This Month has flown by.  Literally FLOWN BY! This month consisted of 10 instructional days with one field trip.  Even though we only saw 2 weeks and some change of each other, we made a lot of progress with one another as a classroom community.  Not only did my students make progress, but also I did as well in my practice.  February saw A LOT of winter weather days, but it also saw a lot of growth. 

I noticed that my highs had a lot to do with my instructional practice.  I had a lot of days where I saw my students engaged in learning in new ways.  Many of those moments that just made me smile on the inside were when I was able to incorporate literacy comprehension into lessons from Strategies That Work.  I loved doing the List, Group, Label activity with my kids.  Honestly, I was surprised they were able to do it! At first it was difficult for them to come up with words and many were confused as to why I was even asking them about this.  But after a quick think, pair, share they were able to come up with many words and justify why they chose certain ones.  I was so impressed! They also did a fun activity on describing and classifying dinosaurs.  Again, I thought this might be too hard for them, but they surprised me again! They were able to describe them and act like scientists by grouping them based on their characteristics.  I think my favorite thing I did with my students this month was having them write true stories based on their own experiences. Once I convinced one student to sit down and write a story on the computer, I had every other kid in the class asking when they could write a story with me! I made copies of the books for the kids and they carried them around all day and took them home.  I keep going back to Ladybugs, Tornadoes, and Swirling Galaxies idea of having student work displayed and having them find purpose in doing work in the first place.  With the true stories, we posted them on the parent bulletin board and asked parents to read them because our books are important! I’ve noticed a lot of parents looking at the board and reading with their kids.  It’s such a beautiful thing to see parents, school, and kids interacting with one another in a positive and beneficial way!

 

When I consider my lows through out the month, I’m a little overwhelmed by the behavior issues I’ve been having with two of my students.  One little guy is an over reactor when it comes to conflict with his peers and he often gets in trouble for getting physical with his peers.  It’s devastating to see this going on with a 5 year old and his classmates! We’ve been working on some strategies for him when he feels upset or frustrated and he has been trying to use these strategies, but sometimes his body gets the best of him.  I’m trying to be patient and remember he’s still learning! My other student is a slightly more difficult case.  His physical conflict has reached a level that other parents are concerned and upset that he is reacting this way with their children.  This is heartbreaking for me! I don’t want disharmony in my classroom and I definitely want our school to be a SAFE place to come everyday.  Black Ants and Buddhists has really encouraged me to find a way to be open and honest with parents and not try to fix it all by myself.  Mary Cowhey says, “Teachers inevitably have to deal with parents about difficult situations that arise, be they social, emotional, behavioral, or academic” (2006, p. 207).  I think every teacher can agree that interacting with parents is not always a pleasant experience, especially when they’re upset with you.  However, it’s a necessary part of teaching and so the most open and honest communication that can be done, the bet