Mystery Readers

I know it's late in the year, but I've started doing Mystery Readers with my kiddos! And they love it! I used the site: http://www.signupgenius.com/ and linked a link to our class site with dates that parents could sign up to come read the students a story. We do them on Friday mornings and the students will walk in already trying to guess who the Mystery Reader is for the day. I do offer to provide books to read with them if they want, but I encourage them to share books that are favorites of theirs as well.

I had several parents sign up right away when it was posted! It has been a favorable experience so far with the parents and in the eyes of the students. They get to hear someone else's voice read to them and enjoy stories that I may not have heard of before. If a parent doesn't sign up for a Friday, I try to get someone else from campus-our principal or secretary to come read to them. It's something I will definitely continue doing next year.

Creative Writing

I went to high school about 100 years ago but I still remember one of my favorite classes was called "Themes" and it was all about creative writing. I think sometimes we rely too much on prompts for our writing in our classrooms. Something I've really been working on with my kiddos these last few months we have left in our school year, is writing a story-beginning, middle, end with a problem and solution. We have gone over ways to brainstorm ideas of what to write about. It's still hard for them. Quite often I'll get a great opening line and have to send them back and say "and then what happens"!

Here are some examples of their free writing from this week:

A doctor who delivers a baby and won't tell the mom if it's a boy or girl because he was mad at her. Is that creative or what?!?!?

Ethics and the Rodeo

I was a proud teacher mama today! If you don't teach Kindergarten, it might be hard for you to understand, but the beginning of the year can be very challenging for us especially when it comes to Language Arts. Many students come in with very limited writing skills. And most activities that we do from journaling to exit tickets often require writing skills. We teach them to stretch out their sounds and use invented spelling. We teach them to make spaces and not write their name in all capitals. Some days I can feel my hair turning grey! It is a very time-consuming and patience-consuming process. I actually have worked with people who just give up and decide they aren't even going to teach writing beyond morning journals.

For me, however, writing is a passion of mine and I know from experience....just wait and see. All that work pays off. And today was one of those days where I could see the fruits of those labors. One of our traditions here is the rodeo which just happens to be going on this rainy, rainy week. That being our theme this week we looked at pics and videos of some of the events. They have kids riding sheep and cowboys riding buckin' broncos. My question to them using our concept of ethics was: Is it fair the way we treat the animals at the rodeo? About 80% of them came up with such well-written, well thought-out, backed up with arguments responses and working completely independently to boot it made me beam! I love seeing that progress and all that work pay off. Check it out:

                                         
                                   Not right because they should have freedom just like us.

Not fair because if the mom dies the babies will be alone.

Not fair because they have to do all of that work.

Fair because the animals need love.

Not fair with the animals on their backs.

It is fair because we want to learn (about the animals)

Not fair because we are going to hurt the animals. 

Fair because maybe other people don't treat them nice.

Not fair because the animals need to be free.

Not fair because they get tired.

Not fair because we hurt their feelings.

Not fair because if you are mean they will be sad.

It is fair because they need to play.

Fair because what if they are sleeping, I can take care of them. (?)

Not fair because they get hooked (as in the lasso)

Fair because we want to have pig feet. (what a true Texan! :)

Not fair because bulls don't wnat cowboys on their backs.

New Use for Superheroes

I like to do "new uses for everyday things" every once in a while. This is usually a very challenging activity for them. You literally have to think outside the box-what else would you use a box for other than holding things? I demonstrate with a pencil-I can use it to put up my hair, I can open a can of soda with it.

This time we were talking about superheroes. So I was very specific-the answer can't be saving people or saving the world or fighting their enemies. What else could you use superheroes for? For example, I'd have them help me move. I hate moving and they could carry a couch in a single bound.

They actually came up with some clever ideas!

For delivering my packages.

For posing to make a statue

to carry an old lady to her house when she does not have a wheelchair.

to do some cleaning

To carry my big bag of yummy chips (that must be some bag of chips!!!! )

My Hero....

I do a class book each month where I copy an assignment from all the kiddos and copy it for their parents. I love to see the growth and how far they have come as writers! The question was who is your hero? Lots of moms and even more dads! :)

My Dad because when I can not read, he helps me.

My bones because it keeps me from not becoming jelly.

My Dad because they are awesome.

Miss Trayers because when we don't know how to spell "cap" she teaches us.

Wonder Woman because she saves people and has a lot of power.

A ninja because they are sneaky.

Snow White because she helps people and is nice and kind.

Rapunzel because she did the right things to save the boy.

My brother because he protects me and that is the right thing for him to do.

My puppy because she smiles a lot.

Katy Perry because she is just so awesome.

My mom because when I see her I feel that I she is a hero and love her.

If I Were A Superhero.....

That's the question I asked my kiddos to write about. Honestly, I expected a lot of laser vision and strength--but they really thought outside the box a bit! I did get a lot of freezing powers-which I'm sure has nothing to do with the influence of the Frozen movie or anything. *wink*

Super fast powers for things I don't like to do, like work and cleaning.  Hmm-now that I think about it, I want that to be my power too! Able to complete 26 report cards in a single leap!

helping others and taking care of others

to make my shoes pretty because people's shoes are not pretty.

Ice power-because I could freeze people.

Growing flowers and cleaning the environment.

Speed because I'm really fast without my speed

to help others because I want everyone to be safe.

Saving people because saving people is nice andhelpful.