Some days, teaching is HARD - yes, that is with all capitals. Hard as in your day starts off bad - pouring down rain, sick, forgot computer at home. Nothing is clicking, Stella has lost her groove and then some, and to top it all off, you get observed.
After 13 years, I've had both. I'd like to believe that I've had more "easy" days than "HARD" days.
Today was one of those easy days. My kids were in sync with me from the moment they arrived. I'm thinking it had to do with the way I was dressed.
When my students arrived this morning, I was dressed as a Southeastern Native American Indian. Why, you say? Well, that's the way I teach. My students learned all about the daily life of Southeastern Native Americans first by what I had on. Students had to infer the materials that the clothing was made of, observe the turkey feathers that I had in my hair, discuss the possible process for making the arrowheads that I had in my basket, create meals based on the three sisters (corn, squash, and beans), and then create a rope with their team.
These are the days that I LOVE. I finally feel like I am back where I belong in the upper grades. The Social Studies is fascinating, and I have to admit, this round of 4th grade, I find myself enjoying it more.
**I know this is normally a Tech on Tuesday feature, but I don't have any fabulous tech right now. I have been working with the website fav7.com to help my kids navigate websites. You simply input your websites and it gives you a shortened url for students to visit.
Once students arrive on that page, the websites are shown as picture icons.
I haven't used it yet, but I have it in my plans for next week. It sure beats having kids type the entire address, hyperlinking on my webpage, or creating a word document.
Shasta, I would have LOVED to have been in your room today ;) I need to check out that website.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip!
Elizabeth