This week we have really stepped it up into high gear. One of our power writing topics this week was, "What type of environment do we need to be successful in writing?" It was wonderful watching the students transform their environment by reflecting what works for them during writing. Some of the shared responses were- "we need a quite space," "the environment needs to be kept clean," "sit next to someone who will not distract you." Afterwards we conducted an experiment to test what we decided. I posed the hypothesis, "Will we get more work done if we follow these guidelines?" Sure enough, when students were given the chance to self-regulate, all the students were able to complete the assignment for the day.
The students created a goal setting sheet that we will be used to help make some positive personal changes. We looked at our particular strengths and weaknesses and specific academic, personal, and social goals. I created a goal of having more consistent parent communication, so be expecting a phone call from Alexis or me soon!
For social studies, we finished collaboration on our classroom constitution. For each right that we want, we have a corresponding responsibility. We also discussed a way for students to self-asses using a scale from "D to A."
D=democratic
C=cooperation
B=bullying/bossing
A=anarchy
If your child comes home telling you they want to be a "D" student, that is a good thing. In the next few weeks, we are going to be looking at the issues that are facing America today. The upcoming presidential elections are going to provide a great opportunity to have some debates in the classroom. We are fortunate to have such a real life connection to humanities.
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