Oct

23

Halloween!

October 23, 2009 | | 4 Comments

It’s almost here, the time when you get to dress up and beg strangers for candy.   I LOVED Halloween as a kid.  Often, I would try to make my own costumes, and they were usually pretty terrible!  But, the experience was fun!

Are you doing anything for Halloween this year?  Will you Trick or Treat, go to  a harvest festival, or a party?  Or will you stay home and help your family pass out candy?  If you won’t be celebrating Halloween at all, let us know why.

Sep

11

What’s in a Name?

September 11, 2009 | | 32 Comments

People get their names in all sorts of interesting ways.  Some are named after family members, fictional characters, months, or even flowers.  Some parents choose a name for it’s meaning.  Some names have very simple stories while others have complex ones.

My story is pretty simple.  My name, Angela, comes from my grandmother, Angelina.  My parents named me after her.  My name means, ‘like an angel.’ Some people would agree with the meaning of my name while others would probably get a pretty good laugh out of it!

What is your name?  Where did your name come from?  How did your parents decide what to name you?  What does your name mean?  You may have to ask your parents first if you have never talked about this!

Sep

4

Summer Memories

September 4, 2009 | | 27 Comments

Now that a new school year has started, this is a good time to look back and reflect on our summer vacations (however short they may have been).  This summer, I had a chance to go to Washington DC on a trip with other teachers.  I also went with my mom and husband to Minnesota to visit family there. 

minnesotafabricWhile I was in Minnesota, my favorite memory was going on a quilt shop hop.  This is where you go around from one quilt store to another and see what they have, get free gifts, and a chance to go shopping.  Minnesota makes their own fabric, and I now have a collection of Minnesota fabric that I plan to make something out of (although I’m not sure what yet. 

What did you do this summer?  What is your favorite summer memory from this year? – If you are one of my current students, I expect your response to be at least one paragraph in length!

Aug

21

A New Beginning

August 21, 2009 | | 12 Comments

Well, the beginning of the year is looming before us.  How exciting!  As much as I love all of my former students, I always look forward to a new group.  Every class has its own personality and energy.  I have so many emotions and feelings each time a new year begins.  This year, I feel excited and have a great deal of anticipation.  I also feel hopeful because I have heard so many new things about this new class I am getting.

What emotions do you experience at the beginning of the school year?  How are you feeling now?  What are you excited about?  What concerns do you have?

We’d love to hear about how you are feeling at the start of this new school year!

Jul

13

The End….A Time for Reflection

July 13, 2009 | | 5 Comments

Well, the end of the school year has finally come.  It’s a bittersweet thing.  I think we were all excited for a break, but many of my students (and I) were sad to have to say goodbye.  That’s one difficult thing about the fifth grade, the students move on to a new school next year.

This year has been a great one.  I have really enjoyed this group of kids and their energy, creativity, and eagerness to learn and improve.  I introduced some new projects this year like A to Z books, puppet shows, and service learning.  I was also able to refine my digital storytelling process to make it more productive.  My goal each year is to grow as a teacher and get better at what I do, and I really hope I accomplished that this year.

For next year, I would like to make a few changes.  First, I would like to start all the students out with their own blogs immediately.  I also hope to write in my professional blog at least once a week to reflect on my teaching practices.  My final goal – now that I have gotten used to our new math series (enVisions), I would like to integrate more hands-on math activities and find better quality lessons to accompany the book.

Do you have any goals for the upcoming school year?