SmartMoves

Well I haven't blogged in awhile. Why you ask? The answer is simple...TESTING. Yes, we just gave regional tests, but now we are giving benchmark tests for our reading series. It seems to be all I do. It's a very frustrating part of the job, simply because I feel like now we do less teaching and more testing. Does that even make sense? 

Okay...enough with my rant! :) 

During testing I use SmartMoves to give students quick breaks that still maintain focus. If you're not familiar with the program it is on the SmartBoard and there are motions that students follow while calming music plays. There are colored lights that the students need to follow with their hands and then the lights become people doing the movement as well. There are multiple levels to it. The higher levels are pretty tricky! (Trust me-I tried them!) The simple level is more manageable and easier to follow. Some of the movements are making circles with your arms/hands, making a figure-8 pattern, and moving one hand one way and the other the opposite way.) SmartMoves helps create the link between the right brain and the left brain, so they work together.  The movements also hep strengthen muscles (the shoulder muscles) to improve motor skills, such as writing. It is a really helpful tool. 

I also like to use it for transition times, getting the "wiggles" out, movement breaks, and a practice in focusing. It's something worth looking into in  our world of testing. And YES-the students LOVE it.

I will post pictures of the students doing it soon! :)

-The Classy Teacher

October Currently

I know, I know I JUST posted on Sunday, but I'm really getting into this whole blog thing! It has really inspired me to document what I'm doing and slow down to think things over.  I go from 3rd, to 4th, and then all the way up to 8th during the day. I taught 3rd last year and I had some of my 4th graders that I work with in my class last year. It's pretty neat to see them this year too!I will probably usually focus on what I'm ding with 3rd and 4th, but you never know when I will just HAVE to share something about 8th grade.

Without further ado...here is this month's Currently from Oh' Boy 4th Grade:

Listening: Well I flip channels a lot, because I usually don't get hooked on shows.  Usually what I put on the TV is just nonsense. (I'm an E! junky!) The only show that I have really been enjoying is The Voice...Okay, maybe I just love Adam Levine! ;)

Loving: I love my new job! I get to do all sort of fun and creative things with my minions. This week we are focusing on long o using oa and ow. We made roads, wrote on windows, highlighted, and did word sorts. 

We built a rOAd and then flipped it over to practiced word reading with oa, highlighted the long o sounds, and sorted the long o sounds into 3 columns. 

These crayons are awesome! We wrote ow words on the windOW to practice spelling and saying words with ow in them! :) 
 

Thinking: about how this weekends will be the last weekend I get to watch my little cousins for awhile. Their mother, my cousin, is a wedding photographer, so I watch them on the weekends while she works. Check her blog out here! (Psst....She just photographed my sister's wedding on August 31! :)) 

 Here they are with my other "little cousin" on the first day of school. The twins are in pre-k and the older one is in kindergarten! They live next door to me so I had to see them get on the big yellow bus! 

 Last weekend they made an ultimate tower out of blocks. They even had a garage at the bottom that a toy car could go through!


I'm also considering running a 5k this weekend...I mean why not, right?

Wanting: our regional math assessments to be graded. We get paid extra for staying after to grade them, but I'm just not a fan of these assessments and want them to be over. Who am I kidding? We will still have to do them in the middle and end of the year. Womp womp womp...

Needing to order supplies for my classroom! I don't even have a pencil sharpener! I didn't order yet, because I wasn't sure what I would be teaching! I'll do this ASAP though! 

Treat!! I just put a common and proper noun word sort on TPT. Check it out! :) 

JUST BECAUSE:

A few photos from the photobooth at my sister's wedding! Can you tell we had lots of FUN! :D 

 


<3 The Classy Teacher