What I've Been Up To

Gosh, I've been SO busy and student-teaching is flying by!!

I'm on a productivity high because I just finished my monstrous Long Range Plan, so I'll do a quick blog to let you know what's been going on lately....

I taught a really fun lesson to introduce fractions. I introduced it by talking about my addiction to Diet Coke. I brought in a 12 pack and we came up with fractions about how much I drink. Then the class made up fractions about groups of students. And then I surprised them with a cake. They couldn't get it until they figured out the problem "When I have 1/8 of it, I have 3 pieces. How many pieces are in the whole?" We worked it out visually, and in groups, and eventually they got it. They were all SO happy when I brought out the cake. I mean like, they cheered like I was giving them a million bucks. Precious. Then I cut it and we talked about fractions as I cut. We all enjoyed our 1/24 of the cake. :)

My teacher and I are still getting along super well. She's an awesome leader and I learn a ton from her everyday. One of her strengths is working with children who some consider to be problems. She's a master at having conversations with them to change their behavior instead of giving them unrelated punishments. I love to sit in on her talks anyone gets in trouble because she is awesome. She makes the students realize they are accountable for their behavior, but also helps them think of better options to have their needs met in the future. I'm taking notes!

She also jumps in any time I'm teaching and I need some help. I wasn't doing such a good job with equivalent fractions today... Well, I just wasn't breaking it down enough. She popped right in and made it clear as day.

This week we're introducing the American Revolution. We started the day telling the students they could receive tickets for good behavior (lie) and that they could use their tickets to buy stuff at the Jones/Stanton store (lie). Needless to say, they were chomping at the bit for tickets. We gave them out liberally. At the end of the day, we chose a student to be King and 3 students to be tax collectors. The King/tax collectors came up with taxes for the class. The taxes were things like- 1 ticket if you're a girl, 2 tickets if you're wearing jeans, 1 ticket if you have brown hair, etc. The students were FURIOUS when they started having their tickets taken away. And if that was bad, you should have seen how they acted when they had to be put in jail for not having enough money to pay their "taxes." They practically rioted. This was all exactly as planned. We wanted them to understand the anger the colonists were feeling after the French and Indian War, and we wanted them to understand the concept of rebellion. Well, this simulation covered both of those things. We got to have a great discussion connecting our feelings with the colonists' and what not. (PS, all of this was all Jones' stuff. I take no credit!)

Tomorrow I'm teaching about the Stamp Act, Tea Act, and Intolerable Acts. We're going to talk in English accents.

Friday we're going to do an exercise on writing conventions in which we write letters to the girl I sponsor in Guatemala.

I'm having so much fun! :)