September 21, 2015

Grandparent Essay

This week stuents will begin writing a 3 paragraph essay about the grandparent they interviewed.  We will learn many new writing strategies during this project.  Students will learn:

1. new topic sentences
2. new transitions
3. how to add variety to your word choice
4. how to add more details to support your claim

Students will write a rough draft over the next week.  I will edit the papers.  Then students will type their final draft on google docs.

Grandparent's Day

Each year at the end of our Grandparent Unit we invite all of the grandparents out for a Grandparent's Day celebration.  The students will perfom some songs, serve some treats and spend some time with thier grandparents.  This year it will be on October 16th at 11:00.  Be sure to get this on your parents calendars.  They won't want to miss out.  More information and invitations from the students are coming soon.

Parent Help

Thank you so much to all of the parents who have been helping in class.  This is a very involved class!  I came to a realization last week that I have only had one family from this class before.  That hasn't happened before.  I also realized that for many of you, your second grader is the oldest child in your family.  Welcome to having a big kid, not a little kid.  They are growing up.  Because of this there is some parent help info that I have failed to share, sorry.  Here is the first installment of my Parent Help Bootcamp :)

1. Take charge!  Sometimes parents are hesitant to make decisions without the teachers consent.  Don't worry about that, just do what seems right.  You can dismiss students to use the restroom or get a drink.  You can ask students to redo work.  Move students that are too chatty, etc.  Students from your group should not come to me, unless it is an emergency.  If you have questions for me, don't hesitate to ask.  
2. Crowd control!  This is one of the most helpful things you can do in class.  Join the class on the carpet or sit right behind the carpet.  Make sure that students are focused and learning.  Also, please make sure that the volume of your group stays as low as possible for that activity.  As students get older, the classroom will get quieter during seat work times.  
3. ReadLive training.  One of our best programs for increasing fluency is called ReadLive.  It is an online program that students do in class.  I am going to be moving this activity into our parent helper slots now that the students know what they are doing.  If you are a parent helper please go my website and click ReadLive under quick links.  Login in with the username: parent and password: parent and watch the training videos that pop up.  Please try to watch before your next parent help time.  We will be doing this during parent times this coming week.  

Thanks so much for your willingness to come help in class.  It makes our classroom a better place.  Coming next time in Parent Help Bootcamp, "How much should I help?  What should I have students fix?"