January Update! Woo Hoo we have hit 2014!

In January we began learning all about 3D shapes!  So on Friday after we could identify all 3D shapes we had a math lesson where the students were able to create 3D shapes with play dough.  This brought on a lot of discussion and students started to use vocabulary like (flat, points, round,etc..)  This activity lent itself well for the upcoming week were we began to talk more about the attributes and we started to compare them.

Also in January we really started on building our stamina for independent reading time.  Here are some pictures of the students working with partners during independent reading time.  It was amazing to see the students using all the things they had learned thus far.

Small group action going on with Ms. Styrczula.  Working with students  on concepts of print during independent reading time.

The next photos show the students working on math games.  This was suppose to be a family math game day where parents could come to school and learn to play games with their child.  All games were games that they could play at home.  However only two parents should up a little disappointing but out of my control.

Coming back from vacation is always crazy.  It's like the beginning of the school year with rules and routines, however it doesn't take them as long to catch on and this year the transition seemed to go very smoothly.

Over the last year I have been researching Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) and have been experimenting with some of in my classroom.  I mostly used the teaching/learning piece of it not so much the behavior piece of it.  However over the break a friend of mine emailed me that WBT was coming to the east coast in New Jersey so we decided to take a professional road trip and to learn more about the program.  This was one of the best workshops I had been in a long time. This workshop changed my perspective on teaching and I feel my students are definitely becoming little teachers themselves.  So for January updates, you will see some of the (WBT) that we are using in the classroom.

Learning all about 3D shapes!!

Comparing 3D shapes.

Another amazing thing happened coming back from vacation!  We received a new rug.  This rug was donated from Donors Choose which is an awesome website that help out teachers in need I am forever grateful for my new rug.