Whole Brain Teaching:
My goal for our classroom is to create a positive and engaging environment. In order to hold high expectations, it is crucial that we establish a community. Whole Brain Teaching offers the opportunity for students to consistently use all parts of their brain while learning to ensure that they are actively listening, critically thinking, and participating in a positive way. When you walk into our classroom, you will observe students using hand gestures, partner teaching, chanting, and always moving around the classroom. It is a fun and engaging way of learning! If you would like more information, please visit whole brain website: http://www.wholebrainteaching.com
Positive Discipline:
In our classroom, community building will be a large focus through out the school year. It is important that we are not only learning content, but also how to be 21st century citizens of the world. This includes our interactions and communication with others. We will have classroom meetings every morning each week where we will learn how to give/receive compliments and discuss strategies that develop social and problem solving skills.
Here are the five criteria for Positive Discipline:
1. Helps children feel a sense of connection. (Belonging and significance)
2. Is mutually respectful and encouraging. (Kind and firm at the same time.)
3. Is effective long-term. (Considers what the child is thinking, feeling, learning, and deciding about himself and his world–-and what to do in the future to survive or thrive.)
4. Teaches important social and life skills. (Respect, concern for others, problem solving, and cooperation as well as the skills to contribute to the home, school or larger community.)
5. Invites children to discover how capable they are. (Encourages the constructive use of personal power and autonomy)
Literacy Instruction: Based on the academic standards for reading and writing, we have a balanced literacy classroom which includes Reading and Writing Workshop, shared reading, interactive read-aloud with accountable talk (engaging peer discussion), word study, and interactive writing. Reading strategies are modeled and practiced during interactive read-aloud. Word Study will focus on phonics, spelling, and vocabulary. Throughout the year we will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres.
During Reading Workshop, I actively work with students at their individual level and teach them the strategies they need to advance as a reader.
As an overview, students:
· Read just-right books independently and with a partner every day
· Are given opportunities to talk about their books in genuine ways
· Don’t just read the words but also understand the story and build a relationship with what they read
Writing Workshop will include narrative writing, studying authors as mentors to craft our own writing, realistic fiction, persuasive reviews, poetry, adapted fairytales, and expository writing.
As an overview, students:
· Write independently and with partners
· Self-select topics to write about
· Publish their own writing and share it in a variety of ways
Mathematics:Our math block is an interactive and multifaceted learning time. We will incorporate the learning Common Core Standards through game playing, projects, whole-class, small-group, and independent work.
Standards:
· Operations and Algebraic Thinking
· Number and Operations in Base Ten (Focusing on numbers 1-1,000)
· Measurement and Data
· Geometry
Project Based Learning: We are excited to part of a Project Based Learning (PBL) school, a creative and student engaging approach of investigating a concept or posed theme that leads students to use critical thinking and reasoning skills. In PBL, students develop a plan, collect information from a variety of sources, analyze all data and information collected, carry out a plan, communicate findings and reflect on the project. They make interdisciplinary connections and real-world applications. It is hands-on, engaging, reaches a wide variety of learning styles and individual and collective talents. More information about our projects to come!
Science: National Science Foundation :Students use inquiry skills such as observing, classifying, measuring, inferring, predicting, and conducting investigations to learn science concepts.
Technology:Throughout the curriculum we will incorporate technology to enhance student learning. Our classroom computers and IPADs are just some of the technological tools we will be using to enhance and capture student learning.
Extra Activities:
- Library
· P.E.
· Art
· Reading Buddies
My goal for our classroom is to create a positive and engaging environment. In order to hold high expectations, it is crucial that we establish a community. Whole Brain Teaching offers the opportunity for students to consistently use all parts of their brain while learning to ensure that they are actively listening, critically thinking, and participating in a positive way. When you walk into our classroom, you will observe students using hand gestures, partner teaching, chanting, and always moving around the classroom. It is a fun and engaging way of learning! If you would like more information, please visit whole brain website: http://www.wholebrainteaching.com
Positive Discipline:
In our classroom, community building will be a large focus through out the school year. It is important that we are not only learning content, but also how to be 21st century citizens of the world. This includes our interactions and communication with others. We will have classroom meetings every morning each week where we will learn how to give/receive compliments and discuss strategies that develop social and problem solving skills.
Here are the five criteria for Positive Discipline:
1. Helps children feel a sense of connection. (Belonging and significance)
2. Is mutually respectful and encouraging. (Kind and firm at the same time.)
3. Is effective long-term. (Considers what the child is thinking, feeling, learning, and deciding about himself and his world–-and what to do in the future to survive or thrive.)
4. Teaches important social and life skills. (Respect, concern for others, problem solving, and cooperation as well as the skills to contribute to the home, school or larger community.)
5. Invites children to discover how capable they are. (Encourages the constructive use of personal power and autonomy)
Literacy Instruction: Based on the academic standards for reading and writing, we have a balanced literacy classroom which includes Reading and Writing Workshop, shared reading, interactive read-aloud with accountable talk (engaging peer discussion), word study, and interactive writing. Reading strategies are modeled and practiced during interactive read-aloud. Word Study will focus on phonics, spelling, and vocabulary. Throughout the year we will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres.
During Reading Workshop, I actively work with students at their individual level and teach them the strategies they need to advance as a reader.
As an overview, students:
· Read just-right books independently and with a partner every day
· Are given opportunities to talk about their books in genuine ways
· Don’t just read the words but also understand the story and build a relationship with what they read
Writing Workshop will include narrative writing, studying authors as mentors to craft our own writing, realistic fiction, persuasive reviews, poetry, adapted fairytales, and expository writing.
As an overview, students:
· Write independently and with partners
· Self-select topics to write about
· Publish their own writing and share it in a variety of ways
Mathematics:Our math block is an interactive and multifaceted learning time. We will incorporate the learning Common Core Standards through game playing, projects, whole-class, small-group, and independent work.
Standards:
· Operations and Algebraic Thinking
· Number and Operations in Base Ten (Focusing on numbers 1-1,000)
· Measurement and Data
· Geometry
Project Based Learning: We are excited to part of a Project Based Learning (PBL) school, a creative and student engaging approach of investigating a concept or posed theme that leads students to use critical thinking and reasoning skills. In PBL, students develop a plan, collect information from a variety of sources, analyze all data and information collected, carry out a plan, communicate findings and reflect on the project. They make interdisciplinary connections and real-world applications. It is hands-on, engaging, reaches a wide variety of learning styles and individual and collective talents. More information about our projects to come!
Science: National Science Foundation :Students use inquiry skills such as observing, classifying, measuring, inferring, predicting, and conducting investigations to learn science concepts.
- Soils
- Liquids
- Balance and Weighing
Technology:Throughout the curriculum we will incorporate technology to enhance student learning. Our classroom computers and IPADs are just some of the technological tools we will be using to enhance and capture student learning.
Extra Activities:
- Library
· P.E.
· Art
· Reading Buddies