So Many Questions!

 

Where Did September Go?



Is it me or did September fly by?  Perhaps it is because we have been very busy in fourth grade!  Time does fly when you are having fun.  We earned our second paw print reward this week and learned how to play continuous kick ball.  It is a game that teaches teamwork. You can't be successful in the game without your entire team.  I love doing different team work activities throughout the school year.  I always teach my class that they are a team and while they won't all be best friends, they have to work as a team. 

Questioning

 

For the past couple of weeks students have been learning that good readers ask questions before they start reading a new book, while they read the book, and after they are finished reading.  Asking questions helps us read with a wide awake mind, it helps us monitor our understanding, and it helps us think beyond the words on the page to the deeper meanings in the book.  We are pushing for deeper questions that go beyond the text such as the ones below.

• What does the author want me to learn?
• Why did the character _____________?
• What does _____________ symbolize in the story?
• What lesson did the character learn?

These types of questions are not typically answered in the story and will cause students to have to use the clues in the text to help them come up with their own answers.  It leads to great discussions and deeper thinking.

Want to Help at Home?

 

I will send home some questioning hand outs this week that you can use when reading with your child.  What should you read?  Anything!  Even though your child is in fourth grade now, reading with them is still a wonderful way to support us here at school.  We especially like reading picture books even at the fourth grade level because the short length allows for students to experience more plots, storylines, lessons, and themes.  Read and talk to your child about their questions and their answers!  Ask them what in the story made them think that.  Enjoy!

Upcoming Dates

10/2 - Open House 6:30 - 8:00

10/8 - District Math Night 6:30 - 8:00

10/15 & 10/16 Parent Teacher Conferences

 

 

 

 



A New Year, A New Blog!

Welcome to my new classroom blog!  I have been looking for a new way to communicate with parents and caregivers so that you will have a better idea what we are up to for over six hours a day.  I thought that I would try blogging.  I have been teaching my students to try new things, challenge themselves, and embrace things that aren't easy.  I am taking my own advice!  Please bear with me as I learn new technology and create new pathways among my neurons (ask your child what I am talking about!)

A Great Start

The school year has been off to a great start as we have been learning routines, rules, expectations, and what life is all about in fourth grade.  We are a fantastic group of respectful, responsible, and ready students and were the first class in the building to fill our Paw Print chart and earn a reward.  Today we filled our second Paw Print chart and will be celebrating our 3 R's again this week! 

Growth Mindset

We started the school year off by learning about growth mindset.  We watched a lot of videos and did some activities that taught us that our brains are always growing.  In fact, when things get difficult we are actually "growing" or strengthening the neural connections in our brain.  We talked a lot about failing, but not giving up.  We even learned about famous people who failed, picked themselves up and kept going.  Oftentimes our children see a famous person such as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and think that these people must have been born that way.  What children don't see is the hard work, dedication, and oftentimes, failure that went on in the person's life.  A full definition of growth mindset is below along with a link to a video that I showed in the classroom.

To go along with Growth Mindset, each student chose an inspirational quote that they decided to make their motto this year.  Each student took their motto and made one for their desk, locker and a large poster in art class to put up somewhere in the school.  Hopefully these posters will help to inspire others!

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset

In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities. ~ Carol Dweck

Famous Failures Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dT4Fu-XDygw