The students were very excited to see each other this week after our winter break! To start 2018 off on a positive note, my students participated in some cooperative games. I wanted us to practice teamwork, compromising and collaboration skills. We learned how to play the cooperative board game Hoot Owl Hoot! This is…
My class is wrapping up their author study about Kevin Henkes. We really enjoyed reading his books and comparing them. We read Lily’s Big Day; Shiela Rae, the Brave; Wemberly Worried; Kitten’s First Full Moon; and Chrysanthemum. After we read each book, we discussed the characters, setting, problem, solution, and lesson of the story. It…
When it comes to learning, the content of what we learn is usually emphasized. However, how and where we learn is equally important. As a teacher, I’m constantly looking for new ways to motivate my students to learn, whether it’s including more hands-on activities, adding technology, or changing the space in which we learn. Understanding how our students enjoy…
There are many reasons I am thankful that I work at Chicago Friends School. I love my students, and I enjoy being a teacher, but there is something I thank my lucky stars for everyday: our staff team. To write this blog, I am going to try and narrow down what it is that actually…
This week, my class finished and sent off our pen pal letters to Westbury Friends School in New York. We had so much fun writing these letters, and we are anxiously awaiting replies. Before this project, most of the students didn’t know what a pen pal was, but they quickly grew excited about the idea…
Show-and-share is something the students eagerly look forward to every week. Show-and-share is a whole-class sharing activity in which one student after another takes the center stage and talks about what they brought in from home. The audience then asks a couple of questions. There are many benefits for kids in presenting their show-and-share to…