It's the Little Things

We have officially been in school for a full week, and I have to tell you that I have fallen in love with my class.  Fifth grade is a big year at Captain, and we work very hard, but it's the little things that keep us smiling.  I want to share with you some of my "little things" from today. 

We celebrated our first birthday today in class.  As you know, birthday celebrations have changed a bit this year at Captain.  We no longer ask students to bring treats in to share with the class, but ask, instead, for them to give back to the community by bringing a "birthday bag" for families in need or by donating a book to the library.  Our birthday bandits, however, thought that it would be better if we could celebrate in another way.  These students, who would like to remain anonymous (and I respect their wishes so they will henceforth be known as the birthday bandits), asked if they could arrive early to school and decorate the lockers of birthday boys and girls in our classroom this year to help them celebrate their special day.  How could I say no to that?

 
This is an example of what we call "level 6" thinking.  When you visit the classroom, you will notice this at the top of my list of levels in large, rainbow colors at the front of the room above the board.  This refers to Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development, which suggests there are stages in which humans grow through to develop moral reasoning.  In our classroom, this applies to how we follow school norms, not just the mere act of following them.  We are striving to grow to that level 6 which is having a personal code of behavior and following it; not because we are avoiding trouble, not because we want a reward, not because we want to please somebody, but because we know it is right and good in our own hearts.  This kind of lofty thinking doesn't happen everyday, even for adults.  It's a treat to see it in our youth, who we know will someday be taking charge in our world.  I love that our birthday bandits struck today and I can't wait until they strike again.  It's the little things.

In writing, we have begun a unit on poetry.  First thing this morning, we discussed metaphor and how poets can use this special tool to compare ideas or feelings or objects in a way that artfully illustrates a message.  We dabbled in writing our own metaphors and poems during independent writing, and many of us seemed to feel a little apprehensive or shy about our writing today.  I know we are just embarking on our writing workshop, so I was not discouraged.  But when I was walking back into the classroom today after dismissal, something caught my eye.  On a desk was a poem: 

And there, in dry erase marker on the desk, is a simple metaphor.  It's the little things. 

So as you go about your Wednesday, I want you to know something about our work in fifth grade this year.  Maybe every second of every day in fifth grade isn't always magical, but we are constantly encountering these little things here and there that are signs of our progress.  It's not the big events, or dramatic moments that I love best about teaching your children.  It's the little things. 

One week down...many to go, but we are READY!

We had a fabulous first week of fifth grade together!

Some favorite moments:

Alex is now ranked the number 1 golfer in his age bracket in St. Louis!  He was even in the paper!  Way to go, Alex!  I guess we will let you off the hook for leaving us to go to your tournament on the first day... ;)  We are so proud of you!

On the second day of school, Summer and Frank helped out in the beginning of the year assembly by role-playing a situation to illustrate our school norms for our Captain community.  Their leadership helped all the students in the school understand the importance of communicating peacefully with one another when you have a conflict or disagreement.  Thank you, Summer and Frank!  Well done!

We spent the majority of our time this week building our classroom community.  It's important for us to get to know each other and for me to learn about each of the members of our class.  As far as content is concerned, we just dipped our toes into reading, writing, math, and social studies in our first three days.  Towards the end of Friday, we did some problem solving on our desks and did some talking about methods with one another.  I loved seeing how each student dug right into the math and gave it their best.  They labeled clearly and questioned each other in a supportive way so as not to "steal the struggle" from their neighbors in the process.  This is a huge indicator to me that we are going to have a great time getting into our units in-depth.

Things to come:

This week we will begin working in our classroom job assignments.  I know the students are so excited to get their work underway!  Their enthusiasm is so energizing!

I am going to expect the students to be completing their planners in class when we do it together, have them signed by a parent at home, and then turned in at the beginning of each morning this week.  Please help them by providing gentle reminders if they are forgetful.  Try to allow them to carry the responsibility on their shoulders, though, which will help them get into that habit for the school year.

You can expect homework each day except for Friday this week.  Our goal is to have homework take no more than about 50 minutes to complete so that students are able to have time for other activities as well.  Students are also welcome to complete homework in mornings before school starts if that works better for their schedules. 

Our reading unit on agency and independence will begin in earnest tomorrow, as well as our writing unit on raising the level of narrative writing.  In social studies we will begin our unit entitled, Three Cultures Meet, which begins with geography and how humans came to populate what we now know as North America.  Our first chapter in math focuses on whole numbers to 10,000,000.

Finally, Thursday night will be Curriculum Night.  There will be a specialists reception at 6:30, and then Dr. Martin will address the families at 7:00 in the cafeteria.  Fifth grade teachers will team together to deliver our presentation about what your children will be studying this year.  If you cannot make it Thursday, we will post our presentation on our websites, and you are welcome to ask us questions via email.

Looking forward to another great week! 

First Day Fun!

Today was such a fantastic day one for our class, I don't even know where to begin!

Our primary focus of the day was getting to know each other and beginning to learn some of the basic routines we will be using day in and day out in fifth grade.  This time is crucial to our success as the year progresses.  I learned some wonderful things about our class members: they are brimming with  talent, have strong ties with their families and friends, they are passionate about learning about all sorts of topics, they think deeply (Even on the first day!  I hit the jackpot!), and they are willing to try new things!

In one word our day was FUN.  You know the old cliche, "Time flies when you're having fun."  It's all true.  It was fun and the day flew by. 

Some highlights that you may (or may not) have heard about:

- We are going to try a classroom economy this year.  I will send home an informational letter, but it was a program inspired by a Rafe Esquith (award-winning fifth grade teacher and author) and developed in partnership with Vanguard, provided to classrooms for free to help students learn about personal economics.  More details to come! 

- We will be receiving planners and 8-pocket-folders to help us organize, but until they arrive we are using paper planner copies.  Please check your child's planner each night and sign it.  One major goal of fifth grade is to learn positive organizational and study habits and these tools (and consistency using them) really help! 

-  I serve caffeine-free tea each morning in the classroom.  It helps the students start their day in a calm and positive way.  Please allow your child to bring a mug to school for tea if she/he would like to participate. 

I sincerely hope the students enjoyed our first day together as much as I did!  Can't wait to crank up the fun again for tomorrow! 

Happy NEW Year!

The air is tingling with excitement inside Captain.  We are gearing up for the new school year, and I have to tell you honestly that the teachers are busting with anticipation for our families to arrive.  I hope that you are as excited as we are get this year underway! 

There are some things at Captain that are different this year.  We have a new fifth grade teacher, Mrs. McGaughey, who is wonderful.  I can't wait for you to meet her and get to know what a fantastic fit she is for our school.  We have a new principal, Dr. Martin, who is equally wonderful and ready to take us to new heights - literally and figuratively!  The teachers and staff went to a climbing gym together and we all pushed ourselves to climb up as high as we could.  It was such fun!

Mrs. Carter (first grade) and Me Posing on the Rock Wall

The real truth is that each school year everything is new.  We sometimes tell ourselves that we are comfortable with what is the same - the friends we know, the teachers we know, the things we feel are our strengths - so that we can have an easier start.  Actually, it's all new.  Each day is new.  You are a new student.  I am a new teacher.  Experience helps us approach the newness and make good choices, but what fun it is to realize that we get to start again and make of it, whatever "it" may be, exactly what we really want. 

So, enjoy the newness!  I can't wait to meet you and get to know you better as we embark on this year of learning together!  If I don't see you Tuesday at Meet the Teacher, I look forward to seeing you Wednesday on the first day of school. 

Happy NEW Year!