fantastic 3-day weekend!
Jen and Jewellyn

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Texas Regions

By
*Parents, this is an in-class assignment. Hello, SBLC Super Stars! Today, you are explorers of the four Texas regions. If you get finished--AND your have double checked your work--please make a comment that includes your name and something you enjoyed learning today! Directions : Carefully read below and use the links to investigate the characteristics and history of each region. Remember to write neatly and double check spelling...everything you do deserves your best effort! :) 1. A  sub-region  is a smaller part of a region or area. What are the sub-regions within each Texas region? Look at the picture below to see how to record your findings in your notebook. Now, click here to find your answers:  http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=41216 2. On the next two pages in your notebook, create a half-page "fact sheet" for each region. Set your pages up first! Use a ruler to make straight lines and create a half page for each region. ...
28 comments
Read more

Making Change -- Online Games

By
http://www.mathplayground.com/making_change.html   Math Game - Making Change www.mathplayground.com Making Change Click and drag the correct change to the counter. More Math Games Money and Time : Making Change supports Grade 2 Common Core Math Standards in ... http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/     Money Games for Kids | FunBrain www.funbrain.com Calculate the change required from purchases and fill your piggy bank! The more you get right, the more you have. Play FunBrain's Money games for Kids now! http://mrnussbaum.com/cashd/   Cash Out – A Money Game mrnussbaum.com Age Appropriateness: Cash Out is appropriate for kids ages 7 – 12. There are three skill levels and various options to customize the game for the aforementioned ages. http://www.abcya.com/counting_money.htm   Learn to Count Money | ABCya! www.abcya.com Learn to Count Money | Children practice counting money by clicking and dragging bills and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reaching Out, Learning about Each Other and the World

By
This week our focus has challenged us to "be the world to one," rather than just "one in the world." Discussions have run deep with how our actions and words truly have an impact on everyone around us. We also talked about how all of us: humanity and nature make the music of this world, and without our unique voice, that music is missing something. Discover what you want to add to the music. Speak up. Say something. We wrestled with big history this week. We celebrated  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and The Little Rock 5, Ruby Bridges, and the thousands of others who took a stand during the Civil Rights Era. To understand this better, we looked at primary source pictures -- these leaders, their actions, their speeches, their marches -- which brought them to life. We examined timelines and asked powerful questions. Again, another opportunity to look at the world -- right now -- and ask, "How can I be the world to one? What do I want to say that makes...
Post a Comment
Read more