A Wonderful Ending...

We had a great week!  Whether it makes a difference on the STAAR test or not, I will truly never know.  But my quarters seemed to be engaged, so it was worth it, to me!

On Thursday, we reviewed sequencing.  Quarters used the chapter we were reading in The Hunger Games to sequence the events.  There are three words/key vocabulary I wanted them to review and remember:  organize, order, sequence.  We put the three words into a "sing-song" type rhythm and counted to three on our fingers.  As they said each word, I had them hold up a finger.  While I know this seems rudimentary, most of my quarters are ELL.  Movement and memory seem to make connections for them.  I wanted them to associate  (#1) with organize, (#2) with order, (#3) with sequence.  We repeated this several times.  I encouraged them to remember that if they see the words organize, order, or sequence in a STAAR question, they are being asked to put things in 1, 2, 3 order.  I really think they may have "gotten" it...finally after months of discussion!

Today, we had a special guest.  I was so lucky to have my daughter come to my school!  She is an education student in college and will graduate in December.  She wants to teach K-4.  She needed 5 more hours of volunteer time for a class she is enrolled in this semester.  So, I rounded up some classrooms for her to visit and help out in.  She also helped in my room.  She had an assignment to complete on "cause and effect" and  had to tape herself teaching it!  I got to watch her in action!!  I was very proud!!

As a class, we read another chapter of our book.  We focused on how to infer.  The quarters did an awesome job inferring and predicting.  They were able to connect prior learning and knew that schema + evidence = inference.  It was a great week of review!!

We also had time to continue working on our research magazines, in which students chose a person, place, or thing to research and write about.  I have a few that are not finished, but most of them only have one page to go.  Here are some pics of one that is almost complete:

They are not perfect...but...

They are non-fiction...

They have many text features...

They are informative...

They are researched....

They are creative....

They are unique....

And the students will remember them!

"Memory...is the diary we all carry about us"--Oscar Wilde

Hopefully, the lessons they reviewed this week will be part of the "diary" they carry in their memories...for testing and beyond!

Always,