Teacher Talk Tuesday

Have y'all heard about Teacher Talk Tuesday on Instagram?  I love Instagram, but have only used it for personal reasons until I heard about Teacher Talk Tuesday!  What the Teacher Wants and Apples and ABC's are hosting!  
You can find me on Instragram under the name 4theloveofteaching!   I can't believe how many people uploaded photos today!  Make sure you add the hashtag: #teachertalktuesday

A New Adventure

Before I began teaching, I never really had a grade that I just knew I wanted to teach one day.  I began my student teaching in 1st grade and I really enjoyed the little ones.  I thought, "I could teach little ones, for sure!" Then, I finished my student teaching in 5th grade and I really enjoyed it, too! So, when I began interviewing, I wasn't looking for a specific grade.  I am certified K-6, but thought that 5th grade was probably the highest grade level I'd want to teach because I really couldn't see myself in a middle school setting.  

I was hired to teach 4th grade and am currently in my fifth year teaching 4th grade and I have loved this grade level!  Last week I was asked by my principal to move up to 5th grade next year with the option of keeping my same classroom and keeping my same class.  
But, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous!  I have looked up some standards for 5th grade and I am excited to teach Social Studies!  It looks like the major themes in the South Carolina standards are:

  • Reconstruction
  • Westward Expansion
  • Industrial Revolution, urbanization, and discriminatory practices
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Cold War
  • Collapse of the Soviet Union and the political, social, and economic, and environmental challenges since (to include the terrorism of September 11th)
Wow!  Of course, there's LOTS of information to cover through all of that!  I find most of this very interesting, but I really wish I'd paid more attention to History now! {Cold War...what???  Was I sleeping in class when this was taught 'cause I don't know a thing about it!}Social Studies is one of my favorites to teach, though!  

Now, Science on the other hand....eeekkk!  Thank goodness the teacher who I will be teaching with loves Science and has pretty much solidified her Science plans.  It looks like the overall themes in 5th grade Science are:
  • Scientific Inquiry
  • Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and biotic/abiotic factors
  • Features, changes, and processes of Earth's land and ocean
  • Matter, mixtures and solution
  • Forces and motion
Not so sure about all of that!  Does anyone that's reading have any experience in 5th grade?  Any great resources, read alouds, etc that I should check out?  I would love any advice!  

Friday Wrap Up!

What a week!! Please keep my student who lost his mother in your prayers.  I posted about it in my previous post.  My administration and I attended the funeral today and he's just been on my heart and mind constantly.  I ended up not taking a single picture all week with everything going on. But, I do still have some things to share so I am linking up with Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching.

1) I got some big news this week.  I am moving to......

I will be looping up with my fourth graders to teach them again in fifth grade!  I have taught with THE BEST team teacher for five years so I am sad I won't teach with her again.  But, I am sure this next year will be good!  The good news is that I do not have to move rooms (whew!) and have the option of keeping my same class (which I plan to).  Much more to come about my move to 5th grade next year!

2)  This year our school became a Title I school.  One nice thing is the extra materials we have been able to receive.  This past week I got these two things in the mail:

3) This week we have learned all about idioms and this pocket chart from Really Good Stuff has been so helpful! 
4)  I introduced bucket filling last year and loved how it helped our classroom community!  This year we have had a harder time with it.  I have my class write notes to fill in each other's buckets and naturally, these notes should be compliments.  But , we have really strayed from it with notes that say things like "Hey." or "Hi, how are you?".  My class isn't really even excited about it and we only check our buckets every two weeks or so, whereas last year we checked them every Friday.  Do you guys have any advice?!?!
5) Tomorrow I am participating in a 3 mile walk with the Providence Heart and Sole Walk!  I am walking with another teacher!  Yay for exercise!  I have been on Weight Watchers for a few weeks and lost 3 pounds last week...woohoo!  Hope this walk helps me at weigh in this week!


Heavy Heart

Sometimes in your teaching career, you realize that there is more to teaching children the 3R's.  This week has been one of those weeks.  After telling you guys about some sad news in my previous post, I am saddened to have more sad news from my teaching life.  One of my students lost his mother this week.  I found out last week that she had been in the hospital, but wasn't sure how serious it was until just a few days ago and then she passed away a few days later.  Losing a parent must be one of the worst pains in the world. Especially losing your parent at the tender age of ten years old.  My heart is so heavy and just hurts for my student and his family. 

I went to visit yesterday after school with a partner teacher.  Although we didn't see my student or his father, we did see and talk to relatives who said that my student was having a really tough time, as you can only imagine and expect.  I can't even imagine his pain.  Tonight is the visitation (which I will be attending in just an hour) and tomorrow is the funeral. I am able to leave school with my administrators to attend the funeral tomorrow.  Our 4th graders made sweet cards that we took to his house. 

Last year I experienced a student who lost his father.  I wondered what to expect as he returned and how he would do in school.  He never really spoke of his father much, but just on a few occasions and kept it all in (at school, at least) so there wasn't a lot at school that we had to experience.  All children are different and we all deal with grief in different ways.  I just pray that I can be and that our class/school can be the support this student needs when he comes back to school next Monday. 

Please be in prayer for my student. 

Powered by Blogger.
Back to Top