Franklin Teaching Journal

September 10, 2009

Did such a great job at read aloud, accenting my reading with drama that my enthusiasm caught on with the kids, and needed to settle them down again.  Must be a fine art to that or perhaps I should have let them interact for some time, while they shared their excitement with their classmates.  MT says you get a feel for these things with experience.  Who would have thought the watching James's giant peach rolling down the hill could generate so much excitement.  I have spent most all the recesses outside observing my kids for play habits, who are friends, and anyone that does not have a friend to play with.  So far everyone has someone.

9:05 Announcements, pledge, intro to the herbivores chart I made for the class to contribute to.

9:10 Math

10:00 Writing Workshop

10:30 Snack

10:41 Recess

10:56 Readers take care of books activate quiz.

11:20 Wash hands

11:30 Lunch/Recess

12:20 Science

1:30 PE  Class earned a 5/5

2:00 Music Class earned a 5/5

2:33 Recess

2:43 Daily agenda, pass back, pack up, read aloud.

3:30 Dismissal

• I like how activities are tied into each other.  A science lesson with reading, and writing.  Perhaps there might be opportunities to tie in Math as well and collaborate with music to see if that can tie in.
• 1st grade math was again card game concentration to make 10 with a partner.  2nd grade reviews previous days work sheets.
• Important for someone not to just say the correct answer but how they go it and if someone else got it using a different method.
• Writing Workshop - Step by step in the writing process. Beginners draw a picture and use short sentences to describe the story.  They become more sophisticated when the detail becomes more and the sentences turn into paragraphs.  The MT keeps track of the stories the students write and complete for casual reference to them and to show her interest ion the child’s writing.
• Did a quick past, present and future tense, stand by your desk exercise where student created the sentence, and called upon the next student to come up with one.
• Quick readers take care of books exercise.  MT uses repetition to review and ingrain in the students the desired skill.
• Science lesson was a continuation of the plant cycle with the students potting, and planting 2 seeds.  Students made a calendar to document their investigation of the growth of their seedlings. Started a work bank of new vocabulary, and what they know about plants which was aided by the movie we saw.  All done methodically and without too much mess.