Monday, September 12, 2011

Hanging on for the BEST Times

As I write this blog, I'm trying really hard to hold on to the BEST times the first few weeks of school because honestly I am overwhelmed with all the "requirements" that I have to complete as well as the time they take to complete and grade.  I started the school year with this list of  "requirements."
*Assess Multiplication and Division facts
*Developmental Spelling Assessment
*DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment)
*Reading Diagnostic Test-similar to OAA practice test *
*Math Diagnostic Test*
*Topic 1 preassessment in math
*Science Diagnostic Test*

 As I look at this list, all I really want to do is to learn about new students as readers, writers, scientists, word observers, mathematicians, and finally learners of history.  After all, I told them the first day of class, you are living history right now.  What is their history from the first two weeks of school? What will they remember?  Where is the time to build our new community?


 Here is what I know for sure from the first two weeks of school.  The BEST times are the ones when we sit on floor, and we shared many wonderful books together. This week we had our tornado and shared The Library and Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind.  The BEST times are when we share WONDER of the day and have great conversations and laugh out loud at the video.  The BEST times are when I finally figured out on the 4th day of math class that the kids need to build a number line and move numbers up and down it to understand how to compare whole number and decimals.  The BEST times are when we allowed the students time to redesign their airplane and then it flew 100 inches further, and the kids jumped up and down excited about science. The BEST times are when the students share their Social Studies spiral about their lives because they had warm, sad, funny and scary memories after listening to Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.  I know there are many more BEST times ahead.  I just need to hold on to these moments and continue to check off my list of "requirements." Thanks for reading-I feel like I have been on the couch for a great counseling session.

1 comment:

  1. Ha.g in there. That list of requirements is quite something. However your list of BEST richer and heavier. You've accomplished a lot and will do more.

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