With my more mature than in September fifth graders, we'll start anew after the February vacation with the following goals.
Revisit Character Traits
We'll watch the Rowling's video that we ran out of time for today and revisit the elements of good character. I'll tell students that I'll be watching to notice evidence of good character throughout the teaching/learning days, and I'll invite them to notice good character in our learning/teaching team of students, family members, educators, and community members too.
I'll also look for ways that we can bolster each others' character traits with classroom routines, efforts, meeting, and speak that fosters the wonderful traits we reviewed today including respect, responsibility, perseverance, tolerance/acceptance, friendship, courage, thankfulness, kindness/courtesy, self-control, honesty, and cooperation/collaboration.
Desk Clean Up
We'll clean desks and get organized a bit since we have no assembly on the first day back.
Mid-Year Math Review
We'll intermittently review math concepts, computation, and problem solving and take a system-wide three-part test during the math block during the first seven school days after vacation, then we'll take out the fraction bars and get back to our deep study of fractions that will last throughout March.
New RTI Reading Groups
Our Lit Mix will include new groups. I'll review Lit Mix protocols with the whole class and then start working with my new group. It's really great that we remake the groups about every six weeks as that helps everyone to renew their strategies and enthusiasm for this time of the week.
Special Events
There are a large number of special events starting after vacation until the end of the year. Specifically we'll take trips to the McAuliffe Challenger Center and The Museum of Afro American History. We have a visiting scientist who will engage the students in a matter exploration and a visiting author, Sharon Draper. We also have a matter STEAM Theme Day planned.
Read Aloud
We've got to finish Out of My Mind by Draper by mid March.
Professional Learning
In the next week I'll shore up the plans for the Mathematical Mindset online and offline book share, learning/teaching events related to a local garden my husband and I have signed on to support, continued TLI efforts, and planning efforts for a Massachusetts ECET2.
The agenda is set, now it's time to catch my breath.
