Lite on a Thursday

Lite on a Thursday

    I was out of the classroom today, completing DRAs with my kids. I always dread assessment days, even though they always go MUCH better than I expect! I love seeing how much growth my kids have made since the beginning of the year. It’s a nice reminder that even though I don’t always feel like I am getting through to my kids, it is evident that I am.

    This brings me to my next thought… the end of the year, or eoy as I like to call it, is rapidly approaching. Tomorrow makes 15 days left with students, which I CANNOT believe! So, naturally I am trying to cram in some last minute educational, yet fun lessons. And honestly, I don’t know what to do these last few weeks. I’m thinking I might have my kids continue with a more independent how-to writing assignment, but this is just a fleeting idea. Realistically it’s what I’ll do, because I would like to see my kids finish the how-to unit with a truly independent assignment.

    At the end of every year, I love seeing how much progress my kids have made, but I also look forward to finding ways to improve for the next year. One goal, which I’ve mentioned in a previous post, is changing how I teach writing. So I’ll be ordering No More “I’m Done!”: Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades by Jennifer Jacobson to help me accomplish this goal. Another goal I have for next year is to be more explicit when teaching routines and procedures at the beginning of the year, and whenever I introduce something new. I think I have a done a good job of this is the past, at least with the everyday routines and procedures. However, over the course of the year the teachers at my school completed a book study using Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov and I realized that I need to specifically teach more routines and procedures to help things run a bit more smoothly.

    Well, I’m off to grade some papers and write my newsletter for the week! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for another homograph FREEBIE!!

    What are your plans for these last few weeks of school? Leave a comment!